Voice of Asia November 7 2014

VOICE OF ASIA 1 FRIDAY, November 7, 2014

Vol. 27 No. 45 Friday, November 7, 2014 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: [email protected]

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Rhythm ‘14 - The Heroine

by Michael Mathes

WASHINGTON, November 5, 2014 (AFP) - Intense frustration with President

Barack Obama, an abandonment of Democrats by independent voters and failure to convince Americans that the economy was improving propelled Republicans to a game-changing mid-term election victory.

When the smoke cleared early Wednesday, Republicans had seized seven Senate seats, tightened their grip on the House of Representatives and earned stunning wins in governors’ races in blue states like Obama’s Il-linois, leaving whiplashed Democrats to contemplate what went wrong.

Exit polls confirmed what several Republican winners hammered home Tuesday night: voters are convinced the nation is headed in the wrong di-rection and are skeptical of the abili-ties of the president and his Democrats to turn things around.

Seventy percent of voters rated cur-rent economic conditions as not good or poor, with just one percent calling them excellent, according to exit polls conducted by Fox News.

Obama repeatedly asserted that America’s economic indicators were cause for hope, especially given the depth of the recession that reached its nadir in early 2009 when he first took office.

Growth hit 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2014, and unemployment stands at 5.9 percent.

Yet just 31 percent said the econo-my was headed in the right direction, compared to 46 percent in 2012.

If fear sends voters to the polls, as many experts and studies suggest, Republicans were more driven in this election.

Of the one-third of respondents who said they believe the US economy is “getting worse,” 77 percent were Re-publicans versus just 20 percent Dem-

Obama’s Democrats got thumped. How did Republicans do it?

23-yr-old Indian-American is one of the youngest US lawmakers

WASHINGTON, (Nov 5, 2014).

Niraj Antani, a 23-year-old Indian-American student was today elected to the

Ohio House of Representatives, be-coming one of the youngest state lawmakers in the US.

“I am deeply honored to have been elected your State Representative for Ohio’s 42nd House District. Thank you all so much for the support.

“I will work hard & fight every day for my constituents in the Ohio House of Representatives. Together, I know that we can create opportuni-ties so all can achieve their Ameri-can Dream,” Antani wrote on his Facebook profile moments after winning the election.

A law student at the University of Dayton, he is the youngest Ohio State legislature so far. He defeated 62-year-old Patrick Morris of the Democratic Party.Antani graduated from Ohio State University in spring last year with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

He is the second Indian American - after Jay Goyal who served 3 terms from 2006 from the 73rd District - in the Ohio House.

Antani’s parents came to the United States in 1987 and settled in Washington Township. Later, they moved to Miami. His father Jaimini died in 2010.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Saira Blair became America’s youngest elected lawmaker as a delegate in the West Virginia House as she de-feated a 44-year-old attorney for the spot in the House of Delegates.

A freshman at West Virginia Uni-versity, Blair won her election with 63 per cent of the votes and will rep-resent a small district in West Vir-ginia’s eastern panhandle.

There are more than 7,300 state legislators in the US, and fewer than five per cent are under the age of 30, according to Morgan Cullen, a policy analyst at the National Con-ference of State Legislatures.

The average age in Congress is 57, and the average age in the United States Senate is 62. ((PTI).

Niraj Antani, 23.

Ami Bera, 3 other Indian American candidates vying for the US Congress lose elections

by Sujeet Rajan

WASHINGTON, DC: November 05, 2014) All four Indian Ameri-

can candidates vying for the US House of Representatives lost their bids, with incumbent Ami Bera, the Democrat from California, failing to retain his seat after just one term in Congress.

Bera had come under tremendous pressure in the days leading up to election day, as the GOP targeted District 7 in California for an upset and his opponent Doug Ose got a generous dose of funds to fuel his war chest.

Bera’s thrust for retaining his seat came in the form of the former Pres-ident Bill Clinton campaigning for him, as the Democrats tried to sal-vage the situation. But it was to no avail, as the Republican Ose romped home getting 56, 284 votes (51.37% of the vote), compared to Bera’s 53, 273 votes (48.63% of the vote).

The other desi hope in California, Democrat newcomer Ro Khanna, had slowly crept up in popularity to make it a credible challenge against veteran incumbent congressman Mike Honda, in District 17, and both the Democrat camps knew going into the polls on Tuesday that it was anybody’s election as pollsters pre-dicted a dead heat.

The district is home to Silicon Val-ley, and the only Asian American-majority district in the continental United States. It encompasses all or part of the cities of Cupertino, Fre-mont, Milpitas, Newark, Santa Clara, San Jose, and Sunnyvale.

However, when all the votes were in, Honda, who got the First Lady Michelle Obama’s endorsement in the final leg of the campaign, went through comfortably to serve yet an-other term on Capitol Hill, getting 41, 480 votes (52.23% of the vote), ver-sus Khanna’s 37, 931 votes (47.77% of the vote). Honda has served Con-gress continuously since 2001.

In Pennsylvania, it was second time unlucky for physician and Iraq war veteran Manan Trivedi, as he lost the race to his Republican oppo-nent Ryan Costello, a former lawyer, in District 6.

Costello got through comfortably garnering 118, 450 votes (56.23% of the vote), compared to Trivedi’s 92, 193 votes (43.77% of the votes).

In Maryland, the only Indian Amer-ican Libertarian candidate making a pitch for Congress, Arvin Vohra, got a cruel taste of reality when he got just 1.45% of the votes polled, managing to get a meager 2,627 votes in a race where the incumbent Congresswoman Donna Edwards of the Democrat party crushed her op-ponents in the District 4 race.

Edwards got an overwhelming 126,633 votes (69.97% of the vote), versus her main opponent, Republi-can Nancy Hoyt, who managed only 51, 721 votes (28.58% of the vote). SOURCE:The American Baazar.

ocrats.

The economy was the top concern for voters, followed by health care and immigration -- all issues they said Obama had failed to handle properly.

Obama’s foreign policy, including his perceived waffling over how to counter the Islamic extremist threat in the Middle East, also helped fuel voter anger.

- Mea culpa from Obama? -

Obama was to offer his election post-mortem at a White House press conference at 2:50 pm (1950 GMT).

Will he acknowledge another “shel-lacking,” like the one he admitted to after Republicans snatched the House from Democrats in 2010?

And will he recognize his own role in the midterm walloping, as president Bill Clinton did in 1994?

An incumbent president traditionally faces the “six-year itch,” when Ameri-can voters tend to sweep his party out of congressional power in the middle of his second term, and Tuesday was no exception.

The midterm message was: “Get

US President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference in the East Room of the White House November 5, 2014 in Washington (AFP Photo/Bren-dan Smialowski

Ami Bera (Democrat). Ro Khanna (Democrat).

Arvin Vohra, (Libertarian) Manan Trivedi ( Democrat)

Former Miss America, Nina Davuluri (L) with dance director, Shin-gari Kuriakose Photo by Murali Santhana. Read report on Page 3. Continued on Page 9

VOICE OF ASIA 2 FRIDAY, November 7, 2014OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

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by Trudy HARRISSuspected of being a spy or a

China sympathiser, nine-year-old Indian-born Monica Liu and her family were loaded into railway cars for a detention camp in India’s Rajasthan desert.

Liu was one of about 3,000 people of Chinese descent, most of them Indian citizens, rounded up and held at the fenced camp with-out trial after India’s month-long

US election shows increased support for legalizing pot

by Michael THURSTON

Washington, DC and Oregon voted to legalize marijuana

Tuesday, as across the United States referendums were held on issues ranging from gay marriage to abortion, on the sidelines of midterm elections.

Alaska also appeared set to decriminalize pot, according to partial results posted as the long election night drew to a close in the far northwest of the country.

Oregon and the US capital provided a new high for the marijuana lobby, two years af-ter two other western US states, Colorado and Washington, led the way in approving cannabis for recreational use.

In other referendum results, voters approved increases in the minimum wage in states in-cluding Arkansas, Illinois, Ne-braska and South Dakota, ac-cording to partial results posted online.

On marijuana, Washington, D.C. approved the measure by 65 percent in favor and 28 percent against, while Oregon passed by 54 percent to 46 per-cent.

“More and more people are realizing that it makes sense to choose licensed, regulated, and taxed marijuana business-es over the drug cartels,” said Mike Elliott, head of the Colo-rado-based Marijuana Industry Group.

On the streets of the US capi-tal, pro-marijuana campaigners were in jubilant form. “This is a great day for ending the war on drugs in the District of Co-lumbia,” said Malik Burnett, a leading campaigner.

“The District of Columbia was the birth place of the war on drugs, and marijuana prohi-bition was the engine of the war on drugs. Today we are putting the engine out of commission,” he added.

Alaskans also don’t think

marijuana should remain crimi-nalized: with 44 percent of precincts counted, the Yes vote had 52.6 percent compared to 47.4 percent opposed to legal-izing pot.

Florida meanwhile appeared to have failed to approve a measure allowing marijuana for medical purposes. Some 57 percent voted in favor, less than the 60 percent required for the proposal to pass, partial results showed.

Marijuana was just one sub-ject being voted on, along with everything from abortion to gay marriage and GMOs to bear-baiting, in state and local refer-endums held in the sidelines of the US midterm elections.

Same-sex marriage, which is also in the process of being le-galized by many US states, was put to a referendum in Arizona, which amended its constitution

to outlaw it five years ago.Another hot button issue,

abortion, was on the ballot in Colorado, North Dakota and Tennessee.

In Colorado a proposal to de-fine a fetus as a person was re-jected by 64 percent to 36 per-cent of voters. In North Dakota pro-abortion voters also won by 64 percent to 36 percent.

Firearms measures were vot-ed on in Alabama, Missouri and Washington state, where there were two opposing ballots: one making it tougher to buy a gun by imposing background checks, and the other seeking to ban exactly that measure.

Eight towns and cities voted on anti-fracking proposals. The extraction of oil and gas from shale via hydraulic fracturing has boosted US oil production, but critics fear its impact on the

A man holds up a sign for Ballot Initiative #71, the legalization of marijuana, on November 4, 2014 in Washington, DC (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

environment.Several towns and cities

voted on measures against ge-netically modified organisms (GMOs). Referendums in Or-egon and Colorado sought to make it mandatory to label food containing GMOs.

On a lighter note, in Califor-nia a measure proposed in San Francisco and Berkeley would impose a tax of one cent per centiliter on sugary beverages, in a bid to combat obesity and other health problems.

Voters in Alaska were con-sulted on a proposal to ban mining activity if it endangers wild salmon.

Also aiming to protect ani-mals, the East Coast state of Maine was asked to ban the use of food to bait bears, in particu-lar using cold pizza and donuts as lures.

India’s fading Chinese community faces painful war pastborder war with China in 1962.

During her five years in Deoli camp, built in the 1800s by the British, Liu remembers the heat, lack of schooling and the sound of her mother crying “from morning till night”.

But her strongest memories are of her family’s desperation once they were finally freed without charge by India’s government.

“We didn’t have a single penny,” Liu said in the eastern city of Kolkata, recalling sleeping in a bus shelter with her siblings and parents.

India’s Chinese community, whose ancestors flocked to Kolkata and the northeast to do business, bore the brunt of India’s humiliat-ing war with neighbouring China -- fought 52 years ago this month.

Over the decades, the two Asian giants have taken steps to heal their festering distrust, a legacy of the war over their 3,225 kilometre-long (2,000 mile) border.

But tensions remain, with Chi-nese President Xi Jinping’s visit to New Delhi in September to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi overshadowed by a troop stand-off along their border.

The dwindling Chinese commu-nity, strongest in Kolkata, has long stayed quiet about the injustice that some of them have suffered, fearful of drawing attention.

Only a handful are prepared to speak out -- and want the govern-ment to admit its treatment of them during that time was a mistake.

“The wounds haven’t healed. The suffering has to be acknowl-edged first for the wounds to be healed. This has never happened,” said Paul Chung, president of the Kolkata-based Indian Chinese As-sociation.

“We didn’t carry guns, we didn’t do anything. We were sleeping in our houses, then all of a sudden the

police would come at 12 o’clock at night.”

Liu, who now runs a string of Chinese restaurants in Kol-kata, said she doesn’t have time to dwell on the past -- but her anger remains.

“We were working hard. We were not politicians, we were not spies,” Liu said of her family which was rounded up in the northeast city of Shillong.

“We don’t have any connection with the government of China so why should we suffer?” she asked seated at a table in her restaurant named “Beijing”.

Past Indian governments have justified the camp on national security grounds, and journalist S.N.M Abdi said officials consider the case closed.

“I don’t foresee a formal apology or even an official explanation for what happened,” said Abdi who is writing a book on the Deoli detain-ees. “It’s a closed chapter for both governments.”

Most of the 3,000 detainees ac-cepted deportation to China, and were the first to be released. But several hundred who wanted to stay in India, or feared China’s communist rulers, languished in the camp for years.

They eventually returned to their homes in India to discover property and belongings confiscated, auc-tioned or looted.

During the years of discrimina-tion that followed, many others left, along with younger genera-tions searching for better study and job prospects in Canada, the United States and Australia.

The community was once tens of thousands strong, after Chinese arrived in India from the 1700s as traders or carpenters and to set up sugar refineries and tanneries.

According to Chung, it now numbers about 4,000, most of them

in Kolkata, which was hit hard in 2002 when a court ordered the city’s tanneries, largely Chinese run, to move out for pollution reasons.

A daily Chinese-language news-paper is still printed there and temples have been restored. Plans have been mooted to revamp Kol-kata’s Chinatown and preserve its heritage, but nothing has been finalised.

Above a Chinese spicy sauce factory, 76-year-old Jenny Lu recalls her fear when officials came knocking. She grabbed her baby daughter, two-year-old son, nappies and a pillow before being loaded onto the train in Shillong for Deoli in 1962.

“’We are protecting you, that’s why we are taking you’,” she said authorities told her.

Although she resented being held, Lu said her four years in the camp were not all bad.

She chuckles as she recalls a security official’s pet puppies dis-appearing one by one, snatched by hungry detainees.

“Chinese people love to eat dogs,” said Lu, two of whose chil-dren were born in the camp.

But her face sobers as she de-scribes how she, her husband and family eventually returned to Shillong to discover their home and business gone.

“We had to start from scratch again.”

Her husband borrowed heavily from loan sharks to buy a sewing machine to start making shoes, while Lu, a hairdresser, took back a few old clients.

Liu also recalls her mother work-ing tirelessly after their release, making and selling momos (dump-lings) on the streets of Shillong before they moved to Kolkata.

“It was a very difficult, very unbelievable life.”


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Second Front Page

Friday, November 7, 2014 • www.voiceofasiaonline.com • Page 3 • Email: [email protected] • Tel: 713-774-5140

Rhythm ‘14- The HeroineOn November 1st 2014, Shin-

gari’s School of Rhythm held its sixth annual show,

Rhythm ‘14- The Heroine. Over 200 performers hit the stage last Satur-day at the Stafford Civic Center for a night of nonstop Bollywood dance. This year the show was a tribute to the South Asian women of our time. It highlighted the struggles, the ob-stacles, and the achievements of these honorable women and the ultimate empowerment that embodied the spir-its of all South Asian females in result of their efforts. The show recognized women from Bollywood’s biggest female successes, such as Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai to prominent women in the U.S., such as Nikki Ha-ley and Indra Nooyi. Advocates such as Mother Theresa, Malala Yousafzai, and Nina Davuluri were honored. This only to name a few women. Top-ics such as battered women, mother-hood, and the powerful Gulaabi Gang in India were also exhibited.

The chief guest for the evening was Miss America 2014, Nina Da-vuluri. She was ecstatic to attend the showcase in Houston and was blown away by the performers. “I was hum-bled to be the inspiration behind the

theme of the show,” writes Miss Da-vuluri, “Thank you to Shingari and her team for honoring me during their showcase; it was an emotional night for me! So proud of all the amazing dancers!” The Shingari’s School of Rhythm team and audience members were esteemed to have Nina Davu-luri’s presence at the show.

The mastermind behind the show and its success was none other than founder and director, Shingari Kuri-akose. With the help of her team, she was able to create unforgettable showcase to a house full audience. Shingari’s continued dedication to her school has led to its success thus far. The school first established in 2008 in Houston, now operates across the country in locations such as Dallas, Los Angeles, SF Bay Area, and Chi-cago. During these six years, Shin-gari has trained talented students to dance across various stages around the country.

Rhythm ‘14- The Heroine left a mark on many Houstonians. Until next year, the community can only wait to see what’s in store for Rhythm ‘15. Don’t miss out!

India Culture Center Hosts Donor Appreciation Dinnerby Shobana Muratee

Sit back, Relax and Enjoy! That was the mood and message shared by the India Culture

Center (ICC) Trustees who hosted the ‘Donor’s Appreciation Dinner’ on behalf of the organization on Satur-day, Nov. 1st at the India House. The ICC, a non-profit organization that is among the oldest Indian American or-ganizations in Houston completing its 41st year, is recognized as a grand old organization that aims to preserve and promote India’s cultural and national heritage.

Incorporated in the year 1973, the organizations has had distinguished leaders over the years who have made their indelible mark in the commu-nity. Recognizing such leadership on the occasion, Chief Trustee, Swapan Dhairyawan said that ICC has grown strong on the shoulders of all these giants and that of a ‘versatile Board’. He thanked some of the past Trust-ees and Presidents that were present on the occasion: Satish Jhingran, one of the ‘pioneers’, Dr. Mathur, Ashok Dhingra, Koshy Thomas, Shobana Muratee, Ramesh Cherivirala, and a few others for their contribution to ICC. He recognized the ICC Board of Directors and the contributions of the ‘unsung heroes’, the volunteers who have put in unlimited hours for the or-ganization over the years. Dhairyawan gave an update on ICC and reiterated its purpose and mission. He explained the ICC structure as having 16 Board of Directors (2 year term) who were the key players and seven Trustees who serve as the custodians of the or-ganization.

Charlie Patel, ICC President in his

remarks said, “ICC is fortunate to

have support from you all.” The year 2014 has been a busy year for ICC Patel said, as he listed the events that were organized and supported by the ICC that included: India’s Republic Day and Independence Day that are its signature events, Holi, Kavisammel-lan, Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, to name a few that were celebrated in collabo-

ration with ICC’s partnering organiza-tions. Typically, the ICC either part-ners with or supports events of other Indian American organizations like: the International Hindi Association, Telugu Cultural Association, Gujarati Samaj of Houston, BAPS, Foundation of India Studies, IACF, ISCA, TSH, HGH, ASGH, JVB Preksha Center,

Jain Society of Houston which are some of the leading organizations in Houston.

Col. Raj Bhalla, ICC Director and Past President had conceptualized the ‘Donor’s Appreciation Dinner’ event in 2012 when it was first held under his leadership to be one filled with fun

and enjoyment. The event is dedicated to individuals and organizations that support ICC in its endeavors to serve the community. Col. Bhalla who ear-lier welcomed the guests expressed that everyone, regardless of their con-tributions was an integral part of the ICC. He elevated the mood with his humorous jokes and set the mood for a delightful evening.

Musical Melodies was the enter-tainment segment provided by singers Mahalakshmi Krishnan and Hardik Jani who sand a wide range of songs from the golden oldies to the latest fil-mi hits. They were supported by Dar-shak Thakkar (drums) who provided the sound system.

A live auction by auctioneer Dr. Subodh Bhuchar, a longtime supporter of ICC raised an impressive $10,000 on items like the Jewelry by Karat 22, Tanjore paintings by Anju Mittal, Mahatma Gandhi portrait done with pins, tickets to India by Travel Guzs, and other such items donated by Parul Fernandes, Rajiv Bhavsar, Swapan Dhairyawan and Barkat Khowaja.

A North Indian style dinner catered by Dawat was an enjoyable one. Each guest was given a photo taken by Pho-tographer Raghu Thakkar as a keep-sake from ICC. They were also a crys-tal bowl as a token of appreciation. ICC Trustees who put together the ‘elegant event’ under the leadership of Swapan Dhairyawan were Meera Kapur, Sangeeta Pasrija, Parul Fer-nandes, Lachhman Das, Vijay Pallod, and Hasu Patel.

The ICC will be holding its Annual General Body Meeting on Sunday, Dec. 7th, 2014 at 2pm at the India House located on 8888 West Bellfort, Houston. For more information visit www.icchouston.org

ICC Trustees & Directors: L-R: (Standing) Vijay Pallod, Hasu Patel, Ajit Patel, Charlie Patel, Col. Raj Bhalla, Girish, Lachhman Das, Swapan Dhairyawan, Rajiv Bhavsar, Hemant Patel, Harshad Patel.

L-R: (Seated) Manisha Gandhi, Sangeeta Pasrija, Jasmeeta Singh, Parul Fernandes, and Nirmala Patel.

A Sensational Presentation of the Shingari’s School of Rhythm

The Shingari’s School of Rhythm team with thier Director and choreographer Shingari Kuriakose, founder of The Shin-gari School of Rhythm. Photo by Murali Santhana.


Q. My father recently died. He had a will leaving all of his property half to me and half to my sister. He also had a large life insurance policy that named my sister as the sole beneficiary. Does the money she receives from the insurance count against her half of his estate?

A. A will distributes all of the property that is in the estate of the deceased. Insurance proceeds that pass directly to a beneficiary upon death are not considered part of the estate. In other words, your sister receives all of the proceeds of the life insurance policy, and also gets one-half of your father’s property.

Q. Another car hit my car in a grocery store parking lot. The damage was minor and neither of us wanted to report the accident to our insurance company. The person who hit me admitted it was his fault, and agreed to pay my repair bill. Now he won’t pay. The damage to my car is only a couple of hundred dollars. What can I do?

A. This may be a good case for Justice Court. I suggest you send him a certified letter asking that he pay, as promised. Let him know that if you cannot settle the matter, you will consider a claim in Justice Court. You may sue in Justice Court without an attorney for as much as $10,000. If you win and he doesn’t pay, he could lose his driver’s license.

Q. Yesterday I received a notice from my apartment complex telling me that to renew my lease, I must carry renter’s insurance to cover damage to my apartment. How can this be possible? I have NEVER heard of anyone making tenants carry insurance to protect the building in which they live. I was always under the impression that renter’s insurance was just that—insurance to protect the tenant’s belongings. I feel that this is like carrying property insurance on something that does not belong to me. Can I be forced to buy this insurance?

A. An apartment may require a tenant to obtain any type insurance as part of the lease. A lease is simply a contract and either party may refuse to agree unless certain terms are included. If the landlord requires renter’s insurance to renew your lease and you did not want to sign it, you may simply walk away and go to another apartment.

I should add, however, that in my opinion all tenants should always have renter’s insurance. You never know when there may be a roof or plumbing leak that damages your property. And renter’s insurance covers more than just damage to your property. For example, you may be re-sponsible to the landlord for damage to the apartment that you or a guest caused, such as walls or carpets burned by a small fire. Renter’s insurance will protect you in the event you incur such liability.

Q. I am 17 and live with my boyfriend as his wife. I want to know what I need to do to legally establish a common law marriage.

A. There is nothing you can do to establish a common law marriage, and you are not his wife. A person under the age of eighteen cannot have a common law marriage. You may, however, apply for a marriage license if you have written parental consent on an official form in the pres-ence of the county clerk, or if you have received an order from the Texas district court authoriz-ing your marriage.

Q. Can I be arrested for not paying my credit card bill?

A. No! There is no debtor’s prison in Texas. If you don’t pay the money you owe you may be sued, but you cannot be put in jail. In fact, a debt collector’s threat to throw you in jail for not paying your bills probably violates both federal and state debt collection law. For more informa-tion about what may happen if you don’t pay your bills, take a look at the debt collection on my website below.

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The People’s Lawyer

Insurance proceeds not subject to a will

Richard M. AldermanInterim Dean of the Law Center

www.peopleslawyer.net

COMMUNITY

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER Answers to your Immigration Questions by Sharlene Sharmila Richards, Immigration Lawyer:email at [email protected]

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT EB-5 GREEN CARD (INVESTMENT) PROGRAM

Q: What is EB-5 Green Card Investment Program? A: Under this program introduced in 1990, an individual and his or her immediate family

members can acquire conditional residency and eventually lawful permanent residency if the indi-vidual invests $1,000,000 (or under certain circumstances $500,000) in a new commercial enter-prise that substantially creates at least 10 full-time jobs for US Citizens, permanent residents and those authorized to work (excluding non-immigrant visa holders). New commercial enterprises, with some exceptions, are companies formed after November 29th, 1990.

Q: I am interested in investing $500,000 as opposed to $1,000,000. How do I do this? A: Under the EB-5 program, a $500,000 investment can be made if the investment is done

in what is known as a targeted employment area (TEA). A targeted employment area is an area that has high unemployment of at least 150% of the national average. It can also include rural areas which are areas situated outside a metropolitan statistical area or outside the boundary of any city or town having a population of at least 20,000 persons or more based on the most recent national census. This designation of TEA is determined by the appropriate governmental body of the state.

Q: I am not sure what kind of business to put my investment funds in and I do not wish to actively participate in the management of the business I have invested in. In addition to that, I like to only invest $500,000. What is the best way forward?

A: You might want to look into what is known as a Regional Center investment. Regional Centers are USCIS designated business entities to promote economic growth, regional produc-tivity and job creation for a particular area. Presently, there are 588 USCIS approved Regional Centers to pick from. Regional Centers attract investor capital to fund profit producing large-scale development projects and are typically not limited to funding a single project or a single type of project but rather multiple and varied projects which can range from restaurants, condominiums, hotels and other types of projects. Regional Center investors need not actively participate in the direct management or policy making of the enterprise. If the Regional Center is situated within a TEA, your investment capital will be $500,000.

Q: What other benefits are there for investing in the Regional Center? A: There are several other advantages for investing in the Regional Center program apart

from the investor not needing to not show any active involvement in the direct management or policy making for the enterprise. For investors who have no experience or interest in directly being involved with the running of the enterprise, they are still permitted to invest and therefore are able to benefit from the EB-5 program by investing in the Regional Center. In addition, the investor is free to live and work anywhere else as they are not required to live or work near the location of the investment. In terms of the job creation requirements, a Regional Center investor is permitted to show that the investment directly or indirectly created or saved the required ten jobs.

Q: I receive a gift of funds from my famiy. Can I use a portion of the gifted funds to invest in the EB-5 program?

A: Yes, investment capital received through gift is permissible. However, you will still need to demonstrate that you are the legal owner of the capital and that the capital came from lawful means.

Q: Can you please explain the filing process for obtaining green cards through EB-5 pro-gram?

A: After investing in the enterprise (funds either placed in escrow or placed ‘at risk’ for the purpose of generating a return), you need to file Form I-526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur. The filing fee for this petition is $1500.00 It is currently taking about 13 months for USCIS to adjudicate the I-526 Petition. Once the I-526 Petition has been approved, you will receive conditional resident status upon obtaining your Immigrant Visa either through consular processing or adjustment of status. Within 90 days before the expiry of the second anniversary of your residence, you will then file Form I-829 Petition by Entrepreneur To Remove Conditions on your residence. The filing fee together with biometrics is $3835 for the Petition. An additional $85 biometric fee is payable for each conditional resident dependent listed on the petition. Processing time for Form I-829 is presently about 7 to 8 months.

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 [email protected] to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

WOODLANDS - Hin-du Temple of The Woodlands held a

Diwali Party for seniors at the temple on Wednesday, Octo-ber 29th. The seniors enjoyed hearing a musical program and playing Diwali Games. This was followed by Dandiya Raas with volunteers teaching the ba-sic steps to some who had never learned the popular folk dance.

The party ended with a deli-cious lunch with a great vari-ety of sweet and savory items prepared by the seniors and the volunteers. There were even “goody bags” to take home.

This event was an addition to the bi-weekly meetings held at the temple located at 7601 S. Forestgate in The Woodlands on the first and third Wednesdays from 10:30 am to 2 pm. The meetings are open to all who consider themselves seniors. The meetings include a chair-based yoga session, a laughing yoga session, a talk or presenta-tion on a topic of interest, a light lunch, and time for socializing.

Some of the recent programs have been “Fall Prevention”, In-dian music and how to find it on the internet, Music Therapy, and more. Members’ input is sought for upcoming programs.

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Hindu Temple of The Woodlands Holds Diwali Event for Seniors

All Indian-American seniors in the area and their friends are

invited to attend. For more in-formation, email [email protected].

VOICE OF ASIA 5 FRIDAY, November 7, 2014COMMUNITY

by Dr. Venugopal Menon

PEARLAND, TX - It was another auspicious inauguration, another

stride in the celestial course of the inspiring chronicle of Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearl-and. It was the Bhoomi Puja of its Main Temple expansion on Sunday, November 2, 2014.

On a serenely bright and balmy morning, about 300 dev-otees were blessed to partici-pate in the once-in-a-lifetime sacred observance of initiating the second stage of the temple’s revered evolution. Adhering to all the time-honored, devout conventions prescribed by the Agamic traditions, Sri Meenak-shi Temple celebrated the Ground-breaking ceremony on the weekend that saved an hour with the daylight savings.

Thirty-five years ago, Hous-ton Hindus were blessed with Sri Meenakshi Temple, the first Shakthi Temple outside of In-dia. It was a promising begin-ning and a propitious trend that followed with the establishment of several hundred temples in the continental United States.

To accommodate the ever growing needs of its devotees, a new Lakshmi Sanctum, Pra-karams around the three main deities (Sri Meenakshi, Sri Sundareswara and Sri Ven-kateswara) and overall exten-sion of space are included as the objectives of this project.

The auspicious initiation of any new construction is the traditional and customary ‘Bhoomi Puja’ (Ground-break-ing ceremony), in which devo-tees request and get permission from Mother Earth to build on her sacred grounds and to ask for forgiveness for the disrup-tion of living beings on the land.

The event started at 8.30 am with Ganapathy Homam, and Abhishekam for Prasanna Ganapathy. Following the Puja, devotees proceeded in a procession around the outer prakaram, entering through the Rajagopuram, doing Aarthi

at all the four main sanctums. This was followed by the Bhoomi Puja on the north side of the temple, at the site where the future Mahalakshmi Sanc-tum is to be constructed. All the priests participated in the Puja and placed the Navarth-nas, the nine jewels and the Navadhanyam, the nine grains symbolizing auspiciousness, abundance and prosperity in any endeavor.

Honorable Mayor of Pearl-and Tom Reid was present for the whole event. A unique fea-ture of the event was the par-ticipation of the Vedic Heritage School students of MTS, over 100 of them arriving through the West Gopuram guided by their Gurus, and offering flow-ers at the site. Afterwards, they joined the group and recited the stanzas of sacred ‘Manthra Pushpam’, from Yajur Veda, normally sung as a chorus after

pujas. This was followed by Devi Sthuthi in praise of God-dess Meenakshi, recited by the priests and repeated by all the devotees.

After the conclusion of the Puja, the Ground-breaking Cer-emony was conducted in which devotees participated by dig-ging up a piece of the earth us-ing the sanctified shovel. To be involved in the construction of a temple, breaking the ground and offering the Navadhanyam in Bhoomi Puja, is considered to be the ultimate Karma for a Hindu.

By noon , there were 550 people participating in the event. The Pujas concluded with Maha Aarthi to Goddess Meenakshi inside the main temple. A traditional, delicious feast was served at the Youth Center after the conclusion of the religious observance.

The Construction Committee is finalizing the meticulous de-tails of the plans and the project is expecting to be completed within a year.

Sri Meenakshi Temple Main Temple Renovation ProjectBhoomi Puja (Ground-breaking Ceremony)

Ground-breaking Ceremony was attended by devotees in large numbers who also participated b in the Bhoomi Puja.

Mayor of Pearland, Tom Reid doing the honors of Ground Breaking at the Sri Meenakshi Temple. Seen in picture are Temple’s Executive members.

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VYASA and Sewa In-ternational are start-ing the 4th SDM

(Stop Diabetes Movement) Camp at D.A.W.N. Center of City of Houston in downtown Houston from this week in part-nership with Health department of City of Houston. The camp will offer free classes cover-ing Integrated approach of Yoga Therapy to manage and control Diabetes for 20 hours. More than 15 participants are expected to take benefit of this camp starting this Thursday on 6th Nov.

MANVEL, TX – The fourth annual ‘Life and Soul’ free

health fair will be held on Nov 15 from 8 am to 1 pm at New Life Plaza (Sai Primary Care), 3945 CR 58, Manvel, TX. The health fair is completely free, open to all and no prior registra-tion is required. It is organized by Love to Share Foundation America and Global Organiza-tion for Divinity, both nonprofit community-based charity orga-nizations. Honorable Mayor Delores Martin of Manvel and Honorable Mayor Tom Reid of Pearland will kick-off the event at 8 am.

Based on a recent data and ac-tion plan released by the Texas State Department of Health Services, cardiovascular dis-ease (CVD) and stroke are the number one and number three causes of death in Texas. To-gether, heart disease and stroke account for nearly three of every ten deaths in the state. The aging of the population will remain an important factor as older adults reach ages where CVD and stroke are the most prevalent. The incidence of morbid obesity in Texas is rising; nearly one in three Texans is obese, and two-thirds of Texans are overweight. Health care, school, and work environments are not keeping pace with the need for healthier food choices and a community environment conducive to in-creasing physical activity and access to healthy food options.

Given the rapid growth in community and its relative lack of resources, projects like Life and Soul with its numerous free screenings, education, immu-nization and safety campaigns are indispensable in supporting mainstream medicine in the community.

The screenings for this year include Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose, Lung

Function Test, Pulse Oximetry, EKG, Bone Density, Vision and Glaucoma screening. 8-10 hours fasting is required for the blood tests. General practitioners and specialists will be available to provide free consultations.

Free vaccines (flu shots and pneumonia shots) will also be made available to eligible candi-dates while supplies last, thanks to the grant awarded by Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise-Immunize program. A Diabetes Workshop will be conducted by internist Dr. Lakshmi Seshadri. Interested persons should call 281.412.6606 to register. Free helmets will be given away free of cost to children and adults in an effort to prevent head injury.

Life and Soul 2014 is sup-ported by Frost Bank, Texas Medical Association, HEB Plus, Gale Compounding Pharmacy, Walgreens, Sanofi Aventis, Alvin Community College, Texas Eye Institute, Pearland Best Coupons, Pearland MRI, Proactive Physical Therapy and Bay Area Printing. Over 50 vol-unteers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, medical students, high school students and others work selflessly to make this event a possibility.

Love to Share Foundation America thanks its sponsors, volunteers and the community for their overwhelming support and welcomes the community to take advantage of the free screenings and vaccinations this year also.

Volunteers at Love to Share

Foundation America and Global Organization for Divinity also work at grass roots levels to lend a helping hand to the under privileged, to empower individ-uals with accessible healthcare, education, leadership skills, and clean environment thus enhancing the quality of life and paving the way for sustainable communities.

On Nov 13, 12-1 pm, Love to Share Foundation will present a session focusing on mind-health by speaker Mr. M. K. Ramanu-jam - “Benefits of Mindfulness for Busy Professionals” - which will be a program of Faculty and Academic Development at Uni-versity of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center and sponsored by Faculty Health & Well-Being. This session is open to all and will be held at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Pickens Tower, Floor 2, Training Room A. To register, call 281-402-6585.

Global Organization for Di-vinity (G.O.D.) is a nonprofit or-ganization that aims to promote peace, harmony and universal love amid cultural diversity. It is involved in several spiritual, cultural and social activities in the Houston area as well as in several cities in the USA and other countries.

Among G.O.D.’s upcom-ing programs in Houston are bhoomi pooja and Mahamantra Mass Prayer at Namadwaar Prayer House on Nov 8, and a grand 7-day Madhura Utsav and Srimad Bhagavata Saptaham from Dec 20-27. For more info about these events, call 281-402-6585 or email [email protected].

Earlier, successful camps were conducted in Katy, Alief and Woodlands area where more than 60 participants have been benefited so far. Sewa International, a non-profit or-ganization servicing Houston Community (www.sewausa.org) is offering this camp with expertise of VYASA.

Stop Diabetes Movement

originated at SVYASA, Yoga University in Bangalore, India. Through systematic research of 30 years, comprehensive yoga modules have been established

Sewa collaborates with City of Houston in Diabetes Control Efforts

Stop Diabetes Camp using Yoga Therapy at City Of Houston DAWN Center

Melanie Gilmore, (Health Planning Chief at City of Houston) with VYASA and Sewa Volunteers outside the DAWN center where SDM camp is starting this week.

that have shown measurable improvement in the various complications associated with Diabetes. The program has been proven to reduce choles-terol and reduce dependence on medicines as well as reduce anxiety and depression associ-ated with the disease. Sewa In-ternational and VYASA centers in Houston, Los Angeles and Boston have started similar pro-grams on a pilot basis. Based on the efficacy and success of this program in these cities, it will be expanded to other cities in USA.

K. V. Doraiswamy Bhattar281-489-0464 or 281-948-8368

[email protected] • [email protected]

More than 30 years of experience as Priest in major temples including Sri Meenakshi Temple Pearland, TX.

Can speak 5 languages (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English)

Rituals Performed: Sreemantham, Punyahavachanam, Namakaranam, Annaprashanam, Vidyarambham, Choulam, Upanayanam, Wedding, Sathya

narayana puja, and all kind of Homas (Havans) and more. I can drive to your place.

Completely Free Community Health Fair on Nov 15 with Screenings, Consultations and Vaccines

Get your community events www.voiceofasiaonline.com

VOICE OF ASIA 7 FRIDAY, November 7, 2014DIASPORANRI billionaire entrepreneur Manoj Bhargava to give Rs. 500 crore for Uttarakhand’s developmentNEW DELHI: NRI bil-

lionaire entrepreneur Manoj Bhargava, one

of the few Indians to sign the ‘The Giving Pledge’, is set to announce a plan to give Rs 500 crore over six years for a devel-opment programme in Uttara-khand.

Bhargava, who is one of the richest Indians in America, has already given more than Rs 300 crore to over 151 organisations across India, with 406 com-pleted or ongoing projects in the areas of healthcare, education, disability, livelihood, water and sanitation, in the past five years, through The Hans Foundation (THF).

The foundation will on Tues-day announce the Rs 500-crore ‘investment’ in Uttarakhand 2020, a comprehensive state-wide development programme focusing on disease prevention, child education and forest re-generation in Uttarakhand.

“We have created pockets of change in each of the 25 states where THF has worked. We are now pooling the best of what we have learned and scaling it up in Uttarakhand,” says Bhargava.

“By the year 2020, we aim to create a massive change across Uttarakhand in one of the na-tion’s most powerful village de-velopment programmes,” says Bhargava, who has visited India regularly in the past five years.

Bhargava is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder & CEO of Living Essentials, which sells ‘5-hour Energy’ shots. Re-tail sales are estimated to be in the vicinity of $1 billion.

Early in his life, Bhargava did a variety of jobs and worked as a construction labourer, con-struction cleaning contractor, accounting clerk, taxi driver, printing press operator and business manager before he be-came a billionaire entrepreneur riding on the success of Living Essentials.

His foundation chose Uttara-khand as “it is the cradle of Indi-an civilisation, and a place most

in need of large-scale develop-ment initiatives”. The project is designed to significantly im-prove the quality of life of the low-income communities of the state.

Energy, water and health are the most critical elements for people, says Bhargava, adding, “Charity is very difficult to do right. Thinking through what people need: You can’t start a charity without that. It’s like starting a business without the product.”

The Hans Foundation is a char-itable trust fund that was created in 2009 to provide a source of endowment for not-for-profit organisations in India. As one of India’s largest funds, THF provides grants and financial aid to grassroots organisations that are able to directly serve communities and also partners with larger international organi-sations for increased impact and large-scale work. Till August 2014, the foundation worked with partners to impact the lives of close to 600,000 people.

Bhargava’s foundations in-clude Knowledge Medical Charitable Trust and Rural In-dia Charitable Trust. Both have funded medical research in the US and over 400 charities in In-dia. Two of the major initiatives are hospitals for the poor and education for disadvantaged women in rural areas.

Indian-American store owner indicted for food stamps fraudNEW YORK: A 39-

year-old Indian-American conve-

nience store owner has been indicted by a federal jury on charges of committing fraud related to the US government’s food stamps programme and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

Bharpur Singh of California was indicted for defrauding the US Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assis-tance Programme (SNAP), for-merly known as food stamps, US Attorney Benjamin Wagner said.

According to the indict-ment, Singh owns and oper-ates a convenience store that was authorised to accept SNAP benefits from customers to pay for eligible food items through the electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card programme.

Retailers are not permitted to trade cash for SNAP benefits or accept SNAP benefits as pay-ment for ineligible items.

From October 2008 until May 2014, Singh traded the benefits for cash rather than for eligible food products as required under the programme.

Singh would swipe a SNAP benefit recipient’s EBT card for a certain amount, give the ben-efit recipient cash for approxi-mately half the amount of the transaction and keep approxi-mately one-half for himself.

On numerous occasions, Singh accepted SNAP benefits as payment for ineligible items, including beer, cigarettes, toilet paper, toys and diapers.

Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each wire fraud count, and five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each count of unauthor-ised use of USDA benefits.

NEW YORK: A 45-year-old Indian-origin man has been sen-

tenced to 15 years in prison in the US for a $20 million invest-ment fraud in which he targeted members of the Indian-Fijian community.

Vincent Singh of Elk Grove was sentenced by the US court to 15 and a half years in prison for wire fraud and false state-ments in bankruptcy, US Attor-ney Benjamin Wagner said.

“Singh convinced people who considered him a friend to invest with him. Rather than invest the funds, he spent it on gambling and frivolous proj-ects. Today’s sentence brings a measure of justice, but it cannot right the wrongs Singh’s con-duct visited on his nearly 200 victims,” Wagner said.

According to court docu-ments, Singh carried out an investment fraud through an entity known as the Perfect Fi-nancial Group.

He targeted 190 members of the ethnic Indian-Fijian com-munity for an investment fraud that grossed approximately $20 million.

Singh told investors that he was using their money for hard money lending but actually used $12 million for gambling, made $2 million in cash withdrawals, spent $880,000 on a film project and spent more than $1 million

Indian-origin man jailed for 15 years for investment fraud

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on other business ventures.

He also used millions of dol-lars of investor money to pay early investors, which made the enterprise look successful.

The scheme collapsed, and when Singh declared bank-ruptcy, he failed to disclose 19 of the bank accounts that he had used in the investment fraud. (PTI).

Manoj Bhargava


November is Diabetes Awareness Month

We would like you to participate!Voice of Asia is dedicating each issue in November for Diabetes Awareness. Send in your tributes to loved ones you lost to this disease, share your personal stories of challenges and success, stories of how you or your loved one is managing Diabetes.

Email us at: [email protected]

Deadline for each week’s issue is Monday by 5 PM.

Send us 200 - 300 words, photos (optional), your contact details.

This September, Ka-lashree Smt. Sunanda Nair’s supremacy in

Indian Classical Dance was recognized by the bestowment for four prestigious awards, one in America and three in India.

The first award presented to Mrs. Nair made its debut on September 16, 2014 – the Natyashree of America award – to honor her eminence in the field of Mohini Attam. Given for the first time by the Mi-trahs Arts & Culture in New Jersey, this is the highest hon-or awarded to the best Indian Classical Dancer in America. Mitrahs, “created to enhance the visibility and importance

of the rich Indian tradition,” chose as their inaugural re-cipient a Master in the art of Dance. Heralding from Mum-bai, Mrs. Nair has made her mark in America, establishing a golden standard for other re-cipients to come.

Ten days later, on September 26th, Mrs. Nair performed in Orissa at the annual three-day festival hosted by the Devdasi Nrutya Mandir. At this festival celebrating the rich tradition and spiritual roots of classi-cal dance and music, she was honored with the 9th Annual Devdasi National Award for Mohini Attam. Her designa-tion as the preeminent Mohini Attam artiste among her peers

is a tribute to her talent, pas-sion and dedication.

On September 27th and 28th in Mumbai, Mrs. Nair graced the classical dance festival of Brahma Nritya Sabha with two different dance styles, Bharata Natyam and Mohini Attam. The powerful, exacting and exuberant language of Bharata Natyam is so different from the graceful, fluid and lyrical language of Mohini Attam – it is rare that an artiste can ar-ticulate both with a clarity and precision which maintains the integrity of each style. Yet this is exactly what Mrs. Nair did. Following her performance dedicated to Guru Dipak Ma-zumdar, she received the Brah-

‘Natyashree’ from Mitrahs New Jersey. Sept 16th, 2014.

Kalashree Sunanda Nair bags 4 prestigious Awards

Devadasi national award with the minister for tourism and culture , Orissa.

ma Nritya Mani award from Brahmnaad Performing Arts, which hosted the event.

On September 28th, Mrs. Nair’s mother did the honor of receiving on her daughter’s behalf, the Rashtra Bivhushan

award from the Foundation for Accelerated Community Em-powerment (FACE) of India, New Delhi. This award was given to honor her dedication to the field of Dance, and that her mother would accept it on

her behalf is heartwarming.Now, with four esteemed

awards to add to her treasure trove, we can be sure that Ka-lashree Smt. Sunanda Nair will continue to pursue her passion of Dance and inspire us all.


SYDNEY / MELBOURNE

SP R I N G F I E L D , MASS., OCT. XX, 2014-- Almost three

million Asian Indians in the United States celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, on Oct. 23. For the more than 300,000 Asian-Indian owned firms* in the U.S., the holiday takes on an added dimension, as the celebra-tion marks the beginning of a new business year. To help business owners prepare for the New Year ahead, Massa-chusetts Mutual Life Insur-ance Company (MassMu-tual) is offering a series of free, no-obligation business seminars in five cities across the country this Diwali.

In a special Diwali ritual for businesses known as Chopda Pujan, new ac-count books are opened and blessed. Business owners use this time to reflect on the past year while looking ahead to new opportunities for prosperity and wealth. It is said the goddess of wealth, known as Lakshmi, visits the homes of devotees on this day, and lamps light the way to welcome her.

A MassMutual study** found that although 77 per-cent of Asian Indian busi-ness owners believe financial planning for their business is very important, only 43 percent are concerned about who will run their business-es if they or another owner leaves, becomes disabled or dies; only 46 percent have a formal retirement plan.

“Entrepreneurial busi-nesses are vital to our grow-ing economic recovery, so it is concerning that so many business owners seem to be sacrificing their own and their family’s financial fu-ture,” says Nimesh Trivedi, Asian-Indian Market lead at MassMutual. “With help, business owners can look past the seemingly overwhelming day-to-day demands of running their businesses and establish and meet their long-term finan-cial goals.”

To help Asian Indian busi-ness owners open their new books this Diwali and plan for a prosperous new year, MassMutual is offering a series of free video-based seminars featuring stories shared by real business owners. The vignettes ex-plore critical business plan-ning topics, such as passing ownership on from one gen-eration to the next, prepar-ing for the unexpected, the death of an owner, retaining key employees, and proper estate and retirement plan-ning.

Seminars addressing these topics critical to Asian In-dian business owners were

MassMutual Honors Diwali and Business Tradition of Chopda Pujan

presented in the following cit-ies across the country this Di-wali:

• Houston, Oct. 14• Atlanta: Oct. 18• San Jose, Calif.: Oct. 24• Edison, N.J.: Oct. 29The Seminar in Chicago has

been scheduled for November 6, 2014

For more information on the multi-city business owner seminar tour, contact Nimesh Trivedi, 413.744.1244. For more information on plan-ning for your businesses’ and families’ financial futures, visit massmutual.com/asianindian

*2007 Survey of Business Owners Summaries of Find-ings, U.S. Census Bureau. This information is the most current data available.

**MassMutual’s Business Owner Perspectives: 2011 In-sights in an Uncertain Econo-my, conducted by GfK Custom Research North America for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMu-tual), 2011.

About MassMutualFounded in 1851, MassMu-

tual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyown-ers. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not

guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyowners consistently since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMu-tual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan ser-vices, and annuities. In ad-dition, the company’s strong and growing network of fi-nancial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its af-filiated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Spring-field, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Manage-ment Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual Inter-national LLC; MML Inves-tors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; Oppen-heimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or find MassMutual on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and Pinterest.

CRN201610-187217

No-Cost Seminars Help Business Owners Secure Their Futures and Protect the Next Generation

MassMutual, Edison New Jersey.

L to R Nimesh Trivedi, Lalit Jallan, Adam Segal and Vikesh Amin. MassMutual sponsored Houston Diwali Event.

WORLD/US/ASIAObama’s Democrats got thumped. How did Republi-cans do it? Continued from Page 1

something done for a change, that’s the change people want,” Democratic strategist Celinda Lake said at a Wednesday roundtable.

“I’m hopeful the president will in fact look to his legacy and provide some real leader-ship,” former House Democrat Martin Frost added.

- A ‘bad’ messenger -

But Obama faces a hostile electorate that distrusts him personally. Voters in several states, while rejecting Demo-cratic candidates, backed sev-eral Democratic measures.

Voters approved minimum wage hikes in Alaska, Arkan-sas, Nebraska and South Dako-ta. And while an anti-abortion referendum launched by Re-publicans failed in Colorado, the state’s voters ousted their incumbent Democratic senator.

Independents broke heav-ily for Republicans. Exit polls

showed unaffiliated voters, comprising 28 percent of those who cast ballots, pulled the lever for Republicans over Democrats by 53 percent to 43 percent.

Democrats have long argued that this year’s electoral map heavily favored Republicans -- Obama himself described it as the “worst possible” landscape for his party in half a century.

But Republicans advanced another reason for their vic-tory: a surprisingly robust tech-nological effort that closed the gap between them and Obama-generation Democrats.

“We built an unprecedented data and digital operation, al-lowing us to reach voters and equip a winning ground game,” Republican National Commit-tee chairman Reince Priebus said.

Candidate quality was a ma-jor factor as well.

Republicans burned them-selves badly in 2010 and 2012, when they nominated failed

Senate candidates like Todd Akin, who shocked voters when he spoke about “legiti-mate rape.”

Those stumbles were no-where to be found this time around.

“I think our candidate re-cruitment... was a big factor,” Senator Mitch McConnell, the incoming majority leader, told ABC News.

“We’ve learned a couple of lessons over the last two cycles that if you don’t nominate re-ally credible candidates, you have a chance of not even tak-ing advantage of a good year.”

Some Democrats laid the blame squarely on Obama.

“The president’s approval rating is barely 40 percent,” outgoing Senate majority lead-er Harry Reid’s chief of staff, David Krone, told the Wash-ington Post.

“It doesn’t mean that the mes-sage was bad, but sometimes the messenger isn’t good.”



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Vol. 27 No. 45 Friday, November 7, 2014 Section 2 Page 11 Email: [email protected] Tel: 713-774-5140

ONLINE.COMvoiceofasiaonline.com LIFESTYLE

by Richard INGHAM

PARIS, October 26, 2014 (AFP) - Bioactive ingredients found in cocoa sharply reversed age-

related memory decline in a group of volunteers, scientists reported on Sun-day.

The compounds, called flavanols, were taken in a specially-prepared cocoa drink, according to an experi-ment published by the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Over three months, 37 healthy vol-unteers aged 50-69 had a daily drink containing either a high dose of fla-vanols -- 900 milligrammes -- or a low dose, 10mg.

The scientists carried out brain im-aging, measuring blood volume in a key part of the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus, a region of memory formation whose performance typically declines as one ages.

They also carried out memory tests before and after the volunteers started with the drink.

The tests entailed a 20-minute pattern-recognition exercise designed to assess a type of memory controlled by the dentate gyrus.

The high-flavanol group notched up major memory improvements and an increase in blood flow to the dentate gyrus.

“If a participant had the memory of a typical 60-year-old at the beginning of the study, after three months that person on average had the memory of a typical 30- or 40-year-old,” said Scott Small, a professor of neurology at Columbia Uni-versity Medical Center in New York.

More work, in a bigger group, is needed to verify these early findings, he cautioned.

Flavanols have excited great interest. They dangle the possibility of tackling age-related memory loss in the world’s fast-growing population of elderly but without using drugs.

The compounds exist in grapes, blue-berries and other fruit as well as in some vegetables and teas, but the type of fla-vanol and the amount vary widely.

Previous studies in mice showed that the class of flavanols found in cocoa boosts the performance of the dentate gyrus.

“The dentate gyrus in humans and mice are very similar,” Small said in an e-mail exchange with AFP.

“I suppose that our study does show,

A tray of cocoa beans are left out to dry in the sun at the Fond Doux resort and plantation on September 17, 2014 (AFP Photo/Frederic J. Brown)

Cocoa clue to reversing memory loss

for the first time, that flavanols im-proves the function of humans’ dentate gyrus, particularly in ageing humans.”

-- Age-related decline --

The findings apply to normal memory loss -- things such as forgetting names of new acquaintances or where one has left one’s glasses -- which usually becomes noticeable when people reach their fifties or sixties.

They do not apply to memory loss caused by disease, such as Alzheim-er’s.

The cocoa drink was prepared by a large US food corporation, which also partly supported the research. The study is published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The firm used a proprietary process

to extract flavanols from cocoa beans. Under conventional processing, most of the flavanols are lost from the raw plant.

Small said it was still too early to make dietary recommendations for flavanols, but “certainly I would NOT suggest that people consume more chocolate.”

“That would be a mistake,” he said.

“Very simply, the amount of flavanols that are found in chocolate is minuscule compared to the very high amount of extracted flavanols that our subjects consumed. The same is true for most other foods or teas,” said Smith.

“Hopefully, in the future a food source or a specific diet will be identified that contains very high amounts of the spe-cific flavanols we studied.”

KABUL - Afghanistan on Mon-day launched a drive against female models being used “as decoration” in advertising campaigns, saying some commercials spread immorality among young people in the conserva-tive Muslim nation.

Billboards and television advertise-ments selling everything from mobile phones to insurance have sprung up since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 as the country opened up to in-ternational trade and modern market-ing.

Many adverts feature young women to entice consumers, but the Afghan government said that female models should not be exploited for commer-cial gain.

“All commercials in which women are used as decoration and fashion,

Afghanistan against ‘degrading’ use of women in adverts

and as a tool to earn money and an im-age, are in fact degrading the position of Afghan women,” a statement from the ministry of information and cul-ture said.

“We ask all media to avoid broad-casting all commercials that can pro-mote cultural destruction, and spread immorality and can lead our youths’ minds to immoralities.”

Under the Taliban’s 1996-2001 rule, Afghanistan was cut off from almost all western influences, television was banned and women were not allowed outside the home unless wearing an all-encompassing burqa.

President Ashraf Ghani, who was inaugurated in September, has vowed to improve the status of women in the country, which remains a strictly patri-archal society.

‘Kiss of Love’ supporters face case for obscenity in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Cyberabad po-lice here have registered cases against the organizers of ‘Kiss

of Love’ campaign on the University of Hyderabad campus for ‘obscene acts’.

A group of students had organized a demonstration in support of the Kiss of Love campaign in Kerala (which aimed to oppose the moral policing) on the campus on November 2; some of them allegedly kissed during the event.

Police have also registered a case

for criminal trespass against the mem-bers of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), BJP’s youth wing, who staged a protest against the event.

“Following a complaint by university authorities, cases were registered by Gachibowli police. We are verifying the allegations,” ACP S Sreedhar said.

Asked if any students who “indulged in kissing” were questioned, inspector J Ramesh of Gachibowli police station said a committee set up by the univer-sity was conducting an inquiry.

“Based on their report and also the video footage we will take further ac-tion,” he said.

The organizers of the event were fac-ing cases under the Section 294 of In-dian Penal Code, he said.

The section prescribes imprisonment up to three months for anyone doing “any obscene act in any public place”, “to the annoyance of others”. (PTI)

A billboard in Afghanistan showing a female model. AFP


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VOICE OF ASIA 13 FRIDAY, November 7, 2014LEISURE

Visitors look at dresses made out of chocolate at the Paris Chocolate fair (Salon du Chocolat) on October 29, 2014

by Anne-Laure Mondesert

PARIS, (AFP) - “Want to taste? Come on! It’s a bit like the sushi

of chocolate,” calls out raw chocolate maker Frederic Marr, beckoning the curious to his stall at Paris’s annual chocolate extravaganza, the Salon du Chocolat.

Touted as a “super food” by some, raw chocolate is the latest trend in the world of chocolate.

Proponents say it has health benefits because the cocoa beans used to make it are heated to much lower tem-peratures than for standard chocolate.

As a result, they say, raw chocolate has more nutrients such as iron, zinc, magnesium and copper as well as higher levels of antioxidants.

According to Marr, who is based at Montreuil, near Paris, recent refinements in the raw chocolate making process mean that in addition to being a good health option, it also tastes good.

“Historically raw chocolate was not very good. It was consumed for nutritional reasons, so there was less care taken in its manufacture,” he said.

“But quality raw chocolate is now starting to be suc-cessful in countries that also care about taste, including France,” he added.

Lauren Bandy, nutrition analyst at consumer market researchers Euromonitor In-ternational, said raw choco-late was still a niche product but had seen a steady rise in popularity over the past few years.

Sales of standard dark chocolate have risen by $1.4 billion globally over the past five years, with an annual

Gourmets get taste for ‘raw’ chocolate

growth rate of seven percent, she said.

- ‘ Lot of promise’ -

“Many consumers buy raw chocolate for the same rea-sons they buy dark chocolate (so) if dark chocolate sales are to be used as an indicator for raw chocolate’s potential, then raw chocolate has a lot of promise.”

More expensive than other types of chocolate, raw choc-olate costs around five euros ($6.30) for a 45-gramme bar.

But Kris McGowan, of the UK-based Raw Chocolate

Company, said consumers were willing to pay extra for food if they had confidence in how it was made and what had gone into it.

“Probably over the last 10 years there’s been a real shift amongst consumers; they are taking much more care of what they buy,” he said.

“They want to know more about where things come from and after various food scandals people no longer trust the big companies to do things cleanly,” he added.

For Nefeli Bouzalas, of import company Hacienda del Cacao, the emergence of raw chocolate highlights a trend for chocolate that is less sweet.

“There have always been some people who love dark chocolate but now more and more people who before would have chosen a milky chocolate are chosing dark chocolate.

“Now people are even ask-ing us for 100 percent cocoa -- which is really bitter,” she said.

Whatever the claims made for raw chocolate, French nutrition consultant Laurent Chevallier, warned against relying on it as a source of nutrients.

“The nutritional benefits of chocolate are only worth anything in very large quanti-ties,” he said adding that from a health point of view levels of antioxidants in chocolate were “infinitesimal”.

“Chocolate does not have nutritional value when you consume it in reasonable quantities and if you eat it in unreasonable quantities you will get fat,” he said.

The Salon du Chocolat runs until Sunday in Paris. Raw chocolate maker Frederic Marr is shown October 29, 2014 at the Paris Chocolate fair (Salon du Chocolat). AFP

LONDON, November 3, 2014 (AFP) - A Japanese single malt whisky was named the world’s best for the first time by a pres-tigious guide released Monday which failed to place a Scotch in its top ranking.

The Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 was described as “thick, dry, as rounded as a snooker ball” by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, which awarded it a record-equalling 97.5 points out of 100.

Three bourbons from the US took second, third and fourth places -- William Larue Weller, Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old and Four Roses.

Whisky has been made com-mercially in Japan since the 1920s after a Japanese stu-dent who studied in Glasgow, Masataka Taketsuru, moved home with his Scottish wife and helped start the Yamazaki distillery near Kyoto.

Yamazaki’s maker, Japan’s Suntory Holdings, bought the US maker of Jim Beam bourbon for nearly $16 billion earlier this year.

Murray said in his editorial for the guide that it was time for Scotch whisky distilleries to stop resting on their laurels.

“Where were the complex whiskies in the prime of their lives? Where were the blends which offered bewildering lay-ers of depth?” he wrote.

“It is time for a little dose of humility... to get back to basics. To realise that something is missing.”

NEW DELHI, November 3, 2014 (AFP) - Google has created a new Hindi-language website to add 300 million In-dian Internet users by 2017 and bridge the country’s linguistic digital divide, the search giant announced Monday.

The website, www.hindiweb.com, is part of Google’s push to incorporate more Indian lan-guages into content in the next few years.

Google said nearly all of In-dia’s 198 million English speak-ers are already online.

Now Google is targeting in India the around one billion people who do not speak Eng-lish, starting with Hindi, the country’s most widely spoken language, with some 400 million speakers.

“To reach our goal of 500 million Internet users (from 200 million) by 2017 we need to make the Internet accessible to those who don’t speak English,” Google India managing director Rajan Anandan told reporters.

The announcement chimes with the goal of the new Indian government of Narendra Modi which has embarked on what it calls a “digital revolution” to bring more Indians online to access government, education and health services and transact more business.

“The web holds great poten-tial to empower many Indians economically and socially, and

Google aims for 300 mn new Indian local language users

thanks to the smartphone revo-lution, many millions of Indians will be coming online for the first time in the next few years,” Anandan said.

The Internet initially was mainly the preserve of India’s affluent, urban, English-speak-ing middle-class.

Increasingly affordable smart-phones are allowing more Indi-ans to get online but they lack content in their own language. Millions of smartphones are sold in India each month.

“We must build content in people’s own languages -- oth-erwise we’ll miss the boat,” Anandan said.

Offering local languages would boost India’s already exponentially growing online shopping market, for instance, as well as advertising markets, Google executives said.

Hindi and English are both official languages for govern-ment business while India’s constitution recognises 22 of-ficial languages.

The government sees greater use of Internet technology as a means to spur growth in Asia’s third-largest-economy where more than 700 million people live on less than $2 a day, ac-cording to the World Bank.

Google said it was setting up an Indian Language Internet Alliance -- made up of news-paper, television, web content

Google is targeting the around one billion people who do not speak English, starting with Hindi, which is listed by 41 percent of the 1.2 billion population as their mother tongue (AFP Photo/Philippe Huguen)

Japanese whisky named world’s fin-est dram

companies and other players -- to promote growth of local-language Web content.

Google said it aimed to offer web services in at least eight ma-jor Indian languages, including Tamil, Bengali and Gujarati, but declined to give a timeline.

Mumbai, XX, 2014: After its successful launch in the UK

and India, Viacom18 and In-diaCast announce the launch of the Hindi general entertain-ment channel ‘Rishtey’ in the US and Canada. Adding the festive fervor for viewers in the region, Rishtey is now avail-able to the US audiences on Dish and Dishworld on channel 699 and to Canada viewers on Rogers Cable on channel 924. As Viacom18’s second general entertainment channel, Rishtey is geared to offer an engaging mix of exciting shows, movies and entertainment from a wide spectrum of genres.

With seven channels already available in North America, IndiaCast currently has a com-prehensive portfolio of brands in the region that covers a wide range of entertainment offerings. Rishtey is the eighth channel in the region and will be available on a paid subscription format. With the launch of the Rishtey on Dish and Dishworld, the channel will now be avail-able to around 160K households in the US.

Commenting on Rishtey’s foray into the US & Canada, Gaurav Gandhi – Group COO IndiaCast said, “US and Canada are the most important interna-tional markets for South Asian entertainment and we are de-lighted to launch our second Hindi entertainment channel, Rishtey, in this region. Our flagship brand Aapka COL-ORS has seen unprecedented success in the region over the last 4 years. With the launch of Rishtey, we address the audience’s need for variety entertainment and Rishtey will be the classic ‘family channel’ with something for everyone in the South Asian household. Over the last two years, the Rishtey, in its different avatars, has developed a strong foothold in the UK and in India and we are extremely confident that the brand will be a huge success here as well”

Rishtey, for the North Amer-ica region, is a customized Pay TV service that promises to engage viewers with a plethora of content ranging from scripted dramas from the subcontinent (both India & Pakistan), Indian

Viacom18 rings in the festive season with ‘Rishtey’ in US & Canada markets~ Channel available to viewers on Dish and Dishworld in US and Rogers Cable in Canada~

Kids content, Youth program-ming, Lifestyle as well as Bol-lywood content. The channel is a true variety entertainment service with “something for everyone” in the family.

Elaborating on the launch, Sameer Goswami- Senior Vice President & Head of North America business for IndiaCast said, “Launch of Rishtey in North America adds another dimension to our stellar port-folio of channels in the region. For each market that we launch Rishtey in, our content and distribution strategy is custom-ized as per the relevant audience consumption and that’s exactly what we have done here. US & Canada are the first markets where this brand will be a Pay-Tv service. With 8 services in the region, which includes 2 Hindi GECs, a world class News Service, an iconic youth & music service as well as 4 re-gional (language) entertainment channels, we truly have the most comprehensive portfolio in the South Asian space.”

Viacom18 Media Pvt. LtdViacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd.

is a joint venture operation in India between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B, world’s leading entertainment content company, comprising brands like BET, MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures) (www.via-com.com) and the Network18 (www.network18online.com) Group, the group operates news channels - CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat (a Marathi regional news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group).

Viacom18 is India’s fastest growing entertainment network of iconic brands offering multi-platform, multi – generational and multicultural brand experi-ences across television, film, digital media and LIVE events. Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd. in-cludes the vibrant youth brand - MTV (www.mtvindia.com), the fastest growing kids cluster - Nick (www.nickindia.com),

Nick Jr, Nick Teen & Sonic, India’s premier International Entertainment channel - Vh1, India’s only English Entertain-ment Comedy Channel – Com-edy Central, India’s only linear film production & distribution banner - Viacom18 Motion Pictures, COLORS (www.col-orstv.in) one of India’s leading Hindi General Entertainment channel. This apart, Viacom18 also runs Viacom’s consumer products business in India and also a brand solutions offering - Integrated Network Solutions (INS).

About IndiaCast‘IndiaCast’ is India’s first

multi-platform ‘Content Asset Monetization’ entity, jointly owned by TV18 & Viacom18. IndiaCast mandate includes Domestic Distribution, Place-ment Services, International Channel Distribution & Ad-vertising Sales, New Media (digital) distribution and Con-tent Syndication for all the group company channels & content. In India, IndiaCast manages subscription & place-ment services for 45 channels from TV18, Viacom18, A+E Networks | TV18, ETV chan-nels & Disney UTV groups. Internationally, IndiaCast has a portfolio of over 10 channels (including Colors, MTV India International, Rishtey, News 18 India and 6 ETV regional Services) that are viewed in over 80 countries as linear services. With a rich content library of 15000 hours across genres, In-diaCast also syndicates content in over 100 countries in 20+ languages (including Hebrew, Russian, Serbian, Bosnian, Al-banian, Macedonian, Croatian, Azeri, Kazakh, Swahili, English among others). IndiaCast also delivers a wide range of content to various new media platforms including content from over 20 channels from the group across News, Music, Youth & Life-style, General Entertainment & Infotainment genre in multiple languages. Apart from Televi-sion shows & series, IndiaCast also offers Indian feature films (both Bollywood & Regional) on digital platforms in India and overseas markets. For more information on IndiaCast, log on to www.indiacast.com


Friday, November 7, 2014 Section 2 Page 14 Email: [email protected] Tel: 713-774-5140

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by Mariette LE ROUX

PARIS, (AFP) - Drink lots of milk to strength-en your bones and boost

your health, doctors say.

But a study in The BMJ medical journal Wednesday said Swedes with a high intake of cow’s milk died younger -- and women suf-fered more fractures.

The findings may warrant ques-tions about recommendations for milk consumption, although further research is needed, its authors said, as the association may be purely coincidental.

A Swedish team used data taken from 61,000 women aged 39-74 and monitored for about 20 years, and more than 45,000 men aged 45-79 followed for 11 years.

The volunteers gave details about diet and lifestyle, body weight, smoking habits, exercise frequency, education level and marital status.

By the end of this long study period, 25,500 of the group had died and 22,000 had suffered a fracture.

Higher milk intake was not accompanied by a lower risk of fractures but “may be associated with a higher rate of death”, the study said.

Among the women, 180 per 1,000 in the group which drank three glasses of milk or more a day died during a 10-year period, compared to the group average, independent of milk consump-tion, of 126 per 1,000.

Among those who drank a glass or less per day, the rate was 110 per 1,000, co-author Karl Mi-chaelsson of Uppsala University told AFP.

The figures for hip fracture was 42 out of 1,000 women

who drank a lot of milk, 35 per 1,000 on average, and 31 per 1,000 of women who drank the least milk.

“Women who consumed three

glasses or more per day had a 90 percent higher risk of death, 60 percent higher risk of hip fracture and 15 percent higher risk of any fracture compared to those who drank less than a glass,” said Michaelsson.

For men, the difference in death rate was less pronounced: 207 per 1,000 among the three-glasses-a-day group over 10 years, 189 per 1,000 on average, and 182 per 1,000 among low consum-ers. There was no difference in fracture rates.

“The higher risk of mortal-ity was evident with all types of milk: full-fat, half-fat and skimmed milk,” Michaelsson added -- and started from a daily intake of about two glasses of milk.

At a lower consumption of half a glass to one glass per day, “there was a tendency of slightly reduced hip fracture risk” com-pared to zero intake, but the same was not true for mortality risk.

The team found that fermented milk products like cheese or yo-ghurt were associated with lower

mortality and fracture rates, particularly in women.

One reason, the authors specu-lated, is that milk, but not cheese, is high in D-galactose, a type of sugar that in animal studies was shown to hasten ageing and shorten lifespan.

The researchers said it was impossible to draw any conclu-sions or make recommendations on milk consumption until further work is carried out.

The results may not apply to people of other ethnic origins with different levels of lactose tolerance, they said.

Milk also has different nutrient levels that depend on factors like food fortification and cow diet.

And the results could be skewed by a phenomenon called “reverse causation” -- osteoporosis suffer-ers at high risk of a bone break increase their milk intake, which then gets blamed when they suf-fer a fracture.

In a comment, Mary School-ing of the City University of New York School of Public Health said “the role of milk in mortality needs to be established definitively now” as consump-tion would rise with economic development.

Other experts noted shortcom-ings in the study, including that milk consumption was self-reported, often a flaw in dietary research.

Nor did the authors define the type of physical activity the men and women did -- whether it was weight-bearing and therefore bone-strengthening, or not.

The study “creates more ques-tions than provides answers”, said Catherine Collins, principal dietitian at St George’s Hospital in London.

Swedes with a high intake of cow’s milk died younger -- and women suffered more fractures, study shows (AFP Photo/Geoff Caddick)

by Jennie MATTHEW

The music’s thump-ing, the dance floor’s packed and the bar’s

b u s t l i n g . Welcome to one of New York’s hot-test night-clubs and a new genera-tion of club-bers: six-year-olds.

T h e V I P Room threw open its doors to children aged six to 12 on a Sunday afternoon to give them a taste of the n i g h t c l u b , electronic music and dance scene in New York’s uber trendy Meatpacking District.

Among those hitting the decks was eight-year-old DJ Alden. Kids swarmed onto the dance floor, bopping up and down to beats with proud moms shim-mying alongside or snapping pictures.

“It was awesome!” said Al-den, son of the organizers who jumped on the decks during the four-hour, Halloween-themed party. “The best thing was when I was in the DJ booth, DJing for everybody.”

A dancer dressed as a robot with LED lights on his legs, arms, head and body, took to the podium to whip up the crowd. When he starts shooting dry ice from two white guns, they go wild.

The children scream with pleasure, reaching up their hands as the robot takes them through basic dance steps, get-ting them to feel the beat.

More than 300 people, in-cluding parents and younger siblings, attended the party or-ganized by a husband and wife team whose company CirKiz opens top New York clubs to children once a month.

“I love it. My daughter’s hav-ing a great time,” said Laura Lampert, a legal secretary from Harlem dressed in a leopard print dress with cat ears, point-

New York’s hottest new trend: clubbing for kids

Kids wearing Halloween costumes and makeups dance during an electronic dance music party organized by CirKiz at a night club in New York on October 26, 2014. Dozens of kids from the age of 3 to 12-year-olds joined by their parents came to club-bing to celebrate Halloween. (AFP).

ing out her child twirling to the side.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s also safe for the kids. It’s during the day, and they get to feel like grown-ups,” she said.

While parents sit back with a beer or vodka from the bar, children get a taste of the DJ booth -- they are encouraged to touch the equipment and dabble in a spot of mixing.

Natalie Elizabeth Weiss DJs at the children’s club sessions and thinks they are a brilliant way of opening young minds.

“It’s giving us a chance to get back to our roots as humans, which is get together and dance to music,” she told AFP.

She gives DJ lessons to chil-dren as young as three months, which have gone viral among trendy families across New York.

- Cool vibe -

There has been interest as far afield as South Korea, Berlin and Los Angeles. Weiss plans masterclasses in Atlanta and Orlando, and she flies next month to Taiwan to initiate the program there.

But the parties are the brain-child of Jesse Sprague, a DJ who has worked on the club scene for 20 years, and his wife Jenny Song. They say the raves are great fun for a child.

“They get to come into a re-ally cool space, socialize with their friends, get away from televisions, ipads and tablets, and come in and experience something that has a very cool vibe,” said Sprague.

“One of the mission statements is that we want to inspire kids to pursue things that are artistic. It helps to develop a creative mind, having the kids be in a stimulat-ing sensory environment.”

The couple got the idea after throwing their son’s first birth-day party at New York club Cielo. Friends had such a good time that they urged the couple to turn it into a business.

In concession to the tender age of clubbers, they keep the volume in check, screen songs for content and restrict ravers to cupcakes instead of cocktails.

Pier Singh, dressed up as a Candy Corn Witch in tight trou-sers, high-heeled ankle boots and a spangly top, struts onto the dance floor with two-year-old son Nico in a New York police uniform.

Older brother Miles, six, is Spider-man and likes to break-dance. Singh saw the party ad-vertised on Facebook and knew it would be the perfect family outing.

“I think it’s really awesome,” said Singh. “What kid doesn’t love dancing these days,” she laughs.

Can you drink too much milk? Study raises questions

“The higher risk of mortality was evident with all types of milk: full-fat, half-fat and skimmed milk.”

NEW YORK, (AFP) - Warner Music Group on Monday

announced the creation of a new $100,000 classical award aimed at recognizing young musicians at the start of their careers.

A jury of classical musicians and industry figures will select the Warner Music Prize’s in-augural recipient, who will be announced in the first half of 2015.

The first award will be pre-sented with New York’s Car-negie Hall, although Warner Music said that it planned eventually to collaborate with other leading music venues around the world.

Warner Music Group, one of the three big record company

New classical award to honor young musicians

conglomerates, said musicians between ages 18 and 35, re-gardless of their label, will be eligible for the award, and that recipients will be offered the chance to record on Warner Classics.

“The Warner Music Prize has been created to recognize and reward promising musi-cians early in their careers, when they need it the most,” Stu Bergen, international pres-ident of Warner Recorded Mu-sic, said in a statement.

The nominees have all per-formed at Carnegie Hall, and the winner will perform at the venerable venue on October 27, 2015, at a concert that will raise money for music-related philanthropic programs.

The nominated singers are

sopranos Sarah Shafer and Jennifer Zetlan; mezzo-so-pranos Jamie Barton, Rachel Calloway, Cecelia Hall, Alisa Kolosova and Peabody South-well; bass-baritones Aubrey Allicock and Evan Hughes, and tenor Dominic Arm-strong.

Instrumentalists who re-ceived nominations were vio-linists Augustin Hadelich and Itamar Zorman, cellist Brook Speltz, double bassist Roman Patkolo, harpist Sivan Magen and pianist Behzod Abdurai-mov.

The Gramophone Awards, presented each year in Lon-don, are generally considered to be classical music’s most prestigious competition, with other top prizes including the Grammys for classical music.

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Director Ketan Mehta, whose upcoming film ‘Rang Rasiya’ will

finally hit screens this week after delay of over half a de-cade, feels that the timing of the movie hitting the theatres could not have been more per-fect.

“This is the right moment for the film to come up. Today, audiences are changing rapidly than filmmakers. Making ‘Rang Rasiya’ was a challenge. It took five years for getting it cleared from the Censor Board,” Mehta told reporters at the banquet hall of Laxmi Vilas palace here yes-terday ahead of its screening.

One of the reasons behind the delay was filming in two languages — English and Hindi. “The film is bilingual…titled as ‘Colour of Passion’ and ‘Rang

by Gayatri Sankar

MUMBAI (Nov. 3, 2014) - Actor Sadashiv Am-rapurkar passed away

peacefully at 2.45 am on Monday. He was undergoing treatment for interstitial lung disease at the Kolkilaben Dhurubhai Ambani hospital in Mumbai. He was 64.

Born on May 11, 1950, in Ahmednagar district, Maharash-tra as Ganesh Kumar Narbode, Sadashiv began his acting career in Marathi theatre at the age of 24. In 1976, he made his debut in Marathi cinema- ‘Aamras’. He rose to fame with Marthi movie ‘Bal Gangadhar Tilak’ in 1979.

Producer Govind Nihani spotted Sadashiv during a Marathi play titled ‘Hands up’ and soon offered him a role in ‘Ardh Satya’.

‘Hukumat’ helped Sadashiv garner popularity as a villain in

The actor who recently turned 49 said that he wouldn’t mind joining

the franchiseHe has been part of many block-

busters produced by Yash Raj Films and Shah Rukh Khan won’t mind joining their popular Dhoom franchise if the project is offered to him.

So far John Abraham, Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan have played the main ‘villain’ in Dhoom franchise.

When asked would he like to do a negative role in Dhoom 4, SRK said: “I am doing a film with Yash Raj and that’s Fan. If I get an opportunity, I would love to do it. I find it very cool.”

The first Dhoom came in 2004 and the superstar said he was at-tached to the first installment.

“I knew Sanjay Ghadvi and I liked the film. Aditya has never asked me for Dhoom,” he said.

The actor also shared his big-gest fear. He said, “The audience have a lot of expectations from me and I don’t want to disappoint

Shah Rukh Khan would love to star in Dhoom 4!

Timing of ‘Rang Rasiya”s release couldn’t have got better: Ketan

Rasiya’ respectively.“I chose to make a film on the

legendary 19th century painter Raja Ravi Varma because he was the most fascinating artist of that era and his character, persona and paintings attracted me since my days at the Film and Television Institute of In-dia,” he said.

Acknowledged as the father of modern Indian art, Raja Ravi Varma – an artist from the princely state of Kilima-noor (now in Kerala), achieved recognition for his paintings depicting scenes from Indian literature portraying perfect fusion of Indian traditions with European academic art tech-niques.

While being patronised by kings and masses in South, in 1881, Varma was invited and commissioned by Maha-raja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of the erstwhile princely state of Baroda to paint portraits of the royal family at Laxmi Vilas palace here.

Impressed with his work, Gaekwad made a permanent studio for the painter within the palace compound, allowing him to paint his legacy on the canvas of history. It was here that Varma painted some of his most iconic masterpieces which are now considered to be the epitome of Indo-European art.

Today, the palace houses a remarkable collection of these fabulous and priceless paint-ings, Mehta said. “It was Varma who took art to masses and distributed picture of goddesses like Lakshmi Saraswati etc, and democratically revived civilisa-tion. Earlier, these paintings used to be treasury of erstwhile rulers and kings,” the filmmak-er-writer said.

‘Rang Rasiya tells’ the story of painter Raja Ravi Varma and his muse Sugandha. The painter had dared to defy convention and was condemned for doing so, over a century ago. “The story of the movie revolves around how Verma was dragged

to court for painting nude and how he eventually fought back and won the case,” Mehta said adding the film is a tribute to Ravi Verma, played by Randeep Hooda while Nandana Sen will be seen as Sugandha.

“The most fascinating thing about Sugandha is her journey. Like Sita, Draupadi, Sugandha’s virtue is also on trial. And, the most striking fact is her repre-sentation of woman strength and vulnerability,” Sen said.

Hooda has played the role of Varma in two phases – first as a 60-year-old and then as a 20-year-old. Replying to questions, he said, “I believe that had this movie released before time then it would have been a real tragedy. Biopics are now a fla-vor. Our audience seems to be ready to watch not only masala films but also films which has masala in it.”

Ketan Mehta: Making ‘Rang Rasiya’ was a challenge. It took five years for getting it cleared from the Censor Board. (PTI).

them and that’s my biggest fear. I hope I work hard and live up to

everyone’s expectations,” said the superstar who turned 49 Sunday.

Actor Sadashiv Amra-purkar passes away

Hindi cinema. Since then he deliv-ered a number of hits as the main antagonist.

Best known for his role of a eu-nuch named Maharani in Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Sadak’, Amrapurkar with his stellar performance, sent shiv-ers down the spine of many. He also featured in a number of films such as ‘Aankhein’, ‘Ishq’, Coolie No. 1’ and several other films.

Sadashiv Amrapurkar was 64.

Shah Rukh Khan

A still from the film ‘Rang Rasiya’ with lead actors Randeep Hooda and Nandana Sen.

Hit-and-run case: Salman did not smell of alcohol, witness tells court

Alok Pandey, brother of Bollywood ac-tor Chunky Pandey,

told a Mumbai court that Salman Khan did not smell of alcohol when he hugged him few hours after the ac-cident.

One more witness in the hit-and-run case against actor Salman Khan told a Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday that the actor didn’t smell of alcohol when he met him a few hours after the accident, adding to the slew of contradictory state-ments on whether or not the actor was drunk at the time.

Alok Pandey , brother of Bollywood actor Chunky Pandey, told the court that Mr. Khan did not smell of alcohol when he hugged him few hours after the accident.

“I met him around 9 a.m. and hugged him but did not smell of alcohol,” he told the court. The accident reported-ly took place around 3 a.m.

on September 28, 2002.Mr. Pandey also told the

court that he helped the ac-tor buy the Land Cruiser for Rs. 14 lakh from one Abdul Rehman through a customs clearing agent.

“At the time of the acci-dent, the car was still in the name of the former owner Mr. Rehman. Mr. Salman had issued two cheques of Rs. 12 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh in the name of Mr. Rehman and we were still in the pro-cess of getting the owner-ship transferred,” he told the court of sessions Judge D.W. Deshpande.

The other witness who de-pose before the court was Salim Patel, a customs clear-ing agent. He told the court that he handled the job of getting the customs clear-ance for the said car. The statements of both the wit-nesses are important to as-certain that the car alleged to have been involved in the

accident belonged to the ac-tor.

The actor who was not present in the court citing preparations for his sister upcoming wedding has been asked to be present on No-vember 24 and 25 when the witnesses will be examined.

In September 2002, one person was killed and four injured after the actor’s SUV allegedly jumped over a footpath where the victims were sleeping. Mr. Khan was earlier booked for rash and negligent driving. But later, the court observed that he could be charged with culpa-ble homicide not amounting to murder.

He then moved an applica-tion for fresh examination of witnesses on the grounds that the witnesses were pre-viously examined for lesser charges against him. His application was granted by the court and a retrial was ordered.

VOICE OF ASIA 16 FRIDAY, November 7, 2014HEALTHHEALTHY LIVINGMEDICARE OPEN ENROLL-MENT: ARE YOU READY TO PICK A PLAN?

Fall is picking season – pumpkins, apples, Halloween candy…

and a Medicare health or drug plan. Today’s the start of Medicare Open Enroll-ment!

Picking a plan is an impor-tant 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 ser-vices you need?

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

No matter what plan you pick, you’ll have better choices and more benefits thanks to the Affordable Care Act like these:

- A discount of 55% on covered brand-name drugs if you hit the Part D prescrip-tion drug coverage gap (“donut hole”)

- A free yearly “well-ness” 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 — includ-ing 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 impor-tant 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 pharma-cies can you use? Can you get prescriptions by mail? Do the doctors use electronic health records or prescribe electroni-cally?

Are you getting physical therapy after a hip replace-ment? Speech-language pa-thology services after a stroke? Anytime you get outpatient

physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-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 med-ically-necessary outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services. There are limits, called “therapy caps,” on these services when you get them from most outpatient pro-viders.

The therapy cap limits for 2014 are:

- $1,920 for physical therapy (PT) and speech-lan-guage pathology (SLP) services combined

- $1,920 for occupa-tional 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, hospi-tals 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 medi-cal care.

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

To review and select suit-able plan for you contact udhir Mathuria for your Health and Wealth Planning at 713-771-2900.

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by Hannah Devlin, (Oct. 31, 2014). The Times.

HUMAN intelligence is increasing by about three IQ points each

decade due to improved health, education and nutrition, accord-ing to scientists.

A study found that people born in 1936 scored considerably better on intelligence tests than those born in 1921 and that the improvements extended into old age. Scientists believe that IQ is still on an upward trend, mean-ing that, on average, children born today are likely to surpass their parents in intellectual abili-ties.

Roger Staff, who led the study at the University of Aberdeen, said: “You’ll probably be smart-er than your parents and almost definitely be smarter than your grandparents.”

There are signs, however, that the upward trend is levelling off in industrialised nations — pos-sibly due to dietary factors. “In terms of calorific intake, we’ve gone too far in the other direc-tion,” Dr Staff added. “We know this impacts on child health and we suspect it will impact on cognition.”

In the study, published today (Friday) in the journal Intel-ligence, scientists compared two groups of people raised in Aberdeen, one set born in 1921 and the other in 1936. Both groups — 751 people in total

— were given IQ tests at the age of 11 and then again at the age of 60.

At the age of 11, the 1936 group were 3.7 IQ points ahead, and the gap had widened to 16.5 points by the time the partici-pants were pensioners — more than three times the size of in-crease seen in previous studies.

The intergenerational increase in IQ — known as the “Flynn ef-fect” — has previously prompted debate about whether it reflects a genuine improvement in cogni-tive skills or is simply down to people getting better at tests.

Dr Staff argues that the chang-es are likely to be genuine, as they are seen across a wide vari-

ety of countries, which have had very different testing regimes in schools over the past century. He puts the differences down to changes in nutrition, education and healthcare.

“Those born in 1936 were children during the war and experienced food rationing,” he said. “Although rationing meant that the food was not particularly appetising, it was nutritious and probably superior to the older group’s.”

The 1936 group were also young enough to benefit from the Aberdeen oil boom, which meant that they were, on aver-age, wealthier later in life and therefore more able to eat well

SUGAR LAND—(October 27, 2014) —Methodist Pulmonary

& Sleep Medicine Specialists physician Priya Oolut, M.D., recently performed the first en-dobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) with fine needle aspiration bi-opsy in Fort Bend County.

Dr. Oolut used the EBUS technique to diagnose and stage lung cancer in a patient

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is first in the Fort Bend community to offer endobronchial ultrasounds

at Houston Methodist Sugar Land. During the procedure, a special endoscope – fitted with an ultrasound processor and a fine-gauge aspiration needle – is guided through the patient’s mouth and trachea into the lungs.

“This technique allows us to obtain real-time images in and around the lungs and to identify difficult-to-reach tumors,” says

Dr. Oolut. “We can also use EBUS to biopsy tissue or fluid sample from the lungs and sur-rounding lymph nodes of the chest. The ultrasound serves as a guide and allows me to ‘see’ through the airway walls, which makes it easier to locate enlarged lymph nodes or mass-es. When the scope is in place, we pass a thin needle through it to obtain a biopsy sample.”

The typical approach to ob-taining samples from the lung was surgery, which required hospitalization and lengthy re-covery times. Using EBUS with fine needle aspiration, Dr. Oolut is able to quickly and thoroughly obtain samples for diagnosing and staging lung cancer, detecting infections and identifying inflammatory dis-eases that affect the lungs, such as sarcoidosis or other cancers like lymphoma – without an in-cision.

“Once a diagnosis of the lung cancer is confirmed through biopsy, the next important step in creating an appropriate treat-ment plan is to determine the stage of the cancer, which sim-ply means determining how far the cancer has spread, if at all,” says Dr. Oolut. “EBUS allows me to obtain multiple samples

Methodist Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine Specialists physician Priya Oolut, M.D., recently performed the first endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) with fine needle aspira-tion biopsy in Fort Bend County.

during a single procedure so that the patient can be accurate-ly staged without the need for surgery. This is a tremendous benefit to the patient and makes it possible for us to start treat-ment faster.”

“Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has been a con-sistent leader in bringing the most sophisticated and com-plex services to Fort Bend, and our physicians are now regu-larly performing a number of procedures that simply weren’t possible outside of the medical center just a few years ago,” said Chris Siebenaler, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital CEO.

Dr. Oolut is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medi-cine and sleep medicine. To make an appointment with Dr. Oolut or the other physicians at Methodist Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Specialists, call 281.325.0005 or visit method-istsugarlanddocs.com.

Learn more about Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital at houstonmethodist.org/sug-arland or visit us on Facebook at FB.com/methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.

Priya Oolut, M.D.

Human intelligence increases by three IQ points a decade

WASHINGTON, No-vember 5, 2014 (AFP) - Eight mil-

lion US women have not been screened in the last five years for cervical cancer, even though regular checkups can help pre-vent the fatal disease, US health authorities said Wednesday.

About one in 10 women, or 11.4 percent, aged 21 to 65 have gone years without screening, said the report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion based on national registry data from 2007 to 2011.

and spend money on intellectu-ally stimulating activities. This could explain why the IQ gap widened significantly as the two groups got older.

The authors suggested that as well as starting from a higher baseline, the advantages ex-perienced by the 1936 group could have protected them from decline in old age.

The scientists predict that the IQ gains seen are likely to be representative of a broader trend across Britain. The team are now expanding the survey to include a cohort of people born in Aberdeen in the 1950s and they expect to see average IQ increase even further.

“Every visit to a provider can be an opportunity to prevent cervical cancer by making sure women are referred for screening appropriately,” said CDC princi-pal deputy director Ileana Arias.

“We must increase our efforts to make sure that all women un-derstand the importance of get-ting screened for cervical cancer. No woman should die from cer-vical cancer.”

The agency recommends that most women receive a Pap smear at least once every three years

and test for human papilloma-virus every five years in women aged 30 to 65.

About half of new cases of cervical cancer each year arise among women who have not been properly screened, said the CDC.

About 12,000 women in the United States develop cervical cancer each year, and 4,000 die of the disease.

The Pap test was introduced in the 1950s and is credited with dramatically reducing the number

of cervical cancer cases around the world.

“The Pap test is the most pow-erful tool ever developed that can save women’s lives,” said David Fishman, gynecological oncolo-gist at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

“The ability to detect precan-cerous change and intervene to prevent the development of a life threatening cancer using a sim-ple, minimally invasive test is the holy grail of medicine.”

Women in the southern United States had the highest rates of cervical cancer and death, and the largest percentage of unscreened patients in the country.

Women of Asian or Pacific Is-lander heritage were also the least likely to have been screened, with nearly 20 percent saying they had not been checked in five years.

Patients without health insur-ance were also more likely to have missed important screening exams.

One in 10 US women miss cervical cancer screenings



BUSINESSONLINE.COMvoiceofasiaonline.com

WA S H I N G T O N : US philanthropist Bill Gates has an-

nounced he will donate over USD 500 million to fight ma-laria and other infectious dis-eases in the developing world, saying the Ebola outbreak is a call to action.

The former Microsoft CEO told the 63rd annual meeting of the American Society of Tropi-cal Medicine and Hygiene in New Orleans that his Gates Foundation is committing more than USD 500 million in 2014 “to reduce the burden of malaria, pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, and an array of parasitic infec-tions that are leading causes of death and disability in devel-oping countries,” a statement said.

Gates also said that in addition to that pledge, his foundation has boosted its annual funding for malaria by 30 per cent.

Gates described the Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 4,900 people in West Africa since the beginning of the year as a “critical moment in the his-tory of global health,” and said the world’s largest outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever under-scores the need for stronger efforts to stay ahead of disease threats such as drug-resistant malaria and dengue fever.

“The Ebola epidemic has shown, once again, that in to-day’s interconnected world, health challenges anywhere create health challenges every-where -- and the best way to overcome those challenges is to dedicate ourselves to the great cause of reducing the global bur-den of infectious disease,” Gates said in his prepared remarks.

The Gates Foundation an-

Bill Gates to give $500 million for malaria, other diseasesUS philanthropist Bill Gates has announced he will donate over USD 500 million to fight malaria and other infectious diseases.

nounced in September a USD 50-million commitment to help scale up efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak.

The more than USD 500 mil-lion announced includes over USD 150 million to the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative to advance development of next-generation malaria vaccines, and USD 29 million to the Clinton Health Access Initiative to support malaria elimination efforts in Southern Africa and the Greater Mekong Sub-region of Southeast Asia.

Gates said the rise in resis-tance to effective malaria drugs in Southeast Asia should serve as a warning, that better research and development is needed to

“stay ahead of the natural evolu-tion of infectious diseases.”

Gates said that eradicating malaria by the middle of this century is “both a necessary ob-jective and an attainable one.”

What is needed are single-dose complete cures for malaria, more sophisticated diagnostics and a next-generation malaria vaccine, as well as more wide-spread and precise use of bed-nets, he said.

“We must remain committed to the eradication of malaria,” Gates said.

“Small steps won’t get the job done. History shows that the only way to stop malaria is to end it forever.

Toyota recalls 5,850 cars, mostly in US, for possible steering issue

DETROIT: (Reuters | 5 Nov, 2014) - Toyota Motor Corp said on Tuesday it is recalling about 5,850 cars, most of them in the United States, for possible loss of steering control.

The Japanese automaker said it is recalling about 5,650 Cam-ry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon and Avalon Hybrid cars from model year 2014 in the United States because the left front suspension lower arm could separate from a ball joint and cause the loss of steering control, which could increase the risk of an accident. The rest of the recalled cars were sold in Canada and the Middle East, a spokeswoman said.

Toyota said it was not aware of any crashes, injuries or deaths

JEDDAH: The fall of crude oil prices below $ 80 a barrel proves that Saudi Arabia’s reliance on petroleum revenue is “danger-ous”, billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said today.

“Clearly the fact that the price of oil went down to below 80 proved that we were correct by asking the government to have other sources of income”, Alwa-leed told reporters in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

“Saudi Arabia depends 90 per cent on oil, which is not right, it’s wrong and it’s dangerous, actu-ally,” added the prince, who is a nephew of King Abdullah.

The prince, whose investments span a range of sectors including global media and hotel brands, spoke as the benchmark US crude price hit a three-year low of $ 75.84 today before recover-ing slightly.

Brent North Sea crude dropped to $ 82.02 at one point -- its low-est level in four years.

Prices had already begun fall-ing heavily yesterday “after it was reported that Saudi Arabia cut its selling price to the US possibly in a bid to compete with US shale oil”, Singapore’s United Overseas Bank said in a note to clients.

The kingdom is the biggest producer in the OPEC oil cartel, which is to hold a key produc-tion meeting on November 27 in Vienna.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has warned that oil-dependent Gulf states will face budget short-falls if the decline in oil prices persists.

They have fallen sharply since

Saudi reliance on oil ‘dangerous’, says billionaire prince

the middle of June owing to a global supply glut.

Alwaleed said the price fall points to the need for Saudi Ara-bia to have “an active sovereign wealth fund and to put in it all the excess foreign exchange that you have, all the money you have, and have it earn somewhere be-tween five to 10 per cent.”

This would be similar to the sovereign funds in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Norway, he said dur-ing a visit to the site of Kingdom Tower, a mixed-use facility that will rise more than one kilometre and will be the world’s tallest tower.

Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding Co is a founder of the company developing the project.

Saudi Arabia said in June it was preparing to launch its first sovereign wealth fund.

Visitors walk past a logo of Toyota Motor Corp on a Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle at the company’s showroom in Tokyo August 5, 2014. REUTERS/Yuya Shinorelated to the issue.

The company said dealers will

replace the suspension arm at no cost and notification of the recall will begin in early December.

Bill Gates

Read these articles on Business & more Onlinewww.voiceofasiaonline.com

VOICE OF ASIA 18 FRIDAY, November 7, 2014HOROSCOPEYour Horoscope for the Week of November 7, 2014

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April

Get back on the horse that threw you off. You and only you know why you feel so prPersonal health issues which may influence your attitude. Dwell on what you can do, not what you can’t. Strive hard to get past old restrictions. Big expectations may

bring unexpected pressure. You’ll need to keep your composure. Show how well you can work with teammates. Travel, errands, multi tasking and several ‘acts of kindness’ may dominate and ‘getting the horse before the cart’ IS a threat for expense, timing and decision making processes.

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 MayFeeling like you have been working far too hard. You need to find ways to change

your old routine. Take the time to smell the flowers. You may feel vulnerable to others criticism right now. Push those negative thoughts out of your mind. You will achieve all your desired goals. Vehicles, repairs, purchases, upgrades, travel/transportation, ship-

ping, moving and ANY form of ‘distance’ expense is likely to be on the rise BIG time. News ‘for members’ tends to be good, especially in employment, and income upgrades.

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 JuneDiscrepancies, which will be found within recent events. You will be worried about

your future employment. Insist on receiving honest answers. Your future plans may not be envisioned by all. Others may look for fault, but you’ll appreciate the strong aspects that can help the most. Demands on your time appear to escalate dramatically while

fatigue, minor illness/injury and other types of challenges may present some ‘juggling’ issues in a balancing act between ‘need and want’.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 JulyRealize, your immediate plans may not be as simple as you thought. You will need to

look a lot deeper to be able to see your future more clearly. You will start to feel better once you begin to be your fun loving self. Even though times have changed, you need to hold onto your past.

Busy, happy and productive energies about early in the week but the later may provide a few ‘close calls’ with regard to ‘worrying about other members’ especially elders, vulnerable personalities.

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 AugustThe feeling that weight of your many responsibilities. Once you get your routine

right, you will have much more flexibility with your time demands. Emotions are very high. You need to try hard to keep your temper under control. Once you understand the truth, cooler heads will prevail. Many demands, expenses and travel, vehicle or trans-

portation needs may ‘gather’ to take an impressive bit out of your wallet/budget this week, especially IF you have educating youth in your household.

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 SeptemberYour strong ties to your roots which will help you deal with a situation on a different

perspective. You’ll see how one could be misunderstood. Some interesting news from far away may help you to understand recent events. Your research and investigations will find the reasons.

Cooperation is NOT good early in the week and frustration levels rise with spending needs, espe-cially for elders and any households with ‘educating youth’. Vehicle and transportation ‘needs’ may be a source of decisions and possibly even squabbles.

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 OctThe fact that even though you do not always fit the normal mould, you definitely have

your own style. Aspects of your personality will shine this week. You may have to show your true colors to those who doubt your loyalty. If your heart is true then you will have nothing to worry about.

A busy and demanding week is likely and your focus, especially, seems to be that ‘everyone should just get along’ and ‘harmony and balance’ are what you are shooting for.

Scorpio (N,Y)23 Oct to 21 NovGet ready for knowing your goals, which should be solid. All eyes will be on your re-

cent accomplishments. Take advantage of this opportunity to blow your own horn a little. Your change in focus will prove that you did in fact learn an important lesson. Teamwork

will help accomplish the tasks you require. Good news from members is likely and may focus around announcements, expansion, moves, upgrades, employment, benefits, awards or other types of ‘reasons to celebrate’.

Sagittarius (BH,F,DH,TH) 22 Nov to 21 DecGood communications that will continue as long as you lead in the discussions. You

will realize that you are very important to others plans. Whether you are preparing fine dining or simple comfort food, your past experience give you that little edge on your competition. Keep your word/promise to a member or risk a real ‘back lash’ later or as

far out as the ‘upcoming holidays’. Focus on spending issues and the commitment of ‘future income/debt’ decisions with ‘a practical eye’ on ‘need vs. want’ especially if pleasing youth is involved.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 JanExperience the fact all roads you take this week will lead you to a sort of spiritual

awakening. Use this time to refresh and rejuvenate your positive energy. Good relations with those you work with will enable you to spread your influence. Some interesting employment opportunities exist.

Family members seem to ‘really need you’, even if you are a younger member who does not carry weight or ‘make the calls’ within the family.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 FebNeed to value the instinctive powers that you possess. Sharing your enlightenment

with younger people will help you to progress. Your positive energy will help you to meet tight deadlines. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish once you get started. A mistake could be costly IF you allow it to rob your focus and ‘rattle’ your cage. Remain calm, if discipline is required, make the time fit the crime and if it is a financial

mistake, fix it and say nothing if a sibling, elder or partner is involved.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 MarchThe bright expectations that may turn out not to be enough true information. You

may have to look elsewhere for what you really require. Family and friends will invite you to join at gatherings. Take them up on invites and you’ll be able to find new way to share your ideas.

Your insights are almost ‘scary’ this week, when they are powerful and when they are ‘useful’ and could save time, money and a lot of ‘grief/work’ for yourself and/or others. Celebrations, planning gatherings/parties/holidays, gifting and some vehicle expense may take a more serious bite out of your time/money budget this week.

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

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Part Time AccountantProperty Management Company in Houston is looking for a part-time accountant with the following qualifications:

To apply please email your resume to: [email protected]

(Please indicate in the subject line: “Accounting Position”)

• Degree in Accounting or Business preferred.

• Must have good working knowledge of Quick-books and Excel.

• Experience in generating financial reports & bookkeeping.

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OFFICE MANAGERNeed full time Office Manager to

operate Medical Surgical Center near Galleria area,Houston. Must be

experienced in Medical related office management. Send resume to: [email protected]

Know Your Words

Here’s your chance to be a Vocabulary Sleuth!Pallid - (adj.) lacking color.

Quagmire - (noun) a difficult situation.

Raze - (v.) to demolish, level.

Saccharine - (adj.) sickeningly sweet.

Torpid - (adj.) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion.

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Soil and Concrete Technician wanted.No experience Required.

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accounting knowledge.

Please forward your resume for review to: P. O. Box 36770, Houston, TX 77236-6770.

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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 2 - Site Excavation and Structural Concrete.

A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held Thursday, November 20, 2014 at 1:00 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 pre-proposal conference for those interested.

Bids or proposals are due Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 2:00pm, and bids or proposals should be emailed to [email protected] 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.

HISD, the Owner, reserves the right to waive any informality and/or to reject any, or all bids, or proposals.

Contact Eddie Smith at [email protected] or Wm. Earl Finley, C.P.M., A.P.P. at [email protected] for additional information on this project

Drawings and specifications are available on iSQFT (www.isqft.com) and in the Cadence McShane office located at 7701 W. Little York, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77040.

Drawings and Specifications may also be reviewed at:

Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street, Houston, TX 77092, (713) 843-3700 • McGraw Hill Construction/Dodge, www.construction.com

Virtual Builders Exchange, 3910 Kirby, #131, Houston, TX 77098, (832) 613-0201

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CONSTRUCTION MANAGER-AT-RISK

High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA)Bid Package 2 – Site Excavation & Structural Concrete

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Voice of Asia November 7 2014