Voice of Asia Newsweekly e paper May 19 2017 by VoiceOf Asia

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FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

How the new Trump Care bill could affect health care consumers Read on Page 18 or Call 832-806-1000

Vol. 30 No. 20 Friday, May 19, 2017 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Miss USA runner up Chhavi Verg speaks Hindi and Spanish

Photo Credit: HCC

HCC’s Class of 2017 Commencement Ceremonies held at NRG Stadium More than 2,200 HCC students walked across the stage of NRG Stadium to receive their associate degrees in science, arts, teaching, applied science and other academic fields during Saturday’s 2017 Commencement Ceremony.

City of Sugar Land Canvasses May 6 Election Results

Jagdip Ahluwalia, Allen Richards, Sonia Alizzi, Dr. Marshall E. Hicks, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray, Karen Francis

Miss New Jersey USA 2017 Chhavi Verg reacts after being named one of the top five finalists during the 2017 Miss USA pageant at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 14, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She went on to be named the first runner-up. (Photo: Ethan Miller, Getty Images)

Dr. Marshall E. Hicks, M.D. Jagdip Ahluwalia, Allen Richards, Sonia Alizzi, Dr. Marshall E. Hicks, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray, Karen Francis Dr. Marshall E. Hicks, M.D. IACCGH President Allen Richards, IACCGH Advisor Dr. John Mendelsohn, Consul General of India to Houston Dr. Anupam Ray, Dr. Amit Goldberg-Ray spouse of the Consul General

LOS ANGELES, CA, (AFP), May 15, 2017. The Miss USA pageant on Sunday touted American diversity, and chose an African-American chemist with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to wear the crown. Kara McCullough from the US capital will go on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe contest. The pageant included a field of five new immigrants who spoke on air about the importance of diversity -- as if to refute US President Donald Trump’s less than welcoming stand toward some immigrants and refugees. Indeed, the runner up was Chhavi Verg, Miss New Jersey, who was born in India and speaks Hindi and Spanish. Verg, 20, was asked in her final question, “What do you consider feminism to be and to you consider yourself to be a feminist?”

Mayor Joe Zimmerman delivers the oaths of office to (Pictured L-R) Porter, Mitchell and Yeung

ugar Land, TX - City Council canvassed the official May 6 election returns on May 16. Unopposed incumbents Steve R. Porter, Bridget R. Yeung and Amy L. Mitchell received their oaths of office for Districts 1, 2 and 3, respectively. A runoff election for District 4 between Carol K. McCutcheon and Sardar Qaisar Imam

was called for June 10. Councilman Harish Jajoo chose not to seek re-election and will continue to serve District 4 until the results of the runoff election are canvassed.

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Early voting begins May 30 and ends on June 6. For a complete list of early voting locations, dates, times and election results, visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/elections

Feminism is striving for equality and I do consider myself a feminist. I think it’s a misconception when people believe that feminism is women being better than men. But it’s really not. It’s a fight for equality. And we need to realize that if we want a stable society, a better future for every single individual, we need to be equal. And that’s why I advocate for education for women. Women are still held back in places in the world. They still don’t have that right to their independence, that right to their equality — all because of education. And, once we do take that step, I believe that an equal world will be a better world. The pageant decides who will be the US representative in the Miss Universe contest. The Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants for years were co-owned by billionaire Trump. June 2015 the NBC network severed its ties with the now president after his offensive comments on Mexican immigrants. Following legal action Trump sold his stake in the pageants to a talent management group.

Consul General Dr. Ray hosts IACCGH - GAP Reception India’s Consul General in Houston Dr. Anupam Ray and his wife Dr. Amit Goldberg Ray held a reception at their residence on Thursday May 11, for the MD Anderson Cancer Center GAP (Global Academic Program ) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi delegation from India. Picture on the right: From Left to Right: Jagdip Ahluwalia, Allen Richards, Sonia Alizzi, Dr. Marshall E. Hicks, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray, Karen Francis. Photo by: Nandeep Mehta. e

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS Agreements that lock up VOICE OF ASIA T workers, legally

VOICE OF ASIA 2

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Publisher: Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Austin Correspondent: Print & Media Marketing: Marketing Director: Office Manager:

Koshy Thomas Sherly Philip Shobana Muratee Sherine Thomas Jacob David Susan Pothanikat Priyan Mathew

Columnists:

Legal: Richard M. Alderman Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Legal: Nitin Sud Research: Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Health Insurance: Sudhir Mathuria Astrology: Hardik Vyas

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All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher. Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-7745143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol. com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. Although paid advertisements may appear in Voice of Asia Group Publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, the Voice of Asia Group does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement. - The Publisher

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he economy thrives when businesses compete with each other for workers and customers. That is hardly a new idea, but it bears repeating as companies increasingly use noncompete agreements to lock up employees and prevent them from taking better-paying or more fulfilling jobs.

Traditionally, companies asked senior executives, brilliant inventors and other highly paid employees to agree not to work for competitors for a year or two. But in recent years, the practice has become more widespread, and nearly one-fifth of American workers, or about 28 million people, are now subject to such agreements. This group includes people in low-wage jobs at fast-food restaurants, warehouses and hair salons. A recent New York Times article highlighted how enforcement of such agreements by businesses has cost some people their life savings in lengthy legal battles and forced others to take low-skilled jobs because they couldn’t work in their chosen profession. Companies have even tried to force workers who were laid off or fired without cause to abide by noncompete agreements. Such morally dubious practices harm the economy. Studies show that wages are lower in states that let businesses strictly enforce noncompete agreements. Skilled workers leave states that make it difficult for them to switch jobs, researchers have found, moving to places where they can do so more easily. But moving to another state is not an opby Jennifer Lee And Karthick Ramakrishnan (Courtesy: NBC News)

his May marks the 25th anniversary of the permanent designation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. As in years past, APA Heritage Month commemorations will include events across the country, highlighting the contributions, culture, history, and challenges faced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Since the designation of APA Heritage Month a quarter century ago, the United States looks different, as does its Asian-American population. Asian Americans are now the fastest growing racial group in the country, with immigrants from South Asia fueling much of that growth. Indeed, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Indians have nearly doubled their share of the Asian American population, from 14 percent in 1990 to 26 percent today. Just as important, South Asians have been prominently featured in news coverage of Asian immigrants, from success stories like the

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jobs, at which point they may not be able to walk away. Even workers who recognize the perils might see no choice but to consent because they need a job. State and federal lawmakers should adopt reforms like those the Obama administration recommended last year. For instance, state legislatures and Congress can make noncompete agreements unenforceable when they are applied to employees who earn less than, say, $56,500 — the median household income in 2015 — or to workers who do not have access to trade secrets. They can make contracts unenforceable when businesses lay off or fire workers without cause. States can also require employers to present noncompete agreements before candidates accept jobs.

Image:Shutterstock tion for workers who do not have specialized skills. One state that has benefited by adopting a much more enlightened approach is California. The state’s business and professions code made noncompete agreements generally unenforceable there. Experts say the law has helped make that state a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. For example, workers in Silicon Valley frequently hop between companies and leave to start their own businesses without fear of being sued by former employers. And many

of these businesses find ways to protect valuable intellectual property without noncompete agreements. Proponents of noncompete agreements might argue that lawmakers don’t need to intervene because these are private contracts between consenting adults. But researchers say many workers are not aware that they are subject to such agreements, which are often buried in documents they sign when hired. Often, people are not told that they will have to sign until they have accepted

The spread of noncompete agreements is one of many ways in which the workplace has been rigged against workers and why household incomes have stagnated in recent decades. Other examples include the use of mandatory arbitration clauses in employment contracts and concerted efforts by businesses to diminish the role of labor unions. All elected leaders, especially those like President Trump who claim to represent the interests of working people, need to fight such unfair and unjust practices. (-New York Times Editorial Board)

In the Outrage Over Discrimination, How Do We Define ‘Asian American’? rise of Indian American CEOs like Microsoft’s Satya Nadella to heartbreaking stories of hate crimes and murders in the post9/11 era. In 1992, news headlines of Asian Americans focused on Korean grocers being robbed in poor, inner-city neighborhoods like Harlem, West Philadelphia, and East Los Angeles. These have been replaced with headlines of Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims shot, beaten, and killed across the country. Sureshbhai Patel, a 57-year-old Indian grandfather in Alabama, was partially paralyzed by two police officers during an encounter in 2015 and needed spinal fusion surgery to repair damage to his back. As we celebrate the APAHM, we ask whether these fundamental shifts in the Asian

Protesters gather at the Milwaukee County Courthouse during a rally against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Monday. Darren Hauck / Getty Images American experience are reflected in our understanding of who is Asian American. As scholars of immigration and race, our reading of the selective outrage by Asian-Amer-

ican groups over the killings of South Asians suggests that this is not the case. So, in the 2016 National Asian American Continued on Page 10

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COMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Second Front Page

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Asian Chamber of Commerce celebrates Asian Heritage Month at Luncheon

Dr. Charlie Yao is the President, Yuhuang Chemical, the US subsidiary of Shandong Yuhuang Chemical Ltd., a$5 billion chemical company in based in China. Dr. Yao spoke of his work in developing 1.8m ton world scale natural gas to methanol plant in Louisiana with an estimate of over 1 billion USD. Y. Ping Sun gave an exciting insight of her journey to the United States and later to Houston. Sun came to Houston from New York City in 2004, when her husband David W. Leebron became Rice University’s seventh president. A native of Shanghai, China, Ping attended Tianjin Foreign Languages School and Beijing Languages and Culture University. She received a full scholarship to Princeton University, where she graduated cum laude with an AB degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She received a law degree from Columbia University School of Law, where she served as an editor of the Journal of Transnational Law. After graduation, Ping practiced law in the New York offices of White & Case LLP and Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, where her practice focused on corporate and cross border issues. In Houston, Ping is of counsel with the law firm of Yetter Coleman LLP, a boutique litigation firm in Houston.

Alice Chen introducing the speakers. Photos by Shobana Muratee by Shobana Muratee

OUSTON – On Thursday, May 11, 2017, the Asian Chamber of Commerce (ACC) held a Luncheon at the Hess Club celebrating Asian Heritage Month featuring ‘Success Stories from Four Professionals’: Consul General of Japan - The Honorable Tetsuro Amano, HCC Trustee - Neeta Sane, Rice University Representative - Y. Ping Sun, and Yuhuang Chemical President - Dr. Charlie Yao. ACC Director and event Chair, Alice Chen welcomed the Speakers and members and invited sponsors AmeryBank and Houston First to make a brief presentation. ACC Chair, Austin Zhoa administered the Oath of Allegiance with members after which he briefly outlined ACC vision and programs. Consul General Tetsuro Amano gave an elaborate talk detailing Japan’s role in world economy and on Japan – US relations. He shared many interesting anecdotes from his various postings around the world like: Hong Kong, Norway, Iraq, Myanmar, Australia, Philippines and now in Houston. He presented ACC with traditional Japan’s table cloth that was later gifted to one of the guest through a draw. Neeta Sane, HCC trustee, narrating her story said she grew up in Mumbai, India as the only child to her parents. Her education was not in English as her parents never believed she would

Speakers from L-R; Consul General Tetsuro Amano, Neeta Sane, Y. Ping Sun and Dr. Charlie Yao leave the country. She had an arranged marriage with an engineer had they have 2 kids. Thereafter she moved to the United States with her husband and kids. She was faced with many challenges: culture language and life style, “There were no street food not even people on the streets,” a total contract to place of her origin and she felt she could not survive in a place of such disconnect she went on to tell. Sane had tremendous respect for America. To give back some of the blessing and opportu- Neeta Sane seen receiving a gift from Alice as Austin looks on. nities that this country gave, she has imChair. During her 10-year tenure, she has served mersed herself in community service and served on several Board committees and twice serving in different organizations. as the Vice Chair and Secretary on the HCC In 2007, Neeta Sane was elected to serve on Board of Trustees. Sane has received congresthe Board of Trustees of Houston Community sional recognition and was honored by State of College. In 2013, she was re-elected to serve Texas Senate as well as State of Texas House of a second six-year term on the HCC Board and representatives for her leadership and service to in 2014, she was elected to serve as the Board the community and HCC.

The Asian Chamber of Commerce fosters economic development in the Houston AsianAmerican communities and promotes trade between Houston and Asian countries. ACC is a business-oriented chamber that combines the respect and diligence of Asian culture with the friendly attitude of Houston. The Asian Chamber holds receptions and presentations for local government and business leaders, provides networking opportunities for businesses and individuals through meetings and luncheons, keeps its members informed on Asian business topics, and much more. Membership does not require one to have Asian heritage or be an Asian-owned business. We welcome everyone interested in forming strong connections to promote business in the diverse Houston market! As a business entrepreneur, wife and mother, Neeta Sane takes the task of making impactful, significant contributions to society very seriously. That coupled with her commitment to public service has made her a strong advocate for diversity. For more details visit www.asianchamberhou.org

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VOICE OF ASIA 4

The People’s Lawyer

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Telangana, student receives mentorship Certificate from FIS

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

Debts cannot be re-aged Q. I defaulted on a credit card almost ten years ago. I now have a collection agency threatening to report the old debt to the credit bureau, saying they are a new creditor and it is now a new debt. I worked for seven years to maintain good credit. Will this now be put back on my credit report?

For more information about debt collection and credit bureaus, look at the material in the “Legal Topics” section on my website,

A. This is called “reaging” and they cannot do it. As you seem to understand, negative information stays on your report for seven years. After that, the information is considered obsolete and generally cannot be reported. The seven-years period, however, runs from the original debt. The fact the debt is sold or assigned to a debt collector does not create a “new” debt or start the clock running again. I suggest you let the debt collector know that you believe the threat to place the information back on your credit report violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This is the federal law that protects you against abusive, threatening, harassing, unfair and unconscionable practices by a debt collector. If the debt already has been reported, contact the credit bureau and let them know this is all the same debt and you want it removed.

A. As I noted above, debt collectors are strictly regulated by federal law. Based on what you say, this debt collector has violated several provisions of this law, called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This law generally prohibits a debt collector from contacting anyone other than the debtor about the debt, except to get location information. It also prohibits any harassing conduct or making threats of conduct prohibited by law. Texas law does not allow the debt collector to take your mother’s house for her brother’s debts and threatening to do so is unlawful.

Q. A debt collector is harassing my mother for her brother’s debts. The last phone call scared her because he threatened to take her house. How can she stop them from harassing her?

I suggest your mother take a look at the debt collection section of my website listed below. She should let the debt collector know she knows about this law, and if he does not immediately stop contacting her consider speaking with a consumer attorney. Q. Can I name my sister as

executor of my will if she is also going to be the beneficiary? A. Yes, a person who is a beneficiary may also serve as executor. Almost anyone may serve as the executor of a will. Basically, the only people who may not serve as executors are minors, incompetents, convicted felons, and others a court finds unsuitable. Q. I recently told my husband we are separating, and I am moving out. We both signed the lease for our apartment. If I move out, is there any way that I can get out of my obligation on the lease? A. First, there is no such thing as a legal separation in Texas, you are either married or divorced. Being separated or divorced, however, does not give you a basis to get out of your lease. A tenant’s right to terminate a lease depends upon the terms of the lease. Unless your lease contains a provision permitting you to terminate it early or the landlord agrees to release you, both you and your husband are still responsible for the rent. If you husband plans to stay in the apartment and pay rent, you should notify the apartment complex and see if it will agree to terminate your obligation.

Krishna Vavilala with Srividya Jindam and Lorin Banja. Photo credit: Aiu Hiasyah

HOUSTON: Ms. Srividya Jindam, an International student from Telangana, India’s newest State received the mentorship Certificate from FIS Chairman, Krishna Vavilala in HCC Main campus auditorium overseen by HCC Program Coordinator, Mr. Lorin Banja. “Houston being a global society, HCC prepares students to address issues that transcend national boundaries while fostering good citizenship. We consider international awareness and experiences to be essential aspects of today’s curriculum” said Mr. Lorin Baja. In a delightfully arranged Banquet by The Houston Community College Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives in the Main Campus auditorium on May 12, 2017, Fourteen International stu-

with a welcome speech. Mr. Lorin Banja conducted the proceedings with individual recognitions. Srividya’s father and mother are laborers in a tobacco “beedi” manufacturing factory. Coming from a village called “Ponkal” in Nirmal District in Telangana and with no role models in her life, it is like a dream come true for Srividya to come to America and learn Banking and Financial Operations at a very young age. Upon her return to India, Srividya plans to Join Osmania University in Hyderabad to complete her studies. Foundation for India Studies (FIS), an elevenyear-old registered 501(c3) organization is privileged to partner with HCC and provide mentoring opportunities to referred students.

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dents from eight countriesBangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, received their graduation certificates. Srividya was the only candidate selected from India to participate in the 2016-2017 Community College Initiative (CCI) program which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and partnered with the Houston Community College. Certificates of graduation and recognition were awarded to students in various subjects like International Business, Global Supply Chain Management, Banking Financial Operations, Geographic Information Systems, Network Systems and Cyber Security. Dr. Cesar Maldenado, the Chancellor of HCCS, gave the Key Note speech. Dr. Maya Durnavo, Chief Entrepreneurial Officer opened the session

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Newspaper loses lawsuit seeking Fort Bend County to release information on bribery allegations by Kacie Whaley

judgment that the newspaper is entitled OUSTON | May 15, 2017 – A to requested information, and to have atTexas Court of Appeals has torney fees paid. thrown out a lawsuit Hartman Hartman’s proceedings named the Newspapers filed against Sheriff Troy Texas Public Information Act (PIA) and E. Nehls and Fort Bend County in a dis- the Uniform Declaratory Judgment Act pute based on a withholding of investi- (UDJA) as justifications for the suit. Ungation documents. der PIA, when public information is reThe announcement that the lawsuit quested, a governmental body’s officer was found to be moot was filed by Chief for public records is required to produce Justice Sherry Radack and Justices Lau- the public information for inspection, ra Carter Higley and Rebeca Huddle on duplication, or both. The UDJA says that there must be a controversy between April 27. parties and that the controversy must be Hartman Newspapers sued Nehls and “determined by the judicial declaration Fort Bend County on Aug. 21 after its sought.” The controversy hinges upon managing editor, Scott Reese Willey, whether the parties have a “legally cogrequested to obtain the public records nizable interest in the outcome.” from the sheriff’s office regarding a In response to the petition and after bribery investigation. Hartman Newspapers Chairman Bill Hartman had permission from the attorney general’s stated that the company has had several office, the defendants sent Hartman issues with receiving information from a letter that included the names of the people who met at the sheriff’s office the county throughout the years. and other basic information about the The document the newspaper re- case. quested July 31, 2015, was to reveal The defendants filed a plea to jurisdicwho requested that the county’s shertion stating that they had sent informaiff’s office to investigate the allegations of attempted bribery made by two La- tion to the newspaper that should have mar Consolidated Independent School satisfied their request, and thus, the case district trustees from a June 18, 2015, was moot. The defendants also claimed Hartman was not entitled to attorney board meeting, according to the court. fees under the UDJA because the UDJA Assistant County Attorney Matthew was “merely incidental to Hartman’s L. Grove sent a letter to Willey stating claim for relief under the PIA,” court that the documents were “not subject to documents stated. public disclosure because they contain At the hearing for the plea to jurisdicinformation believed to be confidential tion, Bill Hartman testified that though and/or privileged by law,” according to the court. Grove sought advisement the company received the requested from the state attorney general’s office information, it should have been sent and concluded that the documents could sooner, without the permission of the be concealed due to a government code attorney general. The trial court denied stating that law enforcement informa- Nehls’ and Fort Bend County’s plea, so tion does not have to be released if it the defendants appealed. could interfere with the investigation, A court of appeals panel concluded detection or prosecution of a crime. that since Hartman received the inforIn the suit, Hartman Newspapers mation it requested under the PIA, the asked for an order compelling the sher- case was moot. It also declared that the iff and the county to produce identifying newspaper is not entitled to attorney’s information about the person who filed fees. The trial court’s decision was rea complaint with the sheriff’s office re- versed and the case was dismissed. (-S. garding the bribery case, a declaratory E. Texas Record)

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

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Tight race sends Sugar Land City Council candidates to runoff

ORT BEND, May 16, 2017 The results of the May 6 election for the District 4 representative on the Sugar Land City Council were too close to call, sending the two candidates with the highest percentage of votes into a runoff election. Carol McCutcheon, who received 36 percent of the votes, and Qaisar “Q” Imam, who received 34 percent, will both be on the ballot again on June 10. The third candidate, Sean Burnett, fell short of making the runoff with nearly 30 percent of the votes. McCutcheon is a retired engineer who has lived in Sugar Land for more than 23 years and has served on the city’s Land Use Advisory Committee and Charter Review Commission. Imam, a senior project manager at IBM, has lived in Sugar Land for nearly nine years and is active on the boards of the Exchange Club of Fort Bend, the Fort Bend Rainbow Room and the Civilian Engagement for the Association of the United States Army. Incumbent Harish Jajoo, who has held the office since May 2015, opted not to run for re-election in order to focus on business pursuits, according to Sugar Land City Secretary Glenda Gundermann. In addition to the Sugar Land City Council race, the elections on May 6 decided more than a dozen local seats – including a number of upsets. Incumbent mayor of the City of Needville, Delbert Wendt, was unseated by Ernie Stuart, who earned nearly 80 percent of the votes. In Rosenberg, the sitting mayor, Cynthia McConathy, was defeated by Bill Benton. Mayor Evalyn Wendt Mooreof Richmond, however, retained her seat with about 70 percent of the vote. All three of the incumbents running for the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees, Jason Burdine, Kristin Tassin and KP George, retained their seats. On

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Sugar Land Runoff Election - June 10, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM the Lamar CISD Board of Trustees, two incumbents, Kathryn Kaminski and Kay Danzigerwill remain on the board, while Joe Hubenak defeated incumbent Anna Gonzales as District 6 representative and Mandi Bronsell

defeated James Beebe to fill the District 3 seat. For more detailed local election results, including several propositions and Municipal Utility District issues, visit fortbendcountytx.gov/elections.

FBISD’s Clements High School named Texas Honor Roll School

ORT BEND ISD - Clements High School has been selected as a 2016 Honor Roll School by the Educational Results Partnership (ERP) and the Institute for Productivity in Education (IPE). Clements was one of 727 public schools in the state of Texas chosen to receive this title. The Honor Roll is part of a national effort to identify higher-performing schools and highlight successful practices that improve outcomes for students. Schools receiving this distinction from leaders in the Texas academic and business communities have demonstrated consistent high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time and reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. The Honor Roll recognition also includes measures of college readiness.

“This award recognizes the high academic expectations and commitment that all our stakeholders – staff, students, parents and the community have toward our student success and future preparation,” said FBISD Assistant Superintendent Anthony Indelicato. “I am so proud of our Clements community. Thank you to everyone for your leadership and dedication that made this achievement possible!” The Honor Roll is comprised of two different awards, the “Star Schools” Award and “Scholar Schools” Award. Clements received the “Scholar Schools” award. Scholar Schools are schools that are showing significant levels of academic achievement, but do not have a significant socio-economically disadvantaged student population.

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VOICE OF ASIA 6

New UT Physicians Center Now Open in Rosenberg!

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Sugar Land Preparatory Academy offers Summer Camp ugar Land Preparatory Academy offers Summer Camps and Enrichment Sessions designed to provide your middle or high school student with an academic edge in a relaxed and encouraging environment. Both group sessions and oneon-one tutoring are available.

SLP’s 2017 Summer Math Tutoring Sessions include all levels of math through Pre-Calculus. Our College Prep Sessions include SAT & ACT Practice and Preparation, College Registration Deadline Search, College Application Preparation, and College Application Essay Writing. Individual instructors for Math and SAT/ACT Prep Courses are available 10:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. (Morning Ses-

sion), 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Afternoon Session), and 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (All Day Session). Session dates are below: • June 19-23 • June 26-30 • July 10-14 • July 17-21 • July 24-29 • July 31-Aug 4 Summer Academic Enrichment Sessions require a non-refundable $125 deposit and reservation for the date(s) and session(s). For more information on our camps or on any of the programs we offer, visit sugarlandprep.com under the “Summer Camps” tab or call 281303-5590.

Our New Issue (Photo taken from Twitter).

T Physicians is offering an inside look at its new Rosenberg multispecialty clinic during a grand opening celebration filled with free family fun, food and entertainment. During the event on May 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the doors will be open to the clinic to view exam rooms, meet UT Physicians health care providers and participate in free medical screenings. Along with a tour, festivities include face painting, balloon art, bounce houses and an action-packed entertainment lineup with danzas fol-

clóricas (folklore dancing), a Zumba fitness class, the Lamar Consolidated High School cheer team and music provided by DJ La Chica Maravilla. Complimentary food from hot dogs to snow cones, popcorn and drinks will be served. For a free mammogram, UT Physicians has teamed up with The Rose, a mobile diagnostic imaging center, to provide screenings that day. To see if you qualify, please contact the clinic at 713-486-1950. UT Physicians Community Health

& Wellness Center – Rosenberg is located at 5115 Avenue H, Suite 701. The clinic offers primary care for children, adolescents and adults. Specialists include a family practitioner, pediatrician, psychiatrist and urogynecologist. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. As the clinical practice of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, UT Physicians is a national leader in the delivery of integrated, personalized care, with many of our doctors listed among the “Best Doctors in America.”

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www.healthlinemag.com • 713-774-5140 WE INVITE: Medical Professionals, Physicians, Pharmacists, to write articles in future issues of HealthLine. Email us: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com for details.

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FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Vedic Oasis for Holistic Growth by Dr. Harish Chandra AV Sanskriti School, the Sunday School of Arya Samaj Houston for age 5-13 kids celebrated its end of the year 2016-17 last Sunday with great enthusiasm. Three hours were filled with several show casing events that time simply flew away. Children learn NaitikShiksha (moral instruction), Hindi conversation and choose an elective such as music, dance, Tabla, Yoga, public speaking, Vedic Math, etc. Audience was thrilled to see them performing on stage with confidence after a mere two hours’ weekly training. Their presentations on Yoga, Tabla, singing, and dance enthralled everybody, capped with a group song by the entire 100+ ensemble when every child appeared on the stage. Teenagers forming the Arya Kishor Mandal (AKM) form the backbone of Arya Samaj for voluntary service. More than a dozen of them were awarded the President’s Voluntary Service Awards. Eleven of them graduated to join leading universities such as Caltech, UT Austin, etc. They with their parents were the Yajmaan in the morning Havan that brought in the special message for the Mother’s Day, too. They were excited to continue to remain bonded to Arya Samaj via the just-announced Arya Yuva Mandal

Young volunteers recognized for thier service. Photos by Sanjay Sood.

(AYM) for age 18-30. Arya Samaj is proud institution to nominate one outstanding graduating member of AKM for the prestigious Posse scholarship. Service without selfish motive is the ultimate teaching of Arya Samaj. In that spirit, the Sunday School kids and their seniors in AKM are associated with the Jeevan Prabhat, an orphanage set up by Arya Samaj Houston in Pondicherry, post-Tsunami. The annual event of Readathon inculcates reading habits with love and compassion for the unfortunate children in India. Monetary collection for 2017 surpassed that of the previous

Arya Samaj members performing Havan.

Dev Mahajan with DAV students

years. As they were to proceed to sumptuous meal, they were given food for thought that the classical Vedic Dharma is a proper mix of science and religion, enabling them to face the world with confidence. There was excitement among the parents to participate to yet a greater extent in the joint responsibility of holistic growth of their children. Some of them volunteered to be part of producing new reading materials. The event saw record enrollment of kids for the next year 2017-18 of the Sunday School and AKM. Early bird discount is available until 4th June. Write to davssgm@gmail. com or call 832.874.3376 for more details.

Congrats! Fort Bend ISD’s 2017 Valedictorians and Salutatorians FORT BEND ISD (May 12, 2017) – Fort Bend ISD is proud to announce the names of the 22 high school students who have earned the distinct honor of being named the 2017 FBISD valedictorians and salutatorians. These top scholars earned the two highest rankings among their graduating classes after years of hard work and commitment to their academic careers. We congratulate them on their accomplishments

and wish them continued success throughout their college and career journeys. The FBISD 2017 valedictorians and salutatorians are:

Pictured from Austin High School are (left) Valedictorian Priya Ketan Patel and (right) Salutatorian Howard Cheng Yong

Dulles High School are (left) Valedictorian Serdjan Rolovic and (right) Salutatorian Shreyas Balaji

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Austin High School Valedictorian: Priya Ketan Patel College: University of TexasAustin Field of Study: Computer Science/Business Words of Advice to fellow

graduates: Never doubt your capabilities. You can accomplish anything you desire if you work hard enough. Salutatorian: Howard Cheng Yong College: University of Texas-Austin Field of Study: Chemical Engineering/Mathematics Words of Advice to fellow graduates: Just because there’s a goalie doesn’t mean you can’t score.

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VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Artists from Ekal Villages Present Inspiring Performances at Ekal Houston Chapter’s Annual Fundraiser An Evening of Entertainment and Inspiration nets over $550K

Ekal Artists, a crew of ten male and female artists that performed 39 shows at different fundraisers will continue to perform more across the country.

OUSTON, (May 16, 2017) – Unprecedented in the history of Ekal Houston Chapter was its annual fundraiser event on Sunday, May 7th, at the University of Houston Cullen Performance Hall with soul stirring performances by tribal artists from India. It was a moving experience to witness such expression of gratitude by Ekal students who grew up to be literate, confident, empowered citizens of India, displaying how their lives and their villages are transformed by the Ekal donors. This was brilliantly brought forth through a musical concert charged with expressions, costumes, and performance that were inspirational enough to raise over $550,000 With over 18 months of preparation, the very beneficiaries of Ekal donations, coming from the remotest and tribal villages of India, managed to

Ekal Houston Chapter members, volunteers and supporters with Consul General, Dr. Anupam Ray and wife Dr. Amit Goldberg Ray during the Diya Lightening Ceremony.

Ekal Taal’, a musical concert they had already delivered in 39 similar fundraising events across the country, with 18 more to go. A crew of ten male and female artists, had transformed from kathakars to kalakars as they delivered a medley of Bollywood songs/ dances, folk songs, patriotic songs, and skits from Ramayana throughout the evening.

Ekal Houston President Pankaj Desai deliver what can only be described as a unique, enthralling, and an awe-inspiring almost three-hour long entertainment under the banner of ‘Ekal Sur

The event kicked off with the “lamp lighting” (removing darkness of illiteracy with light of education) ceremony led by the Consul General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray. Many prominent local philanthropists and dignitaries, including Ekal USA founder, Mr. Ramesh Shah, also winner of the 2017 Bharatiya Pravasi Award, participated. Pankaj Desai, the President of Ekal Houston Chapter, welcomed the guests and talked about the tremendous progress made by the Ekal

movement in the 25 plus years since its inception. He also expressed his gratitude to the guests and donors for their generous pledges sponsoring Ekal schools. The event was emceed by Ms. Roopal Shah, who did a commendable job of engaging the audience. A captivating Ekal Abhiyan DVD was played (also found on YouTube, titled, “Ekal 2017”). A few of the attending dignitaries, including Dr. Ray and Mr. Ramesh Shah made a brief appeal for the charitable cause, while articulating their passion and commitment to the Ekal mission. Among many volunteers helping ensure a smooth and well-coordinated event, noteworthy mentions were high school and college students from the area. During dinner catered by Bhojan Restaurant members raved about The audience was left mesmerized and spell-bound with the kalakars’

authenticity, their connection to the Ekal mission and the personal touch, and above all, their humility and quiet confidence. “Very touched to see the Ekal’s ‘home-grown’ talent, kalakars, perform in raising funds for the next generation of Ekal beneficiaries”, said one member of the audience at the event. During the dinner catered by Bhojan Restaurant, following the entertainment, when audiences were asked about the concert and the artists, they responded with great adulation. Such was the impact of the choreography, the music, the costumes, the graphics, and the skits this year that many in audience even suggested to develop a DVD based upon this program and sell it as a proud Ekal memorabilia. For more information about the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, please visit www.ekal.org

Sri Meenakshi Temple celebrates Sri Ramanujar’s 1000th birthday by Dr. K. P. Sarathy On May 1, 2017 evening about 50 devotees assembled in the Ganesh temple of Sree Meenakshi Temple Society complex to celebrate the 1000th birth anniversary (sahasraabdhi) of Sri Ramanujacharya, one of the three saint philosophers who appeared during post-Buddhist period in India. An altar with an image of the Acharya was set up with colorful flowers by the temple staff and volunteers. The celebration started with Maha Sankalpam with everyone seeking the blessings of the Acharya, followed by an invocation of Sri Vishvak Senar, the army chief of Lord, to remove any obstacles. Punyahavachanam, a purification ceremony was performed. After offering upacharams (initial offerings), to the Acharya, the students of VHS group sang the immortal Tamil poems of Thiruppaavai composed by the female saint Sri Andal. It was followed by an informative explanation about the reason behind this Acharya being addressed as Thiruppaavai Jeeyar. Thiru Arangathu Amudanaar, one of the disciples of this Acharya

had composed 108 pasurams, popularly known as Ramanuja Nootru Andaadi, a collection of Tamil songs on the foresight and limitless grace of this Acharya who made the religion and worship accessible to all humans, irrespective of their societal status. AS the priests and the devotees sang these melodious songs, also known as Prapanna Gaayatri, the entire mandapam reverberated with bhakthi vibrations. A flower archana chanting 108 special attributes of the Acharya was

performed, maha prasadam with a variety of food and fruits was offered to the Acharya, and the function concluded with alankaara deepam with multiple lamps following the traditional aarti customs. The auspicious event was coordinated by Sri Kumar Bashyam and Smt. Sheila Sriram. Sree Meenakshi Temple will have another event to celebrate the installation of the idol of Sri Ramanujar as part of the CTRP project, and celebrate his birthday on an annual basis.

Beginning a Life of Opportunity for New HCC GED Graduates

OUSTON [May 16, 2017] – Carrie Prutz never thought that a phrase she casually read would resonate as much as it did. It said, “If you want something different you have to do everything different”. That was two years ago when the 35 yearyear-old mother of four lived in a homeless shelter. What a difference two years can make. On May 10 Carrie Prutz became a graduate of the Houston Community College (HCC) General Education Development (GED) program. “I got to the point where I needed my life to change completely. My kids deserved better. They deserved so much and I was going to give it to them,” said a beaming Carrie as she proudly wore her cap and gown.

Carrie, who now has a place of her own, shared her pride with 179 other students who participated in the 2017 GED Commencement Ceremony at HCC Central College. It was a milestone for Carrie, but not the end of her educational journey. “I am working on my advanced welding certificate and I now want to pursue an associates degree.” “Congratulations,” proclaimed Eva Loredo, HCC Board of Trustees Chair. Loredo told the graduates,“I am so excited that you took the opportunity to get your GED. It tells your family that you are driven and ambitious. Obtaining this accomplishment gives you a second chance for the future.”

For graduate Tacara Benson, the chance came two decades after she left school. “I have waited 20 years,” Tacara said. “I had to drop out of school and do waitressing. It was either survive or go to school.” At the time, Tacara felt she had no choice. “I ended up raising myself and had to get a job to provide for me. Now I have a full life ahead of me,” said Tacara who plans to attend HCC in the summer to obtain a certificate in Real Estate. Many other GED graduates also plan to pursue educational opportunities. At the ceremony the HCC Foundation awarded $1000 scholarships to three graduates to help them continue their education.

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FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Houston Community College and PWE Houston Director Newspring Announce Winners of 10th Sreerama delivers ‘PWE’s 2025 Vision’ at ASIE Luncheon Annual Business Plan Competition

“

Public Works and Engineering of Houston 2025 Vision” was the topic….Dr. Karun Sreerama, a newly and unanimously appointed Director by Mayor and City Council of Houston was the Keynote Speaker… The Westin Oaks Houston at the Galleria was the venue…. Thursday May 11, 2017 was the historical day for American Society of Indian Engineers and Architects (ASIE) to honor the first Asian appointed as PWE Director for City of Houston. A record break attendance by Engineers and Architects is a history. ASIE organized this event about a month ago, upon Dr. Sreerama’s appointment, with lots of enthusiasm and tremendous response from over 40 various sponsors mainly engineering, architectural, and construction companies. The

Dr. Karun Sreerama delivering his Keynote address. Photo credit :Navin Mediwala.

Dr. Karun Sreerama receiving a memento from ASIE Board of Directors and Advisory Council – L to R – Raj Basavaraju, Sirish Madichetti, Ashish Bagga, Naresh Kolli, Chetan Vyas, Keynote Speaker and Director Dr. Karun Sreerama, ASIE President Dinesh D. Shah, Madhu Kilambi, Chaitanya Gampa, Archana Sharma, Tej Kour, Ravi Arora, Gaju Patel. Photo credit:Navin Mediwala. registration desk and social net- “Indian origin Engineering and working among the large gath- Architectural Students – to En- Turner for his leadership, viering of over 350 professionals gineer their Future”. He added sion and courage to work through problems to provide made the foyer crowded. that ASIE has been giving back solutions. He then gave a brief to Greater Houston Community overview how he anticipates to The past President of ASIE since its inception in 1994. execute the city’s projects for and Senior Project Manager the near future and then shared with HNTB, Raj Basavaraju, After three course delicious PE, PTOE as Emcee kicked off lunch served very profession- his vision for the city in the the program right on time. He ally on the table by Westin, Raj year 2025. He added that the recognized several public of- called upon Madhu Kilambi, city will lead in the nation reficials, government dignitaries, P.E. of ARKK Engineers and lated to multi modal transporand prominent guests included ASIE current Board Member to tation and serve as an example Council members from Hous- introduce the Keynote Speaker for having a better maintained ton, Sugar Land, and Stafford, Dr. Sreerama. They are be- and managed sewer network County Commissioner, and ing childhood friends, Madhu and not to have a single resiChairman of Texas Board of shared few humorous stories dence to be flooded even in a major flood situation. The enProfessional Engineers. and then briefly introduce Di- tire speech was well received rector though he has a long In the opening remarks by track record of professional car- by the various engineering and Dinesh D. Shah, PE, MBA, rier including Ph.D, MBA and construction firms and many RAS, PTC, the current ASIE Engineering Degrees, technical professionals. After the conPresident, and the principal knowledge from various conti- clusion of his speech the entire of SHAH COMPANIES and nents, and business experience ASIE Board honored him by Business Diversified Corp., from running his own business. presenting a colorful crystal first congratulated Dr. Sreerama He has been appointed to head memento as a token of apprewith a statement, “Education, City of Houston’s Department ciation. Experience, and Entrepreneur- of Public Works and EngineerChetan Vyas, P.E., the current ship results into success and ing which is $ 2 billion and Vice President of ASIE and one also promote a person to the 4,000 plus employee operation. of the principal of KIT Profesprestigious pedestal” and addsional, who was also a Chair ed, “Ladies and Gentlemen, this ASIE Life member, Dr. Karun applies to Dr. Karun Sreerama.” Sreerama started his speech by for this program, concluded the He expressed his sincere grati- quoting Bhagavat Gita in San- event with Vote of Thanks. tude to all sponsors and entirely skrit and then translated, “Let After the event, many spepacked banquet hall audience not the fruit of action be your for the generous support for this motive to action. Your business cial mention and congratulaannual traditional event, as the is with action alone, not with tory messages were received. proceeds from the event will the fruit of action”. He gave Ravi Raj Yanamandala, M.S., help fund ASIE student schol- an overview of his philosophy M.B.A., P.E., the President of arship program. He gave a brief of work and how one can put Geotest Engineering, Inc. is a introduction of ASIE and men- in their best effort forward. Dr. long time and strong supporter tioned the mission is to help, Sreerama commended Mayor of ASIE. He also sent a message, “Hearty congratulations

Chanda Kochhar honoured with the Woodrow Wilson

handa Kochhar, MD and CEO, ICICI Bank, was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award for Global Corporate Citizenship from the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington DC on May 10. The award recognised Kochhar’s commitment to the common good - beyond the bottom line - and the work done by ICICI Group in improving the lives of people in the local communities and the world at large. Kochhar has joined the league of former Indian recipients (in other categories) of the award - former President and space scientist APJ Abdul Kalam and IT honcho Narayana Murthy.

The winners of the 2017 HCC-Newspring Business Plan Competition. The top prize winners were awarded $35,000 in seed money and in-kind prizes. Photo credit HCC. The Business Plan ComSummer Creek Dance Studio, OUSTON [May 16, petition organizers included 2017] – Houston Honorable Mention, $1,000 nonprofit Newspring presiCommunity College “Stem Cell Security really (HCC) and the Spring Branch got off the ground because of dent Robert Westheimer, HCC nonprofit organization News- our experience at HCC,” said Northwest College President pring held their annual Busi- Doris Taylor, a member of the Dr. Zach Hodges, business ness Plan Competition Awards 1st place team. “Not only did consultant and lead trainer Jack Ceremony on May 2 at the we gain invaluable insight from Barry and Sandra Louvier, diTrini Mendenhall Community industry leaders and amazing rector of HCC’s Center for EnCenter. With 135 local busi- advisers, we won funds that trepreneurship. ness owners, community lead- enable us to begin our journey. Area businesses like Lifters, judges, advisors, trainers These funds will be used to cre- Fund and Wallis State Bank and volunteers in attendance, ate our early pitch media, will made the event possible as mathe event was a culmination help us get our legal footing and jor sponsors. “Everyone has of three months of challenging will empower us to move into a dream to be an entrepreneur business training for the par- our first office space. SCS ex- and the Business Plan Competicipants. ists because HCC-Newspring tition provided the platform for the individuals to make their From the 90 applicants and kickstarted us.” dream come true,” said Nasr 33 teams chosen to compete, The business training provid24 teams completed the rigor- ed from February through April Khan, executive vice president ous competition. The top five was a critical part of the compe- of Wallis State Bank. “Wallis were selected to win approxi- tition. “Having assigned advi- State Bank is a top SBA Lender mately $35,000 in seed money sors (an executive from BBVA in the Houston District and we and in-kind prizes to help fulfill Bank and a local CPA business are committed in supporting the emerging business comtheir entrepreneurial dreams. owner) whom were 100 percent munity.” The winners of the 2017 dedicated to asking tough quesOther prize sponsors include HCC-Newspring Business tions, challenging the financial pro forma, and critiquing the Amegy Bank, Legacy Rags, Plan Competition are: business plan made this one of MetroNational, Constant ConStem Cell Security, 1st place, the best competitions,” said Ki- tact, HD2Menus.com, Permi$12,000 ley Summers, whose team won tUsNow, CRES Real Estate SpenDebt, 2nd place, $8,000 2nd place. “Our biggest take- ITRA Global, Houston West away from the BPC was devel- Chamber of Commerce, Small Wanderlust Houston, 3rd oping a three year financial pro Business Today Media and place, $4,000 forma and solidifying our busi- Presentation Power. Accelerated Quality Solu- ness model to include an investFor more information, visit: tions, Honorable Mention, ment analysis.” hccbizconnect.org $1,000

Speaking on the occasion, Kochhar said she was accepting the award on behalf of her country, the women of India and the ICICI Group. “The Group has been serving India for six decades since independence. Over the years, we have gone beyond our businesses to take up philanthropic projects in diverse areas - from education to health care to skilling. Today, we have provided skill training, free of cost, in technical trades, sales and office skills to over 136,000 people.” Kocchar, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2011, and has been on various power lists, added, “As I see the list of past recipients of this honour, I feel inspired to be counted as one among them.

University of Houston brings graduation to student in hospital Monday, May 15, 2017 06:51PM HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Many Coogs walked across the stage Sunday, but one graduate wasn’t able to make it. When Gabriella BeckstromBonnefil was diagnosed with a heart defect at age 13, she told to ASIE on organizing an awesome event and inviting Dr. Karun Sreerama as a Keynote Speaker and PWE Director of City of Houston. As Dr. Sreerama mentioned in his remarks and I agree that ASIE put sincere efforts and it is the result of a large turnout ever before. The heads have turned towards ASIE among the professional community. It takes lot of time, talents and dedication to make an event a success. Well to-

her mother she wanted to live long enough to graduate from college. Last August, Gabriella, now 24, received a heart transplant, but complications kept her from attending graduation ceremonies at the University of Houston.

day’s event was a grand success!!!” Lalit Sheth, a retired engineer and ASIE 2017 New Member expressed his views, ”The event was a great success with enormous attendance. The speech from our Keynote Speaker was very informative and meaningful. In short the ASIE did a great job, as it says - leadership matters. Looking forward for future meetings.”

On Saturday, Dr. Antonio D. Tillis, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, came to Houston Methodist Hospital to surprise Gabriela with her Bachelor of Science degree in economics, with a minor in Spanish. Her family was there to cheer her on.

Needless to say that any “giving back to the community” event cannot be successful without a large turnout, excellent keynote speaker, interesting topic, generous financial support, and tireless efforts by volunteers. ASIE May luncheon event had it all. For more information about ASIE, please visit – www. asiehouston.org

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 10

OPINION

In the Outrage Over Discrimination, How Do We Define ‘Asian American’? Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Continued from Page 2 Survey, we sought a more systematic way to answer the question of who counts as Asian American. In the survey, we randomly read a list of different groups (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, and Arabs or Middle Eastern people), and asked our respondents: “Tell me if you think the group is very likely to be Asian or Asian American, somewhat likely, or not likely to be Asian or Asian American.” Some of the survey results were unsurprising. Most whites, blacks, and Latinos agreed that Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are Asian or Asian American. Only about 5 percent of whites reported that Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are not likely to be Asian or Asian American, and among blacks and Latinos, the figure was about 10 percent. The Asian ethnic groups in our survey — Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Koreans, Japanese, Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders — felt similarly: only a small proportion thought that Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are not likely to be Asian or Asian American. Stark differences emerged, however, when we asked about Indians and Pakistanis. Among Whites, 41 percent reported that Indians are not likely to be Asian, and for Pakistanis, the figure is even higher at 45 percent. While blacks and Latinos were more likely to see Indians as Asian (35 percent), they were just as likely as whites to see Pakistanis as not Asian. Most jarring is that other Asian Americans were just as likely to perceive Indians and Pakistanis as not Asian, despite the fact that Indians and Pakistanis see themselves as Asian. Perceptions about Filipinos fall in between, and they, too, see themselves as Asian. What our survey data reveal is that Americans — including Asian Americans — draw a sharp boundary between Asian and non-Asian that separates East Asians (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) from South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis) and, to a lesser extent, Southeast Asians like Filipinos. Why is this important? When we perceive only some ethnic groups as Asian American and exclude others, we see and hear only selective narratives. This selectivity affects our understanding of anti-Asian prejudice and discrimination. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Filipinos, and Indians may all be targets of racist and nativist assumptions, including questions about where are you really from, remarks about our unaccented English, and taunts to “Go back to your country!” Both of us can attest to this. This May marks the 25th anniversary of the permanent designation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. As in years past, APA Heritage Month commemorations will include events across the country, highlighting the contributions, culture, history, and challenges faced by

Since the designation of APA Heritage Month a quarter century ago, the United States looks different, as does its Asian-American population. Asian Americans are now the fastest growing racial group in the country, with immigrants from South Asia fueling much of that growth. Indeed, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Indians have nearly doubled their share of the Asian American population, from 14 percent in 1990 to 26 percent today. Just as important, South Asians have been prominently featured in news coverage of Asian immigrants, from success stories like the rise of Indian American CEOs like Microsoft’s Satya Nadella to heartbreaking stories of hate crimes and murders in the post-9/11 era. In 1992, news headlines of Asian Americans focused on Korean grocers being robbed in poor, inner-city neighborhoods like Harlem, West Philadelphia, and East Los Angeles. These have been replaced with headlines of Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims shot, beaten, and killed across the country. Sureshbhai Patel, a 57-yearold Indian grandfather in Alabama, was partially paralyzed by two police officers during an encounter in 2015 and needed spinal fusion surgery to repair damage to his back. Chirag Patel helps his father, Sureshbhai Patel, out of the car as they arrive outside the federal courthouse before start of a trial against Madison, Ala., police Officer Eric Sloan Parker, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, in Huntsville, Ala. Brynn Anderson / AP As we celebrate the APAHM, we ask whether these fundamental shifts in the Asian American experience are reflected in our understanding of who is Asian American. As scholars of immigration and race, our reading of the selective outrage by Asian-American groups over the killings of South Asians suggests that this is not the case. So, in the 2016 National Asian American Survey, we sought a more systematic way to answer the question of who counts as Asian American. In the survey, we randomly read a list of different groups (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, and Arabs or Middle Eastern people), and asked our respondents: “Tell me if you think the group is very likely to be Asian or Asian American, somewhat likely, or not likely to be Asian or Asian American.” “When we perceive only some ethnic groups as Asian American and exclude others, we see and hear only selective narratives.” Some of the survey results were unsurprising. Most whites, blacks, and Latinos agreed that Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are Asian or Asian American. Only about 5 percent of whites reported that Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are not likely to be Asian or Asian American, and among blacks and Latinos, the figure was about 10 percent. The Asian ethnic groups in our survey — Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Kore-

FCC chairman Ajit Pai replies to ‘mean tweets’ with a YouTube video ASHINGTON, D.C. - The US Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who recently came under fire for his stance on net neutrality, have been receiving some mean tweets lately. In response, Pai replied through a humorous video package filmed for the Independent Journal Review, May 13.

ans, Japanese, Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders — felt similarly: only a small proportion thought that Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are not likely to be Asian or Asian American. Stark differences emerged, however, when we asked about Indians and Pakistanis. Among Whites, 41 percent reported that Indians are not likely to be Asian, and for Pakistanis, the figure is even higher at 45 percent. While blacks and Latinos were more likely to see Indians as Asian (35 percent), they were just as likely as whites to see Pakistanis as not Asian. Most jarring is that other Asian Americans were just as likely to perceive Indians and Pakistanis as not Asian, despite the fact that Indians and Pakistanis see themselves as Asian. Perceptions about Filipinos fall in between, and they, too, see themselves as Asian. What our survey data reveal is that Americans — including Asian Americans — draw a sharp boundary between Asian and non-Asian that separates East Asians (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) from South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis) and, to a lesser extent, Southeast Asians like Filipinos. Why is this important? When we perceive only some ethnic groups as Asian American and exclude others, we see and hear only selective narratives. This selectivity affects our understanding of anti-Asian prejudice and discrimination. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Filipinos, and Indians may all be targets of racist and nativist assumptions, including questions about where are you really from, remarks about our unaccented English, and taunts to “Go back to your country!” Both of us can attest to this.

Amitabh Bachchan Appointed Who’s Goodwill Ambassador For Hepatitis

Amitabh Bachchan Image Source: AFP EW DELHI, May 12 (PTI) The World Health Organisation today appointed Amitabh Bachchan as its goodwill ambassador for hepatitis in South-East Asia region to boost awareness and intensify action to arrest the epidemic.

Announcing the decision here, WHO’s Regional Director for SouthEast Asia, Poonam Khetrapal Singh termed it a “historic association” as viral hepatitis kills 4,10,000 people in the region, which also includes India, annually. “This historic association is expected to help strengthen WHO’s efforts in reducing the high numbers of premature deaths and illnesses from viral hepatitis which is not only causing hardships to individuals and families, but also impacting health and development across the South-East Asia region,” she said.

Protesters gather at the Milwaukee County Courthouse during a rally against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Monday. Darren Hauck / Getty Images

Nearly 90 million people suffer from chronic liver diseases, which are driving rates of liver cancer and cirrhosis in the region, according to the WHO estimates released this year.

But one of us is much more likely to be stopped for random security checks at airports, detained as we re-enter the country, perceived as a terrorist, and be the victim of hate crimes. These forms of anti-Asian discrimination have become more numerous after 9/11, and more acute after Trump’s proposed Muslim ban.

“I am absolutely committed to the cause of hepatitis. As a person living with hepatitis B, I know the pain and sufferings that hepatitis causes. No one should ever suffer from viral hepatitis,” a WHO statement quoting Bachchan during an event in Mumbai said.

Yes, we are different genders, but that is less significant than our perceived racial differences. To fail to see Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis as Asian — especially when they see themselves as such — is to silence their voices. It also risks promoting an incomplete portrait of Asian Americans that ignores more threatening, dangerous, and even deadly forms of anti-Asian discrimination. When Sureshbhai Patel was injured, not all Asian Americans identified with him. Rather than drawing internal divisions, we should embrace our diversity and redouble our commitment to racial justice. Jennifer Lee is chancellor’s fellow and profes-

on the backlashes he received from twitterati.

“I think my wife might have a fake account on Twitter.”

“Why do you hate America?” one user asks and Pai replies “Skinny Jeans, kale ,the Raiders people who say acronyms like BAE and claim to be woke. What more evidence do you need.”

Another user, who uses @ Kevinkenkevin twitter handle, calls Pai “THE UNCLE TOM OF INDIAN PEOPLE” and “AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR ALL NON-WHITES.”

“Ajit Pai has an insanely punchable face. The fact that

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

“As a conflicted brown man, I was on the fence, but you put it in all caps, you persuaded

As WHO goodwill ambassador for hepatitis in the region, Bachchan will lend his voice and support to public awareness programmes that aim to scale up preventive measures and advocate for early diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis.

sor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine. Starting July 1, she will join the department of sociology at Columbia.

However, it is difficult to say if Pai’s attempt is a complete success. (-American Bazaar)

The megastar will also be advocating for the full implementation of WHO South-East Asia Region’s action plan for hepatitis which seeks to provide a road map for sustainable prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for all forms of hepatitis within the universal health care framework. “We can and must end hepatitis. With Bachchan on board as our Goodwill Ambassador, we are confident of reaching our goal,” said Singh. This is the first formal association between WHO and Bachchan, who had served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Polio in India. The veteran actor has been supporting and promoting various health and related issues in the country such as childhood immunisation programme, tuberculosis and Clean India campaign, the global body added. Karthick Ramakrishnan is professor of political science and associate dean of the school of public policy at the University of California, Riverside.

A 32-year-old Indian American, who was stabbed by an unidentified man on Thursday night while closing a grocery shop in Modesto, California, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on Friday, 12 May. The victim, Jagjeet Singh, who was a clerk at the store, reportedly had an altercation with one of the customers who came to buy cigarettes on Thursday. Singh reportedly asked the customer to show a valid ID proof and the one produced before him was found to be fake. The customer left the shop after exchanging a few heated words.

On Wednesday night, Juniper executive Naren Prabhu and his wife, Raynah, were gunned down at their home in San Jose by an ex-boyfriend of their daughter. me,” Pai replied.

“Bachchan’s support will reinforce WHO’s efforts to end hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030,” Singh said.

AN FRANCISCO Jagjeet Singh was the fourth Indian American to be killed since Wednesday night in three separate incidents.

He was the fourth Indian American to be killed since Wednesday night in three separate incidents.

he’s not getting decked in the mouth every day shows there’s no justice in the world,” a user opined and for that Pai said,

As per the national immunisation schedule of countries in the region, hepatitis B vaccination a dose within 24 hours of birth followed by three doses in the first six months of life - provides protection and prevents mother-to-child transmission of the disease, WHO said.

Indian American store clerk stabbed to death in Modesto, CA

Later, on the same day, when Singh was about to close the store, an unidentified man stabbed him, leaving him critically wounded. He was soon rushed to the hospital where he struggled for his life for nine hours before finally succumbing to his injuries.

FCC tweeted the video, which was originally posted by IJR on Saturday, on Monday, and was seen commenting

“Bachchan’s voice is one that is listened to by people across the country, regardless of cultural, social or economic background and can make real change possible. We have witnessed this in polio eradication,” a statement quoting Health Minister J P Nadda said.

On Thursday, Ramesh Kumar, a 32-year-old Indian American physician, was found dead in the passenger seat of his car on a highway near Detroit. According to the newspaper

Jagjeet Singh, 32, had been in the U.S. about two years earning money to support his wife and sons back in India (Photo courtesy Singh family) Hindustan Times, Singh came to the US a year and a half ago and stayed with his sister and brother-in-law in Modesto. He is survived by his wife, Kuljeet Kaur, and two sons – Ishmeet Singh (9) and Dilpreet Singh (7) – who live in Kapurthala, Punjab. His relatives in India told paper that Singh left for the US to support his family and that he was a “kind-hearted” and hardworking person. He apparently took a loan from relatives for funding his travel to the US. Police are yet to determine the motive behind the attack and there is no official word about the killer. “Paramedics responded because an employee had collapsed and they thought this to be a medical issue,” said Offi-

cer Eric Schuller with Modesto police to Fox40. “When they arrived on scene they found that this employee has actually been stabbed.” “We would like the public’s help,” Schuller said. “If there’s anybody out there who heard anything or has heard anything since we would appreciate them to contact the Modesto Police Department so they can help us out here.” “It’s just a very sad situation what happened to him because nobody deserves that over something so small,” Rodriguez said. Singh is the six Indian or Indian American killed in attacks at convenient stores and gas stations across the United States in the past two years. (-American Bazaar/Modesto Bee)

ASIA/US

VOICE OF ASIA 11

U.N. vows sanctions over North Korea missile

NITED NATIONS (AFP-Jiji) — The U.N. Security Council has strongly condemned North Korea’s latest ballistic missile test and vowed strong measures, including sanctions, to derail Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

style.

Equipped with a full bar, two-storey suites, and bathtubs made from cypress trees, JR East’s Shiki-Shima luxury sleeper train might just be the fanciest way to travel — at the hefty price of nearly $10,000 per ticket.

Pyongyang said the new weapon — called the Hwasong12 — was capable of carrying a “heavy nuclear warhead.”

A mock Scud-B missile of North Korea, left, and other South Korean missiles are displayed at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea (Photo: AFP-Jiji)

In a unanimous statement backed by the North’s main ally China, the council on Monday vowed to punish Pyongyang’s “highly destabilizing behavior” and demanded a halt to any further nuclear or missile tests.

pictures by state media showed him gazing at the missile in a hangar before the launch. The missile was launched on an unusually high trajectory, before splashing down in the Sea of Japan.

Pyongyang carried out two atomic tests last year, and has accelerated its missile launch program, despite tough U.N. sanctions aimed at denying leader Kim Jong Un the hard currency needed to fund his weapons ambitions.

Analysts said the test suggested an actual range of 4,500 kilometers or more if flown for maximum distance.

The United States is in talks with China — Pyongyang’s main trading partner — on a possible new sanctions resolution and the Security Council is expected to hold a closed-door emergency meeting starting Tuesday. Kim personally oversaw Sunday’s test, the official Korea Central News Agency said, and

“This is the longest-range missile North Korea has ever tested,” Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in the United States told AFP. On the respected 38 North website, aerospace engineering specialist John Schilling said it appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile that could “reliably strike the U.S. base at Guam” in the Pacific, 3,400 kilometers away. “More importantly,” he added, it “may represent a substantial advance to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile.” The North has made no secret of its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States — something President Donald Trump has vowed “won’t happen.”

Malaysia seizes 330 endangered tortoises Malaysia has seized 330 endangered ploughshare and Indian Star tortoises smuggled into the country

KCNA cited Kim as saying the North would never succumb to what it called the “highly ridiculous” U.S. strategy of “militarily browbeating only weak countries and nations which have no nukes.” “If the U.S. dares opt for a military provocation against the DPRK, we are ready to counter it,” it said. In April Pyongyang put dozens of missiles on show at a giant military parade through the capital, including one that appeared to be the type launched on Sunday. There are doubts whether the North can miniaturize a nuclear weapon sufficiently to fit it onto a missile nose cone, and no proof it has mastered the reentry technology needed to ensure it survives returning into Earth’s atmosphere.

country from Madagascar on 14 May, and were documented in the flight’s manifest as

The tortoises were valued at 1.2 million Malaysian ringgit ($US277,000), and the local address to which they were shipped was found to be false, he added.

Earlier this month, Malaysia seized more than $US2 million worth of scales from pangolins, the world’s most poached animal, at Kuala Lumpur Airport in the largest haul seen in the country. (- Reuters)

Akhtar first came to prominence as Muslim extremist Faisal in Chris Morris’s 2010 film Four Lions. He also starred in Channel 4’s sci-fi drama Utopia and Sky’s comedy drama Trollied. His credits also include Apple Tree Yard and The Night

Adeel Akhtar Manager. Previous non-white actors to be nominated in the best actor category include Idris Elba, who received a nod last year for Luther but lost out to Mark Rylance for Wolf Hall. David Oyelowo was also recognised in 2010 for Small Island but the award went to Wallander’s Kenneth Branagh. But prior to that, there were no non-white actors nominated in the 1990s or 2000s. Art

Malik got a nod for the prize in 1985 for Jewel in the Crown, while Sir Ben Kingsley, whose father was Kenyan-born and of Indian descent, was nominated the following year for Silas Marner. Sophie Okonedo was the first non-white woman to be nominated for a TV Bafta for best actress in 2010. But it was Georgina Campbell who became the first nonwhite actress to win the prize, in 2015.

Travellers willing to shell out $8,500 each can enjoy the height of luxury on the Train Suite Shiki-Shima in northern Japan (Photo: AFP) which only adds to its exclusivity. The train was designed by Ken Kiyoyuyki, formerly a senior designer for Porsche and General Motors. But if you’re thinking of get-

ting a spot now, you’re out of luck, because tickets have been fully booked until March 2018. Guess you’ll just have to make do with the pictures for now.

Vietnam fears losing colonial charm in the face of development

O CHI MINH CITY — They formed the charming backdrop to British writer Graham Greene’s sin-filled Saigon in The Quiet American, but the colonial-era buildings of Vietnam’s biggest city are fast disappearing — sparking fears it is losing its unique charm.

Much of the demolition is happening in the city’s rapidly developing downtown core, to keep apace with a mushrooming young population hungry for modernity and to feed the demand for more housing and office space. But those are not the only needs being fed, said Mr Nguyen.

by Vincom Group, owned by the country’s richest man, Mr Pham Nhat Vuong, dubbed the “Donald Trump of Vietnam”. City officials have reported that more than 1,000 buildings constructed by the French, when they ruled the country from 1887 to 1954, remain today, including the famed Opera House, Post Office and Notre

A French colonial-era building next to a new shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City. There are concerns that the demolition of famed French architectural gems in Vietnam’s biggest city will render it indistinguishable from other Asian megalopolis (Photo: AFP)

“They have cultural value, so we should preserve them, not replace them with high-rise buildings,” he told AFP in the bustling commercial hub.

“The key is money, the key is interest groups,” he told AFP from Sydney, where he now lives.

Others are concerned that the demolition of its famed French architectural gems will render Ho Chi Minh City indistinguishable from other Asian megalopolis. “In the 1960s and 1970s, it was very much French, but now it’s very Americanised, McDonald’s on every corner,” said Mr Hiep Nguyen, born in Ho City Minh City and author of several books on its architectural history.

Developers with deep pockets have scooped up swathes of land in the city centre, with privately owned old villas or historic municipal buildings replaced by sprawling construction zones. The most recent demolition to spark ire from conservationists is the Ba Son shipyard, an enormous French-built military complex on the banks of the Saigon River.

“A streetscape without a story has no value,” he added.

It is now being developed into a series of high-rise towers

Dame Cathedral, all must-sees on city tours today. A few of the old haunts on Rue Catinat frequented by Greene remain, but the street is now called Dong Khoi and also features Hermes and Chanel boutiques for the city’s growing number of high-rollers. There is no comprehensive survey of how many buildings have been demolished. But in one central district, some 50 per cent of French villas have gone down since 1993, according to Ms Fanny Quertamp, the co-director of the urban development organisation PADDI.

UN court to rule on Indian ‘spy’ facing execution

He was recognised for his brilliant, tortured performance in BBC Three drama Murdered By My Father.

Vinay Patel tweeted: “First non-white fella to win a #Bafta TV award for best actor? This guy. (Not me, obvs).”

The train, operated by East Japan Railway, can take only 34 passengers on each trip,

But like many locals, office worker Tran Trong Vu is dismayed the city’s gleaming new look is so often at the expense of its colonial-era architecture.

deel Akhtar has made Bafta TV history for being the first nonwhite best actor winner in the awards’ 62-year history.

The significance of his Bafta win was noted by the drama’s screenwriter.

There are ten carriages on the train, including two observatory carriages, a lounge and a dining room.

stones, Kuala Lumpur International Airport Customs deputy director Abdul Wahid Sulong told reporters.

Adeel Akhtar is the first non-white male to win a Bafta for best actor

It featured Akhtar as a man who murders his daughter in a so-called honour killing, after she is “promised” to a man but falls in love with another.

Tickets start from around $4400 for a normal suite to $9300 for a 3D2N stay in the premium suite.

Any visitor to Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is now known, cannot help but notice the construction cranes dotting an increasingly crowded skyline. They are the most visible symbols of one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.

Malaysia has been singled out by wildlife conservationists as a transit point for the illegal trafficking of endangered species to other Asian countries. A seized endangered ploughshare tortoise following a press conference at the Customs Complex in Sepang on Monday (Photo: AFP)

The Shiki-Shima made its maiden voyage on May 1, from Tokyo to the northern island of Hokkaido.

Sunday’s test came less than a week after South Korea elected a new president, Moon Jae In, who advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang and had expressed a willingness to visit the North to ease tensions. But Moon slammed the latest launch as a “reckless provocation” and said dialogue would be possible “only if the North changes its attitude.”Speech

Ploughshare tortoises are endemic to Madagascar, and are listed as critically endangered on International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species due to poaching.

UALA LUMPUR - The tortoises had been flown into the

Japan’s new ultra-luxurious train is here, and tickets cost $10,000 each! OKYO | AFP - Now here’s what it really means to travel in

North Korea’s long-term bid to develop a credible nuclear attack threat to the U.S. mainland saw it launch Sunday what appeared to be its longest-range missile yet.

“There’s a lot of sanctions left that we can start to do, whether it’s with oil, whether it’s with energy, whether it’s with their maritime ships, exports,” U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told ABC television’s “This Week.” “We can do a lot of different things that we haven’t done yet. So our options are there.”

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

HE HAGUE, Netherlands | AFP | 5/17/2017 The UN’s top court was to rule Thursday on an urgent bid by India to stop Pakistan from carrying out a death sentence imposed on an Indian national convicted of spying. In an emergency hearing on Monday held only days after India lodged its case, lawyers for New Delhi called on the International Court of Justice to order Islamabad to suspend its execution of Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav. Jadhav was arrested in the southwestern province of Balochistan in March 2016 and Pakistani officials claim he has confessed to spying for Indian intelligence services. He was convicted last month by a court martial and sentenced to death. The UN tribunal, based in The Hague, said in a statement issued Wednesday that

it “will deliver its order on the request for the indication of provisional measures made by India in the Jadhav Case (India v. Pakistan), tomorrow on Thursday 18 May 2017”. The president of the court, Ronny Abraham, will read out the decision at midday (1000 GMT). The case -- a rare foray for the two nations into the international courts -- has highlighted the recent sharp upsurge in tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. India has denied Jadhav was a spy, and on Monday accused Pakistan of “egregious violations of the Vienna convention” by denying him access to legal counsel and consular visits, and refusing to reveal the charge sheet against him. It wants the ICJ to decide whether Pakistan has broken the convention and international human rights law. But in the meantime as the

court considers whether to take up India’s case, New Delhi asked the tribunal to order a stay of execution until the end of the legal battle. Jadhav was “an innocent Indian national, who, incarcerated in Pakistan for more than a year on concocted charges ... has been held incommunicado... and faces imminent execution,” Indian lawyer Deepak Mittal told the tribunal Monday. But Pakistani representatives accused New Delhi of “political grandstanding” and told the court Jadhav “has confessed to having been sent by India to wage terror on the innocent civilians and infrastructure of Pakistan”. Lawyer Khawar Qureshi denied the execution was imminent, though he did not give a timeframe. The ICJ was set up in 1945 to rule on disputes between nations in accordance with international law.

US/ WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 12

Eccentric French maths genius’s ‘scribblings’ go online

ARSEILLE, France | AFP Nearly 18,000 pages of notes by eccentric French maths genius Alexandre Grothendieck were posted online Wednesday by his alma mater, Montpellier University in southern France.

world, in 1966. But by then he had become a radical environmentalist and pacifist who opposed the Vietnam war as well as Soviet military expansionism, and he refused to travel to Moscow to accept the prize.

Grothendieck came back a few months later having completed them all. He was born in 1928 in Berlin to a Russian anarchist father and a journalist mother, who left him behind in Germany while they went to fight in the Spanish Civil War.

Grothendieck, who died aged 86 in 2014, “revolutionised an entire area of mathematics, algebraic geometry,” said Jean-Michel Marin, head of an institute that bears the mathematician’s name at the university.

Grothendieck won the Fields medal, known as the Nobel prize of the maths

EXICO CITY, Mexico | AFP - An award-winning local journalist and Agence France-Presse contributor who reported on violent drug gangs in Mexico was shot dead in the street Monday, a court source told AFP.

“We are horrified by this tragedy and send our condolences to Javier’s family and those close to him,” said AFP’s global news director Michele Leridon.

Eccentric German-born mathematician Alexander Grothendieck (left) died aged 86 in November 2014 (AFP Photo/HO -) According to the legend that has built up around Grothendieck, his talents were not immediately obvious when he was a young man. It was while he was studying at the university that two professors gave him a list of 14 questions, considered to be years’ worth of work, and told him to pick one.

The family was reunited in France, where Grothendieck was naturalised and was to spend most of his life, only for his father -- a Jew -- to be rounded up by the Nazis and killed in Auschwitz. He became a recluse, even from his family, in 1991, living in a small village in the French Pyrenees until his death in 2014.

Microsoft says cyberattack should be wake up call for governments ASHINGTON D.C. | AFP - Microsoft warned governments Sunday against storing computer vulnerabilities like the leaked one at the heart of the cyberattack that has crippled computers in more than 150 countries.

by Sylvain Estibal

Valdez was the fifth journalist killed this year in a country plagued by drug violence and corruption, according to officials and media rights groups.

The papers put on line are part of a trove of 28,000 pages bequeathed by the genius to one of his students, Jean Malgoire, who is still a professor at Montpellier University.

“They contain not only original results but also tools for understanding (Grothendieck’s) thinking,” Marin said.

Award-winning reporter shot dead in Mexico

Javier Valdez, 50, was shot near the premises of Riodoce, a Mexican news weekly he founded, in his hometown of Culiacan in northwestern Sinaloa state, the source said.

“It will take years of work by experts to benefit from his notes,” Marin told AFP. “There are only a few hundred people in the world who could understand them.”

The German-born mathematician’s children ceded online publication rights to the university while retaining ownership of the physical documents, which Grothendieck referred to as “scribblings”.

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

“The governments of the world should treat this attack as a wake up call,” Microsoft’s president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, wrote in a blog post about what is being called the largest ransomware attack ever. He warned of the danger of

exploits developed by governments -- this time the NSA in America -- falling into the hands of hackers and causing widespread damage as is the case with the current attack which has crippled more than 200,000 computers around the world.

“We call on the Mexican authorities to shed all possible light on this cowardly murder,” she added. “Javier showed extreme courage by spending years investigating the powerful drug cartels in Mexico, knowing that he was risking his life in doing so.” - Risking his life -

Javier Valdez had reported extensively on drug trafficking and organised crime in Mexico talked about it so as not to drag people into it,” Rafael Valdez told AFP.

month said “Mexico’s press is caught in a deadly cycle of violence and impunity.”

“I asked him several times whether he was afraid. He said yes, he was a human being. So I asked him why he risked his life and he replied: ‘It is something I like doing, and someone has to do it. You have to fight to change things.”

Violence -- including killings of journalists -- surged in Mexico after the government launched a military campaign against drug gangs a decade ago.

The court source said forensic investigators were analyzing the crime scene. - Deadly country for journalists -

In response to that, Valdez founded Riodoce with two colleagues. It became a key source of news about the drug war in a state where other media selfcensored for fear of violence.

Valdez’s brother Rafael said the reporter had been “very happy” in recent days and had not indicated that he had received threats.

Mexico ranks third in the world for the number of journalists killed, after Syria and Afghanistan, according to media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Over a nearly 30-year career, Valdez became one of the most renowned journalists in Sinaloa.

“He was very reserved when it came to his work. He never

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) this

The state is home to one of Mexico’s most notorious drug cartels.

“An equivalent scenario with conventional weapons would be the US military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen,” Smith wrote.

The virus spread quickly because the culprits used a digital code believed to have been developed by the US National Security Agency -- and subsequently leaked as part of a document dump, according to the Moscow-based computer security firm Kaspersky Lab.

Computers around the globe were hacked beginning on Friday using a security flaw in Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system, an older version that was no longer given mainstream tech support by the US giant.

Smith argued that in cyberspace, governments should apply rules like those regarding weapons in the physical world.

- Living in danger -

He noted that Microsoft is calling for a “Digital Geneva Convention” that would require governments to report computer vulnerabilities to vendors rather than store, sell or exploit them. “We need governments to consider the damage to civilians that comes from hoarding these vulnerabilities and the use of these exploits,” Smith wrote.

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VOICE OF ASIA 13

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Bill Gates reveals career advice for university graduates, his big regret

s career advisers go you’d be hard-pressed to find someone more suitable than Bill Gates, even if the billionaire philanthropist missed out on that degree. Microsoft’s co-founder has offered up his life lessons for university graduates as well as the one book you must read for inspiration and his biggest regret. In a series of Tweets, Mr Gates, who topped 2017 Forbes rich list with a net worth of US$86 billion, said if he was starting out today he would look to forge a career in artificial intelligence, energy and biosciences. But not plastics.

must-read. The book examines the concept that we are actually living in an era of peace when compared to the horrors of the past. To sum up - and paraphrase a certain Australian Prime Minister - there has never been a more exciting time to .... well you know the rest. In a blog post, which first appeared on Mic, Mr Gates expanded further on those themes, including the three fields in which he believes today’s college graduates can make the same sort of impact that he did as co-founder of Microsoft. “One is artificial intelligence,” Mr Gates wrote. “We have only begun

ndia has overtaken the US to become the second-most attractive country after China for renewable energy investment, according to a report by UK accountancy firm EY.

In an annual ranking of the top 40 renewable energy markets worldwide in terms of allure, China was ranked at the top, followed by India. The US slipped to the third spot from the first in the last year’s ranking, EY said. “The fall – the first for the US since 2015 – to third in the ranking of the top 40 countries follows a marked shift in US policy under the new administration,” it said. India was ranked third on the last year’s EY renewable energy country attractiveness index (RECAI) behind the US and China. “India continued its upward trend on the index to second position with the government’s programme to build 175 gigawatts (gw) in renewable energy generation by 2022 and have renewable energy account for 40 per cent of installed capacity by 2040,” EY said in a statement.

In the report, EY said: “A combination of strong government support and increasingly attractive economics has helped push India into the second place.” File photo to tap into all the ways it will make people’s lives more productive and creative. The second is energy, because making it clean, affordable, and reliable will be essential for fighting

In recent tenders, solar developers

IT Secretary Aruna Sundararajan said there could be some cases were contracts are not renewed as part of the regular annual appraisal cycle. Besides, she said, the industry is also undergoing a shift in the job profile given the advent of cloud, big data and digital payments.

Family and friends are your biggest allies, and you should rely on them to teach you as well as to challenge them, Mr Gates added, noting this was something fellow billionaire Warren Buffet also used as a wealth indicator. And, for inspiration, Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of our Nature is a

poverty and climate change. The third is the biosciences, which are ripe with opportunities to help people live longer, healthier lives. “Good luck to all of you. This is an amazing time to be alive. I hope you make the most of it.” (-The Australian)

India has overtaken the US to become the second-most attractive country after China for renewable energy investment (File photo) have offered to supply power at lower prices than newly-built coal plants, effectively blocking new coal capacity. “India’s 2022 target, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, includes 100 gw of solar, 60 gw ground mounted and 40 gw rooftop. Wind is expected to deliver 60 gw, with biomass and small hydro accounting for the remaining 15 gw,” EY said. In 2016–17, India added 12.5 gw of renewable energy capacity, compared to 10.2 gw from conventional sources. Solar power tariff has dropped further to hit a new low of Rs 2.44 per unit in the recent auction conducted for Bhadla solar park. “However, such low bids raise questions over whether developers are taking on excessive risk. On the one

hand, falling bids track lower technology costs and cheaper capital, allowing developers to maintain margins. On the other hand, those margins are already squeezed by the competition that auctions tend to generate. Some projects may not be delivered or quality may be compromised,” it said. The EY report said the government needs to increase compliance with the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) programme as well as ensure distribution companies have the capacity to continue to purchase renewable electricity. “And the availability of capital remains a concern; the government could ease rules around tapping foreign debt,” it said, adding that the government faces several other challenges, including land acquisition, in meeting the 175 gw target. (-PTI)

Not correct to assume IT industry going for big job cuts: Indian government EW DELHI (PTI) - The government on Tuesday said IT industry has assured it that there will be no large scale job losses in the technology sector+ which continues to demonstrate 8-9 per cent growth.

Bill Gate’s Twitter feed on this thread included his book recommendation of Steven Pinker’s book (Photo: Twitter/BillGates)

Tel: 713-774-5140

India pips US on renewable energy investment, but trails China

The country, it said, has added more than 10 gw of solar capacity in the last three years – starting from a low base of 2.6 gw in 2014. Also, there was a record new wind capacity of 5.4 gw installed in 2016–17.

Mr Gates also reveals the life lessons he wish he had know about while he was studying at college, and that his biggest regret was being ignorant to inequity for so long.

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

“Some of the companies which have been named (as undertaking job cuts) have clarified that there is nothing big this year,” she said on the sidelines of Broadband India Forum event. Sundararajan added: “As part of annual appraisals, they may not be renewing contract of some people but it is absolutely incorrect to assume

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that suddenly this year a large number of jobs are being shed.” The government has categoric assurance from the industry in this regard, she emphasised. The industry is growing at 8-9 per cent and there is nothing to suggest that the growth is going to slow down “dramatically”. IT sector, she said, will continue to hire and has added 5 lakh jobs in the last 2.5 years. The issue needed to be looked at “holistically”, she added. Over the past few weeks, there have been reports of layoffs across the IT sector. Tech majors like Wipro, Infosys, Cognizant, and, more recently, Tech Mahindra have initiated annual performance reviews, a process that weeds out bottom performers or non performers.

There are fears that thousands of employees in the sector could be shown the door over the next few weeks. The development comes at a time when Indian IT firms are facing challenges in the business environment and stricter work permit regime in countries like the US, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. That apart, executive search firm Head Hunters India said recently that job cuts in IT sector will be between 1.75 lakh and 2 lakh annually for next three years due to under- preparedness in adapting to newer technologies. A McKinsey & Company report also said earlier this year that nearly half of the workforce in the IT services firms will be “irrelevant” over the next 3-4 years.

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LIFESTYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Colors that energise Doing this will help you sleep better Each color in the visible light spectrum has its own wavelength and frequency

New research finds only 14% of people said they get enough sleep by Jacob Passy

ad news, yogis: Your relaxing meditation may not be helping you get a better night’s

sleep.

People who engage in high-impact exercise are twice as likely to get enough sleep as people who participate in lower impact activities, according to a recent report from mattress company Restonic, which obviously has a vested interest in people spending more time in bed. Roughly 22% of people who participate in Cross Fit got enough sleep, versus just 10% of yoga practitioners. Doing exercise in the first place helps improve sleeping habits, the study found, with only 11% of people who don’t exercise saying they catch enough Z’s. Restonic polled more than 1,000 people to produce the report.

Here’s how you can include bright, cheery shades indoors (Photo: Teja Lele Desai) by Teja Lele Desai

f every morning brings along with it Monday morning blues, there’s something wrong with your home environment. You may not be a morning person, but making a bright colour a part of your surroundings is sure to make you want to rise and shine. Definitely more than if you were to be surrounded by a dull, blasé color. Each color in the visible light spectrum has its own wavelength and frequency, producing an energy and nutritive effect that’s specific to it. So while blue may be restful for the boudoir, that restfulness may be keeping you from perking up in the morning. We suggest you try these colours to feel energised and ready to go every morning, rain or shine. Green There’s a reason that green — the colour of regeneration and rebirth — has taken over from others as the new neutral. Whatever color of green you may like, the shade is the colour you see the most in the natural environment. It’s known to increase concentration, induce relaxation and help banish stress. Where: Use in the bathroom as towels to give yourself a home spa session. Add to the calm feel with a fuzzy green robe. Choices: Pine, fern, olive, mint, sea, sage, juniper, moss, emerald

Yellow The color of sunshine, yellow is the brightest color of the visible spectrum. It exudes warmth and vitality, and stands for optimism and inspiration. Yellow is known to stimulate the imagination; research shows it influences the left side of the brain, which is responsible for deep thinking.

hen I do daylong workshops, I love to add a dance component. No, I’m not talking about bringing in a ballroom dancing instructor, but rather getting participants to express their stress through movement. Can you imagine how tenuous most people are about getting in front of their peers and letting loose through a series of interpretive moves? Gabrielle Roth, a famous dance therapist, speaks about the benefits of the above technique in her book, “Sweat Your Prayers.” She states that a lot of stress has a staccato feel to it – if we took the time to dance it, we could release the tension. One woman in my workshop spent a great deal of time discussing her in-

See also: Meet the new group pushing Americans to exercise

tonic. People who use social media frequently are three times more likely to have sleep disturbances, according to a study released last year by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. Electronic devices aren’t the only thing keeping people up at night, of course. A recent poll found that 44% of American workers lose sleep over worrying about work, with one in four claiming this happens to them a minimum of once a week. Gender also plays a role in who sleeps best — with 38% of women feeling like they don’t sleep enough, versus 20% of men. And women were nearly twice as likely (23%) as men (12%) to wake in the middle of the night because of children or pets. In fact, men need 7.8 hours per night and women need 7.6 hours, according to a study that tracked 3,760 people over seven years and published in the September 2014 issue of the journal Sleep. They cross-referenced data

on work absence due to illness from Finland’s Social Insurance Institution with sleep disturbances and sickness absence of the study’s participants, who were examined by physicians. Don’t miss: Watching Netflix at night? Why you might be ‘sleeping’ with the enemy Lack of sleep is a “public health epidemic” in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Unintentionally falling asleep, nodding off while driving, and having difficulty performing daily tasks because of sleepiness all may contribute to these hazardous outcomes, the report says. Those experiencing a prolonged lack of sleep are also more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, and cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity. (MarketWatch)

Where: A yellow-dominant piece of art is perfect to wake up to in the morning. Or consider a mellow yellow on the wall instead.

While exercise promotes more restful sleep, using electronics in bed does the opposite, according to Res-

Choices: Canary, gold, butter, lemon, mustard, corn, mustard, Tuscan sun

LET’S TALK AGING: Signs and stages of dementia

Orange A combination of red and yellow, orange is a color that inspires activity. It is positive, rejuvenating and extremely invigorating. Orange is exciting, and — like yellow — radiates warmth and happiness. It keeps you motivated and makes it easier to look on the bright side. Where: Put some orange where you see it as you go about your morning rituals - a citrusy breakfast set, throw pillows on the sofa or vibrant napkins. Choices: Tangerine, coral, marigold, ginger, apricot, honey, marmalade, rust Neutrals and pastels work extremely well in modern homes, but when it comes to a bright morning, a vibrant colour scores more every time. Surround yourself with a bright shade and get ready to get, set and go. (-The Hindu)

GET A LIFE: Dance your stress away by Loretta LaRoche

Feeling sleep-deprived is becoming common in the U.S. A third of Americans don’t get the recommended seven-plus hours of sleep per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while studies do show that getting eight hours of sleep each night isn’t necessarily all it’s cracked up to be, hitting the hay has been proven to improve not just people’s health but their financial well-being, too. People who live in places where they get more sleep earn 5% more than people in locations where they don’t get as much shut-eye, researchers found.

Americans’ lack of sleep is becoming a ‘public health epidemic,’ according to the CDC (Photo: Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection)

ability to stop worrying. She actually was worrying about what she was worrying about. By our final day together, after we’d gone through several ideas and techniques, she was feeling that nothing could help her. In movement they managed to effectively demonstrate the pain and destructiveness of worry. But even more profound was the way this creative exercise changed the woman’s perception of how and what she worried about. I saw her six months later and she said it literally changed her thinking. She saw her own role in continuing the “dance” of worry, and the terrible effects it had on her life. You might give it a try. Turn on the music and dance away your stress. (-New Orleans Local, Photo: DWMI)

By Barbara Harrison

aving a map to guide you to a new location can make the journey a little less stressful. Likewise, when dementia is involved, getting an idea of where you are and what to prepare for can make the journey feel more manageable.

den mood swings and other behavioral changes like shifting sleep patterns or compulsive behaviors may start to become common. Tips In this stage, accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is possible.

movement. Individuals in this stage of dementia typically need round-theclock care, including assistance with bathing, dressing, eating and other daily activities. They may experience difficulty walking or even sitting, and for some it can become difficult to swallow, which can present challenges

Dementia isn’t a disease itself. It’s a collection of symptoms that occur as a result of a condition or disease, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. For some people, the progression of symptoms is rapid, and for some it’s slow—a lot depends on the underlying cause. While stages and correlating symptoms are typically similar between the various types of dementia, each person’s experience will be unique. Early on At the onset of symptoms, a person may begin having greater difficulty retrieving words, remembering names when meeting new people and keeping track of belongings. They may struggle increasingly with planning, organization, concentration and performing tasks in work or social settings. It’s also common for people in the early stages of dementia to develop depression or experience other changes in mood or disposition. For most people, the early stages of dementia come with mild cognitive impairment. Many people can function independently, and some may even be able to continue driving or working. Tips The early stages of dementia are an ideal time to begin a discussion with your loved one about his or her wishes for the future. Legal, financial and medical directives are best reviewed at this time. Mid-stage For most people, the middle stage of dementia is the longest—in some cases, it can last for many years. In this stage individuals may have greater difficulty performing everyday tasks such as paying bills, dressing themselves and other activities relating to self-care. They may also display more frequent memory lapses that at this point that are also noticeable to others—they may have trouble recalling their own or another person’s personal history, addresses, phone numbers, etc. You may also notice that your loved one has started to withdraw from social engagement or that they become anxious and irritable in socially or mentally challenging situations. Sud-

Image: Shutterstock Consult your healthcare team about increasing symptoms and schedule a medical interview; your doctor will be able to detect clear-cut difficulties and provide guidance on the best treatment going forward. With cognitive functioning declining progressively in this stage, individuals will require increased assistance with daily activities and self-care. This is the time to assemble your caregiving team—talk to friends, family and neighbors to let them know about progressing symptoms, and ask for help with organizing and managing caregiving tasks. This is also a good time to start researching and discussing long-term care options. Late-Stage As a person enters the later stages of dementia, their ability to communicate and respond to what’s going on around them deteriorates, as does control over

at mealtime. It’s also not uncommon for people in late-stage dementia to become more vulnerable to infections, particularly pneumonia. Tips Although your loved one may struggle with using words, it helps if you can interact with gentle listening and acknowledgement. As a caregiver, it can be a challenge to be patient and encouraging. This is an important time to make sure you’re tending to your own needs and doing things to reduce your stress to make sure you have the necessary reserves for your loved one. During late-stage dementia, the focus should be to make your loved one as comfortable as possible—calming music, aromatherapy, hand and foot massages, and as much extra TLC as you can provide are all helpful. (-Fall River Local)

LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Flame it on the sunshine: Thai solar chicken a hot hit by Reuben EASEY

HETCHABURI, Thailand | AFP - - Not many chefs don a welding mask before they enter the kitchen, but Sila Sutharat prefers to cook his chicken sunny side up. Two hours south of Bangkok this 60year-old roadside vendor has found an ingenious way to offer his customers something a little different by harness-

“They said that I’d gone mad, that cooking chicken like this was impossible,” he told AFP next to his stall, the row of sun-drenched chickens behind him too bright to look at for any length of time. “After a long time passed by, they’d say: ‘Actually, you could do it’,” he added. That’s because the the solar reflector generates intense heat, easily enough

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

New York luxury loos are a hit after $254,000 makeover

- Daylight saving Sila says the idea came to him in 1997 when he was struck by the heat reflecting off a passing bus. “I thought, with this heat reflecting from the window from the sun, I could possibly change it into energy,” he said. Sila says that compared to a traditional charcoal grill -- which he used before his solar epiphany -- his meat is more tender and evenly-cooked. And given Thailand’s sweltering tropical climate, the sun is a free, clean and totally sustainable energy source. “At the time, energy such as petrol and gas was becoming more expensive and suppliers were also running out of wood to sell,” he recalled. “I thought if I used solar energy, I could save a lot. And it also decreases pollution.”

Sila Sutharat pointing to chickens being cooked by rays of sun reflected onto an oversized mirror panel on his property in Petchaburi province, south of Bangkok (Photo: AFP/ Roberto Schmidt) ing the power of the sun. Using a large wall of nearly 1,000 moveable mirrors -- a device he designed and built himself -- he focuses the sun’s rays onto a row of marinated chickens, sizzling away under the intense heat. His unusual culinary methods raised a few eyebrows when he first hit upon the idea.

to match an oven, with a sunshinebaked chicken taking just twelve minutes to cook through.

Sila and his wife Pansri now cook around 40 chickens -- as well as several sides of

pork -- each day.

For much of the last 20 years Sila grilled in relative obscurity for a fairly local crowd.

“We’ve been eating here for a long time,” said regular patron Thanyarat Kaewpaleuk, who was tucking into lunch with her husband.

But after videos of his solar-cooker went viral online, people from across Thailand have flocked to his stall in Phetchaburi province.

“It’s delicious. His chicken is fatty, it’s not burned and doesn’t smell like a charcoal grill, which you can smell on the meat.”

Travel money-savers to take with you on vacation this summer by Laura Hutchinson

AMDEN, Conn. – We are just two weeks away from Memorial Day: the unofficial start to summer which means many of you will soon be packing your bags for some kind of summer vacation. We are stretching your dollar all this week and saving you money wherever you plan to go! It’s that time of year, time to get away.

AAA’s Tony Scafariello says a good place to start is the free visitors guides you can find in AAA offices.

hotels, before you pack the essentials, call ahead and find out what you can get for free.

“Sometimes the visitors guide will have meal coupons two for ones, five dollars off, 50 percent off if you buy one, all those kinds of things we don’t think of,” Scafariello said.

“Ask the hotel if they’re providing the toiletries in the hotel room. Often times we go shopping for those travelsized things that are very expensive and if they’re providing them for free why make the expense,” Scafariello added.

Checked bags can cost you alot nowadays, unless you plan ahead (Photo: Alec Thomas) We all know traveling is the time to splurge but it doesn’t mean you should avoid a good money saver when there’s the chance!

You’ve likely heard you can save money on airfare by traveling on off-days. The same goes for rental cars and hotel rooms. Speaking of

Don’t forget your discount opportunities as well. Wherever you are, find out if they offer discounts to anything that applies to you: teachers, military, seniors or law enforcement are a few common discounts. They won’t usually offer it up until you ask for it. (-WTNH TV)

Healthy travel: How to avoid illness on the road by Mark Selitsky, M.D

etting out on a dream vacation doesn’t protect you from illness. In fact, travel may stir up stress and anxiety and expose you to countless germs en route to your destination. Airplanes, trains and even cruise ships are a hotbed for infections thanks to recirculated air, grimy tray tables and cramped onboard lavatories. Any surface that is touched by a lot of people could pose a threat. But only a small percentage of people get ill from infections such as Zika or malaria while traveling. The bigger threats are accidents, injuries and issues related to chronic illnesses. To stay safe, follow these guidelines – both before your trip and while you’re away. Before You Go: Plan in advance. Don’t wait until the week before your trip to see your physician. We recommend people see their primary care physician or a specialist even before they plan a trip in order to make sure they’re clear for travel. Depending on where you’re traveling, you may need specific vaccinations or medications (some vaccination series

begin up to six months before travel). If you have heart disease, diabetes or some other chronic condition, your doctor can not only make sure you can weather the trip, he or she can also ensure you have sufficient meds while you’re away. Purchase insurance. Travel insurance is an added cost (typically between four and 10 percent of the trip’s cost), but it can offer much-needed peace of mind. The right policy not only covers cancellations and loss of baggage, but also health concerns and evacuations (to transport you back to the United States in the event of an emergency or illness while out of the country). Watch your meds. Stow medications in your carry-on bag – not in checked luggage. That way, if you’re delayed or your bags don’t reach your destination, you still have your medications. Equally important, pack drugs in the bottles they’re dispensed in and carry a letter from your doctor with the names of the medications you’re taking and why you’re taking them. While You’re There: Wash your hands. The single best way to protect against illness is to

wash your hands frequently. Good hand hygiene can dramatically reduce your chances of developing diarrhea, vomiting, food poisoning and cold and flu. Watch what you eat. Food contamination is one of the biggest culprits for causing tummy trouble. To the best of your ability, steer clear of street vendors, raw foods, long buffet tables and unsealed beverages. Drinks should be bottled and sealed and travelers should avoid beverages with ice cubes. (-Detroit Free Press)

More than a million people a year are expected to frequent the luxury loos (Photo: AFP)

EW YORK CITY, NY (AFP) - Classical music, framed watercolors and vases overflowing with fresh flowers -- welcome to New York’s poshest public toilets refitted with a $254,000 upgrade, where tips are banned and the facilities are free. Gutted and re-decorated before reopening in late April, more than a million people a year are expected to frequent the spotless Beaux Arts premises in Bryant Park behind the Public Library on Fifth Avenue. Porcelain tiles were imported from Europe. Plastic toilet seat covers rotate at the wave of a hand, air conditioning circulates the air and piped orchestral music almost drowns out the sound of the automatic flush. The polar opposite of the filth of most public restrooms, they cost $271,000 a year to operate and pay attendants to keep pristine two-to-a shift -- bankrolled by the Bryant Park Corporation, a privately financed public park. “Absolutely gorgeous!” breathes Pam Brown, a retired accountant from San Francisco on holiday in the city for five days. “This should be all over the world,” agrees Danish friend Lone Aggersbjerg, 52. “Drink water and have to go to the toilet, it’s just that. A need

everybody has.” A stone vase of flowers stands at the entrance before a giant mirror as if in a stately home -- blooms changed twice a week by a florist In the ladies, there’s a baby changing station, complimentary feminine products “upon request” and a fulllength mirror to smooth out any ruffled hems. The rules are simple -- no tipping, a mainstay elsewhere in New York -- no smoking, spitting, teeth brushing, doing the laundry or jumping the queue. Original watercolors grace the wall -- courtesy of a “painter in residence” program that commissions artists to imagine the park “en plein air.” “People don’t want to leave,” confides attendant Antionette Smalls, who will clock seven years on the job this December. “Some people tell me this bathroom is cleaner than their bathroom at home.” But New York always has nitpickers: “It’s very small,” says Johana Cruz, 35, who lives in Brooklyn and works for a cake company. Brett Horner, a park planning manager from Oregon, splits hairs over the color palate and art work. “I’d like something more modern,” he quips. (-NDTV)

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Most teens ‘relatively’ happy, OECD finds by Gina DOGGETT

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Tel: 713-774-5140

Crowning glory Srishti Kaur tells us how she won the recent Teen Universe 2017

ARIS, France | AFP - Despite the danger of excessive internet use and the threat of bullying, most teenagers around the world are “relatively” happy with their lot, a major OECD survey showed Wednesday. Asked to rate their satisfaction with life on a scale of 0 to 10, some 370,000 15-year-olds gave a mean score of 7.3, the Paris-based group said. The respondents were among 540,000 from 72 countries that took part in a larger survey conducted by the OECD’s Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) in 2015. The survey found great disparities between countries, with fewer than four percent of students in the Netherlands saying they were “not satisfied” with life, a figure that rises to more than 20 percent in South Korea and Turkey. Boys were happier overall, with 39 percent reporting being “very satisfied” compared with 29 percent of girls, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report said. However the gap is minimal between high- and low-achieving students. Bullying is “perhaps the most distressing threat to students’ well-being,” according to the study, which asked students how they felt about their achievement at school, their relationships with peers and professors, their home life and their leisure activi-

Asked to rate their satisfaction with life on a scale of 0 to 10, some 370,000 15year-olds gave a mean score of 7.3, said the OECD (Photo: AFP/File) ties. In 34 of the countries studied, more than 10 percent of the students said their classmates make fun of them several times a month.

more likely to feel lonely at school, have low expectations of further education, and tend to arrive late for school,” the report said.

Around four percent reported being hit or pushed several times a month, while 7.7 percent said they were victims of physical harassment several times a year.

“There are no quick fixes for the risks of the digital era, but schools can create opportunities for students to use the internet more responsibly,” PISA coordinator Andreas Schleicher said in the report.

Among those who reported frequent harassment, 42 percent said they felt like outsiders at school.

Sources of stress include anxiety about schoolwork and income inequality.

- ‘Extreme internet users’ The study also warned about excessive internet use, saying more than one in four (26 percent) of respondents spent more than six hours a day connected at the weekend, and 16 percent said they devoted similar chunks of time online on weekdays. “These ‘extreme internet users’ are

Students believing themselves to be less wealthy than most of their classmates tend to report lower satisfaction with life, the report said. But disadvantaged students with wealthier classmates who have “proschool attitudes and high expectations for themselves... tend to develop higher ambitions for their future,” the report concluded.

Want student loan forgiveness? Here’s how to qualify by Katie Lobosco

are some of the ones listed.

program.

(Teachers who have worked in low-income districts for five years may qualify for a different loan forgiveness program that cancels up to $17,500.)

4. Enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, each year.

t might sound too good to be true, but some borrowers can get their student debt wiped away. At least in theory. The government’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program promises to cancel any remaining student debt for those who work for the government or non-profits and have been making continuous payments for 10 years. It encourages people who have big student loans to stay in lower-paying jobs that serve the public.

You must be enrolled in an incomedriven plan for at least some of your repayments. These plans cap your

Interestingly, Srishti also taught contestants a smattering of Hindi. “I taught them how to say words like namaste, kaise ho. And they fell in love with these simple words with profound meanings.” She also taught them film songs and crazy Bollywood steps. “I combined songs Aja Nachle, Nagara Dhol and Jai Ho and taught them our dancing moves. All of them

But signing up for the program can be a confusing process. You need the right kind of loans, the right kind of job, and need to also be enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan.

Here are five steps to take to make sure you’re eligible. 1. Find out if your job qualifies. There are three different types of jobs eligible. First are government jobs. This includes, federal, state, local and tribal government entities, as well as the military, Peace Corps and AmeriCorps positions. Second are people who work for a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Third are people who work for a non-profit that doesn’t have 501(c) (3) status, but provides a public service. The Employment Certification Form has a long list of what kind of services qualify, but it’s not allinclusive. Emergency management, public safety, public interest legal services, early childhood education, and public service for the elderly

Srishti, who wore peacock dress and evening gown at the pageant, surprised the jury with grace and chutzpah.

She tackled the language barrier in a smart way. “Once all the girls were speaking in fluent Spanish. All of a sudden I started speaking randomly in Hindi. When they inquired what I was up to I replied that is exactly what I feel when they don’t speak in English,” says Srishti.

No one has seen their debt canceled yet. The first borrowers to receive forgiveness won’t be eligible until after October of this year, which is 10 years from the creation of the program.

In an ongoing lawsuit, four lawyers have sued the government, claiming they were misled into believing they qualified for the loan forgiveness program, but the Department of Education later said they did not. In a court filing submitted in March, lawyers for the government suggested that borrowers may not be able to rely on prior notices from their loan servicers about whether they qualify.

n an alien land where Spanish is widely spoken and most of your two dozen rivals hail from Latin American nations, conditions can be pretty intimidating for any contestant. However, Noida girl Srishti Kaur tackled not only the language barrier but all odds stacked heavily against her to emerge a winner at Teen Universe 2017 in Nicaragua.

Beaming with joy at making the nation proud, the 19-year-old said: “I am elated to bring home the crown. More than the fear of competition or pangs of nervousness, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience right from the first day till the culmination of the event.”

Many teachers, public defenders, Peace Corps workers, and law enforcement officers fit the qualifications. More than 400,000 people have applied for the program so far.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received complaints from borrowers who were told they were not enrolled after years of making payments they thought counted towards the 120 needed for debt relief. Dozens of people have told CNNMoney that they, too, have had trouble signing up despite being careful to dot all their i’s and cross all their t’s.

by Madhur Tankha

Image: BigStock Full-time employment for the program is considered working at least 30 hours per week, or meeting your employer’s definition of full-time work -- whichever is greater. 2. Submit the Employment Certification form annually. It’s suggested -- but not required -- that you ask the loan servicing company to certify that your employer qualifies on an annual basis. Otherwise, you risk finding out that your job doesn’t qualify after making years of payments. Keep records of your forms because you’ll have to officially apply for loan forgiveness after making ten years of payments. 3. Make sure you have the right kind of loan There are different kinds federal student loans, and only the Direct Loans qualify for the program. If you borrowed money for college prior to 2008, it might mean you have a different kind, like the Federal Family Education Loan. If that’s the case, you’re not entirely out of luck. You can consolidate your loans so that they qualify. But be aware that you might lose qualifying payments you already made prior to consolidating. At this point, your loans will be transferred to FedLoan Servicing, the only company contracted by the government to handle loans in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness

monthly bill at a certain portion of your income. You need to reapply for them each year by submitting updated income information. If you’re in the standard repayment plan, you’ll be finished paying off your loans in ten years anyway -- so they’ll be nothing left to forgive. 5. Make 120 qualifying monthly payments. FedLoan Servicing will tell you how much you need to pay each month for the payment to count toward the 120 needed to receive debt forgiveness. If you pay any less, it won’t count. And if you pay more, it will still only count as one payment. It needs to be made no later than 15 days after the due date. Any payments you make while in school, during the six-month grace period after school, or while in deferment or forbearance do not count toward the 120. There’s a chance you might end up in forbearance while your annual income-driven repayment paperwork is processed. The CFPB has also received complaints that this process can take months and that during that time, the 10-year clock essentially stops. More information about the program can be found at the government web site: studentaid.ed.gov or at myfedloan.org (-CNBC)

started grooving and it was fun to see how catchy our Hindi film songs can be as they even made foreigners take a jig.” Srishti studied how Sushmita Sen carried herself during the auditions and the way she demonstrated her intelligence at the Miss Universe contest. Srishti’s work with visually impaired persons at School for the Blind in Delhi helped her to give a powerful social message. “I said both India and Nicaragua are beautiful countries. So I would like to make blind persons experience this beautiful paradise which we call Earth. Without vision they have to touch objects and visualise how beautiful things would be.” She wants to promote Make in India project through a mix of indigenous ethnic embroidery and Western wear. “I want to make use of traditional silver jewellery, handmade embroideries and handicrafts which epitomise Indian heritage and culture. Through my online label Crystal Sourcing I am making bags and footwear. I would soon be roping in boys and girls aged between 18 and 25 who are familiar with latest fashion trends ,” says Srishti, whose ambition is to participate as a designer at the London Fashion Week. Priyanka Chopra is her favourite for representing the country on the international film circuit. “She is someone I look up in awe as she is doing a mix of Hollywood and Bollywood.” (-Source: The Hindu)

This 14-year-old is the youngest person ever to graduate from Texas college

ORT WORTH - A 14-year-old physics major has become the youngest person ever to graduate from Texas Christian University. Carson Huey-You was among more than 2,000 students getting degrees Saturday at the Fort Worth school founded in 1873. He started at TCU in 2013 when he was 11. He also has minors in Chinese and math.

Fourteen year old Carson Huey-You walks off the stage after receiving a bachelor’s degree in physics at the Texas Christian University commencement held in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, May 13, Huey-You tells 2017. Huey-You, the youngest student ever to attend the Fort Worth Star- TCU, also double minored in math and Chinese since Telegram his favorite enrolling in 2013 (Photo: Louis DeLuc/AP) thing about college has been getting to learn things he never “some real hard classes” and get over thought about, things he never knew the disappointment of a poor score on a existed and things he might not even test.The self-described “normal dude” think about thinking about. He also wants to work on getting graduate desays he’s learned how to deal with grees in quantum mechanics. (-AP)

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VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Bollywood -Hollywood

Section 2

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

REVEALED: Katrina Kaif has NOT been approached for ‘Saaho’ opposite Prabhas!

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fever grips India Ranveer Singh to Bieber ahead of first concert LAUNCH his own line of fragrances soon? oys, if you ever wanted to add some of Ranveer Singh’s irresistible swag to your style, you’re going to love this news. The actor has created ripples with his latest Facebook post, divulging that he is all set to do something scent-sational in the fragrance zone. In his recent post, the actor confirmed that he will be lending his face to the deodorant can packaging as well!

umours about Katrina Kaif starring apposite Prabhas in his next titled Saaho have been doing the rounds for quite sometime now. Several reports suggested that the actress has been approached for Saaho by the makers. Just when the fans of the actress couldn’t contain their excitement thinking they can see Prabhas and Katrina Kaif together onscreen, it so turned out that those were merely rumours. Why do we say so? Well, BollywoodLife quoted a source which clarified by saying, “This is not true at all. Katrina is not doing this film.”

D E E P I K A’ S R K TAT T O O

Reading this, many Katrina fans would be heartbroken. But still there would be some fans who would be hoping that Ka-

trina and Prabhas team up for this upcoming thriller movie. Meanwhile, Katrina has already started shooting for Tiger Zinda Hai with Salman Khan and will soon start promotions for Jagga Jasoos with Ranbir Kapoor. It was just recently confirmed that the diva has bagged a role in ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ in which she’ll be seen alongside Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. However, it would have been great to see Kat and Prabhas in a movie together. Saaho is touted to be one of the most expensive films to be made in India after Baahubali. The budget of the film is Rs 150 crore and the film will be shot in different locations like Abu Dhabi and few locations in Europe. (-DNA India)

Justin Bieber is one of the world’s biggest pop stars with more than 93 million followers on Twitter (AFP Photo/Robin Beck)

UMBAI, India | AFP - Justin Bieber mania swept Mumbai on Wednesday as the Canadian pop star hit town to give his first concert in India in front of 45,000 fans. The news has been kept very hush-hush all this while. But the quirky star took to his social media page with a post, hinting his next big outing might see him extend his entrepreneurial antlers in the deodorant zone. Predictably, unpredictableRanveer Singh. Coming from the coolest cat of Bollywood, we can’t help but be super excited about this news! The actor known for dynamic roles and equally edgy impulsive fashion quirks in his post also hinted that the packaging of this signature fragrance could be just as unique and wacky as him. An industry source went on to reveal that the fragrance line might be a limited edition one. Although Ranveer for now has kept his fans guessing with the name of his new line, we’re sure many out there can’t wait to lay their hands on it. Well, we aren’t complaining as every guy could do with Ranveer’s sexy swag in their lives. (-DNA India)

“Beliebers” from across the nation have flocked to the commercial capital to see their idol perform hits like “Baby” and “Sorry” on the latest stop of his “Purpose World Tour”. “I’ve been listening to his music for five years. I absolutely love him as an artist and I’m very excited to be seeing him,” 18-year-old student Rahul Tiwari, who had travelled from neighbouring Gujarat state, told AFP. Fans who gathered outside Mumbai’s airport got their first glimse of the superstar when he touched down in the city at 1:30 am on a chartered flight from Dubai.

he buzz around Deepika Padukone’s RK tattoo doesn’t seem to die down. The recent Bangladeshi ad for a popular soap brand has caught everyone’s attention. The ad shows Deepika flaunting a sari and interestingly, her infamous RK tattoo—that she got inked on the nape of her neck—is nowhere to be seen. This led to speculations whether the actor has finally removed the tattoo, which she got done while dating actor Ranbir Kapoor.

Indian television channels aired mobile phone footage of Bieber carrying a bouquet of flowers and wearing a pink hoodie, dark shorts and white trainers as he walked from the airport to a waiting car with his entourage.

However, Deepika’s recent Met Gala appearance proves that the tattoo is very much there—at the same place. She even shared a photo (Left) on her Instagram page and wrote, “#metgala2017”. This means that the tattoo, which is invisible in the ad must have been camouflaged using makeup. Interestingly, the tattoo was also not visible in a soft drink ad the Piku actor did opposite Farhan Akhtar.

The 23-year-old is to perform to a sellout crowd at the D Y Patil Stadium, a venue more used to hosting cricket and football matches than international pop stars.

Deepika’s RK tattoo was the hottest talk of the town during her relationship with Ranbir. But for reasons best known to know, the two drifted apart and parted ways sometime back, and are now just friends. While Ranbir started dating Katrina Kaif, Deepika, too, found love in Ranveer Singh. Though Ranbir broke up with Katrina a while ago, Deepika and Ranveer still seem to be going strong.

“I’m a big Belieber. He’s attractive and makes peppy, catchy music for our generation,” 16-year-old Rhea Asrani, who also has a ticket for the concert, told AFP. “I have two huge posters of Justin in my bedroom and I

listen to him often. I’m excited for the concert but more so just to see him live on stage,” she added. The award-winning singer is to start his show at 8:00 pm and is expected to perform for around an hour and a half, according to newspaper reports. India media have been abuzz with speculation about the singer’s movements while in the country and which Bollywood celebrities may or may not attend his concert and afterparty. Several newspapers reported that Bieber will avoid Mumbai’s notoriously congested traffic by taking a helicopter from his hotel in the centre of the city to the concert venue. More than 1,000 security personnel, including 500 police officers, will be at the venue while Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s personal bodyguard is reported to be handling Bieber’s security while he is in Mumbai. Fans’ anticipation has been building since Bieber’s team first confirmed the gig date back in February. On Wednesday the Mumbai Mirror tabloid carried a story of 20 Bieber fans who camped outside the city’s international airport for three days hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol. They carried signs saying “We love you Justin”, “Welcome to India” and “Justin Forever”. “We have not slept for two nights, you never know when he will arrive,” said one fan. Another added that he hadn’t washed for three days.

This Bollywood actress was forced to vacate her flat because she is single

Niddhi Agerwal is making her Bollywood debut opposite Tiger Shroff in Munna Michael. (Photo: Hindustan Times) by Akshay Kaushal fter a nationwide talent hunt , director Sabbir Khan finally found his leading lady for his next film , Munna Michael, starring Tiger Shroff. Niddhi who is a professional ballet dancer , was selected quite by accident but was immediately signed for the film, thanks to her screen presence and charisma.

The debutante may have re-

ceived a warm welcome from the film industry but unfortunately was forced to move out of her flat in the suburbs. The housing society raised objections to her ‘single actress’ status. Sources reveal that society boards are generally wary of letting out flats to aspiring actors. This left Niddhi with no choice but to hunt for a new apartment. (-Hindustan Times)

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VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

HEALTHY LIVING VOICE OF ASIA

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tibetan medicine lures patients seeking drug-free cures by Abhaya Srivastava

HARAMSALA, India | AFP - Before dawn in the Indian Himalayas, scores of patients clutching small vials of urine queue patiently to see Yeshi Dhonden, a Tibetan monk who became a legend as personal healer to the Dalai Lama.

Today it attracts devotees from all over the globe, hoping for help with conditions from back pain to cancer and degenerative diseases. “If the sick come to me I will take care of them,” Dhonden told AFP at his private clinic in McLeodganj, surrounded by Tibetan scrolls and beaming images of his most famous client. Dhonden -- who spent three decades tending the health of Tibet’s spiritual leader -- relies on his senses to divine what ails patients. “I don’t go for tests like X-ray and all. I trust myself. I just test the pulse and the urine,” he explained. A touch at the wrist is how he ascertains the health of vital organs and blood pressure. The urine, held in a white porcelain cup, is stirred with two small bamboo sticks. Colour, bubble formation, sediment and smell can all shape the diagnosis. Devotees swear Tibetan medicine works, though few scientific studies have been conducted into its efficacy. - ‘Imbalanced energies’ The teachings -- contained in some 2,000 textbooks and the messages of the Buddha, considered the guardian deity for all spiritual healers -- are believed to have originated in Tibet. But as it features elements of both ancient Chinese and Indian healing practises, and is rapidly evolving from a niche tradition into popular alternative treatment, both nations have scrambled to claim it as their own.

ax credit changes

Under the new bill, qualifications for tax credits to help pay for health insurance would change significantly.

Tibetan medical practitioner Yeshi Dhonden sits inside a room at his Tibetan Herbal Clinic in the Indian town of Dharamsala. Before dawn in the Indian Himalayas, scores of patients clutching small vials of urine queue patiently to see Yeshi Dhonden, a Tibetan monk who became a legend as personal healer to the Dalai Lama. Tibetan medicine, known as Sowa-Rigpa, draws on centuries-old techniques such as blood-letting, cupping, and moxibustion -- burning herbs on energy points of the body -- to try to heal ailments. (Photo: AFP/Prakash Singh) years earlier and was furious when India granted the Dalai Lama permission to headquarter a government-in-exile in McLeodganj. The traditions of Tibetan medicine are based on four root texts known as the ‘tantras’ that evolved in two medical colleges, Chakpori and Men-TseeKhang, in the Tibetan capital Lhasa. These tantras classify thousands of diseases into separate categories, with unique mixtures of herbs and minerals -- mostly sourced from the upper reaches of the Himalayas -- listed as remedies for each ailment. “We believe diseases are caused when our inner energies are imbalanced,” said Tsewang Tam Din, a medical practitioner at the McLeodganj branch of the Men-Tsee Khang school, one of many across India. Taking a delicate golden hammer, Din demonstrated how healers heat the instrument over fire and place it against the body to offset pain and other common malaises. “The idea behind our medicine system is that one should not have to take medication all his life for chronic problems like arthritis and diabetes,” Din said in McLeodganj, nicknamed “Little Lhasa” for the large Tibetan community residing there.

In April, the Asian giants nominated Tibetan medicine for inclusion on a UNESCO list for “intangible culture”. China and India have engaged in countless spats over the Tibetan community since New Delhi granted sanctuary to the Dalai Lama in 1959.

The increasing popularity of Buddhism in the west, as well as a global Tibetan diaspora has helped spread awareness about its unique alternative medicine.

Beijing took control of Tibet eight

But like other Eastern health treat-

- Science of healing -

Safety concerns for one in three US drugs

IAMI | AFP - Almost one in three newly approved drugs in the United States turns out to have a safety issue after it is allowed on the market, US researchers said Tuesday.

ologics, psychiatric drugs, and medicines that were fast-tracked by the US Food and Drug Administration were most likely to require additional safety warnings after approval, said the report in Journal of the American

Almost one in three newly approved drugs in the United States turns out to have a safety issue (File photo) While these issues are rarely serious enough to get the drug pulled from the marketplace, researchers said new drugs should be monitored for years after they are released to the public. Cutting-edge therapies known as bi-

How The New Trump Care Bill Could Affect Health Care Consumers Continued from Last Week

Tibetan medicine, known as SowaRigpa, draws on centuries-old techniques such as blood-letting, cupping, and moxibustion -- burning herbs on energy points of the body -- to try to heal ailments. The practise draws on aspects of traditional Chinese medicine and India’s Ayurvedic system as well as its own unique theories and treatments. It also features spiritual practises including meditation and Buddhist prayer.

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Medical Association (JAMA). For the study, Yale University researchers analyzed 222 new drugs approved between 2001 and 2010, and followed up on them through 2017.

ments, it is viewed with scepticism among the conventional medical fraternity. A lack of standardisation and clinical trials means it will be some time before Tibetan medicine can go mainstream, said cardiologist D. Prabhakaran from the Public Health Foundation of India. But even doubters acknowledge the natural treatment appears to assist some patients in certain cases. “I know of anecdotal examples where people with terminal diseases have lived much longer than predicted after taking Tibetan medicine,” Prabhakaran said. “I think there’s a lot of empathy towards the patient in Tibetan medicine. Basically it comes from the thinking of Buddhism and that may be one of the reasons why it’s becoming more popular,” he added. In 2010, India officially recognised Tibetan medicine as a “science of healing” and enshrined it within the nation’s healthcare system, paving the way for future research and investment into the spiritual discipline. It’s good news for devotees like 60-year-old Abdul Rehman, who has eschewed mainstream medicine his entire life in favour of Tibetan alternatives. “I suffered from a recurrent cold which was cured in one year,” said Rehman as he collected herbal pills at a clinic in a posh Delhi suburb. He added: “Now I have some back and neck pain and I think it will also be cured soon.”

A total of 32 percent of new drugs (71 in all) were flagged for a safety issue after approval, the study said. Three drugs were withdrawn because of health risks: Valdecoxib, an anti-inflammatory; Tegaserod, a drug used for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome; and Efalizumab, a drug used to treat psoriasis. There is “very rarely a drug withdrawal, but more commonly a black box warning, or drug safety communication issued by the FDA to let physicians and patients know that new safety information has been determined,” said Joseph Ross, associate professor of medicine and public health at Yale. Most clinical trials that are done on a drugs before they are approved involve fewer than 1,000 patients studied over a period of six months or less.

While the ACA offers a scale of credits that take into account family income, cost of insurance and age, the Trump care plan would offer flat tax credits per individual, focused on age. The House GOP bill would provide tax credits of $2,000 to $14,000 a year for individuals who don’t get insurance coverage from an employer or the government. The credits would be based on age instead of income and would be capped for higher earners. People who are older, are lowerincome or live in areas with high insurance premiums would likely receive smaller tax credits under the new bill than they do under the ACA. Those who are younger, have higher incomes or live in areas with lower insurance premiums would likely receive more government assistance than they currently do, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. A 64-year-old who makes $26,500 a year could see net out-of-pocket costs increase from $1,700 a year under the current law to $14,600 a year under the GOP plan, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. A 40-year-old making the same amount would pay a few hundred dollars more after the tax credits, from $1,700 under Obamacare to $2,400 under the GOP bill. Medicaid The new bill calls for major changes to the way Medicaid is funded. First, the federal support of expanded Medicaid coverage, to those earning no more than 133 percent of the federal poverty level, would be rolled back. States that expanded Medicaid would no longer receive extra funds for new expansion beneficiaries after 2020, Kaiser Health News said. People who receive Medicaid would be required to work unless they are disabled, pregnant or elderly. Beginning in 2020, federal Medicaid financing would be changed to a per capita cap rather than a matching program, under which the federal government has supplied funds based on the number and needs of the enrollees. Additionally, after 2020, state Medicaid plans would no longer be required to provide ACA-designated essential health benefits, including emergency services, pregnancy and newborn care, prescription drugs and pediatric services. Capping federal funds for Medicaid

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could have a huge impact on seniors and disabled children who depend on that coverage, according to Pollitz. “There are 75 million people on Medicaid today. It’s the secondlargest source of coverage,” she said. Employer coverage is the largest. She pointed out that without federal funds to help with Medicaid coverage, states may have less money to help fund high-risk pools or other subsidies to help people afford health care. The changes would reduce $880 billion in federal spending on Medicaid over the next decade, pushing onto the states more of the financial burden for covering more than 74 million people in the program, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation “It would be a big hit for states,” Pollitz said. “It matters for the coverage and what states are going to be willing to spend in addition to this federal grant money. They’re going to have their hands full.” Older adults vs. younger adults Under the ACA, insurance companies may charge an older person no more than three times its premium for a younger person with an identical plan. The new bill would increase the maximum allowable ratio to 5 to 1, which could significantly increase older people’s premiums for comparable plans. States would be able to set different maximum ratios. Older Americans not yet eligible for Medicare would be at risk for expensive premiums. “They will face higher premiums than they currently do, and the younger people will face [lower] premiums.” To choose right Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan contact Sudhir Mathuria @ 713771-2900.

SCIENCE & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Robotic ‘exoskeleton’ prevents elderly falls: study

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Risk of heart attack spikes after flu, pneumonia: study

by Mariëtte Le Roux

ARIS, France | AFP | 5/11/2017 - Scientists unveiled a lightweight, robotic, outer “skeleton” Thursday that can detect when someone loses their balance, correct their gait, and prevent their fall. Designed to limit stumbles among the elderly, the device has sensors that can discern in real time when a limb starts to buckle or flail, and lightweight motors which exert instant force on both legs to restore balance. “Wearable machines that enhance your movement and endurance no longer belong to the realm of science fiction,” the device’s creators said in a statement. According to the World Health Organization, falls are the second cause of death from accidental or unintentional injuries worldwide.

Heart attacks tend to happen most often during the winter, and could be linked to the seasonal rise in flu and other respiratory infections, researchers say Photo: Getty Images North America/AFP/File | )

Every year, more than 420,000 people die from falls -- most of those are older than 65.

Exoskeletons are external devices that can help with the rehabilitation of disabled and elderly people (AFP Photo/).

Nearly 40 million falls that require medical attention are reported annually, says the WHO, and this number is likely to skyrocket as people live to become ever older.

“and is vastly different from the armoured stuff you see in today’s science fiction movies”.

Dubbed the Active Pelvis Orthosis or APO, the new device could also help disabled people and amputees, said its designers from the Scuola Sant’Anna, an Italian University, and Switzerland’s EPFL polytechnical school. “It’s technology that will actually help people with their daily activities,” they added. The team published the results of their lab experiments in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. The “exoskeleton” is worn from the waist down, its creators explained,

- More confident It is attached to a belt worn around the middle that holds small motors at the hips, and soft braces strapped to the thighs. The device weighs about five kilogrammes (11 pounds), can be easily adjusted to a person’s individual height and girth, and does not interfere with normal walking, the team said. The “assistive mode” is activated only when balance loss is detected. “The robotic exoskeleton is able to identify an unexpected slippage and counteract it,” Peppino Tropea, one of the study authors, told AFP.

The APO “increases stiffness at hip joints against limb movements, indeed, the slipping leg is slowed down, while the other one is forced towards the ground. This strategy is effective for balance recovery.” Tropea and the rest of the team tested their creation on eight elderly people and two amputees with prosthetic limbs -- two groups particularly vulnerable to potentially devastating falls. They were made to walk on a treadmill with a platform that would unexpectedly slip sideways, causing the walker to lose balance. Repeated tests showed that the device “effectively” aided balance recovery, the paper reported

Hindu nationalists promise ‘superior’ Indian babies

EW DELHI, India | AFP | 5/9/2017 - A Hindu nationalist organisation is promising to help Indian couples conceive “superior” babies with high IQs and fairer skin than their parents, sparking media criticism. Karishma Mohandas Narwani, head of the Garbh Vigyan Sanskar project, said it advised prospective parents on how to undergo a “purification” process to ensure their babies were born free of all vices.

to thinking good thoughts. “Actually our aim is to produce superior offspring, full of values and culture. The secrets are all there in our ancient Hindu texts,” said Narwani. The project, whose name translates as “scientific purification of the womb”, is based in Gujarat, the western home state of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is treating around 400 couples.

ble for “parents with low IQ to have offspring with high IQ”. “It is also possible for a darkskinned couple to have fair babies,” he added. The scheme was criticised in the Indian media, with one report saying it was “straight out of the Nazi playbook”. Eugenics -- the controversial belief that one could improve the human race by selective breeding -- was a popular idea in the first half of the 20th century and was notably used by the Nazis.

“We have to ensure the seed is good, which means the quality of the sperm and the ovum has to be top-class,” Narwani, a practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine, told AFP on Tuesday.

Narwani denied newspaper reports that it was linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), an influential right-wing Hindu organisation seen as the ideological fountainhead of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

“If that is taken care of, then the baby will have the desired mental, physical and spiritual quality.”

But she said she was working with the help of Arogya Bharti, a group often described as the health wing of the RSS.

She said couples could produce “superior offspring” by following the organisation’s advice on everything from diet

“A farmer will have a good yield only when he prepares the soil properly. Similarly, the purification of the sperm and egg is very important,” he told AFP by phone.

Ashok Kumar Varshney, an RSS campaigner and secretary of Arogya Bharti, said the group’s methods made it possi-

“The purification can be done through the right diet, massage and detox methods.”

ington State, or in the Pacific Northwest, where the rainy day reputation is 100% accurate. It never stops raining. Sometimes, it really honestly feels like it will never, ever stop raining. I was diagnosed with moderate depression two years ago (though tbh it really only comes around during the fall and winter for me) and there are a few things that really soothe my newborn summer-loving soul during the cold days. 1. Turn up the heat Listen, this is kind of bad advice because my electricity bill was like…five times the price it usually was but — I mean, it’s a little bit worth it? First of all, my cat loves the window open during the day (fresh air!!) and the heat allll the way up during the night. (She’s a pampered cat.) I grew up with a mother who was very “bundle up because the heat is never coming on,” but as a full-blown adult, I justify my more expensive heating bill by reminding myself that my comfort is important. I blast it for an hour or two and then turn it all the way off, and it’s way worth it. Not shivering in my home? Priceless!! (Or, you know, 150 bucks so not at all priceless.) 2. Embrace the television I have a few friends who have asked me for advice on combatting sad feelings, or pity parties, or just simple bad

The findings confirm earlier research that pointed to an apparent link between respiratory infection and cardiac crises, scientists at the University of Sydney reported.

The study, published in the Internal Medicine Journal, was based on 578 patients who suffered a heart attack due to a coronary artery blockage. Patients were asked about their activities before having a heart attack, including if they experienced a recent “flu-like illness with fever and sore throat”, or of they had been diagnosed with pneumonia or bronchitis, said the report.

“A respiratory infection can act as a trigger for a heart attack,” said senior author Professor Geoffrey Tofler.

Seventeen percent of patients reported symptoms of respiratory infection within one week of the heart attack, and 21 per cent within 31 days.

“The data showed that the increased risk of a heart attack isn’t necessarily just at the beginning of respiratory symptoms, it peaks in the first seven days and gradually reduces but remains elevated for one month.”

“Possible reasons for why respiratory infection may trigger a heart attack include an increased tendency towards blood clotting, inflammation and toxins damaging blood vessels, and changes in blood flow,” said Tofler.

Acclimatise in bed, climb Everest in half the time Brooks Entwisle demonstrating the use of a preacclimatisation tent in his home in Singapore, as part of his training for his attempt to summit Mount Everest (Photo: AFP)

But Varshney said the organisation was merely engaged in “motivational activity”.

How I’m surviving my new battle with Seasonal Affective Disorder by Jessica Tholmer , Jessica Anne Tholmer, have been a long, long time lover of fall and winter. It has always been one of my jokes — I was born in the middle of the summer in Los Angeles, California. Zodiacally speaking, I am a Leo, one of the three fire signs known for feistiness, confidence, and warmth. But I have always hated the warm weather. Instead, I embraced falling leaves and frosted windowpanes; my Christmas countdown always started at 99 days. I just wholly never identified as a spring or summer gal, despite the odds. That is, until the past two years. I remember my older brother being affected by it (in fact I’d buy him Vitamin D for his stocking every year), but I had always managed to avoid seasonal depression. But recently, I have been hit with a serious case of what some people call “SAD,” or Seasonal Affective Disorder. I now live in the Pacific Northwest, and find myself wishing for spring and summer every single year. I double up on Vitamin D and other essential nutrients that are nearly impossible to get while living in the PNW in general, but especially during those winter and fall months. For the record, I don’t speak on this subject lightly! It is rough for people in Wash-

IAMI | AFP - Coming down with the flu, bronchitis or pneumonia can dramatically raise the risk of a heart attack -- up to 17-fold -- in the days and weeks following the infection, researchers said Monday.

days. I almost always recommend the television. I am 100% not the person who thinks you should watch less TV for any reason. In fact, it is not coincidental that there are more and more ways to stream, more and more excellent series premiering, and more and more revivals these days. We need TV, and it needs us. In 2015, when I was living the worst year of my life, I started watching TV again and it truly changed me as a person. Is that dramatic? NO because I literally became a less social person and just embraced the fact that I am a TV Watcher and that’s fine. It really is. Especially in the cold season. What else are you going to do? Go for a walk? No, you aren’t. It’s raining. Put on Parks and Rec. 3. Read a book Remember when you were a child, and you’d get lost in a different world when you would read a book? That feeling still exists as an adult! And if nothing else, it makes you feel a) not alone b) not as selfpitying. I have read a lot of books in the past year that have reminded me of those things. Also, there are happy books, and those have the opposite effect. You might feel joyful and remember that there are so many lovely things in the world to embrace. Also. when all else fails, re-read Harry Potter. That roller coaster of emotions is always, always worth it. (-hellogiggles.com)

by Paavan Mathema

AT H M A N D U , Nepal | AFP | As other Everest hopefuls were trudging up to base camp in April, Singaporebased Brooks Entwistle was at home, planning his daughter’s 13th birthday party and preparing for his company’s annual general meeting. But at night he would climb into a hypoxic, or low oxygen, tent meant to mimic the thin air at high altitude. Now on Everest, Entwistle, a partner with Singapore’s Everstone Group, is hoping to summit the world’s highest peak in just 35 days -- half the time of a conventional climb. For decades, the dream of reaching the summit of Mount Everest has required at least two months on the mountain doing a series of acclimatisation rotations to get used to the harsh low-oxygen environment at the top of the world. Now pre-acclimatisation, which has been at the fringes of the climbing world for several years, is gaining traction, dividing the community between those who see it as yet another tool of modern mountaineering and purists who dismiss it as a gimmick. An increasing number of expedition organisers are offering “rapid ascent” packages that allow clients to pre-acclimatise in a tent at home before zipping up the world’s tallest peaks in just a few weeks. Entwistle and climbers with at least two other operators are attempting to summit Everest this year after using pre-acclimatisation tents, each paying between $75,000 and $85,000, more than double the cheapest rates to scale Everest the conventional way.

Proponents of pre-acclimatisation say spending less time on the mountain lowers the risk of frostbite, accidents and extreme weight loss commonly associated with high-altitude mountaineering. “We’ve been doing this for a few years, now we’ve seen other companies offering it as well... their clients are demanding it,” said US-based Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions, who started experimenting with the tents in 2011. “People are actually healthier on the climb because they don’t spend so much time on the mountain,” said Ballinger, who took one client up Everest in 2013 using the system and another four in 2016. - ‘Flash Everest’ In 2014, Entwistle had a rare nine-month break from work. He headed to Everest in early April to begin acclimatising and planned to make a push for the summit in mid May. But his plans were disrupted by an avalanche that killed 16 Sherpa guides and effectively shut down the climbing season. “I don’t have time like that now. For me, it would be impossible to go up Everest without this method,” Entwistle said. Hypoxic tents have long been used by athletes to build up lung capacity as part of their training. Nitrogen is pumped into the sealed tent to recreate a high-altitude environment by reducing oxygen levels so that the body adapts to thinner air. “I believe every climber has used technologies of the day to the maximum they can, whether for communication or training. Today, hypoxic training is one of those tools,” said Ballinger, who is taking Entwistle and one other client up Everest from the northern Tibet side this year. Ballinger requires climbers

on the ‘rapid ascent’ packages to have previously climbed at least one of the 14 mountains in the world that are over 8,000 metres. Next year, Austrian company Furtenbach Adventure is taking it to the next level with a ‘Flash Everest’ package that promises a summit in less than four weeks, aided by hypoxic tents and increased supplemental oxygen. Veteran expedition operator Simon Lowe is a vocal critic of the method, calling it “quack medicine”, and believes in the traditional mantra of climbing high and sleeping low. “This (pre-acclimatisation) is the inverse of what we know works,” Lowe said. Lowe says that the method only gets results because companies provide the climbers with much more supplemental oxygen than on a conventional climb. That brings its own problems, requiring Sherpa guides to make repeated risky climbs to leave additional oxygen bottles for the climbers to collect during their ascent, while also resulting in more empty canisters left on the mountainside. “If you extend this to everybody, it will be a disaster. They (pre-acclimatised climbers) won’t have the flexibility to respond to Everest and its weather and will take risks putting everyone in danger,” Lowe added. American climber Kent Stewart, who has scaled the highest peaks on six continents, intends to pre-acclimatise before his bid to complete the “Seven Summits” with Everest next year. Stewart suffers extreme weight loss during expeditions and found the tents to be a useful way to shorten his trips. “You eat and sleep at home and are not exposed to the dangers of being on the mountain,” Stewart said.

CULTURE

VOICE OF ASIA 20

Humanising the Mahatma in the pages of a graphic novel

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Dangerous work

Tales of Young Gandhi, Janhavi Prasada’s new graphic novel, shifts focus from the public persona of Mahatma Gandhi to his formative years as a student of world politics Tales of Young Gandhi by Janhavi Prasada (224 pages, Harper Collins) Review by Keith Gomes

here are two aspects which are pivotal while approaching a work of literature: form and matter. The two were proposed by Aristotle for all physical reality. But, in literature they act as means of accessing the work so as to make it more comprehensive. Matter is what the text constitutes and coveys, while form is the shape or medium it must use to convey meaning. In the case of most of literature, it is the written word that becomes the form, but in the case of some works the medium could differ from the usual. In Janhavi Prasada’s Tales of Young Gan- A panel from the graphic novel Tales of Young Gandhi dhi, a graphic novel, the form is more especially the problems that plague us. complex: composit of the written This sets up another important facet of word and artwork. The challenges of the work: the story is made palpable. this form are multifarious, and can be Prasada’s graphic novel uses simple easily neglected by most; a task that Prasada has taken on, quite bravely. visuals: on white background, black Prasada’s work wishes to understand marks are made to draw the characthe Mahatma as an ordinary human ters and, over this, shadows of black and deep brown are added to provide being. depth. The visuals work successfully Tales of Young Gandhi takes the at representing the story of Gandhi. Mahatma (Maha= great, Atma= soul/ The visuals in a graphic novel act as an spirit) and humanises him to the exappendage to imagination by granting tent of making him accessible, comthem more definition and it is this goal prehensive and demystified. Gandhi’s that is successfully met. In Gandhi’s struggles of becoming a Mahatma are story there are many facets which glean openly narrated, with utmost attempts through brilliantly via the artwork. made to maintain integrity and honMatters like the locations, which range esty. There is an evident effort made to from London, South Africa to villages stay as close as possible to how Gandhi in India, are simple in their pictorial saw his life and not how a third person, representation and the clothing which who tries to act as narrator, saw it. is of significance is represented preThe introduction of the work, which cisely to help the reader understand is in the form of a series of panels, Gandhi’s varying outlooks. where the author tries to ask her father Tales of Young Gandhi, is in accord about Gandhi, enables the reader to with Prasada’s aims to make Gandhi gain a direction and grants a purpose comprehensive, so as to make him palto the whole act of reading and visually pable and thus inspirational. The book indulging in this graphic novel. What makes for a riveting read of an endearis also worthy of acknowledgement is ing Gandhi who resembles us all, but the fact that the author sets the introoutdoes most due to his dedication to duction in terms of the contemporary work on himself and society, always state of affairs, where reality has bewith the aim of improvement. (-The come too “abstract and hard to grasp”, Sunday Guardian Live)

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A miner collects sulfur in a crater in Indonesia. According to Your Shot photographer Gleb Tarro, hundreds of miners “make the perilous journey climbing 9,000 feet to the summit and then 3,000 feet down into the crater.” Sulfur is used in manufacturing everything from matches to fertilizer to film (Photo: Glen Tarro)

Saffronart’s auction features leading contemporary masters

affronart’s upcoming “Summer Online Auction” on 6 – 7 June 2017, features a selection of contemporary South Asian art and important works from India’s finest modernists. The inclusion of art from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is part of Saffronart’s continued efforts to build a strong platform for contemporary art from the subcontinent. Featuring themes of identity, migration and socio-economic issues, highlights from the contemporary section include works by Valay Shende (Lot 92, Untitled, Rs 30 – 35 lakh/ USD 46,875 – 54,690) following his highly successful public sculpture, Dabbawala, installed at Haji Ali in Mumbai; Tayeba Begum Lipi (Lot 69, Untitled, Rs 3.8 – 5.1 lakh/USD 6,000 – 8,000), one of Bangladesh’s foremost contemporary artists, whose work was recently shown at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan; and Subodh Gupta whose Sat Samunder Par (9), (Lot 68, INR 60 – 80 lakh/ USD 93,750 – 125,000) belongs to a series of large-scale works addressing the phenomenon of migration in modern times. “Saffronart’s leadership in the contemporary South Asian art space is reflected in the meticulous research, sourcing of material and exciting presentation of the lots in the catalogue. We are excited to be able to preview this alongside works of Indian Modernism in our flagship online summer sale,” says Abha Housego, Head of Saffronart UK.

The sale features key works of modern Indian art from eminent private collections, including Falling Figure by Tyeb Mehta (Lot 98, INR 2 – 3 crore/ USD 312,500 – 468,750), offered by the artist’s daughter. The work is one of the earliest of what became a seminal series in his oeuvre. Another Falling Figure was sold by Saffronart in February 2017 for Rs 6 crore, highlighting the significance of this series. Astrologer Hardik Vyas, a famous young face

F.N. Souza’s The Herald

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Saffronart strongly believes in the importance of the international market and have sourced works from around the globe. The lead lot, The Herald by F N Souza, (1961 oil on canvas) from a private collection in South America was originally believed by the owner’s daughter to be the work of a South American artist. It was subsequently re-

Subodh Gupta’s Sat Samundar vealed to be from F N Souza’s extremely successful 1961 exhibition at Gallery One, London, described by his biographer Edwin Mullins, as Souza’s ‘most impressive of all’. Combining clear imagery with stark emotion, the painting reveals Souza’s own views on humanity, and carries an estimate of INR 1.92 – 3.2 crore

(USD 300,000 –500,000). The auction will take place on saffronart.com and is preceded by viewings of select lots in New York, London, New Delhi and Mumbai. All lots can be viewed on the website once the catalogue is live. (-The Sunday Guardian Live)

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SPORT

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Cricket

Ashes strike warning over Australia pay row

Deepti Sharma records highest ODI score in Indian Women’s Cricket

Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc (Photo: AFP)

ELBOURNE (AFP) - Australia’s cricketers union urged a swift resolution to a damaging pay dispute on Monday to avoid any strike disruption to this year’s Ashes series. Cricket Australia last week threatened not to pay contracted players beyond the June 30 expiry of their current financial deal if they didn’t accept a new offer. The robust statement prompted warnings of a strike, with pace spearhead Mitchell Starc tweeting: “Makes for an interesting men’s and women’s ashes...” Test vice-captain David Warner said of the escalation: “If it gets to the extreme they might not have a team for the Ashes. “I really hope they can come to an agreement ... we don’t really want to see this panning out like that where we don’t have a team (and) we don’t have cricket in the Australian summer,” Warner told The Age newspaper. Alistair Nicholson, chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, said players wanted the dispute resolved rather than risk damaging the showpiece Ashes series against England, starting in November. “It is in our interest to get this done. The players want it done,” he told Melbourne radio Monday. “They don’t want to be in a dispute. They want to play the Ashes and we now need to get around to mediation

and get this done. We’ve come up with a solution that’s a win-win and that was rejected by Cricket Australia within two hours.” The dispute centres on Cricket Australia’s desire to scrap the fixed percentage players have earned since the first memorandum of understanding was agreed 20 years ago. Following Cricket Australia’s ultimatum, Nicholson said he had been contacted by several players. “The response from the players was quite swift to me, being clear what they thought about it,” he said. “Basically, they’re continuing to support our position and our calls for mediation are now even more important, based on that letter. “It was obviously a really big threat to the player group and hence we’ve called for mediation.” CA chief executive James Sutherland has accused the ACA of having “unfairly placed current players in a difficult position”. “As it stands, (the revenue share model) has achieved its purpose -to make Australia’s male cricketers among the best paid sportspeople in the country -- but it needs to be adjusted, not least to ensure our women receive proper remuneration,” said Sutherland. “Under our proposal, we can achieve this while still lifting payments for our male cricketers.”

Deepti Sharma on way to recording the highest individual score for India (Photo: NDTV)

UMBAI - India woman cricketer Deepti Sharma on Monday etched her name in the record books as she recorded the highest individual score for India in women’s One-day Internationals. The 19-year-old achieved the milestone during a Women’s Quadrangular Series ODI match against Ireland at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom, South Africa. She sent the Irish bowling on a leather hunt with a magnificent 188 off 160 balls. Her 160-ball entertain-

ing knock was studded with 27 boundaries and 2 sixes. Overall, she is just behind Australia’s Belinda Clark, who scored an unbeaten 229 against Denmark during a Women’s World Cup match in 1997 in Mumbai. Deepti, who missed out on a doublecentury by just 12 runs, is also now the youngest (19 years and 264 days) to score 175-plus runs in an ODI innings, for both men and women.

Deepti, along with Poonam Raut, who scored a fine 109 off 116 balls, became the first pair to share a 300-run stand in women’s ODIs. The previous best was between England’s Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins, who stitched together 268 runs for the opening wicket against South Africa in 2008 at Lord’s. After India won the toss, Deepti and Poonam took India to a mammoth 358/3, their highest in women’s ODIs. (-NDTV)

Motorsports

Hamilton relishes the fight now Lewis Hamilton hails battle with Sebastian Vettel as his favourite ever fight in Formula 1

Soccer

FIFA to investigate Paul Pogba transfer

lead seven laps earlier when the Ferrari emerged from its second and final pitstop alongside the Mercedes into the first corner. As Vettel held his ground, Hamilton was forced to take avoiding action as he slithered over the run-off area. “It was a very close battle,” reflected Hamilton. “It was aggressive but I was able to stay in the fight - ultimately I avoided a collision. But I love a tough fight and I love a challenge. I think he was respectful and that respect stayed the same but today I could sense he was angry. “We’re never going to be happy finishing second. If he finished second and was happy then I would be concerned. That’s not why we exist to do.”

Lewis Hamilton (R) has a favorite opponent, Sebastian Vettel (L) (Photo: F1)

ARCELONA - the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers, winners of seven of the last nine championships, look set for a season-long fight for this year’s drivers’ crown and are currently separated by a mere six points in the standings after Hamilton’s thrilling victory in Sunday’s Spanish GP.

Paul Pogba (Photo: Sky News) by Pete Sharland

IFA are set to investigate the transfer of Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester Unit-

ed.

Pogba signed for United in the summer of 2016, joining from Italian champions Juventus in a world-record deal worth £89 million. Reports this week, via Football Leaks, have claimed that agent Mino Raiola made up to £41m in the transfer. ”Confirmation of the investigation came after French media reports said FIFA had opened an inquiry,” read a report on AFP’s website. “It is not yet clear what aspect of the transfer FIFA is investigating.” It was one of three transfers that

agent Raiola negotiated to United this summer, with Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all joining. A report on Thursday in the Daily Mail based on an upcoming book called Football Leaks: The Dirty Business of Football, which is based on the research of Der Spiegel journalists Rafael Buschmann and Michael Wulzinger, discussed Pogba’s wages, his transfer to United and Raiola’s fee. A United spokesman said: ‘We don’t comment on contracts, FIFA have had the documents since the transfer was completed last August.” He had initially left United to join Juve on a free in the summer of 2012, going on to help the club to win four straight Serie A titles as well as two Coppa Italias. (-AFP/Eurosport)

“It’s definitely one of the favourite, if not the favourite, battles I am having,” said Hamilton. “Having a battle and a fight with another team is so much more enjoyable and nicer because there is no tension within our team.” For the previous three seasons, Hamilton was locked in an all-Mercedes fight for the Drivers’ Championships with Nico Rosberg. But Ferrari and Mercedes have been evenly matched through the opening five rounds of the 2017 campaign and Hamilton’s triumph at Barcelona on Sun-

day was in no small way due to new team-mate Valtteri Bottas deliberately holding up Vettel in order to boost the Silver Arrows’ victory chances. “In the last race when Valtteri won, there wasn’t an ounce of feeling in my heart of ‘dammit, he won’,” said Hamilton. “He did a great job and today Valtteri played a great role as a teammate. He played an important role and it was a full team effort. We’re fighting another team and it’s a completely different feeling.” Hamilton won the race after overtaking Vettel with 22 laps remaining. The pair had already duelled for the

For the time being at least, and after surviving their near-miss at Turn One at Barcelona, the mutual admiration between Hamilton and Vettel is such that the Englishman felt moved to compare their rivalry to one of the most engrossing contests the world of sport has witnessed in recent times. “I love tennis and I love watching Djokovic and Federer in finals. And what I really admire is their consistency - one misplaced shot or the ball into the net can mean the whole game - and their concentration. Today, I felt like l had that type of battle,” Hamilton concluded. “That’s the only way I can describe it.” (-Sky News)

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Your Horoscope for the Week of May 19, 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

You may find yourself in the public eye. A simple observation can provoke a strong response. You’ll need to have emotional contact with others. Even though your friends tend to show off their assets, you must keep a close eye on your budget. Best not to discuss your future plans with one who lacks your vision & imagination. Don’t allow them to dampen your enthusiasm. Someone with whom you have almost nothing in common may come to your aid. Utilize your ability to analyze data in order to meet deadlines, schedules.

You know how to listen to the problems facing family members. Your experience and know-how will help them get back on track. Those experiences will provide insight and awareness that will come in handy in your day-to-day life. Satisfaction will be your reward. Financial investments will also be lucrative. You can persuade others to support your plans for the future. You will not be in a position to proposition others. Consider your personal needs before your professional ones.

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

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Special feelings about traditions, relationships & a new interest in financial opportunities will surface. You can start your own traditions, make plans, include everybody close to your heart. The support will give you the confidence you lack. Try to remove excess stress wherever possible, your loved ones will notice the difference, if you do. You’re not a great fan of detail but you need to focus your time properly. You could feel frustrated, or even feel personally criticized.

Take care of all the fine details and you will receive the praise you are looking for. You should lay your cards on the table and let those you care about know where you stand. You can get ahead financially, however the emotional side of your life may be more difficult. You’ll be able to organize functions at work and earn the admiration of higher ups. A raise or promotion may be in order. You may even meet someone who interests you more than just as a friend.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June You could feel overwhelmed or overly sensitive, unable to make a move, but you can rise to fly again, perhaps higher than ever before. Positive flow from the advice from elderly & experienced person will set you into motion. Your motives could be challenged by those in authority. Your rewards are long overdue. You will be able to achieve success, if you trust your gut feelings & remain loyal to your principles. Your universal appeal will help you dazzle even the dullest audience.

Take the charge and get involved in a joint venture. Avoid detail-oriented tasks, try to work with others as much as possible. Try a little idea-generation and offer your assistance to colleagues. Don’t say things that may come back to haunt you. Personal problems will play on your mind. You must be willing to move on and let go of the past if you wish to get over the unpleasantness you’ve experienced. Your overhead may be causing undue stress that you can do without.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July A misunderstanding at this time may have big repercussions, which you would love to set right if only you could understand exactly what is going on! Being stubborn will only work against you. You will be in a position to help others. Give advice but hold back if they want cash. Get on with your life. New attitudes will develop through the company you keep. Take your time before making decisions. Re-direct any jangling nerves into some physical exercise if possible.

Do the best you can and try to enlist some help from other friends or relatives. Helping others will be rewarding to you. Uncertainties regarding finances may upset you. Take a stab at doing your own thing or take time off to discover what you really want to do. Don’t take on other people’s problems. Make suggestions and get on with your own life. By week’s end, things will start to turn in your favor. Past partners may re-surface, causing you some confusion. You will have to give some thought to the reason you broke up in the past.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August A realization that you need the love & attention of others. You’re disciplined enough to accomplish anything you want. Problems related to parents health issues may make you worry. You should do things that involve family reunions. Get yourself into projects that will enhance your appearance and help you change your self-image. Be careful not to manipulate a situation to your own liking. Your emotions are frenzied. Opportunities to meet interesting people will help you to broaden your horizons.

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Your willingness to confide in others could get you in a little trouble. Think twice before sharing information. You may not think it’s very important, but it could be to someone else. Use discretion, and avoid saying too much. You sometimes feel like you have to do a balancing act. It’s okay to feel the security you have in your relationships, just be aware of deceit. Take this attitude wherever you go. Set your goals & focus on them full force. Help will arrive from existing networks.

You certainly are a master when it comes to learning the things that interest you, but also a daydreamer when forced to listen to boring, tedious chatter. You are quick to respond and always willing to help others. You will be upset with those who don’t pull their weight, remain cool but don’t allow yourself to be used. You are used to giving your all and will be ready to blow up if you are forced to deal with lazy and inconsiderate individuals. Get sound financial advice, your cautious nature will help you to make the right choices.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March Channel your energy into making money. Debates will bring distance between you and your friends. You will be tempted to overspend, so leave money in the bank. You will gain respect and close deals by being your charming self. Don’t let anyone take you for granted. Don’t spend more than you can afford to part with. Organize activities that will include friends. You are bored with some of the connections you’ve made & need to re-evaluate things. Take part in some kid of sports or games. You need refreshment as well as diversion for your mind.

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• Kitchen • Bathroom • Painting • Flooring • Countertops • Cabinets • Fence • Sprinklers Ph: 832-298-9852 • indusremodel@gmail.com

M.D. Associates LLP

Restaurants

A full service CPA ﬁrm

3 Locations to serve you Houston 713-774-6533 Spring 281-251-2205 Dallas 214-722-7545

visit us at : www.mdassociatescpas.com

Auto Care & Sales

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

Restaurants

Ph: 713-266-0131/ 0805

B&J Auto Care & Sales

We cater from 10 people to 800 people for all occasions. We deliver to your venue.

Auto repair (Collision repair (all insurance), Mechanical (Brakes, Oil change, • Used Car Sales Engine and Transmission) • Used & New Tires Blessy 281-323-9315 • Great Service • 3242 5th St , Stafford TX - 77477

Madhuram Mirch Masala 10758 FM 1960 West Houston, TX 77070 281.955.9878 216.338.3940 (cell)

Amazing Opportunity!

If you invest just $2 a day

Specializing in North Indian Cuisine, ofﬁce & Corporate catering

OUR SERVICES

Newsweekly 10,000 copies weekly. 520,000 copies annually. Reach over 2 million readers. Get your business seen. Visit us online: www.voiceofasiaonline.com. To know more about Print advertising call us.

Medical Magazine Distributed to 500 locations. Get your business seen. To know more about Print Advertising, call us. Visit us online: www.healthlinemag.com

E-blast Send out Specials, Sales and Promote your Events. Reach 11,000+ people. We are here to help get your business branded. Call 713-774-5140.

Web / Digital Advertising Reach out locally through Web banners, Video advertisements, classiﬁeds online, product advertorials, news press releases, social media promotions to increase visibility for your business.

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Place classiﬁeds of any nature. Employment, Job Wanted, Car for Sale, Garage Sale, Business for Sale. We also offer them online. Call: 713-774-5140.

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JOB AVAILABLE

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JOBS AVAILABLE

RN/LVN & KITCHEN STAFF

RN/LVN Full Time for Senior Activity Center, located in Southwest Houston plus talented kitchen staff needed. Must be customer service oriented. Retired help is okay. To apply, call: 832-788-9508

CLASSIFIEDS MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE WEEK Encourage Collaboration by Making It Easier Collaboration takes time and resources. So if you want people to work together, you have to make it as easy as possible. For example, you can use simple, off-the-shelf tools like Dropbox and Skype to help people share and communicate. (Be sure that any programs you use work seamlessly with your IT system.) If some of your employees arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t confident with the technology, pair them with someone who is. People are much more likely to adopt a new technology if they have someone they can turn to for help, rather than learning it on their own or relying on an IT hotline. And for major collaboration projects, consider assigning coleaders who can shoulder the administrative burdens.

FRIDAY, May 19, 2017

Job Posting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Digital Video Producer KTRK-TV, the ABC owned station located in Houston, TX, is seeking a MultiPlatform Producer/Writer/Editor for the digital department. We are looking for a creative genius who can write, shoot, produce and edit news videos, as well as create digital original content that keeps audiences engaged in our local news products.The ideal candidate will be a team player with a strong understanding of local news branding, journalism, and digital marketing trends with at least 3 years of experience working in a newsroom. In-depth knowledge of Final Cut Pro and Adobe Creative Suite as well as basic After Effects skills are necessary. Extensive experience working alongside a large news staff to turn daily news stories into compelling content is necessary, as is the ability to work in fast-pasted, creative environment. Our digital department is staffed 24/7, so all applicants must be willing to work any day or shift, as needed. To be considered all interested applicants must apply RQ OLQH DW ZZZ GLVQH\FDUHHUV FRP E\ XSORDGLQJ D UHVXPH ÂżOH FRYHU OHWWHU DQG OLVW of references. Please include a link to a reel of your editing work. Please Reference Job ID: 453745BR. Equal Opportunity Employer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Female/Minority/Veteran/ Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity. No Telephone Calls.

For Classified Advertising Call 713-774-5140 Ask about our Website Advertising opportunities

Source: Adapted from â&#x20AC;&#x153;How to Get People to Collaborate When You Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Control Their Salary,â&#x20AC;? by Heidi K. Gardner Harvard Business Review WWW.HBR.ORG

Photo credit: (c) Korta - Fotolia.com.

What to Know about Your Tuna Sandwich Americans love their tuna. Indeed, the U.S. is the largest market for canned tuna in the world. But according to experts, much of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s canned tuna is not produced sustainably or ethically. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest tuna producers continue to talk a good game on sustainability and human rights, yet have not made the changes needed to shift a destructive industry,â&#x20AC;? says David Pinsky, Greenpeace USA oceans campaigner. But there is good news, too. In its second-ever canned tuna ranking, Greenpeace USA found that a number of U.S. retailers have made significant progress toward offering consumers more responsible products. The tuna ranking evaluated the sourcing practices of 20 brands, including whether the fishing method used to catch their tuna harms other marine life, whether they avoid shark finning, and whether they can trace their products back to the sea. In addition, Greenpeace ex-

amined the social responsibility of tuna brands. Poor working conditions are systemic in the tuna industry, and in the worst cases, human rights violations and forced labor occur. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Retailers are quickly realizing that consumers want canned tuna products that they can feel good about feeding their families,â&#x20AC;? says Pinsky.

ing some good tuna choices that follow better practices when it comes to the environment and worker treatment. Greenpeace says it hopes larger brands like Chicken of the Sea and others will take a leading position in the U.S. market and help move the industry in a more positive direction.

In this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ranking, Whole Foods joined Wild Planet, American Tuna, and Ocean Naturals in the rankingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top green category, identified as the best choices for American consumers. Whole Foods recently made a commitment to sell only sustainable canned tuna nationwide by early 2018, setting the bar for all other U.S. retailers. Wild Planet and American Tuna tied for the top score in the ranking -- both are considered to be trusted sustainable tuna brands that continue to advocate for positive changes throughout the industry. Just below the top-ranked brands are seven retailers in the second-tier yellow category.

For those consumers looking to spend their dollars with brands that treat their workers fairly and mitigate their environmental impact, these overall industry trends are good news.

This is a positive trend compared to Greenpeaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous ranking, as a growing number of evaluated brands are provid-

By making informed decisions you can help make a global difference, one bite at a time. Source: StatePoint.

VOICE OF ASIA

To become a savvy shopper, think beyond the label, which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always provide the full picture. Experts urge consumers to ask their local grocery store managers to carry brands that are doing the right things, and to consider sharing their opinions. To dive a bit deeper, you can view the entire Canned Tuna Shopping Guide, at greenpeace.org/usa/ oceans/tuna-guide.

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FRIDAY, May 19, 2017