Voice of Asia Jan 02 2015

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Vol. 28 No. 1 Friday, January 2, 2015 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Amin Designated USITC Chief Information Officer

Indian Crickter Dhoni puts brakes on recordbreaking Test career

Kirit M. Amin. linkedin.com.

December 15, 2014.

T

India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni smiles during a press conference after the team’s arrival at Auckland International Airport for the cricket series against New Zealand on January 13, 2014 ©Nigel Marple (AFP/File)

by Kuldip LAL

he United States International Trade Commission (USITC), announced today that Kirit M. Amin has been designated as the agency’s Chief Information Officer (CIO).

“The amount of cricket he was playing probably told on him,” said the former batting Continued on Page 9

N

EW DELHI - Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the proud owner of a fleet of motorbikes, has lived life in the fast lane ever since he quit his job as a railways ticket inspector to realise his dream of playing for India.

As CIO, Amin will serve as

Indian Americans Celebrate 7th Hamara Desi Christmas

But on Tuesday, the nation’s skipper began putting the brakes on a career that has brought him a string of podium finishes as he quit Test cricket after yet another series defeat away from home.

H

ouston’s one and only Indian Christmas celebration was hosted on December 20th at the Stafford Civic Center. As always the auditorium was packed to watch an awe inspiring program by Houston Indian Fellowship.

While Dhoni will still lead India in its defence of the 50over World Cup which starts next month, he acknowledged in a statement that “the strain of playing all formats” of the game had taken its toll.

The Houston Indian Fellowship (HIF), a group of Indians from across the metropolitan Houston area, annually conducts this Christmas Celebration to share the joy and cheer of Christmas with the Indians from different parts of India and religions. This organization in addition to conducting this event also conducts winter cricket championships and painting competitions to bring the community together for a time of fun and in addition also provides free health care to the needy.

The timing of the announcement, with one Test still to go in the series against Australia, might have been something of a shock.

But few people in the game were surprised that the burden of captaining such a cricketmad country had taken its toll on the wicketkeeping batsman, whose silver-streaked sideburns belie his 33 years.

Continued on Page 5

Continued on Page 6

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Amin comes to the USITC from the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he was the Deputy Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer since November 2012.

Previously, he served as the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and as the Chief Information Officer and Director, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Before his government service, Amin held a variety of positions in the private sector.

From 1996-2006, he was the Corporate Senior Vice President of Nortel PEC Solutions, where he led the Data Systems Division and served as President of Vector Research, Inc., prior to its merger with PEC. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of Infotech, Inc., an engineering services company he founded, from 1994-1996. From 1979-1995, he held a variety of positions with Computer Sciences Corporation, culminating with his service as Deployment and Operations Director for the company. Earlier in his career, he held positions with Honeywell,

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the principal information technology executive for the Commission and will direct and manage all USITC information technology activities.

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

VOICE OF ASIA 2

India’s Simultaneous Rendezvous with United States and Russia

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New Economic Pragmatism in the Changing World

Chandra K. Mittal

by Chandra K. Mittal

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f one were to analyze India’s recent foreign policy moves towards United States and Russia, one cannot be but amused how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is playing his hand of friendship with both Obama and Putin simultaneously. This reflects just how the world has changed since the times of the Cold War when no developing country could so brazenly and publically make deals with two powerful adversaries with such finesse and confidence as India is doing. In old times, such conduct could have even evoked some type of punitive measure from the adversaries. But today it is 2014 when a new world has emerged with new rules of diplomatic engagement primarily geared towards self survival.

In September, 2014 during his visit to US, Modi impressed the government establishment and worked with President Obama in the White House to develop the US-India strategic relationship in the area of energy, environment, security, and joint economic development. Then in December, 2014

by Sunil Dutta, (The Washington Post, Dec. 30, 2014.)

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R

elations between police and protesters reached a fever pitch last week, after two NYPD officers were murdered by 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsely. “Blood on the hands starts on the steps of City Hall in the office of the mayor,” New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch told reporters, blaming New York Mayor Bill deBlasio and activists for what happened.

This kind of incendiary rhetoric is not helpful. Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos lost their lives because of a deranged man.

This act doesn’t say anything

he received Russian President Vladimir Putin in India and entered into multiple bilateral agreements. This would be followed by President Obama’s visit to India in January 2015 as Chief Guest for India’s Republic Day celebrations, as well as further strengthening the USIndia economic, political and security cooperation.

These developments by themselves as well as their timing assume special significance in the current political context when the US has strained relations with Russia due to impasse on Ukraine and it objected to India’s making the deal with Putin. But India went ahead anyway compelling US to not only accept the deal but also declare no change in its plans for the Obama’s visit to India in January 2015. Furthermore, to put a good face on it, the US State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki stated at the press conference “No. India remains an important partner. Obviously, our economic relationship is a big part of what we continue to work on” (with India). Such events simply provide glimpse of things to come in the future as countries exert their autonomy for self preservation.

As for India, contrary to general perceptions and predictions of Pundits and scholars about Narendra Modi being a

conservative ideologue, a Saffron Hindu fundamentalist, or a Right winger, which he may well be, he is proving to be first and foremost “economic pragmatist” who is highly skilled, calculated, analytical and perceptive about national and global politics. India’s recent deals with China, US, and with Russia all point to the fact that India only means business regardless of their internal political persuasions and philosophies. Incidentally, this also plays well at home with India’s diverse political subgroups that ranges from Capitalistic to Socialistic to Communistic in nature.

India’s economic deals with these giants are also playing well in the partnering countries as they want to engage India in economic cooperation for their own economic reasons.

Curiously enough, India’s old “non-alignment” policy status seems to be completely tolerable to Western countries now, which in the past looked down upon the “non-alignment” and interpreted it as “anti-West”.

But today in the “non-polar” political environment its meaning has changed and the West is willing to do business without any stigma.

Economic slow-downs in the West coupled with growth of the Less Developed Countries

about the relationship between police and their communities.

Nor does it reflect the majority of protesters, who are asking, nonviolently, for reform.

That said, protesters’ heated rhetoric about police brutality is harmful. Twisting facts and calling cops blood-thirsty murderers makes already difficult work harder. It creates an insular mentality on the part of the officers. And it makes police brutality seem like a much bigger problem than it is, obscuring the true issues that face minorities and the poor.

And an overwhelming majority of these police homicides are justifiable. America has a relatively higher homicide rate compared with other developed nations, and has many more guns per capita. As many as 49,851 officers were assaulted while on duty in 2013; 29.2 percent were injured and 27 were killed. Additionally, police are

better trained, and departments have become significantly more professional in recent decades.

A much bigger problem is the violence and poverty that pervades many neighborhoods.

America is one of the most violent and unequal societies in the industrialized world. There are an estimated 300 million firearms in circulation. And though the murder rate in United States has fallen greatly from 24,526 in 1993 to 14,827 in 2012, it is still higher than in almost all the industrialized nations.

Use of force by police will not disappear because of protests. What we need is to reduce the situations where police are called for in the first place. That means pushing for broad social changes to reduce income inequality, societal inequities, and high rates of violence.

Such changes require reform movements to focus on political change through Congress. Unfortunately, when barely half of the eligible voters participate in presidential elections and even fewer participate in local elections, it is difficult to see how meaningful reforms, necessary for reduction of violence by police, could be achieved. Just 36 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in the 2014 midterms. Voter turnout in the United States is one of the lowest in any developed nation.

I’m not arguing that excessive force by police doesn’t

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exist. And I’m not suggesting that protesters stop asking for criminal justice reform. But if we want change, we need a comprehensive political movement that emphasizes civic participation and more effective anti-poverty measures.

There are reforms police should make. We need to emphasize transparency, training, and sensitivity. To that end, oversight for police misconduct should automatically be delegated to outside civic bodies, who can conduct a full investigation. We should also incorporate newer and more effective less-than-lethal weapons into the police toolbox. A combination of better training and access to nonlethal weapons can reduce the number of police shootings.

Officers have a unique and difficult job. Even when cops show perfect judgment, use of force is ugly. In the worst moments, when human lives are taken because officers must shoot, the ugliness is amplified and tragic. Let’s build neighborhoods where cops are needed less. Only then will we cut down on violence engendered during police-community interactions and allegations of police brutality.

Sunil Dutta, Ph.D., is a 17year-veteran police officer in Los Angeles. His book, “Blood Lines: the Imperial Roots of Terrorism in South Asia,” will be released in December.

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These relationships are creating a “win-win” situation in the changing world, and are forming new doctrine for international conduct. One of the conservative British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli in the 1800s said “We have no permanent friend. We have no permanent enemies. We just have permanent interests” to justify his philosophy of political relationships. Perhaps little did he realize then about the prophetic impact of the wisdom of his statement for the world politicians of the future generations.

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(LDCs) over the past three decades have diminished the monopolistic control and clout of the West on the world economy.

This has compelled the Western nations to accommodate LDCs and accept their terms for building relationships which could not have been imagined before.

Today, the economic compulsions of the developed democracies and autocracies alike are more pressing than their political principles and philosophies, which have taken the back seat in interest of today’s economic gains.

Hey Ferguson protesters: Police brutality is not the problem

In reality, police use of force during arrests and detentions is very small. And lethal violence is even more rare. Using the data from Bureau of Justice Statistics, between 2003 and 2009 the police made approximately 98 million arrests. During that same time, there were 2,931 arrest-related deaths by police. This data is incomplete and most likely an under-count.

However, it provides an important benchmark, suggesting that homicides by police are extremely rare.

Soma Balasubramanian

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 3

C OMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Second Front Page

Friday, January 2, 2015 • www.voiceofasiaonline.com • Page 3 • Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com • Tel: 713-774-5140

iCRUSH - Educating patients on the ‘Why’ of the problem

L-R: Dr. Sheela Keshwani, Dr. Harpreet Singh, Dr. Gangadhar Gattu, and Shobed Keshwani

Dr. Desai joins Houston Methodist Podiatry Associates

Harpreet Singh MD, FACP, Author, CEO & Founder - Vital Checklist, during the workshop.

H

OUSTON – Dr. Harpreet Singh, an Internal Medicine Physician from Phoenix believes in educating his patients in manner in which they understand the ‘Why’ of the problem rather than the ‘What’ of it. And how does Dr. Singh go about this task? A gifted educator, he is able to break down the highly technical information into a layperson’s language by using anecdotes and examples from our daily lives. Inspired by Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, he founded the Why Clinic. It is an engaging portal with videos where Dr. Singh uses a vital checklist as a tool for patient’s education. Dr. Singh is also the founder and CEO of iCRUSH, a patient education program that provides simple and easy to remember information on health, medicines, and nutrition through visual aids, videos, mnemonics and checklists which makes it easy to execute initiatives.

On Saturday afternoon, Dec

27, Dr. Singh held the iCRUSH Patient Education Workshop at the Keshav Smruti in Houston to introduce ICRUSH as a user friendly portal for better understanding of the health related problems. His lecture included ‘Nutrition Label Scan & Spot Decoding’ where he explained how to calculate the values on the labels (that were based on the 2000 calorie diet). He explained in depth the breakdown of a 1400 calorie diet which he said should be 700 calories from carbohydrates and 700 calories from proteins and fats.

He also explained the Mayo Clinic Diet. The ‘Scan and Spot’ technique will tell you the ‘severing per container’ which when calculated will give the correct values.

Dr. Singh said that he had come to the US with just $54.50cents and with the help of his brother started his residency. Patient education being his key passion, he developed his two companies ICRUSH and Why Clinic in the last ten

years that are powerful educational tool for anyone. He said he was exploring Houston market for promoting his companies here.

The workshop also included talks on Holistic Approach by Dr. Gangadhar Gattu, PhD, a Chemical engineer who spoke on the ‘Preventive Measures on Diabetes and Dr. Sheela Keshwani Alternate Medical Practitioner who briefly touch on the benefits of Alternate Medicine. A short demonstration on breathing techniques by Shobed Keshwani, who is pursuing medical studies, concluded the workshop after which the guests were had refreshments and were free to interact with the speakers.

For more information on Dr. Harpreet visit:www.vitalchecklist.com www.drsinghmd.org www.vitalchecklist.com/blog w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / H a rpreetSinghMD www.iCrush.org | iCrush5K | The Healthy, Wealthy and Wise 5k

SUGAR LAND—(December 29 , 2014) — Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is pleased to welcome Nicholas Desai, D.P.M., M.B.A., as he joins Houston Methodist Podiatry Associates.

He is an active member of the Sugar Land community, the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital medical staff, and serves as the Chief Medical Information Officer for Houston Methodist.

Dr. Desai completed his medical school training at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine followed by a surgical residency in foot and ankle surgery within the St. Barnabas and New York Presbyterian Hospital Network.

“I’ve been a member of the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital medical staff for many years, and joining Houston Methodist Podiatry Associates is a great next step, one that will benefit my patients,” says Dr. Desai. “I’m excited about joining Houston Methodist and continuing to work with the outstanding staff at Houston Methodist Sugar Land.”

Dr. Desai is seeing patients at his office on the campus of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospi-

Nicholas Desai, D.P.M. tal, in Medical Office Building Three, suite 350.

To schedule an appointment, call 281.240.3338.

Learn more about Houston Methodist Podiatry Associates at methodistsugarlanddocs.com or visit our Facebook page at FB.com/methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.

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VOICE OF ASIA 4

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

The People’s Lawyer

Answers to your Immigration Questions

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

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

Store must have sufficient quantity to meet ‘reasonable demand.’

Q. Does a store have to honor the price in its advertisement? When I arrived, I was told they had sold out. Can I force them to give me a rain check?

A. Under the law, an advertisement must either disclose that only a limited number of the item are available, or the store must have enough to meet ‘reasonable demand.’

If the store does either of these things, there is no requirement that any business must give you a ‘rain check.’ I suggest you read the ad carefully to see if the quantity was limited. If the quantity was not limited, speak with a manager if you feel the store did not have a reasonable supply of the item.

Q. Can my daughter and son-in-law refuse to let me see my grandchild? Don’t Grandparents have visitation rights?

A. Under Texas law, a grandparent has very limited visitation rights. The courts and legislature believe that parents should control who the child spends time with, and if the parents do not want the grandparent to visit, they have the right to say so. In some cases when both parents are not living together, however, a grandparent does have the legal right to go to court to ask for visitation.

The court may order it if it is in the best interest of the child. I suggest you speak with a family law attorney who can review your situation in detail.

Q. I just found out the apartment unit next to mine rents for substantially less than I pay.

It is exactly the same apartment. Is this legal?

A. A landlord, just like any other business, can base the price on what the market will bear. As demand for apartments increases and supply stays the same, it is not unusual for rent to increase.

As long as the landlord does not illegally discriminate, for example, by charging different rent based on things like, race, age, sex, or religion, he is free to charge every tenant a different rate.

Q. I am being harassed by a debt collector for a credit card bill. I know I owe the money and I am trying to pay, but they want more than I can afford. The debt collector told me that if we do not work something out by next week, he will sue. He said if he wins, I would lose my house. What can I do to stop this? I don’t know what my family will do if we lose our house.

A. As you are aware, everyone should pay his or her bills. But Texas law protects those people who cannot pay by making some property ‘exempt’ from creditors. This means that even if a creditor sues you and wins, you can keep ‘exempt’ property. Under Texas law, your urban homestead, which is your house and up to ten acres of land, is ‘exempt’ and may not be taken. You may be sued for the credit card debt, but you will not lose your home. In fact, the debt collector’s threats to take your home violate both state and federal debt collection laws. I suggest you let the debtor collector know you know your legal rights and see if you can him to agree to a payment plan. To learn more about what might happen if you are sued, look at the debt collection section on my website, www.peopleslawyer.net If the debt collector continues to make these threats, speak with a consumer law attorney.

Q. I pay child support. If I remarry, can my support payments be increased based on my spouse’s income?

A. Child support is not increased based on a spouse’s income. Child support is based on your income. Your spouse’s income is not utilized to determine the amount of your support payments.

Want a handy guide to your legal rights? Pick up a copy of the 8th edition of my book, Know Your Rights!, available in books stores, online, or from my website: www.peopleslawyer.net This article is a repeat.

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT IMMIGRANT VISA PETITIONS FOR PARENTS OF U.S. CITIZENS

Q: I am a US Citizen and my parents presently reside in India. I like for them to immigrate to the US so that they can live with me. What do I have to do?

Can you explain the type of documents needed for the petition? Also, briefly explain the process involved in them securing their permanent residence.

A: You will need to first file an immigrant visa petition for your parents. The petition is to establish the existence of the relationship between you and each parent. In order to be eligible to file a petition for a parent, you will need to be a US Citizen and you must be aged 21 or older.

The petition is filed on Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. You will need two separate petitions, one for each parent. The Petition for your mother will need to include proof of your US Citizenship and your birth certificate listing her as your mother. The Petition for your father will also need proof of your US Citizenship, your birth certificate listing your father and mother’s names and also a copy of their marriage certificate. If you father was previously married, you will need to submit documentation showing that the prior marriage was legally terminated. All documents in foreign language must be accompanied by its English translation. The filing fee for this petition is $420. Once the petition has been approved, the approved petition is sent to the National Visa Center which coordinates the Immigrant Visa processing with the US consulate in India. Your parents will need to complete their Immigrant Visa applications online using Form DS260 and provide the National Visa Center with the necessary documentation such as the Police Clearance Certificate and the Affidavit of Support. Once the National Visa Center has received all documentation, your parents will be scheduled for an Immigrant Visa interview at the designated US Consulate in India. At the interview, if everything is satisfactory, your parents Immigrant Visa application will be approved and they will receive their Immigrant Visa stamp on their passport. This will enable them to travel to the US. Upon their arrival in the US, they will be admitted as permanent residents. The Permanent Resident Card will be mailed to their US address several weeks after that.

Q: I wish to file an immigrant visa petition for my mother. However, I noticed that my Birth Certificate does not have my name on it. Can I still petition for her?

A: Yes, you can still petition for her. But you will need additional evidence to establish that required familial relationship with your mother. An example of additional evidence is affidavits from individuals who were living at the time of your birth and who have personal knowledge of your birth to your mother. The affiant of these affidavits do not need to be US Citizens and the affidavits must provide the identity of the affiant, their address, date and place of birth, the relationship they have with you and the information explaining how he or she acquired the knowledge of the event or circumstances of your birth. In addition, you may submit other types of secondary evidence such as school records, church records or census records containing information about your relationship with your mother. You may also use family photos taken with your mother.

Q: I wish to petition for my father. However, my father’s name is not on my Birth Certificate as my father was not married to my mother at the time of my birth. Will such a petition be approved?

A: It depends. If you were not legitimated before reaching 18 years of age, you must be able to prove that a bona fide parent-child relationship existed between you and your father before you turned 21 years old. To prove this, you must include evidence that your father had lived with you, supported you or showed continuing parental interest in your welfare.

Q: My mother is presently visiting us. She came on a Visitor Visa. She had decided that she wishes to become a permanent resident so that she can stay as long as she likes to spend time with me and my family. I am a US Citizen. Can I file the petition for her?

A: Yes, you can. You will need to file the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative concurrently with her adjustment application package as she is your immediate relative and will be eligible to adjust her status to that of permanent resident.

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

Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas.

She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court. You may contact her at telephone number 713-623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

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VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Indian Americans Celebrate 7th Hamara Desi Christmas Continued from Page 1

The admission for the event was free followed by free dinner catered by the acclaimed Annam Indian Cuisine.

The event was esteemed by the presence of Texas House Representative Rep Rick Miller, the chief guest of the event. His simple speech with the underlying message of the true meaning of Christmas deeply moved the audience.

This year’s celebration included Life Story of Jesus, a themed presentation including skits, songs and Bollywood style dances, portraying the real meaning of Christmas.

The event kicked off with a beautiful dance to the tune of the famous number Jingle bells followed by Bollywood style dance by University of Houston students. The audience was even given a short intro into ‘Dancing Bollywood style’.

The children of HIF reenacted the Nativity scene, a drama with bright and vibrant costumes re-telling the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago in a little town called Bethlehem.

The stage was overflowing with vibrant colors as variety of classical Indian dances and songs telling of God’s Love were presented. A beautiful rendition of the miracle 5 pieces of bread and 2 fishes feeding 5000 people was presented as a dance to the tune of the song “’Paanch Roti’.

The audience was clinging to the edges of their seats as HIF performed these programs.

The message behind this performance was to show that the real meaning of the Birth of Jesus is in the redemption of mankind on the Cross by the Love of God. Christopher Deepak wrapped up the event with succinct Christmas news that brought the Love of God and the true joy of Christmas to the audience.

Shirley Israel, a member of the Houston Indian fellowship, awarded the winners of the painting competition.

Samsung tablets were given for the first prize winners in each category and the second

prize winners were given a gift card.

Finally everyone in the audience joined Santa and the HIF team to the dance number ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’ in sharing the Christmas joy and Cheer. The boisterous MC Sharon Samuel hosted this year’s event with elegance and grace.

The audience was raving about the event. “Wow! This is the best Desi event I have been to in the Houston area!

A well organized and well catered to event. The programs were crisp, clear and professional’ Reuben Joseph the lead coordinators said ‘We come together and pool our talents to come up with an enjoyable event! This gives us a wonderful experience and we have a lot of fun doing it’. Deepak Israel member of HIF proudly stated, “This event brings an opportunity to celebrate the Christmas Season of joy and cheer with fellow Indians who come from different walks of faith and religion.’ He also said to ‘Expect a greater and bigger event next year!’ Dr. Robello Samuel, integral member of HIF, said “Seeing the joy of Christmas on the faces of the audience gives me great satisfaction as that is what the whole idea behind the celebration!”

The sponsors for this event were Red Oaks Hospital, Annam Indian Cuisine, New York Life and other individuals. The University of Houston students along with other families and friends helped behind the scenes – all of which helped make this celebration a memorable one.

Houston Indian Fellowship would also like to invite anyone interested in performing or helping at the 8th annual Hamara Desi Christmas event scheduled for the 19th of December 2015 to please contact Dr. Robello Samuel at 832275-8810 or Deepak Israel at 832-419-0967 or via email to info@hamaradesichristmas. org. You may also visit them at www.hamaradesichristmas. org

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

by Ravi Raghavan,

H

OUSTON, (December 28, 2014) - Houston’s Indian-American community in Houston stepped forward in solidarity with the Yazidi ethno-religious minority of Iraq and contributed more than $26,000 at a successful interfaith “Yazidi Awareness Day and Fundraiser” at a packed “India House” on December 14th, held under the aegis of three NGOs - Sewa International, Yazda and International Association for Human Values (IAHV).

Once numbering 23 million, the Yazidis are on the brink of extinction today, as they have been reduced to barely 800,000 today, due to 74 separate genocides over the centuries. On August 3rd, 2014, the terrorist group called Islamic State (ISIS) attacked the defenseless Yazidis in their Iraqi homeland. At least 5000 Yazidis were killed and over 5000 women and girls, as young as 11, were abducted and sold as sex-slaves in open markets for as little as $25, or were gang-raped and forcibly “gifted” to ISIS terrorists for refusing to convert to Islam. 500,000 Yazidis fled overnight to nearby Mt. Sinjar, Syria and Turkey for shelter but many children and elderly victims perished due to the scorching summer heat, dehydration and lack of food.

Appalled at the ongoing rampant genocide of the Yazidis, Sewa volunteers Vijay Pallod, Ravi Raghavan and Achalesh Amar along with Gita Bhatia (IAHV) worked tirelessly to organize this fundraiser at short notice, with the participation of many faith leaders and a large number of Yazidis from Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Yazda President Haider Elias recounted how he was on the phone talking to his brother just minutes before the latter was shot in the head and killed by the Islamic State, in front of his sister’s eyes.

When Haider called his father’s phone, an ISIS terrorist answered the call and chillingly remarked that “the ‘old man’ was being sentenced in a Shariah court.”

“My family was one of the thousands of families traumatized by ISIS brutality. They risked their lives to bury the dead” Elias said.

Elias visited Iraq last month to attend a peace conference organized by Sri Sri Ravishankar and

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Sewa and IAHV’s Houston Fundraiser for Iraq’s Yazidi victims raises $26,000

Yazidi members with Hindu volunteers at India House on Dec. 15. Photo credit: Bijay Dixit. visited thousands of refugees, especially women, elderly and children, who are living in the open or makeshift tents and facing this freezing winter in the mountains without warm clothes, food or medicines.

Yazda Treasurer Murad Ismael recounted that kidnapped women were jumping off buildings to save their dignity or pleading for “someone to drop bombs on us.”

“I’m leaving for Iraq the day after tomorrow, and I will stay there for two weeks trying to deliver aid and supplies to refugees. It deeply saddens me that many of my former classmates have been killed or abducted by ISIS” he said. An emotional Naveen Khashaki described how 50 members of her family were trapped on Mt. Sinjar “surrounded by snakes and scorpions” after having walked many days to get to safety. Asinja Badeel, a student at the University of Houston, told the audience how her family survived the ordeal in Iraq after fleeing their newly-build home after the ISIS attack. Tahseen Osman’s three cousin sisters had been kidnapped and haven’t been heard of so far.

After making a poignant pre-

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sentation on Yazidi history and the 72 genocides the community has faced, the emcee Ravi Raghavan underlined: “It is unfortunate that it took a tragedy to unite us in solidarity with the Yazidis.

But now the bonds have been established, our endeavor will continue.” A intense, graphic 15minute documentary of the plight of the Yazidis - the indiscriminate killing of their men, women and

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Elliot Gershenson, President and CEO, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, appealed: “I am joining you today with great sadness and alarm. It is our responsibility to stand together as people

of faith and goodwill. We can raise our voices and write checks.

You have begun that process.”

He congratulated the Houston community for helping the Yazidi cause. Kaemerz Dotiwalla, a Zoroastrian leader, said he was not speaking as a Zoroastrian but as a human being. “It is not a religious fight. It is a fight for humanity,” he said. Nadia Tajalli,

Geetha Bhatia, representing IAHV, described the relief efforts undertaken by the organization in Iraq since 2003 and how the spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar intervened to help in the cause of Yazidis. The ongoing IAHV relief efforts included airdropping 114 tons of essential food supplies to the besieged Yazidi population, providing warm blankets, food, water, clothing, and facilitating the rescue of abducted women and girls.

Venkata Subramanian, Vice President of Sewa, underlined the common traditions and similarities in the religious traditions of the Yazidis and Hindus. Vinay Sarda of the Hindu American Foundation described how his organization helped the Yazidi community bring this violation to their human rights to the attention of White House officials and US Congressmen in Washington DC. The vote of thanks was given by Achalesh Amar. Donations poured in from every corner of the auditorium and over $26,000 was raised for helping the Yazidis. It was clear to the audience that every dollar was given from the heart.

Visit: www.SewaUSA.org , www.IAHV.org or www.Yazda. org to help Yazidis this winter.

For more info, contact Ravi Raghavan, (c) 281-235-5779, raviraghavan76@yahoo.com

Representatives of various community organizations attended an awareness meet and fundraiser for the cause of Yezidis in northern Iraq at India House on Dec. 15. From left to right, Ravi Raghavan, Mehul Kamdar, Gita Bhatia, Haider Elias, Venkat Subramanian, Achalesh Amar, Naveen Kashaki, Murad Ismael, Rasheed Murad, Arun Kankani, and Vijay Pallod. Photo by Bijay Dixit.

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children, the enslavement of their women and girls and the living conditions in the refugee camps - left everyone in the audience shaken and in tears.

a Bahai community member, extended her community’s support for the Yazidi cause as they were similarly persecuted in Iran.

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The audio CD version of ‘The Caring God’ is released in Houston

The official release ceremony of the Audio music CD ‘The Caring God’ was on Dec. 13, 2014. by: Saji Pullad

H

ouston: December 13th, 2014 witnessed the auspicious moments of the release of a new music album in the Audio CD format produced by Saji Pullad also a TV Anchor; in association with Stephanie Sara Philip Foundation, and amazingly composed by Renjith Christy.

The release ceremony of this Audio music CD was conducted at St. Stephen Orthodox Church, and the First copy of ‘The Caring God’ was given by Rev. P.M. Cherian [Vikar of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church], to Rev. Dr. C.O. Varghese. Rev. Fr .M.T. Philip, Fr. Mathewkutty, Fr. Jake Kurian also attended the ceremony.

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This music CD has also raised the bars and popularity rate of the acoustic familiar sounds from the most famous south Indian singers on the air like Kester, Immanuel Henry, Jyolsna, Merin Gregory [Idea Star Singer, winner], Celin Jose[Indian Voice], Jijo, Anugraha and Linsa Saji. There are about thirteen breathtaking songs along with glittering Christmas song in the CD form

This ‘Caring God’ released in observance of the anniversary of Stephanie’s death who passed at the age of 24 with Juvenile Renal Carcinoma [Kidney Cancer]. Stephanie is the youngest daughter of Mr. Philip Philipose and Jessie Philip.

Dr. Tannir [M.D. Anderson

Cancer Center] started the Stephanie Sara Philip foundation for helping children who also suffering from renal carcinoma.

If anyone is interested in buying this CD to help this Foundation, please contact. Philip.281 989 5595.

Amin Designated USITC Chief Information Officer Continued from Page 1 Inc., and ASEA (Sweden), Ltd. Amin holds a Master of Science (Executive) degree in Technology Management from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from M.S. University in Baroda, India. He was born and grew up in Kenya and currently resides in Fairfax Station, Virginia. He is married and has one daughter who is a Virginia Tech alumni holding an undergraduate and an MBA (Executive).

The U.S. International Trade Commission is an independent, nonpartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency that provides trade

Amin Shah expertise to both the legislative and executive branches of government, determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries, and directs actions against certain unfair trade practices in import trade, such as patent and trademark infringement.

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

Indian maestro seeks harmony with Vienna New Year’s Concert

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Indian entrepreneur Gul Kripalani loses out in controversy over Crimean leader in Vladimir Putin’s team

N

EW DELHI: The political turmoil over the inclusion of Crimean leader Sergey Aksyonov in Russian president Vladimir Putin’s delegation to India earlier this month scared off an Indian businessman who was supposed to sign a deal with him.

Gul Kripalani, a seafood exporter, was scheduled to sign an agreement with Aksyonov to facilitate seafood and meat exports through Crimea region into Russia. Russia this year agreed to import meat from India.

“I did not anticipate the political turmoil,” he told TOI. Not only was the signing ceremony cancelled, Kripalani was at pains to point out that even the meeting “was of little value.”

Unconfirmed reports pointed to an Indian government effort to keep the visit off radar.

Indian conducter Zubin Mehta

by Simon STURDEE Vienna, Austria | AFP | Indian maestro Zubin Mehta will seek to inject what he says is some much-needed harmony into the world when he conducts the illustrious Vienna New Year’s Concert on January 1.

“All over the world there are people who hate each other,” Mehta, 78, who is holding the baton for a fifth time at the annual waltz fest beamed live to 50 million people worldwide, told Austrian daily Die Presse.

“This music can at least bring people together for two and a half hours,” he said.

Indeed, the 90 or so countries able to watch Thursday’s concert live include for the first time conflict-riven Ukraine, as well as other newcomers as far afield as the Bahamas, Armenia and Mehta’s native India, organisers said.

The Vienna Philharmonic’s annual “Neujahrskonzert” ringing in the new year from Golden Hall of the exalted Musikverein is devoted largely to the kings of 19th century waltz, the Strauss family.

Each year has some variety, however. Last year, alongside favourites like “The Blue Danube” and “The Radetzky March”, with Daniel Baren-

boim conducting, the programme included works commemorating the centenary of the start of World War I.

cakes -- and perhaps also the New Year’s Concert.”

This time the occasion is a happier one, with music marking the 650th birthday of Vienna University as well as the 200th of the Austrian capital’s Technical University and the 150th of Vienna’s grand Ringstrasse boulevard.

The event started life on December 31, 1939, under the Nazis but in the subsequent years these dark beginnings were forgotten and it gradually became a much-loved, regular event in the classical music calendar.

These include for example “Accelerationen” (“Accelerations”) and the “Elektromagnetische Polka” by Johann Strauss junior, as well as his “Studenten-Polka” (“Students’ Polka”).

Non-Strauss pieces include the “Champagne Galop” by 19th century Danish composer Hans Christian Lumbye -which starts with the pop of a champagne cork.

Certain works such as “Wein, Weib und Gesang” (“Wine, women and song”) will be accompanied by ballet performances by Vienna State Ballet soloists choreographed by Italian Davide Bombana.

“Certain traditions give people a feeling of safety,” said Andreas Grossbauer, the Vienna Philharmonic’s new chairman.

“Bedtime stories, birthday

- Dark beginnings -

Interestingly, Kripalani is the consul-general for Iceland in Mumbai--which adds an interesting layer to the story. Iceland used to be a US outpost and base until 2006 when the Americans left. In 2008 when the Iceland banking system tanked, it turned to Russia - and since then, has enjoyed a close working relationship with Russia.

The Indians only knew of the

In the 1980s after the 25concert reign of Austrian Willi Boskovsky and six-times American successor Lorin Maazel -- who died this year -it was decided to have a different conductor each year.

These have included such greats as Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado -- who also passed away in 2014 -- and Mehta in 1990, 1995, 1998 and 2007.

The Mumbai-born conductor, who first came to Vienna to study in 1954 and whose posts have included music director of the New York Philharmonic, said though that he was “just as excited” as before his debut 24 years ago.

“I can think of no greater (honour),” he said. “When I walk from the Imperial (hotel) towards the Konzerthaus of the Musikverein, it’s like I was in my living room. I feel so at home here.”

Fund-raising campaign launched to establish Vivekananda Chair China has funded over 70 Confucius Institutes in the US alone and hundreds globally, in addition to dozens of study centres and numerous Chairs.

The Saudi royal family has established multiple Chairs, including the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Arkansas, King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud Chair of Islamic Studies at the University of California, the King Faisal Chair in Islamic Thought and Culture at USC, as well as the Sultan Programme in Arab Studies at UC, Berkeley

Gul Kripalani was scheduled to sign an agreement with Aksyonov to facilitate seafood and meat exports through Crimea region into Russia. presence of Aksyonov on Putin’s flight a little over 24 hours before Putin’s arrival. In the tradition of India-Russia relations, the Indians only insisted that he not be part of the official delegation, which meant his name was not on the list circulated by both governments.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was livid when he was told, knowing full well the diplomatic repercussions this would have in another country he has been assiduously courting - US. The US was fairly prompt in chiding India for even hosting the Crimean leader. “We understand that the

Indian Ministry of External Affairs have said they were not officially aware of his visit or his participation in the delegation ... We are seeking further clarification on that,” a State Department spokesperson said.

In fact, soon after Putin returned to Moscow, Russia was slapped by a fresh set of sanctions by the US - all related to Crimea.

Putin, incidentally, has taken along controversial leaders on his overseas trips earlier. He reportedly once almost took along a Chechen leader to the US, but was persuaded otherwise at the last minute.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CONSTRUCTION MANAGER-AT-RISK High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) Bid Package #3 – Civil, Structural, Architectural & MEPF HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT (HISD) Cadence McShane Construction as Construction Manager-at-Risk for HISD, in accordance with Texas Government Code 2269, will receive bids or proposals from all qualified subcontractors for the Bid Package 3 – Civil, Structural, Architectural, Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical and Fire Protection.

A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 3:00 pm at the Houston offices of the AGC located at 3825 Dacoma St., Houston, TX 77092. A Site-Visit of the project will be held immediately following the preproposal conference for those interested.

Bids or proposals are due Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 2:00pm, and bids or proposals should be emailed to: houstonbids@cadencemcshane.com or mailed/ delivered to the Cadence McShane Construction, 7701 W. Little York, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77040. Late bids will not be accepted.

There will be no public opening of bids or proposals. All bids or proposals shall be available after award of contract, or the 7th day after final selection of bids or proposals, whichever is later. After receipt of bids or proposals, Cadence McShane, will conduct its evaluation of the subcontractor bids or proposals in relation to the project requirements and will select the bid(s) or proposal(s) that offers the best value to HISD. Cadence McShane, is committed to meeting the M/WBE goals set for this project. M/WBE forms, schedules and statements, as required by the package documents, shall accompany each bid or proposal that is submitted. Bids or proposals submitted without all required information, and in the order and manner specified, may result in the bid or proposal being considered non-responsive.

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China has funded over 70 Confucius Institutes in the US alone and hundreds globally, in addition to dozens of study centres and numerous Chairs.

W

ASHINGTON: A campaign has been launched in the US to raise funds for Swami Vivekananda Chair for study of Hinduism at a top university.

The Swami Vivekananda Endowed Chair for study of Hinduism at the University of Southern California (USC) in the US would require USD 3.3 million, officials said.

California-based

Dharma

Civilisation Foundation has launched a crowdfunding campaign.

Such a move by the Dharma Civilisation Foundation (DCF) comes after it successfully launched Swami Vivekananda Visiting Professorship for the study of Hinduism in 2013.

While several countries have funded chairs in religious studies, India has been lagging behind.

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 VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

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SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

New Zealand cricketers donate Top Bangladesh Islamist senkit, funds to Pakistan school tenced to hang for war crimes massacre survivors

by Kamrul Hasan Khan

P

ESHAWAR, Pakistan | AFP | (12/30/2014) Senior Pakistani batsman Younis Khan Tuesday delivered players’ kits and a financial donation from the New Zealand cricket team to the child survivors of Pakistan’s worst ever terror attack.

D

Bangladesh’s war crimes court Tuesday sentenced a leading Islamist to death for rape, mass murder and genocide during the country’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

Khan visited the army school in Peshawar where Taliban gunmen slaughtered 150 people on December 16, the vast majority of them children, where he met officials and some of the students.

A.T.M. Azharul Islam became the 16th person and the 11th Islamist to be convicted of atrocities by the International Crimes Tribunal, which found him guilty of being a key member of a notorious pro-Pakistan militia.

He also visited some of children injured in the massacre as they continued their recovery in a local hospital.

The 62-year-old is the assistant secretary general of the nation’s largest Islamist party, the Jamaat-e Islami.

“All the players from Pakistan and New Zealand were shocked and hurt by the incident,” said Khan of the Taliban attack.

“I am innocent!” he shouted as the presiding judge Enayetur Rahim ordered him to be “hanged by the neck” for the genocide of more than 1,200 people in a flood plain in the northern district of Rangpur.

“Only those who suffered the losses can understand the impact of this tragedy,” he said during the visit.

The attack this month shocked the world, and prompted Pakistan’s political and military leaders to vow decisive action to stamp out militancy.

Khan said New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and team manager Mike Sandle met him after the fourth one-day international between the two teams in Abu Dhabi to hand over the

HAKA, Bangladesh | AFP |

Pakistan cricketer Younis Khan delivers a Kane Williamson shirt to a Peshawar massacre survivor. kits and the financial donation.

“Since the amount is a donation I can’t disclose it, but it shows their grief and sentiments towards the schoolchildren,” he said.

Sandle in a letter also ex-

pressed sentiments of his players.

“We extend our deepest grief and hope that the cricket kits and a small amount will help in a small way towards rebuilding your school and community,” the letter said.

“No doubt, it was mass murder,” Judge Rahim told a packed court, which was blanketed by tight security.

Those killed included hundreds of Hindus -- a minority in mainly Muslim Pakistan -- in one of the worst episodes of the nine-month war.

Cricket: Dhoni puts brakes on record-breaking Test career Continued from Page 1 great Sunil Gavaskar, who

nevertheless said India “will miss Dhoni big-time”.

Dhoni’s love of his country is well-known, once describing his appointment as an honorary lieutenant colonel in the parachute regiment as the proudest day of his life.

“I tell my wife she is only the third most important thing after my country and my parents, in that order,” Dhoni said in a recent interview, in which he also spoke of how he would know when his time had come.

“I’ll know it is time to finish when I am no longer one of the fastest movers in the team. At that point I will surely know age is winning,” he told All Out Cricket magazine.

Dhoni’s will to win was never in doubt from the moment he burst onto the scene, soon after quitting his job on India’s sluggish railways.

In one of his first international appearances in April 2005, he smashed 148 off 123 balls against old foes Pakistan in Visakhapatnam.

He made his Test debut later that year in Chennai, the first of 90 Tests in which he scored 4,876 runs at an average of just over 38. His 27 victories in charge of the Test team is a record for an Indian captain.

His swashbuckling style and leadership qualities soon earned him the captaincy of India’s T20 team after senior players like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar opted out of the first ever T20 World Cup in 2007.

When his men clinched the trophy with a thrilling win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final in Johannesburg, Dhoni acquired instant hero status.

Dhoni replaced Anil Kumble as full-time Test captain in November 2008 and a year later India rose to the number one ranking in Tests, a position they held for two years.

- Crowning glory The crowning glory came on April 2, 2011 when India won the World Cup for only the second time, with Dhoni smashing the winning six against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

But the joy was short-lived.

A few months later India began a long nightmarish struggle in Tests in overseas conditions.

The poor record included two 4-0 whitewashes in England and Australia in 20112012 and a 3-1 loss in England earlier this year, besides series losses in New Zealand and South Africa.

But while his acumen as a Test skipper may have been called into doubt, he is still widely regarded as one of the astute captains ever in shortform cricket.

As well as captaining India, he has also been the skipper of the Chennai Super Kings in the glitzy, cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) competition.

It has enabled him to indulge his love of motorbikes and build a collection which includes high-powered Harley Davisons and Ducatis.

The team was established

by N. Srinivasan, the controversial president of the International Cricket Council.

Dhoni is vice-chairman of Srinivasan’s cement company.

While he may get to spend more time with his bikes in the future, he still has the small business of defending the World Cup which begins in Australia and New Zealand on February 14.

One of the highest earners in world sport, Dhoni was recently rated by Forbes as India’s richest sportsman with an annual brand value of $20 million.

“Well done on a wonderful career in Test cricket,” his former team-mate and batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar tweeted on Tuesday. “Next target 2015 WC my friend!!”

Women’s Safety in Delhi – Two Years after Nirbhay The Uber taxi rape in Delhi has brought renewed attention to the problem of violence against women. These issues that had forcefully surfaced on the public and the political agenda two years ago, when ‘Nirbhay’ was attacked and raped in Delhi on a moving bus. The incident highlighted the gravity of the problem of crime against women, and brought to light the inability of the legal system to efficiently address such issues. Women’s safety is back on the public and media agenda, again. A recent survey published by Hindustan Times on the two year anniversary of the Delhi gang rape indicated that over ninety percent of about twenty five hundred women polled indicated that they had not seen any improvements in safety, and that eighty six percent of the total women polled avoided being out at night, alone.

Let us discuss the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee which came forth after the Nirbhay rape, in order to assess how these recommendations have been implemented. The main points of the Committee report stated that the equality of women is integral to the Indian Constitution, and women’s rights must be respected. The report recommended that the Criminal Law Amendment Act should be modified and every complaint of rape must be registered by the police. Relatedly, an officer who fails to register a case of rape reported to him will have committed an offence, which may then be punishable by law.

The report suggested implementing a special procedure

for protecting persons with disabilities from rape, and also establishing proper protocols for medical examination of victims of sexual crimes and assault.

The Committee suggested developing community policing, increasing street lighting, and finally, the Committee stressed that the recommendations made in the report be urgently implemented.

Two years later, some of the recommendations from the Committee have helped shape the Criminal Law Amendment Act. However, a series of problems still persist. The ratio of women’s representation in legislation is still low; there is no active effort by lawmakers to implement and enforce procedures that exclude individuals who have open, criminal cases against them or have been accused of being sexual predators out of legislative chambers.

Also, there has been little to no change in actively training the police force en masse, nor has there been a drastic improvement in increasing the number of female recruits to police agencies that would ensure an infrastructure in place which is directly related to increasing women’s safety. Similarly, there have not been any visible changes in providing safety measures in public transport or sanitation initiatives, especially in rural parts of India where women often get raped at night, or early morning hours when they go away from their homes and out to the fields to defecate due to lack of sanitation in their homes. Sanitation issues are worse in villages, though cities often suffer from lack of proper, functioning facilities.

Regardless of the government and police personnel introducing measures to improve safety for women, violence against women is a complicated, deeply rooted problem in society that requires: a) absolute dedication by all sectors of government and civil society to enforce viable solutions, especially in the areas of law enforcement and judiciary; b) a change in the Indian mind-set related to how women are seen in the Indian, social hierarchy.

Gender sensitive courses for both male and female police officers, enlisting women at help desks in police stations, establishing women’s helpline numbers that are free to use, are all excellent initiatives, when correctly implemented. However, unless female lives are perceived to have the same value as males, the battle to improve issues of crimes against women will continue to be problematic, as societies seldom wish to allocate time, effort and resources towards something (in this case, the female gender) that is seen as unimportant and even dispensable. Perhaps this important initiative can be taken up by the Department of Higher Education where both, boys and girls are taught gender equality and respect towards the female gender starting from when they are first enrolled in school.

Anjali Kanojia, PhD is the Assistant Director for the India Studies Program at the University of Houston. Any opinions expressed in this article are only those of the author and do not represent or reflect opinions or positions of the author’s employer.

The conflict ended with the former East Pakistan seceding from the regime in Islamabad, with the help of Indian troops, and becoming Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina created the controversial tribunal, a domestic court with no international or United Nations oversight, in 2010.

It has mostly focused on the trials of the Jamaat leaders who opposed the break-up of Pakistan and saw the liberation war

by Bengalis as a conspiracy by majority-Hindu India.

The tribunal has also sentenced to death a former minister of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Secular protesters staged impromptu “victory” marches in the capital Dhaka and in Rangpur to hail the latest verdict.

But defence lawyer Tajul Islam rejected the charges against Islam and said his team planned to appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court.

“Azharul Islam was a 19year-old student during the war and in no way was involved in war crime. The charges against him are false and fabricated,” the lawyer said.

Jamaat condemned the verdict, saying Islam did not get

justice.

“Islam is a victim of the government’s continued conspiracy to murder the Jamaat leadership,” acting party chief Maqbul Ahmed said in a statement, accusing the government of “arranging false witness statements by its party people”.

Jamaat also called a nationwide strike for Wednesday and Thursday.

Previous death sentences handed down against Jamaat leaders, including its supreme and spiritual leaders, plunged Bangladesh into its deadliest unrest last year.

Thousands of Islamists clashed with police in nationwide protests over the verdicts and other issues and some 500 people were killed.

The BNP and Jamaat have called the trials politically motivated, aimed at eliminating opposition leaders rather than rendering justice. Rights groups have said they fall short of international standards.

The government maintains they are needed to heal the wounds of the war, which it says left three million people dead.

Independent researchers put the toll much lower.

Pak to soon get USD 532 mn in American assistance: envoy

I

SLAMABAD, (Dec 30, 2014) - The US is set to grant USD 532 million aid package to Pakistan to spur economic growth, community building and counter-terrorism efforts, the American envoy here has said.

Ambassador Richard Olson told Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday that the grant will be disbursed soon as the US’ Congress has already given its nod to the Obama administration.

According to the finance ministry, the money will be given under the civilian assistance package-- the KerryLugar Act of 2010-- which expired in September 2014.

Olson said the fund would be given for energy, counterterrorism, economic growth, community building, education and health.

He said the entire USD 7.5 billion assistance to Pakistan would take longer to allocate and disburse than the fiveyear period originally envisioned.

Earlier this year, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal told the National Assembly that Pakistan has so far received over USD 3.8 billion against the total obligation of USD 7.5 billion under the Kerry-

Lugar Act. Almost threefourths of this money had reportedly been spent without government’s oversight.

Ambassador Olson also offered his condolences over the recent killings of 150 people, mostly schoolchildren, during an attack by the Taliban gunmen on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16.

Dar said the government would likely to spend a large amount of this assistance for the rehabilitation of the temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) of North Waziristan Agency where military operation was underway to flush out militants.

“The government will brief foreign donors on the rehabilitation work being undertaken for restoring the life of the displaced Waziristan tribesmen and the flood-affected population,” he said.

Dar said recent monsooninduced floods were an unforeseen calamity that would surely have an impact on country’s growth projections but the government hoped to recoup under the current circumstances.

Olson also discussed the agenda for the scheduled visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Pakistan in January 2015. (PTI).

WORLD/US

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Clinton, Oprah women most Senior US lawmaker under admired by Americans: poll fire over speech to racists

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ASHINGTON - A senior Republican US lawmaker faced down demands for his resignation Tuesday, retaining the support of his party leadership after he admitted giving a speech to a racist group.

Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the Republican House whip, confirmed on Monday that in 2002 he gave an address to the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO).

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton (left) remains the woman most admired by Americans, followed by television icon Oprah Winfrey (right) and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai (centre), polling agency Gallup said Monday. -- PHOTO: AFP

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ASHINGTON Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton remains the woman most admired by Americans, followed by television icon Oprah Winfrey and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, polling agency Gallup said Monday.

Clinton, a likely 2016 US presidential candidate, won the honor for the 13th year in a row, earning 12 percent of the votes.

Winfrey garnered eight percent, while five percent chose 17-year-old Yousafzai, who survived being shot by the

Taliban and went on to win the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting child education rights.

President Barack Obama was the most admired man, earning 19 percent of votes, followed by Pope Francis on six percent.

For the last seven decades Gallup has asked Americans who the men and women are that they admire most, anywhere in the world.

The question is open, a polling technique that appears to reward the long-standing

fame of public figures such as Queen Elizabeth.

Hillary Clinton, who was been in the public eye since the early 1990s, has won the honor a total of 19 times since 1993.

Obama has been the most admired man for the past seven years. According to Gallup, the sitting US president almost always ranks first.

The poll was conducted between December 8 and 11 among 805 adults in the United States. Its margin of error is four percentage points

China businessman jailed for 13 years over tiger feast

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EIJING, AFP - A Chinese businessman who bought and ate three tigers has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, state media reported Tuesday.

The wealthy real estate developer, identified only by his surname Xu, has “a special hobby of grilling tiger bones, boning tiger paws, storing tiger penis, eating tiger meat and drinking tiger blood alcohol,” the official Xinhua news agency said in June when he went on trial.

Xu organised three separate trips last year for a total of 15 people, including himself, to Leizhou in the southern province of Guangdong, where they bought tigers for a “huge amount of money” that were killed and dismembered as they watched, the government-run news portal gxnews.com.cn reported Tuesday.

One of them filmed the entire process of a tiger slaughter with his mobile phone. The footage was later obtained by police.

Police seized eight pieces of animal meat and bones from a refrigerator in Xu’s home, some of which were later identified as tiger parts, including a penis, the report said, adding that 16 geckos and a cobra were also found.

A court in Guangxi earlier this year convicted the 15 of “illegally transporting precious and endangered wild animal products” but the conviction was not reported at the time.

Xu was sentenced to 13 years in prison and a fine of 1.55 million yuan ($250,000), gxnews. com.cn said, with the others jailed for terms between five and six and a half years, and given smaller fines.

They appealed and a higher court upheld the ruling on Monday, the report said.

Tiger bones have long been an ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine, supposedly for a capacity to strengthen the human body, and while they have been removed from its official ingredient list the belief persists among some.

It is a long-held belief across parts of Asia that penises of animals such as tigers and seals can boost men’s sexual performance.

There is no orthodox scientific evidence for such claims.

Decades of trafficking and habitat destruction have slashed the tiger population from 100,000 a century ago to approximately 3,000, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species, where the tiger is classed as endangered.

The “white nationalist” antiSemitic group was founded by notorious former Klu Klux Klan grand wizard and Louisiana politician David Duke, but Scalise insisted he was not aware of its agenda.

“When people asked me to go speak, I went and spoke to any group that called,” he told Louisiana newspaper The TimesPicayune.

“I didn’t know who all of these groups were and I detest any kind of hate group. For anyone to suggest that I was involved with a group like that is insulting and ludicrous,” he insisted.

“I don’t support any of the things I have read about this group, but I spoke to a lot of groups during that period. I went all throughout South Louisiana.”

Scalise’s attendance at the 2002 EURO convention was revealed by Louisiana political blog CenLamar.com based in part on an old posting on the well-known neo-Nazi Internet forum Stormfront.

The Republican Party won last month’s US midterm elections, taking control of the Senate and strengthening its hold

Steve Scalise speaks during a House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC on June 17, 2010 ©Rod Lamkey Jr (AFP/File). on the House of Representatives for the new Congress starting in January.

Democrats seized on the revelations to call on House Speaker John Boehner to sack Scalise from his leadership role.

“It’s hard to believe, given David Duke’s reputation in Louisiana, that somebody in politics in Louisiana wasn’t aware of Duke’s associations with the group and what they stand for,” Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas told The Washington Post.

But Boehner threw his support behind Scalise, the third ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, calling him a “man of high integrity and good character.”

“More than a decade ago, Representative Scalise made an error in judgment, and he was right to acknowledge it was wrong and inappropriate,” Boehner said.

“He has my full confidence as our whip, and he will continue

to do great and important work for all Americans.”

Democratic Communications Committee communications director Mo Elleithee poured scorn on the idea that Scalise -- then a state legislator -- might not have been aware of the group’s reputation.

“Seriously? He didn’t know?” he demanded.

“The group was named the European-American Unity and Rights Organization, it was founded by David Duke and he was invited by two of Duke’s longtime associates.

“It doesn’t get much more clear than that. Does he not believe that speaking to an antiSemitic hate group legitimizes them and elevates their racist and divisive existence?”

Republicans won the recent Congressional election with the support of conservative white voters, but analysts warn they will struggle to win over blacks and Hispanics in future presidential races.

VOICE OF ASIA 11

LIFESTYLE

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Vol. 28 No. 1 Friday, January 2, 2015 Section 2 Page 11

by Tom HANCOCK

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EIJING - A group of Christians gathered in an apartment above a Beijing dental surgery, the atmosphere jubilant as a choir belted out carols on Christmas Eve -- but the curtains stayed tightly closed.

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

No season of goodwill for China’s underground Christians

Unofficial Christian groups have long been subject to crackdowns, but the situation appears to be worsening as their numbers increase, and the ruling Communist party takes a more nationalist tone under its leader Xi Jinping.

“We are relatively free, but its still relative freedom,” said New Tree Pastor Wang Shuangyan, who led a Christmas Eve service where she baptised five new members.

Several pastors from the group -- which at its height boasted around 1,000 mainly middle-class members -- have been under house arrest since they tried to arrange Easter services in a public square in 2011.

“Things have got worse this year because the police started to detain us. I was detained for a week,” said Zhao Sheng, 54, musical organiser for the service.

“But Christmas is still a happy time. No matter what happens, God is with us,” he added with a grin.

You Zhanglao, one of those under house arrest, said in a telephone interview that he had celebrated Christmas “at home with my family by saying prayers”.

-’Resolutely resist’Christianity has aroused suspicions in China since the 19th century when it was spread by foreign missionaries who often worked alongside colonial European powers.

China’s ruling Communist party is officially atheist and

But despite tighter controls, “most house churches have been able to operate with few disruptions,” said Yang Fenggang, an expert at Perdue University in the US, adding: “there are too many to be suppressed.”

Since the government seized their worship space three years ago, members of Shouwang gather in apartments rented by the smaller “New Tree” church, which has reached an accommodation with local authorities.

Members of Shouwang, a Beijing Christian group who held the Christmas Eve service, have faced more trouble than most.

Nonetheless there was a joyful atmosphere in the 12th storey apartment this Christmas where green and silver tinsel hung beside plastic snowflakes, and several dozen worshippers joined in with Chinese versions of traditional carols “Away in a Manger,” and “Noel, Noel.”

tion improves for us next year,” Wu Changyi, a Christian in Wenzhou told AFP.

“Faith brings peace to the heart,” said 25-year-old student Cheng Xiaohui, who knelt on the ground as Wang poured water over her head.

New Tree members said their Church was often visited by police, but had avoided suppression because it is relatively small and holds its services in private.

The church choir. effectively banned the religion during the 1960s, but the Christian population has swelled at rates of up to ten percent each year since restrictions were relaxed around thirty years ago.

The country is now home to an estimated 70 million Christians, according to a 2011 survey by the Pew Research Center, as people search for a sense of community and meaning in a fast-changing society.

The vast majority of Chinese Protestants -- around 50 million, according to the survey -- shun state-run churches and worship in self-organising groups outside government-control.

These underground churches are technically illegal, giving authorities a pretext to crack

down if they wish.

pletely demolished.

Local authorities who have long tolerated underground churches are increasingly taking a harder line.

In the strongest sign of official fears so far, top religious official Wang Zuoan told worshippers at Beijing churches to “resolutely resist the use of Christianity by foreigners to infiltrate China,” according to the state-run China News Service.

China Aid estimated that 1,470 Chinese Christians were detained in connection with their faith in 2013, with the number almost certain to rise this year.

The summer in the eastern city of Wenzhou, sometimes known as “China’s Jerusalem,” because of its large Christian population, police stormed Churches to force the removal of visible crosses.

The crackdown affected more than 400 churches in eastern Zhejiang province, according to US-based rights group China Aid, with some churches com-

Experts say the Christian conception of universal values fits uncomfortably with the Communist party’s insistence that China cannot be judged by foreign standards.

Richard Madsen, expert on Chinese Christians at the University of California San Diego, said “there seems to be a new move to try and suppress Churches.”

“Its connected with the nationalism of China’s govern-

ment, and concerns that this is a foreign religion with connections around the world,” he added.

Since coming to power in 2012, China’s President Xi Jinping has praised the ancient Confucian moral system, and previously met top Buddhist figures.

China’s leaders “hope the revival of traditional religions like Taoism and Buddhism will help crowd-out Christianity,” Madsen said.

- Relative freedom Just four days before Christmas, authorities in Zhejiang clashed with locals as they tore down a church cross, China Aid cited parishioners as saying.

“We a praying that the situa-

At Shouwang’s separate service, a middle-aged preacher expounded for nearly an hour about the meaning of the Bible, creationism, the nature of sin and redemption.

But as if underlining the Communist party’s fears, his sermon briefly touched on politics.

“In those countries like the Soviet Union, North Korea, and China that put humans at the centre of everything, the human rights situation is poor, or even very poor,” the preacher said.

At the close of his speech, the curtains were pulled open, filling the room with light, while cries of “God bless you” filled the room as worshippers shook hands and embraced.

“We don’t need to be careful” a 43 year old woman surnamed Su said when asked about police pressure. “God will protect us.”

New Year’s resolutions may be more procrastination than motivation

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The New Year’s Eve “15” numerals stand lit on the sidewalk after they were unloaded from a truck in Times Square in New York, December 16, 2014. Photo by REUTERS/Mike Segar

by Dorene Internicola (Reuters) EW YORK - People seeking to get or stay fit in 2015 might do better to start today rather than rely on a New Year’s resolution to shape up tomorrow, fitness experts say.

Losing weight and getting fit and healthy are among the top five resolutions every year, even though most of winter’s great expectations wither by spring.

“The New Year’s resolution is a kind of grand, glorified, long-term goal that people, for societal reasons, tend to begin on the first day of the calendar year,” said Gregory Chertok, a sports psychology consultant with the American College of Sports Medicine.

Goals set because people feel they should make them tend to be pressure-filled, unrealistic and less likely to be accomplished, he says. “‘I’d like to cut down on junk food a little bit,’ is a

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goal more likely to be accomplished than ‘I’ll completely revamp my lifestyle,’ which is the kind of goal we set as a New Year’s resolutions,” Chertok said.

While about 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only about 8 percent succeed, according to a University of Scranton study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Dr. Michele Olson, professor of exercise science at Auburn University Montgomery said a resolution can be a way of putting off what can be done today.

“If there is a fitness need, such as to increase strength or decrease body fat, I say, ‘Let’s make a plan now,’” Olson said, adding that what is essential is to set a long-term plan with short-term goals.

“This is why athletes stay in shape year-round. They have a program scheduled and planned over an entire year with variation, rest days, more-intense and less-intense

workout periods,” she said.

“It’s like one’s job: there’s very little vacation time.”

Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, said the New Year may be the worst time to make a lifestyle change.

“For many it’s the busiest, most hectic time,” he said, “and most people have an allor-nothing mentality.”

Bryant said people who succeed focus on progress, not perfection, and plan for the inevitable slip-up.

“People don’t take time to celebrate the little successes,” he said. “Because they’re so focused on, say, an arbitrary weight goal, they don’t notice that they are sleeping better or feeling less anxious.”

Chertok suggests setting goals that don’t depend on the calendar to achieve the best results.

(Editing by Paticia Reaney and Dan Grebler)

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VOICE OF ASIA 13

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Dutch scientists use smell Some of the stranger stories to recreate JFK, Diana and from the year just ending: other famous deaths For instance, those wanting to experience Houston’s final moments are transported to a bathtub at the upmarket Beverly Hills hotel where the diva died in February 2012 at age 48.

A coroner ruled that the singing legend died of accidental drowning, with cocaine and heart disease listed as contributing factors.

In coming months, the installation will be taken across Europe.

Getty Images

by Nicolas DELAUNAY

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REDA - Dutch scientists are recreating the deaths of some of the world’s most famous personalities by reconstructing their last moments using scents and

To the sounds of splashing water and Houston’s voice, a visitor first gets a whiff of generic cleaner, used in hotels around the world, followed by the olive oil the singer used in her tub.

To find out, visitors with a sense of the morbid are invited to lie in a series of four silver metal boxes similar to those found in a morgue.

Then a strong chemical odour, similar to that of cocaine fills the box, grabbing its occupant by the throat, followed by the sound of rushing water and then silence.

The boxes, which are pitchdark inside, are rigged with

“Smell is rarely used in communication and we wanted

Japanese lingerie maker Ravijour displays a “True Love Tester” bra with a special hook on its center and an app on a mobile (L) to control it, which it claims will only unhook when the wearer is really in love, January 30, 2014

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n January, a Japanese lingerie company said it had produced a bra -- the “True Love Tester” -- it claims will only unhook when the wearer is really in love.

- In May, six police officers in Rio de Janeiro were arrested on charges of stopping trucks carrying women’s underwear, stealing the panties and bras and extorting money from the drivers.

- In February, a California couple out walking their dog struck it rich by unearthing a horde of buried gold coins worth more than $10 million (over 8 million euros), according to experts. It is believed to be the most valuable treasure trove ever discovered in the US.

- In June, an 89-year-old World War II veteran ran away from his care home on the coast of southern England to join the D-Day commemorations in northern France, wearing his medals under his coat.

- In March, a Danish travel company claimed it could boost Denmark’s dwindling birth rates by sending more couples to romantic cities like Paris, in an advertising campaign titled “Do it for Denmark!”

Not your normal museum exhibit: Visitors are invited to lie in a series of four silver metal boxes similar to those found in a morgue, where smells and sounds of famous deaths are piped in. sounds.

From the sweet smell of Jacqueline Kennedy’s perfume mingled with the scent of John F. Kennedy’s blood to Whitney Houston’s last drug-fuelled moments in a Beverly Hills bathtub, scientists at Breda university say they offer visitors a unique, if somewhat macabre, historical snapshot.

“We all have seen the images of JFK’s assassination, but what did it smell like?” asks Frederik Duerinck, from the communication and multimedia design faculty of Breda’s Avans university of applied sciences.

pipes leading to bottles containing pressurised smells.

A soundtrack is played and on queue different scents are released into the box to recreate a specific “final moment.”

For around five minutes, visitors can relive the smells and sounds believed to have surrounded four people whose deaths are etched into the world’s collective memory: Kennedy (1963); Princess Diana (1997); Moamer Kadhafi (2011) and Whitney Houston (2012).

- Strong chemical odour -

to explore its uses,” said Duerinck. “It’s a very powerful means of communication.”

Scientists have proved that smells are linked to the part of the brain that regulates emotion and memory.

Odours are often used in the retail industry to trigger a buying mood in customers.

“Who doesn’t want to buy a loaf after catching a whiff of fresh bread?” said Duerinck, who together with other lecturers and students has put together an inventory of odours and is devising new ways of using

- In April, a message in a bottle tossed in the ocean in Germany 101 years ago, believed to be the world’s oldest, was presented to the sender’s granddaughter after it was found in the Baltic Sea.

- In July, South Korea’s top Buddhist organisation held an experimental “prayer competition” in downtown Seoul, featuring rapping nuns and singing monks in a bid to attract new, younger followers.

- In August, a restaurant in Kunshan, China, electrified its clients by using more than a dozen robots to greet customers as well as cook and deliver food.

- In September, a goldfish called George underwent “high

smell: for instance in storytelling.

“I almost felt myself being hunted,” said Soepenberg.

“It’s quite surprising and spectacular,” said Riks Soepenberg, 31, who experienced a recreation of Kadhafi’s last moments as the former Libyan strongman was hunted and killed by rebels in October 2011.

In the coming months the installation will be taken across Europe.

“You can watch the pictures as many times as you want, it’s just not the same thing,” he said of the attack on Kadhafi’s convoy, forcing the long-serving leader to hide in a drainage pipe before being murdered.

- ‘I felt myself being hunted’

“We’ve conducted extensive research,” said Wander Eikenboom, another lecturer at Avans about the authenticity of the experience.

“There’s already a lot of information available on the Internet, such as what perfume Jackie Kennedy or JFK were wearing,” said Eikenboom.

“Whitney Houston’s autopsy report for instance, is also avail-

risk” brain surgery in Melbourne, Australia. The owner of the 10-year-old fish decided to have it operated on rather than having it put to sleep.

- In October, a former poultry and mushroom farmer was crowned Miss Uganda following a major rebranding of the annual beauty pageant, which saw the glamour of the catwalk replaced with tests of milking cows and working with goats and sheep.

- In November, a 91-year-old Polish woman surprised morgue workers in eastern Poland when she started moving, 11 hours after being declared dead at home.

“Once we got her home, she said she was freezing and asked for a hot cup of tea,” her niece said.

- In December, a 29-year-old female orangutan named Sandra got cleared to leave a Buenos Aires zoo she has called home for 20 years, after a court ruled she was entitled to more desirable living conditions able,” he added.

But the scientists admit battling to recreate the right scent for Jackie Kennedy’s perfume, which is no longer made.

“We had to rebuild something that resembled it as closely as possible,” said scientist Mark Meeuwenoord.

The inventors of the “final moments” smells said in any case, exact historical accuracy was not their aim.

Rather, they wanted to explore new ways of “smelling” old stories.

Miss South Africa crowned Miss World 2014 ner; Miss Bosnia and Hercegovina won the top model round and Miss Sweden triumphed in beach fashion.

- Bollywood star honoured The event also featured a special 20-year award for 1994’s Miss World, Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai. The 41-year-old Indian actress appeared on stage with her film star husband Abhishek Bachchan, their daughter Aaradhya and her mother.

The prize was for the “Dhoom 2” star’s charitable work with children with cleft palates since being made famous by Miss World.

“I stand here overwhelmed by this honour,” she said.

The 10 contestants who topped the final scoreboard were, in descending order, from India, South Africa, England, Guyana, Brazil, Hungary, Kenya, United States, Mexico and Australia.

Miss South Africa and the 2014 Miss World, Rolene Strauss (C), dances with first runner up Miss Hungary Edina Kulcsar (L) and second runner up Miss United States Elizabeth Safrit (R) during the grand final in London on December 14, 2014 (AFP Photo/Leon Neal)

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ONDON (AFP) - Miss South Africa, 22-yearold Rolene Strauss, was crowned Miss World 2014 at the contest’s glitzy final in London on Sunday, with an estimated billion viewers watching on television around the globe.

Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was judged the runner-up and Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, came third in the 64th annual competition, contested by women from 121 countries.

Medical student Strauss clasped her hands together in surprise and was crowned by the outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines, to huge cheers in the ExCeL exhibition centre.

“South Africa this is for you,” Strauss said. “I think I will brace myself for what’s about

to happen. It’s a huge responsibility.”

She told AFP she wanted to help spread education in her homeland and thereby help other people realise their dreams.

“I am what I am today because of the opportunities I have received and I would love to give others the same opportunities; educating, the opportunity to be educated, to make healthy choices and also to live their dreams,” Strauss said.

And she was already getting used to the glittering crown.

“I’ll definitely keep it on as long as I can but my parents are staying around here so they’ll be hugging me and I’m afraid that it might fall off,” she said.

This year’s event has been rocked by the murder of Miss

Honduras, 19-year-old Maria Jose Alvarado, who was shot dead along with her sister last month.

Police in Honduras accuse her sister’s boyfriend of shooting them after seeing his partner dancing with another man at a party.

- Shimmering costumes Strauss and other contestants will travel to the crime-plagued central American nation to build a school named in the sisters’ honour.

“We hope that it will really start to impress on the people in Honduras that the violence, and hurting people like those two innocent women... maybe they can think again before they take a gun,” Miss World chairwoman Julia Morley told AFP.

Indian Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai in Amritsar on December 7, 2014 (AFP Photo/Narinder Nanu). Rai was Miss World 1994.

Sunday’s show started with a spectacular choreographed dance routine, with all the beauty queens on stage in costumes inspired by their homelands -- including Miss Bolivia in a colourful feathered headdress.

While beauty remains central to the event, the women taking part are chiefly judged on their talents and involvement in good causes.

Miss Malaysia won the talent competition in a live sing-off with Miss Scotland.

In the Beauty with a Purpose section -- the heart of Miss World -- contestants present a charitable project they have been working on in their homeland.

In this section, the judges gave equal first place to Misses Brazil, Guyana, India, Indonesia and Kenya, unable to separate them.

In rounds held since the contestants arrived in London, Miss Finland topped the sporting competition; Miss United States was the multimedia win-

They were joined by Miss Thailand, who won the people’s choice award, voted for by people around the world through a mobile phone app.

The judges chose Miss Hungary, Miss Australia, Miss South Africa, Miss United States and Miss England as their top five before picking their top three.

Miss World began in 1951, a year before its chief rival Miss Universe.

Strauss is the third South African Miss World, the country having held the title in 1958 and 1974.

Venezuela tops the all-time leader board with six titles, ahead of India and the United Kingdom on five titles each.

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Friday, January 2, 2015

Section 2

Page 14

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

How to Dress for Success Young Oscar-tipped in the New Year director’s Hollywood When it comes to professional success, the way you present yourself in the workplace should complement the quality of your work. Whether you’re looking to advance your career or simply make a great impression, a useful New Year’s resolution is to refine your office look and style -- take everything into account, your wardrobe, your accessories and your workspace.

dream comes true

Wardrobe You may not have the top job yet, but the old adage holds true -- dress for the job you want, not the one you have. If budget is an issue, don’t sweat it. Online coupons can help you score great deals at mass market retailers.

Additionally, discount department stores often sell designer labels at a fraction of the cost.

Be sure to press your clothes even if your office is business casual. Invest in an iron and give yourself a few extra minutes in the morning to ensure clothes are wrinkle-free.

Every season, go through your closet and set aside clothes that no longer fit, are worn out, faded or out of style. Donate these clothes and make room for new ones.

Accessories Rocking the basics can make a great impression at meetings, conventions and other professional events. Show employers, colleagues and clients organization is important to you by carrying a planner and business notebook.

Look for a sleek design, such as those from the AT-AGLANCE Collection. These products not only keep you organized and track your story, but can act as a highly useful accessory to your professional style.

Whether you’re looking to stay

Young writer-director Damien Chazelle (centre) is making big strides in Hollywood (AFP Photo/ Imeh Akpanudosen)

by Veronique DUPONT

Dress for Success. Photo source: StatePoint.com organized by the day, week or month, a planner won’t just help to improve your image; it can also help remind you of upcoming deadlines so you stay organized.

Workspace Take ownership of your workspace. Your desk, cubicle or office is visible round-the-clock, even when you are off-theclock, so make sure it makes a great impression.

A few personal items are welcome in most workplaces. Just be sure any personal photos of

friends and family that you display are tasteful and appropriate.

Lastly, display a stylish wall calendar on your cubicle or office wall to keep important dates in view. Or if you prefer, a desk pad calendar gives you the same view of your busy month ahead.

You want colleagues to know that not only do you have a full plate, you know what’s on it.

By fine-tuning your look, you can help make 2015 the year you reach your professional goals and look great doing it.

SOURCE: StatePoint

Los Angeles (AFP) - Writerdirector Damien Chazelle is only 29, but he is already living his dream of the Hollywood big-time.

His second feature “Whiplash” -- about the stormy relationship between a bullying teacher and his jazz drumming student -- swept up trophies at Sundance, Deauville and elsewhere, and is tipped for glory in Tinseltown’s looming awards season.

It won a nomination for best supporting actor for J.K. Simmons at the Golden Globes, which take place next month.

Chazelle told AFP about his adventures making the film, winning awards and schmoozing everyone up to and including the Oscar-bestowing Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Q: How is the Oscars and awards season campaign going?

A: “The path really began in Sundance nearly a year ago (the film won two prizes there). We made the film in six months, from preparation to post-production (with filming done in a super-fast 19 days). So we spent more time talking about it than actually making it! I am working with Sony Pictures, they are people who really know how to make this kind of film work. And now, from December to January, it’s (Holly-

wood) awards season. It’s important to meet members of the Academy at special screenings, question and answer sessions.

But if people don’t like your film, you can’t do anything!”

Q. What do you think of Sony Picture’s decision to cancel the release of “The Interview”?

A: “They didn’t have any choice. But it’s dangerous that this can change the prospects for a film. It can lead to some degree of self-censorship by filmmakers. If there is something good to come out of it, it’s maybe that (studios) will understand that they need more computer security, which is more important than people thought.”

Q: Can you talk about your next film, “La La Land,” about Los Angeles?

A: “It’s a musical comedy with Miles Teller -- who has the main role in ‘Whiplash.’

I tried for a long time to persuade people to make this film, since 2010, and now it’s going to be made thanks to ‘Whiplash.’ When I was at university I made a musical comedy as my end-of-course thesis, and I wanted to make another one.

For me, to make a real musical comedy here in Hollywood is a dream.”

“It takes place in Los Angeles. It’s two artists who are trying to find their way and who fall in love. As in ‘Whiplash,’ it’s a story about the difficulty of finding a balance between

life and art. It’s very personal.

In ‘Whiplash’ there was a lot of me and my own experiences.

It’s the same thing in ‘La La Land.’ I am very nostalgic for the golden age of cinema and musical comedies -- Jacques Demy, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly... It was the last generation who danced to jazz, just before rock. The 1930s to the 1960s is an era which means a lot to me, not only cinematically but musically.”

Q: Did your father, a scientist, understand your artistic dreams more than those of the character in “Whiplash”?

A: “I was lucky to have a very encouraging family, who understand what I wanted to do. Well, they didn’t really have a choice because I knew when I was very young that I wanted to make films, as soon as I saw my first movie. My father is a mathematician, but he’s also a big fan of jazz and blues. For him, America is the land of music.”

Check what’s happening this week!

Online www. voiceofasiaonline. com

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FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Friday, January 2, 2015

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Roshan and Kangana Amitabh Bachchan receives Ranaut - Is it official? prestigious Akkineni Nageswara Rao award

B

ollywood veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan was given the Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) award as a token of appreciation for all the years he has dedicated to Indian cinema, at a ceremony which took place at the Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad, India, IANS reported.

The award is given annually to recognise people for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the Indian film industry. The ANR National Award was first awarded to legendary Bollywood actor Dev Anand in 2006.

“It is a privilege to be a part of this industry. It is stalwarts like ANR who have given the film industry dignity, respectability and grace. Because of people like him that the industry survives,” Big B said in his acceptance speech.

The actor also tweeted: Late legendary actor Nageswara Rao’s son Akkineni Nagarjuna thanked Big B for accepting the award.

Hrithik Roshan (r) and Kangana Ranaut

R

emember we broke the news about Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut being in a serious relationship? Although Hrithik has kept mum on this, but guess what? Kangana has confirmed that she is dating her Krrish 3 co-star.

Although Kangana hasn’t taken any names, but she has certainly confessed about being in a relationship and she

is glad to have found a companion.

“I am in a relationship and enjoying this state. But, I don’t want to talk about it right now.

It’s very special to me and I am glad to have found a companion. I hope I get into the position when I can talk about it.

Right now, speaking about it would be unfair on the other person. As it is, relationships are difficult, aren’t they?,”

Kangana was quoted by a daily. Well, Kangana, even if you don’t want to take names, we know who he is. Wink!

The Queen actress also feels that relationships can be traumatic but being in a relationship can be empowering.

“Freedom of being alone is intoxicating. Relationships can be very traumatic. But being in a healthy relationship can be very empowering,” she added.

A.R.Rahman: I think 2014 is one of my happiest years! year,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rahman is once again in the race for an Academy Award this year.

His work for Million Dollar Arm, and Indian film Kochadaiiyaan are part of the long list released by the Academy

of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on its website recently.

Further, talking about stuff for next year, Rahman said: “Some movies have shifted to next year, so there is some more stuff next year as well”

A.R.Rahman

“

The year 2014 was like a workout for me” says Oscar winning composer A.R.Rahman, who has given music for as many as twelve films including some Hollywood projects this year.

He has also composed music for Shankar’s forthcoming Tamil film I. “I have done almost twelve movies in 2014 and it’s like a workout for me and my team. I think it is one of my happiest years,” the music maestro said here Monday during the press conference of Tamil film I. “Whether it’s Hollywoodwhere I did three movies (including ‘Million Dollar Arm’ and ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ or Tamil films where I worked with Shankar (in I), Rajinikanth (Kochadaiiyaan and Lingaa). it’s been a great

“It is a moment of great pride for the entire Akkineni family. By accepting the award, Amitji has given the award its fullest recognition and made it even more precious. Amitji’s graciousness has brought tremendous motivational sig-

Amitabh Bachchan at the Award function in Hyderabad. Photo credit: Deccan Chronicle. nificance, both symbolic and a high degree of prestige for the Award.”

The former awardees include

Dev Anand, Shabana Azmi, Anjali Devi, Vyjayanatimala Bali, Lata Mangeshkar, K. Balachander, Hema Malini and Shyam Benegal.

Malayalam Filmmaker Madhu Kaithapram Dead at 44

M

alayalam filmmaker Madhu Kaithapram, who won the National award for his much-acclaimed debut venture Ekantham, died at a private hospital here due to diabetes related complication.

The 44-year-old director was undergoing treatment for diabetes at the hospital here since the past few days. He died at around 11.30 pm last night, hospital sources said.

Ekantham, starring late thespians Thilakan and Murali, was a poignant portrayal of loneliness of the elderly. The film released in 2006 won Madhu the National award for best debutant director and Kerala state film special jury award.

He followed it with critically acclaimed Madhya Venal in 2009 starring Manok K Jayan and Swetha Menon. The film won the young director the Kerala Film Criticis Association Award for the movie with social relevance and commitment.

Madhu’s two other directorial ventures are Orma Mathram (2011) and Velli Vellichathi’ (2014).

The body was taken to his native town at Kannur for the public to pay their homage. The cremation will be held at his ancestral home at Payyannur, industry sources said.

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VOICE OF ASIA 16

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Elder-care challenges prompt tech execs to create startups, apps

by Christina Farr

S

AN FRANCISCO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - For years, Google Inc’s commerce chief, Stephanie Tilenius, held a demanding job and helped oversee the medical care of her parents, an experience that led her to leave the Internet search giant in 2012 and start a company to help patients combat chronic disease.

“There was a total lack of resources on my parents’ side,” Tilenius said in an interview.

A growing number of highlevel Silicon Valley executives from the “sandwich generation” - those who are simultaneously caring for children and parents - have left their jobs to launch mobile and digital health startups. In interviews with Reuters, many say they have been prompted by their experience of helping aging parents with one or more chronic conditions, and the discovery of how the U.S. healthcare system fails to serve them.

Some say they are finding both customers and partners in the large technology employers where they once worked.

INFLUX OF VALLEY EXECS

SILICON

After a similar experience caring for an ailing parent, fellow Google employee Munjal Shah left the company in October 2011 to develop an app called Hi.Q, which aims to improve people’s health knowledge. Groupon Inc’s former product development chief, Suneel Gupta, quit his job in December 2012 to start a nutrition app called Rise and support people like his parents, who struggled with diabetes, cancer and obesity.

Tel: 713-774-5140

MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT: ARE YOU READY TO PICK A PLAN? Picking a plan is an important and personal decision.

Now’s the time to think about what matters to you, and to pick the Medicare plan that meets your needs. Here are some things to think about: Does the plan cover the services you need?

Future health care needs can be hard to predict, but changes happen. Make sure you understand what services and benefits you’re likely to use in the coming year and find coverage that meets your needs. If you have other types of health or prescription drug coverage, make sure you understand how that coverage works with Medicare. And, if you travel a lot, does your plan cover you when you’re away from home?

Earlier this year, Tilenius’ company launched Vida, a mobile app that lets patients consult with a team of professionals, including doctors, nurses and nutritionists from their smartphone. The program costs $15 a week and includes reminders to take medication.

Caregivers and family members can request access to the app to keep up to date with a patient’s progress.

Tilenius said her father, who eventually died from heart disease, could not afford regular medical consultations that could have helped him lose weight and manage stress.

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

No matter what plan you pick, you’ll have better choices and more benefits thanks to the Affordable Care Act like these: Caring.com, a community forum and information provider for caregivers, was started

by Andy Cohen, who said he was inspired to leave his job as a vice president at SuccessFactors after his parents fell ill.

SuccessFactors, which makes talent management software, was acquired by SAP SE in 2011.

The infusion of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs into healthcare is already making an impact by advancing the “triple aim of better care at lower cost, with better service,” said Aneesh Chopra, the former chief technology officer for the United States and now the co-founder of a startup called Hunch Analytics.

In the past, it had been tough to recruit talent from the largest tech companies to tackle healthcare issues, said Missy Krasner, managing director for health and life sciences for Box, a cloud computing company.

“The view is that health is very insular and regulated,” said Krasner, who previously worked at Google Health.

The division aimed to store personal health records but shut down in 2012 after it failed to gain much traction.

Since 2012, Google has pushed more deeply into health and aging with wearable tracking devices. It backs a biotech initiative called Calico to re-

search and potentially combat diseases the afflict the elderly, in partnership with drugmaker AbbVie Inc. Apple Inc has also announced plans to move into healthcare, with an initial focus on fitness and wellness.

EXTENDING BENEFITS For engineers and entrepreneurs looking for a new market to serve, caring for an aging parent can open their eyes to the dysfunction in healthcare, said Bryan Roberts, a healthtechnology-focused partner at Venrock.

Interest in backing such projects has grown. In June, funding for digital health companies had reached a record $2.3 billion, surpassing the previous total of $1.9 billion for 2013, according to venture firm Rock Health.

Tech companies are also exploring ways to offer their robust health benefits to employees’ extended families, including parents, as a retention tool in a competitive market for hiring.

Twitter Inc said it let employees add one additional person to their health plan - typically a parent - in 2014. For the coming year, Twitter will cover family, dependents and domestic partners, a spokesman said. Those who extended benefits to parents in 2014 would be grandfathered in from the previous policy.

Two sources familiar with companies’ HR and benefits plans, who asked to remain anonymous, said Facebook Inc’s benefits team is also exploring extending health perks to employees’ parents to include more virtual medical services than what is available on the government’s Medicare program for the elderly.

Facebook said it provides benefits for employees at all life stages.

The newest startups, including Vida, are gleaning business and talent from the companies they left. Tilenius said large employers are interested in offering her app to employees and their parents.

Digital health startup Grand Rounds Health connects patients with medical second opinions. Chief Executive Officer Owen Tripp, a serial tech entrepreneur, cites unexpected demand from benefits managers at tech companies for the service, which can be extended to employees’ parents.

Grand Rounds and Vida declined to name specific customers as the deals are still in the works.

“Employees need ways to stay in the loop about their parents’ care,” said Tripp. “For employers, it’s often about keeping people in the job for longer.” (Editing by Michele Gershberg, Edwin Chan and Matthew Lewis)

Five Quick Tips to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Weight Loss Resolution journey and make your pledge to lose. To learn more, visit www.Nutrisystem.com or the Nutrisystem Facebook page to #pledgetolose today.

• Eat out, right: Eating out is sometimes unavoidable. Just be sure to check out a restaurant’s nutrition information online before you go, so you can make wise

� A discount of 55% on covered brand-name drugs if you hit the Part D prescription drug coverage gap (“donut hole”) � A free yearly “wellness” visit, so you can sit down with your doctor and talk about your health concerns and the best ways to stay healthy � A host of preventive tests and screenings — including cancer screenings — most at no cost to you What’s the cost?

The lowest-cost health plan option might not be the best choice for you – consider things like the cost of premiums and deductibles, how much you pay for hospital stays and doctor visits, and whether it’s important for you to have expenses balanced throughout the year.

How about convenience?

Your time is valuable.

Where are the doctors’ offices? What are their hours?

Which pharmacies can you use? Can you get prescriptions by mail? Do the doctors use electronic health records or prescribe electronically?

Are you getting physical therapy after a hip replacement?

Speech-language pathology services after a stroke? Anytime you get outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-

Sudhir Mathuria Contact: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com language pathology services, be sure you know the limits for how much Medicare will pay.

On the side note: Be sure to know Medicare limit when you need therapy services.

Medicare helps pay for medically-necessary outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speechlanguage pathology services.

There are limits, called “therapy caps,” on these services when you get them from most outpatient providers.

The therapy cap limits for 2014 are: � $1,920 for physical therapy (PT) and speechlanguage pathology (SLP) services combined � $1,920 for occupational therapy (OT) services You may qualify to get an exception so that Medicare will continue to pay its share for your services after you reach the therapy cap limits.

Quality is important! Review your plan.

Not all health care is created equal, and the doctors, hospitals and facilities you choose can impact your health. Open Enrollment is also a good time to ask yourself whether you’re truly satisfied with your medical care.

Remember that even if you’re happy with your current plan, these answers might change from year to year – so it’s important to take the time to compare.

To review and select suitable plan for you Call Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900 today,

Read more on Health Visit: www.voiceofasiaonline.com Latest Health News Updates

Choices.

Make substitutions like salad, with dressing on the side, instead of fries and don’t be afraid to ask if a menu item can be modified. Also, be mindful of portion sizes. Take half your meal home and enjoy it for tomorrow’s lunch.

N

ew Year’s Resolutions are easier to make than to keep, especially when it comes to dieting. While life can often seem at odds with your health and fitness goals, there are plenty of ways to avoid common pitfalls this New Year and stay on the weight loss track.

Calories from drinks add up fast. Stick with dry wines, as they often have fewer calories than sweeter varieties. Light beers, with approximately 100 calories for every 12 ounce serving, are also a good choice.

If you prefer cocktails, use calorie-free mixers, such as seltzer with 1.5 oz. of spirits.

• Snack and drink smart: When you’re one-the-go, easy protein-packed snacks will help you stay on track. Try beef jerky, low-fat string cheese, or 100 calorie packs of almonds.

Fiber-rich whole-grains, fruits and vegetables can also help keep hunger at bay.

Look for programs that help you stick to your goals by offering convenience and sup-

• Make it easy: Dieting should be easy. Most people often complain they fail at diets because they need to constantly count calories, or weigh and measure foods.

port. For example, Nutrisystem helps with the hard part -- the counting, weighing and measuring -- by offering preportioned and personalized meal plans designed to fuel individuals with the right amount of calories for how their metabolism burns, as well as satisfy individual taste. And with their Fast 5+ kit, you can jumpstart your weight loss, since it promises to help you lose five pounds plus an inch off your waist in your first week of dieting. You’ll see results quickly, giving you motivation to keep going.

There’s no better time than now to start your weight loss

Remember though, the number on the scale won’t always reflect your hard work. Focus instead on healthy, positive changes and how you feel.

• Aim for 30: Squeeze 30 minutes of activity into your day.

Walk during lunch, jump rope

during your favorite nightly TV show or turn on music and dance around the House.

Remember, everyone falls off the wagon from time to time, but the New Year is the perfect time to commit to your weight loss goals. SOURCE: StatePoint

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Look for weight loss programs, like Nutrisystem, that help you keep your goals by offering convenience and support. Photo Source: StatePoint.

• Facing the scale: Weight fluctuates throughout the day.

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BUSINESS

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

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Hyundai Motor to build Global markets lower as two more plants in China New Year break nears

S

N

EOUL, (AFP) - South Korea’s Hyundai Motor said Tuesday it would build two more plants in China, each with a production capacity of 300,000 vehicles, to expand its share of the world’s largest auto market.

EW YORK (AP) “ U.S. and global stocks fell Tuesday as investors closed their positions ahead of the New Year and amid concern over political uncertainty in Greece.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average fell 47 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,990 as of 12:05 p.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost six points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,085 and the Nasdaq composite was down 16 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,791.

Hyundai, which already has three car plants in the country, said it would complete construction of its fourth plant at Changzhou in 2016 and of another plant at Chongqing in 2017.

“The two new plants in China will be used to produce small and strategic cars,” the company said in a statement.

Hyundai with affiliate Kia Motors is the world’s fifthlargest car producer. Its three current Chinese plants can produce a combined 1.05 million vehicles per year.

Hyundai also has a commercial vehicle plant in China with an annual capacity of 160,000.

The company said Kia would expand its annual output capac-

Hyundai also has a commercial vehicle plant in China with an annual capacity of 160,000. ity at its third Chinese plant from 300,000 units to 450,000 by the first half of 2016.

Kia has three plants in Jiangsu province that can produce a total of 740,000 units a year.

Within three years, Hyundai and Kia will be able to expand their combined annual production capacity to 2.7 million units in China, the statement

said.

“The construction of new plants will help the HyundaiKia group emerge as a leading carmaker and raise its market share of around 10 percent in China,” it said.

Hyundai has been struggling with capacity constraints abroad, while its rivals are raising output.

GREEK UNCERTAINTY: Greek stocks stabilized after a volatile day Monday as the country’s government was forced to call elections that could bring more economic turmoil. Investors worry that the elections might be won by the left-wing opposition Syriza party, which rejects Greece’s bailout deal. At one point, the Athens stock market plunged 11 percent on Monday before recovering some of those losses to close down 4 percent.

ANALYST’S TAKE: “An

election puts all sorts of doubt on the future of the bailout agreement given anti-austerity party Syriza is currently leading the polls,” said Stan Shamu, a market strategist at IG Markets. “Potentially markets had already priced this in, but I would still remain cautious around Greece.”

EUROPE: France’s CAC 40 fell 1.7 percent, Germany’s DAX dropped 1.2 percent and Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 1.3 percent.

CLOSING OUT THE YEAR: At this point, most major fund managers have closed their portfolios for 2014. Stock trading is expected to be quiet until the week after the New Year, when most of Wall Street is back from the long holiday weekend. Roughly 2.4 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, compared with the 3.5 billion typically traded on an average day.

With one more trading day in 2014, the S&P 500 is up 12.7 percent, or 15.4 percent includ-

ing dividends, almost double what stock market strategists expected at the beginning of the year.

“There were some negative surprises along the way, including the Ebola scare and increasing social tensions around the globe. However, U.S. markets were able to weather these problems as (the U.S. economy) improved,” Gary Thayer, chief macro strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors, wrote in a note to investors.

BONDS AND CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 119.34 yen from 120.66 yen while the euro rose to $1.2173 from $1.2154. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 2.18 percent from 2.20 percent Monday.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude fell 14 cents to $53.50 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Monday, the contract plunged $1.12 to settle at $53.61.

Youkyung Lee contributed to this story from Seoul, South Korea.

Email, Internet remain top workplace tools: study

by Rob Lever

W

ASHINGTON, AFP - Americans see email and the Internet as the most important tools for productivity at work, and still prefer landlines over cellphones for the office, a study showed Tuesday.

The Pew Research Center found 61 percent of those surveyed cited email as “very important” for their jobs and 54 percent said the same for the Internet.

The figures were even higher for office-based workers.

More than one in three surveyed said the landline phone was an important tool for work, compared with 24 percent for a mobile or smartphone.

And despite the rise of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, just four percent in the survey said these platforms were important for the workplace.

“Email is to the digital age what stone-sharpening tools were in the prehistoric age,” said Lee Rainie, director of In-

ternet, science, and technology research at the Pew Center.

“Email has proven its worth on the job as the foundational ‘social media’ day by day even as rival technologies arise.

“It was the killer app 45 years ago for the early Arpanet and it continues to rule workplaces despite threats like spam and phishing and competitors like social networking and texting.”

Contrary to concerns that technology is a distraction, the survey found 46 percent said digital tools made them more productive, compared with seven percent who said their productivity fell.

Half of the respondents said technologies allowed them to expand the number of people with whom they communicate, and 39 percent said they had more flexibility at work due to digital tools.

But one in three said the new landscape increased the time they spent working.

The importance of email in the workplace has been documented for some time. In 2002,

US consumer confidence rebounds in December

W

ASHINGTON, (AFP) - US consumer confidence rebounded in December after falling the previous month, though Americans remained dubious in their outlook for 2015, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The consumer confidence index rose to 92.6 from 88.7 in November, still shy of the year’s peak at 94.5 in October, but well up from 77.5 a year ago.

Consumers views of the current situation in the economy were fairly strong, but the outlook for the next half year dimmed, with the expectations sub-index dropping to 88.5

from 89.3.

There was little change in assessments of the jobs market, with only 17 percent of survey respondents calling jobs “plentiful.” Nearly the same proportion expects a gain in wages.

Consumer spending plans for the next half-year were slightly lower, especially for big-ticket items like homes and cars.

“Consumers were moderately less optimistic about the short-term outlook in December, but even so, they are more confident at year-end than they were at the beginning of the year,” said Lynn Franco, Conference Board director of indicators

US adds nine to Iran sanctions blacklist WASHINGTON, AFP - The United States named nine individuals and entities to its Iran sanctions blacklist Tuesday, most of them for helping Tehran obtain US banknotes worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The US Treasury named five men from Iran and other countries, and Dubai-based company Belfast General Trading, for sanctions violations for their efforts to support the Iran government’s acquisition of US currency.

It said Belfast General has converted more than $250 million of Iranian government-held currencies into dollar notes which were then delivered to Tehran.

Also named were an official of already blacklisted, Iran-controlled Asia Bank, involved in a separate operation to ship US banknotes to Tehran from Moscow, and Douran Software Technologies, which the Treasury said helps the Iranian government online monitoring and censorship operations.

Abyssec, an Iranian company which helps the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard in hacking and other online offensive operations, was also blacklisted.

The sanctions forbid Americans from doing business with those on the list and freezes any assets they hold on US territory.

Pew Research Internet surveys showed that 61 percent of American workers were using email at work and in 2008, reported that 62 percent of working US adults were “networked,” meaning they used the Internet or email in the workplace.

- Office and away For office-based workers, these tools are markedly more important, Pew found: 78 percent of office workers cited email as an important tool

compared with 25 percent who don’t work in an office.

“very important” to allowing them to do their job.

And the Internet was seen as vital for 68 percent of those in an office, and 26 percent of non-office employees.

The survey also found that nearly half -- 46 percent -- of employees said their workplace blocks access to certain websites or imposes rules about what they can say or post online.

For those who work away from their main workplace, the Internet and cell phones are key tools, Pew found.

Among the nearly 60 percent of employed Internet users who go outside of the workplace at least occasionally, half say the Internet and cell phones are

One in four said their company encourages employees to use the Internet and email to promote the organization, but more than half said this was not the case.

“These respondents highlight how workplaces in the Knowledge Economy are differently organized and have different connections to customers and competitors from workplaces designed to suit the Industrial Age,” said Rainie.

The report is based on an online survey conducted September 12-18 of 1,066 adult Internet users, which included 535 employed full-time or parttime. The margin of error was estimated at 4.9 percent

After mastering vodka, Poland takes on black caviar

by Bernard Osser

F

oodies, take note: After flooding the global market with its vodka, apples and berries, Poland has gone gourmet and is trying its hand at making black caviar.

Dressed from head to toe in sterile clothing, a worker leans over a sieve containing roe from Russian and Siberian sturgeon.

She uses tweezers to remove any leftover bits from the ovary sack -- anything to ensure the quality of the caviar.

Nor is hygiene to be trifled with at the fish farm in the northern Polish village of Rus. “We produce unpasteurised, fresh caviar, so we have to make sure it doesn’t come in contact with even the smallest speck of bacteria,” says farm head Marek Szczukowski.

“The taste of caviar largely depends on the quality of the air, the water, its temperature, the feed, but also the method used to obtain the eggs.”

Everything here is up to hospital standards. Employees handle the precious eggs, whose colours vary from a golden brown to olive to black, in a room fit for surgery. All the equipment, the walls, the floor and even the ceiling are stainless steel.

As for the staff: no shower, no entry. The same goes for anyone without a hygiene mask, nurse cap and scrubs. The air is swapped out 20 times an hour, and the room is sterilised for six hours every night.

- Crystal clear water Outside, thousands of sturgeon swim around in fish canals fed by the crystal clear water of the Lyna River.

The fish are slim and muscular, with a pointed mouth for the Siberian sturgeon and a rounder one for the more coveted -- and expensive -- Russian variety.

Each female weighs between

Black caviar is handled strictly under sterilised conditions. AFP photo.

10 and 20 kilos (22 and 44 pounds) and carries roe totalling around 12 percent of its weight.

Before winding up in Rus, the sturgeon spend the first seven or eight years of their lives on a parent farm in Goslawice, central Poland. It extends across 2,000 hectares (nearly 5,000 acres) of lakes and 500 hectares of ponds heated by a nearby power plant.

“We are the biggest fish farm in Poland and one of Europe’s three main sturgeon producers,” says marketing and sales manager Agata LakomiakWinnicka.

“We began farming sturgeon in 1992 and have been supplying Europe’s top caviar producers with it since 2008,” she tells AFP. “They’ve been a huge hit, so it was just a matter of time before we launched our own brand, Antonius.”

Today, the two farms have more than 1,000 tonnes of sturgeon swimming throughout their waterways.

- No ready-made recipe Traditionally, caviar was made from eggs from wild sturgeon in the Caspian and Black seas with the best known producers in Russia and Iran.

Years of overfishing and pollution have left the sturgeon at risk of extinction. The fish is protected under the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Yet demand continues and caviar prices have skyrocketed, now retailing from around 1,700 euros ($2,100) per kilo (2.2 pounds) and prompting many a country to try to cash in on the luxury food.

In 2012, caviar producers made 260 tonnes of the fishy delicacy in countries including France and Italy but also Israel, Uruguay and even Vietnam, according to the World Sturgeon Conservation Society.

The trickiest part of the production process is seasoning the eggs. Many years of experience go into determining just the right amount of salt.

“Making caviar is an art.

There’s no ready-made recipe,” Szczukowski says.

The whole operation takes no more than 15 minutes: from carving out the roe-filled ovaries to vacuum packaging the caviar in elegant black and white boxes with the Antonius label.

“We want Poland to have its own caviar brand recognised around the world,” says Lakomiak-Winnicka.

The potential is there, says French chef Michel Moran, who has lived in Poland for 15 years.

“Poland makes really good vodka for example. We’re able to raise great quality livestock, we have great fish,” says the chef at Warsaw’s “Bistro de Paris”.

“I don’t mean the Baltic Sea unfortunately, but if we get our fish from fresh water, we’re able to raise some really good stuff,” he tells AFP. “And now, a caviar like this, I’m convinced there’s a place for it on the market.”

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

Your Horoscope for the Week of January 2, 2015

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

READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Believe in yourself and your work. Do so and others will follow you. You’ll meet some new interesting people, present your ideas to them. You’ll be surprised at the positive response you receive. Joint financial ventures may turn sour, salvage what you can. Don’t spend too much on entertainment or gambling. You’ll have to curb some of your habits. You’ll need the extra cash if you overextended yourself. More money can be yours if you are willing to go after a higher-paying job that requires more responsibilities.

Use your own initiative, Waiting for others will be a waste of time. Extravagance and time will work against you. Positive action to alleviate concerns about aging can be dealt with through a fitness program. You’ll feel better about yourself if you make changes. Don’t make unrealistic promises. Join groups. You will meet people who will listen to your ideas and contribute as well. You’ll have no difficulty borrowing money or possessions.

Scorpio (N,Y)23 Oct to 21 Nov

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May Deal with overindulgent individuals, Your colleagues may cause frustration if they appear to be working against you. Don’t allow them get away with a “poor me” attitude with you. Leadership can be yours if you put additional work into organizations you belong to. You may have to spread yourself a little thin, but it will be worth it in the long run. Stress will cause fatigue. You can achieve much if you are willing to direct your attention toward your hobbies or self-improvement projects. Don’t let those you live with back you into a corner.

You need to move after your goals. Don’t let anyone stand in the way of your success.

Do your own research and don’t leave anything to chance. Follow through with your plans and don’t overlook any details. Check your options and re-evaluate your motives.

You’re too generous with others. Revamp your finances, you’ll have to be creative in order to keep your current lifestyle. You’ll be the center of attention. You can gain popularity if you attend functions that are related to your chosen field.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Take time to organize your financial situation and look over your personal papers. Real estate deals will turn out to be lucrative. Develop one of your unique ideas, talk to those who might be able to contribute to your efforts. You need to present your work if you want to prosper. Confusion about money or a joint venture will leave you feeling upset.

Attend a lecture, greater self-awareness will be the result of the knowledge you receive. Don’t stretch the truth, you may get blamed for something you didn’t do.

Take actions, now. Don’t hesitate to be a little aggressive. It may put a spark back into your personal life. Changes at work may set you off, causing upset on the home front if you aren’t careful. You mustn’t dwell on situations that don’t involve your loved ones.

Don’t leave things to the last minute and then worry about the outcome. You’ll be upset if someone has borrowed something that belongs to you without asking first. Try not to lose your cool, but make your point known. You may find the tables turned at a later date.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Your need to be an observer, not a disturber. Accept the inevitable and prepare yourself to make the necessary adjustments. Expect delays if you are not organized and ready to roll. Keep your thoughts to yourself. Don’t believe everything you hear. Stick to what you know and focus on getting ahead. Partners won’t be too eager to help you.

Don’t take on more than you can handle. You’d be best to spend some quiet time catching up on the little things you never find time to do. Don’t feel obligated to take care of everyone else.

Keep an open mind and go with the flow. You can turn your ideas into cash if you are willing to work hard. People will be interested in supporting your efforts. Don’t misinterpret their interest in you. Don’t let your independent nature hold you back from asking for some needed help. Your intuition will lead you in the right direction, don’t be afraid to start something new. Lady Luck is in your corner. You can raise the value of your home if you do some renovations. Get the whole family to pitch in and help, but don’t take on jobs that require an expert.

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August

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

The tension will mount and the information you receive will be informative. Limitations are likely if you’ve been difficult to get along with, lately. By week’s end, pleasurable activities should be on your dance card. Your relatives will be more helpful than you ever thought possible. Sit back and listen. The information you receive will be informative and eye-opening regarding your current situation. Talk to individuals who are already in that position. You can gain an inside look at the pitfalls of being your own boss.

It is important to Use your ability to clear up small but important details. You will feel much more comfortable in social settings if you know your work is up to date. Get your body moving. Join a club or buy a good work-out tape. It’s time to take control of your life and your appearance. Use your discipline to achieve the image you want. You’ll want to spend too much on entertainment. Safe investments will be your salvation. Spend quality time with someone you love. It’s time to let your true feelings be known.

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

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Your ability to sit back, observe and proceed to follow your own best interests. Try not to become too involved in other people’s private doings. Don’t confide in your peers. Your reluctance to do what they want will lead to discord and a possible loss of friendship. Don’t be too quick to follow the crowd. You can make sound financial investments if you act fast. You can make financial gains if you are realistic about your assets. Real estate investments can be bought or sold. Transfer money to the investment offering the best returns.

Take part in an event that you feel is for a good cause. Your ability to help others won’t go unnoticed.

QR

Your emotional attitude and the confusion, may cause to others around you. Go after your goals. You can make money if you produce services or goods that make domestic chores easier. Get together with friends and you will find out something about someone from your past. You’ll be angry about financial matters that concern joint accounts or outrageous contributions. If your mate can’t control their spending habits, limit credit card privileges. Be honest with yourself and your family. Don’t take on too much or make promises to family members that you know you can’t keep.

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FRIDAY, January 2, 2015

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY FROM HBR.ORG Prepping for Vacation Means Setting Email Expectations

T

he work of disconnecting begins before you leave for time off. You need to set expectations – and set up technology – to minimize work and get the most from your vacation.

Set up a vacation email address. Create an account to use during vacations, and share the address only with the people you really want to stay in touch with (e.g., your spouse, house-sitter, or traveling companions). Move any travel info to this email.

Set up a smart out-of-office reply. To avoid the dreaded backlog that awaits your return, let people know that they should email you again after X date for a reply. Or have them contact your assistant or a colleague.

Set up a check-in schedule.

Maybe you’ll check email every morning, or twice a week after the kids have gone to bed.

Let your colleagues and travel companions know ahead of time when you’ll be in work mode.

Adapted from “The Right Way to Unplug When You’re on Vacation” Alexandra Samuel.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Trends are Driving Innovations in Tools

Know Your Words

Make your own!

Shoot & Send your videos and we will post them on our website www.voiceofasiaonline.com SOURCE: TradeTrendsPrintInfo.tif

I

f you’ve hired a contractor to work on your home, you may not recognize the impact you had on trends and innovation in the home improvement industry.

For example, as more homeowners look for ways to become eco-friendly, a growing number of contractors are using newer material, such as “Green Insulation Technology,” a sus-

tainable insulation alternative.

Likewise, design trends create a need for new tools. Indeed, one out of three tilers expects “stone-effect” to be the most popular tiling style within the next 12 months, according to a recent survey of 400 contractors conducted by Lab42.

And to do a good job with such tiling, nearly three out of five contractors said they wish they

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could cut holes in porcelain tile more efficiently, citing it as one of the most time-consuming tasks on the job. Enter tool bits such as the RotoZip XCores, a high-speed diamond hole saw that can cut tile, stone and granite, and operates at speeds ten times faster, lasts four times longer and can withstand more heat than comparable tools. A companion tool, the RotoZip RotoSaw, along with RotoZip ZipBits or XBITS, make quick, controlled cuts in a variety of materials, including drywall, up to one-inch thick.

As homeowners demands are met, more innovations in materials and tools are blossoming.

Source: (StatePoint).

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