Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com August 15-31, 2015

President Carter to undergo radiation for cancer on brain

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August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

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Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho Photographer: Kat Merto

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GAT Calendar of Events GAT welcome submission of announcement pertaining to community related events.

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Taste of Taiwan Celebrate Taiwanese cuisine and Double Seventh Festival Date: August 22, 2015 Time: 10:00 am - 4 :00 pm Venue: Chinese Culture Center, 5377 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee GA 30341 Admission: $5.00 (cash) per person For more info: 770.451.4456 20th Annivesary Hong Kong Dragon Boat-Atlanta Date: Saturday, Sept 12, 2015 Time: 7:00 am - 6:00 pm Venue: Clarks Bridge Olympic Kayaking-Lake Lanier, Gainesville, Georgia For info: dragonboatatlanta.com Taste of Chamblee Date: Saturday, Sept 12, 2015 Time: 12 noon - 7 pm Venue: Downtown Chamblee For more info: Colin Poe, 678.910.8736

RICE Festival Organized by Asian American Resource Center Date: Saturday, Sept 26, 2015 Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Venue: Gwinnett Place Mall For more info: 770—270-0663 NACA Business Forum Date: Friday, October 2, 2015 Time: 1:00 pm -5:00 pm Venue: Technology Square Research Building Georgia Institute of Technology 85 Fifth Street, NW, Atlanta, GA 30308 For more info: contact lynn.guo333@ gmail.com NACA 35th Celebration Gala Dinner Date:Saturday, October 3, 2015 Time: 6:00 pm -10:00 pm Venue: Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom 225 Baker St NW Atlanta, GA 30313 For more info: contact lynn.guo333@ gmail.com

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August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS

Metro Atlanta adds 60,300 residents & Gwinnett led the way Atlanta, August 17, 2015 — The 10-county Atlanta region added 60,300 new residents between April 2014 and April 2015, according to the latest population estimates from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

the year. Gwinnett County led the way, adding 15,700 residents. Fulton County added 12,300 residents, while Cobb County grew by 10,500. The City of Atlanta continued its strong growth, adding 4,800 people.

Metro Atlanta’s growth rate has picked up steam as the economic recovery gains traction. Metro Atlanta’s population grew by 1.4 percent in the past year, compared to 1.2 percent a year earlier. The Atlanta region’s population is now 4,332,600 million, larger than 24 states.

Cherokee County added 5,800 people, DeKalb 5,500, Henry County 4,200, Clayton County 2,200, Rockdale County 1,500, Douglas County 1,400 and Fayette County 1,200.

“The Atlanta region has experienced strong employment growth in the past year, helping fuel our population growth,” said Mike Alexander, manager of ARC’s Research & Analytics Division. “It’s not the explosive growth we were seeing 10 and 20 years ago, but the trend for the last couple of years is that population growth, like employment growth, is accelerating.”

The Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) region added nearly 80,000 jobs between May 2014 and May 2015, the fourth-highest total in the nation.

Each of the region’s 10 counties experienced population growth during

Under state law, ARC is required to estimate the 10-county population each year for the purpose of collecting dues from its member jurisdictions. These population estimates are unofficial until adopted by the ARC Board at its meeting on Aug. 26.

ARC’s population estimates are created using a combination of data sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, building permits, school enrollment, multi-family dwelling occupancy rates, and more.

For the full report, see: http:// atlresearch.tumblr.com/ post/126447942228/populationestimatesaug2015snapshot

Gwinnett Center officially renamed Infinite Energy Center Duluth, August 14, 2015 – Infinite Energy secured the naming rights to Gwinnett Center today after a vote by the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. Under the contract, Infinite Energy will purchase the official naming rights over the next 20 years for $18 million, and the venue name will become Infinite Energy Center.

“Gwinnett Center’s purpose directly aligns with our mission to provide more opportunities that better the local community,” said Darin Cook, co-CEO and co-founder of Infinite Energy.

“People in Georgia have helped us grow for the last 17 years, and now we can give back in a big way.”

In addition to the overall name change to Infinite Energy Center, each venue has been renamed: · Infinite Energy Arena. Formerly named The Arena at Gwinnett Center, the 13,000-seat arena is home to the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators and NLL’s Georgia Swarm, and can accommodate a wide range of events including concerts, sporting events and family shows.

· Infinite Energy Forum. The 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall formerly known as the Gwinnett Convention Center features 23 meeting rooms and a 21,600-square-foot grand ballroom. · Infinite Energy Theater. With 708 seats, the former Gwinnett Performing Arts Center is used for dramatic stage productions, intimate concerts and corporate presentations.

“We are thrilled to announce our new name,” said Joseph Dennis, general manager of the Infinite Energy Center (formerly Gwinnett Center). “We feel that this partnership will increase the level of impact that Infinite Energy Center has on the local and national level.”

Infinite Energy Center plans to unveil new signage this fall.

Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

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August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

FEATURE

President Carter to undergo radiation for cancer on brain Atlanta, Aug 20, 2015 — Former US president and Nobel peace laureate Jimmy Carter said today he has cancerous tumors on his brain and will begin radiation treatment right away.

humanitarian work since leaving the White House.

The 90-year-old Carter told a press conference that the finding of the four melanoma spots stemmed from a procedure in which a tumor was removed from his liver.

In fact, he said he plans to carry on teaching Sunday school.

“They did an MRI and found that there were four spots of melanoma on my brain,” Carter told reporters in Atlanta. “I get my first radiation treatment for the melanoma in my brain this afternoon.”

Carter said that as his treatment continues, it is likely doctors will find cancer elsewhere in his body.

The 39th president sounded quite serene and in high spirits as he discussed his illness. He joked with reporters and smiled often, his Georgia drawl still pronounced as he spoke.

Carter, a former peanut farmer who only served one term in office from 1977 to 1981, is arguably better known for his decades of globe-trotting

“I feel good. I haven’t felt any weakness or debility,” Carter said.

Carter said he has received well-wishing phone calls from a host of powerful people, including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, former president Bill Clinton and his wife and presidential hopeful Hillary, and both former presidents Bush.

“First time they’ve called me in a long time,” Carter joked, drawing guffaws at a news conference that seemed almost light hearted—not an unusually frank explanation by a former president of his cancer that could spread further.

Still at ease Carter said that after the cancer in his brain was diagnosed, he initially thought he was nearing the end of his life, but was still at ease.

“You know, I have had a wonderful life. I have got thousands of friends and I have had an exciting and adventurous and gratifying existence,” Carter said.

“So I was surprisingly at ease, much more so than my wife was, but now I feel, you know, it’s in the hands of God and my worship, and I’ll be prepared for it when it comes,” Carter said.

“So I’m ready for anything and looking forward to a new adventure.”

Carter’s term in office is perhaps best known for the Iran hostage crisis, which saw 52 Americans held in Tehran for 444 days following the Islamic Revolution.

Carter’s failure to secure their release, compounded by a failed military rescue attempt, would dog his presidency and scuttle his bid for a second term.

Carter was asked Thursday about the highs and lows of his life.

He said the best thing he ever did was marry his wife Rosalynn, and that it was also an honor to have served as president.

As for regrets, he mentioned the hostage crisis.

“I wish I had sent one more helicopter to get the hostages and we would have rescued them—and I would have

been re-elected,” Carter joked, drawing more hearty laughter.

Indeed, Carter’s reputation is much stronger today than it was when he left office.

Reaching a peace deal between Israel and Egypt is now recognized as the zenith of his presidency and a major diplomatic achievement.

But his work after leaving the White House has also been widely praised.

He has been an extremely active as an ex-president, working as an elections monitor and lobbying for health campaigns via the Carter Centre, which he founded in 1982.

He has participated in election monitoring in Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and East Timor, and in 2003 travelled to Cuba for a historic face-to-face meeting with longtime communist leader Fidel Castro.

He was recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to promote social and economic justice.

Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

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BUSINESS ASIA Cautious Feds sees rate hike “approaching”

Washington DC, August 20, 2015 — The Federal Reserve was divided about whether the US economy is strong enough to withstand an interest rate increase at July’s policy meeting, the minutes of the meeting showed Wednesday.

Although policy makers at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting viewed conditions getting closer to allowing the first rate hike in nearly nine years, they cited evidence that the time was not ripe.

As expected, the FOMC left unchanged the benchmark federal funds rate at the zero level, where it has been pegged since late 2008 to support the US economy’s recovery from the Great Recession. But Fed Chair Janet Yellen has signaled that a hike is on track this year.

The record of the July 28-29 FOMC meeting gave no clear indication of when the Fed will pull the rate trigger, which some experts had put as early as the next FOMC meeting just four weeks away.

“In our view, the minutes have lowered the probability of liftoff in September and raised the probability for December,” Nomura Global Economics said in a client note.

“It’s clear… that the Committee sees downside risk to its inflation outlook and it may need more evidence that inflation is moving in the right direction.”

Moody’s Analytics analyst Ryan Sweet said the minutes confirmed that a rate hike at the September 16-17 meeting remained possible, but was “not a slam dunk, and we believe the odds have diminished over the past couple of weeks.”

FOMC participants highlighted tepid inflation, slack in the job market and low wage growth, and risks from China’s economic slowdown as they considered raising near-zero borrowing costs.

“Most judged that the conditions for policy firming had not yet been achieved, but they noted that conditions were approaching that point,” the minutes said.

Some FOMC participants emphasized the economy had made “significant progress” over the past few years and viewed conditions for a rate hike “as having been met or were confident that they would be met shortly.”

A couple worried that an appreciable delay in hiking would result in an “undesirable increase in inflation” or otherwise hurt financial stability, while one member was ready to pull the trigger but would wait for additional data.

Officials generally agreed that job market conditions had improved.

However, several noted that “some noticeable margins of slack remained,” including a high share of employees working part time because full-time jobs were not available.

Tepid inflation concerns Some participants said they did not have enough information to make them “reasonably confident” that tepid inflation would move back to the Fed’s 2.0 percent target over the medium term, a key element of the Fed’s dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment.

“Members are satisfied with improvements in the labor market, but it is inflation that has members leaning one way or the other,” said Patrick

Newport, US economist at IHS Global Insight.

“That’s probably because the inflation numbers are a puzzle. The economy is nearing full employment, productivity has stalled, yet inflation shows no signs of taking off.”

Earlier Wednesday, the Labor Department reported consumer prices rose a mere 0.2 percent in July yearover-year, extending a slow rise since April.

China’s slowdown also troubled Fed policy makers.

“While the recent Chinese stock market decline seemed to have had limited implications to date for the growth outlook in China, several participants noted that a material slowdown in Chinese economic activity could pose risks to the US economic outlook,” the minutes said.

The FOMC meeting came before China’s shock devaluation last week of the yuan, which many observers saw as a sign that its slowdown is deeper than thought.

The dovish FOMC minutes sent the dollar tumbling, ending the day down 0.8 percent at $1.1121 to the euro.

“I’m a bit surprised by the market reacting as much as that,” said Vassili Serebriakov of BNP Paribas.

“I think the message was ‘we’re getting closer to hiking but we’re not there yet.’ Certainly, there’s no clear signal of a rate hike in September and that’s what’s hurting the dollar.”

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August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

BUSINESS

Japan economy shrinks in second-quarter in setback for ‘Abenomics’ Tokyo, August 17, 2015 — Japan’s economy shrank at an annualized pace of 1.6 percent in April-June as exports slumped and consumers cut back spending, a bad omen for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policy drive to lift the economy out of decades of deflation.

China’s economic slowdown and its impact on its Asian neighbors have also heightened the chance that any rebound in growth in July-September will be modest, analysts say.

The gloomy data adds to signs that Japan’s economy is at a standstill and may rekindle market expectations that the Bank of Japan will expand monetary stimulus later this year.

The contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) compared with a median market forecast of a 1.9 percent fall and followed a revised expansion of 4.5 percent in the first quarter, Cabinet Office data showed on Monday.

“Private consumption declined a lot, capital spending was poor and inventories piled up. The situation seemed far worse than the GDP figures showed,” said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.

Private consumption, which makes up roughly 60 percent of economic activity, fell 0.8 percent in April-June from the previous quarter, double the pace expected by analysts.

It was the first decline since AprilJune 2014, when an increase in the sales tax hike hit consumption, as households spent less on air conditioners, clothing and personal computers, said a government official briefing reporters on the data.

Overseas demand shaved 0.3 percentage point off growth as exports to Asia and the United States slumped, the data showed.

Economics Minister Akira Amari put on a brave face, blaming the contraction on temporary factors like bad weather that kept consumers at home.

“Income conditions continue to improve as a trend so private consumption is expected to recover gradually,” he said in a statement after the data release.

Many analysts say weak second-quarter GDP data alone won’t trigger an immediate monetary easing.

But economists have already sharply cut their growth forecasts for the current fiscal year and expect the BOJ to do so too when it reviews its long-term projections in October.

“If the economy in July-September turns out to be weak, there is a chance the BOJ will implement more easing,” said Yoshiki Shinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

Japan’s economy suffered a mild recession last year as consumption took a hit from a sales tax hike in April 2014.

Growth rebounded this year, only to slow again as exports and consumption remained disappointingly weak.

– Reuters

Starbucks changes recipes for pumpkin spice latte New York, Aug 18, 2015 -- Starbucks Corp is changing the recipe for its pumpkin spice latte a year after the coffee-shop chain was criticized for using artificial ingredients in the beverage.

The espresso drink, which the coffee chain has served seasonally for about a decade, will be made without artificial caramel coloring this year, the Seattle-based company said today on its website. Starbucks also said it will use real pumpkin in the drink this year.

The ingredient change came after Vani Hari, the blogger who calls herself “Food Babe,” criticized Starbucks for using caramel coloring last year. US consumers are increasingly interested in avoiding artificial flavors and colours in their food and beverages.

The pumpkin spice latte is a perennial top-seller at Starbucks and has spawned a flood of pumpkin-flavored items across the food and beverage industries.

Panera Bread Co, which is working to rid its menu of food additives, pulled preservatives from its pumpkin spice latte this year. The company said the move makes it the only national restaurant chain to sell that beverage without artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. After Starbucks published its blog post, Panera allowed media to release information about the new recipe yesterday before the official announcement that was slated for today.

Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

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LIFESTYLE

U.S. regulators approve first “female viagra” Washington DC, Aug 19, 2015 — US regulators yesterday approved the first “female Viagra,” a drug known as Addyi that works on the brain to boost younger women’s libido if they have lost interest in sex.

Made by North Carolina-based Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Addyi, also known as flibanserin, received the nod from the US Food and Drug Administration, on the condition that extra care is taken to ensure women do not take it with alcohol due to the risk of serious side effects.

“Today’s approval provides women distressed by their low sexual desire with an approved treatment option,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Centre for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The FDA approved Addyi specifically for a condition known as “acquired,

generalised hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD),” or sudden and severe loss of libido.

“Prior to Addyi’s approval, there were no FDA-approved treatments for sexual desire disorders in men or women,” the agency said.

The disorder can develop in women who previously were sexually active, causing distress and relationship problems, “and is not due to a co-existing medical or psychiatric condition, problems within the relationship, or the effects of a medication or other drug substance.”

The drug must not be taken with alcohol, and will only be available at certified pharmacies because of the potentially serious interaction with alcohol, including risks such as fainting and severely low blood pressure.

“Patients and prescribers should ful-

ly understand the risks associated with the use of Addyi before considering treatment,” Woodcock added.

Failed before In June, an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration urged regulators to approve flibanserin, after previously voting against it twice in years past.

The FDA is not required to follow the advice of the panel, but it often does.

Attempts to bring the drug to market failed in 2010 and 2013, given what experts described as inconclusive advantages when compared to a placebo.

According to documents on the FDA website, women taking flibanserin reported on average 4.4 sexually satisfying encounters per month, compared to 3.7 in a placebo group and 2.7 before beginning the study.

“It has been a remarkable journey to get to this breakthrough moment.

Today, we celebrate what this approval means for all women who have long awaited a medical treatment option for this life impacting condition,” said Cindy Whitehead, chief executive officer of Sprout.

“We applaud the FDA for putting the patient voice at the centre of the conversation and for focusing on scientific evidence.”

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EVENTS

August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

Asian Cultural Experience Aug 8-9, 2015 Gwinnett Center

Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

EVENTS

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Asian Cultural Experience Aug 8-9, 2015 Gwinnett Center

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August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

LIFESTYLE

China fashion exhibition breaks Metropolitan museum record

New York, Aug 19, 2015 — A New York exhibition exploring Chinese influence on Western fashion has become a summer smash-hit, attracting a record 670,000 visitors in a sign of China’s growing clout in America.

Spread across 16 galleries, “China: Through the Looking Glass”, is the most visited show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and has been extended for three weeks.

It broke the previous record set by a 2011 show celebrating the late British designer Alexander McQueen, which went on display shortly after his tragic death, the museum said.

By the weekend, more than 670,000 visitors had flocked to the China exhibition, compared to 661,509 for McQueen and has been extended until September 7, the Met announced.

“As China’s role politically and economically has grown on the world stage it’s very clear that people want to know more about the culture out of which that recent success has been spawned,” explained Maxwell Hearn, head of the Met’s Asian art department.

The exhibition opened on May 7, and

explores the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashion imagination for centuries.

It juxtaposes some of the world’s finest haute couture with jewelery and works of Chinese art, focusing on Imperial China, 1920-40s Shanghai and the People’s Republic of China.

Hearn attributes its phenomenal success to a unique creative collaboration between the fashion and Asian art departments.

There is a bamboo forest made out of plexiglass, a traditional Chinese garden court has been transformed into a moonlit pool where John Galliano dresses appear to float over the surface.

There is an array of cinematic clips.

The shoulders of an Yves Saint Laurent evening jacket have been picked out in the pattern on a 5th century BC bronze vessel.

From stomach ache to fashion The decoration on a 1950s Dior dress is inspired by Chinese calligraphy drawn from a poem complaining about a stomach ache.

China was also the theme of this year’s Met Ball, which kicked off the exhibition and acts as the Institute’s annual fundraiser, the most glittering event in New York high society.

“I think China is something everybody is interested in,” said Hearn .

“To see how China has been an obsession, certainly a source of inspiration for centuries is something that really comes across.”

After French and Spanish, Chinese is the most sought-after language at US secondary schools, he said.

There is also a huge influx of Chinese tourists, who want to see how China is represented in a Western museum, he added.

The US Department of Commerce projects visitor growth from China will increase by 172 per cent to 3.1 million visitors by 2019.

“For the Chinese to come here and see their culture in the context of Asia and beyond, I think that’s why this show must be very interesting and even provocative for them,” Hearn said.

“It’s showing them that China has had an historical impact on the West.”

The Costume Institute reopened last year, named after Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has raised more than US$125 million for the centre since becoming trustee of the Met in 1999.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is New York’s most visited museum, welcoming 6.2 million people last year.

“China: Through the Looking Glass” is so far the museum’s eighth most visited exhibition in history, a spokeswoman said.

Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

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SPORTS

PGA: Jason Day 20-under in historic win over Spieth Kohler, Aug 17, 2015 — Australia’s Jason Day won the PGA Championship in historic style yesterday, capturing his first grand slam title with a 20-under par total unprecedented in major championship history.

Day said. “A lot of emotion has come out because I’ve been so close so many times and fallen short.

Day carded a five-under par 67 in the final round at Whistling Straits for a 20-under total of 268 -- breaking Tiger Woods’s major-record low winning total of 19-under set at the British Open in 2000.

Day didn’t realize his 20-under total was a record low for a major winner.

Day, who has endured a string of near-misses on golf’s biggest stages, was never going to let this one slip away.

“I wasn’t going to stop fighting until it was over,” said the 27-year-old, who takes home a US$1.8 million (RM7.344 million) prize almost as hefty as the Wanamaker Trophy itself.

From his birdie from a bunker at the second hole, Day was off and running, leaving Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth and the rest of the field in the shade.

Spieth carded a four-under par 68 for 17-under 271, holding off England’s Justin Rose and South African Branden Grace to finish second and seize the world number one ranking from Rory McIlroy.

Day reached 20-under for good with a two-putt birdie from the fringe at the par-five 16th.

At 18, Day rolled his first putt from 45 feet to within a foot, and was already weeping as he tapped in for par and the win.

“I didn’t expect I was going to cry,”

“Just to be able to finish the way I did was amazing.”

“The amount of history that’s been through our game, in our sport, to be able to hold that record currently is really amazing,” he said.

“I just can’t think of it. It really is just something that I haven’t been able to sit down and just kind of absorb and really kind of cherish.”

Day, who will rise from fifth to third in the world rankings, took a twostroke lead into the final round — his biggest 54-hole lead at a major after holding at least a share of the top spot through three rounds in both the US and British Opens this year.

He finished with seven birdies on the day and two bogeys, twice reaching 20-under as his pursuers scrambled in his wake.

Grace applied the most pressure, closing in with three straight birdies from the fifth through seventh.

But Day pulled away with his own birdie burst starting at the fifth, capped by a 50-footer at the par-three seventh.

His lead from there never less than two strokes and at times as high as four.

Marvelous golf Grace finished third after a 69 for

273 and while he regretted a few “silly mistakes” of his own he could only admire Day’s “marvelous golf.”

“I don’t think anybody would have caught him this week,” said the South African, who was even with Rose until the Englishman bogeyed 18 to fall to fourth with a 70 for 274.

Rose had briefly moved within two strokes of Day’s lead before a double-bogey at 13.

“Sometimes there’s not much you can do,” said Spieth, whose 2015 record in majors remains impressive at two wins, one second place and a tie for fourth.

With Spieth in solo second place, McIlroy—playing for the first time since rupturing an ankle tendon in July—would have needed a top-six finish to hang on to the top spot.

His closing 69 put him in 17th place on 279.

“To be number one in the world... is fantastic,” Spieth said. “Certainly it was a lifelong goal of mine, and that was accomplished today.”

As for beating Day, Spieth said, that just never seemed to be in the cards.

“It was a stripe show. It was really a clinic to watch,” he said of Day’s driving.

Spieth: No. 1 ‘fantastic’ Although he couldn’t join Ben Hogan and Woods as the only men to win three majors in one year, the 22-yearold Spieth became the second-youngest man behind Woods in 1997 to claim the world number one ranking.

“He was sitting there swinging as hard as he could off the tee, and every single drive was right down the middle of the fairway.”

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August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS

China’s Chen Long too strong for Lee Chong Wei in world championship Jakarta, Aug 16, 2015 — China’s Chen Long produced a fitting display for a top seed and defending champion to claim a second straight world title with a pulsating 21-14 21-17 victory against Malaysian nearly-man Lee Chong Wei today.

Lee has topped the world rankings for a record 298 weeks during a long and illustrious career but once again came up short against a Chinese player at the top of his game in a fourth world championship final defeat in as many matches.

Chen has replaced Lin Dan as the top male player following his breakthrough world title triumph a year ago and the rangy 26-year-old has also replaced his compatriot as Lee’s arch nemesis after repeating last year’s win over the Malaysian.

Lin has beaten Lee in four major finals, including the last two Olympics, but Chen has emerged from the shadow of a player many believe to be the greatest ever with a complete game built on his supreme agility, speed, power and fitness.

At 1.87 metres, Chen also boasts a court-covering reach and used all of his attributes to rein in the fast-starting Lee, realising he was dominating when he attacked and coming off second best in the tactical rallies.

Once he took the lead at 11-10, Chen looked unstoppable and reeled off 16of-20 points to claim the opening game before storming out of the blocks in the second to forge a six-point lead by the interval.

Lee battled gamely as Chen’s intensity levels dropped but the Malaysian was unable to get any closer than

within two points of his opponent in the second game as a packed Istora Senayan roared in approval.

“Lee is a good player but I was better today,” Chen said in a courtside interview. “This is a very special arena, so it feels great to win the world title here.”

Carolina Marin also enjoyed a successful title defence, the top-seeded Spaniard beating Saina Nehwal 21-16 21-19 in a high-class encounter to deny India a first world badminton title.

The world number one had been under an injury cloud in the build up to the championships but twice relied on her ability to quickly string together points at crucial times to rally from behind in both games and secure victory in 56 minutes.

“I didn’t think I would be here when I was struggling with my injuries but my coaches said I should keep training and try to play at the world championships and just do the best I could in the tournament,” Marin said.

“I knew from the beginning it was going to be a very tough match because Saina is really good but I kept fighting until the end and am very happy with my performance today.”

Earlier, top seeds Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei stormed to a third mixed doubles world title with a comfortable 21-17 21-11 victory over compatriots and former junior world champions Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin. — Reuters

Sergio Ramos ends speculation, signs 5-year deal with Real Madrid, Aug 17, 2015 — Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has ended speculation surrounding his future by signing a new five-year deal with the Spanish giants, the club confirmed today.

Ramos had been courted by Manchester United during a standoff in negotiations between his representatives and Madrid president Florentino Perez over the Spanish international’s salary with his previous deal set to expire in 2017.

However, the club said in a statement he will remain “tied to the club for the next five seasons.”

Both Ramos and Perez will appear at a press conference to mark the renewal at 1.30pm local time at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

According to Spanish media reports, Ramos will earn up to €10 million a season.

United and Madrid have been locked in transfer talks all summer with Real still hopeful of landing Ramos’s international teammate David de Gea before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Ramos is now Madrid’s longest serving player having signed from Sevilla 10 years ago as a 19-year-old and will be club captain for the first time this season after Iker Casillas’s 18-year career at the Bernabeu came to an end when he joined Porto last month.

Despite holding an unwanted record as the Madrid player to have seen most red cards in the history of the club with a staggering 19 dismissals, Ramos is a hero amongst the Real support and is most fondly remembered for scoring

the goal that saved Los Blancos from losing the 2014 Champions League final to local rivals Atletico Madrid.

His stoppage time header forced the game into extra-time where the white half of Madrid went onto dominate and run out 4-1 winners to complete his own personal repertoire of honors, which also includes three La Liga titles and two Copa del Reys as well as the World Cup and two European Championships at international level with Spain.

By committing to stay at the Bernabeu, Ramos has offered a huge lift to a Real side in need of a confidence boost ahead of the kick-off to the La Liga campaign next weekend.

Ramos was among a host of high-profile first-team players also including Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez who showed their discontent at the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti in May. The appointment of Rafael Benitez as Ancelotti’s successor was met with skepticism by the vast majority of the club’s fans and Perez has unusually decided against the lavish signing of a “galactico” this summer, instead settling for a deeper and younger squad.

However, without the injured Ronaldo, Benitez’s men have struggled in pre-season, failing to score in four of their seven friendlies so far.

Madrid begin their league campaign away to newly promoted Sporting Gijon on August 23.

Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

Page 15

HEALTH Scientists discover reset button for internal body clock Chicago, Aug 17, 2015 — By now, you’ve probably heard about circadian rhythms, but how they work comes down to a question of sodium and potassium, according to a new study.

With further research the discovery could lead to new solutions in the fight against insomnia caused by jet lag, shift work and other irregularities in daily schedules.

High sodium channel activity in the brain’s circadian neurons could be what wakes us up, while high potassium activity could allow us to sleep, according to the US-based research team.

Dr Allada and his colleagues, whose study was published in the journal Cell, believe that eventually it could be possible to reset the internal clock according to an individual’s situation.

Sodium and potassium channels transfer ions of the two elements from one side of a cell’s membrane to another.

Building on observations of a mutant fruit fly that was missing a sodium channel and whose circadian rhythms were off-kilter, Dr Allada worked for 15 years to find the association.

They are found in many kinds of cells but this study applies to the channels found in the brain’s neurons.

So far, this alternating sodium-potassium activity has been demonstrated to control the sleep-wake cycle in both mice and fruit flies, which is encouraging as far as the possibility goes that it works the same way for humans.

“This oscillation mechanism appears to be conserved across several hundred

million years of evolution,” says Dr Ravi Allada, a circadian rhythms expert at Northwestern University. “And if it’s in the mouse, it is likely in humans, too.”

Working with normal fruit flies, the team observed the neurons’ activity levels and found they fired off in the morning due to the high sodium current and were calmer at night while the potassium current was in full swing.

rhythms in the insects and animals observed, according to the researchers.

The sodium and potassium currents act like pedals, say the researchers, conveying time information to the brain’s neurons.

“What is amazing is finding the same mechanism for sleep-wake cycle control in an insect and a mammal,” says lead author Matthieu Flourakis of Northwestern. “Mice are nocturnal, and flies are diurnal, or active during the day, but their sleep-wake cycles are controlled in the same way.”

Working with mice, the team studied the suprachiasmic nucleus — the region of the brain made up of 20,000 neurons that controls circadian rhythms — and sure enough, the mechanism was present, according to the study.

It’s that balance between the two currents that controls circadian

More evidence that fried food raises heart attack risk August 11, 2015 — People who eat lots of fried food and sugary drinks have a 56 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to those who eat healthier, US researchers said Monday.

The findings in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, were based on a six-year study of more than 17,000 people in the United States.

Researchers found that people who regularly ate what was described as a Southern style diet — fried foods, eggs, processed meats like bacon and ham, and sugary drinks — faced the highest risk of a heart attack or heart-related death during the next six years.

“Regardless of your gender, race, or where you live, if you frequently eat a Southern-style diet you should be aware of your risk of heart disease and try to make some gradual changes to your diet,” said lead researcher James Shikany, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Preventive Medicine.

“Try cutting down the number of times you eat fried foods or processed meats from every day to three days a week as a start, and try substituting baked or grilled chicken or vegetable-based foods.”

The study included both white and African-American men and women aged 45 or older, who did not have heart disease when they began the study.

Participants enrolled from 2003 to 2007. They were first screened by telephone, then given an in-home physical exam, then they answered a food frequency questionnaire.

“Every six months, the participants were interviewed via telephone about their general health status and hospitalizations for nearly six years,” said the study.

Participants fell into five different

eating groups, including the Southern style eaters; those who favored convenience foods like pasta, Mexican food, Chinese food, mixed dishes and pizza; the “plant-based” pattern which was mostly vegetables and fruits; the “sweets” pattern; and the “alcohol/ salads” group which tended toward by beer, wine, liquor, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and salad dressings.

The Southern-style eaters were the only ones faced with a higher risk of heart disease.

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August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia

U.S. senators to Obama: Address human rights with China

Six injured in U.S. military chopper accident in Okinawa Tokyo, August 12, 2015 — Six people were injured when a US military helicopter failed to land properly on an American ship during an exercise off Japan’s Okinawa island on Wednesday, the US military said.

A US Army H-60 helicopter was “damaged during a hard deck landing” aboard the vehicle cargo ship USNS Red Cloud 20 miles east of the island, US Forces Japan said in a statement.

“The helicopter was conducting a local training mission,” the brief statement said, adding that the cause of the accident is under investigation.

While further details were not available, Japanese local media said a total of 17 crew members were on board when the accident occurred.

Japan’s coastguard and public

broadcaster NHK earlier said seven crew members were injured.

Okinawa is home to more than half of the 47,000 US service personnel stationed in Japan as part of a defense alliance.

Japan said last week it would temporarily halt work on a controversial new US military base in southern Okinawa as talks continue with local officials opposed to the project.

Washington DC, August 12, 2015 — A bipartisan group of US senators Tuesday urged President Barack Obama to highlight human rights concerns when his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping visits next month, in particular Beijing’s “extraordinary assault” on rule of law.

“We urge you to make human rights and political reform in China a key and public component of the agenda for your discussions,” wrote the lawmakers, including Senate Armed Services Committee chairman John McCain, ranking Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrat Ben Cardin, and number two Senate Republican John Cornyn.

The lawmakers, five Democrats and five Republicans, acknowledged the agenda for the talks will be packed with issues like economics and trade, China’s recent actions in the East and South China Seas, climate change and cyber-security.

But they stressed that human rights have suffered from a crackdown in China, where they say that the government has “tightened its controls” on free expression, including restrictions on media, academia and the Internet.

“Under President Xi, there has been an extraordinary assault on rule of law

and civil society in China,” the senators warned, citing as an example the detention or harrassment of more than 250 lawyers and political activists since July 9.

They also urged Obama to press Xi to immediately release imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobo and end the “illegal” house arrest of his wife; refrain from persecuting those who practice their religion, including Falun Gong practitioners; and refrain from interfering in the traditional system of recognizing Tibetan Buddhist lamas.

“We know you share these concerns,” the senators wrote Obama.

None of the five US senators currently running for president — Republicans Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul or Marco Rubio, and independent Bernie Sanders running for the Democratic nomination — signed the letter.

Xi is also general secretary of China’s Communist Party. He has visited the United States before, but never on an official state visit.

Georgia Asian Times August 15-31, 2015

Page 17

Misc Asia Twisted iron railings were the only immediate sign of the blast point, which police believe was caused by a bomb made up of three kilograms of high explosives.

detonated at the Erawan shrine.

Buddhist monks chanted as they led the morning ceremony that drew together devotees, including tourists, who knelt and held joss sticks.

Somyot had also previously suggested a link.

A relative of the dead Malaysians had laid bundles of clothes and ceremonial money at the shrine to help their departed loved ones find comfort in the afterlife, witnesses said.

Thai police hunt bomb “network” as shrine reopens Bangkok, August 19, 2015 — A man suspected of planting a deadly bomb in Bangkok is part of a wider “network”, Thailand’s top policeman said Wednesday, as monks led prayers and reopened the shrine where 20 people were killed.

The blast struck on Monday evening as worshippers and tourists crowded into the Erawan shrine in the Thai capital’s commercial heart, but with no claim of responsibility the motive and identity of the culprit remain a mystery.

The unprecedented attack left at least 11 foreigners dead, with visitors from Britain, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, and a family from Malaysia among the victims.

Another 68 people remain in critical condition after a blast that shredded bodies and incinerated motorcycles at one of the city’s busiest intersections, sending a shockwave through the country’s pivotal tourist industry.

“It’s a network,” police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung told reporters without elaborating, a day after CCTV footage emerged showing a suspect leaving a backpack moments before the blast struck.

“We believe there must be people helping him, Thai people,” he added, appearing to rule out the action of a lone wolf attacker.

Police had initially said a second explosion at a Bangkok pier on Tuesday that caused no injuries may also be linked, deepening fears for residents as police conceded they do not know who was responsible.

But on Wednesday Somyot said the second attack might also be a “copycat” and that police were keeping all options open.

Thai police have now offered a one million baht reward for information that leads to the arrest of the main suspect.

Widely circulated video of the suspect, apparently young and slightly built, and sporting glasses and shaggy dark hair, has prompted social media chatter that he could be a foreigner.

In a televised address Wednesday, Thai junta spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said security has been tightened in tourist areas “especially where there are many Chinese tourists, to regain their trust and confidence”.

The Erawan shrine — a popular tourist attraction that typifies the kingdom’s unusual blend of Hindu and Buddhist traditions — and its surroundings have already been largely restored and the pools of congealed blood scrubbed away.

One devotee at the shrine had more reason than most to give thanks.

Tommy Goh, 56, a Thai-Malaysian from Penang, said only a delayed taxi from his hotel spared him from being at the shrine around the time of the blast.

“We were meant to be here around 6:50-7pm but the taxi didn’t arrive from the hotel… so we went somewhere else,” he said.

“Ten minutes later and it could have been so different.”

“It’s exactly the same, the equipment used to make it, the bomb size,” he said.

But a senior source at the National Security Council said the difference in execution and intent of the two attacks reduced the likelihood of a tie.

“The second bomb appears aimed at inciting unrest,” rather than killing, requesting anonymity.

Thailand has experienced a near-decade-long political crisis that has seen endless rounds of street violence.

But it has never seen anything on the scale of Monday’s bomb and foreigners are generally not targets in a country that prides itself on extending a warm welcome to outsiders despite any political troubles.

A festering insurgency by Muslim rebels in the Thai south has claimed 6,400 victims — the majority civilians — but is a highly localized conflict.

Police released images Tuesday showing the suspect, wearing a bright yellow T-shirt and dark shorts, walking into the shrine with a backpack.

Monday’s attack has caught Thailand’s junta flat-footed, raising security fears at a time of deepening discontent with the economy, a contentious new constitution and the kingdom’s poor human rights environment.

In the security footage he casually places the backpack underneath a bench and then walks away clutching a blue plastic bag and what looks like a smartphone.

The military seized power last May, casting its coup as a necessary evil to prevent the country imploding after months of protests against the former government.

The bomb exploded several minutes later, leading Thai police to make the man their prime suspect.

But with the bomber still on the run ordinary Thais said they fear another attack.

There have been mixed messages from senior police about whether the first bomb and the small explosion on Tuesday are linked.

“I’m still scared because you never know where they (the perpetrators) will strike again,” said 43-year-old Sommai Gazem.

Bombs linked?

Colonel Kamthorn Ouicharoen, head of the police bomb squad, confirmed the bridge device — which was hurled into the water and shocked pedestrians — was the same type as the one

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August 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

TRAVEL

5 gourmet experiences for an afternoon tea in London London, Aug 12, 2015 - This week, England is saluting one of its greatest gourmet traditions: afternoon tea. In London, luxury hotels and tourist destinations have coordinated to best let people discover scones, jams and other delights that make up this special moment. Our selection of five unique places for your tea.

Tea masterclass at Harrod’s The famous London luxury store is organising masterclasses on August 13 and 14 dedicated to tea tasting. Within the confines of its iconic Georgian Restaurant, Harrod’s will present a selection of ten of its very own tea specialties. The tasting will be accompanied by delicacies like scones served warm with a rose petal gelée.

Expect to pay £50 per person, and make sure to reserve ahead of time at reservations@harrods.com.

Japanese-style afternoon tea The Courthouse Hotel will thumb its nose at British tradition by reimagining British tea with Japanese ingredients. Guests will, for example, taste a plum wine that is traditionally served in the land of the rising sun, or an Asian effervescent wine. The cost: £29.50 per person.

A gourmet moment with author Rosie Millard Afternoon tea at the Conrad Saint James will adopt an educational outlook with the presence of author Rosie Millard. The journalist will discuss her latest book, The Square, while guests enjoy coconut or pineapple scones and mojito macaroons. Traditional cups of tea will be served, as well as large glasses of iced tea.

The afternoon will set you back £35.

A fragrant experience at the InterContinental Park Lane An historic afternoon tea When the world of perfumes meets afternoon tea... To celebrate this event, the hotel has organized a workshop to demonstrate the way in which perfumes and cooking techniques can work together to create an ultra-gourmet afternoon tea.

To this end, the head of Floris London and her spokesperson will lead demonstrations on August 13. Expect to shell out £35 per person for the workshop and an afternoon tea complete with a glass of Champagne in the Wellington Lounge.

On August 14, superstar blogger Kerstin Rodgers, aka Marmite Lover, will serve tea and scones in an historic setting in 18-century style. This will all go down in the Dennis Sever’s House in Spitalfields. Going back in time will cost you £75 per person.