Georgia Asian Times July 15-31, 2016 by Georgia Asian Times

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com

25 Most Influential Asian-Americans in Georgia

July 15-31, 2016

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July 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times July 15-31, 2016

Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho, Helen Nguyen Photographer: Ben Hioe

Tel: 678-971-9388 Advertising: gat@gasiantimes.com Editorial: info@gasiantimes.com URL: www.gasiantimes.com Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4502 Suwanee GA 30024 Copyright Georgia Asian Times 2004-2016

All Rights Reserved: including those to reproduce this printing or parts thereof in any form without permission in writing from Georgia Asian Times. Established in 2004, the Georgia Asian Times is published by Asiamax Inc. All facts, opinions, and statements appearing within this publication are those of writers and editors themseleves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions, endorsements by Georgia Asian Times or its officers. Georgia Asian Times assumes no responsibility for damages from the use of information contained in this publication or the reply to any advertisement. The Publisher will not be liable for any error in advertising to greater extent than the cost of space occupied by the error and will only be made for a single publication date. The Publisher reserves the right to reject any ad or articles submitted for publication that may not be in good taste for a free publication.

GAT Calendar of Events GAT welcome submission of announcement pertaining to community related events. Please email event, date, venue, and time to gat@gasiantimes.com. GAT does not guarantee insertion of event announcement and has the right to deny any posting.

Summer Picnic Concert Organized by United Vietnamese American Community of Georgia Date: Saturday, July 30, 2016 Time: 11 am-5:00 pm Venue: Lillian Webb Park, Norcross For more info: www.uvacga.org 21st Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Date: Saturday, Sept 10, 2016 Time: 7:00 am-6:00 pm Venue: Lake Laneir Olympic Kayak Facility, Gainesville For more info: dragonboatatlanta.com JapanFest â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cooler Japanâ&#x20AC;? Date: Sat-Sun, Sept 17-18 Time: 10 am - 6 pm Venue: Infinite Energy Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth Admission: $10, children under 6 free For more info: www.japanfest.org

12th Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: Oct 7-22, 2016 Venues: KSU, GPC Dunwoody, UWG, Plaza Theatre For more info: atlaff.org

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July 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, OSHA sign agreement with Embassy of the Philippines to help protect Georgia workers Atlanta, July 15, 2016, — The Embassy of the Philippines and U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration renewed its partnership to promote worker’s rights at a signing ceremony in the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Building in Atlanta. Sung Kim Chu, assistant district director, Wage and Hour Division, Atlanta, Américo Pagán, assistant regional administrator cooperative and state programs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Atlanta, and Emilio T. Fernandez, Consul General of the Philippines, District of Columbia represented their agencies at the signing. The agreement renewed a collaborative partnership with the Philippines to provide information, guidance and access to education and training resources for Filipino nationals working in Georgia. The consular section of the Philippine Embassy in the District of Columbia and the department’s district and area offices will work together to develop ways of communicating information to both workers and employers to make them aware of the rights and responsibilities of all parties under the OSH Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, H-2A and H-2B programs. According to assistant district director, Sung Kim Chu of the Wage and Hour Division, “the agreement allows for a collaborative effort to deliver education and training on the laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division. In addition, the agreement helps to ensure a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work by promoting a safe procedure to file wage related complaints by all workers, both documented and undocumented, without retaliation.”

Following the signing, the Wage and Hour Division, OSHA and the White House Initiative on Asian-Americans and Pacific-Islanders (WHIAAPI) Southeast Regional Network hosted a roundtable discussion on issues facing the Filipino and Filipino-American communities in Georgia and the Southeast. Consul General Emilio T. Fernandez, Chair Ron Stephens of the WHIAAPI Southeast Regional Network, and Public Relations Officer Willy Blanco of the Filipino-American Association of Greater Atlanta, engaged representatives from over ten federal agencies, the City of Atlanta, and community organizations in a discussion about ways to serve the community better. Agencies represented at the event included the Wage and Hour Division, OSHA, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Government Services Administration (GSA), Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), U.S. Peace Corps, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, the City of Atlanta’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the Atlanta Police Department. “The WHIAAPI Southeast Regional Network is honored to be a part of this collaborative effort,” said Ron Stephens, Chair, WHIAAPI Southeast Regional Network. “We will continue to strengthen relationships with the AAPI communities across the Southeast to ensure that federal programs and services are readily available for all.” Consul General Emilio T. Fernandez closed the event by saying, “I have been Consul General since 2014 traveling to many places under our jurisdiction, and this is the first time that local

GAT honors Georgia’s 25 Most Influential Asians Duluth, July 13, 2016 – Georgia Asian Times host its annual 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia Awards dinner at Sonesta Gwinnett Place last night. Over 200 guests including Honorable Takashi Shinozuka, Consul General of Japan, Honorable Nagesh Singh, Consul General of India, Honorable Steven Tai, Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Georgia Representative Pedro Marin (D-96), and Hon. Charlotte Nash, Chair, Gwinnett Board of Commissioners. Georgia Asian Times also honors two organizations with the Asian American Spirit Awards recognizing their contribution to the Asian American community. American Korean Friendship Society and National Association of Chinese Americans (NACA) were the recipients of the awards. Mr. Sunny Park, President of AKFS and Mr. Greg Hubler, President of NACA, along with Ms. Lani Wong accepted the awards on behalf of respective organizations.

Dr. Daniel Kaufman, CEO & President of Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, delivers the keynote address for the evening. He details the Gwinnett Chamber’s new 5-year Strategic Plan and growth initiatives. The evening’s program was hosted by Mr. Vince Bailey and Ms. Kimberley Liemkeo. Every award recipients deliver an acceptance speech detailing their determination, hard work, and their early struggle as an immigrant background. Georgia Asian Times received over 200 online nominations for this year’s award through its website. A selection committee comprising of civic leaders, ethnic media, and Board of Editors from Georgia Asian Times narrowed the selection to the final 25 honorees. Selection criteria are based on individual’s contribution to community or their professional impact on the community.

“We are proud to host the 25 Most Influential Asians for their contribution to community. The awards is to recognize their service and efforts,” said Li Wong, Publisher of Georgia Asian Times.

Online nomination for 2017 GAT 25 Awards will be posted on GAT website in February 2017.

government officials – in this case, representing WHIAAPI and US DOL – have gone out of their way to reach out to the Filipino American community to conduct a dialogue on issues of concern to them, including topics relating to workers’ rights, immigration, assistance-to-nationals, Filipino veterans, small businesses, home ownership,

and welcoming newcomers. This is truly a commendable undertaking, a testament to the commitment of public officials here in the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia, and hopefully the start of a fruitful and productive relationship for both sides.”

July 15-31, 2016

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Georgia Asian Times

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July 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

BUSINESS

its inability to break the psychologically nicer-sounding 5,000 yen before falling back might blunt investor enthusiasm, he said.

Japanese chat app Line soars in New York-Tokyo dual listing Tokyo, July 15, 2016 — Japan’s Line Corp saw its shares rocket on their Tokyo debut on Friday, extending a strong start in New York the day before, and taking the value of the messaging app firm to $8.6 billion in the year’s biggest tech IPO.

“We’re providing the same kind of services as Facebook and Google, the internet giants of the world,” Chief Executive Takeshi Idezawa said at a Friday news conference. “Fighting in the same digital arena as them is extremely important for us.”

The operator of the world’s seventh most-used messaging app listed first in New York in a move widely seen as a sign of determination to challenge global peers and eventually expand beyond strongholds of Japan and Southeast Asia.

Line opened at 4,900 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, 48.5 percent above the initial public offering (IPO) price of 3,300 yen, thanks to demand from investors hungry for a rare chance to invest in a tech startup. The stock closed at 4,345 yen.

However, Line’s 218 million global monthly active users pale in comparison to the 1 billion of market-leader WhatsApp and 900 million of Messenger, both owned by Facebook Inc. Tencent Holdings Ltd’s WeChat, which dominates in China, has 697 million.

The Tokyo offering came after Line sold about 70 percent more shares in New York which closed 26.6 percent above the IPO. “That was a very smooth start,” said Hiroyuki Fukunaga, chief executive of financial adviser Investrust. However,

Line launched its eponymous app to overcome downed networks in the aftermath of an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, and quickly emerged as Japan’s dominant mobile messaging platform. But the firm itself is controlled by South Korean online media provider Naver Corp whose stake is now 80.8 percent. “Line’s floating stock is limited, so despite the firm’s large market capitalization, the shares could be very volatile,” said Investrust’s Fukunaga. Line earns the bulk of revenue from games and the sale of emojis and electronic stickers. But like Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s Google, advertising is a key source of income, making up more than a third of Line’s revenue. “We have a good balance of revenue sources, and stickers and games are a great business for us,” Idezawa told Reuters in an interview on Friday, “But advertising will be a very important growth-driver.” Japan and Thailand are especially ripe for increasing ad-based revenue because of their relatively low rate of digital advertising, Idezawa said.

Line’s users are mainly in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. “It’s getting saturated in the Japanese market. The question about growth at home is how much Line can sell ads to increase its profit margin,” said Masashi Oda, general manager of strategic investment at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management. “Whether Line can expand beyond its core market is key. In the U.S., there is much more competition,” he said. Last year, revenue and other operating income at Line rose about 28.3 percent to 120.88 billion yen ($1.14 billion). But it reported a net loss of 7.97 billion yen, compared with profit of 2 billion yen in 2014. “I expect net profit to be around 27 billion yen next year,” said a Tokyo-based fund manager. “The current share price is about 36 times profit, a bit higher than rivals such as 27 to 28 times at Facebook. So for me, Line’s shares have already hit my target price.” Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Nomura were among underwriters for the IPO. ($1 = 105.7800 yen) - Reuters

Georgia Asian Times July 15-31, 2016

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BUSINESS

Success of Pokemon GO adds impetus for change at Nintendo Tokyo, July 18, 2016 — The phenomenal success of Pokemon GO and the surge in Nintendo Co’s market value by $17 billion in just over a week has been seized upon by one of its most vocal investors to press for a change of strategy at the company. Until Pokemon GO, a mobile game, was launched just over a week ago, Nintendo had taken every opportunity to say its main focus was still gaming consoles, and games for smartphones were just a means to lure more people to them. But the success of Pokemon GO unforseen even by its creators - has shown the potential for augmented reality and for Nintendo to capitalize on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario. Seth Fischer, founder and chief investment officer at Oasis Management, is one of Asia’s best known hedge fund managers and has long been a small but loud shareholder. Encouraged by the success of mobile games like “Candy Crush”, he has campaigned for years for the Japanese console maker to develop and sell games for platforms run by Apple and Google. “I hope they will now understand the power of smartphones,” Fischer told Reuters. “And as a result, I hope this means there is a whole change in strategy.” “My next focus with Nintendo is for them to focus on monetizing the rest of

their 4,000 patents for mobile gaming, multi-player gaming, et cetera. I think they could be making 30 to 60 billion yen annually from licensing.”

enjoy while you wait for the bus. It’s not something that Nintendo sees for itself.”

Fischer has described Oasis as an advisor to entities that own Nintendo shares and a shareholder. The fund’s direct holding is not listed among the company’s largest investors.

Pokemon GO, however, has been a runaway success, marrying a classic 20-year old franchise with augmented reality. Players walk around their neighborhoods in real life, search out and capture Pokemon cartoon characters on their smartphones.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata last year cautioned against hoping for too much change at the company. The expansion into smartphone games was “not because we have lost our enthusiasm or prospects for the console business”, he said at the time.

The game was created by Nintendo, Google-spinoff Niantic, and Pokemon Company. Nintendo owns a third of Pokemon Company and both have undisclosed stakes in Niantic.

A Nintendo spokesman, asked about its mobile strategy, said last week there were three main objectives: “To maximize exposure of Nintendo’s intellectual properties to consumers, to make profits on mobile devices, and to create synergies with the console business.” He did not comment further on Pokemon GO.

JUNK FOOD Serkan Toto, founder of Tokyo-based game industry consultancy Kantan Games, said Nintendo still saw itself as a console maker. “When you sell $400 dedicated devices and you sell the gamer boxed software for $60 a piece - for them this is the gold standard,” he said. “For them, mobile is the junk food:

Nintendo has not commented on next steps, which many speculate could now involve other favorite characters. The hardware-focused group had planned to introduce a device called Pokemon GO Plus, which could allow it to piggyback on the success of the mobile game. The device vibrates when a Pokemon character is nearby, enabling players to catch them without constant monitoring. Pokemon GO is on track to be the first mobile game to break the $4 billion-per-year wall, beating out Candy Crush Saga and Supercell’s Clash of Clans, according to Macquarie Research. But the impact to Nintendo’s bottom line could be minimal because of shared ownership, as little as 3 percent of net profit in the year to next March.

Niantic declined to comment on the future of its relationship with Nintendo, although it credited Pokemon’s unique appeal for the game’s success. “It’s been wonderful to be able to combine our philosophy for these kinds of games with the powerful affinity that people have for Pokemon,” Niantic CEO John Hanke told Reuters. But analysts say the craze signals the vast money-making opportunities available for Kyoto-based Nintendo - when it eventually brings out more serious hits. “Over the last decade they never compromised on the software side. That’s why they’ll blow everybody out of the water once they start take iOS and Android more seriously than they do now,” Toto said. “The successes of Pokemon Go will open the eyes of executives in Kyoto. This is unprecedented.” There are no signs, however, that will happen soon. Of the four mobile games that Nintendo has promised to launch this financial year through March, two are set to be Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem - no sign of Mario nor Donkey Kong, at least not yet. - Reuters

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July 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

FEATURE

HIV pill could cut infections in gay, bisexual men by a third Atlanta, July 16, 2016 — The rate of new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men could drop by up to a third over the next decade if enough eligible men take a drug that protects against the virus, researchers estimate. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eligible gay and bisexual men meet any of three criteria: they have unprotected anal sex in a monogamous relationship with a partner not recently tested for HIV, or they have unprotected anal sex with a partner outside of a monogamous relationship or they have any anal sex with someone who is HIV positive. Getting the drug, known as Truvada and manufactured by Gilead, to 40 percent of high-risk men would prevent 1,162 infections among every 100,000 gay and bisexual men over 10 years, researchers estimate in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

The daily pill is a combination of two antiretroviral drugs that work to keep the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, from reproducing in the body. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2012, Truvada is often just referred to as PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

They ran several scenarios through the model and found that getting PrEP to 40 percent of eligible men – and having 62 percent stick to the daily regimen – would avert 33 percent of expected infections among all gay and bisexual men in the US over the next decade, compared to a scenario in which the drug was not available.

“We were all interested in estimating the public health impact and efficiency of PrEP,” said Samuel Jenness, the study’s lead author from Emory University in Atlanta.

Getting PrEP to 10 percent of eligible men would avert about 11 percent of expected new infections, and increasing coverage all the way to 90 percent would avert about half of cases, the researchers calculated.

Jenness and colleagues point out that PrEP is 92 percent effective in preventing HIV infections. To see how PrEP might change the number of new infections over the next decade, the researchers used a mathematical model that took into account HIV transmission rates among men who have sex with men and the CDC guidelines.

number of men needed to treat to prevent one infection, they add. Jenness told Reuters Health that currently, 5 percent to 10 percent of gay and bisexual men take PrEP. In an editorial published with the study, an HIV expert said he’s not sure it’s actually possible to get 40 percent of eligible gay and bisexual men to take PrEP.

In a scenario where 40 percent of eligible men take PrEP, the researchers say, having 25 men taking the pill every day would prevent one new HIV infection.

“However, PrEP studies from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and other high-income countries are showing that those who seek out PrEP have substantial HIV risk and adhere well, resulting in near elimination of HIV acquisition,” writes Dr. Jared Baeten, of the University of Washington in Seattle.

Counseling men on adhering to the daily pill would maximize the public health investment by decreasing the

Those results show the men currently starting PrEP are good candidates, he said.

Georgia Asian Times July 15-31, 2016

EVENT

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia - Awards Banquet, July 12, 2016

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EVENTS

July 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia - Award Banquet, July 12, 2016

Georgia Asian Times July 15-31, 2016

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ENTERTAINMENT

Leon Dai axed from Zhao Wei film after China pressure Chow Yun-Fat puts health before films for the rest of the year Hong Kong, July 18, 2016 — Chow Yun-Fat may be tapped for the sequel to hit film Cold War 2, but the Hong Kong cinematic icon revealed recently that he has no plans to step in front of the camera for now. The 61-year-old actor said that he had decided to put his health first for the rest of the year and will not be accepting any film roles. His fans will be happy to hear, however, that this doesn’t mean Chow is planning to retire.

He added that he felt it was time to show his overtaxed body a little TLC.

Beijing, July 18, 2016 — Award-winning Taiwanese actor Leon Dai has lost his part in upcoming China film No Other Love. The movie, which wrapped last month, is actress Zhao Wei’s sophomore effort in the director’s chair.

“This year, I have a goal to achieve. I hope to be fitter,” he said, adding that he will begin training this summer to fulfil his goal of trekking up Hong Kong’s mountains in the winter.

Earlier this month, the Communist Youth League waged a social media campaign criticising Zhao over Dai’s alleged support for Taiwanese independence as well as Falun Gong, a spiritual movement that is banned by Beijing.

Chow also told Oriental Daily that his daily workout regimen includes walking for half an hour, running for another 30 minutes and weight training.

The league is seen as an incubator of sorts for those on the fast track to elite positions within the party.

“I haven’t received scripts,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with Oriental Daily News, as translated by Singapore’s Straits Times.

In a posting on its official Weibo page, the league’s central committee called for an online boycott of No Other Love and other films involving Dai on the grounds of his “offensive stance”.

“If I see any script that I like and if producers want me, I could ask for filming to be done next year.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, a statement on the movie’s Weibo

account on Friday confirmed it will be “replacing this film’s lead actor Leon Dai.” It is unclear whether the whole movie will be reshot, as Dai was the main character. Zhao, Dai and the studio all previously issued statements denying any political agenda or support for an independent Taiwan. But his statement was deemed “ambiguous” by some online users and failed to cool the abuse towards him and Zhao. Zhao has since apologised on her Weibo account, saying she would uphold the principle that “the interest of a country and a nation is beyond anything.” This was followed by a post by Dai expressing his “deepest apologies” for the trouble on his Weibo account.

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July 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

LIFESTYLE

Three ways to try meditation by celebrity yoga teacher Mandy Ingber Los Anegels, July 18, 2016 — In her latest book, Yogalosophy for Inner Strength, Mandy Ingber, yoga teacher to Jennifer Aniston, looks at how the practice of yoga, along with meditation, self-care, nutrition, and even music, can help everyone maintain optimum wellness and find resilience even during the most stressful and trying times. Here Ingber shares three ways to try meditation to calm and still the mind and uplift the heart for a healthier and happier you not only through challenging periods but through all stages of life. Simple, mindful breathing A great description I’ve heard about meditation goes something like this: “Inhale. Exhale. Continue.” You may have heard a lot about mindfulness re-

cently, for it has become a catchphrase these days. What is mindfulness? Simply put, mindfulness asks you to come to the present moment. To practise simple, mindful breathing, first find a comfortable seated position. Set your timer for 20 minutes. As you sit in silence, begin to focus on the breath moving in and out of your nose. Become aware of the pause and the space in between the breaths. After the inhalation there is a pause, and then after the exhalation there is a pause. Notice the sounds in the room, the whiz of a passing car, birds chirping. Whatever is there, notice. Notice the sensation of your skin. Is there a light breeze? Bring your mind back to your breath. Notice the thoughts as they arise. Observe the present moment. Your being-ness. Heart pulse with mudra An old friend, who used to like to do

this meditation beside me, taught this to me, and now I share it with you. The idea is to connect with your own heartbeat, with your own pulse. It’s a beautiful feeling, and all it requires is that you pay attention to your heart. Lie down and place one hand, palm down and fingers spread, at the centre of your chest. Place the other palm gently on top of it, connecting the thumbs to touch. It should almost look like an angel or bird with wings over your heart. This is a heart-opening mudra. Close your eyes and simply observe your pulse as you breathe normally. Remain here, observing and sensing your pulse for ten minutes, and notice how calm you are after that time. Candle-gazing meditation Candle-gazing strengthens your focus, and absorbing yourself in an object that mesmerises you, like the can-

dle flame, can help train you to bring the mind to stillness. It will also help to open the third eye. Place a lit candle on a table three feet in front of you, at eye level. Sit in an upright, comfortable position, either seated in a chair with the soles of your feet on the floor, or on the floor in a cross-legged position. Take some deep breaths and begin to focus your gaze on the candle flame. Keep your eyes focused upon the flame, and try not to blink for as long as you can. As your thoughts arise, simply notice them, but bring your attention back to the candle flame. Begin with five minutes; later you can increase the time up to 30 minutes. When you become more advanced, you may close your eyes and hold the image of the flame in your mind’s eye. This is a wonderful practice for absorbing your mind. Take notice of what this does for your connection to your intuition.

Georgia Asian Times July 15-31, 2016

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SPORTS

Number 22 and still counting as Serena equals Graf Wimbledon, July 9, 2016 — It was third time lucky for American Serena Williams as she finally matched Steffi Graf’s professional era record of 22 grand slam singles titles by beating Angelique Kerber to claim a seventh Wimbledon crown on Saturday. Top seed Williams was forced to play some of her best tennis by resolute Kerber in an engrossing Centre Court duel in which her formidable firepower proved decisive in a 7-5 6-3 over her German opponent. Kerber had stopped Williams in the Australian Open final to win her first grand slam title and last month Spain’s Garbine Muguruza also kept the 34-year-old waiting to equal Graf’s mark when she beat her in the French Open final. Williams, who racked up grand slam number 21 against Muguruza at last year’s Wimbledon, also stumbled at the 2015 U.S. Open, losing to Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals when a calendar year Grand Slam and Graf’s record loomed. But this time Williams would not be denied. To her great credit fourth seed Kerber used her skilful shot placement and scrambling ability to stay in contention throughout a fascinating match of contrasting styles. But with the Williams serve at its destructive best there was only so much punishment the 28-year-old Kerber could absorb on a breezy Centre Court. The end came quickly when the German was broken for the second time in the match in the seventh game of the

second set and Williams roared to the title with a love game, sealing victory with a simple volley before collapsing to the turf. SWEET VICTORY “It’s been incredibly difficult not to think about it (Graf’s record),” a smiling Williams, cheered on by celebrity couple Beyonce and Jay Z as well as sister Venus in her support box, said on court as she clutched the Venus Rosewater Dish. “I had a couple of tries this year but lost to two great opponents, one of them being Angelique. But it makes the victory even sweeter to know how hard I worked for it. “Thanks you guys for being out here to see number 22, this is awesome,” she said to an appreciative crowd who were treated to a one hour 21 minute final full of absorbing rallies. Kerber warmly embraced Williams once the emotional American rose to her feet — saying later she had been beaten by a “great champion and a great person. “Serena was serving unbelievable today. She really played an unbelievable match,” Kerber who will rise to second in the WTA rankings on Monday, said. “I think I didn’t lose the match, I think she won it.” Williams won 38 of 43 points on her first serve and faced only one break point, at 3-3 in the second set, which she saved with one of the 13 aces she delivered. “It’s the single greatest weapon in the

history of the women’s game, followed closely by her will to win,” was threetimes men’s champion John McEnroe’s succinct summing up of what puts world number one Williams in a league of her own. INTENSE SCRAP Kerber reached the final without conceding a set and scuppered hopes of a first all-Williams grand slam final since 2009 when beating Venus in the semis. With a stunning win against Serena in Melbourne, the German walked on court full of belief — winning the opening point with a cleanly struck forehand. Williams, patrolling her baseline with menace, bit into the Kerber serve in the second game but failed to convert any of the three break points she had. An intense scrap developed from then on as Williams attacked incessantly and Kerber bravely traded blows. Williams bent double and pumped both fists when winning a long rally on serve at 3-3 as Kerber briefly threatened.

She was also taken to deuce on serve at 4-4 and 30-30 at 5-5, yelling “C’mon!!” as she kept her nose in front. Having coped with the heavy artillery heading her way, Kerber’s downfall was self-inflicted as two poor errors opened the door for Williams to take the opener. Kerber then screamed her delight at one searing winner early in the second set and finally earned a break point at 3-3 — Williams responding with consecutive aces. Williams ended up in a heap on the floor in the next game after a close-quarters exchange, but got up to break for a 5-3 lead as Kerber finally crumbled. She joyfully returned to the turf shortly afterwards as her trusty serve powered her home. Serena returned to Centre Court later to claim a sixth Wimbledon women’s doubles title with Venus against fifth seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova. All in all, not a bad day’s work. – Reuters

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July 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game’s truly great talents, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet’s challenge left him in a heap on the floor.

Portugal defeat France to win Euro 2016 in overtime Paris, July 10, 2016 – Portugal found an unlikely hero as Eder’s thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday. The substitute picked the perfect time to score his first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting fly with a bullet shot from 25 meters in the 109th minute. portugal.euroIt was a magic moment for the 28-year-old who plays for French club Lille and delivered a devastating knockout blow to decide a tight and cagey encounter. “It was amazing,” the striker told reporters. “We fought with immense strength, we were amazing. I think we deserve this

title due to the work we put in, all the players and the staff.” It was a cruel outcome for Didier Deschamps’ side, who had dominated the match and squandered a number of chances, in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third European crown. The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end with 24 minutes on the clock when he cried as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury. So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware.

It was not how he would have envisaged his evening panning out, but having been part of the Portugal side that were stunned in the final as hosts by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his team mates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters. DEBILITATING DEFEAT For France it was a debilitating defeat after they had come into the match as heavy favorites and hoping to lift the spirits of a nation still recovering from last November’s attacks in Paris. “We missed a chance, maybe not a unique chance, but a great chance to become European champions,” Deschamps said. “Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together. It would have been magnificent to offer this trophy to our supporters, here at home.” For the much of the match, there had looked like being only one winner as France began with early attacking intent, fueled by the bullish presence and charging runs of Moussa Sissoko in midfield.

His 34th-minute shot was well-parried by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, but by that point the match had settled into a pattern of France probing and pushing but struggling to break down their more defensively-minded opponents. Without Ronaldo, Portugal seemed in no hurry to rush the ball forward, happy to see the game descend into a cagey, tactical battle. They had a scare, however, in the 67th minute when Kingsley Coman’s cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked six meters from goal, only for the tournament’s top scorer to head a golden opportunity over. Minutes later, Olivier Giroud, fed by sprightly substitute Coman, forced a diving save from Patricio, who then parried away a pile-driver from Sissoko as France turned the screw. France’s best chance of the night arrived in stoppage time when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned his marker inside out before scuffing a shot past the keeper and against the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and then out of harm’s way. While Portugal continued to sit back in extra time, they had the better chances with Eder’s header parried by Hugo Lloris and Raphael Guerreiro striking the crossbar with a free kick before Eder’s moment of magic.

Georgia Asian Times July 15-31, 2016

Page 15

HEALTH Thumb suckers less prone to allergies Wellington, July 12, 2016 — Infants who suck their thumbs or bite their nails appear less prone to allergies as adults, New Zealand researchers have found. Their findings support the theory that early-life exposure to microbial organisms reduces the risk of developing allergies, Otago University scientists concluded. A study, published this week in the US journal Pediatrics, recorded the thumb-sucking and nail-biting habits of 1,037 children when they were aged five, seven, nine and 11 years old.

Researchers then followed up by giving them allergy skin prick tests when they were aged 13 and 32. They found 49 percent of 13-yearolds who did not suck their thumb or bite their nails tested positive to at least one allergy, compared to 38 percent who practiced one of the habits.

The allergy level fell to 31 percent for children who did both.

there was no evidence the habits reduced the risk of “real world” diseases linked to allergies.

The findings remained the same when participants were 32-years-old, regardless of factors such as parental history of allergies, pet ownership or being breast fed.

“Although thumb-suckers and nail-biters had fewer allergies on skin testing, we found no difference in their risk for developing allergic diseases such as asthma or hayfever,” they said.

“(It) suggests that being exposed to microbes as a child reduces your risk of developing allergies,” lead researcher Bob Hancox said.

They added: “(We) do not suggest that children should be encouraged to take up these habits, because it is unclear if there is a true health benefit.”

However, despite the laboratory skin-test results, the researchers said

currently, 5 percent to 10 percent of gay and bisexual men take PrEP.

US Food and Drug Administration in 2012, Truvada is often just referred to as PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. “We were all interested in estimating the public health impact and efficiency of PrEP,” said Samuel Jenness, the study’s lead author from Emory University in Atlanta. Jenness and colleagues point out that PrEP is 92 percent effective in preventing HIV infections. To see how PrEP might change the number of new infections over the next decade, the researchers used a mathematical model that took into account HIV transmission rates among men who have sex with men and the CDC guidelines. They ran several scenarios through the model and found that getting PrEP to 40 percent of eligible men – and having 62 percent stick to the daily regimen – would avert 33 percent of expected infections among all gay and bisexual men in the US over the next decade, compared to a scenario in

In an editorial published with the study, an HIV expert said he’s not sure it’s actually possible to get 40 percent of eligible gay and bisexual men to take PrEP. which the drug was not available. Getting PrEP to 10 percent of eligible men would avert about 11 percent of expected new infections, and increasing coverage all the way to 90 percent would avert about half of cases, the researchers calculated. In a scenario where 40 percent of eligible men take PrEP, the researchers say, having 25 men taking the pill every day would prevent one new HIV infection. Counseling men on adhering to the daily pill would maximize the public health investment by decreasing the number of men needed to treat to prevent one infection, they add. Jenness told Reuters Health that

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July 15-31, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia Tribunal overwhelmingly rejects Beijing’s South China Sea claims The Hague, July 12, 2016 — An arbitration court ruled on Tuesday that China has no historic title over the waters of the South China Sea and has breached the Philippines’ sovereign rights with its actions, infuriating Beijing which dismissed the case as a farce. A defiant China, which boycotted the hearings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, vowed again to ignore the ruling and said its armed forces would defend its sovereignty and maritime interests. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said shortly before the ruling was announced that a Chinese civilian aircraft had successfully tested two new airports in the disputed Spratly Islands. And China’s Defense Ministry said a new guided missile destroyer was formally commissioned at a naval base on the southern island province of Hainan, which has responsibility for the South China Sea. “This award represents a devastating legal blow to China’s jurisdictional claims in the South China Sea,” Ian Storey, of Singapore’s ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, told Reuters. “China will respond with fury, certainly in terms of rhetoric and possibly through more aggressive actions at sea.” The United States, which China has accused of fueling tensions and militarizing the region with patrols and exercises, urged parties to comply with the legally binding ruling and avoid provocations. “The decision today by the Tribunal in the Philippines-China arbitration is an important contribution to the shared goal of a peaceful resolution to disputes in the South China Sea,” State

Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. U.S. officials have previously said they feared China may respond to the ruling by declaring an air defense identification zone in the South China Sea, as it did in the East China Sea in 2013, or by stepping up its building and fortification of artificial islands. China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. Finding for the Philippines on a number of issues, the panel said there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within its so-called nine-dash line, which covers almost 90 percent of the South China Sea. It said China had interfered with traditional Philippine fishing rights at Scarborough Shoal and had breached the Philippines’ sovereign rights by exploring for oil and gas near the Reed Bank. None of China’s reefs and holdings in the Spratly Islands entitled it to a 200mile exclusive economic zone, it added. 2,000 YEARS OF HISTORY China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the ruling, saying its people had more than 2,000 years of history in the South China Sea, that its islands did have exclusive economic zones and that it had announced to the world its “dotted line” map in 1948. “China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards,” it said.

However, the ministry also repeated that China respected and upheld the freedom of navigation and overflight and that China was ready to keep resolving the disputes peacefully through talks with states directly concerned. In a statement shortly before the ruling, China’s Defence Ministry said its armed forces would “firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and maritime interests and rights, firmly uphold regional peace and stability, and deal with all kinds of threats and challenges” The judges acknowledged China’s refusal to participate, but said they sought to take account of China’s position from its statements and diplomatic correspondence. Hague rules against China in South China Sea case “The award is a complete and total victory for the Philippines ... a victory for international law and international relations,” said Paul Reichler, lead lawyer for the Philippines. Vietnam said it welcomed the ruling. Taiwan, which maintains that the island it occupies, Itu Aba, is legally the only island among hundreds of reefs, shoals and atolls scattered across the seas, said it did not accept the ruling, which seriously impaired Taiwan’s territorial rights. “This is the worst scenario,” Taiwan Foreign Minister David Tawei Lee told reporters, promising unspecified “action” from Taipei. GROUND-BREAKING RULING The ruling is significant as it is the first time that a legal challenge has been brought in the dispute, which covers some of the world’s most promising oil and gas fields and vital fishing grounds. It reflects the shifting balance of

power in the 3.5 million sq km sea, where China has been expanding its presence by building artificial islands and dispatching patrol boats that keep Philippine fishing vessels away. The Philippines said it was studying the ruling. “We call on all those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay told a news conference. “The Philippines strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision as an important contribution to the ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea.” Japan said the ruling was legally binding and final. The court has no power of enforcement, but a victory for the Philippines could spur Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei to file similar cases. Ahead of the ruling, around 100 members of a Philippine nationalist group demonstrated outside the Chinese consulate in Manila, calling on Beijing to accept the decision and leave the Scarborough Shoal, a popular fishing zone off limits to Filipinos since 2012. In China, social media users reacted with outrage at the ruling. “It was ours in the past, is now and will remain so in the future,” wrote one user on microblogging site Weibo. “Those who encroach on our China’s territory will die no matter how far away they are.” Spreading fast on social media in the Philippines was the use of the term “Chexit” - the public’s desire for Chinese vessels to leave the waters. Reuters

Georgia Asian Times July 15-31, 2016

Page 17

Misc Asia U.S. launches quiet diplomacy to ease South China Sea tensions Washington DC, July 14, 2016 — The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalize on an international court ruling that denied China’s claims to the South China Sea, several U.S. administration officials said on Wednesday. “What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally,” said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. Some were sent through U.S. embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said.

Taiwan rejects ruling on South China Sea island of Itu Aba Taipei, July 12, 2016 — Taiwan said Tuesday it does not accept a tribunal’s ruling on the South China Sea, saying the decision on Itu Aba, Taipei’s sole holding in the disputed Spratly Islands, had “seriously impaired” its territorial rights. The arbitration court in The Hague ruled that China has no historic title over the waters of the South China Sea and that it has breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines with its actions there, infuriating a defiant Beijing. Taiwan, formally known as the “Republic of China”, is also a claimant in the South China Sea. The maps China bases its South China Sea claims on date to when Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists ruled China before they fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communists.

Manila had challenged the legality of China’s claims to virtually the entire South China Sea, in part by arguing that no reefs, atolls or islets in the Spratly archipelago can legally be considered an island, and therefore hold no rights to a 200 nautical mile (370 km) exclusive economic zone. Itu Aba is the biggest feature in the Spratlys and the one some analysts believed had the strongest claim to island status and an economic zone. The Spratlys are also claimed by China, Vietnam and Malaysia while Brunei claims nearby waters.

South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. UNKNOWN QUANTITY One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains “somewhat of an unknown quantity” who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said told him China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the U.S. government made the same assurance. Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added.

“This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the U.S. is leading a coalition to contain China,” the official added.

China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying the it is time to get things back on the “right track” after the “farce” of the case.

The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan’s maritime territory.

On Thursday, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea.

The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a “rock”, according to the legal definition.

“China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect,” the People’s Daily said in a commentary.

The U.S. officials said they hoped the U.S. diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the

Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them.

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July 15-30, 2016 Georgia Asian Times

TECHNOLOGY

‘Pokemon Go’ could be next big marketing tool for retailers New York, July 14 , 2016 — Pokemon Go, a mobile game that has rocketed to the top of Apple Inc and Android app stores in record time, looks set to challenge young Internet companies which specialise in increasing foot traffic for small businesses and may end up playing a role in major brands’ marketing, according to industry experts. The augmented reality game from Japan’s Nintendo Co Ltd, where players walk around real-life neighbourhoods to hunt down virtual cartoon characters on their smartphone screens, has more than 65 million users in the United States just seven days after launch. That is more users than Twitter Inc, and the game is already helping local restaurants, coffee shops and small retailers to attract new customers. L’inizio Pizza Bar in Long Island City in New York claims its sales jumped 75 per cent over the weekend by activating a “lure module” feature that attracts virtual Pokemon characters to the store, thereby tempting in nearby players. The store’s manager spent US$10 to have a dozen Pokemon characters placed in the location, according to a report in the New York Post. That sort of instant effect is a potential threat for Groupon Inc, LivingSocial Inc, Foursquare and other relatively new companies which have revolutionised online marketing for small businesses in the last few years. Pokemon Go’s instant popularity appears to be the result of nostalgia for the classic 20-year-old cartoon franchise and players’ desire to win kudos

within the game by capturing as many characters as possible. “People born in the 1980s and 90s, they grew up with this. It’s approachable and reassuring and that’s why it’s gone from zero to millions of users in just a few days,” said Jeremiah Rosen, managing director at creative agency Reason2Be in New York City. “I see McDonald’s, Home Depot, national brands playing into the culture.” A report on tech news site Gizmodo yesterday said a student in Australia had uncovered code in the game’s workings that indicated a sponsorship system and mentioned the name of McDonalds Corp. McDonald’s declined to comment on the matter or any of its marketing plans. Disrupting disrupters The popularity of Pokemon Go threatens companies like Foursquare, which has a service called Swarm offering coupons and prizes to customers who “check in” at participating venues, and social e-commerce sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, which many businesses use as a vehicle to offer discount deals. Such “daily deal” sites get a cut every time a customer buys a retailer’s coupon. Groupon and LivingSocial were not immediately available for a comment. Foursquare said it was too soon to tell the impact of Pokemon Go. Marketing experts said small businesses may increasingly turn to Pokemon Go — and redirect some of their marketing spend — as the mobile game racks up a bigger user base.

“With Pokemon Go, you are seeing it as bypassing a lot of digital (marketing) channels that the brick and mortar shops have been relying on for the past few years,” said Christophe Jammet, director of social media and mobile at consultancy DDG in New York. “There hasn’t been a geolocation social platform that can lure so many people all at once.” Pokemon Go players are highly engaged, spending far more time in the app than they do with some of the most popular social apps such as Facebook Inc’s Instagram and messaging services WhatsApp and Snapchat, according to SimilarWeb, a market intelligence and web analytics firm. Many shops are attracting customers by advertising themselves as “Poke

Stops,” a place where gamers can grab new Pokemon balls and increase their level of power within the app. Experts said it is only a matter of time before major brands jump on the bandwagon. “They are already looking into it,” said Tom Kelshaw, director of technology at Maxus Global, a media investment management group in New York. The Pokemon Go craze — and potential for further revenue from third parties — has sent Nintendo’s shares skyrocketing since the game’s debut last Thursday, adding nearly US$10 billion to the company’s market value. — Reuters