Voice of Asia E-paper June 22, 2018

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Vol. 32 No. 24 • FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

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Trump orders halt to family separations

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Haley slams rights groups after US quits UN council

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NITED NATIONS, United States | AFP | 6/20/2018 - US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Wednesday accused human rights groups of thwarting a US push for changes to the UN Human Rights Council and contributing to Washington's decision to quit the body.

In a letter sent to non-governmental organizations, Haley complained that they had played a "deconstructive" role by refusing to support US efforts to take Israel off the council's agenda.

Haley on Tuesday announced that the United States was quitting the rights council, condemning the "hypocrisy" of its members and its alleged "unrelenting bias" against Israel.

"You should know that your efforts to block negotiations and thwart reform were a contributing factor in the US decision to withdraw from the council," said Haley in the letter seen

by AFP. "You put yourself on the side of Russia and China, and opposite the United States, on a key human rights issue."

US President Donald Trump -- flanked by Vice President Mike Pence -- signs an executive order to end family separations at the border

by Paul Handley

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Wednesday 6/20/2018 President Donald Trump ordered an end to the separation of migrant children from their parents on the US border Wednesday, reversing a tough policy under heavy pressure from his fellow Republicans, Democrats and the international community.

The spectacular about-face comes after more than 2,300 children were stripped from their parents and adult relatives after illegally crossing the border since May 5 and placed in tent camps and other facilities, with no way to contact their relatives.

Pictures and accounts of the separations sparked outrage and a rebellion Continued on next page 2

Suresh Iyer: Ekal USA’s new President

The rights groups had warned that the proposed changes could trigger "hostile amendments," possibly from China and Russia, to undermine the work of the council which monitors human rights crises worldwide.

"Such hostile proposals could enjoy broad support and the US might not be able to stop them," said Human Rights Watch's UN director Louis Charbonneau.

- Blaming NGOs In the end the United States did not push ahead with its proposals at the General Assembly because of lack of support from allies who warned that changes could have unwanted consequences or might fail to win adoption.

HRW executive director Kenneth Roth argued that reforms were underway to improve the workings of the 47-nation Geneva-based council but that the United States "walked away from" that effort and chose instead to "theatrically" quit the council.

by Manu Shah

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uresh Iyer’s introduction to Ekal was a strange coincidence. In 2002, he was asked by a friend to host its Founder Shyam Gupta in a last minute change of plans. The conversation between the two turned to Ekal, lasted well into the night and by morning, Suresh had become a donor.

He gradually became more involved as a volunteer, then Chapter President, Chairman of the Board

Haley was referring to a letter by 18 rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to United Nations member-states in May expressing concern that a US draft resolution at the General Assembly could weaken the rights council.

Suresh Iyer

until 6 months ago when he assumed the role of President of Ekal Vidyalaya USA. Continued on page 3

"By attacking and blaming NGOs for its own failure, the Trump administration is taking a page out of the book of some of the worst governments around the world," said Charbonneau.

Haley had repeatedly threatened over the past year to quit the rights

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accuses human rights groups of "unrelenting bias" against Israel (AFP Photo/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds) council unless there were reforms to its agenda and to the election of its members, which often run unopposed as a region's candidate, regardless of their rights record.

Last year, the United States urged African nations to back away from supporting the candidacy of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the

rights council, but the appeal fell on deaf ears.

Human rights groups had also raised concerns about giving the DRC a seat at the council, citing the violence in Kasai, the murder of two UN experts who were investigating mass graves there, and the arrests of scores of opposition demonstrators.

Indian government grounds Air India sale plans

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UMBAI, India | AFP | 6/20/2018 - India has shelved its plans to sell debt-stricken national carrier Air India after failing to attract any bidders, a senior official has told local media.

Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said the government had dropped the idea for now because of next year's general election and rising oil prices, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Prabhu said the decision to put on hold the proposal to sell a 76 percent stake in Air India had been made at a meeting headed by India's finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday.

"We will review it (the sale) later," PTI quoted Prabhu as telling reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday.

India's government announced in March that it planned to privatise the ailing carrier but a May 31 deadline for bidders to express interest passed without any coming forward.

Local and international airlines were said to be put off by some of the terms, including the government's insistence that buyers take on both Air India's international and domestic operations.

Air India, founded in 1932, was once the country's monopoly airline, known affectionately as the "Maharaja of the skies".

But it has been haemorrhaging money for years and it has lost market share to low-cost rivals in one of the world's fastest-growing airline markets.

Successive governments had spent billions of dollars to keep it flying before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet last year gave the go-ahead for a sell-off.

Air India is about $8 billion in the red and reported losses of almost 58 billion rupees ($860 million) for the financial year ending March 2017.

Earlier this month it sought an urgent loan of 10 billion rupees to maintain day-to-day operations.

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS Microsoft seeks cut in per A

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

VOICE OF ASIA Publisher: Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Austin Correspondent: Marketing Director: Office Manager:

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

Contributors: Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Mala Sharma

VoiceofAsiaOnline.com Editor Online:

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midst intense nationwide debate on US' immigration policy, software giant Microsoft has backed a proposed legislative move that calls for elimination of per-country limit on Green Card and also sought an increase in its numbers.

In a blog post on Tuesday, Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, said the company supports pending legislations to overhaul the US citizenship policy.

Prominent among the pending legislations are provisions that eliminate unfair per-country limits for employmentbased green cards by incorporating the bipartisan Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, led by Congressman Kevin Yoder.

This would have a positive impact for our employees and our company by helping to ease the lengthy green card backlog that otherwise would cause some of our colleagues

country limit for green cards to wait for more than 20 years for their visa, simply because of the country of their birth, Smith said.

Microsoft, he said, supports the increase of the number of employment-based green cards to reduce the backlog and recognise the needs of the modern economy for the world's top talent.

The existing employmentbased green card limits have not been updated for nearly 30 years. Improvements are long overdue, he said.

Smith also supported the proposed legislation that provides a path to permanent residence and citizenship for individuals eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and said that it would

provide welcome clarity and a path for eventual citizenship for "our DACA employees" and thousands of other young individuals who are seeking to contribute to this country.

This legislation would provide a permanent legislative solution, which Microsoft and its business coalitions have been seeking for the past year, he said.

While we would not endorse every provision in the bill relating to increased security, we recognise that stronger security is needed. There are parts of the border with Mexico where more US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are needed and other security provisions should be improved, Smith said.

Noting that the newly introduced bill the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018 (HR 6136) is better, he, however, said it needs to be improved in significant ways, including ending the changes it instituted in April to separate children from their families at the border.

Describing Microsoft as "a company of immigrants in a nation of immigrants", Smith said majority of its employees grew up in the United States.

He further added, "Like most Americans, most of us have ancestors that came from someplace else. Microsoft also has employees who have moved here from over 120 countries. This has made Microsoft something akin to 'the United Nations of Software'.

Trump orders halt to family separation...

Continued from page 1

legal battles for the administration.

among Republicans in Trump's own party, as well as international accusation that the US was committing human rights violations.

Trump said there was a need to sustain his zero tolerance" policy to prevent crime, which he blames illegal immigrants for.

"What we have done today is we are keeping families together," Trump said as he signed the executive order. "I didn't like the sight or the feeling of families being separated."

"We still have to maintain toughness, or our country will be overrun by people, by crime, by all of the things that we don't stand for and we don't want," he said.

Trump said that even with the change, border enforcement will be "equally tough, if not tougher."

- 'Deeply disturbing' images

For weeks, Trump had insisted he was bound by the law to split the children from their parents and that only Congress could resolve the problem -- before he radically shifted gears.

"We want security for our country," Trump said. "And we will have that -- at the same time, we have compassion, we want to keep families together."

Earlier, as countries marked World Refugee Day Wednesday, world leaders assailed Trump for the separations.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Council of Europe and Pope Francis all took issue with the "zero tolerance" policy.

May said images of migrant children kept in cage-like units

were "deeply disturbing," and the Council of Europe, a global human rights watchdog, said Trump had abdicated any claim to moral leadership in the world.

After a downturn last year, since October, the number of migrants seeking to cross the southwest US border from impoverished Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, as well as from Mexico, has surged.

From March to May this year, more than 50,000 people a month were apprehended for illegally crossing the border from Mexico. About 15 percent of those are arriving as families, and eight percent as unaccompanied children.

Nearly all of the families, and many others, have officially requested asylum, citing the incessant violence in their home countries.

The policy, with mandatory

separation of children from adults, was announced May 7 as a deterrent.

The issue struck an emotional chord, amid accounts of children screaming and crying in facilities prepared for them.

But the White House and officials had no answers Wednesday on how the 2,300 children would be reunited with their parents.

Gene Hamilton, a senior Justice Department official, said the executive order was a "stopgap" move and that Congress needs to pass new legislation to give the president more powers to fight illegal immigration.

"Congress needs to provide a permanent fix for this situation," he said.

Democrats and rights groups were immediately critical of the plan to change the Flores Settlement.

The order says the Department of Homeland Security -- and not the Justice and Health and Human Services Departments, as under previous policy -- would have continuing responsibility for the families.

It also suggests the government intends to hold the families indefinitely by challenging an existing statute, the 1997 Flores Settlement, that places a 20-day limit on how long children, alone or with their parents, can be detained.

That move could lead to new

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VOICE OF ASIA 3

Section 1

Community Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Tel: 713-774-5140

Deva Snana Puja (Bathing Ceremony Suresh Iyer: Ekal .... of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra) at Char Dham Temple Continued from page 1

Ekal’s’ new President absorbed the importance of education and the spirit of service early in life. The family lacked monetary resources but made up in a mother’s determination to educate all six of her children. As they did well in school, she cleared out the balcony so they could coach other children who were not faring as well for free. Suresh recalls that despite a budget that stretched thin, there was always a snack for all the children after class.

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s part of the 7th Annual “Greater Houston Rath Yatra” celebrations, “Deva Snana Puja” will be held at the Char Dham temple, in the Woodlands on June 27th (Wednesday) from 6pm to 8pm.

“Deva Snana” Puja is the "Bathing Ceremony" of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra that happens on the full moon day of Jyeshta Masa (month). It is an important festival as it’s the birthday of Lord Jagannath.

This is the first occasion in the year when the deities are brought out from the sanctum sanctorum and taken in a procession to "Snana Mandap" (bathing altar), where they are ceremonially bathed with 108 pitchers of water from a well inside the Jagannath Temple.

Deities in Gaja Vesha after the bathing ceremony. Photos from last year's Deva Snana Puja taken by Thejas K.R.

Out of the 108 pitchers of water, 35 pitchers of water are used for Lord Jagannath, 33 pitchers for Lord Balabhadra, 22 pitchers for Devi Subhadra and 18 pitchers for Lord Sudarshan. After the bathing rituals, the deities are decorated in "Gaja Vesha" or elephant headgear. In keeping with this tradition, during the Deva Snana Puja at the Char Dham temple, the deities will be bathed with 108 pitchers of water, will be dressed in Gaja Vesha. Then there will be Archana, Arati, Mantrapushpam, Teertha Prasad Viniyogam followed by Prasadam.

Traditionally, after the bathing, the Gods fall ill and are kept in Anabasara, where the devotees can't see them until they appear the day before Rath Yatra, known as Netra Utsav. The next day, the dei-

celebrated on July 14th at the Char Dham Temple from 5pm to 10pm. This event is being organized jointly by Char Dham Hindu Temple, SKAI Foundation, and ISKCON Houston and is being supported by various other organizations.

The organizers are anticipating a big crowd packing the temple premises and surrounding streets to see and seek blessings from Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe.

Devotees are bathing the deities with purified water. ties take a trip to visit their maternal aunt in a festival, known worldwide as the Rath

Yatra. This year the 7th Annual Greater Houston Rath Yatra or Festival of Chariots will be

Festivities will include procession of 3 chariots in Jagannath Puri style, Cultural entertainment, Indian bazaar, Food booths and Maha Arati.

Admission is completely free.

For more information, visit http://chardhamhindutemple. org or call 832-299-5172.

These instilled values showed up time and again over the course of his life. After graduating and securing his first paying job at the Indian Space Research Organization as a scientist, the first thing Suresh did was to fund the education of several children who were academically good but couldn’t afford the fees in his school in Bengaluru.

After brief stints at Air India and Tata Consultancy Services, USA, Suresh started his own company Infospectrum in 2002 based out of Southern California. The company provides tracking software for aerospace maintenance as well as real time tracking of transportation Assets. Suresh is happy his entrepreneurial gamble paid off but clearly says his work with Ekal “brings a different level of satisfaction.”

The Ekal movement started in 1989 with one village and one school. Today, there is an Ekal school in 70,000 villages in India offering free schooling, vocational training, digital competence and agricultural education. Suresh makes it a point to visit a school every time he visits India. If they are excited and curious to meet this visitor from America, he is no less impressed to hear a 6

year old confidently rattle off the multiplication table of 12.

To him, it is proof that Ekal is effective.

It also made his day when a girl who had learned tailoring at an Ekal vocational school told him she had opened her own tailoring center and was earning 5000 rupees a month.

As President, Suresh is charged about taking Ekal to the next level. The Foundation raised 8 million dollars last year and his goal is to cross 10 million this year. He’s also working on putting a system of Donor communication in place and intends to strengthen those Ekal Chapters that need a little boost. Above all, he wants “Ekal’s message to be out in the world loudly and clearly.”

Three galas for fundraising are being planned for October in New York, Washington and Houston. He reveals that just $365 can support an Ekal school for an entire year.

Suresh is clearly thriving on this challenge but admits he couldn’t have done it without his wife Kanaka’s unwavering support, A physician, she held the fort with their two boys while he took on various leadership roles at Ekal.

This spirit of service has also passed on to Suresh’s two boys – Vasant and Sumant.

Both have interned at Ekal villages and returned with a determination to do more. Vasant presented his thoughts at the Ekal National Conference in 2015 while Sumant is working with the Coimbatore team and Google mapping division to coordinate ways by which Ekal schools can be quickly plotted on google maps. This helps donors get information about schools they are supporting easily.

Read in Section 2 of Voice of Asia

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VOICE OF ASIA 4

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Fort Bend View

VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place Section 1

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Fort Bend ISD to open Early Intervention Academy for 2018-19 School Year ORT BEND ISD (June 14, 2018) – Fort Bend ISD is presenting a new and exciting educational program to help meet the needs of early childhood learners. The Early Intervention Academy, housed at the Early Literacy Center at the Ridgemont Early Childhood Center, will offer eligible three-year old children a full-day, extended year of learning opportunities to prepare them for success.

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By attending the Early Intervention Academy, eligible students will have access to a blend of educational and therapy services offered through developmentally appropriate curriculum. The academy will also offer family-centered and wrap-around services to meet the individual needs of children. Upon completion of the program, students will have gained the skills necessary to integrate into an inclu-

sive environment at their neighborhood elementary school.

Academy highlights include: Full day preschool program from 8:10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Extended school year with 199 instructional days Additional therapy services in occupational, speech and music therapy Applied Behavior Analysis intervention up to 20 hours per week Structured, explicit social skills delivery model to engage children in the intervention Family outreach, training and coaching Ongoing program evaluation and progress monitoring The academy is designed for students who are three (3) years old

Tel: 713-774-5140

FB ISD to host an auxiliary job fair, community invited

on or before September 1; and who meet the Texas Education Agency special education eligibility criteria of being identified with Autism, Non-Categorical Early Childhood for suspected Autism or Intellectual Disability. The academy will consider enrollment of students who do not meet the criteria on a first-come, first-served basis after they meet all other application criteria.

Enrollment in the Early Intervention Academy will be limited to 40 students for the 2018-19 school year, with a maximum of 32 students with disabilities. The academy will offer a lottery-based application process for students eligible to attend school in Fort Bend ISD. To access the academy application and learn more details, visit the Fort Bend ISD Early Intervention Academy webpage.

Cafeteria Specialist. Photo taken from flyer

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Positions available include custodial staff, bus drivers, cafeteria specialists, Extended Learning site coordinators and many more.

- Child Nutrition

The fair will be on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Fort Bend ISD Annex (3119 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land, 77479).

ORT BEND ISD (June 19, 2018) – Fort Bend ISD is seeking qualified, experienced individuals to join the District and will host an auxiliary job fair this summer. The following departments will be represented at the fair: - Extended Learning - Facilities

Rosenberg woman convicted gets two years for aggravated assault OSENBERG - Eliza Lazarra Ford was convicted by a jury of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon on June 7, 2018 before being sentenced to a two-year prison term in an agreement with prosecutors. The 51 year-old Rosenberg woman was charged for threatening a child with a meat cleaver in 2017.

Assistant District Attorney Earl commented that the quick action of the juvenile in calling 911 for assistance may have prevented the serious injury of others in the home.

“A line was crossed that night – the danger was recognized not only by the juvenile witness, but also the Rosenberg Police Department who responded so promptly to the report of violence in the home.”

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According to lead prosecutor Ashley Earl, Ford was present at the victim’s home on February 25, 2017 in violation of a family court order. Jurors heard a recording of the 911 call in which the juvenile complainant reported that the defendant threatened her with a knife during an argument.

The Rosenberg Police Department responded to the call and Officer Timothy Anderson was the lead officer on the scene. The defendant’s husband testified he witnessed the assault and

Eliza Lazarra Ford, 51. (Photo:FB County District Attorney’s Office) led officers to a meat cleaver that was used to commit the crime.

Ford was tried in the 268th District Court before Presiding Judge Brady G. Elliott. Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon is a second-degree felony punishable by 2 – 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. The defendant was probation eligible.

Assistant District Attorneys Ashley Earl and Terese Buess prosecuted the case. Attorney Eric Ashford represented the defendant.

- Transportation

Registration will be open from June 20, 2018 through July 9, 2018 at fortbendisd.com/careers. Visit fortbendisd.com for more information.

SLPD targeting impaired driving during Holiday UGAR LAND, TX – Sugar Land police will conduct a special drunk driving enforcement initiative from June 29 through July 4.

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The enforcement period includes the Independence Day weekend and is funded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) through a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant. The STEP grant is administered through H-GAC and provides overtime funds for enhanced DWI enforcement during holiday weekends when there have traditionally been more alcohol-related traffic incidents.

“Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs is not worth the risk,” said Sgt. Daryl Stroud, of SLPD’s

traffic division. “You are putting your life and the lives of others on the line.”

Convicted first-time DWI offenders face penalties that include fines up to $2,000, six months in jail and loss of driver’s licenses for up to a year.

The STEP grant also provides overtime for year-round speed compliance in targeted areas, an extra resource that does not affect SLPD’s normal operations. As part of this effort, SLPD also conducts a commercial motor vehicle enforcement.

Speeding continues to be the number one factor contributing to accidents within Sugar Land. The police department uses crash data, speed surveys and information supplied by residents to identify those areas where additional enforcement is needed.

Summer Family Campout City earns prestigious GFOA budat SL Town Square get award for 30th consecutive year

n Saturday, June 23, come enjoy a fun, family-friendly event for all ages! Explore NEO‘s interactive campsite with tents, games, s’mores and even a lawn fishing tournament.

You can also practice casting a fishing line while they learn about native Texas fish. Learn the right

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way to wear a life vest while checking out NEO’s kayaks and hybrid paddle boards.

Just here for the fun? Play lifesize games like 2×4 Jenga, KerPlunk, and Connect Four or relax on the lawn with a game of checkers while listening to live music from Collector’s Item from 5:00 – 7:00 PM!

NOLA Nights at Town Square riday, June 22 at Sugar Land, Town Square, come out and let authentic New Orleans music take you on a historical journey

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through the Crescent City tradition with live music from The New Orleans Hustlers Brass Band! Free event, with small plates and beer (cash).

Programs & Services INDIA HOUSE CHARITY VOLUNTEER CLINIC Saturday 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM Monday to Friday 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

FREE YOGA CLASSES Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am - 11:00 am

FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION Family Law: Tuesday 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Immigration: 1st & 3rd Wednesday 12:30 pm - 2:00pm

FREE MEDITATION CLASSES Saturday 11:00 am - 12:00 pm FREE VEDANTA STUDY GROUP Saturday 11:15 am - 12:15 pm

EVENT HALL RENTALS

FREE TECHNOLOGY CLASSES FOR SENIORS

Banquet Halls, Conference Sunday 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Rooms, Class Rooms

issouri City is once again among an “elite group” of U.S. cities honored for their exceptional fiscal stewardship.

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In awarding the “Show Me City” its 30th consecutive Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada noted that the City succeeded in preparing and presenting a budget of the highest quality for Fiscal Year 2018.

GFOA’s “Distinguished Budget Presentation Award” is the only national awards program in governmen-

tal budgeting.

“Missouri City met stringent national guidelines for effective budget presentation in earning the award, and the procedures assess how well the City’s budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device,” said City Manager Anthony Snipes.

“We were rated ‘proficient’ in all four categories, meeting all 14 mandatory criteria within each category, to receive this award.”

The GFOA services the needs of nearly 19,000 appointed and elected

local, state and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. The Association produces publications, training programs, services and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management.

To learn more about the City’s commitment to fiscal transparency and quality oversight of public funds, visit: www.mctxfinance.com.

For more information about Missouri City, please watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov

Summer Camp HINDI CAMP: $375 per camp $150 per week Camp 1: June 11 - June 29 Camp 2: July 9 to July 27 9:30 am to 12:30 pm

CRICKET- TAPED BALL Saturday & Sunday Full Day

ART CAMP: $ 75 per week June 4 to June 29 9:30 am to 12:30 pm

SAREEN HARRIS HEALTH CLINIC Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 11:00 am

ROBOTICS CAMP: $300 per week May 28 to August 17 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

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VOICE OF ASIA 6

Puri Jagannatha Dham royals visit Houston

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Yoga Therapy Seminar at Arya Samaj Houston

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Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb and Maharani Leelabati Pattamahadevi lighting the lamp at India House. Photo: Debiprasad Rath

by Arati Pati his was their first visit to Houston. Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb and Maharani Leelabati Pattamahadevi of Puri Jagannatha Dham recently toured Houston during the weekend of May 19-20, 2018.

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Dr. Arun Verma and Mrs. Vinni Verma, founder of Shri Sitaram Foundation along with Orissa Culture Center (OCC) and members of the Houston Odia community led by Jyoti Kar, Sarmistha Nanda and Dr. Gopal Mohapatra organized this rare opportunity at the O.P. Jindal India House, Houston.

Gajapati and Maharani’s trip to USA was hosted by Dr. Niranjan and Swati Tripathy of DFW Hindu Temple Society of Irving, Texas. On Sunday, May 20, Gajapati Maharaja presented a multimedia presentation on The Glory of Lord Jagannatha to a curious crowd over 200 at India House.

During his one and halflecture, Gajapati hours’ showed PowerPoint slides with remarkable artwork representing legendary and historical account of the famous Jagannatha Temple of Odisha and the origin of Lord Jagannatha after offering devotional offering to Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, Lord Subhadra, and Lord Sudarshana with the queen by his side.

The inquisitive audience was overwhelmed by learning the deep connection of Jagannatha culture to all other religions including Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism etc to understand the true meaning of “Unity in Diversity or Basudheiba Kutumbakam”.

Gajapati Maharaja, Dibyasingha Deb, is the king of 43 million people of Odisha, who represents the first and foremost Servitor of Lord Jagannatha. The Thakura Raja is the chairman of the Shri Jagannatha Temple Managing Committee. Adya-Sevak Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb ascended the throne in the year 1970 after the demise of his father, the then Maharaja of Puri, Gajapati Birakishore Deb at the age of 17. Having led an ordinary life, the king studied LLM at Chicago’s North-Western University, practiced law in Delhi, in the high court and Supreme

Gajapati reviewing the Jagannatha Temple project with Prof. Pati (rt) and Dr. Samal (lt) at OCC land.

Court, for some years. This handsome and dignified Raja is soft spoken and keeps interest in photography and reading belongs to the dynasty that is connected with the Ganga Kings of Odisha who founded the Shri Jagannatha Temple at the start of the 12th century A.D. To keep the tradition alive, he sweeps the entrusted area of rath during the famous Srigundicha Rath Yatra or Car Festival every year in Puri. A down-to-earth king who went to public schools like everyone else maintains a very simple lifestyle. Maharani Leelabati Pattamahadei is from the royal family of Jammu. She is a very lovely and sweet lady who speaks softly. She is fluent in Odia, Hindi, and English. The couple has four daughters.

Prior to his lecture at India House, Gajapati and Maharani Saheba visited first The Daru Bramha Jagannatha and His Family to offer their obeisance at Their current residence, 2728 East Glen Haven Boulevard, Houston, TX in the evening of Saturday, May 19, 2018.

Daru Bramha Jagannatha and Family have been carved from the same Neem (Margosa) Tree of the Original Jagannatha Deities in Puri Dham. In 2015, during “Nabakalebara” or “New Embodiment” the Jagannatha Family has been engraved from the same tree.

With the blessings and permission of Gajapati Maharaja They moved to Houston. This is a rare opportunity that Daru Brahmas have travelled outside of India for the first time.

Members of the Odia families in Houston area were anxiously waiting for the royal

couple on Saturday evening and received them with a grand welcome. Over 100 members of this small community of OCC joined for an informal interaction with Gajapati and Maharani at this current residence. It was a very lively and energetic Q&A session. Both King and Queen enjoyed dinner “Chhapan Bhoga” prepared by the ladies of the community.

In late afternoon of May 20, Gajapati visited the OCC land, a 10 acre virgin land located at 3101 Fuqua Street, Houston.

This is the future site for the Jagannatha Temple for Daru Bramha Jagannatha and His Family. Gajapati reviewed and discussed about future temple plan with Professor Debananda Pati and Dr. Aditya Samal of OCC. He was very excited to see such a beautiful land at the heart of Houston near the Texas Medical Center.

Later that day the Royal Couple visited the residence of Dr. Arun and Vinodini Verma for dinner that evening and spent about 3 hours discussing the Jagannath temple.

Gajapati and Maharani Saheba’s visit to Houston during this time of the year is extremely significant. Orissa Culture Center in association with Sri Sitaram Foundation is going to celebrate its 11th Annual Ratha Yatra on July 14, 2018 at India House. On June 24, 2018 (10AM-2PM) it will celebrate its Annual Deva Snana Purnima (Celestial Bathing) and Lord Jagannatha’s Birthday at 3101 Fuqua Street, Houston, TX. We encourage every Houstonian to join in this unique Houston Tradition.

atanjali Yogpeeth (USA) and Arya Samaj Houston jointly hosted a two-day intensive seminar on Yoga Therapy as a Life Style Medicine. Shekhar Agrawal and Dev Mahajan have dedicated themselves to nurturing both the organizations for more than 25 years. The Sixth Principle of Arya Samaj is the guiding lighthouse for them: the prime object of Arya Samaj is well being of the entire world, particularly physical, spiritual and social advancement. The foresight of its founder Maharshi Dayanand (1825-’83) continues to guide the stalwarts of Arya Samaj in all corners of the world to develop unique projects for everybody’s good without any discrimination whatsoever.

So, when Swami Ramdev appeared on the health scene of India, Arya Samaj Houston jumped at the opportunity and many of its members helped set up Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust with the noble mission to bring health to everyone’s easy access, concentrating on preventive measures.

Arya Samaj Houston conducts free Yoga classes every Saturday and Sunday morning, 8:00 to 9:30 AM. Interested people may simply drop in any day. There are occasional special events and seminars, too. Besides dedicating its Foundation Day in April to a Health Fair event, it conducted a high-value event over the weekend with three outstanding speakers, two coming from far away. The Saturday afternoon started with a masterpiece presentation by its own resident Acharya Surya Nanda who conveyed the gist of Patanjali’s philosophy of Yoga. He was pragmatic to touch upon Yoga and KriyaYoga in passing but dwelt at length on Ashtanga Yoga, the prescription for commoners.

Its eight limbs were covered in sufficient length. The scholarly presentation was well appreciated by the audience that they got the message which otherwise would require reading a voluminous book; it beautifully prefaced the next two presentations from eminent medical experts.

Dr. Dilip Sarkar, a cardiac surgeon turned Yoga therapist can make anybody’s guess

Dr. Dilip Sarkar, Dev Mahajan, Dr. Rajan Narayanan and Shekhar Agrawal.

Dr. Dilip Sarkar, during the book signing. wrong when it comes to his age. He is embodiment of Yoga therapy as you see his glow and radiance. His lucid presentation was devoted to simple life style changes that can help one handle common disorders affecting many of us. He continued his presentation on Sunday, confining to chronic illnesses. Heart ailments and diabetes have unfortunately become signs of upper echelon life style and should not be neglected. The audience, outnumbering anybody’s expectations, were very responsive and even followed exercise instructions.

His book on Yoga therapy was well received; there was a long line of people to get a copy personally signed by him.

Dr. Rajan Narayanan specialized in breathing exercises (called, Pranayama in Yoga parlance) and their beneficial effects on a wide array of ailments. It was interesting to see that he could relate several kinds of Pranayama to specific Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali.

He further corroborated his findings with scientific investigations in modern medical scientific environment. Shekhar seized the opportunity to announce a self-development course for Yoga enthusiasts to be held, 5-7 October at Arya Samaj Houston, to be conducted by himself and Dr. Dilip Sarkar. The course can even put you on the ladder to become a Yoga teacher. True to the message of Yoga therapy, refreshments were light, healthy and sattvik.

Free Yoga classes, which include instruction in asanas, pranayama and meditation, are conducted at ASGH on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8.00 am to 9:30 am as a service to the community. Please call Shekhar Agrawal 281-2425000 for more information. For more information please visit or https://www.facebook.com/ AryaSamajOfGreaterHouston/ Write to pyptusa@gmail. com to know more about Yoga events at Arya Samaj

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Congratulations to the Class of 2018, and to all of our students and staff for an exceptional year!

The strength and resiliency demonstrated by our community is truly phenomenal.

We are proud to be Fort Bend ISD!

STATE CHAMPS Marshall High School track team wins 2018 Texas 5A UIL Track and Field Championship, earning its third track and field championship in four years

Clements High School wins 2018 Texas 6A UIL Academic Championship, earning its sixth academic championship over the past 11 years

Dulles High School’s Marlee Zein wins 2018 Texas Girls Singles 6A UIL Tennis Championship

THE BEST ALL AROUND

Fort Bend ISD wins the 2018 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award for large School District, $100,000 grand prize.

2018 LARGE DISTRICT WINNER FORT BEND ISD

For more information about the great things going on in Fort Bend ISD, including student and staff accomplishments, please visit www.fortbendisd.com. www.FortBendISD.com

Like Fort Bend ISD on Facebook.

Follow Fort Bend ISD on Twitter @FortBendISD.

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 8

Dr. Zachariah honored at American Heart Association 2018 Heart Ball

The letter was sent to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and it opposed the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” to immigration enforcement.

Dr. Zachariah, an Indian American cardiologist was honored for his lifelong work as a practicing cardiologist and for his commitment to his community, and for being instrumental in impacting many people affected by heart disease both locally and nationally.

“The Broward Heart Ball is a one-night celebration of our year-round efforts. It always inspires me to see a room full of individuals who love this community and care enough to give, so we can continue to build healthier lives in South Florida”, commented Scholl.

Sponsors of this year’s Broward Heart Ball included: One Beat CPR and AED, Florida

Because the new policy requires that all unlawful immigrants be held in criminal custody, any children in their care are taken from them and sent to shelters.

Zachariah P. Zachariah being honored at The Broward Heart Ball Panthers Foundation, La Croix and Ultimate Software.

Dr. Zachariah, a GOP fundraiser considered among the most influential Indian-American Republicans, has been a longtime friend of the Bush family.

He has been practicing interventional Cardiology at Holy Cross Hospital since 1976 and as its Director of Cardiovascular services till 2010.

He serves on the executive committee of the Board of Trustees of Nova Southeastern University, a member of the Council of 100 and as a member of the National Board of ExcelinED in action.

He had served on the Florida Board of Governors of the State University system from 2003 to 2010 and as its chairman of the Trustee Committee. He has also served on the National Heart,

Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health and as a member of the U.S. delegation to the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. He also served as Chairman of the Florida Board of Medicine from 1990-1992, 2000-2001 and 2013-2014. He also served as a member of the President’s advisory commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001.

Dr. Zachariah is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiology and specializes in cardiology, cardiac catheterization, and interventional cardiology and has performed more than 30,000 heart catheterizations and interventional procedures in Broward County.

He also is the President of Fort Lauderdale Heart Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Over 7,000 people from India sought asylum in US in 2017: United Nations According to the report, there were 197,146 refugees at the end of 2017 in India and 10,519 asylum seekers with pending cases. There are about 40,391 asylum seekers from India at the end of last year, the report said.

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NITED NATIONS, PTI June 20, 2018 : Over 7,000 people from India filed applications for asylum in the US last year, according to a report by the UN refugee agency which said America was the largest recipient of new asylum requests in 2017.

The UN Refugee Agency said in its annual Global Trends report that 68.5 million people globally were displaced as of the end of 2017. Among them were 16.2 million people who became displaced during 2017 itself, either for the first time or repeatedly - indicating a huge number of people on the move and equivalent to 44,500 people being displaced each day, or a person becoming displaced every two seconds.

Wars, other violence and persecution drove worldwide forced displacement to a new high in 2017 for the fifth year in a row, led by the crisis in Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan's war, and the flight into Bangladesh from Myanmar of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees.

Overwhelmingly it is developing countries that are most affected, it said.

In the US, the trend of increasing asylum claims from

by Monsy Alvarado

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Attended by hundreds of Broward’s medical, social, and philanthropic influencers in the community, at the gala, The American Heart Association raised nearly a million dollars.

The American Heart Association’s Heart Ball is a nationwide gala that celebrates the organization’s mission and success in building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

21 Democratic attorneys general demand end to immigration policy of separating families at border ORTH JERSEY June 19, 2018 - Democratic attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday demanded that federal officials end the practice of separating adults caught crossing the border from their children, saying the policy is undermining community trust and hurting law enforcement efforts.

by Ajay Ghosh T. LAUDERDALE, Florida - Dr. Zachariah 'Zach' P. Zachariah, one of the nation’s leading cardiologists, Medical Director of UHealth Cardiology in Fort Lauderdale,was honored by The American Heart Association at their annual Broward Heart Ball on Saturday, May 19th at the Ritz Carlton in Ft. Lauderdale.

“It’s a great honor and it’s humbling to be recognized by the noble organization, The American Heart Association, the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, with a mission to foster appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke for nearly a century through funding of innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide critical tools and information to save and improve lives.”

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

people originating from the north of Central America also continued. Salvadorans made up the largest nationality of applicants with 49,500 claims, almost half again as much as the 33,600 submitted in 2016.

Asylum claims from Venezuelans increased by 63 per cent to 29,900, reflecting the challenging conditions in the country. Other nationalities from which there were more than 5,000 claims in 2017 were Mexico (26,100), China (17,400), Haiti (8,600) and India (7,400). Altogether claims were received from nationals from 168 countries, the report said.

According to the report, there were 197,146 refugees at the end of 2017 in India and 10,519 asylum seekers with pending cases. There are about 40,391 asylum seekers from India at the end of last year, the report said.

It added that for the first time since 2013, Syria was not the most common country of origin for new asylum-seekers.

The highest number of asylum claims filed by individuals were from nationals of Afghanistan who submitted 124,900 claims in 80 different countries.

As in 2016, Turkey received the most claims with 67,400 registered, replacing Germany, which received 16,400 claims compared with 127,000 in 2016. In contrast to 2016, Greece was the third most common recipient of claims from Afghans with 7,500, followed by France (6,600) and India (4,500). Refugees originating from Myanmar represented the fourth-largest

population group by country of origin, more than doubling in number from less than half a million to 1.2 million by the end of 2017.

The majority of refugees from Myanmar at the end of the year were hosted by Bangladesh (932,200). Other countries with sizable populations of Myanmar refugees were Thailand (100,000), Malaysia (98,000) and India (18,100).

The report said that refugees who have fled their countries to escape conflict and persecution accounted for 25.4 million of the 68.5 million. This is 2.9 million more than in 2016, also the biggest increase UNHCR has seen in a single year.

Asylum-seekers, who were still awaiting the outcome of their claims to refugee status as of 31 December 2017, meanwhile rose by around 300,000 to 3.1 million. People displaced inside their own country accounted for 40 million of the total, slightly fewer than the 40.3 million in 2016.

"We are at a watershed, where success in managing forced displacement globally requires a new and far more comprehensive approach so that countries and communities aren't left dealing with this alone," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

"But there is reason for some hope. Fourteen countries are already pioneering a new blueprint for responding to refugee situations and in a matter of months a new Global Compact on Refugees will be ready for adoption by the United Nations General Assembly."

"What’s happening on the border is having a direct impact on what’s happening in New Jersey,” New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement. “As a career prosecutor, I’ve seen that law enforcement works best when it has the trust of local communities, and the heartlessness of the Administration’s family separation policy is undermining the trust we’ve worked so hard to build. That makes it less likely crime victims and witnesses will come forward to work with law enforcement and that, in turn, makes our communities less safe.”

The practice of separating

New Jersey State Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, who is also a resident of Glen Rock, congratulated the Glen Rock Police Department on their 100th Anniversary. (Photo: Carole Rafferty) children from their migrant parents has sparked a backlash among both Democrats and Republicans, but the Trump administration on Monday defended the policy, saying that some who have been stopped at the border are not entering with their own childrenNielsen,

fielding questions during the daily White House briefing on Monday, said it was up to Congress to fix the immigration system, and that the administration was just enforcing existing law.

-USA Today

S. Indian film producer, wife arrested in US for running prostitution racket The ring charged clients up to USD 3,000 for each sexual encounter, according to a 42-page criminal complaint filed in US District Court in Chicago.

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ASHINGTON, PTI, June 18, 2018 - An Indian-origin couple has been arrested for allegedly running a high-end prostitution ring in the United States by luring at least five actresses from Tollywood and advertising them for sex at Indian conferences and cultural events across the country, according to a media report.

The prostitution racket was masterminded by Kishan Modugumudi, 34, an Indian businessman who rose to become a player in the Telugu film industry and co-produced several hit films, Chicago Tribune reported.

The ring charged clients up to USD 3,000 for each sexual encounter, according to a 42-page criminal complaint filed in US District Court in Chicago.

Kishan Modugumudi and his wife Chandra, 31, also allegedly kept detailed ledgers of the sex acts performed by each girl, including where they occurred and how much they collected, the report said.

While here on temporary vi-

sas, at least five actresses were sometimes forced to stay in a dingy, two-story apartment building in Chicago's Belmont Cragin neighbourhood waiting for their next "date," the charges alleged. They also met clients in hotels at conferences in Dallas, New Jersey and Washington.

The complaint alleged that Kishan Modugumudi threatened the life of one of the actresses and her family if she told law enforcement the truth about what she did while in the country.

Kishan Modugumudi told the woman, identified in the charges only as Victim A, that "it would be nothing for him to harm her if she talked to the police about him because she is small and unknown, not a big actress," the complaint alleged. "(He) further stated he had a copy of her passport with her family's name and address in it," the report added.

Federal agents discovered the ledgers when they searched the Modugumudis' apartment in the 5700 block of West Belden Avenue in Feb-

ruary, according to the complaint.

Kishan Modugumudi and his wife have been in federal custody since agents arrested them in late April in suburban Washington, on a warrant, records show.

At a detention hearing last week in federal court in Chicago, the couple, dressed in jail clothes, listened to the proceedings through a Telugu interpreter.

Attorney Molly Armour, who represents Kishan Modugumudi, told the judge she had been trying to find a place for the couple to live so they could be freed on bail but that so far she had been unsuccessful.

US Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez ordered them to remain in custody for the time being.

The couple's two school-age children, meanwhile, are in the custody of child welfare officials in Virginia.

The Telugu film industry, popularly known as Tollywood, is one of the oldest and busiest in India.

52 Indians held at Oregon detention centre in US

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group of 52 Indians, mostly Sikhs, has been held at a detention centre in the US State of Oregon for being part of a large contingent of illegal immigrants seeking asylum, an American lawmaker has said.

The Indians form the largest group of detainees in the total 123 illegal immigrants being held at a facility in Sheridan.

The detention centre was recently visited by a group of Democratic lawmakers from the Oregon State, who later told the media about the alleged inhuman condition of the illegal immigrants. The immigrants are seeking asylum in the US. The detainees from India is the largest group of detainees being held in Sheridan, wrote Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici on her blog post.

She along with several other Democratic lawmakers from the State visited the detention centre Saturday.

"Through our Punjabi translator, we learned that these men were planning to request asylum because they faced severe religious persecution in India. Most are Sikh or Christian. Instead they were incarcerated in a federal prison," she said.

"They said they came to the United States for religious freedom, but they felt as if they were 'going crazy' because they are being confined in small cells for up to 22 hours a day," the Congresswoman said.

The Indian detainees pointed out that the other non-immigrant prisoners get far more time out of cells, she said.

Most of the detainees at the federal facility are asking for asylum because they experienced violence or persecution in their home countries, Bonamici said.

Several had travelled to the border with a wife and a child or children; none knew where

their family members are, she said.

"This is a shameful hour in US history. I don't care what your stance on immigration is, no one should favour ripping children out of their parents' arms ...." Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer told reporters after visiting the detention center.

He alleged that President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have doubled down on their antiimmigrant, xenophobic agenda with the administration's new "zero tolerance" policy on immigration.

"The administration is criminalising families who are fleeing abuse and violence and separating children as ICE detains or deports their parents," he said in a statement.

According to the local daily 'The Oregonian', of the total detainees, 52 have identified Continued on page 9

US/WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 9

Clooneys open wallets as celebrities attack family separations

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EW YORK | AFP | Wednesday 6/20/2018 - George Clooney and John Legend have sent hefty donations to charity and Bruce Springsteen interrupted his Broadway show to decry the border crisis as the entertainment world voiced outrage over the separation of migrant families at the US border.

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The 37-year-old is set to become only the second world leader to have a child while in office, capping a meteoric year just months after she took over the country's top job in October.

George Clooney (L) and his wife Amal -- shown here at the American Film Institute's 46th Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute to George Clooney on June 7. (AFP photo)

The Clooneys, whose foundation has funded eight schools in Lebanon for Syrian refugee children, said that while they could not change President Donald Trump's policy, "we can help defend the victims of it."

show at the 960-seat Walter Kerr Theatre has become one of the most sought-after tickets on Broadway, has played the same set list for 146 concerts -- until Tuesday.

can government blaspheme in the name of God and country that it is a moral thing to assault the children amongst us.

May God save our souls," he said.

"At some point in the future, our children will ask us: is it true, did our country really take babies from their parents and put them in detention centers? And when we answer yes, they'll ask us what we did about it," the Clooneys said in a statement.

The rock legend unexpectedly gave a speech from the stage before he sang "The Ghost of Tom Joad," the title song from his 1995 album based on John Steinbeck's classic novel "The Grapes of Wrath" about impoverished farmers from Oklahoma fleeing to California.

He was likely referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an immigration hardliner who quoted a biblical verse on obeying the laws of the government to justify the separations.

Pop singer Legend and his model wife Chrissy Teigen earlier said that they were donating $288,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union to support separated migrant children.

"We are seeing things right now on our American borders that are so shockingly and disgracefully inhumane and unAmerican that it is simply enraging," Springsteen said.

"And we have heard people in high position in the Ameri-

More than 2,300 children have been taken away from their parents as a result of the Trump administration's policy to deter undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers.

But Trump said Wednesday that he wanted to keep families together and would sign an executive order in parallel with legislation passed by Congress.

Tamil Nadu's Anukreethy Vas crowned Miss India 2018 The first runner-up is Meenakshi Chaudhary from Haryana and the second runner-up is Shreya Rao Kamavarapu from Andhra Pradesh.

The winner, Anukreethy Vas will now represent India at Miss World 2018.

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EW DELHI, June 20, 2018, -Femina Miss India 2018 has finally got its three new faces, with the glamorous finale last night.

Anukreethy Vas, who was earlier crowned fbb Colors Femina Miss India Tamil Nadu 2018, bagged the top honour at fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2018 in Mumbai. The first runner-up is Meenakshi Chaudhary from Haryana and the second runner-up is Shreya Rao Kamavarapu from Andhra Pradesh.

Hosted by Karan Johar and Ayushmann Khurrana, the evening also witnessed power-packed performances

by Bollywood divas Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez.

with Miss United Continents 2017 Sana Dua, and Miss Intercontinental 2017 Priyanka Kumari crowned their respective successors.

The panel of judges for the evening included cricketer Irfan Pathan, K.L. Rahul along with Bollywood actors Malaika Arora, Bobby Deol and Kunal Kapoor.

The winner, Anukreethy Vas will now represent India at Miss World 2018.

The judges' panel also included Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar, who along

30 participants contested for the title of Miss India 2018.

The two runners-up will represent the country at Miss Grand International 2018 and Miss United Continents 2018 respectively. - ANI

Benetton condemned for using rescued migrants in adverts

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ARSEILLE, France | AFP | 6/20/2018 French charity SOS Mediterranee has lashed out at clothing giant Benetton over an advertising campaign featuring a photograph of migrants being rescued at sea.

"SOS Mediterranee fully dissociates itself from this campaign which displays a picture taken while our teams were rescuing people in distress at sea on June 9," it said on Twitter Tuesday.

The picture -- published online and in newspapers, according to the NGO -showed migrants in a dinghy wearing red life vests with the logo "United Colors of

New Zealand PM in hospital to give birth ELLINGTON, New Zealand | AFP | Wednesday 6/20/2018 - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is in hospital to give birth, her office said Thursday, handing over duties to her deputy ahead of the delivery.

Clooney and his lawyer wife Amal said that they were donating $100,000 to the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, an organization based at the University of Chicago that provides legal counsel to unaccompanied children.

Springsteen, whose intimate

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Benetton" at the bottom.

The "dignity of survivors must be respected at all times," said SOS Mediterannee. "The human tragedy at stake in the Mediterranean must never be used for any commercial purposes."

"SOS Mediterranee does not give its consent for any commercial use of its pictures."

Benetton published two publicity photographs on its Twitter account featuring migrants, one credited to SOS Mediterannee and another to the Italian news agency ANSA. A ship operated by SOS Mediterannee, the Aquarius, rescued 630 migrants in

the Mediterranean last week.

The vessel was caught in a major row after Italy's populist government refused to allow the migrants to disembark.

The migrants, among them scores of children, were eventually taken to Spain.

Italian group Benetton, which posted the largest loss in its history of 180 million euros ($210 million) for 2017, has been criticised in the past for its shock publicity campaigns.

Campaigns showing an AIDS patient, a black woman breastfeeding a white child and even former pope Benedict kissing a senior Egyptian imam have all sparked controversy.

Ardern will follow in the footsteps of the late Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who in 1990 became the only women in recorded history to give birth while in power.

Deputy Winston Peters is now acting prime minister while Ardern takes six weeks of maternity leave.

Ardern was due on June 17 and has not publicly revealed the sex of her baby with partner Clarke Gayford.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Buckingham Palace in April. (Photo: Reuters: Daniel Leal-Olivas)

Somen Debnath visits Houston on his World Bicycle Tour for HIV/ AIDS and Indian culture

by Partha S. Chatterjee omen Debnath, the humanist, is on a World Bicycle Tour for HIV/AIDS awareness and to bring exposure to the rich heritage of Indian culture. He has just started his United States tour, entering Texas from Mexico.

Starting in May, 2004 just after his graduation, he has visited more than 150 countries, more than 150,000 km and is on the way to more than 200 countries by 2020, when he returns to India.

He arrived in Houston and visited the Hindu Temple of Woodlands, Char Dham Temple and also, biked with the bicycle enthusiasts of Woodlands.

He visited Houston Durga Bari on Sunday, June 10th.

His visit was organized by Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, the ex-President of Durga Bari. After seeking blessings of Ma Durga, he had lunch with the attendees.

He had an exciting presentation and Q&A session.

Somen believes in humanity and Swami Vivekananda’s message and treats everyone as if part of a global village. Love and respect he shows others is always reciprocated.

Somen got moved by the story of an AIDS patient being left to die in Kolkata in early 200 and got no answer from his teachers. He wanted to learn and spread awareness.

He was captured by Taliban in 2009 and spent 24 days in captivity. They loved Indian food and impressed them by cooking Indian curry. They let him go. Humanity won! On his first trip to North Eastern India, he was accosted by robbers on a 5-km ride through dense forest. He gave everything away. He said since they took everything, he at least needed shelter for the night. He managed to convince the leader of the gang, who took him to his house. They were so happy with him that they let him go with all his items.

Humanity won again!

Somen asked everyone to follow their dreams and make the world a better place. He is collecting funds for his bicycle tour.

After his tour, he plans to set up a museum of items from his tour and be on a speaking tour to bring attention to world's problems and spread the message of humanity.

Let's spread the message of humanity and love!

Somen Debnath's world tour can be supported by donating on his Website: http://www.somen2020world.com/ FB:https://www.facebook.com/worldsomen/

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Somen Debnath visited the Hindu Temple of Woodlands, Char Dham Temple

52 Indians held ...

Continued from page 8 themselves as Sikhs or Christians from India.

They alleged that they fled from their country because of religious persecution from the Hindu majority. The Indians told the delegation that their Hindi and Punjabi translators were the first outsiders they've been able to talk to since they were imprisoned weeks ago, the daily reported.

The Congressional delegation included Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden.

"As the child of parents whose families found refuge in America from the terrors of Nazi Germany, I strongly believe Donald Trump's cruel and callous treatment of human beings seeking asylum flies in the face of America's core humanitarian values," Wyden said.

"Trump's choice of zero tolerance for the refugees we met today and for the others imprisoned around the country this Father Day weekend makes zero sense and shows zero understanding of American values.

"What I saw and heard today highlights the urgency of reversing Trump's mean, dangerous and damaging actions - returning America to our unique role as a beacon of hope that welcomed our immigrant ancestors and creating the future we want for our children," he said.

These 123 detainees are among the more than 1,600 people that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is holding in federal prisons

across the US as it enforces Trump's "zero-tolerance policy" on immigration, the lawmakers said in a joint statement.

The men come from 16 different countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, China, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, India, Mauritania, Nepal, Peru and Russia, as well as from Congo and Eritrea, it said.

The Congressional delegation were told that that detainees are being held upwards for 23 hours a day with three men bunked in each cell. The prison does not have the resources to house ICE detainees alongside pre-trial inmates who are normally held in the facility.

The delegation was also told that incompatibility between BOP and ICE telephone systems was preventing ICE detainees at the BOP facility from accessing legal services.

According to lawmakers, the detainees described stress as they sit in cells day after day without knowing when they will get a hearing, or get a lawyer, or what comes next.

"Several men had been separated from their children, and experienced the added stress of not knowing what happened to their families.

"Under Trump's 'zerotolerance policy', the men's children were taken away at the border - one man said an ICE official told him, 'it's not my choice; the decision came from above' - and the fathers still don't have any information about their location, condition or well-being," the lawmakers said. (-PTI)

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

VOICE OF ASIA 11

www.voiceasiaonline.com

Business Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Section 2 Tel: 713-774-5140

‘Reason will prevail’ at tense Top Cybersecurity expert Anup OPEC meet, says Saudi minister Ghosh joins Accenture Security

by Michelle Fitzpatrick

S

audi Arabia’s energy minister on Wednesday said he was convinced OPEC members would “do the right thing” and agree to ease an oil production cap this week despite strong resistance from archfoe Iran.

“I’m confident that at the end of the day reason will prevail and we’ll be doing the right thing. So stay tuned,” Khalid al-Falih told reporters at an OPEC seminar in Vienna.

The comments came after Falih huddled for hours with his OPEC counterparts on the sidelines of the conference, two days ahead of a crucial meeting on the fate of an 18-month-old supply-cut pact between OPEC and non-OPEC allies that has lifted prices to around $70 a barrel.

Saudi Arabia and non-member Russia are now pushing to open the spigots again but Iran, bracing for the impact of renewed US sanctions on its oil exports, wants the OPEC+ group to stick to the agreed cuts of 1.8 million barrels a day.

Falih said every minister he had met with “agrees that it’s

time for us to change course”, noting that global oil demand is expected to climb in the coming months.

Riyadh is also under pressure from US President Donald Trump to boost output in order to lower oil prices before US voters head to the polls for November’s midterm elections.

Taking to the stage at the same Vienna seminar, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh reiterated his country’s resistance to increasing output and accused Trump of trying to politicise OPEC. “The real responsibility for the current oil price hike lies with the US president himself,” Zanganeh told the audience.

- ‘Stormy weather’ Trump has in recent months repeatedly blamed OPEC for a spike in oil prices, but Zanganeh said it was US sanctions on Iran and Venezuela that had fuelled fears of a supply crunch and put pressure on prices.

Iran is facing a fresh round of penalties following Trump’s decision to quit the international nuclear pact, and is wary of any attempt by regional ri-

val Riyadh to offset the losses and appease Trump.

Saudi’s Falih acknowledged the tensions, saying: “Oil has always been influenced by politics.”

But he insisted that any decision made “will be based on fundamentals”.

Observers believe a possible face-saving compromise could be clinched if members agree to stop over-complying with the current pact, and simply stick to the agreed cuts -- which would bring several hundred thousand more barrels to the market each day.

The 14 nations in the OPEC cartel are set to discuss changing output policy in the Austrian capital on Friday, with 10 non-member partner countries including Russia joining the talks Saturday.

OPEC secretary general Mohammad Barkindo said he was confident an agreement would be found.

“Despite the rising political tensions, as well as the tensions on the international trade side, we will be able to navigate this stormy weather,” he told reporters.

Tesla accuses former employee of hacking and transferring data

by Salvador Rodriguez, Vibhuti Sharma

S

AN FRANCISCO Tesla Inc has sued a former employee claiming that he hacked the electric carmaker’s trade secrets and transferred large amounts of company data to third parties, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Nevada on Wednesday.

In its lawsuit Tesla claimed that Martin Tripp, who formerly worked at the Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada, had admitted to writing software that hacked the carmaker’s manufacturing operating system, transferring several gigabytes of its data to third parties and making false

claims to the media.

Tripp was not immediately available for comment. His hacking software was operating on three separate computer systems of other individuals at Tesla so that the data would be exported even after he left the company and falsely implicate those individuals, according to the lawsuit.

“Within a few months of Tripp joining Tesla, his managers identified Tripp as having problems with job performance and at times being disruptive and combative with his colleagues,” the lawsuit said.

“As a result of these and other issues, on or about May 17, 2018, Tripp was assigned

to a new role. Tripp expressed anger that he was reassigned.”

Earlier this week, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk told employees in an email that an unnamed Tesla employee had conducted “extensive and damaging sabotage” to the company’s operations.

“The full extent of his actions are not yet clear, but what he has admitted to so far is pretty bad,” Musk wrote without specifying who he was referring to.

A Tesla spokesperson had no additional comment.

Tesla stock was trading up slightly on Wednesday, just below $355. (Reuters)

Joyalukkas launches summer collection with shimmering offer

S

ummer 2018 just got more exciting for the USA with the launch of a limited edition Summer collection from the world’s favorite jeweler. Featuring stunning hand-picked designs inspired by the season, Summer collection a must-have for every jewelry lover.

The collection comprises stunning rings, pendants and earrings that can be mixed and matched or purchased as a set. Boasting the purest gold and certified diamonds, each piece in the collection is a masterpiece to be enjoyed long after summer is over.

Also heating up summer is a 0% deduction offer on old gold exchange.

“Summer collection is an exceptional collection we are proud to present to all jewellery lovers,”said Mr. Joy Alukkas, Chairman & MD, Joyalukkas Group. “And at irresistible prices as well as a special offer in store, we are sure our loyal patrons simply can’t resist this dazzling new collection.”

The Joyalukkas Shimmering Summer Collection is now available for a limited time across Joyalukkas showrooms in Houston, New Jersey and Chicago.

About Joyalukkas Group: Joyalukkas Group is a multi-billion dollar global conglomerate, with varied business interests. The group operates its various business operations across UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, UK and India. The group businesses include Jewellery, Money Exchange, Fashion & Silks and Malls. Joyalukkas employs over 8,000 professionals across the world, and is one of the most awarded and recognized Jewellery retail chains in the world.

Appointment of executive expected to scale growth of cybersecurity solutions business

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RLINGTON, VA; June 13 – Accenture today announced the appointment of industry veteran and cybersecurity expert, Dr. Anup Ghosh, as managing director in Accenture Security.

In his new role, Ghosh will bring his technology focused background and executive leadership to lead strategic technology investments that help scale Accenture Security’s rapid growth in the managed security services business.

“Accenture Security’s managed security services business has been growing rapidly because of the significant value we offer our clients in finding threats on networks before they can cause business impact. Anup’s expertise in cybersecurity, threat intelligence, and developing high growth businesses will be critical to continue to scale our business in the coming years,” said Kelly Bissell, senior managing director of Accenture Security. “Anup is a recognized leader in the security field and his creative technical acumen will be a valuable asset as we deliver advanced security solutions that build business resilience, tailored to our clients’ industries. His successful track record for providing security expertise to some of the world’s largest organizations makes him a perfect fit for our security strategy.”

Ghosh brings a wealth of cybersecurity experience to Accenture. Most recently, he was founder and former CEO at Invincea, Inc., a Virginia-based machine learning cybersecurity company, until Invincea was acquired by Sophos in March 2017. Prior to founding Invincea, he was a Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he created and

Anup Ghosh, managing director, Accenture Security managed an extensive portfolio of cybersecurity programs.

“Threat actors have become highly skilled at attacking organizations while staying below the radar for prolonged periods of time. Most companies are ill-equipped, understaffed, and overwhelmed with the daily grind of cyber risks and events to know which threats to focus on that can cause business impact,” said Dr. Anup Ghosh. “I am pleased to join Accenture at a time when it is going through an extraordinary period of growth in cybersecurity. I believe the future of cybersecurity operations will move to tech-enabled teams of cybersecurity experts. Accenture’s leading market presence, deep bench of industry expertise and strong foundation

of technology-based alliance relationships sets the standard for our industry.”

In Accenture’s 2018 State of Cyber Resilience study, 83 percent of the 4,600 respondents polled agreed that new technologies are essential and they would commit funding to them if they could. But only 40 percent are investing in advanced technologies to improve their security defenses.

Earlier in his career, Ghosh held roles as Chief Scientist in the Center for Secure Information Systems at George Mason University and as Vice President of Research at Cigital, Inc. He has served as a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and the Naval Studies Board, informing the future of American cyber defenses.

Audi CEO detained in emissions manipulation probe

G

erman authorities on Monday detained the chief executive of Volkswagen’s Audi division, Rupert Stadler, as part of a probe into manipulation of emissions controls.

ported that prosecutors decided to seek Stadler’s arrest due to fears he might try to evade justice. A former head of Audi’s engine development unit is already in investigative detention.

The move follows a search last week of Stadler’s private residence, ordered by Munich prosecutors investigating the manager on suspicion of fraud and indirect improprieties with documents.

A total of 20 people are under suspicion in the Audi probe, which focuses on cars sold in Europe that were believed to be equipped with software which turned emissions controls off during regular driving.

German news agency dpa re-

Volkswagen

has

pleaded

guilty to criminal charges in the United States and nine managers, including former CEO Martin Winterkorn, were charged there. Two are serving prison terms; Winterkorn and the others remained in Germany and are unlikely to be extradited.

Audi said in a statement last week that it was “cooperating with the authorities” in the probe. Volkswagen shares were down 2.1 percent at 157.66 euros in Frankfurt trading. (AP)

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

‘Incredibles 2’ makes heroic N. America box office debut

“Incredibles 2,” the long-awaited return of a quirky animated superhero family from Disney-Pixar, reigned supreme at the North American box office, raking in a record $182.7 million in its debut, data showed Monday. (© 2017 Disney/Pixar/ All Rights Reserved.)

“Incredibles 2,” the long-awaited return of a quirky animated superhero family from Disney-Pixar, reigned supreme at the North American box office, raking in a record $182.7 million in its debut, data showed Monday.

I

t was the highest ever opening for an animated film, easily besting the $135 million debut of its Pixar stablemate, “Finding Dory” (2016).

The sequel picks up the story of the Parr family as matriarch Helen (Holly Hunter) is called upon to help bring the world’s hiding superheroes back into the open, and husband Bob (Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day work of being a homemaker.

Their children Violet (Sarah Vowell) and Dash (Huck Milner) are back again, along with baby Jack-Jack, whose devastating super powers are about to be unleashed.

In second place was female heist flick “Ocean’s 8,” which followed up on a big opening by earning $19 million in its second week, according to US box office monitor Exhibitor Relations.

With an all-star cast led by Sandra Bullock and supported by Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna, the Warner Bros. sequel was Hollywood’s latest experiment -- after “Ghostbusters” -- in replacing an allmale cast with female stars.

The film stars Bullock as Debbie

Ocean, sister of Danny Ocean (originally played by George Clooney), as she assembles a gang of talented women to plan a seemingly impossible diamond heist from the Met Gala in New York.

Adult comedy “Tag” opened in third place at $14.9 million. It tells the story of childhood pals (led by Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner) who keep up a game of cross-country tag for decades, sometimes playing at the oddest of moments.

Fourth place went to “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” starring Alden Ehrenreich as a young version of the swashbuckling space pilot first played by Harrison Ford. The Disney film took in $10 million.

Fifth place went to R-rated superhero flick “Deadpool 2,” with $8.7 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were: “Superfly” ($6.87 million) “Hereditary” ($6.86 million) “Avengers: Infinity War” ($5.4 million) “Adrift” ($2.2 million) “Book Club” ($1.8 million) - AFP

Bollywood bad boy back with Eid blockbuster

I

t has become a tradition in the Hindi film industry for Khan, one of the world’s highest-paid actors, to star in Indian Bollywood actor Salman Khan sings durthe big release on the Muslim ing the music launch of action thriller Hindi film holiday of Eid to mark the end ‘Race 3’ in Mumbai. © Sujit Jaiswal / AFP of Ramadan, which begins on Saturday in India.

“Tubelight”, a drama set during the Action movie “Race 3” is Khan’s 1962 India-China war, flopped at the fifth straight Eid release and his eighth box office but analysts expect “Race since 2010.

3” to soar.

It is also his first film since he was “It’s Salman Khan, it’s Eid weekend handed a five-year jail sentence in and it’s an action franchise that plays April for shooting dead two rare an- to the galleries and has always been telopes known as black bucks during a successful. I expect it to make great 1998 hunting trip. money,” film distributor Akshaye The 52-year-old, who has repeatedly Rathi told AFP. denied killing the animals, spent two Rathi tipped the movie, which also days behind bars before being granted stars Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol, to bail. make one billion rupees ($14.72 milThe bodybuilding actor suffered a lion) during its opening weekend, the rare commercial failure last Eid when benchmark for a surefire blockbuster.

Nicole Kidman at the 75th Golden Globe Awards, January 2018, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo: VALERIE MACON / AFP)

Nicole Kidman strikes a deal with Amazon Studios Australian actress Nicole Kidman, an Academy Award winner with “The Hours,” toast of the Golden Globes for “Big Little Lies,” and co-star in “Batman Forever,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Lion,” is now making movies and TV shows with Amazon Studios.

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icole Kidman’s production company is teaming up with Amazon Studios to create both “addictive, entertaining and compelling television” for Amazon’s Prime Video audience as well as movies destined for theatrical release.

Blossom Films was integral to the creation of 2017’s HBO series “Big Little Lies,” which took eight of a total 16 Primetime Emmy nominations.

In film, it has backed well-received art pranksterism comedy drama “The

Family Fang,” Selena Gomez romcom “Monte Carlo,” and Oscar-nominated drama “Rabbit Hole.”

On its slate of upcoming and potential projects are adaptations of novels “The Silent Wife” (by A. S. A. Harrison), “Truly Madly Guilty” (Liane Moriarty), “You Should Have Known” (Jean Hanff Korelitz) and “Reconstructing Amelia” (Kimberly McCreight), all of which have Kidman linked with a principal role.

Also currently under the Blossom

Films banner are “Spectre,” a horror movie co-written by James Wan of “Saw” and “Aquaman” fame, and the Simon Kinberg thriller “The Eighth Wonder.”

Amazon had previously reached similar agreements with Jordan Peele of “Get Out,” Jill Soloway of “Transparent,” Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and Robert Kirkman of “The Walking Dead.”

- Relaxnews

Ranbir Kapoor’s Sanju: Karishma Tanna’s uncanny resemblance to Madhuri Dixit is unbelievable! new still from the Sanjay Dutt biopic ‘Sanju’ has surfaced online, and the gang Ranbir Kapoor, Karishma Tanna, and Vicky Kaushal - look sprightly retro.

Sporting black goggles and bright colors amidst blazing lights, the trio posed for a cheery photo.

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The picture was shared by Tanna herself on her Instagram. While sharing it, she wrote, “Happy faces one frame!!! Watch out for more!!;) @hirani.rajkumar @vickykaushal09 #ranbirkapoor #karishmatanna #ktians #sanju #Repost @filmfare with @ get_repost.”

There were reports that Karisma Tanna was supposed to essay the role of Madhuri in the biopic. However, it was later revealed that Sonam Kapoor’s character will be an amalgamation of Dutt’s love interests in the early 90s.

Based on the life of Sanjay Dutt, the film gives an insight into the crazy and hardships of his life. Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani has been introducing the various facades of Dutt’s life with varied posters, introducing the closest people in the yesteryear actor’s life.

After giving an insight into the crazy love life, emotional father-son bond, untold friendship and heartwarming mother-son relationship, spousal love and support, Hirani shared a still showing ‘Jaadu Ki Jhappi’ between Dutt (Kapoor) and his father Sunil Dutt (Paresh Rawal). The recentlyreleased trailer of Sanju has taken the excitement of the audience to an all-

Sanju new still featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Karishma Tanna, Vicky Kaushal , Twitter time high, owing to the gripping storyline and power-packed performances by the ensemble cast. Written and directed by Hirani, the film also stars Manisha Koirala, Sonam Kapoor, and

Dia Mirza.

‘Sanju’ is slated to hit the theaters on June 29.

-DNA India

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 13

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

I Was Raised on the Internet’: art of the new millennium at MCA Chicago

Vans Warped Tour launching its final cross-country trek

How has the internet changed the way we experience the world? That is the question a new exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art MCA Chicago sets out to answer, through varied artworks that highlight shifts in art and interaction since the start of the millennium.

he iconic Vans Warped Tour, which has brought music and skate culture around the US for nearly 25 years, is set to launch the final edition of its crosscountry tour this week.

I

Was Raised on the Internet” will feature nearly 100 artworks, all of them interactive, spanning from 1998 to the present and covering the fields of photography, painting, sculpture, film and video, as well as emerging technologies and virtual reality. Together, they will be used to examine the influence of gaming, entertainment, social media and smartphones on everyday life.

The show will focus on a generation of both artists and viewers who have come to speak the “unique vocabulary” of the new millennium, and visitors to the exhibition will become active in it, engaging in new technologies and participating with the works -- both those in the galleries and digital works found online.

Among highlights of the show -- which will include artists working in new media such as Oculus Rift and platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat -- will be Amalia Ullman’s fourth-month Instagram project “Excellences & Perfections,” a series of photographs examining social media’s influence on attitudes toward the female body; an immersive, matrixlike space by Hito Steyerl called “Factory of the Sun”; and a sculpture and video installation

by Simon Denny that critiques the politics of cryptocurrencies.

A number of works have also been commissioned specially for the event, including a film by Christopher Kulendran Thomas about the electric car company Tesla, a start-up accelerator by Jeremy Bailey whose results will be seen in a “demo day” event featuring the participating artists pitch-

The Warped Tour was founded by Kevin Lyman, whose time in the music business, including four summers with Lollapalooza, inspired him to create an event of his own. The 1995 inaugural tour featured bands including Quicksand, Sublime, L7, No Use for A Name and No Doubt.

Jeremy Bailey, Nail Art Museum, 2014. Video; 5 minutes, 53 seconds. (Courtesy of Pari Nadimi Gallery) ing their ideas, and a new video game for the exhibition’s online platform by Porpentine Charity Heartscape.

“I Was Raised on the Internet” runs from June 23 to October 14. A number of concurrent events are planned, including a late-night dance party celebrating footwork, a Chicago art

form that gained global fame though online sharing platforms.

For that event, the museum is accepting submissions of original GIFs that will feature on an internet café video wall.

Find details of the exhibition at mcachicago.org/Exhibitions/2018/ I-Was-Raised-OnThe-Internet. (-Relaxnews)

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icrosoft has announced the acquisition of Flipgrid, a video-based social learning platform for pre-kindergarten to PhD-level educators, students and families.

Flipgrid is a tool used to help students define, share and respect the diversity of their voices; teachers assign homework, students respond by recording short video messages.

This is believed to strengthen emotional skills beyond the traditional curricula -- “skills

Since its creation in 2015, Flipgrid has raised $17 million in venture funding and has been sold on a subscription basis. Now Microsoft will offer the service to schools for free, like it has done with Office 365 Education software, so customers who’ve purchased a subscription will receive a prorated refund.

The quantity and quality of teenagers’ sleep could have an effect on their cardiovascular risk according to new research. (Photo: ktaylorg / Istock.com)

The participants were asked to complete written sleep logs and also had both their nighttime sleep and daily physical activity measured over 7 to 10 days by actigraphy, which records physical motion by a device worn on the wrist.

The actigraphy measured both sleep duration -- the amount of time spent asleep during the night -- and sleep efficiency -- the percentage of time which is actually spent asleep each night -- to assess the quality and quantity of sleep.

The results showed that the

The last full edition of the long-running event is set to kick off on June 21 in California, wrapping up August 5 in Florida and making stops

No Doubt, seen here in 2001, was one of the bands to play the inaugural edition of the Warped Tour. (Photo: © AFP/Stan Honda) across the US on the way. The huge line-up includes Sum 41, Simple Plan, Less Than Jake, All Time Low, Yungblud and many, many more, plus a local line-up that will change at each show.

In honor of the tour’s final run, the team behind it put together a commemorative video featuring interviews with Ly-

the company’s recent research says will be required in 30 to 40 percent of the fastest-growing occupations” according to the company announcement.

New US research has found that the quantity and quality of teenagers’ sleep could have a significant effect on aspects of cardiovascular health such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels and abdominal fat.

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Over its long history, the tour has spotlighted numerous alternative, pop-punk and rock acts, and it was especially instrumental in serving as a platform for the rise of pop punk -- featuring Sum 41, Simple Plan, New Found Glory and Good Charlotte, among others -- and emo, through bands such as Jimmy Eat World, Thrice, Thursday and Motion City Soundtrack.

Microsoft and Flipgrid unite for social learning

Teens’ sleep quantity and quality may affect their cardiovascular risk

OSTON, MA - Led

by MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC), the study looked at 829 participants with an average age of 13 who had taken part in Project Viva, a longterm study based at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

T

average sleep duration for all participants was 7.35 hours per day, with 31 percent of participants getting less than 7 hours sleep.

Only 2.2 percent of participants met or exceeded the recommended average sleep duration for their age group, which is 9 hours per day for ages 11 to 13 and 8 hours per day for those 14 to 17, and more than 58 percent also had sleep efficiency less than the 85 percent that is considered sufficient for adults.

The researchers also found that both shorter sleep duration and lower sleep efficiency were associated with increased levels of overall and abdominal fat deposition, a finding which still held true even after the team had taken into account other influencing factors such as physical activity, television viewing and consumption of fast foods or sweetened

beverages.

The team also found that a longer sleep duration and higher efficiency were associated with a reduced cardiometabolic risk, based on factors such as smaller waist circumference, lower systolic blood pressure, and higher HDL cholesterol levels.

“Sleep quantity and quality are pillars of health alongside diet and physical activity,” commented lead and corresponding author Elizabeth Cespedes Feliciano. “We know that exercise improves sleep efficiency in adults and that screen time decreases it in children, so preventive measures should target those and other factors such as stress, noise and caffeine consumption.”

The findings were published in the journal Pediatrics.

(- Relaxnews)

(Photo: bjones27 / Istock.com)

(Photo: bjones27 / Istock.com)

man and band members as well as footage from years past.

Organizers announced late last year that the 2018 tour would be the last, although they hinted at the possibility of a 25th anniversary celebration in 2019.

Details of those plans have yet to be revealed. (-Relaxnews) By joining forces, the companies aim to further their vision for education. The purchase of the Minneapolis-based educational software startup will increase Microsoft’s presence in classrooms, a space that is also of interest to Google and Apple. And although a fairly new company, Flipgrid is no stranger to schools with over 20 million users in 180 countries.

Joey Taralson, VP of user engagement at the startup, told Business Insider that “the potential to make Flipgrid free was actually a large factor in the decision to sell” and to get to the next level. (-Relaxnews)

LEGAL

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Family Law and Personal Injury

Mala Sharma There are many types of auto insurance from minimal to full coverage, to protect your damages. Most states, like Texas, require car owners to carry liability insurance or the minimum car insurance. With liability insurance, recovering all damages caused by a driver who is at fault will depend on how much their liability insurance policy is. This minimum amount of coverage does vary by policy and, unfortunately, in catastrophic auto accidents, liability insurance is not enough to compensate for more serious injuries including brain damage or spinal damage.

In such situations, a person injured from an at-fault driver may recover the remaining damages or all damages through their own insurance if they have uninsured and underinsured or full coverage.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage protects those hit by an at-fault driver who does not have liability insurance and therefore unable to pay any damages they have caused in an auto accident.

If the negligent driver who caused the accident is affluent and does not have insurance, you may sue this

Although car owners are required by law to carry the minimum car insurance policy or liability insurance, it is highly recommended to get full coverage insurance including UM/ UIM insurance. The minimum insurance coverage or liability insurance only covers damages to another vehicle if you are found at fault for the accident.

However, if you are hit by a reckless, negligent driver who has no insurance or not enough insurance to cover all your property damage and bodily injury damages, you would only be able to recover these expenses through your own insurance if you have UM/UIM coverage. There have been too many accidents where the nofault driver ends up with many medical bills and expenses and

unable to pay these damages because they do not have full coverage on their auto insurance policy and the at-fault driver does not have insurance either.

Full coverage policies also include Personal Injury Protection (PIP) which, depending on how much the policy offers, allows you to recover your medical expenses no matter who is at fault for the accident. It is in your best interest to protect yourself with full coverage auto insurance policy so you are not left with outstanding medical bills or other damages caused by a negligent driver.

About Mala Sharma Mala Sharma has been practicing family law and personal injury with her family at the Law Offices of Sharma & Associates, founded in 1997.

Mala is President Emeritus of the Houston Northwest Bar Association, Board member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and South Asian Bar Association. She is also a member of the Houston Bar Association.

Disclaimer: This material is available for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.

Tel: 713-774-5140

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

Why You Need Uninsured (UM)/ Underinsured Motorist (UIM) to Protect Yourself person to recover all damages.

Most often however, uninsured drivers do not have significant assets in which you may attempt to recover from. On the other hand, many motorists carry minimal policy limits which do not cover all damages and leave you with outstanding bills to pay. Thus, underinsured motorist coverage (UIM), protects those involved in an accident with an at-fault driver whose insurance coverage does not cover all damages and/or medical expenses. In this scenario, after the minimal policy for the at-fault driver has been exhausted, your underinsured motorist coverage will step in to pay all outstanding bills and other damages.

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

by Sharlene Sharmila Richards, Immigration Lawyer Email at srichardslaw@aol.com

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Q: I am a US Citizen who resides overseas.

Recently, I tried to renew my expired US Passport but was informed by the Embassy that they will need to see my Naturalization Certificate. I am not able to find it. How can I apply to replace my lost Naturalization Certificate? Do I have to provide my Biometrics and if yes, can I provide that at the Embassy?

A You will need to apply for a replacement of the Certificate of Naturalization using Form N-565. You can either file for the replacement online or by mail.

Form N-565 can be found online at www.uscis.gov.

The instructions for this Form specifically state that if you file the application with USCIS, you do not need to include a biometrics services fee at the time you submit the application. If you are later notified that you must submit biometrics, you will receive a biometrics services appointment notice with instructions on how to submit the additional biometrics services fee. If you file this application with an agency other than USCIS, you will need to check with the agency to determine if and when you must submit a biometric services fee. USCIS may require that you appear for an interview or provide fingerprints, photographs and or signature at any time to verify your identity. If this is required, and you are overseas, the notice will instruct you to contact a U.S Embassy or U.S Consulate, or USCIS Field Office outside the US to set up an appointment.

Q: What is the Filing Fee for Form N-565?

A: The Filing Fee is $555.00. This does not include the Biometrics fee. If Biometrics is required, you will be separately notified about the Biometrics services fee.

Q: My mother’s Naturalization Certificate

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT REPLACEMENT OF NATURALIZATION / CITIZENSHIP DOCUMENT has an incorrect date of birth because her Form N-400 Application for Naturalization had the incorrect date of birth. Can she apply on Form N-565 to request for the correction of her wrong date of birth?

A: No, she cannot.

USCIS cannot make any changes to an incorrect date of birth on a Naturalization Certificate if a wrong date of birth was in fact indicated on the N-400 Application for Naturalization and the applicant swore to the facts of in that application that everything was true and correct at the time of the interview.

Q: I just received my child’s Certificate of Citizenship and it contains a typographical error in her name. My child’s N-600 application had her name correctly spelt. What can I do about this?

You can submit the A: Form N-565 to request for a replacement Certificate of Citizenship with the correct name. Select Item C in Item Number 2 of Part 2 of the application form. Do not forget to include the Certificate with the typographical error. There is no Filing Fee for this.

Q: The Passport Office sent my renewed US Passport back to me and they included my Naturalization Certificate. My son did not notice the document was in the envelope and he tore the envelope up and accidentally destroyed my Naturalization Certificate which was inside the envelope. What can I do about this?

A: Your Naturalization Certificate has been mutilated. You may apply for a replacement of the document using Form N-565 and select Item B in Item Number 2 of Part 2. The filing fee is $555.00. Do not forget to include the mutilated document with the application and two identical color passport style photos (2 x 2 inches).

Q: I recently got married and I want to adopt my husband’s last name. My Naturalization Certificate is in my maiden name. Can I

apply for a replacement?

A: Yes. You can use Form N-565 for this purpose. Select Item C in Item Number 2 of Part 2. Do not forge tot include the evidence for your name change such as your Marriage Certificate and the appropriate Filing Fee of $555.00.

Q: My son’s Certificate of Citizenship states his gender as male. He changed his gender several years ago through court order. What documents does he need to provide to replace his Certificate of Citizenship to reflect his new gender?

A: He will need to provide the certified copy of the court order for the gender change, the original Certificate of Citizenship and complete Part 7 Government documentation by identifying the documents he will be submitting such as amended Birth certificate, or foreign, state, or local justification documentation recognizing the gender such as a passport or driver license or certification by a licensed physician or doctor of Osteopathy.

My Bio Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration Lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court.

If you require advice or assistance, you may contact her at telephone number 713-623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case. Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case.

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Read previous articles on LEGAL issues by our columnist Visit us online : www. voiceofasiaonline.com To contribute articles, email voiceasia@aol.com

VOICE OF VOICE OF ASIA ASIA15 17

FRIDAY, FRIDAY,June June22, 22,2018 2018

How Medicare Prescripton Plan works with other insurance

June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

Section 2

Tel: 713-774-5140

Transgenderism no longer a mental illness: WHO

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ENEVA, Switzerland | AFP | 6/19/2018 - Transgender people, who identify as the opposite gender to the one they were born with, should no longer be considered mentally ill, according to a new UN categorisation.

If you join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, you, your spouse, or your dependents may lose your employer or union health coverage.

The new catalogue, which still needs to be approved by UN member countries, so-called “gender incongruence” is now listed under “conditions related to sexual health”, instead of “mental, behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders”.

WHO says gender incongruence is characterised as a “marked and persistent incongruence between an individual’s experienced gender and the assigned sex.”

Several new chapters appear in the first update of WHO’s International Classification of Diseases catalogue since the 1990s, including the one on sexual health.

“We think it will reduce stigma so that it may help better social acceptance for these individuals,” Say said, adding that since the catalogue is used

COBRA

Several countries have already taken steps to reclassify transgenderism and take it off the list of mental disorders.(Photo: nito100 / Istock.com) by doctors and insurers to determine coverage, the move away from a mental disorder could “even increase access to healthcare”.

The document, which member states will be asked to approve during the World Health Assembly in Geneva next May, will take effect from January 1, 2022 if it is adopted.

Several countries have already taken steps to reclassify transgenderism and take it off the list of mental disorders, including France and Denmark.

Say said she thought the text, which

is the result of years of discussion among experts, would easily win approval, despite widespread lack of acceptance of transgender people in many parts of the world.

WHO’s latest catalogue also has a new chapter on traditional medicine, which previously went unmentioned, despite being used by millions of people around the world.

It also includes a section on video gaming, recognising gaming disorder as a pathological condition that can be addictive in the same way as cocaine.

In US, obesity, smoking more common in rural areas: study

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ASHINGTON | AFP | 6/19/2018 - People who live in rural areas of the United States are far more likely than city dwellers to smoke, be overweight, and face a host of related health concerns, researchers said Tuesday.

“Rates of obesity showed similar patterns, but weren’t statistically significant,” added the report.

Among youths, obesity was more likely among those whose parents had less education, and more common among African-Americans and Hispanics than whites.

When it came to adults, severe obesity was “higher in rural areas than large urban areas, and rates for obesity (defined as BMI at or above 30) showed similar patterns,” said the report.

A separate report last week by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found obesity prevalence was “significantly higher” among adults in rural counties (34.2 percent) compared to those in metropolitan counties (28.7 percent).

About 46 million people, or 14 percent of the US population, live outside metropolitan areas.

Smoking is down to its lowest point in America -- with just 13.9 percent of the population identifying as cigarette smokers -- but is still twice as com-

Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy with prescription drug coverage It may be to your advantage to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan because most Medigap drug coverage isn’t creditable. You may pay more if you join a drug plan later.

Medigap policies can no longer be sold with prescription drug coverage, but if you have drug coverage under a current Medigap policy, you can keep it. If you join a Medicare drug plan, your Medigap insurance company must remove the prescription drug coverage under your Medigap policy and adjust your premiums. Call your Medigap insurance company for more information.

Medicaid Your drug costs are covered by Medicare. You’ll need to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for Medicare to pay for your drugs.

If you have full coverage from Medicaid and live in an assisted living or adult living facility, or a residential home, you’ll pay a small co-payment for each drug.

If you don’t join a drug plan, Medicare will enroll you in one to make sure you don’t miss a day of coverage. If you decide you want another plan, you can switch to another plan at any time.

The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association relied on survey data about nearly 7,000 children and almost 11,000 adults in the United States.

Severe obesity is defined as a body mass index of 40 or above.

There may be reasons why you should take Medicare Part B instead of, or in addition to, COBRA. If you take COBRA and it includes creditable prescription drug coverage, you’ll have a special enrollment period to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan without a penalty when COBRA ends

In most cases, you’ll pay a small amount for your covered drugs. If you have full coverage from Medicaid and live in a nursing home, you pay nothing for covered prescription drugs.

Many chronic diseases are linked to obesity, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and arthritis, and researchers say understanding local trends can help them design better intervention strategies.

It found that among children and adolescents, “rates of severe obesity were higher in rural areas than large urban areas.”

Employer or union health coverage Employer or union health coverage refers to health coverage from your, your spouse’s, or other family member’s current or former employer or union. If you have prescription drug coverage based on your current or previous employment, your employer or union will notify you annually about whether your prescription drug coverage is creditable. Keep the information you get from them for future reference.

The World Health Organization issued a new catalogue Monday covering 55,000 diseases, injuries and causes of death, in which it discreetly recategorised transgenderism.

“We expect (the re-categorisation) will reduce stigma,” Lale Say, the coordinator of WHO’s department of reproductive health and research, told AFP Tuesday.

How Medicare Prescription Plan works with other Insurance

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits A US report found that severe obesity was “higher in rural areas than large urban areas, and rates for obesity (defined as BMI at or above 30) showed similar patterns.” (Photo: bjones27 / Istock.com) mon in rural areas than cities, said the CDC. Just 11 percent of adults in a metro area of one million people or more smoke, compared to nearly 22 percent in rural areas.

People living outside city centers also “had the highest rates of being obese, having experienced serious psychological distress during the past 30 days, or having diagnosed diabetes,” said the federal health agency.

New study suggests higher vitamin D levels could lower colorectal cancer risk New US research has found that higher circulating vitamin D concentrations are significantly associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer and third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women

C

arried out by scientists from the American Cancer Society, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the US National Cancer Institute, and more than 20 other medical centers and organizations, the new analysis

looked at 5,706 colorectal cancer case participants and 7107 control participants with a wide range of circulating 25(OH)D concentrations from the United States, Europe, and Asia.

During the follow-up, which was an average of 5.5 years, the researchers

If you get benefits or help from your state Medicaid program paying your Medicare premiums, you need to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for Medicare to cover your drugs. You automatically qualify for Extra Help with your prescription drug costs. If you

found that those who had a deficient concentration of vitamin D (less than 30 nmol/L) had a 31% higher risk of colorectal cancer than those who had vitamin D concentrations considered to be sufficient for bone health (50<62.5 nmol/L).

Vitamin D levels above sufficiency were also associated with between a 19% and 27% lower colorectal cancer risk depending on the level.

However, at the highest concentrations (100 nmol/L and above) the risk did not continue to decline.

The associations still held even after the team had taken into account other known colorectal cancer risk factors, and the protective effect of vitamin D was also found in all subgroups examined. However, the researchers did find that the association was noticeably stronger in women than men.

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 don’t join a plan, Medicare will enroll you in one to make sure you don’t miss a day of coverage.

Long-term care facility Long-term care pharmacies contract with Medicare Prescription Drug Plans to provide drug coverage to their residents. If you’re entering, living in, or leaving a nursing home, you’ll have the opportunity to choose or switch your Medicare drug plan. This allows you to choose a plan that contracts with your nursing home’s pharmacy HUD housing assistance If you get housing assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), you may want to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

If you qualify for Extra Help, you won’t lose your housing assistance.

However, your housing assistance may be reduced as your prescription drug spending decreases. The value of the Extra Help paying your drug costs will make up for any decrease in your housing assistance.

Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program The Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program plans usually include prescription drug coverage, so you don’t need to join a Medicare drug plan. However, if you decide to join a Medicare drug plan, you can keep your FEHB plan, and your plan will let you know who pays first.

Veterans’ Benefits You may be able to get prescription drug coverage through the Veterans Affairs (VA) program. You may join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, but if you do, you can’t use both types of coverage for the same prescription at the same time.

To enroll in suitable Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare Prescription Drug plan or Medicare supplement plan contact Sudhir Mathuria 713-771-2900.

Read the complete report online at: www.voiceofasiaonline.com

The researchers commented that the findings strengthen the evidence that vitamin D has a protective effect against colorectal cancer after previous studies have provided inconsistent results.

They also added that optimal vitamin D concentrations to help prevent colorectal cancer may be higher than the current National Academy of Medicine recommendations, which are based only on bone health, and suggested that levels between 75-100 nmol/L are optimal.

“Currently, health agencies do not recommend vitamin D for the prevention of colorectal cancer,” said Marji L. McCullough, ScD, American Cancer Society epidemiologist and co-first author of the study. “This study adds new information that agencies can use when reviewing evidence for vitamin D guidance.” (-Relaxnews)

HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Prevention key to dealing with spike in suicide rate

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

New study reveals how we can go from hungry to hangry New US research has revealed two important factors that could cause us to feel “hangry,” an emotional state which is a combination of both hunger and anger.

Notes, photographs and flowers are left in memory of Anthony Bourdain at the closed location of Brasserie Les Halles, where Bourdain used to work as the executive chef, June 8, 2018 in New York City (AFP Photo/Drew Angerer).

by Veronique Dupont

in Europe.

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While the recent deaths of Spade and Bourdain have cast the spotlight on suicide in developed countries, the WHO says that more than three quarters of suicides take place in developing countries.

OS ANGELES | AFP | 6/13/2018 - The recent deaths of fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain have cast a spotlight on a jarring spike in suicides worldwide and on the importance of confronting the issue.

More than 800,000 commit suicide annually around the world and suicide is listed as the second highest cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 29, according to the World Health Organization.

In the United States, 45,000 people took their own lives in 2016, a worrisome increase of nearly 30 percent since 1999.

“It is difficult to explain, but this may be due in part to the opioid epidemic and economic factors that may have a stronger impact in the US than other developed countries because we do not have as comprehensive a protective health and social safety net as most European countries,” said David Brent, a psychiatry professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

Richard Friedman, a professor of clinical psychiatry, said in an op-ed piece in the New York Times that “the prevalence of suicide has fluctuated over time, often rising during periods of social strife” as was the case in 1932, during the Great Depression.

“The real question is why our society has made so little progress in dealing with the public health crisis of suicide,” he wrote. “In fact, the suicide rate last year — 13.7 per 100,000 people — was nearly the same as the rate a century earlier.”

“We should declare war on suicide — just as we’ve done with other public health threats like HIV and heart disease — and give it the research and clinical funding needed to beat it,” he added.

- Developing countries most affected Countries riven by conflict, such as Sri Lanka, are among the most affected, while South Korea and Japan are on the top of the list of industrialized countries dealing with high suicide rates.

Someone who has experienced war, a natural disaster, violence or sexual abuse has a higher likelihood of committing suicide, according to the World Health Organization, In France, the suicide rate has plunged by 26 percent over the last 15 years to 10,000 a year, but remains one of the highest

The majority of those who take their own life suffer from a mental health issue such as depression or anxiety, US health officials say, but other factors include loneliness, the loss of a job or a loved one and the breakup of a relationship.

All levels of society and age groups are affected, they add.

Young people, who can be influenced, are more vulnerable to copycat suicides, especially after a celebrity takes his or her own life.

People in certain professions, including the military and farming, are also more affected as are ethnic and racial minorities.

- ‘Reached out for help’ Experts say that suicide is often not preceded by warnings and is a shock to families and loves ones who didn’t see it coming.

Bourdain belonged to a “strong man doesn’t ask for help generation,” the actress Rose McGowan, who was friends with the chef and his girlfriend Asia Argento, said

in an open letter following his death.

“I know before Anthony died he reached out for help, and yet he did not take the doctor’s advice,” she wrote.

Experts note that medical monitoring and psychotherapy often help in such cases.

The proper training of medical and emergency personnel is also essential, they note, as people who survive a suicide attempt are at high risk to try again.

“I think my mom has been the most consistent in coming to my rescue and helping me take steps to seek light,” said Ben, a veteran who left the army nine years ago and has since been dealing with suicidal thoughts.

“I have also had direct access to a social worker at the Veterans Affairs for the past nine years and have exerted a lot of effort exploring and reaching positive outcomes with selfhelp and mindfulness practices.”

The WHO has underlined that access to firearms has been associated with increased suicide rates.

Health officials in the United States say that suicide rates are significantly higher in areas where people own guns and that 22,000 suicides a year are related to firearms.

A new study has revealed some of the reasons why our hunger may lead us to feeling hangry.

(Photo: coloroftime / Istock.com)

W

ASHINGTON - Carried out by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the study set out to investigate what makes someone turn from feeling just hungry to feeling both hungry and bad-tempered, now more commonly known as ‘hangry.’

on a seven-point scale from pleasant to unpleasant.

“We all know that hunger can sometimes affect our emotions and perceptions of the world around us, but it’s only recently that the expression ‘hangry,’ meaning badtempered or irritable because of hunger, was accepted by the Oxford Dictionary,” said lead author Jennifer MacCormack.

“The purpose of our research is to better understand the psychological mechanisms of hunger-induced emotional states”

However, seeing a neutral or positive image first had no effect, suggesting that context is an important factor in determining whether hunger will contribute to negative emotions and lead individuals to feeling hangry.

The team first looked at more than 400 participants and asked them to take part in online experiments in which they were shown an image designed to either induce either positive, neutral or negative feelings.

Participants were then shown an ambiguous image, a Chinese pictograph, and asked to rate the pictograph

The results showed that when participants were hungry, they were more likely to rate the ambiguous Chinese pictographs as negative, but only after first being shown a negative image.

“The idea here is that the negative images provided a context for people to interpret their hunger feelings as meaning the pictographs were unpleasant,” explained MacCormack. “So there seems to be something special about unpleasant situations that makes people draw on their hunger feelings more than, say, in pleasant or neutral situations.”

In the second part of the research the team asked more than 200 university students to either fast or eat before completing a writing exercise. The scenario was set up so participants experienced

a computer crash just before they had completed the task.

They were then blamed for the crash by a researcher.

This time the team found that hungry individuals reported greater negative emotions, such as feeling stressed and hateful, and thought that the researcher was more judgmental or harsh when they were not focused on their own emotions.

However, those who spent time thinking about their emotions, even when they were hungry, did not report the same changes in emotions or social perceptions.

“You don’t just become hungry and start lashing out at the universe,” added coauthor Kristen Lindquist.

“We’ve all felt hungry, recognized the unpleasantness as hunger, had a sandwich and felt better. We find that feeling hangry happens when you feel unpleasantness due to hunger but interpret those feelings as strong emotions about other people or the situation you’re in.”

The findings can be found published online in the journal Emotion. ( - Relaxnews)

Lower costs, fewer benefits in new health insurance option

by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar

W

ASHINGTON— The Trump administration Tuesday rolled out a health insurance option for small businesses and self-employed people that could lead to lower premiums but may also cover fewer benefits than current plans.

Labor Secretary Alex Acosta said the new “association health plans” will allow small business to pool their purchasing power, gaining access to some of the advantages that large employers have in the health insurance market.

“Today the Trump administration helps level the playing field between large companies and small businesses,” Acosta said. “This expansion will offer millions of Americans more affordable health care options.

The new plans would retain the same protections for

people with pre-existing conditions, older workers, and women, that large company plans now have, Acosta said.

However, some groups currently offer association plans, and it was unclear if the consumer protections also apply to existing plans.

A Labor Department summary said new association plans could be offered to employers in a city, county, state or a metro area that includes several states. However, plans within a particular industry can be marketed nationwide. Sole proprietors and their families could join an association plan.

businesses are required to cover the Affordable Care Act’s 10 categories of “essential” benefits, from prescription drugs to maternity and mental health.

Under the new approach, small employers could get coverage that comes with fewer required benefits, said Gary Claxton of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

Ultimately, the idea’s success depends on buy-in from plan sponsors, consumers, insurers and state regulators. No major consequences are expected for people covered by large employers.

President Donald Trump has long asserted that promoting the sale of health insurance across state lines could bring down premiums without sacrificing quality. But many experts aren’t convinced, because medical costs vary greatly according to geography.

Acosta cited enrollment estimates that predict a modest impact: about 4 million people covered by the plans within a few years, including 400,000 who would have been uninsured. Compare that to the total number of about 160 million covered by job-based insurance.

Currently plans for small

After Republicans hit a dead

end trying to repeal the Obama health law, the Trump administration has pushed regulatory actions to loosen requirements and try to lower premiums for individuals and small businesses.

Another major initiative is expected later this summer when the administration eases rules for short-term health plans lasting less than a full year that could be purchased by individuals. Those plans wouldn’t have to cover people with pre-existing conditions, but would offer healthy people much lower premiums.

Critics say the administration’s approach will draw healthy people away from the health law’s insurance markets, raising the cost of coverage, which is subsidized by taxpayers.

About 11 million people are covered by HealthCare.gov and state markets, but the administration’s priority is to try

to lower premiums for another 7 million or so who buy their coverage directly and don’t get any help from the government.

State insurance regulators have been concerned about association health plans because similar plans in the past had problems with financial solvency and fraud. Administration officials said Tuesday that states and the federal government would share regulatory oversight of the plans, with states retaining their current authority.

The new plans will be phased in, starting in September.

A small business group called Job Creators Network welcomed the Trump administration move. Group president Alfredo Ortiz said it “will create more options, more competition, and lower costs for Main Street small businesses.”

(-Source: Associated Press)

BEAUTY & STYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Weekend beauty lessons from Milan Fashion Week

Antioxidants: a global beauty trend

All eyes were on Milan over the weekend, as the Spring/Summer 2019 menswear and womenswear shows took place in the Italian fashion capital. When it came to catwalk beauty, designers offered up a varied outlook for the new season, ranging from grungy to glamorous.

Versace Italian powerhouse Versace kept things glossy and seductive for its menswear and womenswear show, with models sporting shiny, tousled hair, matte complexions and a classic smoky eye. Lashings of lip gloss kept the look high voltage.

Marni

Antioxidant ingredients are turning up in a range of beauty products. (Photo : © shironosov / Istock.com)

Antioxidants have been a major beauty trend for some time now -and they are set to become even more ubiquitous over the next few years, according to new research.

A

report by B2B research company MarketsandMarkets has found that the cosmetic antioxidants market is predicted to grow from US $115.1 million in 2018 to US $150.9 million by 2023, at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6%.

According to the report, dubbed “Cosmetic Antioxidants Market by Type (Vitamins, Polyphenols, Enzymes, Synthetics), Function (AntiAging, Anti-Inflammatory, UV Protection, Moisturizing, Hair Cleansing, and Hair Conditioning), Source, Application and Region - Global Forecast

to 2023,” the growth is being driven by factors including aging populations, increasing disposable income, and changing lifestyles.

growth. The Asia Pacific region is expected to be the largest cosmetic antioxidants market between now and 2023.

Vitamins are expected to lead the market growth, due to increasing demand for naturallysourced vitamins such as vitamin E, vitamin C and vitamin A across skincare, haircare, and makeup sectors. Natural antioxidants are also predicted to become more prevalent, in keeping with the consumer appetite for organic and herbal wellness products, while skincare products like anti-aging creams and UV protection will also fuel the

Antioxidants are known for their ability to neutralize free radicals, protecting the skin from myriad issues such as dehydration and inflammation and slowing the visible signs of aging.

Marni, meanwhile, took a grungier approach to things, sending its male models down the runway with bare-scrubbed faces and textured, tangled hair.

Plein Sport The statement-making catwalk beauty at Plein Sport focused on dewy complexions and bouffant, voluminous hairstyles held in place with sporty headbands.

Dsquared2

To read the report, see https:// www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Market-Reports/cosmetic-antioxidant-market-144119844. html (- Relaxnews)

Dsquared2 made a strong case for bringing crimping back into fashion, showcasing a look that saw the hair parted precisely and styled sleekly, before introducing the textured look at the mid-point. A smoky eye and glowing complexion added polish.

US model Kendall Jenner at Versace spring/summer 2019 collection fashion show in Milan where the look was shiny hair and lots of lip gloss. (© MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP)

Isabel Benenato Mod haircuts and matte complexions made for a moody but

stylish beauty look at Isabel Benenato. Bushy, tousled eye-

brows added to the effect. (Relaxnews)

St. Ives lets beauty fans make their own skincare recipes this summer Ever wished you could just slightly tweak your favorite moisturizer or face scrub? Skincare brand St. Ives is letting beauty fans do just that, by offering them the chance to whip up their own cosmetic confections this summer.

St. Ives Mixing Bar. © St. Ives / PRNewsfoto. St. Ives Mixing Bar

Scrub up: five ways to get your feet summer-ready Sandal season is upon us, but don’t worry if your feet aren’t quite ready for their big reveal; a quick scrub and polish is all it will take to have them glowing. Here are five products to add to your regime pronto.

Buff Buffing away dead, dry skin is the first step to getting beautiful feet. The “Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer 20+” from Spongeables at Ulta Beauty is filled with shower gel to cleanse and exfoliate at the same time, and features Olive Oil and Shea Butter for a burst of hydration.

Polish Once your feet are looking as good as new, add a lick of nail polish for the finishing touch.

Christian Louboutin Beauty’s new “Dragonflash” collection for Spring/Summer 2018 comes in three vibrant neon jewel hues for maximum impact.

https://www.ulta.com

http://us.christianlouboutin. com Foot Soak And Fancy Free by Lush.© Courtesy of LUSH Mask Spongeables Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer 20+ © Courtesy of Ulta Beauty Soak Next up: a soothing soak to relax, cleanse and soften the skin. Lush’s new “Foot Soak and Fancy Free” disc dissolves in water to release epsom and fine sea salts and French lavender oil for an instant refresh.

Masking isn’t just for your face -- it can be an effective quick-fix for dry, tired feet, too.

Nails Inc. has a new “Thirsty Feet” version that promises to hydrate the feet within 20 minutes, thanks to a combination of green tea, ginkgo leaf extract, sweet almond and peppermint extract. https://www.nailsinc.com

https://www.lushusa.com

Dragonflash by Christian Foot Soak And Fancy Free by Louboutin. © Courtesy of Christian Louboutin Lush. © Courtesy of LUSH

L’ O c c i t a n e S h e a B u t t e r Foot Cream. © Courtesy of L’Occitane

Moisturize Maintain your good work with regular applications of a rich foot cream, such as the “Shea Butter Foot Cream” from French beauty giant L’Occitane. Containing 15% Shea Butter and and Lavender essential oil, it claims to to soften, relax and refresh the feet. https://www.sephora.com - Relaxnews

T

he beauty brand has set up shop in New York with the “St. Ives Mixing Bar,” a retail space that allows shoppers to create their own custom face scrubs, moisturizers and body lotions. The bar, which is opening in the city for the second consecutive year, will feature natural ingredients such as rose water, yuzu, kiwi, pink grapefruit that can be mixed and matched into their products, in addition to a new mineral shimmer that will jazz up summer skincare.

The interactive experience will also be available online for fans who can’t get to New York, with St. Ives allow-

ing US shoppers nationwide to order the bespoke products through December 31.

“As a brand, we are always looking for new ways to engage with our consumers,” said Suzanne Palentchar, Director of Marketing for St. Ives, in a statement.

Interactive retail experiences are fast becoming a major element of the beauty landscape.

Earlier this month, CoverGirl announced the planned launch of a new flagship store offering an “experiential beauty playroom” and makeup application services, while last December saw L’Occitane en Provence

transform its flagship boutique in Canada, installing its first connected shopping model and multi-sensory journey inspired by the French countryside. At luxury brand Tom Ford’s first standalone London beauty store, which opened last November, the space is divided into separate rooms for various beauty experiences, including a dedicated “color room,” a “fragrance room” that lets guests digitally explore perfumes, and a dramming bar for customized fragrance services.

The St. Ives Mixing Bar will be open through September 15. (-Relaxnews)

SMALL BUSINESSES

VOICE OF ASIA 18

B

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

D

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

ACCOUNTANTS BOOK-KEEPING

INCOME TAX

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M.D. Associates LLP A full service CPA firm

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

visit us at: www.mdassociatescpas.com

AUTO CARE & SALES B&J Auto Care & Sales

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

REAL ESTATE

to your service and product listing.

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COMPUTER SERVICES Networking and Computer Repair Home & Business, on site, Microsoft MCSE & A+ certified, low flat rates, free estimates, pickup & delivery, www.PCNetworkGuru.com Call Amit at 832-971-6807

Accurate Book-Keeping Svcs Inc l Payroll processing & Payroll tax payments l Filing 940, 941, 1099, TWC reports l Filing of Sales Tax & Franchise Tax Return Manish Gaglani Ph: 346-317-7409.

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Week of JUNE 22, 2018 21 March to 20 April Do all good things really have to come to an end? You aren’t so sure.

Sometimes certain moments spent with the right person can last a lifetime. You need to participate in a lot of activities this weekend.

21 April to 20 May This is a very stable period when you can get a lot done. It’s ideal for cleaning and organizing in support of doing your best. You can put plans into action and carry them out successfully.

An older man notices your abilities.

21 May to 20 June A harmonious aspect is likely to make you feel comfortable and respected this week. People are reaching out to communicate with you about all sorts of things, including your work and the money.

21 June to 22 July You’re ready to tackle any health issues with renewed determination. If you aren’t feeling as fit and healthy as you’d like, it’s time to do something about it. Don’t become a couch potato, tempting though it may be.

23 July to 22 August It would be nice if you could find someone who agreed with you on everything. Or would it? You need some fire in your relationship, Leo, so go with the “opposites attract” theory! You’ll have much better luck dating, but not online.

23 August to 22 Sept This could be a challenging time.

Activities can stall, projects stagnate, and rumors fly. It may seem as if nothing is happening. You might feel disappointed, tired, or frustrated. Just do your best. The energy supports a course change.

Astrology.com

23 September to 22 Oct You may be feeling more mature about the way you handle money.

Risky investments might not appeal to you any more. Instead, you could be looking for stocks, bonds, and other vehicles with a more conservative outlook.

23 October to 21 Nov You might have some big goals in mind when it comes to your health.

That’s great, but you also seem to have a few worries about whether you can afford to fund your plan. You might feel it’s necessary to purchase expensive items.

22 November to 21 Dec The good news about being single is that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do! Don’t let your friends or co-workers pressure you into dating someone you don’t want to date or going somewhere you don’t want to go.

22 December to 20 Jan This is a time when you’ll be happiest at conferences, team retreats, and traveling. The energy is changing and will soon present you with an easier flow when it comes to work and career prospects. Be cautious about making promises.

21 January to 19 Feb This week holds some serious changes for you in the areas of children, romance, and fun. If you’re a teacher, matchmaker, or purveyor of laughter of any sort, you’ll be raking in the cash now.

20 February to 20 Mar Take time to think about how valuable good health is. If you’ve placed a higher value on other aspects of your life, such as possessions, think again.

Without good health, it’s difficult to achieve your goals or fulfill your dreams or ambitions.

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Battle ____, pl.

1. Go low, as in jeans

6. Baseball Giant and hall-offamer 9. Strikebreaker 13. Give out 14. What’s old is new again, prefix

2. Show appreciation 3. Choir voice 4. “____: The Saga of an American Family” 5. Gibraltar, e.g.

6. On top of

15. Money carrier

7. *Out-of-favor beverage?

16. Floridian predator

8. Polynesian kingdom

17. Sin’s and cos’ partner 18. Don’t just stand there 19. *Salad ingredient at a barbecue 21. *One of thirteen in 1776 23. Knighthood designation 24. “____ your keep” 25. Aladdin, for short 28. “The Nutcracker” outfit 30. Soft-boiled egg holder 35. Mark for omission 37. Torso 39. Salpae, sing.

40. Like a devoted fan 41. Bear Down Under 43. Mongolian desert 44. Honey wine, pl.

46. Russian monarch

9. Court petitioner 10. Rugged rock 11. Fungal spore sacs 12. Between Phi and Kappa 15. Fork tips 20. Lorry in America 22. Old-fashioned “before” 24. Europe/Asia portmanteau 25. *One of 3 Presidents to die on July 4th 26. “Drove my chevy to the ____” 27. Hipbone-related 29. Thomas the Engine’s warning 31. Lady née Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta 32. Star Wars attacker 33. Violinist’s stroke

47. Shakespeare’s “at another time”

34. *”Common Sense” author

48. *____ Continental Congress

36. Edible root of taro plant

50. Research facil.

38. Dashing style

52. One of Bo Peep’s flock

42. Result of match play?

53. Smidgen

45. More than snide

55. Three strikes 57. *Celebratory events on the 4th 61. *”The Banner”

Star-Spangled

64. *How you might find most drinks on the 4th 65. Have a cold, e.g.

67. Opposite of ecbatic

49. Bambi’s mom 51. Interjection for disapproval 54. Plural of #46 Across 56. Recurring melody 57. Fancy-schmancy 58. Initial stake 59. Iranian money 60. Opposite of base

69. Step

61. A bunch

70. ____ de Janeiro

62. River in Bohemia

71. Burnt ____

63. Demeanor

72. ____ in captivity 73. Canine command 74. Like yellow polka dot bikini

66. *Mad King George’s number 68. “____, Country”

the

Beloved

SOLUTION FOR STATEPOINT THE 4TH OF JULY on PAGE 19

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VOICE OF ASIA 19

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Three things we learned today at the World Cup

by Kieran Canning

S

AINT PETERSBURG, Russia | AFP - The World Cup produced three tight games on Wednesday as Portugal, Spain and Uruguay won but once again the favourites failed to shine.

It was three of the world’s top marksmen who did get on the scoresheet, though, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Costa continued their fight for the Golden Boot, while Luis Suarez scored in his third World Cup. AFP Sports looks at three things we learned today at the World Cup. Ronaldo eyes more gold Few goalscoring titles still elude Ronaldo and he may soon have one more to add to his collection after netting for the fourth time in two games against Morocco to move out in front in the race for the World Cup Golden Boot.

Ronaldo has now already scored more goals in Russia than his three previous World Cup campaigns.

Having spearheaded Real Madrid’s run to a third consecutive Champions League, Ronaldo’s fast start to the tournament also puts him in pole position for a sixth Ballon d’Or -- to finally move ahead of Lionel Messi’s five.

Messi missed a penalty in Argentina’s opener, while fitness issues for Neymar and Mohamed Salah have blighted their challenge to Ronaldo’s crown.

The competition is not even a

© AFP | Russia has a nation enthralled as the 2018 World Cup hosts sail through the opening round to confound the team’s detractors

week old, but the World Player of the Year’s message is clear: “Catch me if you can.”

Uruguay, Russia roll on They did it in very differing fashion but Uruguay and Russia became the first sides to book their places in the last 16 after the South Americans edged past Saudi Arabia with their second 1-0 win of the tournament.

By contrast, Russia have been rampant in scoring eight goals to reach the knockout phase for the first time since the Soviet era.

Blessed with one of the most feared strike forces in Russia in Suarez and Edinson Cavani, more was expected from the Celeste against a Saudi side that shipped five to Russia in the tournament opener.

However, Uruguay know how to negotiate their way through a tournament under 71-year-old Oscar Tabarez and with Atletico Madrid duo

VOICE OF ASIA

Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez marshalling their defence, they will be a tough opponent for, most likely, Spain or Portugal in the last 16.

Spain glad to have Costa Since switching allegiances from the country of his birth, Brazil, to play for Spain ahead of the 2014 World Cup, Costa has not always seemed the perfect fit for La Roja’s tiki-taka style.

So far in Russia, though, Costa is keeping Spain afloat by adding a dimension to their play not seen in past tournaments He bullied Pepe and fired home from close range at the end of a well-worked set-piece to score a double in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Portugal.

And Costa moved to within one goal of Ronaldo in fortunate fashion as a clearance ricocheted off him and into the Iranian net as Spain survived a huge scare in Kazan.

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VOICE OF ASIA 20

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018

Home&Real Estate A fiction writer’s creative Los Angeles home Name: Aditi Khorana Location: Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, California Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned

by Jeff Collins .S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher told a group of Realtors last week that homeowners should be able to refuse to sell their property to gays and lesbians, a statement that cost him the support of a key national Realtor group.

U

A

s a writer herself, Aditi Khorana’s eclectic mid-century home captures the essence of storytelling in more ways than one.

As if a grand entrance with high ceilings, open windows and an expansive view of the Hollywood Hills weren’t enough to gush over, the novelist has filled her entire space with personality and memories from all over the world.

And impressively, she preserved the 1950s aesthetic while designing a home with endless colors and textiles, never failing to inspire her work or company.

A workplace, gathering space or living space, this home fluidly adapts to fit the occasion. She often has other creatives over to work, write or simply be in this inspiring home. There’s something special happening in this space that everyone can feel when walking in. In fact, the previous owner of this house invented wooly pockets, the original living plant walls, while living here! So there’s definitely a creative spirit in this home that’s pal-

Latin America.

Inspiration: I feel like every item in the house has a story: pieces I’ve collected from my travels, or poached from my parents or found at yard sales.

I feel surrounded by things I love all day: books, plants, art. Comfort and functionality are important, but so is

The backyard is Aditi’s proudest DIY. (Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

Aditi prioritized (in equal parts) form and function to create a space meaningful enough to nurture her artistic lifestyle. Not only does every item in the house have a story of its own, the house as a whole has inspired Aditi’s four novels! She loves writing in both her indoor and outdoor areas depending on the project. Her debut novel, MIRROR IN THE SKY, was entirely written in her dining room, and her second novel, LIBRARY OF FATES — a feminist historical fantasy about a louche, misogynistic dictator overthrowing a tiny idyllic kingdom — was written in her backyard.

Apartment Therapy Survey: Our Style: I guess I would describe it as eclectic mid-century. The house was built in 1958 and I’ve tried to remain consistent with the style of the era. I also travel internationally quite a bit and love bringing back treasures from across the globe, so there’s a lot of stuff from Morocco, Cuba, Italy, India, Southeast Asia and South and

friends live within a two-mile radius, so people are constantly dropping by.

Friends see the home as a gathering place, which is something that’s important to me: having my community feel at home and welcome here at all times. In the winters we light either the indoor fireplace or the outdoor one and make s’mores.

beauty! And plants! I absolutely love plants.

Favorite Element: Even though it’s not a huge house, the high ceilings, large windows, open space and indoor-outdoor flow give the space a great feeling of lightness and expansiveness. I love the view of the hills and there’s amazing light all day long.

I love curling up on the sofa with a book and that view in the background.

There’s a good mix of nature and city in this neighborhood and I feel like my home reflects that mix. I take morning hikes to Griffith Park with friends and downtown is just a short 10-minute subway ride away.

Biggest Challenge: The kitchen is old and hasn’t been updated, so the appliances are a little temperamental.

The peach-colored tile, while consistent with the era, isn’t really aesthetically appealing, but I sort of love it.

What Friends Say: I love having friends over for cocktails or barbecues in the backyard, snacks and wine in the kitchen, movie viewings and general hangouts. Most of my close

Proudest DIY: The backyard. I bought the orange Preway fireplace on eBay and had it shipped via Greyhound from New Jersey. The outdoor table is custom made, the chairs are Bend and the plants are from my mother coming into town and helping me select and pot all of them. The outdoor space was kind of a blank slate when I moved here, and feels so much more lived-in and cozy now. It’s like a room of its own.

Biggest Indulgence: I love mid-century sideboards and the one in the living room was my first (adult) furniture purchase. I love the one in the bedroom as well. The Danish mid-century bed was also a big purchase.

Best Advice: Take your time to collect things and save up to acquire furniture items that you’re going to keep for a lifetime. Buy all your carpets abroad (haggling for carpets is one of my favorite activities when I’m travelling).

Dream Sources: Probably the entire world! I’ve picked up stuff from my travels to India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Greece, Portugal and Italy. I love flea markets and make a point to check out local flea markets when I’m travelling. I also love Danish Modern LA, and Amsterdam Modern for inspiration and Kat & Roger for pottery and planters.

PAINT & COLORS Paint —Detail Painting. The interior of the house was this awful salmon color when I moved in. The white paint really brightened the place up.

(-Relaxnews)

Fine food retailer Fauchon eyeing Doha, Qatar, Kyoto and US for hotel expansion

B

est known as a purveyor of haute patisseries, macarons, tea, and fine foods, Fauchon the gourmet retailer is currently present in 50 countries.

Early renderings and photos reveal a distinctly feminine esthetic with pops of fuchsia pink accents in line with the logo palette. Likewise, female guests will be given particular attention, with amenities that include Dyson hairdryers, plush bathrobes and Carita brand toiletries.

Over the next decade, the company says its goal is to open 20 Fauchonbranded hotels in destinations where the brand is already well-known and present. They include the UK and Europe, Brazil, China and the rest of Eastern Asia, along with US cities like Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

The Realtors Political Action Committee, the trade group’s campaign finance arm, also donated $5,000 to Rohrabacher’s re-election campaign in December and January, campaign finance reports show. Rohrabacher

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach (AP file photo) “Every homeowner should be able to make a decision not to sell their home to someone (if) they don’t agree with their lifestyle,” Rohrabacher told an Orange County Association of Realtors delegation at a May 16 meeting in Washington, D.C., according to Wayne Woodyard, a former Orange County Realtor president who was at the event.

On Thursday, Rohrabacher confirmed the accuracy of the sentiment, and added that homeowners should have the right to “choose who they do business with.”

“We’ve drawn a line on racism, but I don’t think we should extend that line,” Rohrabacher said.

“A homeowner should not be required to be in business with someone they think is doing something that is immoral.”

The statement ignited a protest by a Realtor gay-rights group, prompting the National Association of Realtors to withdraw its recommendation that members send campaign contributions to Rohrabacher.

“It was determined that Rep. Rohrabacher will no longer receive support from NAR’s President’s Circle,” an association statement said, referring to its list of recommended candidates.

Rohrabacher’s stance, the 1.3-millionmember trade group said, is contrary to NAR’s code of ethics, which bans discrimination on the basis of “sexual orientation or gender identity.”

“We certainly hope that Congress will … support the elimination of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The about-face occurred as the 15term coastal Orange County Republican is locked in his toughest re-election campaign.

He’s facing 15 challengers, including eight Democrats as well as onetime political ally Scott Baugh, former Orange County GOP chairman.

“It certainly can’t do me any good to have people take me off their endorsement list,” said Rohrabacher, who represents California’s 48th District in coastal Orange County. “It’s sad to see (the association’s) priority is standing in solidarity with making sure a stamp of approval is put on somebody’s private lifestyle.”

Harley Rouda, a Democrat who is challenging Rohrabacher and a son of a former Realtor association president, called Rohrabacher’s statements “outlandish and unacceptable,” saying everyone should have the same rights to buy and sell a home.

But as of September 1, the company’s newest division, Fauchon Hospitality, will officially usher in a new chapter in its century-old history, with the opening of Fauchon L’Hotel Paris at the historic Place de la Madeleine in the center of the city.

The luxury hotel will feature 54 rooms and serve as the flagship property for the burgeoning hotel business.

eligible for support from top Realtor donors.

Aditi Khorana’s debut novel, MIRROR IN THE SKY, was entirely written in her dining room. Her upcoming novel LIBRARY OF FATES will be released this July.

(Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

Biggest Embarrassment: When I almost burned down the house baking cookies because the oven door sealed shut and wouldn’t open. That might have been more terrifying than embarrassing. The appliances are charming to look at, but I do a lot more stovetop cooking than baking after that incident!

pable.

Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher says it’s OK not to sell homes to gays; loses support of Realtors

“What Dana Rohrabacher fails to understand is discrimination is discrimination,” Rouda said. “It shows how backward his thinking is.”

Previously Rohrabacher had been designated as a “Realtor Champion,”

Fauchon L’Hotel Paris (Image: Fauchon) The pastry world has Fauchon to thank for training and producing some of today’s biggest pastry chefs, including macaron king Pierre Hermé and Dominique Ansel, who famously created the Cronut.

In recent years, the hotel world has seen a slew of new players make their foray into the industry, including Japanese retailer Muji and American furniture and home brands West Elm and Restoration Hardware.

Former Fauchon pastry chefs Pierre Hermé, Dominique Ansel, and Chris-

tophe Adam each opened their own company competing with Fauchon in the pastry department. Pierre Hermé alone had 37 stores in 7 countries as of 2015.

In London, Harrods is a famous competitor. (-Relaxnews)

also received donations from numerous agents, real estate developers and Realtor groups.

The backlash occurred after Orange County Realtors met last week with Rohrabacher during NAR’s mid-year lobbying conference in Washington and asked him to support H.R. 1447, among other issues.

The measure expands the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968 to add antidiscrimination protections based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity. The existing law already forbids home sellers, landlords and lenders from discrimination based on a person’s race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Rohrabacher’s remarks sparked outrage among gay and lesbian Realtors after Woodyard posted them on Facebook. The founder of a real estate gayrights group then wrote to NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall requesting the association revoke its support of Rohrabacher.

“When a supposed champion of the Realtor Party outright states that housing discrimination should be lawful, I hope you agree there should be cause for concern,” wrote Jeff Berger, a Florida agent and founder of the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals. “Ignoring the congressman’s comments belies the decades of serious work and progress NAR has made in the area of fair housing.”

Rohrabacher denied he’s trying to shore up his conservative flank in the face of opposition from Baugh.

Indeed, he said, his stance likely will “alienate a certain number of gays who think I’m anti-gay, which isn’t the case.”

Rohrabacher added he vehemently opposes housing discrimination based on race, religion or a person’s sex.

But, he said, “there are some fundamentalist Christians who do not approve of their lifestyle. I support their rights.” He also said he believes the Realtor association’s stance is “way out of sync” with its own industry.

Rohrabacher distinguished racebased discrimination from choosing not to do business with someone because of their lifestyle or political beliefs.Homeowners, for example, shouldn’t be allowed to deny a sale to an interracial couple, he said.

But Democrats or Republicans should be able to refuse a home sale to people with opposing political views.

Would Rohrabacher, who uses a medical marijuana cream to ease his arthritis and supports relaxed penalties for cannabis use, be OK if a home seller refused to do business with him based on that lifestyle choice?

“Yes,” Rohrabacher said. “Absolutely.” (-Relaxnews)