Voice of Asia Newsweekly e paper April 21 2017 by VoiceOf Asia

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FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

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28 years dedicated service toCounties the community Serving Harris,ofFort Bend and Surrounding for 29 years Vol. 30 No. 16 Friday, April 21, 2017 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

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FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

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28 years dedicated service toCounties the community Serving Harris,ofFort Bend and Surrounding for 29 years

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

10 Ways You Can Still Change Your Medicare Advantage Plan after Open Enrollment Read on Page 18 or Call 832-806-1000

Vol. 30 No. 16 Friday, April 21, 2017 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Indian politicians to face trial over mosque demolition

EW DELHI, | AFP | 4/19/2017 - Three senior members of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party including a cabinet minister should face trial over the demolition of a mosque a quarter of a century ago, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday.

Innovative Bone Healing Technology wins over $700,000 from TiE at the Rice Business Plan Competition

Former Galveston “Hurricane Mayor” Lyda Ann Thomas dies at 80

The three are accused of inciting Hindu zealots to pull down the 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya in 1992, igniting one of India’s most explosive religious disputes in which thousands died. India’s top court said government minister Uma Bharti, former deputy prime minister L K Advani, and M M Joshi -- all senior members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- should face criminal conspiracy charges.

Galveston, Texas, Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas speaks 22 September, 2005, during a press conference on Hurricane Rita at city hall in Galveston. AFP PHOTO/James NIELSEN.

The ruling came after a lower court dropped the charges brought against them by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), kicking off a series of appeals and counter-appeals. “We have allowed the CBI appeal against the Allahabad High Court judgement with certain directions,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted the Supreme Court judges as saying. The demolition of the mosque in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh sparked nationwide riots in which thousands were killed, most of them Muslims. It marked the culmination of a virulent campaign led by the BJP, which recently won elections in the state, India’s largest.

The Winners - graduate students from RWTH Aachen University, Medical Magnesium with TiE Directors.

OUSTON - A student team from Aachen (Germany), Medical Magnesium, are set to revolutionize orthopaedic surgery with their innovative implant technology which could prevent millions of unnecessary operations, speed up healing, and create better patient outcomes.

Founded by graduate students from

RWTH Aachen University, Medical Magnesium stunned judges at the Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC), held at Rice University on April 6-8, 2017, with their research and commercialisation prospects, winning over $700,000 from TiE in investment prize money including $200,000 from the TiE Houston Angels Network and $500,000 from Elevate Capital (A leading early stage institutional VC

based in the Portland Oregon, led by Managing Director, Nitin Rai, with roots in TiE Oregon Angels). Speaking of their experience, Florian Coppers (CEO, Medical Magnesium) said, “We are overwhelmed by the positive response throughout the entire competition. Winning this investment prize is a big step towards Continued on Page 5

ALVESTON (4/19/2017) — Lyda Ann Thomas, the former Galveston mayor who gained national recognition for her calm strength and demeanor during hurricanes Ike and Rita, has died. She was 80 years old. Thomas ran for District 4 for the Galveston City Council in 1998. She won both permitted elections after that until term-limited out. In 2004 she ran for, and was elected, Mayor of Galveston, becoming the third mayor of the city. Thomas proceeded to serve three terms as mayor, and stepped down in 2010 after reaching her a city-imposed Continued on Page 8

Trump signs executive order on H1B visa review, says lottery system is all wrong

by Nikhila NatarajanApr, 19 2017 (FirstPost)

courts.

ENOSHA, Wisconsin.He’s finally done it - Donald Trump has signed an executive order on stricter enforcement and review of the H1B visa popular in the technology industry to bring “highly skilled” foreign workers into the US, typically at a price advantage. How the “highly skilled” has been defined has been at the heart of rising anger with American ‘victims’ lashing out at how H1B bodyshops are gaming the system to import low grade, low paid toiling masses into their mainland. After months of screw tightening measures, the H1B visa got hammered some more - this time by the US President Trump on a gorgeous, wind swept spring afternoon in Wisconsin as he ratcheted up his old campaign war cry of ‘Buy American, Hire American’ in front

President Donald Trump signs an executive order to try to bring jobs back to American workers and revamp the H-1B visa guest worker programme during a visit to the headquarters of tool manufacturer Snap-On on April 18, 2017 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (AFP). of a 500 strong gathering of workers and local stars, including the White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, a Kenosha native. Trump won an upset victory against Hillary Clinton here in

Wisconsin and this latest executive order comes at a difficult time for the White House unable to show much in terms of legislative overhaul and the sweeping ‘Muslim ban’ blocked by

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Although we will continue to hear pundits say that Trump’s H1B move is all talk and the sheer complication involved in implementing real change is a mirage, fact is that the H1B has already been hammered even without this executive order. Since Trump took office in January this year, the H1B has come in for a three pronged attack from the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. H1B workers and the body shops that contract them out to clients in the US are sweating, this much is clear. Speaking to workers at Snap-On Tools in Kenosha, Wisconsin which falls on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Trump made his most pointed remarks yet on the H1B, turning the knife in, showing he has done his homework and/ or been briefed in great detail by his innermost circle. Trump’s dishevelled chief strategist

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Trump has put his official stamp on the “H1B lottery is bad” idea and going by how much has become tougher in the last few months for H1B workers even without Trump speaking on the topic, this is a clear indication that the H1B lottery system will be the next one for the meat cleaver. “…we are going to enforce the Hire American rules that are designed to protect jobs and wages of workers in the United States. We believe jobs must be offered to American workers first. Does that make sense? Right now, widespread abuse in our immigration system is allowing American workers of all backgrounds to be replaced by workers brought in from other Continued on Page 5

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Stephen Bannon, just the man who may have scribbled this sort of ‘nationalist’ headline grabber, marked attendance in WI.

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by Steve Forbes, Larry Kudlow, Arthur B. Laffer And Stephen Moore (NYTimes)

n the aftermath of the health care blowup, President Trump and the Republicans need a legislative victory. Tax reform probably should have gone first, but now is the time to move it forward with urgency. Unfortunately, the White House seems all over the map on the subject. One day there is a trial balloon for a value-added tax. The next, the idea of a carbon tax or a reciprocal tax. And now we are hearing the curve ball of a payroll tax cut. Steve Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, has thrown cold water on the idea of any tax bill meeting the August deadline. One sure lesson from the health care setback is the old admonition “Keep it simple, stupid.” The Republicans tried to fix the trillion-dollar health insurance market instead of keeping the focus on repealing Obamacare. They have a chance to make amends with a new tax bill and still hit the August deadline. We advised President Trump during his election campaign and we believe the Republican Party’s lesson for tax reform is this: Don’t try to rewrite the entire tax code in one bill. Instead, the primary goal of Mr. Trump’s first tax bill should be to fix the federal corporate and small-business tax system, which has made America increasingly uncompetitive in global markets and has reduced jobs and wages here at home. The White House and the Treasury already have a tax plan that we were involved with last year. The three most important planks of that plan are:

Why are Republicans making tax reform so hard? cut, and it should be sold to the American people as such.

America’s roads, highways, airports and pipelines, and modernizing the electric grid and broadband access — financed through the tax money raised from repatriation of foreign profits. As much as possible, this bill should include private financing for projects like toll roads and energy drilling. We also favor “user pays” financing, such as toll roads, and we would oppose any Fannie Mae-type financing structure for projects that would put taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of billions in potential losses. For this strategy to work, Republicans need to take several steps. First, President Trump and Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, should stop insisting on “revenue neutrality.” In the short term, the bill will add to the deficit. But President Trump’s tax bill, like those of Presidents Ronald Reagan and John Kennedy, should be a tax

Third, impose a low tax on the repatriation of foreign profits brought back to the United States. This could attract more than $2 trillion to these shores, raising billions for the Treasury while creating new jobs and adding to the United States’ gross domestic product.

We should emphasize that business tax relief is not a sellout to corporations but a boon for middle-class workers. A study by the Tax Foundation and Kevin A. Hassett, then at the American Enterprise Institute and now the chairman of President Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, found that middleclass wages rise when business taxes fall. The additional increase in real wages could be nearly 10 percent over the next decade, which would reverse 15 years of income stagnation for the working class in America. And, if we are right that tax cuts will spur the economy, then the faster economic growth as a result of the bill will bring down the deficit. Next, Republicans should abandon the so-called borderadjustable tax. A border tax is a poison pill for the tax plan: It divides the very business groups that the party needs to rally behind tax reform. Retailers like Walmart will never go along. A carbon tax would be even worse. The best way to bring jobs back to America is to simply lower tax rates now while rolling back anti-jobs regulations, such as rules that inhibit American energy pro-

duction. As for fixing the maddeningly complex individual income tax system — lowering tax rates and ending needless deductions — we are all for it, but that should wait until 2018. Jobs and the economy are the top priority to voters. Republicans need to act with some degree of urgency. The financial markets and American businesses are starting to get jittery over the prospect that a tax cut won’t get done this year. A failure here would be negative for the economy and the stock market and could stall out the “Trump bounce” we have seen since the president’s election. Mr. Trump should demand that Congress send him a jobs bill this summer that he can sign into law on Aug. 13, 2017. That is the day President Reagan signed his historic tax cut in 1981 at his beloved Ranch del Cielo in Santa Barbara, Calif. That tax cut and President Kennedy’s before it unleashed two of the longest periods of prosperity in American history, and that is a result Donald Trump should want to replicate. Steve Forbes, Larry Kudlow, Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore, co-founders of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, advised the Trump presidential campaign on economic policy.

As if it matters...

First, cut the federal corporate and small-business highest tax rate to 15 percent from 35 percent, which is now one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. Second, allow businesses to immediately deduct the full cost of their capital purchases. Full expensing of new factories, equipment and machinery will jump-start business investment, which since 2000 has grown at only one-third the rate recorded from 1950 to 2000.

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

the white house computer room

Mr. President, our computers have a strange virus. Looks like the Executive Order on H-1B Visas is a bad idea.

To help win over Democratic votes in the House and Senate, we would also suggest another component: What many workers across the country want most from President Trump is infrastructure funding. As part of this bill, we should create a fund dedicated to rebuilding

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FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

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Innovative Bone Healing Technology wins ...$700,000 Continued from Page 3 transforming our technology into business. ” Arun Pasrija, President of TiE Houston said, “TiE has been running feeder competitions in Asia and Europe for RBPC for over 6 years, this is the first time a TiE team has made it into the finals. The entrepreneurs in our Houston chapter provide the essential mentoring, support and guidance these entrepreneurs. It’s a hugely successful initiative for us, and something we’re very proud of.” Every years, during the first half of the week leading to RBBC, TiE Houston conducts a mentoring boot camp to help prepare teams from Asia and Europe to participate in RBBC. This was a special year for RBPC with 2014 winners Adhesys announcing the largest ever exit in the competitions’ history. Ashok Rao, serial entrepreneur, principal investor and Chairman of Adhesys, and past Chairman of TiE Global said, “It has been an absolute pleasure working with some of the smartest yet most coachable young founders I’ve ever interacted with. I see the same potential in Medical Magnesium that I saw in Adhesys when they competed 3 years ago.” Nitin Rai, Vice Chair TiE Global, President of TiE Oregon Angels and founder of Elevate Capital stunned the audience by announcing a $500,000 of investment from Elevate to Medical Magnesium in a surprise announcement. Speaking about the company he said, “Elevate invests in passionate entrepreneurs who are solving real world problems with disruptive products. Medical Magnesium’s ground-breaking implant technology and high calibre team was a compelling reason to support it with the investment.” Michael Raspino, Chair of TiE Houston Angels who put together over a $200,000 investment prize said, “Medical Magnesium delivered an impressive presentation and pitched an investment opportunity with great growth poten-

tial, in a space where our investors have a demonstrated ability to add value beyond the money. TiE Houston is pleased to collaborate with investors from across the global network from Oregon, London and Boston to commit over $700,000 to this TiE sponsored start-up. ” The TiE Effect After winning the TiE European Finals in London, Medical Magnesium attended a three day intensive boot camp with TiE mentors from around the world helping to shape and prepare their business for RBPC. Kilian Reuss (CTO, Medical Magensium) said, “The boot camp with the great TiE Society has been the key factor to this success at RPBC 2017. In fact, it has taken our venture on a next level.…” Professor Vikas Shah, a serial-entrepreneur from the United Kingdom who worked closely

with the team during their boot camp and the competition said, “every year we mentor entrepreneurs so they not only stand a great chance of winning at the competition, but also- most importantly- which stand a serious chance of succeeding commercially. Medical Magnesium are an exceptional team, with huge real-world business potential, it was an honour working with them.” About The Rice Business Plan Competition - http://www. ricebusinessplancompetition. com/ The Rice Business Plan Competition is the world’s richest and largest graduate-level student startup competition. It is hosted and organized by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, which is Rice University’s internationally-recognized initiative devoted to the support of entre-

preneurship, and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business. This is the 17th year for the competition. In that time, it has grown from nine teams competing for $10,000 in prize money in 2001, to 42 teams from around the world competing for more than $1.5 million in cash and prizes. 161 past competitors have gone on to successfully launch their businesses and are still in business today, with another 15 having successful exits. These companies have raised in excess of $1.2 billion in funding.

countries to fill the same job for sometimes less pay. This will stop. American workers have long called for reforms to end these visa abuses. And today, their calls are being answered for the first time. That includes taking the first steps to set in motion a long-overdue reform of H1B visas. “Right now, H1B visas are awarded in a totally random lottery -- and that’s wrong. Instead, they should be given to the most-skilled and highestpaid applicants, and they should never, ever be used to replace Americans. No one can compete with American workers when they’re given a fair and level playing field, which has not happened for decades.” On the campaign trail and in his tough talking inaugural address, Trump promised an “America First” method. Less

than 100 days into his Presidency and faced with rising anxiety among his voter base that he’s gone soft on the hard choices, Trump Wisconsin speech shows a certain hark back to the campaign in a bid to win back the base. Remember that Trump is already collecting money for his 2020 run and no other President has done that so early into their first term. This is a base Trump won’t want to lose to even another Republican, forget about Democrats. Already being flayed for ousting Stephen Bannon from his prized National Security Council, Trump’s H1B remarks will warm the heart of his hardcore voters faraway from the more hip New York and Washington D.C. Indian nationals are the largest single group of recipients of the 65,000 H1B visas issued

Houston’s artist, Kartik Trivedi holds “One Man Art Show’ at Lalit Kala Academy

For more information about TiE Houston, please visit http:// www.tiehouston.org/ or email to admin@houston.tie.org Follow TiE Houston via Twitter @TiEHSTN and via Facebook @tie.houston To learn more about Medical Magnesium - http://www. medical-magnesium.com/

Trump signs executive order on H1B visa.... Continued from Page 3

www.voiceofasiaonline.com

Kartik Trivedi Photo credit: Leticia Alaniz

yearly to new applicants under a Congress mandated cap. Exemptions on the cap are available to up to 20,000 applicants who have a US master’s degree. The actual number of Indian nationals working in the United States under the H1B programme is significantly higher, however, because H1B visas typically roll over in a three year plus three year cycle. From the time George W. Bush signed into law the Immigration Act of 1990 which opened the H1B floodgates for Indians till 2016, never before has the H1B been in such sharp focus as it has been in the last 100 days. As it turns out, the H1B backlash is the one ‘America First’ campaign promise that Trump has delivered on for his vote base. Everything else from Obamacare to tax reform is meeting a dumpster fire in Congress.

ouston, Texas area Artist Kartik Trivedi recently visited Ahmedabad city (in India). Lalit Kala Academy, Gujarat State government owned fine arts organization invited Kartik to do “One Man Art Show “of his paintings. The Academy gave Kartik a purskar of 25 thousand Indian Rupees as honorium. Gujarat State Minister for youth and culture honorable Shri Rajendra Trivedi did the opening of the Art show. The Academy also nominated Kartik for state level award “Gujarat Gaurav” if considered qualified Kartik will receive one Lakh Rupees as award. Meanwhile a proposal for an Art Museum of Kartik Trivedi’s painting has been presented to Gujarat State Government. such a Museum will take place on the river bank of Sabarmati River. About 150 Art works will be on display. Kartik’s family will donate his

German grand piano which is 130 years old piano also Art books and Videos tapes and DVD’s on art will be donated whenever Kartik will be in Ahmedabad, he will teach Art course free to the Indian students. This Art Museum will have a few panel paintings done on a museum walls. Subjects will be the life story of Lord Krishna, Swaminarayan Bhagvan shri, Shri Khodal Ma and nine special painting size 8 feet by 16 feet will be done on a various manifestations of Mother divine _Nava Ratri celebration. About 75 impressionist painting will go on display. During his stay in Ahmedabad Kartik has produced a film in Gujarati language title “Asanjo Gurjar Desh” one hour and four minites long. Now this film can be seen on you tube. Since he is back to Houston, TX, city Kartik is working on a big size painting of “Ras Leela” of Lord Krishna.

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FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

General Overview of the Family and Medical Leave Act

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

There is no “three day rule” when buying a car Q. How many days do I have to change my mind after I buy a car? I signed a contract late at night and went in the next morning to cancel. The dealer told me I was out of luck and couldn’t change my mind. My friend told me I have three days to change my mind. A. The dealer is correct. As far as the law is concerned, you generally cannot simply change your mind after you sign a contract. There is no “three day rule.” There are a few exceptions, however, for certain contracts, such as health spa contracts, door-to-door sales, timeshare contracts and certain contracts that put a lien on your homestead. The bottom line is that unless you were misled or deceived into signing the agreement, it is legally binding. I suggest you talk with the dealer, explain why you changed your mind, and see if it won’t agree to cancel the contract. Q. I was parked at a local parking lot. When I returned to my car it was towed. The owner of the store that I parked in front of told me I parked in one of its parking spots. It had my car towed and told me where to pick it up. This cost me hundreds of dollars. Is this legal? A. The owner of a parking lot has the right to tow cars that are wrong-

fully parked, but only if it complies with a very specific law. Unless you were given actual notice your car would be towed, to tow a car there must be signs at the entrance to the lot, mounted on a pole or wall, installed so that the bottom edge of the sign is no lower than five feet and no higher than eight feet above ground level. The sign must be at least 18 inches wide and 24 inches tall; contain the international symbol for towing vehicles and a statement describing who may park in the parking facility and prohibiting all others. The sign must also have the words “Unauthorized Vehicles Will Be Towed at Owner’s or Operator’s Expense,” and a statement of the days and hours of towing enforcement. Finally, the sign must have a number, including the area code, of a telephone that is answered 24 hours a day to enable an owner or operator of a vehicle to locate the vehicle. If the business did not have proper signage, it can be liable for all the costs of towing and storage, as well as any damage to your car. If the owner of the lot acted intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly it may be liable for $1000 plus three times the amount of fees assessed in the vehicle’s removal, towing or storage. I suggest you go back to the lot and see if there are proper signs. If not,

Nitin Sud, Board Certified Labor and Employment Attorney

let the owner know you expect to be reimbursed what it cost you when your car was towed and will consider a claim in justice court if you cannot settle the manner. Q. I own a large vacant lot, near a residential development. Because the lot is fairly level and doesn’t have any holes or trees, local children often play there. I have put up “no trespassing” signs, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I am concerned that I may be sued if someone is hurt while playing there. What is my possible liability? A. As a general rule, a landowner is not liable for injuries that occur on his or her property unless the owner was negligent, and did something that caused the injury. When it comes to people who trespass, however, the law is even stricter. As owner of land does not owe a duty of care to a trespasser on the land and is not liable for any injury to a trespasser on the land, unless the owner injured the trespasser willfully, wantonly, or through gross negligence. In other words, you should have no liability if a trespassing child gets hurt playing on your property, unless you injury him or her. Of course, you still should have proper liability insurance to protect you from any legal fees you could incur if a lawsuit is filed.

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

The FMLA is a federal law enacted in 1993 that requires certain employers to provide unpaid leave to qualified employees for certain medical and family reasons. Qualified employees may receive up to 12 weeks of protected leave over a 12-month period for the following: • the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth; • the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement; • to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition; • a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job;

The phrase “serious health condition” means an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves: • any period of incapacity or treatment connected with inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility; • a period of incapacity requiring absence of more than three calendar days from work that involves continuing treatment by (or under the supervision of) a health care provider; • any period of incapacity due to pregnancy, or for prenatal care; • any period of incapacity (or treatment therefore) due to a chronic serious health condition (e.g., asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.); • a period of incapacity that is permanent or long-term due to a condition for which treatment may not be effective (e.g., Alzheimer’s, stroke, terminal diseases, etc.); • any absences to receive multiple treatments (including any period of recovery therefrom) by, or on referral by, a health care provider for a condition that likely would result in incapacity of more than three consecutive days if left untreated (e.g., chemotherapy, physical therapy, dialysis, etc.). The FMLA applies to employers with 50 or more em-

ployees. Employees who may be eligible for FMLA must meet the following three requirements: a) they must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months; b) they must have worked at least 1,250 hours during the last 12 months; and c) they must work at a location where at least 50 employees are employed at the location or within 75 miles of the location. Employers cannot interfere with employees’ rights to take FMLA leave and they cannot retaliate against employees who have exercised their rights under the FMLA. These issues form the basis of the most common FMLA lawsuits. Disclaimer This article is for general information purposes and is not to be construed as specific legal advice. Bio Board Certified Labor and Employment Attorney Nitin Sud represents employees, executives, and small businesses in a variety of labor and employment matters, including litigation in state and federal courts. For more information, visit www.sudemploymentlaw.com

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FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

FORT BEND VIEW

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place

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Student Leadership 101 cohort meets with FBISD’s Child Nutrition Department local business leaders, learns the impor- recognized by Texas Department of Agriculture with Best of the Bunch Award tance of versatility and collaboration

ort Bend ISD (April 18, 2017) – Students in the FBISD Board Student Leadership program enjoyed their last day of meetings with community influences by meeting with several business leaders. Before making stops at several locations in Fort Bend County, the students were able to hear from FBISD Board Vice President Jason Burdine.

Student Leadership program in session. Photo credit: FBISD

Mr. Burdine shared his story with the students, notably his passion for volunteering and his work as a leader in the District. He encouraged the students to think of themselves as leaders in their daily lives and to go beyond what is asked of them. He also encouraged the students to think of how their leadership and knowledge can be put to work for a larger goal. “Having the perspective in the community, having the knowledge, is so important,” said Burdine. “But a leader doesn’t do it all on their own.” The students began their visits first at the Imperial Sugar Refinery Project, meeting with Jerry Ulke. Mr. Ulke shared how the project was working to repurpose the Imperial Sugar Factory and revitalize the area further. He showed the students maps of future development and construction, including plans for residential and commercial properties, and shared

his journey to his current position. He began his career as a civil engineer, and though he is now a development manager, he is able to use his skills in engineering to have insight into the work that needs to be accomplished. Next, the students met with Adrienne Barker, Director of the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land. Ms. Barker spoke to the students about the behind-the-scenes work that goes on at nonprofits, specifically museums. She, along with Kavita Self, the museum’s program manager, shared how they became a part of the industry. They also spoke of how the work of their more than 100 volunteers keeps the museum operating. “Our obligation as a museum is to give our members and those who come visit us a fabulous experience at the museum,” said Barker. “Life is dynamic in a non-profit, es-

pecially in a museum” The last stop of the day was to the Smart Financial Centre, one of the area’s newest community venues. The students met with Andrew Huang, Marketing Director, who spoke to them about the steady growth of the Sugar Land area. He also shared how the Smart Financial Centre has positively influenced the area’s tourism industry just in the past few months. The students then toured the facility, visiting the various back-of-house staging areas, a suite and the venue’s stage. The students wrapped up their day by reviewing one of the District’s core competencies – collaboration. Dexter McCoy, the new Student Leadership Specialist, led the session. Notably, Mr. McCoy, a 2010 Travis graduate, is a member of the first Student Leadership cohort, from 2008-2009, and the first student to return to the program as an adult leader.

FBISD Child Nutrition staff members are recognized by the FBISD Board of Trustees and Dr. Charles Dupre. Fort Bend ISD (April 18, 2017) – Congratulations to the FBISD Child Nutrition Department for being honored with the Best of the Bunch Award by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). The department was recognized for its achievement in Commissioner Sid Miller’s 2016 Local Products Challenge, for successfully incorporating local ingredients from Texas in at least three meal components. Only 77 participating districts earned the distinction in 2016. Child Nutrition was recognized specifically for its “Har-

vest of the Month” program, which focuses on educating the District’s elementary students about local vegetables and fruit. What began as a simple newsletter has now blossomed into a monthly celebration of a particular food item, including games, quizzes and trading cards. Staff also include recipe suggestions for students and parents to create together at home. For instance, the Harvest of the Month item for March was cilantro, sourced by the District from the Texas Panhandle. Families and students learned what to look for when buying

cilantro and in what ways it contributes to overall health. The department even created a monthly breakfast option featuring cilantro, the Southwest Breakfast Nachos. “Overall, Fort Bend ISD Child Nutrition Department’s Harvest of the Month program has been a commitment to serving Texas produce in school meals as well as educating students about agriculture,” said Gail Stotler, Director of Child Nutrition. “Detailed aspects of Harvest of the Month Continued on Page 10

VOICE OF ASIA 8

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FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Inaugural Houston Medication Safety Symposium April 28 To Tackle Growing Opioid Epidemic, High-Risk Drugs In Elderly highlight the medication safety concerns and provide practice and policy solutions to address important issue like high-risk medications in the elderly and prescription abuse.”

hile Texas has escaped the brunt of a U.S. opioid epidemic that has seen overdose deaths nearly quadruple since 1999, Houston-area health care providers and researchers are launching a new effort to explore solutions not only to America’s addiction to painkillers but growing concerns about the use of high-risk medications in the vulnerable geriatric population. The inaugural Houston Medication Safety Sym- Holly Holmes, M.D., M.S., posium on Friday, April 28, in the heart of the Texas nicians need help in thinking Medical Center will bring together a diverse health care through these complex issues, professionals, including physi- which prompted us to propose cians, nurses, pharmacists and an annual symposium to emhealth care policy researchers, power clinicians and researchto gain new perspectives from ers to make a difference.” national leaders in academia, Holmes added that the health the pharmaceutical industry care providers and institutions and the federal regulatory are- also must act now to curb na. The free symposium will overprescribing and overuse of be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. medications in older adults. at The Denton A. Cooley, MD “Harmful medication use and Ralph C. Cooley, DDS University Life Center, 7440 and the overuse of medication, or polypharmacy, continues to Cambridge St. rise, and is a significant cause Although medications cer- of negative outcomes in people tainly play an important role in 65 and older,” she said. the comprehensive treatment Fellow symposium orgaof chronic illnesses, research suggests that inappropriate nizer Rajender Aparasu, Ph.D., medication use is highly prev- FAPhA, professor and chair of alent and the main cause of Pharmaceutical Health Outincreased medication-related comes and Policy at the Unilong-term illness, death and versity of Houston College of Pharmacy, said geriatric health care system costs. medicine is complicated by a “This is a time of great change variety of factors related to the in the way that we think about natural aging process, such as opioid medications and the decreased metabolism of medway that we safely treat acute ications, cognitive decline and and chronic pain,” said sympo- the common presence of mulsium organizer Holly Holmes, tiple diseases such as diabetes M.D., M.S., AGSF, division and hypertension. director and associate profes“Communication and colsor of Geriatric and Palliative laboration among physicians, Medicine at McGovern Medical School at The University of pharmacists and everyone on Texas Health Science Center the health care team are critiat Houston (UTHealth). “Cli- cal to avoid potential adverse drug events due to drug-drug

City to Host Job Fair & Career Development Forum on June 7

Rajender Aparasu, Ph.D., FAPhA, interactions as well as mitigating risks of falls and other medication-related accidents that contribute to further decline in the patient’s health and quality of life,” Aparasu said. “The symposium will

The symposium is being co-sponsored by the Phyllis Gough Huffington Endowed Lectureship and the UTHealth Consortium on Aging and co-hosted by the University of Houston College of Pharmacy and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.

For more information about the symposium, visit http:// tinyurl.com/safe-med-houston or http://www.uh.edu/pharmacy/news-and-events/events/ med-safety-symposium/ .

...Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas dies at 80

From left: Bangar Reddy, UTMB official, Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, UTMB officials, CG Arora, IACF President Mani, Sam Kannappan, Nat Murthy Continued from page 3 term-limit. Thomas was first elected in 2004 to succeed Roger “Bo” Quiroga. On September 20, 2005 during Hurricane Rita, Thomas declared a state of emergency and

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ordered an evacuation for the following day. When added to the panicked flight from Houston, the evacuation exacerbated the congestion in the area. Thomas praised for her caution, receiving the 2007 National Blueprint Best Practices Award from the National Council on Readiness & Preparedness.

n line with City Council and City Management initiatives to foster community business development and economic growth, the “Show Me City” will host its First Annual Job Fair & Career Development Forum on Wednesday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the City Centre at Quail Valley, 2880 La Quinta Dr. “Show Me City” business and education partners will be on-site to host career booths and to host workshops and presentations. Staff will also discuss municipal career opportunities with guests.

providing networking opportunities for those seeking employment in the Fort Bend County area,” said Dr. Edward Williams, Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development. “Some features of the Job Fair and Career Development Forum will include a resume-writing workshop, health and wellness booths, a small business workshop, career counseling and more.”

To provide assistance to job candidates in advance, staff will host two preparation workshops on the following dates/times: Wednesday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 31 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Old Municipal Courtroom in the City Hall Complex, 1522 Texas Pkwy.

Please contact 281.403.8500 if you are interested in participating as an employer, employment candidate or vendor.

“This strategic event will include partnerships from regional businesses and stakeholders to promote community unity by engaging citizens and

Event registration is available on the City website: visit www.missouricitytx.gov for details.

For more information about Missouri City, please watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov, like us on Facebook—fb/ MissouriCityTX, follow us on Twitter and Instagram—@MissouriCi tyTX, and watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse).=

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FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Houston NSF children showcase their talent at the 2017 Academic Super Bowl

ouston got talent. Lots of it. It is on full display at the North South Foundation (NSF) Regional Academic Contests held at the Lone Star College - University Park campus on April 8th and 9th 2017. More than 350 children from grades K to 12, from all over Houston and nearby, participated in multiple competitions such as Spelling Bee, Vocabulary Bee, Geography Bee, Math Bee, Science Bee, Brain Bee, Essay Writing, and Public Speaking over the two days. This year’s attendance is close to 25% more than that of last year. The Math Bee was very popular and record number of students attended and tackled very difficult problems. The Junior and Senior Spelling Bees that grab the limelight every year, famously popularized by the Scripps National Spelling Bee, students spelled words well beyond their respective competing grades. The Geography Bee tested the child’s understanding of the world with questions even the adult audience could not grasp the

North South Foundation-Houston Regional Contest Winners for 2017

NSF Houston Chapter Senior category winners. Mahesh Wadwa, IACF also seen

answer. The same level of very stiff competition was seen in all other bees. Interestingly, despite the high stakes, the mood among the kids and parents

at the Houston Regional was festive rather than pensive. NSF believes every child is a winner and presented with a participa-

Southwestern National Bank Scholarship Program $1,000 Scholarship Awards About The Southwestern National Bank Scholarship Program Southwestern National Bank Scholarship Program is funded by Southwestern National Bank to recognize and assist outstanding high school graduates reduce the financial burden for college. Southwestern National Bank Scholars are selected on the basis of their financial need, academic achievement, and community involvement. Each year a total of $5,000.00 will be awarded to five selected scholars. Each scholar will be awarded $1,000.00. Eligibility 1. Demonstrates financial need for college tuition, book & supplies and expenses 2. U.S. high school graduating seniors 3. Has a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (un-weighted) 4. Will enroll in an accredited U.S. college full-time for the entire aca-

demic year 2016/2017 Documents Required (To be considered, all of the following documents must be submitted) 1. A completed Southwestern National Bank Scholarship Application Form 2. An official high school transcript 3. Copies of the most recent document(s) demonstrating the financial need (Family’s 1040 Income Tax Return Form, qualification for School Free/Reduced Lunch Program, etc) 4. Two letters of recommendation from the teachers, counselors, and/or other advisors 5. A two-page typed essay stating why you should be awarded a scholarship. Please include: • Financial need for this scholarship for educational purposes • Personal and academic achievements. Give specific examples • Academic plans and career goals. Give specific examples • Past and current involvement, as

well as future plans, towards making a difference in your community Application Process & Award Announcement 1. Please send your application package to Southwestern National Bank, Attentio Scholarship Program-Ling Chuang, 6901 Corporate Drive, Houston, Texas 77036 2. Applications and all supporting documents must be received by April 30, 2017 for application to be considered 3. An interview may be part of the application process for all semifinalists 4. Scholarships for the 2017 Scholarship program will be announced by mail in May 2017. Please Contact Us: For scholarship application and information, please contact the scholarship coordinator by e-mail at ling. chuang@swnbk.com

NSF Houston Chapter Junior category winners. Falguni Gandhi, ICC also seen. tion medal and a certificate. The top three students in every category were presented with trophies and other students with a medal in a well-organized award ceremony.

and many more. For all these children, NSF Finals makes the stepping stone to fly high. Eighteen such academic competitions will be conducted with all the suspense and excitement.

The 2017 NSF Houston Regional competition first and second place winners are listed at http://www.northsouth.org/public/USContests/Regionals/winners.aspx (see chart).

NSF is a non-profit volunteer-run organization. Close to one hundred volunteers came together to make Houston Regionals a grand success. The National event requires an estimated 400 volunteers. In this connection, NSF Houston team urges volunteer help from Houstonians. Anyone is interested in volunteering please send an email to nsfhouston@gmail.com. Major National contests will be telecast live by capturing the excitement (www.yupptv.com - use promotional code NSF2017 for discount).

Similar regional competitions are being held at more than 90 US Regional Chapters. Top scorers from all the regional competitions will be invited to the 2017 NSF National Finals, which will be held in University of Houston facilities on 12/13 of August, 2017. For the Finals, more than 1,200 best and brightest students will be invited. Houston will be hosting these talented young children and their families who come from all over country. This will be the one of the significant academic competition conducted in Houston with such a high number of student and parent participation. Many of the NSF children won laurels in the National mainstream contests such as Scrips Spelling Bee, Raytheon MATHCOUNTS, National Geographic Bee

NSF Houston Chapter would like to gratefully acknowledge its sponsors and supporters from the Houston community for helping run a successful competition: Anyone interested in participating in future Houston Regional competitions and/or would like to volunteer or know more about NSF, please send an email to nsfhouston@gmail.com.

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Free Summer Fun at The YMCA

The YMCA offers a FREE taste of summer fun for families on Healthy Kids Day All 29 YMCAs in Greater Houston are open to the public on April 22 HOUSTON – The YMCA of Greater Houston is committed to healthy living and wants to share the activities that will keep children’s bodies and minds in good shape over summer break at YMCA Healthy Kids Day ® on April 22.

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Conversion of PIO cards into OCI cards PIO card holders under the jurisdiction of this Consulate are requested to urgently convert their PIO cards into OCI cards before the expiry of the deadline for the conversion process which is June 30, 2017. The conversion of PIO cards in to OCI cards will be done free of charge (Gratis) for applications submitted until June30, 2017. In cases of erstwhile PIO cardholders, the new foreign passport number (when they get a new passport) will continue to be endorsed on the existing PIO card till the person concerned is issued an OCI card in lieu of the PIO card.

Free to all families, Healthy Kids Day will be hosted by all YMCAs in the Greater Houston area from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. While activities will vary from center to center, children and their parents will get to sample all of the fun the Y has to offer in day camp, overnight camp, youth sports and swim lessons.

Please visit the following link to start a new application for PIO to OCI conversion: https://www.in.ckgs.us/oci/ II. New OCI card: Please visit website : https://www.in.ckgs.us/oci/ You may check the status of your OCI at www.in.ckgs.us NOTE: All applications along with relevant documents and the requisite fee should necessarily be sent to COX and Kings Global Services, USA. The applications sent to the Consulate will not be entertained.

Activities on Healthy Kids Day Building biceps

FBISD’s Child Nutrition ...... Continued from Page 7 have helped to establish healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime for Fort Bend ISD students.”

Children jumping rope

will include program demonstrations, such as karate and Zumba dance offs; games, including hula hoop contests, water activities and relay races; arts and crafts, such as face painting and coloring; and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities such as making “elephant toothpaste” and “twisting tornados” in a bottle. Families can also take tours of the facilities for free. “Healthy Kids Day is a great way to introduce families to summertime activities at the YMCA that not only are fun, but help children continue to grow and flourish when they are not in school,” said Shawn Borzelleri, vice president of Programs at the YMCA of Greater Houston. “We would love for everyone to come out and see what the Y has to offer in terms of day camp, overnight camp, youth sports and swim lessons and to have fun together as a family.” Healthy Kids Day is a national YMCA initiative celebrated at more than 1,300 YMCAs across the country. More than 1.2 million parents and their children are expected to participate. Please contact your local YMCA or visit www.ymcahouston.org to learn more about Healthy Kids Day and YMCA summer programs. Those who join the YMCA of Greater Houston by April 24 will not pay a join fee, a savings of up to $125. SUMMER PROGRAMS OFFERED AT VARIOUS HOUSTON-AREA YMCAs (Beginning May 30, 2017) To learn more and register, visit ymcahouston.org.

“Teaching children about healthy lifestyles and the importance of agriculture by introducing them to nutritious, Texas-grown foods is a top priority at TDA,” Commissioner Miller said. “When our school nutrition partners accepted our Local Products Challenge, they strengthened Texas

agriculture and demonstrated their commitment to developing good nutritional habits for the young Texans they serve and their local communities.”

The Farm to School Initiatives, The FBISD Child Nutrition Departwhich is part of the Local Products ment strives to nourish the body and Challenge, includes several ways for mind of our future leaders. school districts to implement the commissioner’s push to include more local ingredients, EARLY VOTING ELECTION DAY among them gardening on school APR 24 - MAY 2, 2017 MAY 6, 2017 campuses and taking field trips to local farms, ranches and farmer’s markets. These activities broaden students’ knowledge of difRE-ELECT ferent ingredients and where food comes from, and also positively influence their interest in eating more nutritiously. Beyond the benefits for students, the activities also help local busiFORT BEND ISD nesses. According to data from the TRUSTEE POSITION National Farm to School Network, each $1 invested KP GEORGE CAMPAIGN in Farm to School • 4315 Pensacola Oaks Ln, Sugar Land, TX 77479 components creates an additional • Phone: 713-589-2256 • Email: kpgeorge@kpgeorge.com $2.16 for the local economy, and participating schools see an average increase of 9% in student meal parPolitical Ad paid for by the KP GEORGE CAMPAIGN ticipation.

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VOICE OF ASIA 11

Osmania University Alumni Association to Host OU Centenary Celebrations in Houston on May 27, 2017

AAYMM to hold its first seminar on April 28 at TMC

he newly released 2016 Yoga in America study, conducted by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance, shows that the number of US yoga practitioners has increased to more than 36 million, up from 20.4 million in 2012. Osmania University (Arts College building) in Hyderabad

OUSTON, TEXAS — Osmania University, Hyderabad, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Established in 1917, this one of the oldest universities in India has planned a year long celebrations in Hyderabad. Here in Houston, the Osmania University Alumni Association (OUAA) is organizing an evening of fun filled program on MAY 27, 2017 at India House, 8888 West Bellfort, Houston, Texas. Gracing the occasion will be the vice chancellor of the University, Prof. S. Ramachandram as the guest of honor. The Association is also taking this opportunity to recognize

a fellow Osmanian, Dr. Karun Sreerama, the newly appointed Director of Public Works, City of Houston. Dr. Sreerama is the first Indo American to be appointed to this coveted position.

Harinath Medi: 832 244 3100; Mahendra Korivi: 713 8707707

The program starts at 6.30 PM and includes cocktails, Hyderabadi dinner and a music and dance extravaganza.

EVENT: OUAAH - 100th Birthday Osmania University Celebration

Tickets are $45 per person, $80 per couple and $500 for a table of ten.

WHEN: Saturday, May 27, 2017 6:30 PM Sharp 9:30 PM

For tickets please go to tickets2events.com. For details, contact any one of the following members of the organizing committee.

Showri Nandagiri: 713 294 3944; Manohar Medi: 82 361 4315.

WHERE: India House 888 West Bellfort Houston, Texas 77031 TICKETS: tickets2events.com

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Medical research in the last three decades has clearly shown either suitable evidence that the use of yoga and meditation in medical practice enhances patient care. Whether it is where pain control is needed, hypertension needs to be controlled, quality of life needs to be improved in HIV patients are decreasing suffering in terminal cancer patients yoga and meditation have been shown by scientific studies to play discrete role in each of these instances. The American Academy for Yoga and meditation in medicine is a physician organization that coordinates research, academic discussions, conducts yearly symposia and helps disseminate latest research about yoga and medita-

tion amongst physicians. One of the important missions of this organization is to help physicians understand and bring to practice the latest research in yoga and meditation. As part of this mission it organizes yoga clinics, CME for physicians on yoga therapy, holds a yearly research symposium to disseminate knowledge about yoga and meditation among the practicing physicians. Dr. Basu Ray who is the President of AAYMM and a Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist and a former faculty in Medicine (Cardiology): Harvard Medical School. His research centers on the use of meditation and yoga in modern medicine particularly heart diseases says; “ Tremendous knowledge has been garnered on the use of yoga and meditation not only to keep people healthy but also to intervene in disease states like heart disease and cancers both to prevent them as well as to decrease sufferings. Our intention is to make physicians in this country cognizant of that and also teach them how to use them in

their daily clinical practice.” AAYMM will be holding its first of a series seminar on April 28, at the Mitchell Research Building’s, Onstead auditorium in the TMC, 6550 Bertner Avenue at 6 PM. Prof Konstantin Korotkov of Russia will be presenting a lecture on, “The application of a Novel Electrophonic Imaging Technology to Determine Health from Different Disease states including Cancer and Heart Diseases.” CGI Dr. Anupam Ray will be the chief guest at the event and the program will be supported by MD Anderson Cancer Center and Life in Yoga Institute. This will be a free event, but registration is required @ goo. gl/y6jeOB. Healthcare professionals, researchers and those interested in holistic medicine who seek to be well informed on understanding the human system as a communication system that goes far beyond conventional medicine based on internal and external coherence are encouraged to attend.

What Makes an Effective Executive?

n April 1, students in the YLDP group of Houston had gathered at India House to hear from a leader in Houston’s oil and gas industry. As Vice President and CIO at Shell Oil, Ms. Amy Suhl works with Shell’s technology department, which develops innovative technology solutions that aim to change the face of the industry. The students were able to get a glimpse of the future of oil and gas technology in an animation Ms. Suhl provided which showed a futuristic oil tanker. The future hasn’t been nearer for Ms. Suhl, but for her to get to this stage, she’s moved between departments, business functions and geographical locations. Her varied career is testament to leadership skills she has developed through her years work-

ing in Shell. Ms. Suhl shared with the students which skills she believes has helped her truly pave her way at Shell: 1. Don’t be afraid to ask! Ms. Suhl encouraged the students to ask questions about anything they may have a disagreement with, whether it be on opinion or ethics. She stated that without conflicting views, there is never progress. 2. Communicate clearly, and even if there is conflict, keep working. Ms. Suhl noted that information should be shared with everyone who it is relevant to, and progress should be continuous. Even if mistakes occur, the team shouldn’t stop trying to make the best of the situation. 3. Maintain your integrity. The true character of a leader can be seen

Admissions open for Class of 2018

YLDP Students with Guest Speaker Ms. Amy Suhl in whether or not they maintain transparency and integrity, especially in corporate America. Ms. Suhl related that it is essential to maintain integrity to maintain trust and respect between

leader and peer. Through various anecdotes from her wide career at Shell, Ms. Suhl was able to convey to the students how important these values are to being a success-

ful executive in corporate America. Ms. Suhl proved that not only must you know the content to be effective, but you must also stay strong in character.

Applications Due 30 Apr 2017 (See website for application)

The Youth Leadership Development Program (YLDP) of Houston is an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, nurturing future Indo-American leaders Since 2007, YLDP has been providing high school juniors and seniors of Indian origin living in Greater Houston a unique opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Curriculum includes talks by leaders in Politics, Government, Philanthropy, Science & Technology, Business, Entrepreneurship, Culture and Art. Students go on Field Trips and learn to be proficient in public speaking.

Applications Deadline April 30, 2017 - See website for details

http://www.yldphouston.org/

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

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Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Houston First Initiative to increase Tourism Visitors by 4.5 Million by 2020 by Jacob David

OUSTON - The Asian Chamber of Commerce hosted yet another inspiring and engaging luncheon, “Houston First / Visit Houston” speaker series, at The HESS Club Texas Ballroom, where Roger Harris, Development Specialist Manager, opened with comments on engaging every Houstonian to be an Ambassador for Tourism, and encourage visitors to come to Houston. Jorge Franz, Senior Vice President of Tourism, Visit Houston, spoke next, giving interesting insights into how the city of Houston is planning to increase visitors by another 4.6 million visitors by 2020. Peter McStravick, Chief Development Officer, Houston First, spoke about engaging visitors with local attractions and turning them into business opportunities to increase tourism revenue, which in turn will mean better infrastructure development and lower taxes for the residents in the state of Texas. The three speakers requested that every member present become a fanatic ambassador for promoting tourism in Houston. Three engaging videos showing Houston as a tourism destination were played. One video showed children from different cultures living in Houston, welcoming visitors to Houston. The star of Big Bang Theory, Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper

L-R: Austin Zhao, Roger Harris, Jorge Franz, Alice Chen, and Peter McStravick at the Asian Chamber luncheon where the Houston First initiative details were explained. (Photo credit:©Roswitha Vogler )

Speaker Roger Harris, addressing the gatherig . Panelists Jorge Franz and Peter McStravick are seen seated on the right. (Photo credit:©Roswitha Vogler ) in the CBS sitcom, vouched for Houston as a tourism spot, calling it “My Houston.” With over 10,000 restaurants featuring food from diverse cultures, and mention of renown Anthony Bourdain’s show Parts Unknown, his recent visit to the Himalaya Restaurant as a cultural spot for great Indian and Pakistani cuisine, the city of Houston has gained great importance in the last five years alone. Houston saw 20.5 million visitors in 2016 according to the research group, TNS Global, and the State of Texas.

The tourism industry in Houston has supported more than 140,000 jobs and contributed $16.5 billion to the local economy. The state of New York projects to have 67 million tourists by 2021, according to Fred Dixon, the CEO of New York’s tourism-marketing agency, NYC & Company. Chicago ranks second having had 54.1 million visitors in 2016, while San Antonio, Texas had 34 million visitors. Plans and discussions are underway to develop a multi-layered strategy to attract visitors, which include to develop a tourist spot of interest in Houston.

The Houston First organization owns the Hilton of the Americas hotel and manages the George R. Brown Convention Center including 11 other city-owned properties. It is the driving force in developing the Avenida Houston entertainment district. To learn more on how you can participate, visit: HoustonFirst.com and VisitHouston.com.

Roger Harris, Cheryl Ross-Josey, Arcy Munoz, MaiLan Trinh. (Photo credit:©Roswitha Vogler )

Grand Opening - Thrive Nutrition in Houston

What to do if you missed the tax return filing deadline by Wendy Connick ot filing a tax return has some potentially dire consequences. For one thing, it’s technically considered tax fraud to not file a return when you’re required to do so. Unless you’re a famous actor, the IRS is not likely to bring charges against you just for failing to file. However, the agency can and will levy some fairly nasty penalties against you.

Potential penalties If you don’t file a tax return, the IRS will assess a failure-tofile penalty of 5% of the amount due for the year per month that you’re late, up to a maximum of

25% of your unpaid taxes for the year. You will also be hit with a failure-to-pay penalty, which is 0.5% of the amount due for the year, per month that you’re late to pay. This penalty is also capped at 25% of your unpaid taxes. If you fail to file and to pay, you’re looking at a potential 50% penalty on top of what you owe on the initial tax bill. And to add insult to injury, the IRS also charges interest on late payments. Claim the free extension Since the failure-to-file penalty is 10 times greater than the failure-to-pay penalty, it makes

a lot of sense to file your tax return even if you can’t afford to pay it at the moment. If you need more time to put your tax return together, you can get an automatic six-month extension by filing Form 4868. In order to fill out this form, you’ll need to roughly estimate your tax bill for the year. Don’t worry about getting this number completely accurate; just use what information you have to get a number that’s somewhere in the ballpark. When in doubt, aim high, rather than low. If you end up paying more than you owed, you’ll get a refund of any excess you paid at the time you filed your extension. (-Motley Fool)

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n central Vermont, there’s a 1795 farmhouse and 20 rustic cottages perched on 300 acres of wildflower meadows and pine forests. Twin Farms, a romantic all-inclusive property with wood-burning fireplaces and American folk art, is a natural fit for bucolic Barnard—so it’s no surprise Travel + Leisure readers voted the hotel No. 1 in the Green Mountain State.

The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandelry in Louisiana Hailed as one of the coolest new city hotels in the country, the Old No. 77 Hotel is an exciting addition to New Orleans’ Warehouse Arts District. Rooms feature hardwood floors, an antique writing desk, and exposed brick. Farmhouse Inn in California Family-run and with only 25 rooms

f you follow awards shows to learn about the best movies and music, why not do the same to learn about the household products your family uses on a daily basis? Innovative products are awarded annually by “Product of the Year,” the world’s largest consumer-voted award, backed by the votes of 40,000 consumers in a nationwide survey conducted by research partner Kantar TNS, a global leader in consumer research. “Competition is fierce among consumer brands, with thousands of new products introduced to the market each year,” says Mike Nolan, CEO, Product of the Year USA. “Savvy shoppers can let the annual winners list serve as their own in-the-know guide.” To try something new, consider these highlights from 2017’s winner’s circle:

Mokara Hotel & Spa - Formerly the Watermark Hotel & Spa, this San Antonio Omni hotel is just a short stroll from the Alamo. All the rooms and suites has high ceilings, marble and wood finishes, and bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs. When we travel - whether it’s to go skiing in Utah or to have a shopping spree in New York City - nothing completes the experience quite like staying in a hotel that understands the local vibe. Every year, T+L asks readers to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and more. Readers taking our World’s Best Awards survey ranked hotels in the United States for value, service, location, amenities, and attention to detail. A few states didn’t have hotels represented on this year’s World’s Best list, so we tapped tourism boards and our own insider expertise to determine the top pick in that state. Like Hotel Donaldson in North Dakota— nominated by the state’s tourism division—where wine and cheese hour is as much as a draw as its reputation for being a workingman’s hotel in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Whether you’re driving through amber plains or exploring a new city, these award-winning hotels won’t let you down. Here is a selection:

(including a handful of 20th-century cottages), this wine country property wooed readers with a Michelin-starred restaurant and easy to access to many of Sonoma’s top vineyards. Rosewood Washington D.C. in the District of Columbia Formerly the Capella, this Georgetown hotel took top honors, thanks to top-notch rooftop bar and grill, which is reserved for guests only. The Gasparilla Inn & Club in Florida One reader went so far as to suggest this wasn’t just the best hotel in Florida, but perhaps the top spot in the entire South. After more than a century, Gasparilla Inn expertly balances historic charm (there’s still a dress code and Grecian columns) and modernity, with seaplane excursions and stand-up paddleboarding. The Langham, Chicago in Illinois Inside a landmark Mies van der Rohe building is the Langham, where guests enjoy views of the Chicago River and the Windy City’s skyline from rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. (-TravelandLeisure.com)

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VOICE OF ASIA 15

‘Skinny bundles’ step up challenge to US Big Cable

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Pope washes feet of mafia snitches in Easter ritual by Ella Ide

by Rob Lever

ASHINGTON DC | AFP | For years, US cable operators got rich by offering fat “bundles” of hundreds of channels and raising prices regularly for television consumers.

ATICAN CITY, Holy See | AFP - Pope Francis washed the feet of former mafiosi on Thursday in a prison known for housing inmates who have informed on old mobster allies.

Now the “skinny bundle” is disrupting that model with internet-delivered packages offering live and on-demand programs.

The closed-door visit to Paliano prison outside Rome saw the 80-year-old pontiff kneel before a small group of inmates, pouring water over their feet, drying them with a towel and bending to kiss them in an age-old Easter tradition.

Google’s YouTube TV is the latest to enter this market with its bundle of around 40 channels for $35 monthly, challenging slim packages from Sony’s PlayStation Vue, Dish Network’s Sling TV and AT&T’s DirecTV Now. More entrants are expected including one from streaming service Hulu. These services offer easy interfaces like those of on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, let viewers digitally store programs in the internet “cloud,” and toss in a limited selection of live channels to sate news and sports or other interests. Skinny offerings are aimed at young viewers and “cord cutters” loath to pay $100 or more to be force-fed hundreds of channels in hefty bundles and accustomed to streaming shows they want, when they desire. A Parks Associates survey last month found 20 percent of American consumers dissatisfied with their pay TV service, leaving the market ripe for change. Analyst Glenn Hower at Parks said the market is in flux, with some consumers taking advantage of the easy sign-up for skinny packages, even though some cancel just as quickly. In addition to lower prices, he said, “you don’t have to worry about sending out a technician, you don’t have to worry about getting the equipment back.” BTIG Research analyst Rich-

A recent survey found that 20% of American consumers are dissatisfied with their pay TV service, leaving the market ripe for change (AFP Photo/Ethan Miller) ard Greenfield, in a research note titled “the big bundle is doomed,” says he expects skinny bundles to eat away at the established pay-TV providers. Established media companies are focusing too hard on “protecting their legacy business model” instead of giving consumers the flexibility they want, Greenfield wrote this

month. Leichtman Research Group found that the top US cable companies lost 277,000 subscribers in 2016, while internetdelivered services like Sling TV and DirecTV Now added about 845,000. These shifts could lead to a huge upheaval in the television ecosystem.

“We are all sinners, we all have our limits and our shortcomings,” Francis told the prisoners. The jail’s inmates include some 50 former mafiosi who made deals to provide antimafia prosecutors with information in exchange for shorter prison sentences, along with other informers, according to the chaplain.

Scientists unravel mystery of the loose shoelace by Hannah Devlin

hings can start to unravel at any moment, but when failure occurs it is swift and catastrophic. This is the conclusion of a scientific investigation into what might be described as Sod’s law of shoelaces. The study focused on the mysterious phenomenon by which a shoe is neatly and securely tied one moment, and the next a flapping lace is threatening to trip you up -- possibly as you are running for the bus or striding with professional purpose across your open-plan office. In a series of experiments involving a human runner on a treadmill and a mechanical leg designed to swing and stomp, the scientists revealed that

shoelace knot failure happens in a matter of seconds, triggered by a complex interaction of forces. Oliver O’Reilly, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California Berkeley and the study’s senior author, said: “It’s unpredictable but when it happens, it’s in two or three strides and it’s catastrophic. There’s no way of coming back from it.” The study found that the stomping of the foot gradually loosens the knot while the whipping forces produced by the swing of the foot act like hands tugging on the ends of the laces. As the tension in the knot eases and the free ends start to slide, a runaway effect takes hold and the knot suddenly unravels.

The scientists tested two basic versions of the standard knot and bow: the square knot and the weaker granny knot. In a square knot, you start by crossing the lace in your right hand in front of the one in your left hand and then threading it under the left one. For the bow you repeat the process, but crossing the end that’s now in your right hand behind the one in your left (with added loops to make the bow). In a granny knot the same overhand motion is repeated for both knot and bow. The study suggests the square knot works better because the impact of the foot loosens the knot more slowly, but the scientists were not able to establish why this is the case. (-Proceedings of the Royal Society)

This handout picture released by the Vatican press office shows Pope Francis washing the feet of inmates at the Paliano prison outside Rome on April 13, 2017 during the Holy Thursday celebrations (AFP Photo/HO) - Dust and slaves The rite, performed yearly on Maundy or Holy Thursday, commemorates Jesus Christ’s Last Supper with the apostles. In Christian tradition, Jesus is said to have washed their feet ahead of the meal in a gesture of humility. “The feet washing ritual dates back to Roman mealtimes, because the roads were not paved and people entered houses with their feet covered in dust,” the grandfatherly Francis explained to the prisoners. “One of the gestures of welcome made by hosts was to wash their guests’ feet. But it would be the slaves that did it. Jesus turned the ritual on its head. He washed them,” he said. “I am not telling you to start washing each other’s feet, that would be a joke! “But I tell you, if you can help, if you can perform a service for a companion here in

prison, do it, because this is love, this is what washing feet is: serving others,” he added. In 2014 Francis excommunicated members of the mafia, which he called “the adoration of evil and contempt for common good”. The bishop of Palestrina, Domenico Sigalini, said by choosing turncoats for the ceremony the pope “wants to send a message to those who chose to repent, those usually judged as villains while often showing a personal maturity and an attempt to change”. - Cake in the clink The twelve inmates washed by Francis included a Muslim man who is converting to the Catholic faith, three women, an Argentine and an Albanian. Two of the Italians taking part are serving life sentences, the Vatican said. The jailbirds presented the pope with organic vegetables grown in the prison’s allotment as well as cakes they had made.

Core message of the Ramayana

ood deeds are the means to reach a higher plane and likewise bad deeds lead to destruction and doom — is the ultimate message that the Ramayana teaches, said Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse. The truth that each one is responsible for his acts, good and bad and will have to face the consequences is strongly stressed. It is shown that even birds and animals will be of assistance to one who treads the right path; but to him who chooses the wrong path, even one’s kith and kin cannot be of any help. Ravana’s glories are innumerable and even Rama and Hanuman

heap spontaneous praises on his attainments and achievements. But he commits the sin of coveting another man’s wife and scripts his own self destruction. Rama and Sita in their role as mortals show that human sorrow is inevitable and affects all. Lakshmana on many occasions ponders on the unfairness of the happenings in Rama’s life. Rama too breaks out in despair when Virata carries away Sita in a trice. He tells Lakshmana, “This is unbearable. Kaikeyi must have known all this when she sent us to the forest.” Rama’s reaction only reflects the psychological reality of an indi-

vidual in trying circumstances. Rama’s qualities of compassion and kindness, his readiness to lend a helping hand to all, his nature to pardon the faults in people, and his adherence to truth stand as the very basis of this grand epic. The Lord’s vow to protect those in distress is another straight message of hope to humanity. When Rama accepts Vibhishana against much opposition from Sugriva, Lakshmana and others, he quells their doubts about any possible foul play on the part of the rakshasas and states that even if it is Ravana in Vibhishana’s form, He would protect him. (-TheHindu.com)

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Section 2

Young Life

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Bangladesh trains teenage girls to fight cyber crime

HAKA | AFP - Bangladesh on Tuesday began training thousands of teenage girls to fight cyber crime, citing an “alarming” rise in social media-related abuses mostly targeting adolescents. Police said online harassment had grown alarmingly with the rise in

posted on social media or used for trolling. On some occasions, hidden cameras were used to secretly film young people having sex, with the footage later posted online. “Sometimes these photos and videos are being used by boyfriends to

ESHAWAR | AFP - A teacher has described the moment he was accosted by a Pakistani mob which lynched a liberal student accused of blasphemy - an attack which has triggered shock, outrage and fear across the country. Hundreds of men attacked journalism student Mashal Khan last Thursday, stripping, beating and shooting him before throwing him from the second floor of his hostel at the Abdul Wali Khan university in the northwestern town of Mardan.

Ziaullah Hamdard, one of Mashal Khan’s teachers, told the private Geo TV channel Tuesday that he saw students shouting slogans against Khan and another student, Abdullah.

smart phone use in Bangladesh, and teenage girls were the main targets.

emotionally blackmail the girls or their families,” said Islam.

More than 10,000 school-age girls will take part in government workshops around the country in April and May to teach them what to look out for and how to respond.

Bangladesh in 2013 set up a special trial court to deal with social mediarelated crimes and since then more than 450 cases have been heard.

“Every day, we have 10-12 complaints of cyber crimes. Some 90 percent of these victims are pre-teen and teenage girls,” Nazmul Islam, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told AFP. Police said girls were being tricked into posing for intimate photographs and video footage that were later

“(The) majority of the victims are young girls. In many cases, once they were married, they found that their former lovers posted their intimate photos to social media,” prosecutor Nazrul Islam Shamim told AFP. “In one incident, a young woman committed suicide after her lover sent some of her intimate photos to her mobile phone,” he said.

Vietnam youth gets graffiti art bug

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Pakistan teacher describes facing mob that lynched student

Khan had been known for his liberal views, especially on Facebook, sparking the blasphemy allegations against him. Twenty-two people have been arrested so far over the killing, which came after the government intensified its rhetoric against blasphemy.

Bangladesh police say online harassment has grown alarmingly with the rise of smart phone use, with teenage girls the main target (Photo: AFP/File photo)

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

One university employee threatened to kill Khan and cut him into pieces, Hamdard said. Then the mob began kicking in the door to a washroom where Abdullah had taken refuge. “All this happened in seconds. They broke the door, some of them had batons, they were furious - suddenly they entered inside ... they were not listening to anyone,” Hamdard said. Police arrived and managed to yank a wounded Abdullah to safety, he told Geo. At the sight of blood and the crowd, he added, “I lost my courage.” Hamdard rushed to the staff hostel, but around 20 students were already there and accused him of hiding Khan. “They said, ‘You are a non-believer, you have hidden a blasphemer’ ... They were crazy, they were not listening to me. Two of them kicked me and snatched my mobile and locked me in my room.”

Activists shout slogans during a protest in Karachi on Apr 14, 2017 against the killing of student Mashal Khan by his classmates. (Photo: AFP/Asif Hassan) Hamdard was rescued by another teacher and spirited away by police. By then Khan, who had been hiding in his own room at a nearby student hostel, was dead. “Mashal was a Diya (lamp). They have turned off a lamp,” Hamdard told Geo. He apologised to Khan’s parents for failing to protect their son and said his guilt had driven him to resign. ‘FIND THEM!’ The brutality of the attack, partly recorded on mobile phone, provoked widespread condemnation, with protests in several cities over the weekend - although it took two days for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to speak out. On Tuesday an opposition leader Imran Khan, whose party controls Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where Mardan is located, vowed the perpetrators would face justice. The killing came in the wake of a government drive against blasphemy, a hugely sensitive charge in conservative Muslim Pakistan. Unproven allegations have led to dozens of mob attacks or murders since 1990. Last month Sharif swore that blasphemers on social media would be

prosecuted. The interior ministry also threatened to block social media websites with blasphemous content. “The state itself has said, there are blasphemers hiding among you, the people; find them! So now the people are finding them,” wrote columnist Cyril Almeida in Dawn newspaper over the weekend in comments critical of the government. Social media users have become increasingly nervous in the wake of the attack, with posts warning about the dangers of fake accounts that could be used for blasphemy allegations. Rights activists have long criticised the colonial-era blasphemy legislation, saying it can be abused for personal vendettas. Abdullah, who has been taken into protective custody, claimed the university had wanted him to brand Khan a blasphemer because he (Khan) had criticised the school, according to court documents released late on Monday. A second student told a magistrate he had testified before a university “congress” on the day of the killing, accusing Khan of blasphemy, according to the documents seen by AFP.

Baby with eight limbs gets new lease on life in India

EW DEHLI | AFP - A baby born with eight limbs, including two protruding from his stomach, has undergone surgery in India to successfully remove the extra arms and legs, in an operation being hailed as a world first. Seven-month-old Karam was born in Iraq with an extremely rare condition where a conjoined twin did not fully form and was partially absorbed, resulting in the additional limbs.

A variety of expressions at “3A Station,” a graffiti art area in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: AFP/ Hoang Dinh Nam) O CHI MINH CITY | AFP -Shrouded by fumes and surrounded by spray cans, Vietnamese graffiti artist Kong conjures his latest masterpiece, a monkey clutching an aerosol, a color-splashed act of rebellion in a communist country where the youth are expected to follow strict social mores.

“Young people want to break the rules,” said the 21-year-old, his fingers speckled with paint. “We want to see more interesting things on the street or on the wall, so we do graffiti to express ourselves.” Kong belongs to the growing ranks

of graffiti artists in Ho Chi Minh City, where subcultures—BMX biking, skateboarding and breakdancing— jostle for space on the hipster scene. For many the spray can is a tool of rebellion—illicit spray-painting is a way of defying restrictions in an authoritarian country where artists must have their work approved before exhibitions, shows are routinely shut down, and works deemed controversial are replaced by a black “X” on gallery walls. “The government doesn’t like us… They (used to say) that we make the walls dirty, but the people like us so we do our graffiti,” he said.

Study links media violence to aggressive behavior

n American study of young people in seven countries suggests that the violence they are exposed to via media content like TV shows and videogames can be a risk factor for aggressive behaviour, irrespective of the culture they grow up in.

Researchers at Iowa State University surveyed 2,154 young people (38% of whom were male, with an average age of 21) in Australia, China, Croatia, Germany, Japan, Romania and the United States, about the level of violence encountered in TV shows and movies that they watched and

The boy’s father Sarwed Ahmed Nadar flew the infant to India for surgery, where doctors performed a three-stage operation to remove the unnecessary limbs. There are just five or six known cases worldwide of this condition, making the task more difficult for the doctors, said senior orthopaedic consultant Gaurav Rathore, who was part of the surgical team. “He was brought to us when he was just two weeks old and his condition was quite unique. Most of the surgeries we performed had not been attempted before,” Rathore told reporters in Noida, a satellite city outside New Delhi. “Till now our journey has been quite successful. Karam is a very courageous young baby. He is in fact a very happy child.”

videogames that they played. They also collected data on aggressive behaviour and empathy. The findings, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, established that violent media content was positively and significantly related to aggressive behaviour in all countries. Exposure to media violence was also related to heightened aggressive thinking and lowered empathy. Moreover, media violence came in second place (23%) among the six risk

Seven-month-old Karam was born in Iraq with an extremely rare condition. (Photo: AFP) The team of doctors at Jaypee Hospital conducted the surgery in three stages, first removing the limbs sticking out from his stomach before correcting a cardiac complication. The final procedure saw doctors remove all the extra limbs, though he will require more procedures as he grows older to correct other anomalies.

over the world, owing to low costs and high quality of medical care. Karam’s father Nadar, who initially horrified when his son born, said his only hope was his son now grows up normal healthy.

was was that and

“He is my only child and the firstborn is always special,” said Nadar, 28.

A hub of medical tourism, India attracts thousands of patients from all

“There were a lot of risks but I never lost hope.”

factors examined by the researchers, behind peer delinquency (28%), but ahead of peer victimisation (17%), gender (12%), neighbourhood crime (11%) and abusive parenting (9%).

as other risk factors such as coming from a broken home. What matters most, however, is not any single risk factor, but how they can combine to increase the risk of aggression.”

“The findings strongly suggest that media violence is similar to other known risk factors for aggression,” said Douglas Gentile, an Iowa State professor of psychology and one of the co-authors.

The researchers pointed out that although processes leading to aggressive behaviour from media violence exposure appeared to be cross-cultural, extreme local social and cultural conditions may influence these processes, notably in war-torn societies where children are exposed to violence daily. (-AFP Relaxnews)

“That’s not to say media violence deserves special attention, but that it should be considered as seriously

VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Bollywood -Hollywood

Section 2

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Hollywood is losing the battle against online trolls So-called “downvoting” is haunting movie marketers, but new Armenian genocide film ‘The Promise’ is trying to “fight fire with fire.”

t had taken years — and the passionate support of Kirk Kerkorian, who financed the film’s $100 million budget without expecting to ever make a profit — for The Promise, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the Armenian genocide and starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, to reach the screen. Producers always knew it would be controversial: Descendants of the 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Ottoman Empire shortly after the onset of World War I have long pressed for the episode to be recognized as a genocide despite the Turkish government’s insistence the deaths were not a premeditated extermination.

The online campaign against The Promise appears to have originated on sites like Incisozluk, a Turkish version of 4chan, where there were calls for users to “downvote” the film’s ratings on IMDb and YouTube. A rough translation of one post: “Guys, Hollywood is filming a big movie about the so-called Armenian genocide and the trailer has already been watched 700k times. We need to do something urgently.” Soon afterward, the user gleefully noted The Promise’s average IMDb rating had reached a dismaying 1.8 stars. “They know that the IMDb rating will stay with the film forever,” says Esrailian. “It’s a kind of censorship, really.”

Tel: 713-774-5140

Prabhas on acting in Bollywood, wedding plans and ‘Baahubali 2’

he audience are excited about finding why Kattappa killed Baahubali. What is in store?

If I were to tell you the reason now, you would ask many follow-up questions. It’s how layered it is. The reason unfolds in about 20 scenes. The first question VV Vinayak wondered in 2015 was how come the movie became such a big hit although it had about ten unanswered questions. Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali is only one of the questions. Why and how Tamannah’s character ended up being in the forest and a lot of questions were not unanswered. Yet the film became a blockbuster. May be, that’s what the people liked. They liked the characters, characterizations, etc. Rajamouli spent at least 15-20 days thinking how the story has to be separated into two parts. It was a tough one.

Illustration: Shutterstock

Playing which of the two characters was more difficult for you?

The Promise, which opens April 21, finally would bring the untold saga to a mass audience. But before the critics in attendance even had the chance to exit Roy Thompson Hall, let alone write their reviews, The Promise’s IMDb page was flooded with tens of thousands of one-star ratings. “All I know is that we were in about a 900seat house with a real ovation at the end, and then you see almost 100,000 people who claim the movie isn’t any good,” says Medavoy. Panicked calls were placed to IMDb, but there was nothing the site could do. “One thing that they can track is where the votes come from,” says Eric Esrailian, who also produced the film, and “the vast majority of people voting were not from Canada. So I know they weren’t in Toronto.”

While the attack against The Promise is an extreme case, colored by decades of fraught discussion over the Armenian genocide, it highlights a growing problem in Hollywood. So what’s the best way to fight off an army of trolls? The only way may be to raise an army of your own. On IMDb, The Promise now has an average of 4.2 stars thanks to more than 35,000 10-star ratings that have been left by supporters of the film to counter the more than 60,000 one-star ratings. (There are fewer than 1,400 ratings between two and nine stars.) Esrailian doesn’t pretend that all of those high ratings come from people who’ve seen and loved the film. But he’ll take their votes nonetheless: “People realized you had to fight fire with fire.” (-Hollywood Reporter)

Hollywood honors actor and veteran activist Gary Sinise

It was easier to play Shivudu because, having been brought up in an unregulated environment, he goes by his instinct. He doesn’t know who Avanthika is and yet goes after her. He ends up in Mahismathi without knowing that his biological mother is actually in captive there. He lifts the Shiva Lingam when he wants to. On the other hand, Amarendra Baahubali is brought up in a contrasting environment and his responsibilities are bigger. He has to behave in a particular way. How has the film changed you as a person?

Long before this film happened, an assignment I was given changed me. I was 17 I was given the responsibility of supervising campaign arrangements in Mogaltoor, a part of the constituency my Pedananna (Krishnam Raju) was contesting as MP on BJP ticket. I was put there because I am a family member, not because I knew everything. I would wake up early in the morning and get to listen in to the conversations (among activists). That whole experience taught me what comes with taking up responsibilities. Is the title of your next movie ‘Saa-

ho’, and what about the pre-production Teaser? Details about my next film will be revealed in 2-3 days. I may do a Hindi film if something exciting comes my way. The plan is to do Sujeeth and Radha Krishna’s films simultaneously, but nothing is final as of now. Your marriage after ‘Baahubali’ was talked about by your Pedananna. Is it happening or not? ‘Baahubali’ tarvatha pelli cheskovochu annaru. That’s all. (Smiles). (-Telegucinema.com)

Raveena Tandon happy with audience response for “MAATR”

aveena Tandon is making her coming back in Bollywood with the movie “MAATR”. At an event when asked about the response the movie is getting after the trailer launch this is what she had to say. Denying the reports of Censor Board Of Film Certification’s (CBFC) ban on Raveena Tandon starrer ‘Maatr,’ CEO Anurag Shrivastava said that the examination committee is still in process and the result will be conveyed in a day or two. “The screening of the movie ‘Maatr’ for CBFC was done yesterday evening and at the moment there is no screening of ‘Maatr’ again. Ban on the movie is false, as the examination committee is still in process and the result will be conveyed in a day or two,” he said. (-Times of India)

Cannes: Films in the running in 2017

- ‘Okja’ and ‘The Meyerowitz Stories’ Netflix is premiering two movies at Cannes for the first time as the streaming giant makes increasing inroads to Hollywood alongside its rival Amazon. “Okja”, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton. Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman meanwhile star in “The Meyerowitz Stories”, a comedy about siblings dealing with an ageing father. - ‘Wonderstruck’ and ‘You Were Never Really Here’ Two Amazon-backed movies have also made the cut for the main competition. Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams star in “Wonderstruck” and “You Were Never Really Here”, the latest feature by “We Need To Talk About Kevin” director Lynne Ramsay, starring Joaquin Phoenix.

Actor Gary Sinise, the latest celebrity to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of disabled Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump” OS ANGELES | AFP - Oscarnominated actor and longtime armed forces champion Gary Sinise was honored on Monday with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a markedly military ceremony.

The 62-year-old, who has advocated for service personnel and veterans for almost 40 years, was given an honor guard by troops on Hollywood Boulevard, with the national anthem sung by singer-songwriter Steve Amerson. “I’m grateful for these heroes and all who continue to defend us,” Sinise said as he was presented with the

Walk’s 2,606th star for his work in television. “It is a gift to be able to use some of the success that I’ve had in the movie and television business to try to do some good for those who serve and sacrifice each day for our precious freedom.” Sinise received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination in 1995 for his portrayal of disabled, emotionally tortured platoon leader Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump,” opposite Tom Hanks, who would also be his co-star in “Apollo 13” and “The Green Mile.”

- ‘Good Time’ “Twilight” heartthrob Robert Pattinson stars in this crime flick by indie director brothers Benny and Josh Safdie. Nicole Kidman appears in ‘The Beguiled’, featuring in the main competition at the Cannes film festival ARIS | AFP - From the tale of a mysterious giant beast to a family drama set against the European migrant crisis, here are some of the movies appearing in the main competition at next month’s Cannes film festival:

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- ‘The Beguiled’ A remake of the 1971 version starring Clint Eastwood, featuring Colin Farrell as a wounded soldier who seduces the women around him, including Nicole Kidman and Kirsten Dunst.

- ‘Happy End’ Fresh from winning a string of accolades for “Elle”, Isabelle Huppert is back in Michael Haneke’s new family drama. - ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ For the second time at this year’s Cannes, Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell team up.

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

HEALTHY LIVING VOICE OF ASIA

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

HEALTH CRISIS

10 Ways You Can Still Change Your Medicare Advantage Plan after Open Enrollment

Mental illness is on the rise but access to care keeps dwindling By Lindsay Holmes

pen enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans ended on Dec. 7, just like it does every year. Does that mean you have to wait until Oct. 15, the beginning of the next open enrollment period, to change your plan? Not necessarily.

ore Americans than ever before are experiencing mental health problems, yet access to treatment for those issues is becoming more difficult to receive, a new study has found. A new analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Interview Survey shows that serious psychological distress, or SPD, defined as severe sadness and depressive symptoms that interfere with a person’s physical wellbeing, is on the rise just as resources for mental health treatment are declining.

There are some special circumstances where changes can be made outside open enrollment. Here are 10 scenarios where you can still change your Medicare Advantage Plan after Dec. 7 and before Oct. 15. 1. You move to a new location There are several ways that changing where you live can allow you to change your Medicare Advantage plan outside of the open enrollment period.

One of the more dismal discoveries from the report is that access to professional help for mental health issues is deteriorating. The study found the 9.5 percent of people surveyed in 2014 did not have health insurance that provided access to a psychiatrist or counselor, a rise from 9 percent in 2006.

Illustration: Shutterstock

Researchers from NYU’s Langone Medical Center analyzed almost a decade’s worth of data and found that more than 8.3 million Americans ― or an estimated 3.4 percent of the adult population ― suffers from a serious mental health issue. The latest data is a departure from previous reports on the CDC’s survey, which estimated that fewer than 3 percent of American adults experienced serious psychological distress, according to the study’s authors. The statistics were pulled from surveys collected between 2006 and 2014. The report included more than 200,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 64. Individuals were represented from all states and across all ethnic and socioeconomic groups, according to the study authors.

illness, people with SPD are the ones experiencing the most disparities in terms of utilizing health care,” Weissman told The Huffington Post. “It leaves people with SPD just spinning through the system and makes you wonder what’s going on. Why isn’t the health care system addressing people with mental illness?” Weissman and her fellow researchers hypothesize that poor treatment or care rates could have to do with the

Why isn’t the health care system addressing people with mental illness? Approximately 10.5 percent of people experienced delays in getting treatment due to insufficient mental health coverage ― a 1 percent increase from 2006. And almost 10 percent of individuals in 2014 could not afford to pay for necessary psychiatric medications, which went up from 8.7 percent in 2006. The findings indicate there’s a growing problem when it comes to mental health services. This could especially affect smaller communities. A 2016 report published by Mental Health America found there’s a glaring shortage of mental health professionals in the United States, specifically in rural areas. Alabama, for example, has one worker per every 1,200 people. Nevada, another rural state, was ranked last in MHA’s report, largely in part because of the state’s lack of available mental health professionals. There’s a clear need for more emphasis on mental health in primary care facilities and hospitals across the country, according to Judith Weissman, lead study investigator of the CDC data and a research manager in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. “Among people with any type of

Tel: 713-774-5140

limited number of mental health providers across the country. “A lot of people with mental illness don’t have coverage, but even if they do and even if there was the ability to pay for it, the number of providers out there to treat it is limited,” Weissman said. “It’s just a huge disconnect between the number of illnesses that really affect this population and the number of people who are able to treat it.” Weissman believes that the success of managing mental health in America won’t come unless the treatment gap is closed. “Until we begin to provide the resources and the mental health care providers, as well as screening and treatment, we won’t curtail the tide of mental illness,” she said. Studies indicate that prejudicial outlooks on mental health often stand in the way of people getting the help they need. Weissman says that also is apparent in this analysis and, because of that, they found people may selfmedicate with substances as a way to manage problems. Addressing the stereotypes surrounding psychological health is vital

to increasing the number of people who get care, she added. And increasing care availability means encouraging insurance providers, physicians and even other people in society to take mental health as seriously as physical illnesses. One of the easiest ways to do this, Weissman says, is for primary care physicians to start implementing behavioral health checks into their practice. This could be done by the doctor themselves or, if it’s outside of their scope, having mental health specialists on site. “Mental illness doesn’t have parity with physical illness,” she explained. “When a person goes in to get their blood pressure checked, they need to be screened for depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Mental illness needs to be viewed as something as serious as having a stroke or cancer.” Above all, she stresses that people with mental health issues are not alone in their experience and that treatment does help with managing the condition. Anyone who feels like they’re experiencing chronic sadness, anxiety or other psychological health problems should talk to a physician about what they’re experiencing. Because as complicated as getting treatment seems, as NYU’s recent data implies, there are still ways to get help and it’s worth it, Weissman said. (You can check out this list for a few free or low-cost resources as a place to start.) “There’s a lot of hope,” she stressed. “When you feel like there’s no hope, just understand that’s the mental illness speaking. You can feel better.” (-Huffington Post)

If you relocate to somewhere that isn’t in your current plan’s service area, you’re free to switch plans or convert to original Medicare. If you tell your current plan about your move in advance, you’ll have two months after your move to switch plans. If you tell your current plan of your new address after you move, you’ll have two months to switch from when you let the plan know. Even if you move to a new address that’s in your current plan’s service area, you could potentially still change plans -- but only if there are new plan options in your new location. Note, however, in this situation, you can change Medicare Advantage plans but you can’t switch to original Medicare. The time period in which you’re allowed to change plans are the same as if you had moved to an address not in your current plan’s service area. What if you move back to the U.S. after living in another country? You can join a Medicare Advantage plan for two full months after the month you return to the U.S. If you move into or out of a skilled nursing facility or long-term care hospital, you can also join a new Medicare Advantage plan. You can make changes as long as you live in the institution and for two full months after the month you leave. If you were in jail and are released, you can join a Medicare Advantage plan. Your window for enrolling extends for two months after the month you’re released from jail. 2. You lose your current coverage If you’re no longer eligible for

Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6776 Southwest Freeway, Suite # 178 Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com Medicaid, you can change Medicare Advantage plans or enroll in one if you had not already done so. You could also switch to original Medicare. Changes can be made for two months after the month you find out you’ve lost Medicaid eligibility. If you lose coverage for the next year, you must make any changes between Jan. 1 and March 31. If you drop coverage from an employer or union plan (including COBRA) or from a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) plan, you have two months after the month your coverage ends to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. If you involuntarily lose other drug coverage that’s as good as Medicare drug coverage or your current drug coverage is no longer “creditable” (equivalent to Medicare drug coverage), you can either join a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage or enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The window for enrolling is two months after the month you lose your coverage or when you find out your drug coverage is no longer creditable, whichever is later. 3. You have an opportunity to get other coverage If you have the chance to enroll in coverage from your employer, your union, or PACE, you can drop your current Medicare Advantage plan at any time during the year to go to the new coverage. (To Be Continued)

To Select right Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan contact Sudhir Mathuria @ 713-771-2900.

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FAHION & BEAUTY

VOICE OF ASIA 19

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Seasonal Tips for Warm Weather Fashions

rom cool and casual to feminine and expressive, the newest trends in apparel and shoes are giving women the tools to express themselves through fashion this season.

in! Not convinced blush is your color? Not to worry: Neutrals, creams and tans also provide a sophisticated color palette to work with this season. Express Your Casual Side

Unabashedly girly shades, such as pinks and blushes are dominating the landscape, while creative construction and soft materials offer a variety of comfortable options for all occasions and lifestyles. Brittany Moeller, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buyer for shoe retailer Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, shares some tips on how to wear the latest trends during the warm weather months.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to take the Bohemian style to the next level or you love a cool and sporty outfit, there are so many ways to pull off a casual look this season -- plus plenty of footwear to choose from,â&#x20AC;? says Moeller. Cropped jeans, short sleeve cotton dresses and graphic t-shirts can all be complemented by the latest in outdoorinspired sandals, sneakers and slides. Get Comfortable

Embrace Your Feminine Side Floaty, floral dresses, lace patterns and new blush shades are all trending this season, empowering women to express themselves through feminine details with the utmost confidence. Embroidery and crochet designs can be found on everything from shoes to jeans, as well as jackets, blouses and t-shirts, which is a subtle nod to inspirational throwback styles.

Best ways to pull off a casual look. Photo credit: StatePoint

fbb Colors Femina Miss India North 2017 Winners readying for Grand finale

ELHI, Apr 17, 2017 - fbb Colors Femina Miss India North 2017 pageant wrapped up with infinite oomph and glamour on 16th April, 2017 at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel which played the perfect hospitality partner for the same.

fbb Colors Femina Miss India Jammu & Kashmir 2017 - Sana Dua, fbb Colors Femina Miss India Madhya Pradesh 2017 Adya Shrivastava, fbb Colors Femina Miss India Himachal Pradesh 2017 - Santoshi Ranaut, fbb Colors Femina Miss India Uttar Pradesh 2017 - Shefali

Sood, fbb Colors Femina Miss India Punjab 2017 - Navpreet Kaur, fbb Colors Femina Miss India Haryana 2017 - Manushi Chhillar, fbb Colors Femina Miss India Uttarakhand 2017 - Anukriti Gusain, and fbb Colors Femina Miss India Delhi 2017 - Maira Chowdhury were

â&#x20AC;˘ Block heels and wedges are on trend, easy to wear and easy to walk

â&#x20AC;˘ Hidden construction features, such as zippers on the back and Velcro strapping, make a shoe easier to slip on -rather than a closure that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t designed to â&#x20AC;&#x153;giveâ&#x20AC;? when placing over the foot. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How you define femininity and stay casual and comfortable is an individual choice. This seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fashion footwear choices cover all the bases,â&#x20AC;? says Moeller. To find footwear for any occasion this spring, check out Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse. With more than 80 locations from coast to coast, they offer high fashion styles from top designer and name brands that meet todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current trends. Visit offbroadwayshoes. com for more information on how to venture into the warm weather in style. With so many styles trending right now, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy for anyone to feel great while wearing the latest fashions. Source: StatePoint

The easiest DIY coffee scrub ever by Brooke Shunatona

neednâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remind you of all the ways coffee is spectacular. I owe all my early mornings and college all-nighters to the beloved caffeinated drink, and you know you do too. But in addition to being the main source of life for many people in the morning, coffee is an all-star beauty ingredient. When used in a scrub like the one from this Soap ChĂŠrie recipe, caffeine from the coffee grinds tightens, and tones the skin and diminishes the appearance of cellulite. Did I mention the scrub also exfoliates and conditions? Save the directions for later so you can make your own DIY coffee scrub â&#x20AC;&#x201D; if you can manage not to use it all for your morning coffee first.

Ingredients: 1 cup ground organic coffee 1 cup organic sugar or salt 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 1/2 cup sweet almond oil 1 teaspoon of honey Directions: 1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add your cof-

3. Mix everything together. Use a spatula or your hands to mix together the ingredients thoroughly. 4. Transfer the mix to a jar. Use a container that has an airtight seal so your scrub doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dry out.

Illustration: Shutterstock

Express Your Casual Side

Selecting pretty and elegant fashion options doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to translate to swollen and sore feet at the end of the day! In fact, footwear manufacturers have created clever ways to deliver more comfortable choices. Consider this:

â&#x20AC;˘ Popular materials, such as velvet and suede, are comfortable and soft to the touch.

fee grinds, sugar (or salt), and cocoa powder in big bowl. 2. Add the oil and honey.

5. Give it a try. Massage a handful of the scrub onto your body while in the shower and rinse it off for rejuvenated skin. (-Cosmopolitan)

The stunning fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2017 North Zone winners strike a pose for the lens, at the Leela Ambience Delhi Convention Hotel. The gorgeous ladies have made it to the grand finale of fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2017 to be held in Mumbai (Photo: India Times)

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SCIENCE & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 20

The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Present and Future - Part II happen within a cell when DNA is altered by genetic variation, whether natural or therapeutic. The whole process enables to spot cancer or vascular diseases in their very early stage. Drug creation:

Dr. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Rice University, Houston TX by Meenakshi Bhattacharjee

ealth assistance and medication management:

Welcome the world’s first virtual nurse. Molly was developed by the medical startup Sense.ly. It has a smiling, amicable face coupled with a pleasant voice and its exclusive goal is to help people with monitoring their condition and treatment. The interface uses machine learning to support patients with chronic conditions in-between doctor’s visits. It provides proven, customized monitoring and follow-up care, with a strong focus on chronic diseases. Also, there is already a solution for monitoring whether patients are taking their medications for real. The AiCure app supported by The National Institutes of Health uses a smartphone’s webcam and AI to autonomously confirm that patients are adhering to their prescriptions, or with better terms, supporting them to make sure they know how to manage their condition. This is very useful for people with serious medical conditions, for patients who tend to go against the doctor’s advice and participants in clinical trials. Precision medicine Artificial intelligence will have a huge impact on genetics and genomics as well. Deep Genomics aims at identifying patterns in huge data sets of genetic information and medical records, looking for mutations and linkages to disease. They are inventing a new generation of computational technologies that can tell doctors what will

Developing pharmaceuticals through clinical trials take sometimes more than a decade and costs billions of dollars. Speeding this up and making more cost-effective would have an enormous effect on today’s healthcare and how innovations reach everyday medicine. Atomwise uses supercomputers that root out therapies from a database of molecular structures. Last year, Atomwise launched a virtual search for safe, existing medicines that could be redesigned to treat the Ebola virus. They found two drugs predicted by the company’s AI technology which may significantly reduce Ebola infectivity. This analysis, which typically would have taken months or years, was completed in less than one day. Another great example for using big data for patient management is Berg Health, a Boston-based biopharma company, which mines data to find out why some people survive diseases and thus improve current treatment or create new therapies. They combine AI with the patients’ own biological data to map out the differences between healthy and diseasefriendly environments and help in the discovery and development of drugs, diagnostics and healthcare applications. Open AI helping people make healthier choices and decisions Open AI ecosystem is a new and a very fancy expression for connected AI infrastructures. However, the World Economic Forum named it as one of the top 10 emerging technologies in 2016, so it might be worth getting familiar with it. An open AI ecosystem refers to the idea that with an unprecedented amount of data available, combined with advances in natural

language processing and social awareness algorithms, applications of AI will become increasingly more useful to consumers. It is especially true in the case of medicine and healthcare. There is so much data to utilize: patient medical history records, treatment data – and lately information coming from wearable health trackers and sensors. This huge amount of data could be analyzed in details not only to provide patients who want to be proactive with better suggestions about lifestyle, but it could also serve healthcare with instructive pieces of information about how to design healthcare based on the needs and habits of patients. Analyzing a healthcare system 97% of healthcare invoices in the Netherlands are digital containing data regarding the treatment, the doctor and the hospital. These invoices could be easily retrieved. A local company, Zorgprisma Publiek analyzes the invoices and uses IBM Watson in the cloud to mine the data. They can tell if a doctor, clinic or hospital makes mistakes repetitively in treating a certain type of condition in order to help them improve and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations of patients. AI surgical robots Google has struck a deal with the healthcare company Johnson & Johnson to develop surgical robots that use artificial intelligence. The robots will aid surgeons in minimally invasive operations, giving operators greater control and accuracy than is possible by hand, minimizing trauma and damage to the patient. Some systems allow surgeons to remotely control devices inside the patient’s body to minimize entry wounds and reduce blood loss and scarring.Robotic surgical systems such as the Da Vinci device developed by Imperial College London have been used in general operations since the early 2000s.

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

You can now virtually adopt a piece of Earth NASA is celebrating Earth Day through their “Adopt the Planet” campaign

new adopted section of the planet. Users can take photos, share social media posts and print out pictures of their locations, the report further said. 64,000 locations are reportedly still up for adoption, which will be randomly assigned to those who sign on for it. As per reports, once all the 64,000 patches are taken, the system reassigns them to new participants, so everyone who wants to participate will be able to.

Image of Earth taken from the International Space Station (ISS). (Image courtesy: NASA)

ASA has launched a genius campaign called “Adopt the Planet”. Through this, the US space agency invites anyone who is interested to virtually adopt a piece of Earth as seen from space, however, invitees won’t be legally entitled to the adoption. After selection of your preferred location and submission of your coordinates, you get to learn more about the piece of What do we need to take AI applications to the next level? First and foremost, we have to tear down the prejudices and fears regarding artificial intelligence and help the general population understand how AI could be beneficial and how we can fight its possible dangers. The biggest fear is that AI will become so sophisticated that it will work better than the human brain and after a while it will aim to take control over our lives. The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. We need the following preparations to avoid the pitfalls of the utilization of AI: 1. Creation of ethical standards which are applicable to and obligatory for the whole

land or sea that you have adopted. It’s really that simple! Through NASA’s Worldview, individuals also get the opportunity to take a closer look at their adopted location, as per a report in the Deccan Chronicle. The website gives users information on different layers of data and even allows individuals to get a close and personal experience their their healthcare sector 2. Gradual development of AI in order to give some time for mapping of the possible downsides 3. For medical professionals: acquirement of basic knowledge about how AI works in a medical setting in order to understand how such solutions might help them in their everyday job 4. For patients: getting accustomed to artificial intelligence and discovering its benefits for themselves – e.g. with the help of Cognitoys which support the cognitive development of small children with the help of AI in a fun and gentle way or with such services as Siri. 5.

For companies de-

This is in accordance with Earth Day which falls on April 22 every year; a day that is observed annually to raise awareness about our home planet and how we can save and protect it from recurring damage. Started in the year 1970, Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year. Every year, the event is celebrated under a different theme. The theme for 2017 is “Environmental and Climate Literacy”, chosen to empower everyone with the knowledge to inspire action in defense of environmental protection. (-Zee News) veloping AI solutions (such as IBM): even more communication towards the general public about the potential advantages and risks of using AI in medicine. 6. For decision-makers at healthcare institutions: doing all the necessary steps to be able to measure the success and the effectiveness of the system. It is also important to push companies towards offering affordable AI-solutions, since it is the only way to bring the promise of science fiction into reality and turn AI into the stethoscope of the 21st century. If one succeeds, huge medical discoveries and treatment breakthroughs will dominate the news not from time to time, but several times a day.

SPORT

VOICE OF ASIA 21

Cricket

Superstar Tendulkar changes pitch in new musical innings

“He is a very good singer. We did not use a pitch corrector on his voice, as he was singing in the right tone,” Nigam was quoted as saying in local media reports. His gushing fans agreed, sending the tune viral with more than two million views on his official YouTube channel. “It’s been a pleasure to have a

Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar has released his first single “Cricket Wali Beat” (The Cricket Beat), with his fans sending the tune viral with more than two million views on his official YouTube channel (AFP Photo/DIBYANGSHU SARKAR) song in god’s own voice #cricketwalibeat,” wrote Twitter user Jitendra Sen. Tendulkar thanked his supporters for backing the song, in which he reels off his favourite shots over footage of him smashing runs for India. “Thanks for all the love guys! #CricketWaliBeat got 1 Million views in less than 24 hrs. Keep it coming,” he posted on Twitter. He follows a long line of retired cricketers trying their

hand at music. West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo timed the release of his hit single “Champion” with the 2016 World Twenty20 tournament, which exploded up the charts when the Caribbean side went on to win the trophy. Australian speed bowler Brett Lee also made huge waves in India with his duet alongside Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle called “You’re the One For Me”.

Delhi dangerous side but we can win against them: Moody YDERABAD, Apr 18 (PTI) Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody today described Delhi Daredevils as a “dangerous side” but said his team would look to continue its winning run at home when they clash each other in an IPL match here tomorrow.

“Delhi are a dangerous side and they got some genuine match winners. So, it is an important game, points against them will be important. We played well here, we like to continue that form,” Moody said in a pre-match press conference. Delhi have four points from an equal number of matches, having won two and lost two. SRH, meanwhile, have six points from five matches, after losing two and winning three games. All the three wins have come at home. Expressing happiness over his team’s campaign so far, Moody

Houston Dynamo ties Minnesota United FC

The cricketing icon has released his first single “Cricket Wali Beat” (The Cricket Beat), with fans celebrating the musical breakthrough from “the voice of God”.

The track was recorded with Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam, who praised Tendulkar for his singing prowess.

Soccer

OUSTON - Despite a strong start in the first half, the Houston Dynamo allows two scores that tied the game, 2-2, against the Minnesota United FC at BBVA Stadium. Houston remains unbeaten at home with the tie.

EW DEHLI | AFP Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is making his name on a pitch of a different kind -- hitting all the right notes in his singing debut.

The music video, which premiered on the finale of India’s version of “American Idol”, shows the 43-year-old cricket superstar singing the upbeat Hindi number in a recording studio.

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

said the squad was looking forward to the challenge tomorrow and ahead in the tournament. “I am happy the way we are playing. Two away games in Mumbai and Kolkata. Two difficult venues to play. The games were not totally in our favour. But that is history now, it’s no longer relevant. But the group is confident. We are looking forward to every challenge, We know it’s a big one tomorrow,” he said. Replying to a query about the match they won against Kings XI Punjab, which went down to the wires, he said such matches early in the tournament would help the players as they put them under pressure to perform. “It was a close game. It got closer than what we would have liked. In a way, I draw positives from that. I think it is important to experience a couple of close games early in the tournament. It puts the team and individuals under pressure, some real pressure. That does a lot of confi-

dence for those players that are involved,” he said. He said his team could have won yesterday’s game against Punjab more easily but it “missed a couple of opportunities that would have closed the game a little bit earlier”. Moody also said that seasoned bowler Ashish Nehra was having a “stiffness in his neck” which is a “little bit of a concern”. Though the team was dependent on David Warner as “every side have really got their talisman”, other batsmen stepped up when it needed, Moody said. “This year, probably more so than than last year, I feel depth of our batting, probably little bit more confident and ready for chance,” said the Australian. He said seasoned players like Kane Williamson and young players, who have been sitting out so far, will get their opportunities.

Soccer

Ronaldo at his best again in key moment of the season

The Houston Dynamo were well on their way to continuing their perfect start at home against expansion Minnesota United on Saturday, but the improving Loons stunned their hosts with a pair of second-half goals that salvaged a 2-2 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium. Mauro Manotas and Alberth Elis scored first-half goals for Houston, giving the Dynamo a seemingly comfortable two-goal lead. But goals by Christian Ramirez and Johan Venegas earned a point for Minnesota and left the Dynamo still unbeaten, but no longer perfect (3-0-1) at home. Goals 14’ – HOU – Mauro Manotas 43’ – HOU – Alberth Elis 47’ – MIN – Christian Ramirez 59’ – MIN – Johan Venegas Three Things SET PIECES AND RESTARTS: The first Dynamo goal came off a quick throwin by Ricardo Clark to Er-

This moment seemed overshadowed by the 2nd half, (Photo: Thomas B. Shea/USA Today) ick “Cubo” Torres, who hit a square pass to Mauro Manotas, at the penalty spot. The second goal came off a curling free kick by Boniek Garcia to the 6-yard box, where it was knocked in by Alberth Elis. Oh, and Elis had a goal disallowed for offside. That one came off a corner. OVERCOMING ADVERSITY: You only get three substitutions in a 90-minute game, and you don’t want to use them in the first half, usually. But Minnesota United had to make not one, but two first-half substitutions, because of injury. Rasmus Schuller walked off gingerly, touching his left hip,

in the 43d minute, replaced by Miguel Ibarra. Then, in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, the Loons lost goalie Bobby Shuttleworth, who took a knee to the head from Alberth Elis as he was scoring Houston’s second goal. Shuttleworth was replaced by John Alvbage, who made two saves and did not allow a goal. THAT’S EFFICIENT: Two shots on goal, two goals for Minnesota. The Loons were outshot 19-8 and six of their eight shots were off target. That’s OK. They scored goals on 100 percent of the shots they put on frame. Can’t do much better than that. (-USA Today)

Tennis

Andy Murray overcomes slow start to beat Gilles Müller in Monte Carlo ndy Murray showed early rust on his return from injury but recovered to beat Gilles Müller and reach the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

The world No1 was playing his first match since 12 March after recovering from an elbow problem that affected his serve. Murray had insisted he was serving normally again but three double faults in the first four points of the match got him into trouble. He had to save a set point before reeling off four games in a row and, despite continuing to play some way below his best, battled through the second set to win 7-5, 7-5.

weakest surface.

Murray has significantly extended his lead over Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings, despite a slow start to the season but has a huge amount of ranking points to defend from now until the end of the year. Clay has been very profitable over the last two years having once been by far his

Müller, who was previously guided by Murray’s assistant coach Jamie Delgado, is a servevolleyer and not a typical claycourt opponent. That seemed to be a positive thing for Murray, who had won all five of their previous meetings, but the 29-yearold made a decidedly ropey start.

Andy Murray plays a forehand shot against Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in his second round match at the Monte Carlo Masters. (Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Müller, a top-30 player and one of tennis’ flourishing old guard, missed a chance to take the set at 5-3, and that gave Murray the spark he needed. And two games later Murray completed the turnaround by winning the set when Müller missed a simple volley, smashing his racket in frustration. (-The Guardian)

ADRID (AP) — It had been a quiet season for Cristiano Ronaldo so far. He was being outshined by the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar both in the Spanish league and in the Champions League. He hadn’t been scoring a lot of goals and was even jeered at times by Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. But things quickly changed in two decisive games against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, when the star forward scored a total of five goals to keep alive Madrid’s hopes of retaining the trophy. Ronaldo had scored only two

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 100 career goals in the Champions League on Tuesday, setting the mark with a hat trick against Bayern Munich (Photo: Time) goals in the eight Champions League games he had played before the quarterfinals. He came into the series against Bayern in a scoring drought of nearly seven months in the

European tournament, and had scored only once in his last five Madrid games in all competitions. (-USA Today)

K. V. Doraiswamy Bhattar 281-489-0464 or 281-948-8368 kvdoraiswamybhattar@yahoo.com | kvdoraiswamy60@gmail.com

More than 30 years of experience as Priest in major temples including Sri Meenakshi Temple Pearland, TX. Can speak 5 languages (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English) Rituals Performed: Sreemantham, Punyahavachanam, Namakaranam, Annaprashanam, Vidyarambham, Choulam, Upanayanam, Wedding, Sathya narayana puja, and all kind of Homas (Havans) and more. I can drive to your place.

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Your Horoscope for the Week of April 21, 2017 READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE

by Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

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

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Pay attention to your appearance and hold your head up high with dignity. Recent events have set some new restrictions to your lifestyle. Circumstances favor you only if you know your place among other stars. If you want to have an effect on others, you need to be patient and allow the dream to come true. Those who loves you will understand your reluctance to change the rules too quickly. The problems you have now will turn into stepping stones for success in the future.

A new relation will develop from some past memories. Your heart will prevail over your ego. Go ahead, break away from others preconceived ideas of who you should be and start to dream. The confusion of change is far better than losing new opportunities. A friend will appear where you most need and least expect. Strong influences will move you towards making a quick decision. Be direct and embrace the inevitable rather than trying to postpone it. By acting now, you’ll be able to compromise so that everyone gets what they want.

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

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

You are very kind and your world has plenty of room for others who share your ideals. You need to divert your feelings by making peace with what has happened in the past. You know that you may have to pay others for their help, but you know it’ll be well worth it. Use your imagination to find ways to attract more followers. Your voice will be very convincing. Others will volunteer their time willingly, not realizing that you have been manipulating them. Don’t allow anything to weaken your force of will and success will prevail.

You will remain active & attached with family, friends & social activities. Make waves at work & meetings with your ideas and plans, and take off in new directions by picking up a new skill or trying new strategies. In your personal life, speak your mind or heart to others and institute growth in relationships. Lots of things happening this week & you won’t want to miss any of it. Try to complete any work you have early in the week, so you can focus on family.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June You need to look at things from a wider perspective. New experiences will find their way into your life. An early start to the week will increase your chances for success. Your timing still isn’t perfect, but if you’re determined, everything will move along fine at it’s own pace. When your breakthrough comes late in the week, you may want to be alone with your thoughts. Swimming by your self is much better than sinking. So, much the better, if everyone wants to do their own thing.

Your timing will be perfect, your style is Unique but your anger will be counterproductive to your objectives. Others may need to vent their emotions, but it won’t help your situation at all. You need to use your intellect and philosophy to find your answers. You may be asking a question that has no answer. To you, you are stating the obvious, but for others you will be opening previously locked doors. Dialogue is the first step to understanding more about others. You’ll receive an unexpected gift.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July If you are not happy with what’s happening, put your foot down, express your feelings and it will stop. Let your intuition guide your topics and you’ll breeze through any discussion. Few expect this kind of strategy, which is good news for you. Instead of throwing a tantrum, calmly provide another reason for your stance. After all, happiness should be your bottom line. You need to loosen up the restraints you feel & try to stretch the possibilities. You may find that your limits will move further than you expected.

You’ll find yourself on roads you’ve never traveled before. Give something that is no longer useful to you to someone who will appreciate your generosity. Stay on good terms with allies that need your advice. You can best exploit that potential with your business contacts. A well tuned proposal will get a green light. The changes will continue, moving into a more understandable pattern. Allow those capable to take over while you take care of yourself for a while. Respect your opponent without being afraid of them.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August Share your inner thoughts with those close to you so they’ll understand your motivations. You prefer to make your own traditions but others may insist on the old routines. Navigate yourself with care around other people’s moods, as they may not be adjusting as well as you are. The gossip that you hear may differ greatly from the true story. Ask pertinent questions to get a clearer picture. The force of your feelings will spin you off course to an even better feeling place.

The discovery of great ideas will make you glow within inside. You have a personal mission that takes precedence over everything else. Others are free to follow you, but you can do it on your own. Whether you’re giving out the orders or just moving ahead yourself, you’re bound for a success tour. Rise up and take long, purposeful steps to achieve your goals. You’ll be able to deter failure by insisting on certain precautions. Creativity will take over from boring routines.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Accept the changes that are inevitable. Others may expect great things of you, but only you know what’s possible and what’s not. Forecast enough money for your needs early in the week. Present a practical solution so that you won’t disappoint too many people. Taking a stance for what you believe in excites you rather than scaring you. You’ll be invited to a prestigious occasion. You don’t know what to wear, what to bring as gift for the host.

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

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VOICE OF ASIA 23

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

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