Voice of Asia July 25 2014 by VoiceOf Asia

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FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

ong Term Care Funding By Way of Trust. Read on Page 15 Or Call: 713-771-2900.

Vol. 27 No. 30 Friday, July 25, 2014 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

IMAGH organizes Iftaar Indian Americans in Houston Meet at Ahmadiyya Mosque and Greet Chairman Ed Royce Consul General of India P Harish hosts breakfast in his honor

Latafath Hussain, the President of IMAGH giving his message on the occasion. by Dr. Jaseem Pasha

OUSTON - The motto of the Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston (IMAGH) is “Fostering Amity Across Communities, Cultures and Religions.” Towards that end it organized a dialogue, Iftaar (breaking of the fast) and dinner on Sunday 20th of July. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Houston hosted a very educational inter-faith social evening, attended by a large crowd of Houstonians, representing all hues of Muslims from the sub-continent that included Shias, Sunnis, Bohras, and Ismailis, as well as Hindus, and Christians to share “Break the Ramadan Fast together”. The event took place at their beautiful mosque, the “Baitus Samee” in north Houston. The highlight of the event was discussion on “Importance of inter-faith Communal Harmony”

hib, the President of the Ahmadiyya Community welcomed the guests. Mr. Iftikhar Sheikh, the Vice President of Ahmadiyya Community, who also introduced the guest speakers, emceed the event. Dr. Ejaz Sheikh, was the first speaker. He gave a very informative introduction and a passionate explanation of ‘who is an Ahmadiyya”. Dr. Sheikh was followed by, Dr. Jaseem Pasha, who emphasized that the success of interfaith dialogue lies in establishing the common grounds of recognizing each other first as human beings and observing respect for human dignity, without excluding anyone. The next speaker was Mr. Shahzad Bashir who gave a vivid example of what separates humans from others, and his statement,’ that if you aspire for paradise, you should create a paradise here first’, were all very well received. The last speaker was Imam Mubashar Ahmad, Presi-

Muslims gather for Iftar at the “Baitus Samee” in north Houston on July 20th. by eminent Houstonians. Present were Dr. Maqbool Haq, the Chairman of Board of Directors of IMAGH, Latafath Hussain, the President of IMAGH, and Mr. Karim Maknojia, the Vice-President of IMAGH. More than seventy ﬁve members of IMAGH and their friends attended the event. The program started exactly at 7:00 PM. Imam Mubashar Ahmad Sa-

dent of the Ahmadiyya Community, who highlighted the importance of interfaith and intra-faith harmony. The guests were very touched by the warm hospitality that was extended to them by the members of the Ahmadiyya Community. The arrangements were impeccable, the quality of discussion was par excellent, and the food (cooked in-house) was absolutely superb.

Ed Royce, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs seen addressing Indian Americans in Sugar Land on July 20, 2014 as Sujeet Draksharam, President, IAPAC, (seated far left) looks on.

by Shobana Muratee community meeting with Ed Royce, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs was hosted jointly by the Indo American organizations with active support from US Representative Pete Olson (22nd District of Texas) on Sunday, July 20 at the Madras Pavilion in Sugar Land. Addressing the gathering Chairman Royce said that he was very optimistic about the newly elected Parliament in India in that is may be able to tackle the issue of corruption. “And I want to encourage this because I think that it will lead to more opportunities and economic growth in India,” he said. Royce, who is a founding member of the House India Caucus - which has grown from eight members to currently over 160 - said that the United States had in the last few years worked on LNG (liqueﬁed gas natural) exports and before that on civilian nuclear power. “This will bring low cost energy to India, electricity to more homes and will allow more start-ups of businesses across the Indian sub-continent,” he said. “I think we have done a great deal but so much more is to be done, and by working together with the local community here and across US we can achieve great results.” Speaking of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the United States in September this year, Royce said “I urged a visa for the Prime Minister and sent out a request for him to address the joint session of Senate and the House of Representatives (when in session). As the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs I’m trying to arrange

Continued on Page 4

L-R: Chairman Ed Royce with Consul General of India, Houston, P. Harish and Congressman Pete Olson at the Breakfast Meet at CG’s resident on July 20, 2014.

Congressman Pete Olson and wife and Nancy at the evening reception held in honor of Ed Royce at the residence of Sujeet Draksharam in Sugar Land.

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hildren in Gaza being bombed by unfeeling Israeli jets is tragic, just as tragic as human bodies raining down from the Ukrainian skies. If tragedies are what we are looking for, let’s look closer home. At last count, a million civilians are streaming out of North Waziristan, ﬂeeing from Pakistani air strikes, which are killing more innocents than terrorists. Nobody seems to have noticed their plight in the Indian Parliament The Taliban in Afghanistan and their cousins in Pakistan are killing more Muslims than you can care to count. Shias and other Muslim minorities are repressed, tortured and killed in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Boko Haram is abducting and killing girls with a brutality that should at least allow a gasp of horror, as should Al Shabaab’s antics. They leave Indian MPs cold. In Iraq, ISIS has declared an Islamic Caliphate, while systematically destroying mosques and shrines, wiping out signiﬁcant portions of global Islamic heritage. They also think nothing of killing and mutilating women and children with impunity. And let’s please not forget the Laskhar-e-Tayeba and the Haqqani network. Let’s also spare a thought for some of our boys joining this jihad. Now, that’s something Indian MPs should worry about. The outcry for a Gaza discussion in Parliament has little to do with the sympathies MPs may or may not have. This is part of “

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

Gaza debate: It’s time government got its act together tion. Israel is also dependent on Egypt for the success of its Gaza policy. Today, Egypt’s military president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the sworn enemy of Hamas and has blocked all their tunnel trafﬁc. Not too long ago, Mohammed Morsi was playing a very different game. Israel should consider a deal while the other side is still driven by motives of Palestinian nationalism, or a version of it. Smoke raises as another missile approaches the target during an Israeli air strike in Gaza City.

Muslim politics” being played against the BJP — some of it also being BJP politics against the foreign minister. Sushma Swaraj, sadly, fell into the trap. Her argument about diplomatic niceties was balderdash. And everyone knew it. But she can redeem Indian foreign policy on Monday by becoming the ﬁrst foreign minister to clearly articulate India’s position on West Asia. We feel for the plight of Gaza’s civilians. But we can’t waste any of it for the brutality of Hamas. For all MPs who confuse Hamas with the Palestinian Authority, Swaraj should point out that Hamas is another name for the Muslim Brotherhood. If we have problems with the ideology of the latter, our outpouring of sympathies for Palestinians may overshadow India’s legitimate revulsion for Hamas. Gaza was the area vacated by

Ariel Sharon in 2005, which was taken over by Hamas. In fact, we should clarify that the Palestinian dream of astate will not happen under Hamas. During the so-called Arab Spring, Hamas cracked down brutally on protesters. It is poor Mahmoud Abbas who is now ﬂying around trying to get a deal going while Hamas continues with its rocket ﬁre. No state, not even a soft state like India, would have countenanced a rocket attack of this nature. So, Israel’s right to legitimate defence should be underscored. For Israel, we need to emphasise our core value that violence does not beget peace. In 2009, Israeli forces went through the same routine. They are back doing it again in 2014. The strikes may degrade Hamas capability now, but they are also producing another radicalised genera-

The real danger will happen when pan-Islamists like ISIS or Al Qaeda take root in these territories, as is happening on Israel’s northern borders in Syria. In the larger West Asia, India’s interests are energy and political stability, not always in that order. The success of the Indian diaspora depends on that. Swaraj has presided over the return of Indian nurses from the jaws of ISIS and 40 Indians from rapacious Saudi employers. She should give a clear view on what the government will do to help towards achieving India’s goals in this region. But this discussion is not what is intended in Parliament. Opposition leaders want to give the BJP a hard time by saying the tribulations of Muslims in faraway lands do not move the “hard Hindutva heart”. It’s time an Indian government spoke with Indian interests in mind. The writer is diplomatic editor, The Times of India.

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FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

Second Front Page

Friday, July 25, 2014

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Hindus of Greater Houston’s Silver Jubilee Janamashtami Celebration

by Radha Rani Dixit 014 is an exciting year for the people of Houston as we celebrate the 25th year of the Janmasthami festival in Houston under the banner of Hindus of Greater Houston, an organization whose motto is to celebrate our festivals collectively. On the auspicious day of Guru Purnima, Saturday July 12th, Hindus of Greater Houston brought together leaders from numerous Hindu organizations and temples to Keshav Smriti hall in order to discuss the preparations for the upcoming Janmashtami celebration.

Kickoff Meeting with Organization Leaders

The organization was fortunate to have the presence of Srila B. V. Dandi Maharaja, PhD, PE and founder of Sri Ranganatha Gaudiya Matha in Bangalore. He attended with leaders of Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha in Houston and blessed all the Hindu organizations on the occasion of the Janmastami meeting. He quoted Sanskrit verses from Gita Mahatamya and his message was that human beings seem to have different religions according to classiﬁcations of country, caste, or race, but in reality, all living beings throughout the multiple universes have only one eternal, immutable constitutional position - sanatana dharma.

Heads of organizations meet over upcoming Janmashtami celebrations in Houston.

on how to increase community participation, encourage volunteers, and open the festival to the mainstream Houston community.” Amin encouraged the attendees to invite their non-Indian friends in order to get a glimpse of a true Indian festival where everyone is welcome. With an expectation of achieving crowds of over 10000, Amin anticipates that it it can be a reality with the collective efforts of all the organizations in Houston.

President of Hindus of Greater Houston, Sharad Amin, was impressed with the active participation of leaders from 26 different organizations at the meeting. Amin wrote, “We received numerous recommendations

Partha Krishnaswamy, Vice-President of Hindus of Greater Houston and Janmasthami Coordinator, commented, “Every organization

that participated in today’s meeting felt part of Hindus of Greater Houston and their willingness to support this Janmasthami event is a very satisfying sentiment.” Krishnaswamy also reminded everyone that Hindus of Greater Houston is not a separate entity or group of people. It is made up of individuals who are already part of temples and organizations but strongly believe in the unity and strength of coming together as one whether to celebrate a special festival or to come to the aid of one who has befallen tragedy. All attendees were given a few minutes to brieﬂy discuss

their organization and how they hope to contribute to the celebration. Some organizations pledged volunteer engagement, others wanted to help with Prasad distribution, and it was a welcome surprise to have a number of organizations pledge monetary support on the spot. Krishnaswamy also got the momentum going when he announced the guests and artists who would be attending this year’s event, including the very popular Saurabh Raj Jain, who plays the part of Krishna in the new Mahabharata series. Anita Pandit from Sajda Sisters of X-Factor India fame will also be a special guest along

with a live Raas Garba band for the entertainment of the youth. One of the most talked about groups in the exotic world of music, the uplifting Mayapuris who have traveled the world with their dynamic drum dances will also be on stage with their powerful mridangas to engage the youth with their soulful and hip energetic kirtan performances. Special efforts are being made this year to have a little something for all ages to enjoy whether it be the puja in the beginning , procession , kirtan , or garbha dance. We hope to engage each and every person in the audience for sure this year! Attendees will be welcomed

Tel: 713-774-5140

with a spectacular Rangoli on ice by award-winning Houston artist Sangeeta Bhutada and an unparalleled food court. The evening will also include a costume contest depicting the Dashavatars, exciting cultural programs, kid’s Matki-Fod and activities, art contest, the most anticipated live Raas-Garba, and traditional midnight aarti. In addition to having the beautifully decorated temple and nonprofit organization booths, this year marks the first time that commercial booths will also be available. Coordinators for the different segments were introduced at the meeting including Richa Dixit (832-451-7206) for volunteer opportunities, Dharminder Dargan (713-855-9818) for website, Sheetal Rathi (281-5978794) for costume contest, Charlie Patel (832-423-7979) for non profit and commercial booth registration, Ravi Sharma (303-589-0053) for advertisements and article submission for the 25th anniversary special souvenir, Sharad Amin(713-962-8523) for donations and sponsorship activities. For details regarding this grand celebration you can visit www.hindusofhouston.org You can also contact Chairperson Partha Krishnaswamy(713962-8523). In addition B. V. Dandi Maharaja has done extensive research on Science & Spirituality and has published several books and articles. He is available at bvdandi@ gmail.com.

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Victim of sexual assault may terminate her lease Q. I was sexually assaulted at my apartment. I am very scared to live there and asked the landlord if I could terminate my lease. He said if I left early I would be breaking the lease and would continue to owe rent. Do I have the right to leave? A. Until recently, you did not have the right to terminate your lease if you were sexually assaulted at your apartment. Today, however, a tenant who is the victim of a sexual assault may terminate the lease. To terminate the lease with no further liability you must give the landlord 30 days written notice of your intent to terminate and written documentation of the sexual assault. You may move out before the 30 days, but you will owe rent for that period. A landlord who continues to charge rent after you have given proper notice to terminate the lease could be responsible for substantial damages. Q. I am single and just bought a home with money I inherited. I have been dating the same person for more than a year and we are talking about marriage. If I get married and divorced, will my husband be entitled to half my house? A. The house is your separate property and your husband will not have an interest in it. When a couple gets divorced, the court divides all of the community property. Generally, this includes everything either of you obtain after you are married. Property you owned prior to marriage or property you inherit during marriage, however, is separate property and is not divided as part of the divorce. To insure that your interest is protected, you may want to talk with a family law attorney about entering into a premarital contract, clearly spelling out your rights. Q. I have ﬁve brothers and sisters. Some of us are on better terms with our father than others. Our mother passed away last year and left everything to our father. I have been told that if my dad dies, the law requires my father’s estate be divided equally between all the children. Is this true? A. If your father dies without a will, his estate will be divided between all of his children. With a will, however, he has the right to dispose of his property any way he wants. For example, he can leave all of his property to his children in unequal shares, or can leave some of the children all the property and others none. In fact, the law does not require he leave any of his property to his children. The bottom line is that under Texas law, a person has the right to leave property to whomever he or she wants. The important thing is to have a will clearly spelling out how you want your property distributed after your death. Q. A few years ago, I borrowed money from a friend. He recently passed, and his wife is trying to collect this money back from me. There was never any written paperwork. Now her lawyer has sent me a copy of the deposit slip which shows the amount deposited into my checking account. Can she make me pay this money back? A. If you borrowed the money, you have a legal obligation to repay it. If you do not, you can be sued. The claim will be on behalf of your friend’s estate. The fact that there is no written agreement or promissory note does not matter. The deposit slip indicates the amount of money you received and you seem to understand it was a loan and not a gift. My suggestion is to do the right thing and pay back the money you owe.

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

Indian Americans in Houston Meet and Greet Chairman Ed Royce Continued from Page 1

that but we don’t know yet if his visit will coincide with when we are in session. It would be an important signal if we can arrange that in the United States.,” he added. Royce also spoke of his upcoming to India in January 2015. “I’m taking a large delegation with me (mainly senior member of the US Congress, a bipartisan group) in order to work in putting India on the map for more US investments in India and more trade. We are also going to be using the Committee Process next week when I have a Committee hearing on India in order to show the new opportunities to US businesses to invest with business India and be a part of the economic growth,” he said. “We have seen tremendous growth in Gujarat in the last decade and have an opportunity to see that type of economic growth across all of India.” The delegation under his

leadership will focus on meeting with business leaders and key discussion makers in Delhi and in the Parliament in India and working on policy changes such as bilateral investment treaty and trade liberalization with India as well. “It will be a win-win for United States and India because India is natural ally of the US and is committed to the same concepts of political pluralism, tolerance and democratic governance.” Earlier that day, Chairman Royce met with the Consul General Parvathaneni Harish’s at his residence for breakfast hosted in his honor. Congressman Pete Olson was also an honored guest. Welcoming the guests, P Harish spoke about the growing business ties between India and U.S., particularly in Texas and its role in the export of liqueﬁed natural gas starting in 2017, which would greatly help meet India’s energy needs. He also mentioned

that India had greatly reduced obstacles to doing business to promote growth and create a stable economic environment. Congressman Pete Olson lauded Chairman’s leadership in furthering Indo-U.S. relations, as a visionary who saw the ‘big picture’ of India energy needs. Olson spoke of Royce’s efforts in making the sanctions go away and in getting the nuclear deal for India. Following the community meeting at the Madras Pavilion, Royce joined some more members of the Indian American community at the residence of Sujeet Draksharam, President, Indo-American Political Action Committee (IAPAC) where a fundraiser for the Chairman was also held. Indo American organizations which successfully put together the community meeting were: Indo American Conservatives, IAPAC, GOPIO, and Global India Bharat Vikas.

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“Mridangist” accomplishes Chandrabindoo’s Live perforlife long goal after retirement mance rocks at Barnali event

Ranjit Panchacharam at his Mridangam Arangetram. by Thara Narasimhan rangetram or the debut performance is the ultimate goal for any performing artist. Unﬂinching desire combined with determination and dedication were the foundation for the grand triumph behind the Mridangam Arangetram that was rendered by Ranjit Panchacharam. His family provided wholehearted support and a sprightly performance marked the momentous occasion. Immense discipline and hard work was evident in the presentation and initial goal that was set thirty-three years ago blossomed in front of an appreciative audience. Ranjit was exposed to music from early childhood, as his mother was soprano singer and pianist. Although he started learning many years ago his full time commitment to the art came after he fulﬁlled all his family obligations and career demands. He relentlessly pursued his goal to become a stage performer after his retirement. Ranjit is a student of “Ramji” Shanker Ayyar, the notable Mridangam Vidwan in Houston. Ramji has been an integral part of carnatic music exponents in

the Houston community both as Mridangist and Vocalist. He showcased his student’s debut performance as a vocalist with his own inimitable style of singing. The guru selected brilliant compositions with variety of rhythms to exhibit flow of various intonations that reflected his student’s talent. For over three decades Ramji has trained several students in percussion. He is an enthusiastic teacher who can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and impart a love of learning reinforced with a good sense of humor. Ranjit Panchacharam was the first disciple of Ramji Shanker Ayyar. From the very start to finish it was a meticulously well- planned program. At the very outset G.P.Luckshmanan (Lucky) welcomed all to his father’s premier performance. The performance commenced with a short prayer ceremony by Manicka Bhattar that was followed with a prayer song by Vaishnavi Sharveswara. Sarojini Vinayagalingam introduced the artistes and Dr. Sakuntalai Nanthakumar took over as the emcee for the evening that was remarkable. The repertoire was set stan-

dard beginning with a Varnam piece that had appealing kalpana swaras. Excellent expansion of ragas preceded most of the songs that were rendered by Ramji with enthusiastic presentation and Ranjit displayed the nuances of the beat precisely and perfectly. Beautiful compositions of Saint Thyagaraja, “Manasa Etulo”, “Ada Modi Galade”, Periaswamy Thooran ever popular song, ”Muruga, Muruga” in Saveri ragam and a dazzling tamil song in Poorvi Kalyani “Karanam Kehttu Vaadi” a composition of Gopalakrishna Bharathiyar were rendered in succession of one another. The magnum opus piece the Thani Avarthanam was provided soon after Ramji elaborated Thodi raga alapana followed by kriti. Here the percussion artist exhibited his skill and proﬁciency. This was done exceedingly well by Ranjit that was evident when a thunderous culmination of the Korvai ended, a thunderous applause followed. Vaishnavi Sharveswara the young and accomplished Vocalist and Bharatanatyam dancer not only provided Tambura support but sprinkled a beautiful rendition of Raga Hamsanandhi kriti, “Srinivasa Thiruvengada”, a tamil composition of Papanasam Sivan. Distinguished violinist Dr. Deepa Ramachandran provided melodious support on the violin that led the harmonious blend of the concert. Eminent Attorney and long time family friend George Willy greeted Panchacharam and congratulated him on his performance. Ranjit is a consummate musician and a favorite vocalist of the Sri Lankan community presenting old Tamil movie hits in their gatherings. He also learned to play Tabla from David Courtney and Sitar from Srinivas Koumonduri and aims to clasp those art forms under his belt as well. Guru Ramji Shankar Ayyar presented a certiﬁcate of graduation and congratulated his student whose passion for the art new no boundaries and never let go of his goal.

travelguzs

Chandrabindoo band during their performance at the TSH annual Barnali event. on July 18, 2014. by Sanchali Basu

t was a nice surprise and utter delight for the Houston Bengali crowd to experience and enjoy the music of Bangla band Chandrabindoo at their favorite haunt, the Durgabari auditorium the evening of July 18. It was part of the Tagore Society of Houston’s (TSH) annual Barnali event. Coincidentally, the onset of Chandrabindoo’s international music journey 25 years ago happened in Houston and they’ve come a full circle with several accolades under their belt and a lot of nostalgic memories. Local Bengali talent took the stage for the ﬁrst part of the evening. Popular Bengali and Hindi songs to tracks were sung by Sharmishtha Kolay in her sweet voice and Dipayan Bhattacharya in his soothing baritone. The opening dance number to a Rabindra Sangeet by a very cute threesome of very young dancers trained by Shrabana Biswas drew oohs and aahs from the crowd. The dynamic sister duo Rukmini and Shalini Das performed a Bharatnatyam-KuchipudiOdissi fusion medley met with

a loud applause by the appreciative audience. Monali Das Biswas’ modern dance interpretation of “Main to piya se naina ladi re”, was very energetic and beautifully choreographed and executed. Swati Roy Choudhury’s encouraging emceeing brought the best out in all the artists. In the foyer, Chandana Guha with her array of mouth watering pulao, aloor dum, vegetable chop, tandoori chicken, tomato chutney and Chhanar polao attracted hungry customers and everyone was ever so grateful for the thoughtful food stall. Lasagna and bread pudding for the kids also disappeared in no time. While Chandrabindoo geared up to rock the stage, Ruma Acharya, president TSH presented special recognition awards to Neeta Shetkar, Partha Chatterjee, Jayanta and Sailaja Bandyopadhyay, Partha Ghoshal and Shibir Chaudhuri for their contributions to TSH. Now, it was time to let the hair down, relax and enjoy the music of Chandrabindoo. They got the audience into the mood by starting off with the evergreen Bengali rendition of Sound of

Silence, “Mounamukharata”. Then followed one popular hit after the other. With the audience egging them on, they were unstoppable with “Paashbaalish, Rickshawallah, Jhilmil Raat, Aamra Bangali Jati”. They connected so well with audience that the requests kept pouring in and they were in quite a predicament trying to please everyone. The crowd was on a nostalgic trip back to their college days and the group of Anindya, Upal, Arup, Rajshekhar, Surajit and Shibabrata obliged by belching out their favorite songs. Some of the band members had also reconnected with some of their old friends in Houston and in a special gesture invited Rajesh Bose, former band member, a local Houstonian now, to join them on stage. He got to sing the last song, “Gaan Bhalobeshe Gaan” along with the audience. The band got the crowd on to their feet. While some in the audience sang, some clapped to the beat, others danced. They left fond memories behind with the audience wanting more. This will be a night to remember for a long time to come.

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Eid Mubarak

Special Supplement

VOICE OF ASIA 6

CITY OF HOUSTON

Annise D. Parker Mayor

P.O. Box 1562 Houston, Texas 77251-1562 Telephone – Dial 311 www.houstontx.gov

July 25, 2014 Greetings, As Mayor of Houston, I extend special congratulations to the Muslim community of Houston on July 29, 2014, for the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, a month-long period of prayer, fasting, charity-giving and self-accountability for Muslims. Houston has long appreciated and celebrated the rich history and diversity of cultures that comprise the fabric of this great city. For several years, we have participated in festivals and events that recognize the different cultures of Houstonians. Muslim Americans contribute greatly to the core of this city, working in every profession and holding various positions in political and civil life, ultimately contributing to the overall spirit and vitality which characterize our city. I commend the Muslim community for demonstrating their steadfast commitment to their faith through Ramadan. Best wishes for a rewarding celebration. Sincerely,

Annise D. Parker Mayor

Council Members: Brenda Stardig Jerry Davis Ellen R. Cohen Dwight A. Boykins Dave Martin Richard Nguyen Oliver Pennington Edward Gonzalez Robert Gallegos Mike Laster Larry V. Green Stephen C. Costello David W. Robinson Michael Kubosh C.O. “Brad” Bradford Jack Christie Controller:

Ronald C. Green

Senior Police Ofﬁcer Muzaffar Siddiqi with the Houston Police Department wishes all Muslim readers of the Greater Houston Community a Happy occasion - Eid Mubarak

Hon. Harish Parvathaneni Consul General of India, Houston

VOICE of ASIA Wishes its Readers

Eid Mubarak!

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

Indian-American CEO convicted for paying kickbacks

Sushma exhorts NRIs to US Senate conďŹ rms Indiassist in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress an-American Manish Shah as federal judge in Illinois

EW DELHI: (IANS) - External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday called upon NRIs to work for the reconstruction of the country, and said Indians living abroad endorse the NDA government as their â&#x20AC;&#x153;ownâ&#x20AC;?.

As president and CEO of two publicly-traded companies, Shah agreed to pay secret inducements to an investment fund representative in exchange for having the ďŹ rm buy stock in his companies.

NEW YORK: (PTI) - An Indian-American CEO of two publicly-traded companies has been convicted on charges of paying kickbacks in return for purchases of his companies stock.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The NDA government is the ďŹ rst government which NRIs endorse as their own. We want the NRIs to work with us for the progress of our nation,â&#x20AC;? Sushma Swaraj said in the ďŹ rst Baleshwar Agrawal memorial lecture at the India International Centre here.

The kickbacks were concealed through the use of sham consulting agreements and other fraudulent documents. Shah, however, did not know that the purported investment fund representative was an undercover FBI agent.

Shailesh Shah, 48, of California pleaded guilty before US District Judge Richard Stearns to two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud.

She said NRIs played an important role in the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the general election.

The plea follows a lengthy investigation focusing on preventing fraud in the microcap stock markets.

He will be sentenced in October and could face a sentence up to 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a ďŹ ne of US$ 250,000, the FBI said in a statement.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The NRIs were crucial in our victory. They assisted us by coming here and from abroad as well. It is our duty that we will have to live up to their expectations,â&#x20AC;? Sushma Swaraj said.

Microcap companies are small publicly-traded companies whose stock often trades at pennies per share.

Four Indian tailors evacuated from Gaza

She said it was only during the previous NDA government of 1998-2004 that NRIs earned their rightful place in foreign countries.

Erez crossing by the staff of the ROI, who helped them escape to Jordan through the Allenby crossing.

GAZA/JERUSALEM: (PTI) - Four Indian tailors working in Gaza for the last two years have been evacuated unharmed with the help of the representative ofďŹ ce of India (ROI) in Ramallah, a top UN ofďŹ cial said.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;After the ďŹ rst NDA government came to power, India became an IT power which enabled NRIs to live with dignity and recognition,â&#x20AC;? Sushma Swaraj said during the lecture titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Diaspora policy of the government of Indiaâ&#x20AC;?. Baleshwar Agarwal, a veteran journalist, was a former managing editor of the now defunct Hindustan Samachar Hindi news

The tailors would be leaving for India from Amman on Monday. Pushkar Sharma, an IndianAmerican representative of the UN access coordination ofďŹ ce in Gaza, said that the Indians, along with a few other foreign nationals, crossed over through the Erez crossing around noon before the two-hour humanitarian ceaseďŹ re brokered by the Red Cross began.

The four, Abdur Rehman from Lucknow, Anwar Hussein belonging to Mumbai, Kamil hailing from Badam Ganj and Rashid Ahmed of Bareilly were working for a Palestinian businessman. They left the strip on Sunday, one of the bloodiest day in the 13 days of conďŹ&#x201A;ict that saw 97 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers dead in one of the ďŹ ercest attack launched by the Israel defence forces (IDF) in recent years.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Indian mission in Palestine has been constantly in touch with us and extended all help which gives us a lot of strengthâ&#x20AC;?, an Indian woman from Vishakhapatnam, married to a Palestinian and living in Khan Younis town of Gaza with her six children, told PTI.

They were received at the

agency. He died in May 2013 aged 91.

She said the government was giving ďŹ nal shape to a Rs 94crore NRI building project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By January 9, when we mark Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the building would be ready for inauguration,â&#x20AC;? she said. She said her ministry was contemplating an immigration bill which would take all such people to task who lure other people with false promises of jobs abroad and issue fake visas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If there is any trouble to any Indian in any country, India should be ready to come to help,â&#x20AC;? Sushma Swaraj said, adding that this would be the basis of her NRI policy. She lamented that because of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;policy paralysisâ&#x20AC;? of the previous UPA government, the success story of India was being written off. She expressed hope that with its strong initiatives, the current government would regain Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global position. LK Advani, who presided over the lecture, said the government should be prepared to permanently solve the issues of blue collar Indian workers who face multiple problems in other countries. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the duty of the government to serve Indians, the ones who are living here as well as those who are living abroad,â&#x20AC;? Advani said.

LONDON: British Indian writer and Kolkata born Neel Mukherjeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest novel The Lives of Others that is set in 1960s Bengal and revolves around a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremist political activism during troubled times has been shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize 2014.

Picador in 2008 was joint winner of the Vodafone-Crossword Award, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier literary award for writing in English for best novel of 2008.

The Lives of Others is Mukherjeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second novel.

Anita Desai called The Lives of Others â&#x20AC;&#x153;a devastating portrayal of a decadent society and the inevitably violent uprising against it, in the tradition of

His ďŹ rst novel Past Continuous that was published by

Mukherjee who has been educated in Kolkata, Oxford and Cambridge now lives in London.

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ndian-American Manish Shah after conďŹ rmation from the US senate has become the ďŹ rst South Asian federal judge of Illinois which is the 5th most populous state of America . 40 year old Manish Shahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appointment was ratiďŹ ed unanimously by US senate with 95-0 votes. Illinois senator Mark Kirk in his statement conďŹ rming Shahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appointment said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;His experience as a prosecutor and in various leadership positions at Chicago â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s US Attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ofďŹ ce will ensure Shah is a knowledgeable jurist who will provide a fair forum for the resolution of civil disputes and the prosecution of alleged crimes.â&#x20AC;? Shah has worked as an assistant US attorney in the northern district of Illinois since 2001. He currently serves as chief of the Criminal division. He has served as chief of criminal appeals from 2011 to 2012, deputy chief of the Financial Crimes Special Prosecutions Section from 2008 to 2011 and deputy chief of the General Crimes Section from 2007 to 2008.

Shah who is a Stanford University and the University of Chicago Law School graduate, has won numerous awards and recognitions for his work, the most notable being the FBI Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award for outstanding criminal investigation. Meanwhile, his appointment has been welcomed by his peers from law associations. Tejas Shah, President of Indian American Bar Association, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conďŹ rmation as the ďŹ rst South Asian American federal judge in Illinois represents another signiďŹ cant milestone for our community. We look forward to his service on the bench and applaud the President and the US Senate for nominating and conďŹ rming him.â&#x20AC;?

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Indian-origin ďŹ&#x201A;ight attendant ended up on MH17 after ďŹ&#x201A;ight swap

Some more Indians, married to Palestinians or working at Mother Teresaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Missionaries of Charities, have decided not to leave the coastal Strip because of personal or moral reasons.

They had moved to Gaza two years ago from Qatar. The ROI was in constant touch with them since the beginning of Israeli offensive and coordinated their evacuation efforts with UN access coordination ofďŹ ce in Gaza.

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VOICE OF ASIA 8

Khumbutse Khukuri lifted First Himalayan Cup Cricket Tournament in USA

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

Murthy and Chitra Divakaruni Celebrate Wedding Anniversary

Winners with USA National Team Captain. by Dinesh Thapa HOUSTON - Khumbutse Khukuri Club lifted the title of the First Himalayan Cup Cricket Tournament in held at Houston, Texas, USA. Winning the toss, Khumbutse Khukuri decided to field first and invited Annapurna Avalanche to bat. bating first, Annapurna Avalanche scored 73 runs losing 6 wickets in 12 overs. Chasing the target of 74 runs to lift the title, Khumbutse Khukuri scored 74 runs in 8.2 overs to lift the title of the first Himalayan Cup Cricket tournament organized in Houston, Texas, USA. Earlier in the semifinals, Khumbutse Khukuri defeated Makalu United Nepal and Annapurna Avalanche defeated Dhaulagri Dear Runners to enter the final of the tournament. The four day event was organized by Nepalese Association of Houston (NAH) and coordinated by Rupak Rauniar and Binay Gupta. The tournament was participated by seven Nepali cricket clubs based in the greater Houston of Texas, USA. Each team consisted of eight players and the qualifying rounds were played in eight overs. The semifinals and finals were played in 12 overs. Group A consisted of Makalu United Nepal, Everest H-town Warriors, Kanchenjunga Knights, and Annapurna Avalanche while Group B consisted of

FBISD - New Student WalkIn Registration Dates Set for July 28 and 29

ORT BEND ISD - Fort Bend ISD has established Monday, July 28 and Tuesday, July 29 as walk-in registration days where parents may enroll students new to the District at any FBISD school. Schools will hold morning registration from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm, and afternoon registration will take place from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm each day. Families who are unable to attend the walk-in registrations will need to make an appointment to register students on additional days. Parents of all students new to FBISD begin the process by completing the New Student Online Registration Process. Parents may complete the process from their home computers or at a computer available on their student’s campus. A link is provided on the District’s website. To complete the process, parents will need an email address to successfully create an account. To make an appointment to enroll their child, parents who have completed the online process should call the school in which their child will attend. No appointment is needed for the walk-in registration dates of July 28 and 29. Current FBISD students who have moved to another home within the District and will be zoned to a different school in 2014-2015 are not required to complete the online registration. Parents of rezoned students should call their new campus to make an appointment. To ensure that registration goes smoothly, families are asked to bring the following documents when enrolling their children in Fort Bend ISD: Birth Certiﬁcate or its equivalent (for students younger than age 12), Most recent report card or grade transcript,Immunization Records, Proof of Residence, including a deed, current lease or mortgage agreement, A recent utility bill (water, gas, electric), A student’s Social Security card or a state-assigned ID number, A government issued photo ID (TX Driver’s License/ID Card) of the student’s parent or guardian, which provides their FBISD address

Dhaulagiri Dead Runners, Cho Oyu CNS, and Khumbutse Khukuri. The tournament was held in Staffod Park, home of Houston Cricket League (HCL) and the matches were refereed by Mr. Devon Small, a professional cricket umpire of the Houston Cricket League. NAH President Madhukar Amatya and Mr. Sushil Nadkarni, captain of USA National Cricket Team gave away the trophies, certiﬁcates and medals to the winners. Janam Bhaukajee of Makalu United Nepal was named Man of the Series of the tournament. According to NAH President, Madhukar Amatya, “Organizing this cricket tournament,

which has become as popular as soccer among Nepalese people in Houston was another success for us made possible by collective effort of NAH ofﬁcials, community members, and over 75 Nepali cricket players in Houston”. He further noted that the entire tournament went without any unfortunate incident and thanked all the participants and organizing committee members for following sportsmanship during the event. According to Rupak Rauniar, the chair of the Cricket Committee, the overwhelming support and enthusiasm received for Cricket in Houston by the Nepalese community is very promising. “We plan to organized more Cricket events in Houston area in the future and make it more competitive”, he added.

Murthy and Chitra Divakaruni at their wedding Anniversary party held at the Madras Pavilion in Sugar Land on July 19, 2014. by Shobana Muratee

UGAR LAND Theirs is a love story that doesn’t have to be told but felt. When together Murthy and Chitra Divakaruni charm you into feeling young and in love again. “I’m blessed to have Murthy as my life-mate,” Chitra lovingly admitted that evening. Married for 35 years, the two celebrated their anniversary on July 19, 2014 at the popular Indian restaurant Madras Pavilion in Sugar Land where close to 300 guests attended. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni,

an award winning author and University of Houston professor and S. Murthy Divakaruni an Engineer and Management Consultant are two individuals linked dearly with the Indian American community for their association with the leading charitable organizations like the Indo-American Charity Foundation, DAYA, PrathamUSA and some others. The Divakarunis are the proud parents of sons Anand, and Abhay. One young man (whom they said they consider as their own son) spoke highly of the their affection and said he takes the couple as his inspiration.

As Murthy put it, It was not just a celebration of their marriage together but of friendship earned over the years. Murthy said ‘apyayta’ (meaning affection) meant a great deal to them which is why he chose the place because of the love of friends like Mahesh and Alpa Shah, and Rajan (of Madras Pavilion). They thanked their friends and families, some of who were from outside Houston. It was a memorable evening with great food, singing, dancing and music put together by DJ Nish, Rajan and Alpa.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 9

by Vrajesvari devi dasi

OUSTON - In this day and age, our lives are busy, and we are all running around with the urgency to fulﬁll various needs. If we have any more time left in between, we are bombarded with electronic stimulation in different ways. The sad part of this life style is that our children follow what they see around, and become attached to those habits. Our children need to be engaged in our ever blissful spiritual culture and values. The only way, they can experience this bliss, is by engaging in pure spiritual connection with the process of Bhakti Yoga. Engaging their intelligence, mind, and senses in the devotional service to the Lord. This was the essence of the just concluded successful Children’s 4th Annual Gita Camp, held at Houston Hare Krishna Temple from July 7th - 13th, 2014. There were over 60 enthusiastic children ages from 4 to 14 years old from all across the greater Houston area in attendance. The camp combined activities with traditional Vedic learning and included a ﬁeld trip and a grand presentation during the regular Sunday feast celebration to put the values they learned into practice. There were over a dozen adult volunteers on hand to help with the various activities, lessons and cooking. The camp was conducted on the temple grounds new gorgeous temple building

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

Children’s 4th Annual Gita Camp concludes at the Hare Krishna Dham

gage their minds always thinking of Krishna and become His devotees and how to worship Him, as Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna in conclusion that “Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me”. Sumptuous vegetarian lunches were served along with healthy snacks. In the afternoon, children had art class, yoga class, spiritual story reading, and also music lessons on mridanga and harmonium. On Saturday, there was an ecstatic Harinam Sankirtan (congregational chanting along with musical instruments) parade by the children at the SugarLand Town Square. They made quite an impression on the onlookers with their colorful camp T-shirts and overﬂowing enthusiasm to sing and distribute books and ﬂyers to the public. This year it was nice to see so many of the children who attended the previous Gita camps brought their friends and neighbors to share the fun and learning experience they had during previous years. Seva Priya Devi Dasi and Ananda Lila Devi Dasi working along with Hare Krishna Dham Sunday School teachers and parents organized the camp, led the classes and kept the children focused with their good humor and energy.

Teachers with children who attended the Children’s 4th Annual Gita Camp from July 7th - 13th, 2014. that opened this past May as well as its fellowship hall. Each day the children led

a morning Guru Puja Arati as well as Noon Arati Kirtan accompanied by Mridanga (Drum) and Kartals (Cymbals).

The Harinam Sankirtan (congregational chanting along with musical instruments) parade by the children at the SugarLand Town Square was part of the camp program

There were daily Japa Meditation on beads. Part of the Vedic learning is to learn slokas and devotional songs. Great emphasis was placed on the students truly grasping the meaning of the slokas and application

of this timeless knowledge from Bhagavad-Gita in their daily lives. The week’s teaching centered on Chapter 9 of the Bhagavad Gita - The Most Conﬁdential Knowledge. The children learned on how to en-

Children during the grand ﬁnale of the Gita camp

As a beﬁtting grand ﬁnale of the weeklong camp, all the children led the arati kirtan for the main Sunday worship at the temple and made an inspiring presentation of the topics they learned for the divine pleasure of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Nila Madhava and the whole congregation. They were also presented with recognition awards and gifts and were very happy to take home the art master pieces they created during the camp. The students enjoyed the Gita Camp and are looking forward to starting Sunday School as well as the new private day school - Goswami Academy with their close camp friends in early September.

VOICE OF ASIA 11

LIFESTYLE

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Vol. 27

No. 30 Friday, July 25, 2014 Section 2

Page 11

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com Tel: 713-774-5140

UP24 lifestyle bracelets take aim at waistlines

Study ﬁnds most Americans pay attention to fashion by Ellen Wulfhorst (Reuters).

ost Americans think people are too focused on fashion, yet a majority says how they dress is an important part of who they are, according to a survey released on Monday. With that eye to fashion, most people, 86 percent, say it is possible to be stylish on a limited budget, according to the survey conducted by the Fashion Program at Marist College and the Marist

The UP24 wristband which was introduced by Jawbone on November 13, 2013 (AFP Photo/)

by Glenn CHAPMAN AN FRANCISCO, (AFP) - In the booming world of smart watches, pendants and bracelets that let people track sleep and steps, wearable computing pioneer Jawbone is out to win hearts through stomachs. A new version of software that synchs to UP24 lifestyle-tracking wristbands was released on Wednesday with features tailored to help people trim waistlines by tapping into insights about what they are packing into their tummies. “This goes after weight management,” Jawbone wellness and platform group manager Andrew Rosenthal told AFP. “We know that people want to make it easier to eat healthier.” UP24 bands use sensors to track how active wearers are and how well they sleep, but the diet piece of the ﬁtness puzzle has to be logged manually making it the easiest to be left out. Jawbone data shows that more than three quarters of people who use UP bands have weight goals in mind. “UP and UP24 have inspired millions of people to get engaged in their own health -- we’ve shown that living better really is a universally popular proposition,” said Jawbone strategy vice president Travis Bogard. “For the nearly three out of four Americans that are overweight or obese, living better often includes weight loss.” Added food and weight features for UP bands combined with new third-party applications focused on food are intended to nudge people toward healthful lifestyles. - Help shedding pounds -

“Ideally with so much going on in America, it’s easy to say we spend too much attention on this small issue, but when you dig deeper, it’s not that small,” she said. “People get up in the morning and ﬁgure out what they’re wearing. That’s not that quickand easy a decision,” she said.

Founder of Jawbone, Hosain Rahman speaks at a conference on May 5, 2014 in New York City (AFP Photo/Brian Ach)

Jawbone introduced new UP24 wristbands late last year as the wearable computers evolve into smart accessories augmenting Internet lifestyles. The second-generation UP band tracks how active wearers are or how well they are sleeping or eating, then communicates wirelessly with smartphones or tablets to make recommendations “in the moment” about pursuing healthier lifestyles. The San Francisco company has been innovating to put UP bands, Jambox wireless speakers and Jawbone earpieces at the center of merging trends in wearable technology and the Internet of things. Up software applications tap into Jawbone servers where behaviors can be assessed and helpful feedback sent for wearers to see when next they glance at their mobile device screens. UP applications can reveal facts such as at what time of day someone tends to be most idle or when a person sleeps worst, and then suggest how to improve situations. Ramped up food features in the latest UP mobile software include making games of reaching for goals such as eating sufﬁcient ﬁber or shedding pounds. It also reaches into the Internet “cloud” for nutritional information about dishes in restaurants with online menus. The software remembers what people tend to eat and what foods are typically paired, such as bacon with eggs or fries with a burger.

Wearers can even have a daily “calorie budget” that updates in real time. UP bands have become Jawbone’s top selling product since the ﬁrst version was introduced in 2011, but the company would not disclose sales ﬁgures. “It’s an exciting place to be, but evolving the product is a big part of the project,” Rosenthal said. “We look at it as an entire system. People get excited about not just having the data, but being able to make sense of it.” UP harnesses the power of peer support, and pressure, by letting users share accomplishments and goals privately with circles of friends.

by Vijaya Rathore (ET Bureau)

EW DELHI: When it comes to dressing up, most Indian male politicians have a wide range of clothing to choose from, as long as it’s a white kurta-pyjama made of khadi. For added variety, there’s the Nehru jacket, and for trips abroad, a bandgala in black or grey does the trick. Indian male prime ministers have never been known for their ﬂamboyance (think Manmohan Singh) but

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Models at a fashion show. College Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie, New York. Just 14 percent disagreed, saying good fashion is reserved for people with a lot of money, it said. The poll found 68 percent of respondents think too much attention is paid to fashion, and 55 percent said how they dress is an important part of who they are.

Another 45 percent said choosing their outﬁt is not something they think about, the survey found. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. The survey of 1,212 adults nationwide was part of a senior project and conducted April 7 through April 10, 2014.

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when it comes to packaging and presentation, Narendra Modi has few peers among politicians. Having marketed himself with resounding success as a no-nonsense man of action with his half-sleeved cotton kurtas, he is ready now for the role of global statesman. In his ﬁrst important overseas visit, to the BRICS summit at Fortaleza in Brazil, Modi didn’t experiment too much with the template of the Indian dignitary abroad, shedding his traditional kurta-pyjama in favour of the

bandgala. But he may be planning a bigger sartorial splash for his trip to the US, the country that famously denied him a visa but has now opened its arms wide welcoming the Indian prime minister. In charge of the wardrobe change is Mumbai-based fashion designer Troy Costa. The designer’s clients include the Bollywood Khans and members of the Ambani family. Ashish Soni, known for his bespoke suits, says professional advice could do wonders to boost Modi’s image.

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 12

Friday, July 25, 2014

Section 2

Page 12

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

International students seeking a visa to study in the U.S. must prove they can live and study here without working

by Allan Wernick (NEW YORK DAILY NEWS July 16, 2014)

The Statue of Liberty stands tall in New York Bay, a beacon to immigrants worldwide EPA PHOTO

in limited circumstances, your friend must prove he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to work. So, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need either proof of his own resources or an affidavit of support from a close family member or friend. With an affidavit, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to submit proof of the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income. He submits the documentation to the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international student advisor. The advisor evaluates the documentation to insure that he can meet his expenses based on the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tuition and fees and the cost-of-living in the area. If all paper work is in order, the advisor will issue USCIS form I-20 A-B/ID. (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for Academic and Language Students). If he is abroad, he then applies for a student visa. If he is in the U.S. after having entered on a visa, he applies for a change to F-1 status.

Q: On a recent trip to Ghana, I became friends with a 19-yearold student. He would like to go to college in the U.S. How does he go about it? Paul, New York A: To get a visa to study here, your friend needs first to get accepted by an educational institution the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has accredited to admit international students. Then, he must prove that he can live and study here without working (at least for the first year). Finally, he must prove that he has a residence abroad that he will return to after his studies if he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get another legal status. Most colleges are USCIS accredited. If your friend knows where heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to study, he can apply to a college from abroad. Or, he can try getting a visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visa to come here to check out colleges. However, unless he has strong ties to Ghana, getting an F-1 student visa may be easier. Though students can work

Q: My green card has a wrong date of birth. I am dyslexic and so sometimes I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t notice errors like the one on my green card. Will I have a problem getting a new card? Dave, Greenwich Village

A: You can probably get a new card without problem if your age wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t relevant to your getting permanent residence. Submit a copy of your birth certificate and if you have it, your passport, with an explanation. Sometimes a birth date matters in an immigration case. If you qualified in a family category that required that you be under age 21 at the time and you were older, you could have problems. Q: My U.S. citizen parents adopted me before I turned 16. I turned 18 before the enactment of the Child Citizenship Act, which granted derivative citizenship to adopted children. Did I nevertheless derive U.S. citizenship from my parents? A.T.S., Georgia A: No. The CCA added adopted children of a U.S. citizen to the list of those who could derive citizenship from a parent. But the child must have been under age 18 on when the Act became law on Feb. 27, 2001. Allan Wernick is an attorney and director of the City University of New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Citizenship NOW! project. Send questions

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Kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recipe earns an audience with the Obamas

Chloe Choudhury: Singing Sensation from Sugar Land, TX

She chops. She sautĂŠs. She whips up whole healthy meals.

S U G A R LAND - Chloe Choudhury is a vivacious 11 Year old, who has loved and lived in Sugar Land her whole life. Over the last year, she has received numerous awards and accolades, including numerous Congressional CertiďŹ cates all the way from Chloe Choudhury Wa s h i n g t o n D.C; CertiďŹ cates of Recognition from both the City of Sugar Land and the City of Houston, along with many private Special recognitions from Leaders within our Community. Oftentimes the youngest singer ever invited to perform, Chloe has opened prestigious events. Chloe was the youngest singer to be selected to open The International Citizenship month, by the City of Houston to crowds over 12000 + .

Eleven-year-old Esther Matheny is a natural when it comes to the kitchen, using her cooking skills and creativity to contribute to her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dinner table in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

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FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

This spring, she won a chance to represent her state at the White House Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; State Dinner by creating and submitting a recipe for Michelle Obama and the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, a contest co-sponsored by food site Epicurious. Winners from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands were invited to attend the dinner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to make it yourself at home, and you take pictures, write your recipe and the story behind why you made it,â&#x20AC;? Matheny said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We basically wanted to do something that represented Maryland but was still super healthy, so we chose rockďŹ sh.â&#x20AC;? The result: her delicious and colorful Chesapeake Fish Tacos. The contest, in its third year, is part of the First Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiative to reduce childhood obesity. Entrants were asked to focus on healthy ingredients, but that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean ďŹ&#x201A;avor wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t important as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You want it to be good for you and also good to eat,â&#x20AC;? Matheny said. Matheny comes from a family of cooking, baking, coffeeroasting and home-brewing enthusiasts. Her parents and family, she told CNN, inspired her to step into the kitchen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just see other people in my family cooking and it makes me want to do it, too,â&#x20AC;? she said. Once she started to learn, her passion was ignited: Matheny attended two cooking camps this summer and one last summer. Looking ahead, Matheny says it might be cool to grow up to be a chef. But for now, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focused on picking up new skills and bringing to ideas to the table at home. (Courtesy: CNN, July 21st, 2014)

In January, Chloe became one of the youngest singers ever to be invited to open the esteemed Lincoln Reagan Dinner with her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful. Chloe was also one of the youngest speakers at the Exchange Club of Sugar Land and she spoke articulately to a crowd who was fascinated by her story. Chloe was even invited to perform at the State Capitol in Austin Texas and was commended by a rousing ovation. Last August Chloe, sang the National Anthem, at the Skeeterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Game and was scouted and went on to Nashville, Tennessee. There she recorded with an Internationally acclaimed Team, the #1 Song of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Katy Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ROAR. This song has over 22000 + Views in just a couple of weeks of being released. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the link to that achievement : h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / atch?v=fX95HYTp5Sk&hd=1 Some of her most memorable performances and achievements include: Opened for the Memorial Day 2014 Flag Posting Ceremony. Solo performance at the Men-

tal Health of America ( MHA ) Fort Bend Gala where she sang Let it be ~ The Battles. Chloe was Crowned by Ms. Sugar Land, Texas as â&#x20AC;&#x153; Extraordinary Girlâ&#x20AC;?; an initiative to encourage Young Girls to follow their Dreams Chole has been performing at numerous charitable galas and fund raising events Like APAHA, South Asian Chamber of Commerce, India Culture Center and many more. Exciting times lie ahead for Chloe, as she plans to enter 6th Grade, in Fall and is already being commissioned to open the convocation ceremonies, for FBISD. She is also scheduled for the Opening of the Skeeterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Game on August 03, 2014 ~FCCA Day and perform at various events throughout Summer, including The World Refugee Day Celebrations. Chloe is a very kind and passionate child. Chloe is also identiďŹ ed as a Gifted and Talented Student within the FBISD system and is a part of the Duke TiPS Program through Duke University, which encourages academically Excellent children with academic averages over 95%. She is a Spelling Bee Finalist 3 years in a row; a Championship Swimmer with the USA Swimming, a Junior Girl Scout, loves playing the Piano, Horse Riding (Dressage/ English), Soccer, and enjoys volunteering for community events. Her Passion however is and always has been music and singing and she has been singing at a very early age. Chloe shares her life with her parents, Tanaz and Chesley Choudhury and her little brother Tayte.

VOICE OF ASIA 13

Friday, July 25, 2014

BOLLYWOOD MASALA Section 2

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FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

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Pawan Kalyan in ‘Gopala Gopala’ - remake of OMG

‘Royal misfit’ Sonam Kapoor in ‘Khoobsurat’

YDERABAD: Actor Pawan Kalyan, who plays Lord Krishna in the Telugu remake of ÒMG: Oh My God` titled `Gopala Gopala`, will be seen for 25 minutes in the film. He started shooting for the film here Monday.

EW DELHI - The much awaited theatrical trailer of Sonam Kapoor-starrer `Khoobsurat` is ﬁnally out. The actress took to micro-blogging site twitter to share the trailer, and it certainly looks enticing.

Venkatesh said that he`s excited to be sharing screen space with Pawan.

Sonam on her ofﬁcial Twitter handle posted: “Excited for you to see the trailer of my movie #Khoobsurat”

While Pawan will be reprising Akshay Kumar`s role from the original, actor Daggubati Venkatesh will step into the shoes of Paresh Rawal. “Pawan started shooting from yesterday (Monday). His role is limited to 25 minutes in the film, but the scenes featuring him will be a laugh riot. Scenes between him and Venkatesh will definitely be loved by the audiences,” film`s director Kishore Kumar said.

by Parul Sabherwal

South Indian actor Pawan Kalyan “I`m really looking forward to `Gopala Gopala`. Pawan and I are working together for the ﬁrst time and I`m as excited about it as our fans. Both of us have some wonderful dialogues and I`m sure audiences are go-

ing to love it,” Venkatesh had told IANS earlier. The ﬁlm, which is expected to hit theatres during Sankranti 2015, also features Shriya Saran, Mithun Chakraborty and Murli Sharma in important roles. (Courtesy: IANS).

‘Haider’ once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: Shraddha Kapoor

The almost two-and-a-half minute long trailer shows Sonam in her usual glamorous look as `Mili`. Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who is playing the male lead in the film looks perfect in his `royal` avatar. The film marks the debut of Fawad, who shot to fame in India with television series `Zindagi Gulzaar Hai`. The trailer, very convincingly justifies the tagline of the film which says `The Royal Misfit`. It reveals that not just `Mili` and `Vikram` but even their families, especially their mothers are poles apart. Besides Sonam and Fawad,

Actress Sonam Kapoor with Pakistan lead actor Fawad Khan. veteran actresses Ratna Pathak Shah and Kirron Kher are also seen prominently in the trailer. While the posters and the `kiss` teaser have already caught several eyeballs, now it would interesting to see whether the trailer succeeds in creating ripples among the audiences!

`Khoobsurat` is a remake of award winning movie by the same name which features Rekha and Rakesh Roshan in the lead roles. Directed by Shashanka Ghosh and co produced by Rhea Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Siddharth Roy Kapur, new `Khoobsurat` is slated to hit the silver screen on September 19. Courtesy: (Zee Media Bureau).

Cast of ﬁlm Haider during its promo.

MUMBAI - Actress Shraddha Kapoor feels lucky to be a part of ﬁlmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming project ‘Haider’ at such an early stage of her career. ‘Haider’, an adaptation of ‘Hamlet’ and completes Bhardwaj’s trilogy of William Shakespeare’s tragedies after ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Othello’, has a stellar star cast of Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan besides the actress. “I still can’t believe that I am a part of Vishal sir’s ‘Haider’. It’s such a surreal experience for me. I am lucky that he has given me this opportunity at such an early stage of my career.

“Arshia is a Kasmiri girl and the role is different. I need to understand the way a Kashmiri girl behaves and Vishal sir helped me with that. Tabu ma’am and I sang for the ﬁlm but we didn’t sing together,” she said. Shot primarily in Kashmir, ‘Haider’ will hit theatres on October 2 along with Hrithik Roshan-starrer ‘Bang Bang’. (PTI)

When Salman Khan went on movie date with Jacqueline

EW DELHI: Superstar Salman Khan is oft credited for making headlines even when he decides to not get clicked, leave alone posing for the shutterbugs. If report published in a leading daily is to be believed, then Sallu bhai took his co-star Jacqueline Fernandez and Randeep Hooda on a movie date while shooting for `Kick` in Poland.

“It has an ensemble starcast of veteran actors like Tabu, Kay Kay Menon and Irrfan. I feel it’s an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Shraddha, who is just four-ﬁlms-old in the industry.

The grapevine is abuzz with the rumour that once when `Kick` cast ﬁnished their shooting schedule before time, the generous Khan along with Jackky and Randeep straight away headed for watching `Amazing Spider-Man 2`. This bit of news surely impresses us even more, as Salman does know how to take care of his co-actors when working.

In the ﬁlm adaptation, Shraddha is playing Hamlet’s tragic lover Ophelia.

Salman`s `Kick` is slated to hit the theatres this Eid and has been directed by ﬁlmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala. The fans are all geared up to get their `Kick` this year!

“Vishal sir has adapted the play brilliantly with an Indian setting. I am playing a press reporter Arshia, which is am amalgamation of Shakespeare’s Ophelia and Horatio (a friend to Hamlet). I read ‘Hamlet’ in my school but I don’t remember it well. Sir’s (Vishal) script was enough to understand all these characters,” she said. After the success of ‘Teri galiyan’ in ‘Ek Villain’, Sharaddha has once again sung a Kashmiri folk song in ‘Haider’.

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LEISURE/TRAVEL

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Travel Notes:

reece, like Turkey is a mix of the ancient and modern. It has something for every traveler. If you are a true explorer at heart, (you live only once) explore your heart out in Greece. The country is ﬁlled with possibilities. It has great museums, archaeological sites, shopping and a unique, yet amazing culture that displays through its nightlife.

Destination Greece: Traveling Turkey and Beyond

Greece is meant to be explored at leisure. From well preserved old mansions, high end luxury stores, intimate boutiques, exotic taverns, combined with natural beauty. With mountains and sea below, Greece offers the perfect place for a getaway for all ages. For the cultural buff, touring Greece holds visages of history etched in its monuments and architecture. They are from the prehistoric and archaic periods, unique to the Hellenistic, Medieval, and Byzantine periods. Greece offers educational tours, theatrical productions, festivals, pilgrimages, Acropolis Athens Greece waves, jet-skiing, and ending the day with some fabulous night life this island does not sleep, ever. There are not very many trees around Mykonos. Mostly it is rocks and boulders strewn across the island. The hillsides are dotted with villages. Mythology has it that Hercules killed giants there. And they believe the rocks around the island are the giants’ corpses. Santorini is ofﬁcially Thira in Greek, an island in the Southern Aegean sea, about 100 miles from Greece. We suggest a yacht trip to see the actual beauty

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

of this island. It holds spell binding beaches, spectacular beauty and an active volcano. The last biggest eruption was 3,600 years ago. The volcanic beaches have pure white, red and black sand, volcanic pebbles, and spectacular rocky landscapes. The island is the youngest in the East Mediterranean and is called the Pearl (Gem) of the Aegean. Santorini, like Mykonos is a romantic getaway, also a great place for weddings and honeymoons. It can be reached by air from Athens and sea from Piraeus. Rhodes is located in the Eastern Aegean Sea. It provides the perfect spot for trekking. Nature enthusiasts will love the island’s natural beauty. Mt. Ataviros, the highest mountain imposes itself over Rhodes. It has a rocky summit with green slopes and is an eternal symbol of the island. Mt. Ataviros has vineyards and the villages serve some of the best wines. On the east coast is Kallithea, a popular holiday resort teeming with hotels along the Faliraki beach. The Roman baths are popular in Kallithea. Rhodes is a mix of different cultures and civilizations. It is a perfect holidaying destination given its rich green hills, green valleys and shores of golden beaches. Article Courtesy: Travel Guzs, Call 713 893 0649 - Speak to one of our knowledgeable and certiﬁed associates to plan and book your Vacation!

Acropolis Athens Greece and many other outings to help you understand it better. Athens the capital of Greece is called the birthplace of civilization, the city of the Gods. It is surrounded by majestic mountains, Ymmytos, Pendeli and Parnitha northwards and eastwards and the Saronic Gulf on the south and westward side. The Acropolis was nominated to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Parts of the old neighborhoods are sure to enchant you. The Parliament and ministries are located in the famous Syntagma square. The temple of Poseidon, the God of the sea is located in Sounion and is a must see location among others. Mykonos is the most popular party island in Greece. Full of parties and young life, luxurious hotels, entertainment, it is the place to be. Dominated by white buildings, crystal turquoise skies, with horse riding, para-sailing, surﬁng the

Acropolis Athens Greece

US airlines scrap Israel flights over missile fear

wo U.S. airlines cancelled all ﬂights to Israel until further notice, after a rocket landed near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.

Top airlines cancel Israel ﬂights after Gaza rocket strike

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said Tuesday they are suspending service between the U.S. and Israel indefinitely. US Airways scrapped its Tel Aviv service Tuesday and said it is monitoring the situation in regards to future flights. Delta Air Lines’ one daily flight

was already in the air. Delta said a Boeing 747 from New York was ﬂying over the Mediterranean headed for Tel Aviv when it turned around and ﬂew to Paris instead. Flight 468 had 273 passengers and 17 crew on board.

week, when a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. Airlines have rerouted planes to avoid the area over eastern Ukraine where pro-Soviet separatists are battling the Ukrainian army.

N.J., according to spokesman Rahsaan Johnson.

Israeli police conﬁrmed that a rocket from Gaza landed in an area near the airport. Police spokeswomen Luba Samri said the rocket caused damage to a house and slightly wounded one Israeli.

Ofﬁcials from the Federal Aviation Administration had no immediate comment.

“We are in constant contact with the FAA and are monitoring the situation closely,” said Casey Norton, spokesman for US Airways’ parent company American Airlines. The airline has not yet made a decision about ﬂights to Israel scheduled for Wednesday and beyond.

Airlines and passengers are growing more anxious about safety since last

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A Delta spokesman declined to go beyond the details released in a statement. United Airlines has cancelled its two daily ﬂights to Israel out of Newark,

US Airways, which has one daily ﬂight from Philadelphia, canceled that ﬂight Tuesday and the return trip from Tel Aviv.

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Friday, July 25, 2014

Section 2

Page 15

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Niacin for high cholesterol carries Funding Long Term Care By Way of Trust death risk WASHINGTON, July 16, 2014 (AFP) - A major international study out Wednesday found that niacin does not reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in people with high cholesterol, but it does boost the risk of death. Therefore, most people should not take the widely used supplement, also known as vitamin B3, according to an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine that was published along with the results of the randomized trial. Niacin has been gaining in popularity over the past 50 years and works mainly by raising “good” HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels. However, a four-year study

on people aged 50-80 with high cholesterol found no benefit toward cutting the rate of heart attack or stroke. The study included 25,673 people, all of whom were already taking statins to reduce their cholesterol. In addition, some were taking extended-release niacin and laropiprant (a drug that reduces face flushing caused by high doses of niacin). Others were randomly assigned to a placebo. Research sites included Britain, China and Scandinavia. Niacin “was associated with an increased trend toward death” the findings said, adding that it was also associated with “significant increases in serious side effects: liver prob-

lems, excess infections, excess bleeding, gout, loss of control of blood sugar for diabetics and the development of diabetes in people who didn’t have it when the study began.” Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said the nine percent increased risk of death among niacin users -- which researchers found was borderline statistically signiﬁcant -- means that any beneﬁts are overshadowed. “There might be one excess death for every 200 people we put on niacin,” said LloydJones, who wrote the editorial in the journal. “With that kind of signal, this

is an unacceptable therapy for the vast majority of patients.” Another study on niacin, involving more than 3,400 patients, found it increased the risk of infection and also did not offer protection against cardiovascular problems, the New England Journal of Medicine reported. “Niacin must be considered to have an unacceptable toxicity proﬁle for the majority of patients, and it should not be used routinely,” wrote LloydJones. Instead, statin therapy should remain the leading drug-based approach to cutting cholesterol, and niacin should be reserved for high-risk patients who are unable to tolerate statins, he said.

Governments agree to stem cancer-causing arsenic in rice: UN by Jonathan FOWLER

ENEVA, July 17, 2014 (AFP) - Governments have agreed the ﬁrst international standards limiting cancer-causing arsenic pollution in rice, a key move to protect consumers of what is a staple food for billions, the UN said Thursday. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, the top global decision-making body for food standards, issued the decision at its ongoing annual meeting in Geneva. “Arsenic is an environmental contaminant. It occurs naturally and is taken up by plants from the water and soil when they’re growing, in particular rice,” said World Health Organization food safety coordinator Angelika Tritscher.

standards is trade. But when we talk about safety standards, the main purpose is clearly to protect the health of consumers,” said Tritscher. Arsenic occurs in the Earth’s crust. Some of the heaviest concentrations are in Asia, where rice is a mainstay. A key problem is paddy ﬁelds irrigated with water pumped from shallow wells containing arsenic-rich sediments. Heavy rice consumption has been found to compound the impact of arsenic in drinking water. “Since rice is a very important stable food for many countries and many regions of the world, a signiﬁcant part of the global population is affected,” Tritscher said.

The commission set a maximum of 0.2 milligrammes of arsenic per kilo of polished race -- the product that is traded and consumed.

Bangladesh has been a top concern, with tens of millions of rural dwellers exposed via wells drilled in the 1970s in “access-to-water” programmes.

“The main driver for Codex

Parts of Cambodia, China,

India and Vietnam have also been affected.

food standards ofﬁcer Tom Heilandt.

Long-term exposure can cause cancer and skin lesions, Tritscher said. It is also linked to heart disease, diabetes and damage to the nervous system and brain.

The rice decision followed years of research which fed into a policy-making process helmed by China and Japan.

Arsenic rarely grabs headlines in the same way as other food crises. “It’s not like you have an immediate, acute effect like you have with a salmonella outbreak,” said Tritscher. - No safe exposure level The 186-nation Codex commission is run by the WHO and fellow UN agency the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Its standards must be set down into national laws to take effect. “We all expect our food to be safe and of good quality. We don’t expect to get sick from our food,” said senior FAO

“One of the core principles of Codex standards is that they are science-based,” Tritscher said. “The outcome of the assessments was that you cannot define a safe exposure level. The consequence is that you have to try to reduce exposure as much as possible,” she added. “We operate on the ‘alara’ principle -- as low as reasonably achievable -- which balances how low you can go without having to discard the majority of the food supply.” The commission also set out ways to reduce arsenic levels. They include growing crops in raised beds instead of flooded fields, drying out paddies before harvest, and regular checks on water supplies.

US warns against ‘pure caffeine’ after teen dies

ASHINGTON, July 18, 2014 (AFP) US regulators on Friday warned against ingesting pure powdered caffeine, which is being sold in bulk over the Internet and is known to have killed at least one teenager. “These products are essentially 100 percent caffeine. A single teaspoon of pure caffeine is roughly equivalent to the amount in 25 cups of coffee,” the Food and Drug Administration said.

The FDA advised consumers “to avoid powdered pure caffeine” and warned parents that teenagers and young adults may be drawn to it for its perceived beneﬁts. “Pure caffeine is a powerful stimulant and very small amounts may cause accidental overdose,” the FDA statement said. Symptoms of overdose may include rapid heartbeat, sei-

zures, vomiting, diarrhea, stupor and disorientation. “It is nearly impossible to accurately measure powdered pure caffeine with common kitchen measuring tools and you can easily consume a lethal amount,” the FDA added. US media reported earlier this month that an 18-year-old from Ohio died due to a caffeine overdose. Several bags of the powder were found in his home.

Fruit Recall Expands Across U.S. Over Listeria Concerns by Eliana (TIME).

Dockterman

Trader Joe’s and CostCo are among the grocery stores pulling peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots Grocery stores across the nation are pulling peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots off the shelves after a central California company issued a recall over concerns of a potential listeria contamination. The recall affects popular chains like Costco and Trader Joe’s. Wawona Packing Co. announced the voluntary recall of fruit shipped between June 1 and July 12 after consulting with the Food and Drug Administration. The president of the company said in a statement that he is not aware of any illnesses caused by the produce so far, but that anyone with peaches, nectarines, plums or pluots recently purchased from those

stores should throw it away. “By taking the precautionary step of recalling product, we will minimize even the slightest risk to public health,” Brent Smittcamp wrote.

contamination, and new tests are negative for any bacteria.

Listeria can cause ﬂu-like symptoms including fever, headache, nausea and diarrhea and may be deadly to children and the elderly. It may also cause miscarriage or stillbirth in prgnant women. Wawona Packing Co. shut down and cleaned their facilities after it discovered the Kate Jacobs&mdash;Getty Images

Consumer groups said regulators must take more action against the products. “The overuse and misuse of caffeine in the food supply is creating a wild-west marketplace, and it’s about time the sheriff noticed and did something,” said the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

trust is a legal entity that allows a person (the trustor) to transfer assets to another person (the trustee). Once the trustor establishes the trust, the trustee manages and controls the assets for the trustor or for another beneﬁciary.

You may choose to use a trust to provide flexible control of assets for the benefit of minor children. Another common use of a trust is to provide flexible control of assets for an older adult or a person with a disability, which could include yourself or your spouse. Two types of trusts can help pay for long-term care services: Charitable Remainder Trusts Medicaid Disability Trusts Charitable Remainder Trusts This trust allows you to use your own assets to pay for long-term care services while contributing to a charity of your choice and reducing your tax burden at the same time. You can set up the trust so that you receive payments from the trust to use for long-term care services while you are alive. When you die, the balance of the funds in the trust goes to the charity that you selected. Since you are making a charitable donation, you can receive tax deductions for the fair market value of the assets that go to your chosen charity. Key things to consider before setting up a charitable remainder trust: The amount of money available to you to use for long-term care services is based on the amount of your donation. These payments are only likely to be large enough to help pay for longterm care expenses if you donate a substantial amount of money to the charity The donation may affect your Medicaid eligibility Medicaid Disability Trusts These trusts are limited to persons with disabilities who are younger than age 65 and qualify for public benefits. Parents, grandparents, or legal guardians often set up these trusts to benefit persons with disabilities and a non-profit organization manages the assets. This is the only kind of trust that is exempt from rules regarding trusts and Medicaid eligibility.

Sudhir Mathuria Contact: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com

Key things to consider before setting up a Medicaid Disability Trust: If a beneﬁciary with a disability receives Medicaid beneﬁts, the state can recover any amount remaining in the Medicaid Disability Trust when he or she dies The tax implications for Medical Disability Trusts are complicated. Consult a tax professional before establishing a Medicaid Disability Trust. WORK BOOKS TO ASSIST WITH ADVANCE PLANNING available. Consumer’s Tool Kit for Health Care Advance Planning, by the ABA Commission on Law and Aging is available for free download at: http://www.americanbar. org/groups/law_aging/resources/consumer_s_toolkit_for_health_care_advance_planning.html Caring Conversations Workbook, published by the Center for Practical Bioethics, is both a workbook and advance directive. It can be downloaded for free from their web site: http://www. c p b m e m b e r s . o rg / d o c u ments/Caring-Conversations.pdf “Good to Go” Toolkit and Resource Guide, published by Compassion and Choices. It can be downloaded free at http://www.compassionandchoices.org/g2g Thinking Ahead: My Way, My Choice, My Life at the End. This workbook and video was created by California advocates with developmental disabilities from three regional centers. Available for free at: http://www.dds.ca.gov/ ConsumerCorner/ThinkingAhead.cfm For any kind of Long Term Care, Medicare, Health Care or Life Time Income Planning contact 713-771-2900.

Read these reports and more on health. Visit us Online

VOICE OF ASIA 16

HEALTH, TECH & SCIENCE

Indian customs connected with Health and Science - Part I Why do we join both palms to greet?

by Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Rice University.

by Meenakshi Bhattacharjee ustoms and traditions have always been a part of every religion and culture. Human civilization is incomplete without them. As Hinduism is the oldest religion on earth there are a lot of Hindu customs and traditions observed in India. They vary from region to region from caste to caste. Many of them are common in all parts of India. When carefully observed there is a scientiﬁc basis and health implication in most customs and traditions. Detailed below are some of them.

Why through coins into the river? The general reasoning given for this act is that it brings Good Luck. However, scientiﬁcally speaking, in the ancient times, most of the currency used was made of copper unlike the stainless steel coins of today. Copper is a vital metal very useful to the human body. Throwing coins in the river was one way our fore-fathers ensured we intake sufﬁcient copper as part of the water as rivers were the only source of drinking water. Making it a custom ensured that all of us follow the practice.

In Hindu culture, people greet each other by joining their palms - termed as “Namaskar.” The general reason behind this tradition is that greeting by joining both the palms means respect. However, scientifically speaking, joining both hands ensures joining the tips of all the fingers together; which are denoted to the pressure points of eyes, ears, and mind. Pressing them together is said to activate the pressure points which helps us remember that person for a long time. And, no germs since we don’t make any physical contact! Why do Indian women wear toe rings? Wearing toe rings is not just the significance of married women but there is science behind it. Normally toe rings are worn on the second toe. A particular nerve from the second toe connects the uterus and passes to heart. Wearing toe ring on this finger strengthens the uterus. It keeps it healthy by regulating the blood flow to it and menstrual cycle is regularized. As Silver is a good conductor, it also absorbs polar energies from the earth and passes it to the body. Why is Tilak applied on the forehead? On the forehead, between the two eyebrows, is a spot that is considered as a major nerve point in human body since ancient times. The Tilak is believed to prevent the loss of “energy”, the red ‘kumkum’ between the eyebrows is said to retain energy in the human body and control the various levels of concentration. While applying kumkum the points on the mid-brow region and Adnya-chakra are automatically pressed. This also facilitates the blood supply to the face muscles.

Why do temples have bells? People who visit the temple should ring the bell before entering the inner sanctum (Garbhagudi or Garbha Gruha or womb-chamber) where the main idol is placed. According to Agama Sastra, the bell is used to give sound for keeping evil forces away and the ring of the bell is pleasant to God. However, the scientific reason behind bells is that their ring clears our mind and helps us stay sharp and keep our full concentration on devotional purpose. These bells are made in such a way that when they produce a sound it creates a unity in the left and right parts of our brains. The moment we ring the bell, it produces a sharp and enduring sound which lasts for a minimum of 7 seconds in echo mode. The duration of echo is good enough to activate all the seven healing centres in our body. This results in emptying our brain from all negative thoughts. Why do Indians worship the Tulsi plant? Hindu religion has bestowed ‘Tulsi’, with the status of mother. Also known as ‘Sacred or Holy Basil’, Tulsi, has been recognized as a religious and spiritual devout in many parts of the world. The vedic sages knew the benefits of Tulsi and that is why they personified it as a Goddess and gave a clear message to the entire community that it needs to be taken care of by the people, literate or illiterate. We try to protect it because it is like Sanjeevani for the mankind. Tulsi has great medicinal properties. It is a remarkable antibiotic. Taking Tulsi everyday in tea or otherwise increases immunity and help the drinker prevent diseases, stabilize his or her health condition, balance his or her body system and most important of all, prolong his or her life. Keeping Tulsi plant at home prevents insects and mosquitoes from entering the house. It is said that snakes

do not dare to go near a Tulsi plant. Maybe that is why ancient people would grow lots of Tulsi near their houses. Why do we worship the Peepal tree? ‘Peepal’ tree is almost useless for an ordinary person, except for its shadow. ‘Peepal’ does not a have a delicious fruit, its wood is not strong enough for any purpose then why should a common villager or person worship it or even care for it? Our ancestors knew that ‘Peepal’ is one of the very few trees (or probably the only tree) which produces oxygen even at night. So in order to save this tree because of its unique property they related it to God/ religion. Why start with spice and end with sweet while eating? Our ancestors have stressed on the fact that our meals should be started off with something spicy and sweet dishes should be taken towards the end. The signiﬁcance of this eating practice is that while spicy things activate the digestive juices and acids and ensure that the digestion process goes on smoothly and efﬁciently, sweets or carbohydrates pulls down the digestive process. Hence, sweets were always recommended to be taken as a last item. Why do women apply mehndi/Henna on the hands? Besides lending color to the hands, mehndi is a very powerful medicinal herb. Weddings are stressful, and often, the stress causes headaches and fevers. As the wedding day approaches, the excitement mixed with nervous anticipation can take its toll on the bride and groom. Application of mehndi can prevent too much stress because it cools the body and keeps the nerves from becoming tense. This is the reason why mehndi is applied on the hands and feet, which house nerve endings in the body.

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

Single-message app ‘Yo’ is what’s up with investors by Glenn CHAPMAN

AN FRANCISCO - A messaging app that allows users to send the word “Yo” to friends has discovered newfound fame and fortune. San Francisco-based startup Yo, which got its start in Tel Aviv and moved to California after becoming a hit in Israel, boasted new backers on Friday as reports estimated its value as high as $10 million. Yo raised $1.5 million in an initial round of funding that included backing from Betaworks and Mashable founder Pete Cashmore, according to co-founder and chief executive Or Arbel. “The value of this round goes far beyond the dollar amount that we received,” Arbel said in a release. “Bringing such incredibly smart, talented, and experienced people into the Yo team at this stage is an incredible advantage that will allow us to accelerate the growth and provide more and better value to our users.” Betaworks explained in an online post that it was pumping cash into Yo due, in part, to a fascination with the potential of simple tools for single word smartphone notiﬁcations such as “yes” or “no.” The Yo app has been woven into communications at Betaworks, according to founder and chief executive John Borthwick. “We Yo with co-workers alerting them that a meeting is starting; I Yo with my wife as a ‘hi’ during a busy day,” Borthwick said in an online post announcing the investment. “I Yo with friends, without any more expectation or need than a Yo back.” US media reports indicated that backers included founders of China-based Tencent, but Yo did not disclose the entire list of investors.

The app lets users say “Yo” to their friends, sending them a text notification accompanied by a recorded voice shouting the greeting. Arbel has insisted the deceptively simple app has a lot of potential. “People think it’s just an app that says ‘Yo.’ But it’s really not,” Arbel told The New York Times. “We like to call it contextbased messaging. You understand by the context what is being said.” Convinced his app has big prospects in line, he left his job as chief technology officer of stock trading platform Stox, which he helped launch last year, and moved from Tel Aviv to San Francisco to focus on Yo. Arbel said the app could allow newspapers and blogs to notify subscribers that a new article has been published or posted, using a Yo. Yo took advantage of World Cup frenzy by letting users sign up to get Yo notifications when goals were scored. Reviews on Apple’s App Store were positive, but some veered into sarcasm. “Yo cured my cancer! Yo ended world hunger, Yo also helped me find the women of my dreams because when I yo’d her for the first time she asked me if I wanted to mate and produce spawns, yo is the reason I live and the reason I wake up in the morning,” read a review featured along with a description at the App Store on Friday. Applications available free for iOS or Android powered devices have reportedly been downloaded more than two million times and is used to fire off “yo” a similar number of times daily. “Yo has been pushing forward at a rapid pace, focusing both on user acquisition and developing an API for businesses, brands, and other apps,” Arbel said.

Facebook lets users squirrel items away

AN FRANCISCO Facebook on Monday began letting people squirrel away online tidbits such as links to chew on more thoroughly later.

you ﬁnd on Facebook to check out later when you have more time,” software engineer Daniel Giambalvo said in a blog post on the leading social network.

“Now you can save items that

“You can save items like

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links, places, movies, TV and music.”

time to explore Internet offerings.

work to cash in on money-making tools such as advertising.

The feature is being added as Facebook users increasingly connect with the social network from mobile devices while on the go, with only snippets of

Letting people save items for later scrutiny encourages people to return and spend more time on Facebook, increasing opportunities for the social net-

California-based Facebook said users have the option of keeping saved items private or sharing them with friends via the social network.

The “Save” feature will be rolled out during the next few days to those using computer browsers or mobile devices powered by Apple of Android software, according to Giambalvo.

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VOICE OF ASIA 17

BUSINESS

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Friday, July 25, 2014

Section 2

Page 17

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Really smart cars are ready to take the wheel

Tel: 713-774-5140

GM recalls 718,000 more vehicles in US

by Laure FILLON

ARIS, (AFP) - Why waste your time looking for a place to park when your car can do it for you? An idea that was pure science ﬁction only a few years ago is becoming reality thanks to automatic robot cars. A car with no one on board drives into a car park at walking pace, lets a pedestrian pass, and then backs into a narrow parking space without the merest bump or scrape. The technology that makes this possible has been developed by the Swedish car company Volvo and the French parts maker Valeo. It is still at the prototype stage but could be widely available within six years. Some cars are already able to drive themselves in certain circumstances. The Mercedes CLS coupé brakes by itself when the driver fails to react to the risk of an accident. Some BMW models also warn drivers they are about to go over the white line and they can go onto automatic pilot in trafﬁc jams. “Lots of the technology is already out there,” said Guillaume Devauchelle, director of R&D at Valeo. “But now we are at a turning point.” Rapid progress in radar and detection camera technology now allows cars to “see” things going on around them. Onboard computers analyse road conditions and make the car react accordingly. Which means that car makers believe that they will have models on the market capable of driving by themselves by 2020, and utterly autonomous robot cars by 2030. This could radically cut mortality, said Franck Cazenave, marketing director at the parts maker Bosch, since “90 percent of accidents are caused by human error”.

A Range Rover Evoque equipped with Valeo self-parking technology backs into a parking spot during a driverless car demo at the International CES in Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 (AFP Photo/Robyn Beck) - Who to blame for an accident? There are other benefits too. As soon as cars begin to talk to one another, and with the computers running the road system, traffic will run more smoothly with huge savings on fuel. According to Sébastien Amichi, an expert at consultants Roland Berger, after 2030 there could be “fleets of vehicles available 24/7 that will come to pick you up where ever you want, and do so with amazing efficiency”. These really smart cars will also make travel that much more comfortable, their supporters claim. “Drivers won’t have to drive so they will have that time for themselves,” says Cazenave. They will be able to read, surf the net, or even have a nap -- which is why not only car markers have been attracted by the possibilities this offers. Google has been testing fully automatic Japanese cars for the last five years and is even making its own electric driverless cars that make us of its Internet and mapping expertise. Even so, others in the industry such as Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan, argue

that car-marking is an art not everyone could pull off.

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro is part of a large recall announced by General Motors on Wednesday. (General Motors)

And, of course, there is the prohibitive cost of the technology. The radar system alone on a Google car is said to cost 60,000 euros ($82,000), without counting existing auto-pilot technology that costs thousands of euros.

EW YORK, July 23, 2014 (AFP) - General Motors Wednesday announced six recalls covering nearly 718,000 vehicles in the US, adding to its recall tally after an ignition-switch auto safety scandal.

“What is still holding us up is the quality of the sensors and of artiﬁcial intelligence,” Ford has admitted. And though everyone thinks that the next decade will see automatic robot cars driving on their own on motorways and in car parks, having them in the middle of urban trafﬁc with pedestrians and cyclists, is another question. The big issue is who is to blame if there is an accident.

The largest recall announced Wednesday, affecting 414,333 vehicles, will address a problem with the bolt that secures the height adjustor for driver and passenger seat structures in the 2010-2012 Chevrolet Camaro, the 2011-12 Buick Regal and some other models.

Before tackling this thorny question, governments will have to change road safety laws which demand that every driver “must be in control of their vehicle”. As for the drivers themselves, some will undoubtedly be happy to hand over the wheel. Others though will be reluctant to put their lives in the hands of a computer -- not to mention foreswearing for ever the pleasure of putting their foot to the ﬂoor.

If the bolt falls out, the seat will move up and down freely, GM said. GM is aware of one crash and three injuries, but no fatalities because of the problem. GM said it was also recalling 57,242 model-year 2014 Chevrolet Impalas because of a problem with the power steering system. Affected cars can lose power steering because of an issue with the electrical connection to the system. GM said it is aware of one crash, but no injuries or fatalities due to the condition.

Two other larger recalls cover problems with incomplete welding on seat hooks in 124,008 cars, including the 2014 Chevrolet Caprice; and a problem with the turn signals in 120,426 cars, including the 2011-2013 Buick Regal and the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. GM knew of no crashes or injuries in either case. The other two recalls involved far fewer vehicles: an issue with an arm bolt that can result in reduced steering control in 1,919 2014-2015 Chevrolet Sparks imported from South Korea; and 22 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali from model year 2015 with roof carriers that may have been attached with the wrong nuts. GM also knew of no crashes or injuries in either of these cases. Jeff Boyer, vice president for global vehicle safety at GM, said the latest recalls reﬂect a proactive approach to safety. “If we identify an issue -large or small -- that might affect the safety of our customers, we will act decisively,” he said. GM has been under scrutiny

since publicly acknowledging 13 deaths in 54 accidents linked to an ignition-switch defect in several models no longer being manufactured. The company has recalled 2.6 million cars since February for the faulty switch. The largest US automaker is under federal and congressional investigations, and multiple lawsuits, for its delayed recall of the cars. Lawmakers sharply criticized GM chief executive Mary Barra at a hearing last week, with Senator Claire McCaskill decrying a record of “indifference, incompetence and deceit” after the automaker failed to recall the cars more than a decade after ignition switch problems surfaced. GM, which has recalled roughly 30 million vehicles so far in 2014, previously said second-quarter charges for recall costs would be $1.2 billion, bringing the ﬁrst-half charge to $2.5 billion. GM is scheduled to report second-quarter earnings Thursday before the stock markets open.

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HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, July 25, 2014

Your Horoscope for the Week of July 25, 2014 by Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Recent events have put your emotional and physical well being out of whack. Static energy will only cause you to short out your battery. Simple pleasures will be needed in order to help you to relax. Strong words will only bring strong re-actions. Realize that tempers may be short in those sensitive areas. You need a break from away from extreme solutions to dealing with simple problems. Stay conﬁdent in who you are and you’ll be ensured a smoother ride. A compromise on your part will restart stalled talks.

Your need to ﬁnd new ways to succeed. Before moving ahead on your own, think about ways to unite others. Human emotions cannot rule you, this time. You must try to look at things on an a more intellectual plane. Try your best to stay clear of those who try to bring you down to their level. You need to look beyond the immediate to understand how the bigger picture works. Everyone needs to feel secure, some may rely on luck but you have your own strategy in place.

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

Scorpio (N,Y)23 Oct to 21 Nov

Get back to your basic needs and wants. Your dilemma is that everybody wants a piece of you. There’s usually a reason for everything that you do, but your creativity may be driven more out of necessity than talent. If you want to try to turn this situation around, you’d better start now. Use the raw materials you have on hand to demonstrate your idea of art and beauty. You’ll have no choice but to be yourself when you journey on this new adventure. The mysteries will start to wear thin and expose the harsh reality that really exists.

Act on your emotions. Sometimes, you may be too quick to re-act, but this week, you’re right to take a stance. Others are the same as always, but your perception of them will change radically. Be aware that your words and your actions will affect them greatly. You can probably talk your way out it, but everybody is watching to see the outcome. Stay calm and your conﬁdence level will rise. Everybody wants security, but their concepts may be different than yours.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Your motivation and positive reinforcement, will feel moved into proclaiming an alliance between yourself and your peers. Your message will come across in a way that encourages others want to join in. You know just which emotions to draw out of others and when to do it. You could combine valid points of view to provide a dynamic effort. Supporters will rally for your cause. Look upward and forward. Doubts should not be considered an option. Teamwork is easy for you and it could prove to be very proﬁtable.

Your positive ﬂow has actually put you in a better position than you were before. You may have to act before you think you are ready to do so. Trust your intuition and don’t allow others to intimidate you. Friendships and love relationships will ﬂourish once you decide to speak strongly from your heart. Your wishes and dreams will thrive on the new secure place you’ve found within yourself. We may SEE the Archer shell out ‘like it or not’ and then “normal expense” would be the ‘mean line’.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Bide your time, Others want answers right away, but you should take some time to analyze the whole picture. If you try to push the process faster, something will hit the fan. Unfounded suspicions and accusations will only make others more uncomfortable. It’s better to keep quiet than to be negative. A surprise will shake things up and provide you with some answers. Try to be as discreet as possible. You’re ready to accept the news but not everybody is.

Someone who you’ve recently pushed away will try to return into your life. Everybody will want to be your friend, but your words may hurt your cause. You’ll have to work on being more understanding without losing your winning edge. The week end’s activities will provide you with food, friends and good conversations. The rest you get will help you to replenish your energy and improve your perspective. Get as much done early in the week as you can since cooperation is poor.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August Although you usually work hard, lately you’ve been very lax in matters of importance. Everyone is a specialist or is in need of one. Prove that you know more than your history suggests. Save time and money by drawing on the resources that you already possess. If this strategy has worked for you in the past, then it will probably work again. Strike a happy medium with authorities who are being too rigid about your boundaries.

disapproval.

Put your ideas into motion. In order to accomplish your immediate goals, you must reach out and try new ways to get the job done. If you want to see results, you should know who can help. Maybe there really is a way to beneﬁt from this power surge you feel. You have a great network of allies that can provide you with some solid support. Several unreasonable requests may be brought to you. Try to hide any displeasure or

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

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Passion, excitement and the start of new ventures. The warmth you feel inside will spark your professional life. Get out there and enjoy all that life has to give. Look past others misgivings in order to take advantage of their expertise. You may not understand all the workings of a new technology, but you can ﬁgure out how to use it for your own purpose. Check your list and make sure you cover all the bases. Others will be ready to open up to you and to share all of what they have, both spiritually and physically. Duty may demand both attention/ time and ﬁnance/costly choices.

Questions about areas of your life that come under ﬁre. You may be unwilling to Partnerships, which will bring you more resources than if you try to go it alone. Listen to reason rather than emotion. If you start to promote your own ideas others will ﬁnd it hard to deny your requests. By week’s end, you should try to slow down your pace a little so you don’t forget certain details that are important to you. You’ll need a cool and level head while others are losing theirs. A secret will be revealed in time, so you’d better learn to wait. Know your limits and try to work within them.

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