Voice of Asia E-paper June 29, 2018

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VOICE OF ASIA The Largest Asian-American Newsweekly in Texas

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Vol. 32 No. 25 • FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Published Weekly from Houston

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June In FRIDAY, Section 229, 2018 l HEALTHLINE Your Doctor & You l BUSINESS IKEA bets big on India l TECHNOLOGY Texas Supreme Court strikes down plastics ban

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4th International Day of Yoga - Bigger in Texas

by Manu Shah

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housands of Texans across the state came together to celebrate the 4th International Day of Yoga in partnership with the Consulate General of India in Houston and local organizations. They moved in harmony, stretching and breathing mindfully in guided yoga sessions across parks, schools, temples and community centers.

According to a 2016 Yoga Journal report, 36.7 million people practice yoga in the US, up from 20.4 million in 2012.

The yoga market is now worth $16 bn (£12 bn) in the U.S. Houston In Houston, over 500 yoga practitioners showed up in their yoga gear at Midtown Continued on Page 6

Grandmaster in a flash: Indian prodigy chess champ at 12 Over 500 yoga enthusiasts practiced asanas on their mats in downtown park. (Photo by Vijay Pallod)

US envoy to UN Nikki Haley travels to India on maiden visit Indian chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has become the second youngest grandmaster ever. (AFP photo)

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EW DELHI | AFP | Monday 6/25/2018 A 12-year-old Indian boy described as "unstoppable" by his proud father has become the world's second youngest chess grandmaster ever.

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, the son of a bank employee from the southern city of Chennai, achieved the feat with some aggressive play at an event in northern Italy that ended Sunday.

Praggnanandhaa -- whose

17-year-old big sister Vaishali Rameshbabu is also no slouch at the game, being a two-time youth chess champion -- was aged 12 years, 10 months and 13 days when he won the title.

But this was too old to beat the current record-holder, Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine, who was 12 years and exactly seven months when he made the grade in 2002.

Praggnanandhaa's father said

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EW YORK, PTI, , June 26 - Nikki Haley is travelling to India for the first time as the US Ambassador to the UN on a two-day visit during which she will meet senior Indian officials, business leaders and students, underscoring America’s “strong alliance” with the country.

Talks between Haley, the highest ranking IndianAmerican in the Donald Trump administration, and Indian officials could include a host of topics including India-US strategic ties and significant global developments.

Continued on Page 10

Haley will travel to New Delhi from June 26-28 during which she will meet with senior Indian government officials, NGO leaders, and the interfaith community “to underscore the United States’ shared values and strong alliance with the people of India,” a brief media advisory from the US Mission to the UN said yesterday.

While the media advisory did not give further details of the 46-year-old diplomat’s programme during her visit, she could call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is likely to meet senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley before the start of their meeting in New Delhi, India June 27, 2018. India's Press Information Bureau/Handout via REUTERS She will also deliver remarks to a group of business and gov-

ernment leaders, students, Continued on Page 10

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS A nation of empty promises G

FRIDAY, June 29, 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:

Shobana Muratee

All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher.

Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-7745143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol. com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management.

Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor.

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ive me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This quote on the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of prospective American citizens for generations, who came to this nation seeking a better life for themselves and their families. It was unclear, until this moment, that such a promise of freedom came with an expiration date.

The Trump administration, enabled by a majority of the Supreme Court, has made it clear that the promise no longer holds for many immigrants. Last week, the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy manifested itself when hundreds of immigrant families — most from Latin America, and most of them people of color — were separated at the U.S. border. Then the administration slightly changed course to demand, instead, wholesale family detention.

This week, the Supreme Court, with its 5-4 ruling in Trump v. Hawaii, has upheld the president’s travel ban restricting entry for immigrants from seven, mostly Muslimmajority nations. While many people will consider these issues from a legal perspective, we miss the mark if we don’t also discuss them from a race and tolerance perspective.

The Trump administration contends that the zero tolerance and travel ban policies are meant to ensure that our nation is secure from terrorism and an influx of criminals.

Yet, this anxiety over terrorism and crime seems to arise overwhelmingly when speaking of people from certain nations

— namely, countries where the immigrant population is poor and brown, or where the religious beliefs espoused are from the Muslim faith. This administration’s approach to protecting America from those who would do harm is merely an attempt to close the door of opportunity to people whose ethnicity, race and religion do not match its version of what America should look like.

This was made clear almost from the moment Trump threw his hat in the ring for the presidency. He stated publicly, on numerous occasions, that he wanted to ban Muslims from the United States. He has said that immigrants from certain countries, those populated by Hispanic people or people of color, are the nations about which we should be the most concerned — countries whose immigrants, in his view, would detract from, rather than uplift, the United States.

In fact, the president has juxtaposed immigrants from the nations cited in the travel ban and targeted by the zero

tolerance policy — along with African and Caribbean nations — to those from European nations whom he clearly thinks are more desirable newcomers. These statements testify to the real motive behind his policies, which show little objective evidence of producing a national security benefit.

We should not allow such discrimination to define this nation in the 21st century; nor can we fail to connect these circumstances to our history.

There are well documented instances during which the United States government discriminated based on ethnicity and religion, under the guise of protecting national security. The order issued during World War II that allowed for the internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans was, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out in her dissenting opinion on the travel ban decision, “rooted in dangerous stereotypes about a particular group’s supposed inability to assimilate and desire to harm the United States.”

Kulkarni speaks out against Muslim Ban Supreme Court ruling Statement by Sri Preston Kulkarni oday, the Supreme Court upheld the President’s xenophobic “Muslim Ban” that discriminates against individuals predominantly because of their faith or national origin. In December 2015, then-candidate Donald Trump’s call for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” served as the impetus for this decision. The travel ban, rooted in bigotry, serves as an outright attack against the American Muslim community.

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nation’s core values. We have seen recent Supreme Court decisions that limit women’s reproductive rights, make it difficult for people to vote, and let lower courts continue the practice of gerrymandering. With

each ruling, we see the further degradation of our civil liberties, an alarming trend that this administration is acutely aware of. These decisions threaten our place as a beacon of freedom and justice for all.

Even within our own criminal justice system, racial and ethnic profiling have resulted in disparate treatment of people of color, whom the government has deemed to be more dangerous or threatening to the security of the community. While the circumstances surrounding these instances are different, the root of each is the same — intolerance, stereotyping, and a lack of acceptance. These ingredients position the United States as an example to the rest of the world of what true intolerance looks like.

If we hope to continue to be a nation as good as its promises, we must recognize that the motives behind the travel ban and policies such as zero tolerance have no place here. We must seek to find a better way to provide access and opportunity for all, regardless of race, ethnicity and religious beliefs. That is the true promise of America.

Opinion by Nicole AustinHillery Ms. Austin-Hillary is the U.S. program director at Human Rights Watch. She leads the organization’s efforts to end violations in the immigration system, tackle race discrimination and other rights problems with the domestic criminal justice system, and advocates for national security policies informed by international human rights standards. She previously was the first director and counsel of The Brennan Center’s Washington, D.C., office, which she opened in March 2008.

We must remember that the fight is not over. Every step of the way, we will continue to challenge attempts that promote hatred, division, and intolerance. We cannot allow prejudice to shut the doors of progress. It is imperative that we send the current administration a resilient message by voting for compassion and decency this November.

This decision continues to undermine our country’s foundation of religious freedom and is also an assault on our

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VOICE OF ASIA 3

Section 1

Community Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Court Road to Close From Moore to Staffordshire Roads For Construction On Independence Segment 1 Project

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ISSOURI CITY, TX - On Thursday, July 5, 2018, Century Communities, under the supervision of the City, will be closing Court Road between Moore Road and Staffordshire Road to begin the Independence Boulevard Segment 1 Construction.

Traffic control devices and detour routes will be set up as well. The City’s portion of the project of the Independence Boulevard Project will begin during the course of this project.

It is anticipated that the road will be out of service until the

end of 2018 with an anticipated opening of the new Independence Boulevard segment in the first quarter of January 2019. Residents should expect traffic delays during construction.

The Independence Boulevard Segment 1 project consists of reconstructing the existing two-lane concrete roadway into a four-lane, divided concrete curb and gutter roadway from the Gulf Coast Water Authority (GCWA) Bridge, realigned to meet the intersection of Staffordshire Road and Independence Boulevard.

Sant Nirankari Spiritual Summit on Jun 30 and Jul 1

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OUSTON Nirankari Spiritual Summit (NSS) - 2018 is a 2-day international-level Youth and Kids Event being held in Houston, TX USA on June 30 & July 1, 2018.

Nirankari Spiritual Summit (NSS) - 2018 will serve as a stepping stone for spiritual empowerment of youth Sadgur Mata Savinder Hardev Ji and children. The theme for NSS 2018 will be Largest human image of “Lighthouse” a symbol for one that shines, serves, an Infinity symbol. guides & protects.

For More info and Registration, Visit: https:// We feel great pleasure to inform you that at this event, events.nirankari.org/ we'll be attempting to create See Ad on Page 9 for dea new world record for The tails.

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Tel: 713-774-5140

Great turnout at IACCGH 'Women Mean Business' event despite bad weather

by Manu Shah pparently, it takes more than thunder, lightning, and heavy showers to deter women. The IACCGH’s Women Mean Business saw over 60 incredible women beating the heavy showers to hear Keynote Speakers - Vinita Gupta offer her perspective on running a multimillion dollar business and Sangeeta Pasrija who found her calling in volunteering for social and cultural causes.

The event, held on June 20th, was sponsored by Shell and supported by TiE – an organization that fosters entrepreneurship and creates economic growth. TiE President Arun Pasrija acknowledged the number of women entrepreneurs are “not quite what they should be” and expressed TiE’s support in empowering women owned businesses. TiE’s Ana Bastidas touched on the newly initiated TiE Young Entrepreneur Program and stated that Houston is one of the first Chapters to be talking to high school students about entrepreneurship.

IACCGH President Swapan Dhairyawan welcomed the gathering and highlighted the Chamber’s demographics which reflect its diversity and inclusiveness. He also shed light on the Chamber’s work in helping Harvey affected businesses bounce back on their feet.

Coordinator and Program Chair of the series, Past President Joya Shukla spoke of the value in having dynamic women from different fields come out with their inspiring journeys and hoped the gathering could apply their “pearls of wisdom” when

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IACCGH and TiE Board members with speakers: L to R: Ram Shenoy, Dr. Arun Pasrija, Swapan Dhairyawan, Ana Bastidas, Sangeeta Pasrija, Vinita Gupta, Joya Shukla, Karen Francis, Rajiv Bhavsar, Jagdip Ahluwalia. Photo credit: Bijay Dixit

facing some of the same roadblocks.

Volunteering, for Sangeeta Pasrija, was a “continuous journey of self-discovery.”

She is a volunteer in several non-profits such as Save a Mother, India Culture Center, International Hindi Organization, and the Youth Development Leadership Program.

A huge motivating factor in volunteering was the idea of being able to make a difference and the satisfaction of knowing that her efforts have contributed to the betterment of society. Volunteering, in turn, helped her acquire competencies like public speaking, dedication, team leadership, decision-making and even “improving her ExcelSheet skills.” A gifted artist and poet, Sangeeta also put her talents to work in

raising funds for her causes.

In a candid narrative, Vinita Gupta who cofounded Apex Resources, Inc., with her husband dwelt on the triumphs, pitfalls and challenges they faced as entrepreneurs. Apex sold commodity items and gradually diversified to value added providers.

They had a great run until the recession hit and “everything fell apart.” The founders rode out the crisis, developed commercial relationships in the Oil and Gas industry and started a manufacturing facility for guar. When the price of crude dropped and “the bottom fell again,” they were better prepared this time round, she says, and repositioned themselves as technology providers.

Sharing lessons learned

“from the school of hard knocks,” Vinita observed that an entrepreneur’s life requires traversing through unknown paths and sometimes “creating the path.” Her advice was never take anything for granted, be prepared and reposition yourself so you can come back stronger.

Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia encouraged the gathering to buy their tickets for the IACCGH Gala on August 11th at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston.

One of the biggest gatherings of elected officials, business leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs and economic agencies, the Gala offers a unique opportunity to connect with those “who are in the business of business.”

Visit www.iaccgh.com for more information

Read in Section 2 of Voice of Asia

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FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Fort Bend View

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FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

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

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Adoption comes as District receives another high mark for financial responsibility

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ort Bend ISD (June 26, 2018) – At the June 18, 2018 Regular Board meeting, the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees adopted the budget for the 2018-19 school year, at $634,633,006, or $8,360 per student. The projected student enrollment for the upcoming school year is 75,909.

Due to a projected decrease in state funding, the budget reflects a reduction of administrative and utility costs. It also includes the costs associated with the opening of Ronald Thornton Middle School, and reflects some cost savings associated with the consolidation of some bilingual and prekindergarten programs.

Eighty percent of the budget is allocated to instruction and support, including guidance counseling, health and social work services, and co- and

Fort Bend ISD adopts 2018-19 budget

extra-curricular programming, while seventeen percent is dedicated to the safety of students, the upkeep of the District’s facilities, student transportation, and technology. The resulting three percent is allocated for administrative costs.

demic, financial, and demographic information to analyze school districts in Texas to indicate districts’ academic progress. FBISD was given a high rating due its high student achievement and low expenditures per student.

The budget was developed under the recently adopted tax rate, $1.32, though the Board will formally adopt a tax rate in the fall of 2018.

“We work really hard to be good stewards of taxpayer funds. It is always gratifying to receive third party verification of our efforts,” says Steven Bassett, the District’s Chief Financial Officer.

Amid the budget process, Fort Bend ISD was again lauded for its fiscal responsibility, earning a high mark from TX Smart Schools. The District earned a four-and-a-half star rating for 2018.

TX Smart Schools uses aca-

Visitors can see how Fort Bend ISD compares to other districts of comparable size, to more accurately gauge how FBISD builds and sustains students’ academic achievement at txsmartschools.org.

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OSENBERG, TX, June 27, 2018 - During the City Council Workshop Meeting on June 26th, 2018, City Council has agreed to schedule to vote on a proposed resolution on the July 3rd, 2018 Regular City Council Meeting. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm at City Hall on 4th Street.

Since the inception of Fort Bend Pets Alive! (FBPA!) four years ago, the organization has been working to communally and politically raise awareness of utilizing intangible resources in our community to help save lives of all healthy and treatable dogs and cats. Lorene Lindsey, resident of Rosenberg and Treasurer of FBPA! aspires for the passage of this proposed resolution to place Rosenberg alongside some of the most progressive

Lydia Ozuna of Katy, Debby Roseman of Katy, Jean Dorsi of Katy, Don Bankston of Richmond (SDEC member), Ali Hasanali of Sugar Land, and Vickie Vogel (SDEC member) of Fayette County, pictured at the state Democratic convention as honorees of the Chairman’s Grassroots Award.

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ort Bend’s Senate District 18 Democrats, which includes Richmond, Rosenberg, Sugar Land, Katy, Fulshear and surrounding areas, sent 72 delegates to the Democratic State Convention in Fort Worth last weekend. The delegates were elected in March.

Don Bankston of Richmond led the delegation. Bankston was elected by all 21 counties in Senate District 18 to a sixth term as their representative to the State Democratic Executive Committee. Shapnik Khan of Sugar Land was elected to Nominations Committee and Ross Trivisonno, also of Sugar Land and our youngest delegate at 19 years old, was elected to the Rules Committee.

Senate District 18 Fort Bend

No kill means that no animals are killed for space. ( Image source: Fort Bend Pets Alive) communities in the country.

Claudine Vass, President of FBPA! commends Councilor Balderas for personally wanting Rosenberg to become NoKill. Mayor Benton has also been commended for being a strong force to help animal advocates to make progress.

Newly elected city council members along with Councilor Barta have formed a strong support system as well.

fact when he said “No-Kill is definitely an attainable goal”.

With the support from Rosenberg city government and management, Rosenberg will definitely achieve No-Kill with integrity and become one of few Texas cities that have achieved such goal.

FPBA!, No-Kill Rosenberg, a local interest group are encouraging all residents in Fort Bend County to contact Rosenberg Council Members and city management in support of this proposed legislative goal. Residents shall also encourage public officials in other city and county governments to follow suit of Rosenberg to make their communities more humane with a better image and more economic benefits.

With a total of 1,651 NoKill communities in the United States*, Councilor Balderas is in accordance with

Programs & Services INDIA HOUSE CHARITY SUMMER ENRICHMENT CAMP VOLUNTEER CLINIC Monday to Friday Saturday 9:00 am - 12:30 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 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 CRICKET- TAPED BALL Saturday & Sunday Full Day FREE VEDANTA STUDY GROUP SAREEN HARRIS Saturday 11:15 am - 12:15 pm HEALTH CLINIC Monday - Friday FREE TECHNOLOGY EVENT HALL RENTALS 8:00 am - 4:00 pm CLASSES FOR SENIORS Banquet Halls, Conference Sunday 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 11:00 am FREE YOGA CLASSES Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am - 11:00 am

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Area Democrats attend Democratic State Convention

80% of the budget is allocated to instruction and support, including guidance counseling, health and social work services, and co- and extra-curricular programming,

City of Rosenberg is on the cusp of joining the National No-kill Movement

The goal as outlined in the resolution, 90 percent or more of all healthy, treatable animals that pass through the city’s animal control / shelter facility will be saved by 2020. With passage, the city will direct the Animal Advisory Board to evaluate and recommend policies and programs proven to be effective at reducing the killings of homeless animals, including, but not limited to, policies and programs related to reducing the intake, and increasing live outcome, of impounded animals. With community participation in place, a comprehensive plan will be implemented. There will also be less barriers to transparency, participation, and collaboration between the city government and the people it is to serve.

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won prestigious awards for their volunteer work for Democrats. The Chairman’s Grassroots Awards were given to Debby Roseman of Katy, Jean Dorsi of Katy, Lydia Ozuna of Katy, Ali Hasanali of Sugar Land and Nabila Mansoor, also of Sugar Land. Josephine McGill served on the Tabulation Committee.

Additionally, Bankston along with Shapnik Khan of Sugar Land and Ling Luo of Sugar Land were named to the Chairman’s Committee to write the party’s platform. The 2018 Democratic Platform includes a strong stand on criminal justice reform, universal health care, a common sense ban on assault weapons, fully funded public education, and a living wage for everyone who works hard and plays by the

rules.

“This is a platform to be proud about. In the coming weeks, Texas Democrats will display our party’s platform in detail on the State Party’s website at txdemocrats.org,” said Bankston.

“It wasn’t only the outside temperature that was hot in Fort Worth last week,” Bankston added. “The Texas Democratic convention was the largest in the country.

There were 7,500 delegates.

Fort Bend Senate District 18 delegates were trained, informed, familiar with the process, and ready to be heard. ” If you have any questions or want to join with Senate District 18 Democrats in Fort Bend, please contact Don Bankston at 281-633-1479.

Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center offering free dental checkups for kids in July

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UGAR LAND, Texas -- Children in need of a dental checkup can get one for free at the Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center in July.

The center is teaming up with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Great-

er Houston/Galveston and UTHealth School of Dentistry to bring a dental mobile clinic to the area on July 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You don't need to pre-register, but you will have to be in line by 1 p.m. to register on-site.

Kids will also need to have a parent or guardian with them.

The event is for children from 12 months to 18-yearsold.

The Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center is located on 198 Kempner St.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

4th International Day of Yoga Continued from Page 1 Park on June 21st. Non-Indians clearly outnumbered desis in the record turnout, proving that yoga has entered mainstream America.

New additions to the program included a demonstration of some of the most difficult yoga poses by Melissa Riedel, Reggie Ahmad, Austin Dunn and Nicklous Dutcher.

Yoga coordinator for Houston, Sharad Amin thanked the weather gods for a beautiful day and stated that the program “demonstrated universal oneness which can be achieved

by Yoga, India’s gift to world.”

President and founder of Patanjali Yogpeeth USA and renowned yoga teacher, Shekhar Agrawal described yoga as a great step to “awaken the sleeping giant within us,” and invited the city’s top yoga teachers to take the gathering through some yoga asanas, relaxation techniques and meditation practices.

A concluding prayer was invoked to “channel our energies in the right direction” after which participants broke out in a lively exchange of powdered colors or Holi as it is known in India.

The Hindu Temple of the Woodlands hosted a yoga session on the morning of June 23. The young volunteers of their Vision to Reality project and Community Outreach Program by the Education Youth Service (EYS), organized the event in Town Green Park.

Consul General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray and retired Vascular Surgeon, renowned Yoga Therapist & Ayurveda practitioner Dr. Dilip Sarkar were the Chief Guests. The session opened with a Sanskrit prayer wishing for peace and protection. International yoga educator Cat McCarthy took the stage and led the group through several movements.

India House also hosted a yoga event which saw an attendance of 100 people.

Dallas The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas organized IDY at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza in Irving, Texas on June 17th.

Over 350 yoga enthusiasts in all age groups followed yoga instructor Vijay in the exercises, meditation and pranayama sessions for an hour. Breakfast was served for the participants and they were also given a Certificate of Appreciation.

Vice Consul of India in Houston Ashok Kumar spoke about the significance of IDY and encouraged people to participate in the celebrations.

Austin Austinites rolled out their yoga mats in front of the stately State Capitol building on June 16th in solidarity with the world on this day of peace and harmony. The event was presented by the Art of Living and co-sponsored by the Consulate General of India in Houston. The Austin community was unified once again for the

fourth time in a row with a record turnout of close to a 1000 people which included City Council members, State representatives as well as members from the Veterans Yoga Project. The Mayor of Austin showed his support with a Proclamation and message for the event. The event also saw the participation of several yoga studios and like-minded organizations.

The 60 minute session of yoga, meditation and pranayama was followed by a striking demonstration of AcroYoga.

The session concluded with Art of Living kirtan music and a classical Indian fusion dance.

Front row from left: Olivia Keller (yoga Instructor), Sharad Amin, Al Jameson, Saumil Manek, John Tran, Neeta Shukla, Hetal Varia, Lindsey Law, Malik Putcha, Ramesh Shah, Raju Velamuundi Back row from left: Vijay Pallod, Robert Boustany, Roger Rippy, Vishwarupa, Gitesh Desai, Pankaj Desai, Jay Parakash Agrawal, Rakesh Banati, Saeed Pathan, Anant Samdani. Picture credit: by John Tran taken in Houston.

San Antonio San Antonio took the prize for the sheer number of yoga events in the city. This year, organizers heeded Consul General of Houston Dr. Anupam Ray’s suggestion and took yoga to the military and veteran community. Wounded Warriors who had lost their limbs in war and had been rehabilitated through yoga demonstrated several exercises at the San Antonio military base.

Maggie Grueskin, one of the main organizers in a message to the organizers in Houston wrote: “I feel amazed at the impact each of our cities are having on our communities, and feel gratitude for imparting the wisdom and community-building aspects of yoga with such a devoted group of people.”

In addition, about 47 multiple yoga events were held throughout the city on June 9th including a large yoga class of about 200 people at the iconic San Antonio Riverwalk, a presentation at the City Council District, an elementary school where 115 children participated, Libraries, Senior Centers and the County Court where the Bexar County court employees practiced yoga in front of the County Court.

Veterans and military personnel practicing yoga in San Antonio.

Speaking to a cross section of people gathered at these events about what drew them to yoga, responses ranged from a search for spiritual awakening to yoga as an “avenue to heighten and grow” in the spiritual journey.

One young lady spoke of “leaving everything at the yoga studio door” for an hour of peace and calm and then leaving the studio inspired to do good.

Some came to raise the vibrational frequency of the planet, connect with themselves and their bodies on a deeper level or get a perfect workout for the body, mind and soul.

Common responses to how it helped in daily life included being happier, fewer mood swings, increased concentration and energy, heightened productivity and a dramatic lowering of stress levels.

Yoga teacher Regie Ahmad, whose gravity defying yoga poses astounded the crowds, described yoga as his primary physical and spiritual practice.

Five years ago when he told people he practices yoga, they looked surprised but now, he says, “it’s such a normal and mainstream thing to get into.”

IDY participants at the Midtown Park in Houston. Seen far right is Sharad Amin organizer of IDY in Houston.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Southwestern National Bank UH College of Medicine Adds Scholarship Awards Ceremony Leadership, Experience 3 Associate Deans Hired at UH’s Newest College

by Chris Stipes

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he University of Houston College of Medicine has added three accomplished medical educators to its leadership team. Dr. Ruth Bush joins UH as associate dean for medical education; Dr. Kathryn Horn has been hired as associate dean for student affairs, admissions and outreach; and Dr. David Buck is the associate dean for community health. Dr. Stephen Spann, vice president for medical affairs and founding dean, said each brings a wealth of knowledge in developing medical students and working with patients and communities.

Southwestern National Bank Scholarship recipients at the Award Ceremony.

n June 21, 2018, Southwestern National Bank hosted its 13th Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony. Recipients, Kelly Tseng, Charlie Zong, Laura Li and Bowen Mei, were each presented with a $1,000 scholarship by Chairman C.K. Lee and CEO Gary Owens, who congratulated them and wished them all a bright and successful future. Dallas Regional President, Mohammed Younus, also presented recipient, Michelle Wen, with a $1,000 scholarship on June 18, 2018 at the Dallas Regional Office.

(Member FDIC)

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“The success of a medical school starts with the quality of its leadership and we are thrilled to be assembling a dynamic team of proven leaders in medical education,” said Spann. “They will all play a critical role in training a new breed of physicians that understand health disparities and social determinants of health.”

The UH College of Medicine was approved by the UH System Board of Regents in November. It will focus on training primary care physicians to address a shortage in Houston and across Texas, while improving access to health care in underserved urban and rural communities.

Southwestern National Bank Chairman C.K. Lee and CEO Gary Owens with the recipients.

NOW OPEN

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Dr. Ruth Bush, associate dean for medical education: Dr. Bush most recently served as a tenured professor at Baylor College of Medicine in the Departments of Medicine and Surgery and deputy director of the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In these leadership roles, she oversaw scientific program operations

(From left to right) Dr. Ruth Bush, associate dean for medical education (Photo Courtesy: BCM); Dr. Kathryn Horn, associate dean for student affairs, admissions and outreach (Photo courtesy: TTUHSC El Paso); Dr. David Buck, associate dean for community health (Photo Courtesy: BCM). and research of 200 faculty and staff. A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Dr. Bush previously held faculty positions at the Texas A&M College of Medicine and was the chief vascular surgeon at the Olin E. Teague VA Medical Center in Temple, Texas. In addition to being an accomplished physician and medical educator, Dr. Bush is also an attorney.

Dr. Kathryn Horn, associate dean for student affairs, admissions and outreach: Dr. Horn spent nearly three decades in various leadership and faculty roles at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.

She served as the assistant vice president for student services, associate dean for student affairs and associate professor of family and community medicine. Dr. Horn provided integrated services and programs supporting students’ academic and professional success across

schools of medicine, nursing and biomedical sciences. For more than a decade, she was also the medical director of Circle of Hope Hospice of Visiting Nursing Association in El Paso.

Dr. Horn received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Dr. David Buck, associate dean for community health: Dr. Buck is an expert in community health, serving as a professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine for more than two decades at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where he also received his medical degree. Dr. Buck holds adjunct professor positions at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health and Rice University.

He also founded Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston and Patient Care Intervention Center to improve health care quality and costs for underserved populations.

mfah.org/India

Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in collaboration with the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, Jodhpur, India.

Lead Underwriters: Nidhika and Pershant Mehta Additional generous support for this exhibition is provided by Medha and Shashank Karve; Sushila and Dr. Durga D. Agrawal; National Endowment for the Arts; The E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation; Eddie and Chinhui Allen; Milton D. Rosenau, Jr. and Dr. Ellen R. Gritz; Paul and Manmeet Likhari; Mr. and Mrs. H. Bruce Sallee; Vivian L. Smith Foundation; Anne and Albert Chao; Jag and Pinder Gill; Dr. and Mrs. Srinivasa Madhavan; Usha and Kumara Peddamatham; Dr. Mani and Anuradha Subramanian; Rama and Geetha Rau Yelundur; Mr. and Mrs. Sundaresan Bala; Monjula and Ravi Chidambaram; Kathy and Marty Goossen; Shantha Raghuthaman; and Miwa S. Sakashita and Dr. John R. Stroehlein.

The accompanying catalogue is generously supported by Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund.

µ˙The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

Sixteen FBISD Students named 2018 Texas State Karate Champions

Pictured from the left are: (Top row) Sensei Ramon Veras, Vinny Vuong and Sensei Nizar Albagdadi; (Middle Row from the left) Sensei Cassie Pham-Korman, Fabiana Lopez, Charlize Lopez, Christina Korman, Ahn Vu, Kaito Sengoku, Gregory Gurevich, James Goodman Jr., Baoying Jenter and Sophia Ji; (Bottom Row from the left) Anya Singh, Meher Singh, Fabiana Lopez, Nalika Nana, Jayden Goodman, Joshua Darsan, Haven Lopez and Tyler Lopez.

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ort Bend ISD students helped form a 24-member athletic team that competed at the 2018 Texas State Karate Championship and Qualifier in May held in Houston Texas, with individual members placing in the top three positions of their divisions.

The State Championship was sanctioned by USANK the National governing Body for Karate in the Olympic under USOC. They were among the 235 athletes from throughout the state to enter the competition, regarded as the largest and most prestigious traditional karate tournament in the state of Texas. The FBISD athletes were among the those, to compete in various divisions of kata (essence and foundation of karate that focuses on form), Kumite (face-to-face combat that incorporates attack and defense techniques and Kobudo (the weapon system of Martial Arts).

FBISD Students earning top awards were: Haven Lopez, Kindergarten, Sullivan Elementary (Gold Kata) Brielle Jenter, Kindergarten, Highlands Elementary (Bronze, kata and Kumite) Tyler Lopez, 2nd grade, Sullivan Elementary (Gold Kata) Nalika Nana, 3rd grade, Oyster Creek Elementary (Bronze Kata and Kumite) Anya Singh, 3rd Grade, Drabek Elementary (Bronze Kata and Kumite) Meher Singh, 3rd Grade, Drabek Elementary (Gold Kata) Joshua Darsan, 4th Grade, Walker Station Elementary (Bronze Kata and Gold Kobudo) Jayden Goodman, 4th Grade, Palmer Elementary (Bronze Kata) Kaito Sengoku, 5th grade, Austin Parkway Elementary (Gold Kata and Bronze Kumite) James Goodman, 6th grade, Garcia Middle School (Gold in Kata and Silver Kumite) Gregory Gurevich, 6th grade, Quail Valley Middle School (Gold Kata and Kumite) Charlize Lopez, 6th Grade, Quail Valley Middle School (Bronze Kata) Ahn Vu, 6th Grade, Fort Settlement Middle School (Bronze in Kata and Kumite) Sophia Ji 6th Grade, Fort Settlement Middle School (Silver in Kata)

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Thomas Jenter from Highlands Elementary and Akira Santoso From Commonwealth Elementary also competed.

Other team members to receive awards include: Christina Korman, (Gold Kata and Silver Kobudo); Fabiana Lopez (Bronze Kata and Gold Kumite), Sensei Andres Sanabria (Gold, Kumite) and Vinny Vuong (Gold Kata).

Also competing was Devashish Akhare, Fabiola Lopez, Baoying Jenter and Sensei Clarissa Villanueva.

The winners of the competition will represent Texas at the 2018 USA National Championships and Team Trials in July 12-15 at Reno, Nevada.

All the karate athletes mentioned trained at the Traditional Karate Center under the instruction of Sensei Ramon Veras (Chief Instructor), Sensei Nizar Albagdadi (Senior Instructor), Sensei Nathan Work (Senior Instructor), Sensei Cassie PhamKorman, and Sensei Andres Sanabria.

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

7-Day Pravachan (discourse) on the science of ​Bhagavad Gita The event was conducted by Shri Om Prakashji Jad​h​av, a sant from Shantikunj, Haridwar, the headquarters of All World Gayatri Pariwar​.

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he Gayatri Consciousness Center /the temple of Katy​ of Ma Gayatri​, had a seven day Pravachan on the science of ​the holy ​Bhagavad Gita.

The series of pravachans ​was conducted from Sunday, June 3rd to Sunday, June 10th.

"It was a special event for to ​ gather and learn us all ​ about applications of​ Lord Krishna's message of ​ the sacred ​Bhagavad Gita in our day to day life", says Jayani Parikh, a frequent attendee of such events.

This event was conducted h​

by Shri Om Prakashji Jad​ av, a sant from Shantikunj,

Haridwar, the headquarters of All World Gayatri Pariwar​, and the current acting priest of the Gayatri temple.​

h​ avji and with passion by Jad​ his wife, Laxmi didi. Instruments such as the harmonica and tabla were represented throughout the songs.

"Om Prakashji is great at singing and teaching us all "I would defintely reccomend he knows about the meanings​ coming. You can learn a lot", message​of each shloka", says says Parikh.

Parikh.

Every day after the scheduled The Bhagavad Gita event, everyone participated in Pravachan is an event that arti​which was followed by​malasted for two hours e​very day. haprasad, a hot meal served for "Each day was an interest- everyone who came and particiing learning experience. It's as pated. if we learned something new from each day that we attended", says Parikh.

During these two hours, soulful bhajans were sung

For more information on future events ​or to conduct hawans, pujas, marriages or any such sanskars, please ​c​all the Gayatri temple @ 281 717 4895​and visit our website, http://texas. awgp.org/​ "​

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 9

Dr. Atul Gawande has long searched for a cure for the health care system

by Felice J. Freyer f all the medical students Dr. Michael J. Zinner interviewed for his surgical residency program, none impressed him more than a tall fellow with a toothy smile who came to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 1994.

“Here I am interviewing a young man to do a bloodand-guts surgical residency,” Zinner recalled in a phone call last week, and instead of puzzling over whether he wanted to operate on abdomens or hearts, the prospective surgeon launched into a deeply informed conversation about health care policy.

Atul Gawande, though not yet 30, knew what he was talking about. In addition to attending Harvard Medical School, he’d studied philosophy as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and spent two years working on health policy for the Bill Clinton/Al Gore presidential campaign and for the Clinton administration.

“I thought he could have an impact on the field of medicine more than many of the people we had on faculty,” said Zinner, who was surgeon-in-chief at the Brigham and is now CEO executive medical director of the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida.

A quarter-century later, Zinner realized the extent of his prescience when Gawande called Wednesday to tell him about his new job as the CEO of a health care company that three business leaders — investor Warren Buffett, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon — have formed in the hope of transforming health care.

Zinner said he felt an almost fatherly pride.

The New York Times called Gawande a “marquee name,” yet his fame doesn’t derive from the flashy feats typically associated with celebrity doctors. He has discovered no life-saving medicines, invented no bionic organs, separated no conjoined twins.

Instead Gawande, a best-selling author and surgeon, frets over processes and systems that others might find tedious, but that can make the difference between life and death. His signature innovation is a drab slip of paper called the surgical checklist, 19 steps intended to prevent mistakes by having the operating-room staff pause and check at critical junctures.

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

GOPIO-Virginia Honors Six Indian-Americans for Extra Ordinary Achievements

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Dr. Atul Gawande. Image credit: thehealthcareblog.com That’s why the public health and health policy world erupted in jubilation at Gawande’s appointment, with many calling it “inspired” and “brilliant” on Twitter. The choice of someone with a wonky understanding of the health care system put to rest fears that the Amazon/Berkshire/JPM venture, in naive eagerness to “disrupt” health care, would steamroll costs in ineffective or harmful ways.

No one knows what the new venture will do. But Gawande’s appointment hints at its likely direction.

Gawande’s four best-selling books focus on how fallible clinicians can get things right amid complexity and uncertainty. His most popular book, the 2014 “Being Mortal,” addresses the need to learn and honor each patient’s personal goals when faced with a deadly illness.

One of his recent articles, titled “The heroism of incremental care,” argues that more lives are transformed by small, caring measures over time than by thunderclap interventions like surgery. The article celebrates the step-by-step caretaking of a headache specialist who spent five years finding a way to relieve a patient’s disabling pain, and the year-after-year attentiveness of a cardiologist who ensured that Gawande’s own son made it to college, despite a heart defect that might otherwise have impaired him.

Gawande, who is married and a father of three, was born 52 years ago in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of physicians who emigrated from India. He grew up in the small college town of Athens, Ohio. Since his appointment to the new venture, he has declined requests for in-

terviews.

In a 2013 interview with Medscape, Gawande said he always knew he’d be a doctor, like his parents, but never expected to end up doing surgery.

“Then I got into an operating room, and I fell in love with it,” he said.

Zinner said that during his residency, Gawande “turned out to be a terrific clinical surgeon.”

And while still a resident working 100 hours a week, he found his second calling, the one that made him a household name: writing.

His work blogging for Slate magazine caught the attention of an editor at The New Yorker.

When Gawande was offered a staff position at The New Yorker in 1998, the Brigham’s communications department insisted on approving every article, a policy unacceptable to the magazine. Zinner stepped in, offering to take responsibility for vetting Gawande’s work.

“I went back to Atul and said, ‘Write whatever you want. Just let me know,’ ” he said.

Gawande’s reporting on missteps in care — many that he had committed himself — raised eyebrows at the Brigham. But the measured way he described the errors, and his thoughts on preventing them, eventually earned his work credibility at the hospital, Zinner said.

Gawande’s longtime editor at The New Yorker, editorial director Henry Finder, recalled that it took about nine drafts to get Gawande’s first article fit for publication. But Gawande was self-critical and receptive to editing, and each draft came back stronger.

Courtesy: Boston Globe

ASHINGTON DC. Six Indians received prestigious Award of Excellence for their extra ordinary achievements in different Categories in Chantilly, Virginia from US Senator Timothy Kaine and Congressman Gerald Connolly. The program was organized by the Virginia Chapter of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin in Chantilly, Virginia at Chinmaya Somnath Auditorium. More than 200 people were present at the Awards Dinner.

The awardees are selected by selection committee based on merits from 14 nominees.

Among them are Ravi Chaudhary who is the Director of Commercial space and Federal Aviation and a former Lt. Colonial in Airforce is awarded in Science and Technology category. Professor Dr. Prashant Bhardwaj was given award in the field of Education, Dr. Rajesh Mehra a 25-year veteran Physician was awarded in Medicine, Dr. Ram Reddy in Entrepreneurship, Jay Mandal in Photo Journalism and Swati Sharma for Arts and Culture.

US Senator Tim Kaine, who also the former Democratic Vice President candidate was the Chief guest along with Congressman Gerry Connolly as special Guest and Community Affair Minister Anurag Kumar presided on behalf of Ambassador of India Navtej Sarna

Lighting of the lamp by Congressman Gerald Connolly.

as he could not make it due to out of Country. Virginia Legislative House Delegates Mark Keam and Jennifer Boysko were also present along with GOPIO International Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham and prominent Indian and American community leaders.

The program began with National Anthem of India and USA by Anjali Taneja. Followed by Ganesh Vandana by Mrs. Sumangala Bhandari.

President of GOPIO Virginia delivered the welcome speech and spoke in GOPIO Vision, mission and work done by GOPIO Virginia as well as GOPIO International work. GOPIO International Chairman who specially came from New York also spoke on this occasion and talked about GOPIO achievements in last 29 years.

Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Garry Connoly congratulate the awardees and mentioned the contributions of Indians in the economic, educational and technology progress of US. They also mentioned the growing relationship between India and USA especially strategic, Military and Educational. There was a very special cultural program which includes performances of very famous and talented artists including classical and folk dances and classical songs.

The audience like the classical singing by Swati Sharma accompanied by Nabil Riaz a well-known National Tabla player and Humayu on Harmonium. Program was emcee by Shweta Jain Vote of thanks was given by Sumit Kumar Program ended with delicious Indian Vegetarian food.

GOPIO-Virginia Awardees with Dignitaries and GOPIO Officials at the award ceremony, From l. to r. VA House Delegate Jennifer Boysko, former Air Force Lt. Colonial Ravi Chaudhary, Prof.

Prashant Bhardwaj, Congressman Gerry Connolly, Artist Swati Sharma, GOPIO-Virginia President Jay Bhandari, Photo Journalist Jay Mandal, US Senator Tim Kaine, GOPIO-International Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, VA House Delegate Mark Keam and Community Affair Minister Anurag Kumar from the Indian Embassy.

ASIA/SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 10

Grandmaster in a flash...

Continued from Page 1

Nikki Haley travels to India...

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Pakistan's younger Sharif launches election campaign

that his son, who practises six hours a day and watches past matches online, was not even four when he first started taking an interest in chess.

However he said the family could not afford to pay for extra travel and training for both the boy and his sister.

"But the passion in him to play chess was unstoppable, I had to give in and put him in coaching classes. And he has been unstoppable since," the 53-year-old, who has the same name as his son, told Indian media.

"He was just six years old when he came second in the under-eight national championship. That is when I knew that I can't hold him back because of our financial situation," he told online paper The News Minute.

A predecessor to chess is thought by some to have originated in India in the sixth century AD, from where it spread to Persia and developed into the "Game of Kings" it is today.

However in modern times it only achieved major popularity in India when Vishwanathan Anand became the country's first grandmaster aged 18 in 1988 and dominated the game in the 2000s.

On Sunday the five-time world champion congratulated Praggnanandhaa.

"Welcome to the club & congrats Praggnanandhaa!! See u soon in chennai," he wrote on Twitter.

"He plays other outdoor sports too when he wants to relax his mind," the prodigy's father said.

Nikki Haley, United States Ambassador to the United Nations and highest ranking Indian-American in the Donald Trump administration. ( Reuters Photo) Continued from Page 1 and civil society on advancing US-India relations.

The visit to India by one of the Republican party’s rising stars comes just days before US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis will host External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of Defense Nirmala Sitharaman in Washington for the inaugu-

"When his focus is not on the board, he is quite a handful. But he saves most of his aggression for the chessboard," he said.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, India's sports minister, said Monday that the government was awarding Praggnanandhaa 400,000 rupees ($5,900) plus 100,000 rupees from the National Sports Development fund for training.

ral US-India 2+2 Dialogue on July 6.

This meeting will focus on strengthening strategic, security, and defence cooperation as the United States and India jointly confront global challenges, the State Department has said.

Haley’s visit assumes significance as the Trump administration walks away from key multi-lateral pacts, re-writing American engagement with its key western allies. Haley’s visit comes just days after she announced, along side Pompeo, that the US was withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council.

Haley had visited India in late 2014 when she was the South Carolina Governor.

Haley, the daughter of Sikh immigrants from Punjab, is the first Indian-American to serve in a Cabinet-level position in any US presidential administration. (- PTI)

China, Nepal to build TibetKathmandu rail link

Nepal is seeking closer ties and much-needed energy and infrastructure investment from China, which has flexed greater economic and diplomatic muscle in its Himalayan neighbour in recent years.

The two countries signed more than 10 "cooperative documents" on Thursday during Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's trip to China, according to the China Daily.

The new rail route will link Nepal's capital with the Gyirong trading port in the Tibetan city of Xigaze, according to the China Daily, citing a Chi-

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HMEDABAD, India | AFP | 6/27/2018 - Indian police urged people Wednesday not to believe false rumours spread on WhatsApp after a woman was killed and a dozen hurt in the latest mob attacks to leave authorities looking powerless.

In the worst of the five assaults in the western state of Gujarat on Tuesday, a destitute woman, Shantadevi Nath, and three others were attacked by around 100 people in the main city Ahmedabad.

"Half a dozen people surrounded the women as they were about to board an autorickshaw and started questioning them. Soon the crowd swelled and pulled Shantadevi and her companions out of the rickshaw and started thrashing them," police official JA Rathwa told AFP. "People in the crowd rained punches and kicked the four women. Some even hit them with sticks and pulled them by their hair."

The women were finally rescued by local traffic policemen and taken to hospital but Nath, 45, was declared dead on arrival.

Pakistan will hold a general election on July 25 pitting the Pakistani Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) against its main rival, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, led by cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan.

The polls will bring to a head political tensions that have been mounting since former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court on corruption charges last July and later barred from politics for life.

Shahbaz Sharif, who succeeded his brother Nawaz as head of the PML-N, held

marathon meetings and rallies on Monday and Tuesday, and promised to solve the country's problems by forging consensus with other parties if elected.

"The country is facing big challenges and we will solve it with consensus, if we are given the chance," Shahbaz told reporters, adding that "one party can't solve it alone."

Later addressing a rally in Karachi, he promised to improve the infrastructure of Pakistan's biggest city to international standards.

"If you elect me, I will change your fate," Shahbaz promised the rally.

Despite Nawaz Sharif's ouster, the PML-N party says it has invested in improving Pakistan's rickety infrastructure and attracted billions of dollars in Chinese investment. It has denied allegations of graft

against its leadership made by opponents including Khan.

Shahbaz Sharif, a former chief minister of Punjab, is seeking to become prime minister in what would be only the second-ever democratic transfer of power in the South Asian country.

Nawaz Sharif was the 15th prime minister in Pakistan's 70-year history -- roughly half of it under military rule -- to be removed before completing a full term.

Pakistan completed its first ever democratic transfer of power following elections in 2013, when the government headed by the Pakistan People's Party handed over to the PMLN, following a landslide victory.

Khan has already kicked off his election campaign by staging a major rally on Sunday and promising sweeping changes in the country if his party wins.

by Patrick Lee

K

Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli (L) shakes hands with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 21, 2018. (AFP Photo) nese vice foreign minister.

fruit cultivation and farming.

Indian media said the two sides signed eight agreements worth $2.4 billion on Wednesday, with Chinese investors ploughing money into developing hydroelectricity, water resources, cement factories,

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Oli on Thursday he hoped that the two countries would begin negotiations on a free trade agreement "as early as possible", according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Child kidnap rumours spark five more Indian mob attacks

by Rajesh Joshi with Bhuvan Bagga in New Delhi

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ARACHI, Pakistan | AFP | The younger brother of Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif launched his party's election campaign Tuesday with vows to deliver massive infrastructure projects to boost the nation's economy.

Treasure trove seized from exMalaysia PM worth up to $273 m

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hina and Nepal have agreed to build a railway connecting Tibet with Kathmandu, among a raft of deals signed during the Nepali prime minister's visit to Beijing, reports said Friday.

Beijing's growing presence has raised hackles in Nepal's traditional ally India.

Shahbaz Sharif (C), the younger brother of ousted Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the head of Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N), waves to supporters during an election campaign meeting in Karachi on June 26, 2018.<br />Pakistan’s forthcoming elections, scheduled for July 25, are expected to pit the PML-N against its main rival, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party led by former cricketer Imran Khan. (AFP Photo / Asif Hassan)

The same viral message which sparked that incident, alleging that 300 people had descended on Gujarat looking to abduct and sell children, appears to have triggered four other mob Indian police are urging people not to believe false attacks there the rumours on WhatsApp after five fresh incidents same day. of crazed mobs attacking people left one woman Six people dead and a dozen hurt (File photo) were injured in two separate inofficer added. cidents in Rajkot, 225 kilome- Plodding response tres (140 miles) from Ahmedabad, including a family of five Twenty-two people are bevisiting to discuss a relative's lieved to have perished in the marriage prospects. past year, media reports say, In two assaults in Surat, 275 because of the same or similar kilometres from Ahmedabad, WhatsApp rumours in at least five women were attacked by five Indian states. local villagers while a 45-year"Guys please be on high old woman was assaulted after alert," reads one such meslocals suspected she had kid- sage quoted by media. "Three napped her toddler. kids were kidnapped from my "It was a mostly male crowd friend's area this morning. which took away her daughter There were 10 guys giving bisas they suspected her to be a cuits... Parents pls be on high kidnapper," a police officer alert." told journalists.

Another video -- actually "Both of them were brought a Pakistani road safety video to the police station where it -- which did the rounds is of a became clear that she was in- child apparently being snatched deed the child's mother," the by two men on a motorbike.

UALA LUMPUR, Malaysia | AFP | A vast trove of valuables seized in raids on properties linked to Malaysia's scandalmired former leader, including cash, jewellery and luxury handbags, are worth up to $273 million, police said Wednesday.

The searches, part of investigations into scandal-hit sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, netted 12,000 pieces of jewellery, bags containing almost $30 million in cash across 26 different currencies, more than 400 watches worth $19.3 million, and other high-end designer goods.

"I think this is the biggest seizure in Malaysian history," said Amar Singh, the police's head of commercial crime investigations, after officials completed the mammoth task of valuing all the items they uncovered in raids around Kuala Lumpur last month.

He said the items were worth between 910 million ringgit ($225 million) and 1.1 billion ringgit ($273 million).

The raids on several properties linked to ex-PM Najib Razak netted 12,000 pieces of jewellery, bags containing almost $30 million in cash and hundreds of watches and pairs of sunglasses. (AFP Photo) The official salary of Najib Razak, the former premier, while in office was 22,827 ringgit ($5,670) a month.

Allegations of massive corruption were a major factor behind last month's shock election loss of Najib's long-ruling coalition to a reformist alliance headed by Mahathir Mohamad.

Najib and his cronies were

accused of plundering billions of dollars from 1MDB to buy everything from US real estate to artworks. Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

His luxury-loving wife Rosmah Mansor became a lightning rod for public anger due to her vast collection of handbags and jewels, and her reported love of overseas shopping trips.

Myanmar military leaders oversaw 'crimes against humanity', claims Amnesty International

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EW YORK | AFP 6/26/2018- Myanmar's military chief and other top brass have been accused by Amnesty International of crimes against humanity for overseeing a "systematic" attack against Rohingya Muslims, according to a report by the rights group Wednesday calling for prosecution at the International Criminal Court.

But a new report from Amnesty said army commanderin-chief Min Aung Hlaing and 12 other senior military and security officials oversaw an orchestrated campaign of violence in the restive state where the Rohingya have been historically marginalized.

More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to flee Rakhine state after a military crackdown that the United Nations has said amounts to "ethnic cleansing".

"The ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population was achieved by a relentless and systematic campaign in which the Myanmar security forces unlawfully killed thousands of Rohingya, including young children," said the report.

Myanmar's military has denied targeting the stateless minority and said it was defending itself against Muslim militants who attacked police posts in August 2017.

It is the first time senior military officials have been named and implicated in the violence.

"The bulk of these crimes were not the actions of rogue or out-of-control soldiers or units," it added, rejecting pre-

vious claims by the military that some soldiers may have broken the rules of engagement.

It also accused security forces of sexual violence, torture, forced displacement and burning markets and farmland that starved communities and forced them to flee.

"These crimes amount to crimes against humanity under international law, as they were perpetrated as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Rohingya population," the report said.

The report said some senior military figures and border guard police oversaw units that directly carried out alleged atrocities, while others knew of subordinates' actions and failed to prevent, stop or punish the crimes.

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FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

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US Supreme Court upholds Trump travel ban

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

British bomb-maker convicted of London terror plot

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ONDON | AFP | 6/26/2018 - A British plumber who made bombs in Afghanistan was found guilty Tuesday of planning an attack in London last year, as well as making explosives for the Taliban.

Khalid Ali, 28, from north London, was dramatically arrested by armed police on a street in Westminster in April 2017 with three blades tucked into his clothes.

He was moments from launching an attack on police, politicians or the military, London's Old Bailey court heard during his trial this month.

Demonstrators rallied outside the US Supreme Court as it decided to uphold President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban in a major victory for the Republican president (AFP Photo/Mandel Ngan)

by Michael Mathes / SĂŠbastien Blanc

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 6/26/2018 - The US Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Donald Trump's controversial travel ban restricting entry to people from five Muslim-majority countries, delivering the president a major victory in a tortuous legal battle.

The win follows two embarrassing climbdowns for the administration's "zero tolerance" policy on migrants crossing the Mexico border and with Trump under mounting pressure to legislate a solution to the immigration crisis, one of the most polarizing debates in US politics.

Conservative jurists prevailed over liberals in Tuesday's majority opinion from America's highest court. The 5-4 ruling validated the most recent version of the ban,

which the Trump administration claims is driven by national security.

Trump pounced on the decision as a victory for his authority to defend national security.

"Wow!" he tweeted just minutes after the ruling.

"The proclamation does not exceed any textual limit on the president's authority," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the majority opinion, capping a battle that began just days after Trump took office in January 2017.

"The government has set forth a sufficient national security justification to survive rational basis review. We express no view on the soundness of the policy."

In a statement, Trump called the ruling "a moment of profound vindication following months of hysterical commentary from the media and Democratic politicians who refuse to do what it takes to secure

our border and our country."

The decision relates to Trump's third travel ban, which applies to travelers from North Korea and five mainly Muslim nations -- Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen -or about 150 million people.

A week into his presidency, Trump enacted a campaign promise and announced a 90day ban on travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

- 'Discriminatory policy' He had repeatedly questioned the loyalty of Muslim immigrants and after a 2015 terror attack in San Bernardino, California, used his campaign to propose a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

Prepared in secret, the sudden order created chaos as hundreds of travelers were blocked at airports.

Xi refuses to budge on South China Sea in talks with US defense chief

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EIJING, China | AFP | 6/27/2018 - Chinese President Xi Jinping stiffly defended his country's claim to disputed islands in the South China Sea after US Defense Secretary James Mattis questioned the militarisation of the region in a day of meetings in Beijing Wednesday with top officials.

Mattis's talks with Xi, his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe, and politburo member Yang Jiechi found general agreement on North Korea, Afghanistan, and some other lesser issues, successfully planting the seeds for better cooperation and dialogue, including a possible visit by Wei to the Pentagon, the officials said.

Both sides avoided digging into the ongoing trade tensions, focusing instead on smaller areas where security forces might build a rapport over time, helping to avoid conflict.

Demonstrating their willingness to engage, the Chinese turned out a marching band playing the US and Chinese national anthems, and paraded troops for Mattis to review, in addition to giving the US defense chief time with the Chinese president.

The jury deliberated for three days before finding him guilty of preparing terrorist acts in the UK and of two charges of possessing explosive substances with intent to endanger life

dwelled on."

- Chinese territorial claims Mattis came to China amid an escalating war of words over the South China Sea, rising Chinese pressure on US ally Taiwan, and China's longterm ambition to challenge US power across the Indo-Pacific region.

After Beijing installed missile batteries and landed longrange bombers on some of the reclaimed South China Sea outposts, Mattis publicly accused Xi of reneging on his pledge against militarising the region, and the Pentagon disinvited Chinese forces from participating in a Pacific Rim exercise.

Going into the visit, though, Mattis toned down his comments, saying he mainly wanted to take the pulse of China's military strategy and intentions, and find areas where they could work together and build trust.

"The Chinese-US relationship is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world," Xi said. "The common ground of the two parties far exceeds the differences."

China meanwhile has accused the United States of tightening its ties with Taiwan, which Beijing regards as an outlaw province, and the issue was raised multiple times in Wednesday's talks.

Overall, "the discussions were candid and positive," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White.

In a statement after his meeting with Mattis, Xi stressed that China would not back down on its claim to the islands.

"Areas of disagreement were identified but not necessarily

"While seeing the existing common interests of China and

the United States, we also do not shun the differences that exist between the two sides," Xi said.

"Regarding the issue of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, our attitude is firm and clear. From the territory left by our ancestors, (we will not) give up even one inch."

US Assistant Secretary of Defense Randy Schriver, an Asia expert who joined Mattis in the talks, said the two sides agreed to continue the discussion on the South China Sea, and not let it overtake the visit's main mission, of finding where the two militaries could work together.

Schriver said China reaffirmed its support for the US effort to push North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, and the UN Security Council resolution placing heavy sanctions on North Korea.

Haydon.

Ali gave no reaction in court as he was convicted. He will be sentenced next month.

In police interviews, Ali said he wanted to deliver a "message" to British authorities.

Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Dean Haydon said he was "an incredibly dangerous individual".

"Jihad is what we do. We are mujahideen," he told officers.

He had returned from a training camp in Afghanistan "with a determination to kill," added

During his trial the court heard Ali admitted involvement in making explosives in Afghanistan, even bragging he detonated more than 300 devices.

by Anna SMOLCHENKO

M

OSCOW | AFP | 6/27/2018- Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to hold a summit in a third country with Donald Trump at talks on Wednesday with the US leader's hawkish national security advisor, voicing hope for an easing of tensions between the two nations.

Speaking after Putin's meeting with John Bolton in Moscow, the Kremlin's top foreign policy aide said the two presidents would meet at a place and time that will be announced on Thursday.

"Your visit to Moscow gives us hope that we can at least take the first step to reviving full-blown ties between our states," Putin told Bolton at the Kremlin after the two smiled and shook hands for the cameras.

"We never sought confrontation," Putin said, adding he regretted that the Russia-US ties were not "on top form".

"Even in earlier days when our countries had differences our leaders and their advisors

US Defense Secretary James Mattis (R) told his Chinse counterpart Wei Fenghe (L) that military relations were crucial.

abroad.

US, Russia agree to PutinTrump summit in third country

Bolton, who is famous for his hawkish reputation and tough stance on Moscow, said it was important to keep talking and complimented Putin on his handling of the football World Cup, currently taking place in Russia.

by Paul Handley

The two sides held firm to their stances on a hot-button issue which has added to broader tensions between the rival superpowers, but US officials said it did not undermine Mattis's effort to rescue the fraying relationship between the two militaries.

Prosecutor Brian Altman told jurors that Ali, who had returned to Britain from Afghanistan in late 2016, planned a "deadly terror attack at the very heart of this country's democracy".

British police detaining Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali near the Houses of Parliament in central London last year. He was found guilty Tuesday of plotting a knife attack on MPs and police

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to hold a summit with US President Donald Trump during Wednesday's talks with with US National security adviser John Bolton met and I think that was good for both countries, good for stability in the world and President Trump feels very strongly on that subject," he said.

"We are most appreciative of your courtesy and graciousness here and I look forward to learning how you handle the World Cup so successfully, among other things," said Bolton.

The United States will cohost the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada, and Putin said he was happy to share with Washington his experience

of hosting the world's biggest sporting event.

- 'Time and place agreed' Putin's foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said the two sides have "agreed on the time and the place of the meeting" but details would be unveiled Thursday, Russian news agencies reported.

Ushakov said the two presidents would focus on relations between their two countries, Syria and nuclear arms control and could adopt a joint statement to help improve ties as well as global security.

Upset win by 28-year-old leftist jolts US Democrats

by Michael Mathes

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ASHINGTON | AFP | 6/27/2018 - A 28-year-old leftist and political novice has become the face of a new breed of American Democrat after slaying a congressional giant in a New York primary, as the party seeks its 2018 battle plan against Donald Trump's Republicans.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez achieved the near-impossible on Tuesday night.

Heavily outspent and an undisputed outsider in the race, the activist and educator from the Bronx who until recently worked in a restaurant defeated 10-term congressman Joe Crowley, a member of the Democratic leadership, in a result that slammed the party like an earthquake.

China also offered support for US efforts to foster talks in Afghanistan between the government and the Taliban, and explored more cooperation at a lower level, on issues like counterterrorism and fighting piracy.

She was far from the only progressive to pull off an upset on Tuesday, as voters in seven states chose candidates for November's midterm elections, when Democrats aim to reclaim control of Congress and make inroads in governors' mansions and state legislatures.

Throughout the talks, said Pentagon spokeswoman White, there was a "pretty consistent theme" that the Chinese want to build a durable military-tomilitary relationship, as a stabilising factor in the overall bilateral relationship.

In Maryland, Ben Jealous, a liberal former head of the largest black civil rights group, won the Democratic nomination for governor, topping the establishment candidate and signalling the party's voters are

A shock US Democratic primary victory by political novice Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez against a powerful party leader in Congress has given fuel to grassroots progressives as the United States gears up for mid-term elections in November placing increasing faith in minority candidates.

Should he defeat the Republican incumbent he would become only the third AfricanAmerican elected to lead a US state.

And in Colorado, congressman Jared Polis's primary victory could see him elected as America's first-ever openly gay governor.

But the image of a stunned Ocasio-Cortez realizing she made history in New York is what resonated Wednesday, and signalled that the progressive wing may be resurgent in the Democratic Party.

"Women like me aren't supposed to run for office," Ocasio-Cortez, born to a Puerto Rican mother and a father from the Bronx, said in a campaign video that went viral last month.

She was not supposed to win, either.

But Ocasio-Cortez pulled off the political upset of the year by delivering "a laser-focused message of economic, social and racial dignity for workingclass Americans," she told MSNBC. "I felt like our party could be better, our message could be better, and that we could be better as a country," she said.

VOICE OF ASIA 13

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Ikea bets big on India but keeps meatballs off the menu

by Vishal Manve

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It will also have to contend with Walmart. The world’s largest retailer has agreed to buy a majority stake in Indian e-tailer Flipkart, which sells a wide range of home furnishings.

UMBAI, India | AFP Sunday 6/23/2018 Furniture giant Ikea is set to open its first store and restaurant in India after years of trying but arguably its most famous item is off the menu -Swedish meatballs.

Ikea’s global sales grew by five percent on-year in 2017 as it recorded annual revenues of 38 billion euros ($47 billion).

Ikea, the world’s biggest furniture retailer, will next month cut the ribbon on a massive 37,000 square metre outlet in the southern city of Hyderabad, complete with a 1,000-seater cafeteria.

The firm hopes access to India’s growing middle class in the country of 1.25 billion people will open up new revenue streams.

The restaurant will be Ikea’s largest and will cater to local tastes, with religious sensitivities in India dictating that beef and pork, staples of Swedish meatballs, will not be served.

Analysts, however, warn it faces a long journey in a crowded market.

“Profitability will take some time for Ikea in India,” Sowmya Adiraju, an analyst at research firm Euromonitor, told AFP.

“There will be chicken meatballs and vegetarian balls,” Patrik Antoni, Ikea’s deputy country manager for India, told AFP during an interview in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai.

“Fifty percent of the food will be Swedish inspired, salmon and shrimp dishes and so on. We’ll also have quite a few Indian dishes like dal makhani, biryani, samosas,” he added.

The Swedish multinational, which revolutionised household furnishings with its range of affordable ready-to-assemble products, is betting big on India as it seeks new revenues away from its key Western markets.

Ikea plans to invest $1.5 billion in Asia’s third-largest economy as it seeks to lure price-sensitive Indians away from satisfying their furniture needs at local, family-run shops.

Ikea has already spent close to $750 million procuring sites for four stores, including the Hyderabad one which will open in July on a date that is yet to be announced.

Outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore and the capital New Delhi will follow, Antoni said, without putting a timescale on them.

He added that Ikea will then look at Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat and Kolkata.

“We are very bullish and excited about the Indian market.

Normally, we would test a market by opening one store but in

At 37,160 square metres the Hyderabad store will be comparable in size to an average Indian shopping mall. AFP PhotOo Indranil Mukherjee and Noah Seelam India, we are going all out and expanding,” said Antoni.

At 37,160 square metres the Hyderabad store will be comparable in size to an average Indian shopping mall. It will have 850 employees and is expected to attract several million visitors a year.

- Spice and all things nice As well as its wide range of international items Ikea will also sell goods uniquely suited to the Indian market.

Alongside its popular Billy bookcases and Poang chairs, Ikea will also offer spice boxes and kitchen appliances to make traditional Indian staples such as idlis (rice cakes).

“We have done over a thousand home visits and interviewed people to try to understand their needs, dreams, aspirations and how they feel about their home,” explained Antoni.

More than 1,000 products priced under 200 rupees ($2.94) will be on sale.

India, with its abundant sup-

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Section 2 Tel: 713-774-5140

China drops tariffs on soybeans for some Asian nations

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EIJING, China | AFP | Tuesday 6/26/2018 - China on Tuesday confirmed it would cut tariffs on goods from five Asian nations, including soybeans, as a brewing trade war with the US could make American beans more costly.

As part of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement with neighbours Bangladesh, India, Laos, South Korea and Sri Lanka, Beijing will drop tariffs to zero on several important farm imports while cutting tariff rates on dozens of other goods starting July 1.

The date comes five days before Beijing is scheduled to impose new tariffs on the US, a major supplier of farm goods like the soybeans used widely in animal feed.

China will drop its border tax to zero on soybeans, soybean oil, rapeseed, cow and sheep fat, among other products, the list published Tuesday by China’s state council shows.

As the world’s largest importer of soybeans, with $14 billion in imports from the US last year, analysts are worried the planned tariffs could cause the price of animal feed to rise in the world’s second-largest economy.

Beijing has ordered its farmers to grow more of the crop and has been increasing imports from Brazil and Argentina, while India has also exported the beans to China in the past.

In Texas border towns, illegal immigration is big business

ply of cheap labour, is not known for its “DIY” culture so Ikea has teamed up with UrbanClap, an online platform that helps connect handymen with consumers.

Ikea, founded in 1943 by late Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad, operates 418 stores in 49 markets. In May it announced that it would expand into South America with stores in Chile, Colombia and Peru.

The home goods behemoth first tried to enter India in 2006 but was foiled by strict foreign direct investment (FDI) rules that required foreign companies to sign up with a local partner.

Seven years later the rules were relaxed to allow foreign businesses to own retail stores operating under a single brand, clearing the way for Ikea’s entry into India.

Along the inhospitable border with Mexico, migration is at the epicenter of the local economies in parched and dusty Texas cities like El Paso (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

The Swedish company hopes its walk-in stores and famed restaurant will be a unique selling point as it goes up against popular Indian online furniture retailers Pepperfry and Urban Ladder.

or volunteer activists working with immigrants, those who profit from the migrants’ plight are “sick.”

by Leila Macor

F

But illegal migration is big business in the border state of Texas, generating jobs for private prison operators, money lenders and storefront lawyers.

Texas is at the center of the immigration crisis produced

by President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” practice, which has led to the separation of more than 2,000 children from their families who attempted to enter the country illegally or while seeking asylum.

Although Trump on Wednesday ordered an end to the separations, deep confusion lingers over what this will mean on the ground. But in the meantime, the money keeps rolling in for those who benefit from the migrant influx.

More than two-thirds of the nearly 304,000 who entered from Mexico and were detained by border patrol agents in the fiscal year 2017 were in Texas, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Not surprisingly, then, Texas has the largest number of detention centers for immigrants.

The Houston detention center, built in 1983, was the first privately run prison in modern US history. Its owners, CoreCivic (formerly the Corrections Corporation of America), and the GEO Group are the two largest prison corporations in the country.

Both are listed on the New

York Stock Exchange.

In all, CoreCivic operates four detention centers in Texas under contract to ICE. GEO operates three, with a fourth under construction. Each of the two corporations owns or operates more than 120 prisons nationwide.

“We are very appreciative of the continued confidence placed in our company by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” GEO president George Zoley said last year in a statement announcing a new federal contract worth $110 million.

According to the investigative center In The Public Interest (ITPI), privatizing the penal system creates an economic incentive to promote mass incarceration even for minor crimes, such as illegal entry.

The two corporations together “have spent more than $10 million on political candidates and have spent nearly $25 million on lobbying efforts since 1989,” according to an ITPI report.

In 2017, GEO and CoreCivic had combined revenue of about $4 billion, according to the companies’ annual reports.

- Prisons for profit “It’s an industry that drives the lobby for increased sentences, increases in mandatory minimum sentences, harsher punishment -- because every day that they have somebody in a bed, you know, they’re making money,” immigration lawyer Jodi Goodwin, who works for the nonprofit Migrant Center for Human Rights, told AFP. “It’s a sick industry.”

According to ICE, the daily average population of immigrants in detention centers in fiscal year 2017 was 30,539.

This year, the number has already hit 50,379.

The current crisis has cast a harsh light on some of the private operators of shelters where children are sent after being separated from their parents or guardians by border authorities.

There are 31 shelters for children in Texas, according to the Texas Tribune. Of them, the most controversial are those of the Southwest Key Programs.

Its children’s shelters are run under contract with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

“Casa Padre,” a former Walmart store in the town of Brownsville housing some 1,400 migrants, is the largest of Southwest Key’s facilities, some of which have been accused of violations by state inspectors.

Southwest Key will receive more than $458 million from the government this year, according to Bloomberg magazine.

“This is an industry -- a rising industry,” economist William Glade, a professor emeritus at the University of Texas, told AFP. “Considering the nature of our court system, this is a fullemployment act for lawyers, and you can bet that they will cash in on the opportunity and find ways to keep it going for a long time to come.”

It is also a “good opportunity” for others, he said.

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

‘Bollywood Oscars’ honors drowned superstar “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” stomped the competition in its debut weekend at the North American box office

Big, mean and making the green: ‘Jurassic’ tops N. America box offices

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OLLYWOOD | AFP - Huge, green and scary stomped on cute, young and funny in North American theaters over the weekend as new release “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” took in a healthy $150 million to leap past last weekend’s leader, “Incredibles 2.”

The ceremony saw veteran actress Rekha, 63, roll back the years as she belted out vintage hits in a rare public performance

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ANGKOK, Thailand | AFP Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor was honoured for her final role at India’s movie awards in Bangkok, winning best actress at the celebration of dance, music and film just months after her shock death.

Still, “Fallen Kingdom” has passed the $700 million mark worldwide, despite tepid reviews like the New York Times’s suggestion that the film is little more than “a way for people with no other plans to grab some air conditioning.”

Sridevi was considered one of the most influential Bollywood actresses of all time. Her death from accidental drowning in a Dubai hotel room bathtub aged 54 in February left the nation in stunned grief.

The movie stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard as they try to rescue genetically recreated dinosaurs from a volcano-threatened island and move them to -- why not? -- a sprawling California mansion. Might some of them escape into the world? Might pteranodons fly around the Eiffel Tower? Who knows?

“I have mixed emotions today. I miss her every minute and second of my life,” her widower Boney Kapoor said as he collected the gong on her behalf at the Indian Film Academy’s (IIFA) annual awards ceremony.

“I still feel she is around... I want you all to support Janhvi like you supported her mother,” the Bollywood producer said in an emotional speech quoted by Indian media, referring to the eldest of Sridevi’s two daughters who is set to make her Bollywood debut.

With an audience of more than 850 million, the IIFA Awards -- dubbed Bollywood’s Oscars by some in the industry -- is India’s biggest media event.

It is also one of the world’s mostwatched annual entertainment shows, held outside India to demonstrate Bollywood’s global appeal.

Sridevi “was the queen of grace and worthy of every praise”, read a message from the IIFA’s Twitter account.

The ceremony saw India’s biggest stars descend on the Thai capital late Sunday for a riotous evening filled with glamour and stunning dance routines.

But it was given an additional tinge of sadness as best actor went to Irrfan Khan, known internationally for his roles in blockbusters “Life of Pi” and “Slumdog Millionaire”, in his absence.

Earlier this year the Indian actor, who was also in the 2016 film “Inferno” alongside Tom Hanks and is one of Bollywood’s most globally recognised exports, revealed he has a rare tumour and is being treated in London.

- Outstanding Achievement Award Khan bagged the award for his role in “Hindi Medium”, a film highly critical of India’s class divide in which he

The dinosaur sequel, from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment studio, fell short of the then-record $208 million opening by the last “Jurassic” movie in 2015, according to figures released Sunday by industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Sridevi Kapoor’s widower Boney Kapoor collected the honour on her behalf at the Indian Film Academy’s (IIFA) annual awards ceremony plays a father trying to get his daughter into a prestigious school.

The subject of Sridevi’s last film “Mom” also touched a sensitive topic in India -- that of rape, with the actress portraying a mother seeking to avenge a sex attack on her stepdaughter.

The event saw veteran actor Anu-

Saudi to show Prophet Muhammad’s biopic four decades after ban

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IYADH | AFP - “The Message”, SyrianAmerican director Moustafa Akkad’s epic film about Prophet Mohammed, will be screened for the first time in Saudi cinemas on Thursday — four decades after an initial ban.

“Knowing that there were so many difficulties…, now that they’re showing it in the theatres I couldn’t be happier,” Akkad’s son told AFP. The 1976 film has been widely-watched in the Arab world since its release.

But it was banned in the land of Islam’s holiest sites and boycotted by conservatives for its depiction of the prophet and his companions.

pam Kher honoured with the “IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema”. The Indian star is known abroad for his roles in “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Silver Linings Playbook”.

Best picture went to “Tumhari Sulu” which stars Vidya Balan as a housewife who becomes a DJ offering relationship advice on a late-night radio show. Saket Chaudhary scooped best director for “Hindi Medium”.

The ceremony saw veteran actress Rekha, 63, roll back the years as she belted out vintage hits in a rare public performance, as well as routines from the likes of Ranbir Kapoor and Kriti Sanon.

Organisers opted for a green carpet instead of red to raise awareness of environmental issues and it was graced by stars like Varun Dhawan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Arjun Kapoor.

However the National Film Awards, established in 1954, are still considered India’s most prestigious film awards ceremony.

IIFA will be broadcast worldwide on television on July 29.

“The fact that we are 1.2 billion people in India helps” boost the audience, said Sabbas Joseph, the event’s organiser, adding that viewing figures are also strong in the Middle East and in countries with large Indian communities.

Sliding to second over the three-day weekend, Disney’s “Incredibles 2” still earned a respectable $80.9 million as the North American box office continued a recovery from last summer’s downturn.

The film, about a quirky superhero family, had raked in $182 million in its debut weekend, a record for an animation in the US and Canada, easily surpassing the $135 million debut of 2016’s “Finding Dory.”

The film tells the story of the Parr family -- centered this time on matriarch Helen (Holly Hunter) as she battles to help bring the world’s hiding superheroes back into the open.

Husband Bob (Craig T. Nelson), left at home in charge of their frighteningly talented but scarily unpredictable kids, finds the homemaker’s job more challenging than that of superhero.

In third spot was Warner Bros.’s heist flick “Ocean’s 8,” at $11.7 million. Its female-centric cast has Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) assembling a gang of talented women (Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter) to plan a seemingly impossible diamond heist from the Met Gala in New York.

Adult comedy “Tag,” also from Warner Bros., came in fourth at $8.2 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 at the oddest of moments.

Staying alive in fifth was “Deadpool 2,” the R-rated superhero flick from Fox, at $5.3 million. It stars Ryan Reynolds as the irreverent, foul-mouthed title character.

Rounding out the top 10 were: “Solo: A Star Wars Story” ($4 million) “Hereditary” ($3.8 million) “Superfly” ($3.4 million) “Avengers: Infinity War” ($2.5 million) “Book Club” ($920,000)

YouTube enlists Kirsten Dunst and George Clooney for comedy OS ANGELES | AFP | YouTube Premium has commissioned a dark comedy co-produced by George Clooney and Kirsten Dunst, who will also star in the series, according to a source familiar with the deal.

will center on the US cult of unbridled entrepreneurship and a woman’s intense pursuit of the American Dream.

YouTube’s alliance with two powerhouse names in Hollywood comes as competition intensifies in an online streaming video market with players such as Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Apple.

YouTube Premium, formerly named YouTube Red, had a hit with its first big original series, “Cobra Kai,” inspired by the “Karate Kid” martial arts underdog film from 1984.

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Google-owned YouTube’s subscription service Premium offers ad-free viewing of shared videos along with original content for $12 a month.

Original content has become a battlefront in online video, with Netflix and Amazon Prime spending billions of dollars on shows.

The YouTube series titled “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”

The series will be set in the 1990s, and is scheduled for release next year.

The first episode of “Cobra Kai” has logged more than 40 million views since it was made available at YouTube on May 2 and a second season has been ordered.

Launched in late 2015, YouTube Premium includes an online streaming music service and is seen as part of a broader effort by Google-parent Alphabet to expand how it makes money beyond advertising revenue.

LIFESTYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 15

The country deemed to have the healthiest eating habits may surprise you

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Bodybuilding: The pursuit of beauty in war-torn Kabul

Thanks in part to a diet that places the emphasis on vegetables and dairy products, the Netherlands has been named the healthiest country in the world to eat. Conspicuously absent on the top 10 list?

The US, Canada the UK.

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hough the country is better known for its liberal drug laws than its cuisine, the Dutch diet ranked the healthiest out of 125 countries in a wide sweeping report out of Oxfam that looked at factors like food availability, affordability, food quality and obesity rates.

According to the index “Good Enough to Eat,” the Netherlands emerged the leader thanks to relatively low food prices, low prevalence of diabetes, and better nutritional diversity than its European rivals.

Bodybuilding has a long tradition in Afghanistan, and was even tolerated by the Taliban when they ruled the country from 1996-2001 -- so long as the men wore long trousers as they lifted

Overall, the list is dominated

by European countries, with France and Switzerland tying for second place, followed by Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden tying for third.

by Mushtaq Mojaddidi

K

ABUL, Afghanistan | AFP | Hindi music pumps from the speakers as dozens of Afghan men grunt and sweat their way through a workout beneath the watchful eye of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose muscle-bound image hangs from the wall.

Notable absentees include the UK, Canada and the US. Asian giants South Korea and Japan, meanwhile, performed the best when it comes to healthy eating habits and food availability, given their lower rates of diabetes and obesity and equally low rates of malnutrition in children.

At the other end of the spectrum, Chad landed dead last on the list, due to high food prices, poor nutritional value as well as limited sanitary conditions that includes access to clean water.

Second from the bottom are Angola and Ethiopia.

Interestingly, when it comes to unhealthy eating habits, Saudi Arabia was the lowest scoring country, ranking the worst for its high prevalence of diabetes -- a whopping 18 percent of the population is diabetic. A third of the population is also considered obese.

The fattest country on the list is Kuwait, where 42 percent of the population is obese.

A traditional Dutch pea soup called snert. (Photo: Elzbieta Sekowska/shutterstock.com) To compile their ranking, researchers looked at figures from eight studies published out of international groups like the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the International Labour Organisation.

Meanwhile, a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that a healthy traditional Dutch diet -- defined as a high intake of vegetables, fruit, dairy products and potatoes -was more feasible and healthier

for the longevity of older Dutch women, compared to a Mediterranean diet.

Here are the top countries for healthy eating, according Oxfam’s “Good Enough to Eat,” index: 1. Netherlands 2. France, Switzerland 3. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden 4. Australia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal. (-Relaxnews)

Millennial Men vs. Women: Different Financial Habits As the saying goes, “men are from Mars, women are from Venus.” But when it comes to how each gender approaches their finances, the two groups might as well be from different universes, according to findings from the recent PNC Investments Millennials & Investing Survey.

The survey reveals millennial men and millennial women have differing attitudes and habits in key areas, including their confidence levels, the fi-

nancial products they own and their risk tolerance. More men feel confident than women that they’re saving enough for the future. And more women own basic financial accounts like checking, savings and money markets, while more men own mutual funds and individual stocks and bonds.

When it comes to risk tolerance, more men embrace or tolerate risk, while more women like to avoid risk.

“It’s critical that all mil-

lennials take actionable steps to ensure their future is not in jeopardy, including saving for retirement, participating in the markets and building an emergency fund,” says Rich Ramassini, CFP, senior vice president, Investments at PNC. “Given the findings of this survey, we encourage millennials to seek assistance from qualified financial advisors who can help make sure they’re on the path to securing a strong financial future.”

The scene inside this Kabul gym is repeated at venues all round the capital, where bodybuilding has become ubiquitous since the fall of the Taliban regime.

The sport has a long tradition in Afghanistan, and was even tolerated by the Taliban when they ruled the country from 1996-2001 -- so long as the men wore long trousers as they lifted.

But as security deteriorated and the initial euphoria after the US invasion dissipated into stress, trauma and loss, more and more young men took to the gym.

“Everyone, everywhere in Afghanistan, wants to have a beautiful body shape, and this sport is a favourite sport for every young man,” says Hares Mohammadi, a law and political science student turned champion bodybuilder who is also a trainer at one gym in Kabul.

The 25-year-old, dressed in grey, strikes different poses showing off his carefully honed muscles, and warms up his chest and shoulders ahead of a regional bodybuilding competition.

filled with music and camaraderie as men tone their bodies to perfection.

- The old days It was not always so.

Afghan bodybuilding legend Aziz Arezo reminisces about his time as a teenage lifter, when there were “very, very few people” in the capital who knew anything about the sport.

He himself was only inspired to take it up after seeing movies and posters featuring foreigners such as Schwarzenegger.

“I believe if you do sport or exercise naturally, it is better than protein,” he says, warning of detrimental side effects.

“Before my workout... I was drinking carrot and banana juice, and post-training, I was taking two eggs, three glasses of milk, one bowl of beans and lentils, and it was everyday food for me,” he says.

“Arnold was my... role model,” he says, smiling as he remembers how expensive postcards featuring the star were.

“Today’s bodybuilding is not natural.”

Speaking to AFP between lifting weights at his small gym in Kabul, Arezo -- his physique not quite what it was in his glorious bodybuilding past -- reels off his long list of accolades, including being named Afghanistan’s first master sport bodybuilder by the country’s Olympic Committee in the 1970s.

Regardless of the method, sport can help ease the psychological trauma of nearly four decades of war, says Ali Fitrat, a psychology professor at Kabul University.

It is a long career, and at times a lonely one.

Though now a trainer himself, guiding hundreds of Afghan youths through lifts and crunches, he never had the guidance of one.

Years ago he made the equipment and dumbbells in his gym from spare car parts as there was no place to buy them.

“I have been a teacher of myself,” he says, adding that his dumbbells are “more efficient than foreign dumbbells”.

Despite a surge in bombings and suicide attacks, life goes on, he says, and young Afghans want to “make their mark”.

One way is through sporting success.

Under Taliban rule, he worked for four months in Kabul before eventually fleeing again, fearing their restrictions despite their views on bodybuilding.

So, along with Schwarzenegger, other stars from Hollywood and Bollywood such as Sylvester Stallone and Salman Khan are held up as heroes, and the gyms stay busy for hours,

“Nowadays, bodybuilding clubs are everywhere in the city, and everyone has made a gym of his own,” he says.

-StatePoint

is suspicious of new methods employed by many young Afghans, including taking protein supplements to boost their abilities.

- Stress and frustration -

Afghans are stressed socially, culturally, financially and politically, he said, citing fighting, insecurity and poor economic conditions as some of the most devastating factors.

In such a conservative, gender-segregated society, sexual frustration is another stress factor.

“People do not have access to sex, and men and women are segregated in all parts of their lives,” Fitrat told AFP. “(But) sex is also a need, and (the lack of it) is one of the reasons for stress in our society.”

As such, he says sports such as bodybuilding can play a “vital role” in helping to release stress and tension.

But, like Mohammadi, he also suggests that young men in particular have a strong desire to make their mark.

“They want to show their bodies, they want to attract the attention of the people, and they want to have different looks and to look different than the others,” he said.

He has trained hundreds of bodybuilders in his career, but

Broadway stars to rally against migrant family separations

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EW YORK | AFP Monday 6/25/2018 Some of Broadway’s biggest stars on Monday announced a benefit concert to support efforts to reunite families amid US President Donald Trump’s controversial crackdown on migrants at the border with Mexico.

The singers and actors will perform Saturday at The Cooper Union in New York’s East Village as part of the nationwide “Families Belong Together” protests.

Participants include six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, “Wicked” and “Glee” star Idina Menzel and Andrew Rannells, who won a Tony for “The Book of Mormon” and later played a recurring role on the HBO series “Girls.”

Also appearing will be Tina Fey, the comedian best known on television for “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock,” whose “Mean Girls” is now on Broadway.

PHOTO SOURCE: StatePoint

Part of the “Concert for America” benefit series launched last year, Saturday’s show will raise

Singer Idina Menzel -- shown here at the Women’s March Los Angeles in January 2018 -- will be one of the headliners at a Broadway benefit concert supporting efforts to reunite migrant families (AFP photo) funds for El Otro Lado, the Texas Civil Rights Project and other groups active in the crisis on the border.

Trump, who campaigned on a strident anti-immigration platform, in early May ordered the arrest of anyone crossing the border illegally, with children separated from their parents as

a result.

After a widespread backlash sparked by images of crying children, Trump said the United States would no longer split parents from children but would still detain families as a unit. Some 2,300 children had already been separated from their parents

LEGAL

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

US states sue Washington over immigrant separation

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OS ANGELES | AFP | Friday 6/21/2018 Several US states are suing the Trump administration over its “zero tolerance” policy that led to thousands of migrant children being split from their families on the US border with Mexico.

“We have no way to predict from one day to the next what this president’s policies or intentions are,” Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement.

“These cruel policies and this executive order are un-American and create chaos, fear and uncertainty. Washington continues to stand ready to ensure this president is held accountable.”

In an effort to staunch the flow of tens of thousands of migrants from Central America and Mexico arriving at the southern boundary every month, Trump in early May ordered that all those crossing the border illegally would be arrested, and their children held separately as a result.

Nearly all of the arriving families, and many others, have officially requested asylum, cit-

Tel: 713-774-5140

Some choices for legal billing software that really pay off

by Nicole Black fficient and accurate legal billing is essential for law firms. After all, if you don’t invoice your clients, you won’t get paid. That’s why, according to the American Bar Association’s 2017 Legal Technology Survey Report, legal billing software is used by the majority of law firms: 81 percent of respondents reported that their firms made time and billing software available, and 70 percent made electronic billing software available for use.

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Although President Donald Trump reversed course, signing an executive order on Wednesday to end the practice following domestic and international outrage, Washington State on Thursday said it will lead a coalition of states legally challenging “the policy of forced family separation on the US southern border.”

Despite Trump’s order, there was no immediate plan in place for family reunification.

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

A demonstration in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy which led to the separation of more than 2,300 migrant children from their families (AFP Photo) ing the incessant violence in their home countries.

Trump’s executive order “does nothing to reunify families already torn apart by the Trump Administration’s policy,” the Washington state attorney general’s office said.

“Second, the order is riddled with so many caveats as to be meaningless,” it said in a statement.

The states’ lawsuit, which was expected to be filed Thursday, will allege the Administration “has violated the constitutional due process rights of the parents and children by separating them as a matter of course and without any finding that the parent poses a threat to the children,” the attorney general’s office said.

It also called the federal pol-

icy discriminatory because it only targets the southern border, and says the administration has violated US asylum laws by turning people away at ports of entry.

Ten states and the District of Columbia are so far set to join Washington State in the suit.

The northwestern state of Washington has been one of the most aggressive, along with California and New York, in taking legal action against Trump’s administration, including over its effort to block migrants from several Muslimmajority countries.

Trump’s administration has in turn taken California to court challenging its legislation that restricts local police and businesses from cooperating with immigration authorities.

In a prior column, I discussed time-tracking software options for law firms and promised that I’d address legal billing and electronic payment software later. For those interested in researching legal billing software options, that time has come, and in this column I’ll provide an overview of the cloud-based legal billing software. Those of you seeking information about online payment tools will have to wait, but rest assured, I’ll cover that topic in the near future.

For now, let’s talk about legal billing software. When it comes to legal billing software, you have two choices: you can use standalone versions or rely on the billing tools built into law practice management software.

When vetting these products, it’s important to ensure that the invoices created by the software are editable, easy to read and can be easily shared with your clients in electronic format. That way you avoid the costly, inefficient and timeconsuming process of creating, printing out and mailing paper bills.

Another important feature to look for is the ability to customize invoices by including your firm’s logo, contact information and more. Some systems will also allow you to include a payment link in the invoice so that your clients can immediately pay you electronically upon receipt of the invoice. This feature will be discussed more fully in the article on electronic payment processing options for law firms. Trust account and accounting features are also important considerations and will be discussed more fully below.

When it comes to cloudbased legal practice management software, all the leading companies, including Clio, Rocket Matter and MyCase, have the ability to generate invoices from time entered using the software’s timetracking tools. (Note that I am the legal technology evangelist with MyCase). Most reputable providers also include trust accounting reconciliation features, along with options

The market for legal practice management is expected to increase, along with pricing and cloud-based software solutions. (Graphic: TechNav) to incorporate your law firm’s general accounting information into your billing system. Of course each program is unique and each offers a different mix of features, so it’s very important to use the invoicing tools extensively during your free trial of the software.

When reconciling general accounting data, you have two options: Choose a law practice management system with those features built directly into the software, or ensure that the software will integrate with the accounting tools your firm’s bookkeeper and/or accountant already use.

If you’d like to use software with accounting features built into it, CosmoLex is a good bet. Alternatively, if your bookkeeper and/or accountant would prefer to use the accounting software that they are familiar with, such as QuickBooks, then make sure your software platform of choice integrates with that accounting software in a way that conforms to your law firm’s workflow.

But note: simply confirming that an integration exists is insufficient. Instead, you should use the integration while test driving the legal practice management software. Otherwise you may commit to a product only to learn later that it doesn’t transfer the necessary information between the programs in the manner that you need it to.

For firms that are not ready to commit to a full-fledged law practice management system, but still need robust legal billing software, never fear! You have a number of cloud-based software tools to choose from.

What follows is not all-inclusive, but features a number of different types of tools, one of which is sure to suit your needs. There are many different and varying features offered by the different programs, so make sure to review the specific features and test drive the software before locking your firm into a

long-term contract.

Two of the more popular cloud-based billing software programs developed specifically for lawyers are TimeSolv and Time59. Both offer free trials and include mobile and desktop time tracking and trust accounting features, LEDES invoicing, and integrations with payment processing solutions. Time59 costs $99.95 a year for unlimited users and data. For law firms, TimeSolv costs $29.95 per timekeeper for the monthly plan or $26.95 per timekeeper for the annual plan.

Bill4Time is another tool that is popular with lawyers, but is also used in other industries.

Its legal-specific program includes online payment options, built-in accounting tools and mobile time tracking among other features. A free trial is available, and both yearly and monthly payment options are offered. Pricing is tiered, and starts at $27 a month per user, capping off at $89 per user for the most robust feature set at the enterprise level. There are several different pricing levels in between.

So no matter what your firm’s legal billing needs, there’s a software tool available that will fit the bill (no pun intended!).

Now that you have the lay of the land, carefully research and review your options, narrow it down to a few tools, and take them for a test drive. Choose the program that best fits into your firm’s workflow, and in no time flat your law firm will be well on its way to more streamlined and efficient legal billing.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York, attorney, author, journalist and the legal technology evangelist at MyCase, legal practice management software for solo and smallfirm lawyers. She is the nationally recognized author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, and she co-authored Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier.

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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 ASIA17 17

FRIDAY, FRIDAY,June June29, 29,2018 2018

Medicare, Your Doctor and You

June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

Section 2

Tel: 713-774-5140

Yoga: Indian practice turned global phenomenon The Indian discipline of yoga, involving spiritual and physical practices, is followed in myriad forms today by millions of people worldwide, with an entry in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

Sun Salutations, is a recent development, says India specialist Sita Reddy in “Yoga, The Art of Transformation” (2013).

Modern Western references such as the Oxford English Dictionary define yoga as a “spiritual and ascetic discipline” which includes “breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures.”

Today there are many techniques popular around the world, including the classic Hatha; Ashtanga’s series of sequences; Iyengar, which uses props; and Bikram, practised in a heated and humid room.

- Global phenomenon Indian metaphysics captured the imagination of counter-cultural movements of the 1960s and 1970s, as epitomised by the relationship between The Beatles and the Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh.

Yoga as a spiritual practice was popularised at this time with the more athletic and dynamic methods developed in the 1980s and 1990s, says Mark Singleton from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

The Indian discipline of yoga, involving spiritual and physical practices, is followed in myriad forms today by millions of people worldwide, with an entry in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.(Photo: Sajjad Hussain / AFP)

Here is some background: - Transcending suffering The word “yoga” has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language and means “to attach, join, harness, yoke”.

This is the notion underpinning the discipline, according to French historian Bernard Sergent, which is to join the intellect of the one practising with the “universal soul”.

Yoga first appeared in ancient texts such as the sacred Hindu epic the Bhagavad Gita, written between the fifth and second centuries BC. It is born of an “awareness of the unsatisfactory character of the human condition,” says India specialist Tara Michael, author of the book “Yoga” published in France in 1980.

The practice emerged as a way of transcending this suffering.

However in its present-day use, yoga is often no more than a form of exercise, Michael says.

- A modern (re)invention Yoga became known in the West towards the end of the 19th century as it was undergoing a major revival in India under the Hindu teacher Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902).

This philosopher-monk stressed yoga’s rational and scientific qualities in a bid to make the discipline compatible with the West.

His book “Raja Yoga” lays the foundations for a modern and international yoga.

In the first half of the 20th century, Western texts began to detail yoga postures, also known as “asanas”.

The emphasis on these postures and their sequences, such as the famous

It is difficult to say just how many people practise yoga around the world today, although some estimate it could be up to around 200 to 300 million.

Studies have shown its benefits for dealing with anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, with yoga considered more effective than a simple physical activity but less than psychotherapy.

- World heritage Since coming to power in 2014, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken yoga as an emblem of India’s flourishing in the world, pushing for the UN resolution that has since 2015 consecrated June 21 as International Yoga Day. UNESCO added yoga to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2016 in recognition of its influence on Indian society, “from health and medicine to education and the arts”.

“Designed to help individuals build self-realisation, ease any suffering they may be experiencing and allow for a state of liberation, (yoga) is practised by the young and old without discriminating against gender, class or religion,” UNESCO added in a tweet.

(-Relaxnews)

June is National Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

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veryone is at risk to develop Alzheimer’s. The only prerequisite for Alzheimer’s is that you have a brain. Did you know: • Alzheimer’s is fatal. It kills more people annually than breast and prostate cancer combined.

• Alzheimer’s is not normal aging. It’s a progressive brain disease without any cure.

• Alzheimer’s is more than memory loss. It appears through a variety of signs and symptoms.

In 2000, 4 million American had Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common of the many types of dementia.

In 2015, 5.3 million people

were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s can’t be stopped, or prevented. The cost to care for the over 5 million people with Alzheimer’s in 2015 was $226 billion -- half that cost was paid by Medicare.

7 Facts About Alzheimer’s

In 2016, 1 in 3 seniors will die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Alzheimer’s killed 84,000 in 2013. An estimated 700,000 people with Alzheiner’s will die in 2016.

2/3 of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death in the top 10 killers that can’t be prevented, cured, or slowed.

Early detection of Alzheimer’s matters. Know the 10 warning signs.

1.

Alzheimer’s is detected at the end-stage of the disease

2.

Memory loss is not part of the normal aging process

3.

Current Alzheimer’s drugs are not ineffective

4.

Alzheimer’s disease can be treated.

5.

There are many drugs in the Alzheimer’s treatment pipeline.

6.

Taking good care of your heart will better keep your brain healthy

7.

Managing risk factors may delay or prevent cognitive problems later in life.

Medicare - Your Doctor & You

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octors are often seen as superheroes, and although they don’t wear capes, they do save lives. However, unlike their superhero counterparts, doctors aren’t always able to detect danger just by sensing it. As patients, our job is to be proactive with our health care and communicate with providers about issues that we may be experiencing. It may not always be apparent what we should discuss with our doctors but a good rule of thumb is “if you’re concerned about it, mention it.” There are no health issues too small for your doctor to address.

Below are a few tips to help prepare for the next doctor’s appointment and questions to ask when you arrive.

Before the appointment • Create and prioritize your list of health concerns and include any health or personal changes you have experienced since your last visit.

• Gather your insurance cards, medical history, medications, and doctor’s contact information.

• Make sure you have your glasses, hearing aid, or other devices.

You may also want to bring a snack if you have to fast for the appointment.

You may also want to bring a pen and paper to take notes during the appointment.

• Plan how you will arrive at your appointment. Will you need a ride or will someone by taking you? There are transportation services that offer free or reduced rides to older adults.

• Would you like for friend or family member to join you for the appointment? They can help you remember the doctor’s directions after the appointment or just provide emotional support.

• If you need an interpreter ask your doctor when you arrive or beforehand.

At the Appointment • If you are having symptoms, share them with your doctor. What are they? When did they start? How often do they occur? What triggers them?

• Go over any medications you may be taking. Will you need to take any new medications? Why is it being prescribed? When, how often and how long does it need to be taken? Are there any side effects or special instructions?

• Will your new medications have any side effects? How will it interact with food, alcohol, or any of your current medications?

• Find out if you need to take any medical tests. What are the tests for? What do I need to do to prepare

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 for the test? If there is blood work and will I need to fast 12 hours beforehand? When will the results come back and how will I receive them?

If you have been diagnosed • with a health condition get as much information as you need. What may have caused the condition? How long will it last? What are treatment and management options? How will it affect you?

Voice any other health con• cerns you may be experiencing. Have you had trouble sleeping? Have you been feeling isolated or depressed lately?

After the Appointment Make sure you schedule any • follow-up appointments that are needed either for tests or specialists. Find out if you will need a referral for the visit and who is responsible for scheduling the appointment.

• Get a printout of instructions from your doctor, brochures, and educational materials. Any additional reading material is helpful especially if you have been diagnosed with a new health condition.

• Find out when you need to return and schedule the appointment.

This list is not all encompassing, but it does include some of the most important information you need to remain healthy for years to come.

Make sure you share your concerns, ask questions you think are important and seek clarification from your health care professional. Discussing the nonmedical parts of your life is also important, as it can impact the decisions made about your health care.

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

Read latestarticles on HEALTH Visit : www. voiceofasiaonline.com

New study encourages men with stress incontinence symptoms to consult a doctor sooner rather than later

New US research has found that men may be tolerating stress urinary incontinence for more than two years before seeking medical help, with one-third putting up with the condition for more than five years before consulting their doctor.

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arried out by researchers at UT Southwestern, the new study set out to assess how long men suffer with male incontinence symptoms, and how severe the symptoms are, before seeking help for anti-incontinence surgery (AIS).

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) occurs when physical activity or exertion, such as a cough, heavy lifting, or exercise, causes the bladder to leak urine.

Although SUI in men is rare, with 85 percent of cases affecting women, it can have a severe impact on a man’s quality of life.

For the new study the researchers looked at 572 men evaluated for anti-incontinence surgery between 2007 and 2017.

They found the median length of time the men had waited to seek treatment for SUI was 2.7 years and almost a third waited more than five years.

An increase in age was also linked with an increase in delaying treatment, with patients

in their 80s waiting a median of more than seven years before seeking help.

The researchers are now calling on men’s general practitioners and urologists to perform a standing cough test as a routine part of their male patients’ physicals, in which patients are asked to cough while the doctor watches for any accidental urine release.

“Our goal is to spread the word that effective and safe treatments exist for men with stress urinary incontinence, but also to facilitate an immediate and accurate diagnosis among stress urinary incontinence patients,” said Dr. Joceline Fuchs, first author of the study.

“Male SUI is rare but is known to have significant negative psychosocial and emotional effects and represents a common reason for post-treatment anxiety and depression,” added senior author Dr. Allen Morey. “Using new diagnostic techniques, we are now able to accurately diagnose and streamline treatment recommendations to resolve this bothersome problem for

our patients.”

These treatments include minor surgeries that either help boost a weakened sphincter muscle for patients with minimal leakage, known as the sling procedure, or replace the sphincter muscle altogether with an artificial urinary sphincter for more severe cases of leakage.

In men who have had a prostatectomy, the surgical treatment used for prostate cancer which can cause SUI, most recovery of urinary control occurs within the first 12 months after surgery.

The team noted that those who have had a prostatectomy may delay treatment for SUI as they are reluctant to have even more surgery, but they pointed out that levels of patient satisfaction and quality of life improvements for those who do undergo anti-incontinence surgery are high, ranging from 73 to 90 percent.

The results can be found published online in the journal Urology.

(- Relaxnews)

VOICE OF ASIA 18

New study finds low vitamin D intakes among UK South Asians

HEALTH

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

New study links maternal diabetes to an increased risk of autism in children New US research has found a link between three types of diabetes in pregnancy and an increased risk of autism in children.

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new UK study has found that the country’s South Asian population is at a high risk of vitamin D deficiency, with researchers now calling for public health strategies to urgently tackle the problem and prevent health problems.

Carried out by researchers from the University of Surrey, the new study is the largest of its kind so far, with the team gathering data from 8,024 Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani adults aged 40-69 years who took part in the long-term health study UK Biobank.

The researchers looked at the vitamin D intake of the South Asian participants, a population which can be susceptible to low vitamin D levels due to their darker skin pigmentation, a tendency to avoid the sun, and high skin coverage due to clothing, making it even more important that they have an adequate oral intake of vitamin D through diet or supplementation.

However, the researchers found that vitamin D intake through diet was low among the participants, at 1.0-3.0 micrograms per day.

The team also found that there were differences between the ethnicities, with Bangladeshis having on average higher vitamin D intake (3.0mcg) than Indians (1.0mcg), although all of the groups were below both the European Food Safety Authority recommendation (15 micrograms per day) and the Public

South Asians living in the U.K. may need to increase their intake of vitamin D either through diet or supplementation to avoid a deficiency. (Photo: juankphoto / IStock.com) Health England recommendation (10 micrograms per day).

Use of supplements was also low, with just 22 percent of Bangladeshis, 32 percent of Indians, and 25 percent of Pakistanis taking a vitamin-Dcontaining supplement.

The team also found that women were more likely to take a vitamin D supplement than men, with 39 percent of female participants taking a supplement compared to 22 percent of males, and younger participants were less likely to take supplements than older participants.

Lead author Dr. Andrea Darling commented on the findings saying, “Such low levels of vitamin D intake and vitamin D

supplement use in this population group is very concerning.

Vitamin D is crucial to ensuring our overall health and a lack of it leads to an increased risk of chronic illnesses putting an additional strain on the NHS.” “Urgent steps are required to remedy this problem and avoid a public health crisis amongst UK South Asians.”

A lack of vitamin D can increase the risk of a variety of chronic diseases including osteoporosis, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The results can be found published online in the journal Public Health Nutrition. (-Relaxnews)

Police killings of blacks exact mental health toll: US study

by Marlowe Hood

The frequency of these killings has been cited as symptomatic of deeply rooted racism, and is in any case perceived as such by most black Americans, they reported in The Lancet, a medical journal.

Audio or video evidence of such deaths over the last few years has given rise to the “Black Lives Matter” movement, whether in the form of street protests or National Football League players kneeling during the national anthem before games.

“We found that when police kill unarmed black Americans, there is mental health fallout that reverberates throughout the black American community,” said senior author Alexander Tsai, an associate professor of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

“This finding is significant because it shows that the effects of these killings go beyond immediate friends and family,” he told AFP. Tallies kept by news organisations and researchers vary, but police have killed approximately 300 black Americans -- about a quarter of them unarmed -each year since 2014.

Over this period, blacks were roughly three times more likely than whites to be killed by police, and nearly five times more likely to be killed by police

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arried out by researchers at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, the study looked at 419,425 children born at 28 to 44 weeks between 1995 and 2012.

health records from age 1 year for a median of 6.9 years, during which time 5,827 children were diagnosed with autism.

Of the children included in the study 621 were exposed to maternal type 1 diabetes, 9,453 to maternal type 2 diabetes, 11, 922 to gestational diabetes diagnosed by 26 weeks’ gestation, and 24,505 to gestational diabetes diagnosed after 26 weeks.

The researchers found that the risk of autism was higher in children born to mothers with one of the three main types of diabetes that complicate pregnancy -- type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes diagnosed by 26 weeks -- compared to those with no exposure to maternal diabetes exposure.

Although type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes diagnosed by 26 weeks have previously been linked with an increased risk of autism, less is known about the association between type 1 diabetes and autism.

In addition, the findings still held true after the researchers had taken into account maternal smoking during pregnancy and mothers’ prepregnancy BMI, with the results changed only slightly.

The researchers followed the children using their electronic

However, gestational diabetes diagnosed after 26 weeks

was not associated with excess risk compared with no diabetes.

As an observational study the findings do not show cause and effect, and the team also pointed out that they cannot control for all of the natural factors that could explain the study findings. Autism risk factors related to the father were also not assessed in the study.

However, they added that the findings now provide new information on the associations between type 1 diabetes and the timing of diabetes (early vs late in pregnancy) and add to the existing research on type 2 and gestational diabetes.

The results can be found published online in the journal JAMA. ( - Relaxnews)

US approves Epidiolex, first marijuana-derived drug

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 6/25/2018 -The disproportionately high rate at which unarmed black people die at the hands of police in the United States has a corrosive impact on the mental health of black Americans, researchers reported Friday.

Mothers with diabetes may be more likely to have a child with autism, according to new research.

(Photo: comzeal / Istock.com)

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Photo: Huffington Post

while unarmed, the researchers said.

As of July 2017, 61 percent of the US population self-identified as “white,” and 13 percent as “black”, according to the US Census.

Statistics show that black Americans have proportionally more encounters with law enforcement, which in itself increases the opportunity for violent outcomes.

A state investigation, for example, into policing practices in Ferguson, Missouri after the 2014 shooting death of an unarmed 18-year-old African American, Michael Brown, revealed that blacks were threeand-a-half times more likely than whites to be pulled over by police while driving.

- ‘Structural racism’ Black American stand-up comics have long highlighted the perils of “DWB”, or “driving while black.”

To probe the mental health effect of police killings of blacks on the larger black American population, Tsai and colleagues compared two sets of data.

One was a national, 20132015 telephone survey of more than 100,000 black American adults that asked how many out of the previous 30 days were marked by stress, depression

and emotional problems.

The other was a state-by-state tally of police killings from the Mapping Police Violence database.

ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 6/25/2018 - US regulators on Monday approved the first marijuana-derived drug ever to hit the US market, Epidiolex, which will be used to treat two rare and severe forms of childhood epilepsy.

Using statistical analysis, the researchers found a strong link between more days of poor mental health and deaths at the hands of law enforcement occurring in the 90 days prior to the interview.

Made by the British biopharma company GW Pharmaceuticals, Epidiolex uses purified cannabidiol, or CBD, which is one of more than 80 active compounds in the cannabis sativa plant, often known simply as marijuana.

This “spillover” effect was strongest 30-60 days after police killings in or near the state in which respondents lived.

“This is an important medical advance,” said US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

Extended to the US black adult population, the findings suggest that police killings of unarmed black Americans could account for up to 65 million excess days of stress or depression per year, on a par with the mental health burden associated with diabetes, the study found.

“But it’s also important to note that this is not an approval of marijuana or all of its components. This is the approval of one specific CBD medication for a specific use.”

“Regardless of what is driving the disparate killings of black Americans, these killings have corrosive effects on population mental health among black Americans,” said Tsai.

“Police killings of black Americans -- in contrast to police killings of white Americans -- have a long, painful history and sociological meaning attached to them.”

“They undermine mental health among black Americans

The drug is approved for use against Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome in patients two years of age and older, the FDA said.

Both forms of epilepsy cause severe seizures.

Dravet syndrome is a rare genetic condition that causes frequent fever-related seizures, involuntary muscle spasms and a potentially life-threatening

because they are a manifestation of structural racism,” he added.

state of continuous seizure activity requiring emergency medical care.

Pharmaceuticals. The drug should be available in the coming months.

“Children with Dravet syndrome typically experience poor development of language and motor skills, hyperactivity and difficulty relating to others,” said the FDA.

Epidiolex will be marketed

by Greenwich Biosciences, a subsidiary of GW Pharmaceuticals.

Like Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome also begins in childhood and causes multiple types of seizures.

Most children affected develop learning problems, intellectual disability, delayed motor skills and need help with daily activities.

“For those living with intractable seizures caused by LGS and Dravet syndrome, Epidiolex represents a true medical advancement,” said Philip Gattone, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation.

“Clinical development for these rare and severe conditions is essential, and today’s news brings hope for these patients and their families that a new treatment option may have the potential to help better control their seizures.”

- Reclassification needed Before the drug can be made widely available, the US Drug Enforcement Administration must reclassify CBD, which is considered a Schedule 1 drug that has a high risk of abuse and no medical value because it is derived from marijuana.

A reclassification is expected within 90 days, according GW

The European Medicines Agency is currently reviewing Epidiolex for treating seizures associated with LGS and Dravet Syndrome, with a decision on whether or not to recommend approval expected early next year.

Epidiolex’s effectiveness was studied in three randomized clinical trials involving 516 patients with either LennoxGastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome, comparing Epidiolex to a placebo.

Across the board, the drug was shown to be effective in cutting the frequency of seizures.

Side effects included sleepiness, sedation, lethargy, elevated liver enzymes, decreased appetite, diarrhea, rash, weakness, insomnia, poor quality sleep and infections.

An advisory panel to the FDA recommended in April that the drug be approved.

The FDA is not required to follow the advisory panel’s advice but usually does.

CBD does not cause intoxication or euphoria. That so-called “high” comes from a different compound in marijuana, known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

VOICE OF ASIA 19

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Robotic surgery as effective as open surgery for bladder cancer according to study

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Texas Supreme Court strikes down ban on plastic bags

“No one had followed these patients over a period of time to find out if you are impacting their cancer outcomes with this robotic approach. We were able to prove unequivocally that we are not compromising patient outcomes by using robotic surgery.”

A study compares robotic surgery with more traditional methods.

(Photo: kupicoo/Istock.com)

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ew US research has found that robotic surgery is just as effective as traditional open surgery for treating bladder cancer.

Directed by Dipen J. Parekh, MD, chair of urology and director of robotic surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the sevenyear Randomized Open Versus Robotic Cystectomy (RAZOR) trial is the first major study to compare the outcomes of robotic surgery to those of traditional open surgery in any organ.

Conducted at 15 medical centers across the USA, the trial looked at 302 patients in the bladder cancer study, 152 of whom received traditional open surgery and 150 who received robotic surgery.

for two to three years after surgery to compare outcomes.

The researchers found that there were no differences in complication rates between the two groups of patients, with adverse events occurring in 67 percent of the robotic group and 69 percent of the open surgery group. In addition, the two-year progression-free survival was nearly the same.

The team found no advantage of one surgery over the other when the two groups were questioned about their quality of life at three and six months after surgery.

“We have done more than 4 million surgeries with the robotic approach since the device came into existence, and on average we do close to a million robotic surgeries a year globally,” commented Parekh.

Patients were then followed

Parekh also added that the most important lesson from the study is that more trials should now be done on other organs. Robotic surgery has become particularly popular with prostate cancer patients, with around 90 percent choosing it, but is also being used in many other organs including kidney, colorectal, OB/GYN, and lung cancer.

Some have expressed concern about the lack of tactile feedback in robotic surgery, an important guide for those conducting open surgery, however Parekh explains that, “When you do robotic surgery you don’t feel anything. It’s more by visual cues. If you’re doing open surgery you have the organs in your hands, you can feel them, and you assess and do these surgeries accordingly.”

Parekh is highly experienced in performing robotic surgeries with the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, which provides a magnified, three-dimensional view of the organs, and a wide range of motion and flexibility.

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

New Ford Focus can detect potholes

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ETROIT - Unlike some other manufacturers, Ford doesn’t save its very latest advanced technology for its most expensive models and then let it trickle into more affordable vehicles later on. Instead, the Blue Oval tends to jump in with both feet and offer its latest technology in whatever next new model can accommodate it. In the case of a new system Ford has come up with that can detect potholes, it’s the all-new Focus that has the honor of debuting the technology.

Versions of the new fourthgeneration Focus equipped with continuously adaptive damping will be able to smooth out the ride for the driver and passengers when traveling on broken road surfaces by ‘seeing’ the potholes. The system

makes use of 12 high-resolution sensors that are able to detect the potholes before they are driven over and adjusts the suspension setting accordingly to makes things as comfortable as possible for the car’s occupants.

When a pothole is detected by the continuously adaptive damping, which will be available as a cost-option for new Focus models that don’t have it as standard, the dampers automatically adjust to the hardest possible setting. The reasoning behind that is so the wheels don’t fall as deep into the hole as they would do otherwise when they run over it. Ford claims that this reduces the impact as a wheel bounces back out of a pothole, which, as well as improving the comfort of the ride, also reduces the chances

of damage to the car.

The system was introduced into the Ford range in the US last year, but the Focus will be the first model to get it in Europe when it goes on sale later in the summer. After that, all models above the Focus in the Ford portfolio will have it available.

by Marlowe Hood

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ARIS, France | AFP | Friday 6/22/2018 - In the middle of the night it becomes a form of psychological torture, the insidious “plink...” (wait-for-it) “plink...” (wait-for-it) “plink...” of drops falling, one-by-one, into water.

The Texas Supreme Court examined the single-use bag ordinances for 11 Texas cities, including Austin and Laredo.

The restriction banned the use of plastic bags.

The ruling states that local governments cannot restrict the sale of containers or packages if it not authorized by state law.

“I commend the Texas Supreme Court for upholding the principle that no one is exempted from the rule of law. This

The image clearly shows the formation of a cavity -- like a thimble turned upside down -- on the water’s surface upon impact, followed by a narrow column of water rising as the cavity recoils.

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t may not be long before physical car keys are a thing of the past, replaced by tech on our mobile devices, however with these new Digital Keys comes great responsibility, which is why big brands are working together in a Car Connectivity Consortium to develop a standardized solution.

essentially

provides

of a study in Scientific Reports.

But if the fluid mechanics of drops-in-liquid have been understood for a century, the signature noise they make remained harder to grasp.

The idea to probe further came to Phillips’ professor, Anurag Agarwal, while he was visiting a friend who had a small leak in the roof of his house.

Scientists said Friday that they had finally cracked the “dripping tap” enigma

“I was being kept awake by the sound of water falling in a bucket,” he recalled.

burst sound waves rose to the surface and escaped into the air.

“The next day I discussed it with my friend and another visiting academic and we were all surprised that no one had actually answered the question of what causes the sound.”

- No bubble, no ‘plink’ -

In 2015, Laredo retailers sued the City over the rule. There were two lower court rulings; one declaring the law legal and the other declaring it illegal.

Texas’ high court previously heard arguments on the matter in January.

Advocates want to restrict the use of plastic bags to reduce litter and improve recycling.

Groups including the Texas Campaign for the Environment, Texans for Clean Water,

and numerous retailers argued before the courts to keep the bans instated at local levels.

“We are very disappointed in today’s ruling,” said Environment Texas Executive Director Luke Metzger. “Plastic pollution is harming wildlife, marring the beauty of our cities, and threatening our health, safety and economy. Nothing we use for five minutes should pollute our environment for hundreds of years.”

Metzger said advocates are calling on major retailers, like HEB and Walmart, to still observe the ban.

Plastic bags have been banned in Austin since 2013.

Brands such as Apple, Audi, Samsung, VW are working on digital keys that will allow you to start your car with your phone. (Photo: Roslan Rahman / AFP)

This

Over the following decades, dozens of published experiments with increasingly precise instruments backed up this idea.

ruling sends the unambiguous message to all local jurisdictions in Texas that they do not get to simply ignore laws they don’t agree with,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

No key needed: Big brands are working on a downloadable digital car-key

Car Connectivity Consortium, “an organization focused on enabling seamless mobile device-to-vehicle connectivity” has just announced the publication of Digital Key Release 1.0 specification in order to provide a standardized authentication protocol between a vehicle and a smart device.

In 1908, Arthur Mason Worthington published a treatise, “A Study of Splashes”, featuring the first known photograph in a scientific journal of a drop as it punctures a body of water’s still surface.

Finally, in 1955, scientists noticed the formation of a tiny bubble of air briefly trapped beneath the cavity as it took shape, speculating that when it

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USTIN – Plastic bags could be coming back to Austin after the state Supreme Court struck down the ban on Friday.

Considering technology is always finding ways to lighten our pockets and purses of bank or fidelity cards, it’s no surprise that car keys could be the next to go.

Scientists said Friday that they had finally cracked the “dripping tap” enigma and know exactly how the sound is generated.

A decade later, another group discovered that a minimum height was required to generate a “plink.”

by Claire Ricke

Ford’s vehicle dynamics supervisor for the new Focus, Guy Mathot, says of the system: “Our engineers are always searching for the roughest roads to really test our suspension to the limit, but more and more we’re noticing that the rough roads are finding us. Potholes are a problem that isn’t going away any time soon but, with our advanced suspension technology for the all-new Focus, we’ve been able to reduce their impact.” (-Relaxnews)

The maddening ‘plink, plink’ of dripping water decoded

Around 1920, a team of researchers in England decided that resonance inside the tiny water cavity was the likely mechanism behind the sound.

A Texas Campaign for the Environment advocate has been deemed the “bag monster” wearing plastic bags to protest the Supreme Court strike down on the plastic bag ban on June 22, 2018. (Spectrum News Photo/John Pope)

“Until now, everyone thought these sound waves just passed through the water surface and that’s how we heard the sound, much like if you hear someone speaking through a wall,” said Samuel Phillips, an undergraduate student at the University of Cambridge and lead author

To find out, the researchers set up an experiment making

some ground rules, or a “robust ecosystem” as the company puts it, of what needs to be implemented with the Digital Key, such as a smart device being able to lock and unlock the vehicle when in the proximity, as well as start the engine once inside. There will need to be user authentication, provisioning, revocation and the ability to share peer-to-peer.

These guidelines are not only for vehicle manufacturers to know what features to offer their customers but also other industries that are involved or affected. Device vendors will need to work alongside car brands, while integrated solutions for smart home and transportation apps are also part of the ecosystem. Rental companies and car sharing services will have new ways to manage vehicles, opening up opportunities as well as potential problems to solve.

full use of cutting-edge video and audio recording technology.

Using ultra-slow-motion video, a microphone and a hydrophone, they were able to perceive details that had previously gone unnoticed.

The trapped air bubble, it turned out, began to vibrate as the cavity deepened.

Among the CCC charter member companies are major brands like Apple, Audi, BMW, General Motors, Hyundai, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Samsung, and Volkswagen, while core members include Alps Electric, Continental Automotive GmbH, DENSO, Gemalto, NXP, and Qualcomm Incorporated.

The consortium notes that given the extensive interest from automotive and smartphone manufacturers as well as the supplier ecosystem, CCC has begun work on the Digital Key Release 2.0 specification with expected delivery set for Q1 2019.

Audi, a member of the consortium, already has a mobile key function in the form of the Audi connect key on mobile device, while other brands have plans to put such a system in place in the near future.(-Relaxnews)

itself to vibrate at the bottom of the cavity, acting like a piston to drive sound waves into the air.”

Not only did the researched crack the enigma, they also found a way to neutralise the “plink” for those leaky-roof rainy days.

Adding a little dish-soap will do the trick, they said.

“Sound waves emitted by the vibrating air bubble don’t simply pass through the water surface into the air, as previously thought,” Phillips explained.

“It changes the surface tension of the water, and so prevents the bubble from being trapped under the water,” Phillips said.

“Rather, the oscillating bubble causes the water surface

“No bubble means no sound, hence no ‘plink’!”

LEISURE / TRAVEL

VOICE OF ASIA 20

How to have a safe summer holiday while abroad

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Malaysia mosque bans tourists after ‘sexy dance’ goes viral

Pelancong Seksi Menari Di hadapan Masjid. (Youtube screen grab)

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UALA LUMPUR, Malaysia | AFP - A Malaysian mosque has banned tourists after a video of two female visitors in skimpy outfits dancing in front of the Muslim holy site went viral online.

Along with your sunscreen and travel books, don’t forget to look up emergency contact numbers at your travel destination, says the American Red Cross. © Paul-Daniel Florea/Istock.com

You may have researched the best ramen shops to hit in Tokyo or the top museums to visit in London, but do you know what number to call in the event of an emergency in your destination country? Or how to contact your local embassy or consulate? For holidaymakers traveling outside the US, the American Red Cross has released a list of helpful tips on how to have a safe summer vacation. ecause when planning a trip, travelers are more often preoccupied with what to do than what to do if things go awry.

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Here are a few reminders on how plan a safe holiday: - If your destination is prone to natural disasters -- tsunamis, volcanic activity, hurricane, earthquakes -- read up on basic tips on what to do in the face of an emergency. For instance, during an earthquake, it’s advised to drop, cover and seek protection under a sturdy piece of furniture.

- If your summer travel destination is a particularly hot one, it’s advised to stay hydrated, wear loose, lightweight

and light-colored clothing during a heat wave and to eat small meals more often.

- Be aware that for some countries, passports must be valid for at least six months.

- Enter your travel details with the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which allows the State Department to better assist you in the case of an emergency while abroad.

- Keep contact details for the nearest US embassy or consulate on you as you travel in case of emergency.

- Let your credit card company know that you will be traveling out of the country. Otherwise, you risk having your card blocked while abroad should the bank deem your foreign transactions suspicious activity. This is especially true if you don’t travel outside the US often.

- The State Department also has a handy reference sheet of emergency numbers for countries around the world. Look up the 911 equivalent for your destination country and keep the numbers handy while your travel.

- The American Red Cross also has a first aid app that tells users what to do in the case of everyday emergencies.

(- Relaxnews)

- Pack your International Certificate of Vaccination or the yellow card.

The pair, of East Asian appearance and believed to be foreigners, were filmed doing the dance in skimpy shorts and tops exposing their midriffs on a wall outside the main mosque in the city of Kota Kinabalu, a popular site for visitors and tour groups.

Residents and local Muslim groups were incensed by the risque moves outside the holy site on Borneo island, which is renowned for its huge blue and gold dome and ornate minarets.

An outraged onlooker can be heard in the video saying: “Why don’t they just fall off the wall?”

Mosque chairman Jamal Sakaran at the weekend slammed “the unacceptable behaviour by foreign tourists” and announced a temporary halt to any tourists visiting the mosque in Sabah state, adding the move was to preserve the sanctity of Islam.

The nationality of the women in-

volved was not clear.

State Tourism Minister Christina Liew told The Star newspaper legal action would not be taken against the pair as they were likely unaware of the severity of their actions. But authorities wanted to track them down to explain “that something they deemed as ‘fun’ was actually disrespectful and not right in Sabah”.

Large numbers of tourists -- both local and foreign -- visit the mosque, often during a brief stop in Kota Kinabalu before heading into the jungles of Sabah to see the jungle-clad state’s abundance of wildlife.

Tourists can usually visit mosques in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where most practise a moderate form of Islam, but are advised to wear modest clothing.

It is not the first time that foreign visitors have landed in hot water for disrespecting local culture in Sabah.

In 2015 four Western tourists pleaded guilty to obscenity charges for taking nude photos on popular peak Mount Kinabalu, an act some in the country blamed for causing a deadly earthquake.

The world’s ‘happiest’ and ‘grumpiest’ tourists revealed

Booking your summer vacation? An expert shares tips on how to choose a destination that will relax and recharge When it gets to vacation time many of us just want to relax quietly on a beach after working hard all year. But according to Xinran Lehto, a wellness tourism expert at Purdue University in the US state of Indiana, this may not be the best way to come back feeling refreshed.

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ccording to Lehto’s research, h o l i d ay - go e r s should look at other factors when booking their summer getaway if they want to recharge mentally and physically. So if you’re currently deciding on this year’s vacation then read on for some of Lehto’s tips on how to choose a destination that will give you the most rest and relaxation.

A new report ranks the world’s ‘grumpiest’ and ‘happiest’ tourists. (Photo: istock. com/yacobchuk)

Some people are harder to please than others. The bed’s too soft. The room’s too cold. The service is terrible. And according to a new report, many of the world’s most high-maintenance travelers come from Spain.

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Choose somewhere that fascinates you “A very fatigued person, a very tired person, really should go to a place that provides fascination instead of a place that’s already set in stone in their minds,” says Lehto.

“Once you are attracted to a particular scene, you rest what we call your directed attention -- the kind of focused mental energy that you need on a daily basis in order to function well for work and study -- and activate your indirect attention, which is being drawn to things that make you a being of thought,” he explains.

Lehto suggests choosing somewhere that offers environments and activities that pique your imagination and curiosity, but without requiring you to exert the mental energy that you use in your everyday life.

Keep things varied “Lying on the beach for many, many days is not the best way to recharge yourself,” Lehto said. “After a while you get bored and anxious, then you start thinking about work and things at home you need to do. That’s not healthy for you.”

Instead, Lehto says your destination should have a variety of interests and activities to engage you on your holi-

Choosing a summer holiday which gives you the chance to see something new could help you come back feeling refreshed. (Photo: pixdeluxe/Istock.com) day.

Go for compatibility “It would be optimal if you go to a place where you are at ease and you feel compatible, so you don’t exert energy feeling anxious or having intensity of cognition,” says Lehot.

He also says that the place you choose to stay in, for example your chosen resort, should be compatible with the natural environment and the cultural environment around it. “You are in harmony with the setting; and the activities, the services they provide are in harmony with the setting; and the chance for you to feel recharged is better,” explains Lehot.

Really get away from it all Lehot also says that choosing somewhere that offers “away-ness” can re-

ally help you relax. Look for a location that give you the feeling that you are physically and mentally far away from your everyday life, for example somewhere which has a different climate or culture, an interesting landscape, and unique sounds and smells.

These will all help create a contrast from your ‘everyday-ness’.

However, Lehot adds that “mental ‘away-ness’ is much harder because of our connection with technology, but it is important to effectively recover from mental fatigue.”

“That psychological distance between your usual routine or ongoing pursuit of activities and purposes is needed for you to feel renewed. When you have a break, have a real break,” he advises.

(- Relaxnews)

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n a ranking that aims to reveal which countries are the grumpiest and happiest travelers in the world, Spaniards emerged the most “impressively ornery,” says the report from Rewardexperts.com which reviews airline and travel rewards credit cards.

Because after crunching the numbers, it turns out Spaniards are the most likely to leave one and two-star reviews for their hotel stays.

More than other countries, they’re more likely to be fussy about the state of their rooms or nitpick about details.

Likewise, they’re the fifth least likely to leave a five-star review.

ten from guests in 83 countries, for 13,410 hotels in 70 countries.

Here are the world’s “grumpiest” countries for travel: 1. Spain 2. Ireland 3. Iceland 4. Italy 5. Bulgaria 6. Zimbabwe 7. Denmark 8. Turkey 9. Iran

After Spain, Ireland and Iceland round out the top three spots.

10. Lithuania

At the other end of the scale, Russians emerged the most easygoing.

Happiest countries for travel

Interestingly, it’s not because they hand out the most four or five-star reviews. What makes Russians the “world’s happiest tourists” is that they are the least likely to leave one or two-star reviews -- just five percent of Russian guests felt strongly enough to do so.

Serbians and Lebanese travelers also emerged relatively easy to please in the ranking, taking second and third spots on the list of happiest travelers.

For the report, researchers combed through 3.5 million reviews writ-

1. Russia 2. Serbia 3. Lebanon 4. Australia 5. Belarus 6. Israel 7. Georgia 8. Jordan 9. USA 10. Colombia (- Relaxnews)

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Home&Real Estate Tight squeeze for Hong Kong’s young professionals

A

s housing prices spiral in Hong Kong, young professionals are living in ever-shrinking spaces, with box-like “nanoflats” and co-shares touted as fashionable solutions.

Blocks of sleek miniature apartments packed with mod cons are springing up around the densely packed city, pitched as an attractive and more affordable lifestyle choice, but still at an eye-watering cost.

Finance worker Adrian Law, 25, paid more than HK$6 million ($765,000) two years ago for his tiny studio apartment in a new development in the gentrified Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood.

The slim glass building squeezes four apartments onto each floor and includes “nanoflats”, a new term for homes of under 215 square feet (20 square metres).

“Property developers are marketing the concept to buyers that they only need a place to sleep and can do anything else outside,” he told AFP, admitting he eats mostly takeaway food as the kitchen is too small for cooking.

increasingly out of reach for the majority of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million residents, developers are creating smaller spaces to reach a wider market.

Law’s parents helped him put down a 30 percent deposit when he bought the apartment and he sees it as an investment.

He pays HK$24,000 per month for the mortgage, around 40 percent of his salary.

Ryan Ip, senior researcher at public policy think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation, describes it as an “unhealthy” trend with developers putting profit above quality of life.

“One can only get into a winning position by owning a place,” he said.

“If you’re renting, you are spending all your money without gaining anything at the end.”

- Health threat -

Law’s studio is a fraction bigger at 292 square feet, with a price per square foot of nearly HK$20,000.

Hong Kong’s real estate is the most expensive in the world, with median house prices at 19.4 times median incomes -the worst ratio globally according to the Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey 2018.

He has adapted to the limited space by buying transformable furniture -- his bed folds away against the wall to reveal a desk tucked underneath -- and he keeps most of his belongings at his parents’ home.

Property prices have been fuelled by an influx of money from wealthy mainland Chinese investors and developers, and the city government stands accused of failing to control the red-hot property market.

But with a fingerprint-activated door lock, washing machine, TV, fridge and even curtains, Law says the flat came with everything he needed.

More than 60 percent of new flats under 430 sq ft are taken up by investment buyers, according to government figures.

With the ability to buy a flat

Under Hong Kong law there is no limit to how small a flat can be.

“If you count the per-squarefoot price for smaller-size flats, it is even higher than larger flats,” said Ip, who believes mental and physical health will suffer if properties continue to shrink.

Rental prices have also rocketed and the wait for government-subsidised public housing can be five years.

Ip says expanding land supply by any means, including reclamation from the sea, is the only way to solve the affordable housing shortage.

But other local land research groups argue Hong Kong should develop under-utilised brownfield sites and idle government land first.

The government is considering a host of options, from new artificial islands to developing the city’s cherished country parks.

Designers are also putting forward their own new concepts, including converting concrete pipes into living spac-

Casino designed by Zaha Hadid opens in Macau

Finance worker Adrian Law, 25, eats a delivered meal while watching television in his studio apartment, for which he paid more than $765,000. (Photo: Anthony Wallace / AFP) es and transforming shipping containers into homes.

- Sharing space Many poorer Hong Kong residents resort to renting dingy “subdivided” flats -- apartments carved up into multiple living spaces.

But even for those on a good salary, a decent home is often unaffordable.

Jezz Ng, 29, earns a monthly wage of HK$32,000 as a teacher and has chosen to live in a new co-share housing setup, rather than shelling out for her own rent. At weekends she goes home to her parents.

Ng shares a unit with seven other women where she has her own small room, which can fit a single bed and a desk.

Housed in a revitalised residential building in the working class neighbourhood of Yau Ma Tei, privately owned Bibliotheque offers 166 bed spaces across 15 units, with monthly rents ranging from HK$3,500 to HK$6,200.

All tenants have access to communal facilities, from shower areas and a kitchen to activity rooms and study rooms.

“When I started to look for places to rent, my maximum budget was $8,000 including utilities, but a simple, decent studio room could easily go over this price,” Ng told AFP. She now pays $5,600 per month, which she says allows her to support her parents financially and pay her sister’s tuition fees for a master’s de-

gree -- a common practice for young adults who are working.

Ng adds she feels less cramped than when she lived at home.

Founder of the co-share, Keith Wong, says it is designed for young professionals who need time to “accumulate wealth” by limiting their outgoings.

For now it is an ideal solution, says Ng. “I want to strive for an apartment, but at the moment, there’s no way for me to achieve that goal,” she explained.

“Even though I have a stable job and the salary goes up steadily, it will never catch up with the increase in property prices.” (-AFP)

Delhi restaurant Indian Accent ranked among 100 best eateries in the world

A

Delhi restaurant has been ranked in a list of the world’s best restaurants in the world, ZeeBiz reported Friday.

The report says that Indian Accent, which is located in the capital’s Lodhi Road, holds 90th position. The restaurant, which is known for its modern take on Indian cuisine, is a hit

A waiter prepares the table at a restaurant of Melco International’s $1.1-billion“Morpheus” resort in Macau (Photo: Philip Fong / AFP) flamboyant new casino designed by Zaha Hadid opened its doors in Macau on Friday, featuring futuristic curves and skeletal steel structures characteristic of the acclaimed late architect.

A

Rows of exposed elevators glide up and down the imposing lobby inside the $1.1-billion “Morpheus” resort, a 42-storey addition to Macau’s glitzy skyline named after the Greek god of dreams and developed

by Melco International.

Iraqi-British Hadid, who died in 2016, was the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize for architecture. Her major works in China included the Guangzhou Opera House and a mega mall in Beijing.

For her first Macau project, finished posthumously, two tower blocks were merged using curvaceous bridges to create “voids” and allow as much light in as possible, Viviana Muscettola of Zaha Hadid Architects told AFP. Describing the design as a “jump into the unknown”, Muscettola said the exterior ribbons of steel hold up the building and free up space inside by minimising the need for verti-

cal columns.

Melco’s chairman Lawrence Ho told AFP he had “wanted to find the most iconic architect that can do something just insane” before the project started in 2013.

Semi-autonomous Macau is the only place in China where gambling is legal, bringing in revenue that easily dwarves Las Vegas.

The resort’s opening comes as the enclave is undergoing something of a renaissance, with gaming revenues bouncing back after being hard hit by a corruption crackdown launched by China’s President Xi Jinping in 2012.

- Luxury-seeking crowds While the big spenders have returned to the territory -- highrollers were Macau’s biggest drivers of revenue growth in 2017, according to Bloomberg News -- analysts say the mass market is also behind growth seen so far this month.

Extravagant duplex villas with their own in-room gym and massage quarters are located on the top floors of Morpheus for VIPs, along with a gaming area exclusively for these residents.

There is also a rooftop pool, while two restaurants by Alain Ducasse, one of the chefs awarded the most Michelin stars, are part of efforts to court luxury-seeking crowds.

Revenues slid after Xi declared his war on graft with many mainland big spenders staying away from Macau, which had gained a reputation as a centre for laundering illicit money out of China.

In response to the crackdown casino giants launched a slew of new mega-resorts, offering everything from theme parks to luxury spas as they looked to attract more mass-market gamblers to compensate for the fall in high-rollers.

But Macau’s monetary authorities this month issued a warning to financial institutions against the illegal use of UnionPay cards as China continues to crack down on capital outflows.

Ho’s father Stanley, 96, who made his riches by transforming Macau from a sleepy Portuguese outpost into the world’s biggest casino hub, officially stepped down from his flagship casino empire SJM earlier this week. -AFP

Papads presentation tray at Accents (Photo: Paul Wagtouicz) with locals as well as critics.

William Reed Business Media prepares the list every year with the votes of more than 1,000 restaurateurs, chefs, food writers, and gastronomes. Voting was conducted in 26 regions around the world, each having a panel of 40 members of its own. The list was announced at an event in Bilbao, Spain.

Started in 2002, this award serves as a major part in the

growth of the business. Good ranks tend to dramatically increase the number of visitors to the website that eventually leads to the increase in the number of bookings of the restaurants.

The top position on the list is held by Osteria Francescana of Italy followed by a Spanish restaurant El Celler de Can Roca. Mirazur, Menton of France, Eleven Madison Park of New York and Gaggan of Bangkok hold the third, fourth

and the fifth position respectively. New York’s Madison Park which held the top position, last year has been descended to the 4th position in the current list.

Although, not much has changed in the top ten list, just a little bit of re-suffle in the existing list. While the United States got 4 more names in the Top 100 from last year, Mexico added two more restaurants in the top 15, which has 20 entries last year. (-AFP)

SMALL BUSINESSES

VOICE OF ASIA 22

B

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

D

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

ACCOUNTANTS BOOK-KEEPING

INCOME TAX

Personal and Business Tax Returns, Payroll Sales Tax, Income Tax Audits and Representations.

S. Ram and Associates Tel: 832-877-9625 Free Consultation asu2020.com

M.D. Associates LLP A full service CPA firm

3 Locations to serve you 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

Book this space TODAY For a quick reference to your service and product listing.

Call 713-774-5140

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

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: FAMOUS FAMILIES

Accurate Book-Keeping Svcs Inc 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.

Email: accuratebookkeeping2018@gmail.com 7011 Harwin Dr Suite 230 Houston, TX 77036 l

REAL ESTATE

RESTAURANTS India’s Restaurant & Catering For special parties and corporate events. Preferred Wine list, authentic vegetarian & nonvegetarian dishes, finest Indian cuisine with chef’s special dishes Ph: 713-266-0131/0805

BUY - SELL - INVEST Your REALTOR ® with over 28 years in Real Estate

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281.955.9878 216.338.3940 (cell) FLIP - BUY - SELL- INVEST OR RENT SW Freeway/ Beltway 8 / Near Bissonet / Alief / Gated / Condo Units With Tenants Or Vacant. AS IS.

By Owner 1-1 $38k or $850 monthly 2-1 $46k or $950 monthly VVS@aol.com 2-2 $51k or $995 monthly 832-200-0542

Shiva Indian Restaurant & Catering Specializing in North Indian Cuisine, office & Corporate catering 2514 Times Blvd, Rice Village Ph: 713-523-4753 Visit us online: www.shivarestaurant.com

Week of JUNE 29, 2018 21 March to 20 April Your career zone can be a call to make an important decision, but you might want to leave it for a day or so until you feel more settled and can make wiser choices. Saturday will be a standout day.

21 April to 20 May Getting things tidied up and in working order can help your love life over the weekend. Love works in mysterious ways, and you never know when or where you’ll meet your next partner. Impatience won’t help a difficult situation.

21 May to 20 June . It’s important to stay calm and balanced. Make sure you eat and sleep properly. You can be the person who helps others solve problems. Avoid doing too much to help someone who’s weaker or in trouble.

21 June to 22 July All things unique and individual may attract you now, especially as they relate to your money. And since the activity’s in your house of groups and politics, it’s really time to get the word out about what you’re currently doing.

23 July to 22 August Aspects may result in you sticking your foot in your mouth or having someone do that to you. Beware of the impulse to over-explain yourself or become defensive. You may have a flash of insight about how to take your ideas seriously.

23 August to 22 Sept Set clear goals to guide you toward a state of health that will enable you to enjoy life. If you aren’t sure what you want to achieve, and you don’t know how you’re going to get there, then nothing will change.

Astrology.com

23 September to 22 Oct The weekend could bring a surprise your way. You’re motivated to finish up some tasks around the house that have been tugging at you for a while.

A social obligation might compete with this, however.

23 October to 21 Nov Use your charm to get what you want. Your seduction tactics are some of the best around, so use them to your advantage. Being sexy doesn’t always have to cross the line into being manipulative.

22 November to 21 Dec Something that looks negative at first could be a blessing in disguise.

Expect this to be a very productive period. Long hours on the job will support your best interests. Events can bring a pleasant distraction.

22 December to 20 Jan EYou’d much rather be outdoors having fun with the family and playing hooky, but that simply won’t do now. What’s required is more focus on how you’ll protect your family’s future and they will never have to suffer unnecessarily.

21 January to 19 Feb Friends and groups could have a powerful influence on your ability to get in shape and keep fit. This can work either for or against you. If you associate with people who love to be healthy, you’ll tend to adopt their habits.

20 February to 20 Mar An interesting piece of news could grab your attention over the weekend. You may not be the center of attention, but you will be noticed and heard. Let others dance and prance. Have fun, but there’s no need to get hyper about it.

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Ankle support, e.g.

1. Coalition of countries

6. Talk, talk, talk

2. Make over

9. Shakespeare, e.g.

3. At the summit

13. Pretend

4. C in ROTC

14. C.E.O.’s degree

5. Imbue with soul

15. Printer cartridge contents 16. Smells

6. “It’s fun to stay at the ____”

17. 16th birthday gift?

7. Bar association

18. Undo laces

8. Deserved consequence

19. *Film-makers Francis or Sofia 21. *NFL’s Archie, Peyton or Eli 23. Famous T-Rex 24. Bud holder 25. “For ____ a jolly...”

28. Like the White Rabbit 30. This hot!

35. In the middle of 37. Acid gritty-textured apple 39. Star bursts 40. Apple’s apple, e.g.

41. Provide with ability 43. *Brangelina partner 44. ____ vs. pathos 46. “CliffsNotes,” e.g.

47. Dissenting clique 48. Unquestioning ones 50. College party chant 52. Like a wallflower 53. Whiskey without water 55. Scheduled to arrive 57. *Jermaine, Michael, or LaToya

9. Capital of West Germany, 1949-1989 10. Against, prefix 11. Horse control 12. Fortune-telling remnant 15. Go to NPR, e.g.

20. Renter’s paper 22. Pharaoh’s cobra 24. Judge’s pronouncement 25. *Kunta Kinte’s descendant and author 26. Be theatrical 27. Bridge of ____, Venice 29. Chinatown gang 31. *”Blackish” dad’s dad 32. Brown, Dartmouth and Yale, e.g.

33. Naturally, in slang 34. *”All the Money in the World” family 36. Gloom partner 38. *Family with two former Presidents 42. Chopin’s composition 45. Metal detector, e.g.

61. *Bobby or Jack

49. New, prefix

65. ____ acid

51. Armed robber, e.g.

66. *O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s father ____ Cube

54. “Pokémon,” e.g.

56. Related on mother’s side

68. *Donny and ____

57. Jelly holders

69. Revolving mechanism

58. Every which way

70. mL

59. Make a reference

71. Cruising

60. Be savvy

72. Place at an angle

61. Same as Celt

73. “____, drink, and be merry” 74. Required things

coffee

62. Gaelic 63. Cashed in one’s chips 64. Those not opposed 67. Langley, VA agency

SOLUTION FOR STATEPOINT FAMOUS FAMILIES on PAGE 19

CLASSIFIEDS

VOICE OF ASIA 23

Houston Community College Invitation for Bid (IFB) (LoanStar II PROGRAM) Project No. IFB 18-30: HVAC Chiller, Boiler Systems & Associated Equipment Replacements, for HCC’s Spring Branch Campus A Pre-Bid Conference (Non-Mandatory) for IFB 18-30 will be held at HCCS Spring Brach Campus, 1010 West Sam Houston PKWY, Houston, TX 77043, on Monday, July 2, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (local time).

Project No. IFB 18-38: LED Lighting Retrofit – Multiple Facilities A Pre-Bid Conference (Non-Mandatory) for IFB 18-38 will be held at HCC’s Central Campus, San Jacinto Building, Room No. 112, Houston, Texas 77004, on Monday, July 2, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (local time). Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Thursday, July 12, 2018.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs.edu/procurement.

Houston Community College Request for Proposals – Commodity (RFP-C) NEO’s Market & Bakery and Culinary Arts Program Food Suppliers Project No. 18-21

Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Monday, July 23, 2017.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs. edu/procurement.

Hiring - Marketing/Web Master/Graphic Designer Houston Community College Request for Proposals (RFP)

Project No. RFP-C 18-39 Team Surgical Simulator System Proposal Submittal Due date: on Monday, July 23, 2018 Project No. RFP 18-32 Merchant Services Proposal Submittal Due date: on Friday, July 26, 2018 Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time).

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs.edu/procurement.

Voice of Asia is looking for a Marketing / Web Master / Graphic Designer person who can do it all to be part of the team leading the charge to take our digital efforts to the next level.

Interested applicants can email their resume to ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD SOLUTION

June 26, 2018 Houston Community College

To advertise on our newsletter Call 713-774-5140 or email request to: voiceasia@aol.com Help Wanted Looking for people who can work or lease a convenient store located in Nacogdoches, TX. For more details please call or text:

832 812-0009

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Project No. RFP 18-24 PreEmployment Testing Services Proposal Submittal Due Date: Tuesday, July 24, 2018 Project No. RFP 18-37 Salary Benchmark Tool Services Proposal Submittal Due Date: Monday, July 30, 2018 Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time).

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs.edu/procurement.

Theme: FAMOUS FAMILIES from PAGE 22

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VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, June 29, 2018