Georgia Asian Times October 15-31, 2019 by Georgia Asian Times

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com October 15-31, 2019

Earth and fire: India pottery village lights up for Diwali

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October 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

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Atlanta International Night Market Date: Friday, Saturday, Sunday / Oct 4-6, 2019 Time: Fri-Sat 5:00 pm- 12:00 am; Sunday 3:00 pm-9:00 pm Venue: North Point Mall, Alpharetta 15th Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: Oct 11-26, 2019 Venues: GSU Dunwoody For more info: www.ATLaff.org 15th Annual Together Empowering Asian Americans (TEA) Walk Date: Saturday, Oct 12, 2019 Time: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Venue: CPACS For more info: www.teawalk.org

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October 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

NATION

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang’s quixotic U.S. presidential campaign gets serious New York, October 13, 2019 - Entrepreneur Andrew Yang knows most people initially viewed his candidacy for U.S. president – and his campaign promise to guarantee every American a basic, government-funded income – as a gimmick. “You all heard at some point there’s an Asian man running for president who wants to give everyone $1,000 a month,” the 44-year-old New York Democrat said to laughter and cheers inside a packed union hall this month in Las Vegas, Nevada. Then he turned serious: “We’re in an era of economic change, and we need to think differently.” That way of thinking has propelled Yang, the Ivy League-educated son of Taiwanese immigrants who would be the country’s first Asian-American president, from what many considered to be an entertaining diversion to a mainstream contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Now Yang’s campaign, which began in 2017 but has seen its fortunes rise sharply in recent months, is rushing to catch up with rivals. He stands near 3% in the latest public opinion polls, putting him in sixth place in the 19-candidate field ahead of numerous sitting lawmakers. His $10 million fundraising haul in the third quarter was the sixth-most among Democrats and more than triple his total for the second quarter. Most importantly, he continues to inspire a fervent following known as the Yang Gang, supporters who wear blue “MATH” hats - a tribute to Yang’s devotion to data that has since become an acronym for “Make America Think Harder” - and revel in his “nerdy” campaign. When Yang promised to become the first president to use PowerPoint in a State of the Union address, the Las Vegas crowd chanted, “PowerPoint! PowerPoint!”

Yang’s central message – that automation is destroying U.S. jobs and that his “Freedom Dividend” is the best way to mitigate the damage – has particularly resonated with young, male Democrats, independents and some Republicans, according to Reuters/Ipsos polls. In that sense, Yang appears to be drawing many of the same types of voters U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders did in his unexpectedly strong outsider run for the White House in 2016. According to Reuters polling data, Sanders supporters are three times as likely to choose Yang as their second favorite than backers of either U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren or former Vice President Joe Biden, the other two leading contenders. Las Vegas resident Kelsey McCormick, 30, said she “fell in love” with Yang after hearing about his universal basic income proposal. “It’s refreshing for a politician to say he’ll give people what they need without telling them how to use it,” she said.

BUILDING A ‘YANG GANG’ GROUND GAME Buoyed by last quarter’s cash infusion, Yang’s team is aggressively hiring in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, just in time for the crucial stretch ahead of the first nominating contests in February. Yang’s aides, while reluctant to share precise figures, said the campaign staff currently in excess of 75 - had tripled since Sept. 1 and would triple again by Nov. 1. The hiring spree is aimed at translating Yang’s online strength – including Yang Gang volunteers across the country – into on-the-ground operations such as neighborhood canvassing and phone banks.

Several Democratic officials in New Hampshire and Iowa said Yang’s ground operations still lag well behind those of his main rivals, including Warren, Biden, Sanders and others, who were able to build up teams earlier in the year. Last week, Yang staffers held a twoday retreat in New York City, where they mapped out strategy and played appropriately nerdy bonding games, like presidential trivia. The campaign, whose top aides early on were all political neophytes, has brought on more than a half-dozen seasoned Democratic operatives since the summer. One of those new hires is national organizing director Zach Fang, who oversaw field operations in several states for Sanders’ 2016 campaign and previously worked for Democratic U.S. Representative Tim Ryan’s presidential campaign this year. Like many of Yang’s supporters, Fang said he joined because Yang’s focus on

automation made sense to him after he spent time working in Silicon Valley, where he saw firsthand the way technology was threatening traditional work. “There was no one else saying what Andrew was saying,” Fang said. “I didn’t realize how many other ‘me’s’ there were out there in the world.” During the Las Vegas town hall, Yang dismissed the various theories propagated by cable television pundits as reasons for Trump’s victory in 2016: racism, Russia, Hillary Clinton. “The real catalyst and the numbers – I’m a numbers guy – is that we automated away four million manufacturing jobs in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa,” he said. “And if that list of states sounds familiar, those are the states that Donald Trump needed to win, and did win.” - Reuters

Georgia Asian Times October 15-31, 2019

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NATION U.S. Supreme Court to hear Trump appeal over rapid deportation dispute Washington DC, October 18, 2019 - The U.S. Supreme Court stepped into a new immigration dispute on Friday, agreeing to hear an appeal by President Donald Trump’s administration of a lower court ruling that could frustrate a top priority of his: quickly deporting illegal immigrants. The justices agreed to review a ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that favored a Sri Lankan asylum seeker. The 9th Circuit found that a federal law that largely stripped the power of courts to review quick deportations known as expedited removal - violated in his case a provision of the U.S. Constitution called the suspension clause. The case involves Sri Lankan farmer Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam, who claimed that as a member of the Tamil minority in that country he was tortured over his political ties and subjected to beatings and simulated drowning. Though the 9th Circuit’s ruling applied

only to Thuraissigiam and did not strike down the law at issue, the court’s reasoning could still apply much more widely. The Trump administration told the Supreme Court the ruling would defeat the purpose of a system that targets specific immigrants for quick deportation, “undermining the government’s ability to control the border.” Thuraissigiam fled Sri Lanka in 2016 and was arrested in February 2017 just north of the border between San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico, near the San Ysidro port of entry. He was placed on track for expedited removal, a system dating back to 1996 that makes an exception for immigrants who can establish a “credible fear” of persecution in their home country. Officials rejected Thuraissigiam’s claim of credible fear. The Trump administration has sought to greatly expand expedited removal to apply to the majority of people who enter the United States illegally unless they can prove they have been living in the country

for at least two years. This would free up detention space and ease the strains on immigration courts, according to the administration. Previously, only immigrants in the United States two weeks or less could be ordered rapidly deported.

The 9th Circuit in March (2019) ruled that under the Constitution’s suspension clause, relating to a person’s ability to challenge confinement by the government, courts must have expanded powers to review Thuraissigiam’s claims.

A federal judge in Washington last month put a halt to the administration’s rule announced this year on expanding expedited removal while litigation over it continues.

Also on Friday, the justices agreed to hear a separate case challenging similar restrictions on federal appeals courts to review the deportation of non-citizens who have committed criminal offenses, if their claims they would be tortured if returned to their home countries have been rejected.

At issue in Thuraissigiam’s case is the power of courts to review certain aspects of expedited removal. Under federal immigration law, courts have jurisdiction only to ensure that the government is not deporting the wrong person. Thuraissigiam, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, has argued that the government did not follow proper procedures or use the correct legal standard in assessing his bid for asylum.

Trump has made restricting immigration a signature policy of his presidency. The Supreme Court has given him a mixed record so far in high-profile cases affecting immigrants. Last year it upheld his travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries, but in June rejected his bid to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, which opponents said would deter immigrants from participating in the

decennial population count.

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October 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

BUSINESS U.S. outlines ‘Phase 1’ trade deal with China, suspends October tariff hike Washington DC, October 13, 2019 - President Donald Trump on Friday outlined the first phase of a deal to end a trade war with China and suspended a threatened tariff hike, but officials on both sides said much more work needed to be done before an accord could be agreed. The emerging deal, covering agriculture, currency and some aspects of intellectual property protections, would represent the biggest step by the two countries in 15 months to end a tariff tit-for-tat that has whipsawed financial markets and slowed global growth. But Friday’s announcement did not include many details and Trump said it could take up to five weeks to get a pact written. He acknowledged the agreement could fall apart during that period, though he expressed confidence that it would not. “I think we have a fundamental understanding on the key issues. We’ve gone through a significant amount of paper, but there is more work to do,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said as the two sides gathered with Trump at the White House. “We will not sign an agreement unless we get and can tell the president that this is on paper.” With Chinese Vice Premier Liu He sitting across a desk from him in the Oval Office after two days of talks between negotiators, the president told reporters that the two sides were very close to ending their trade dispute. “There was a lot of friction between the United States and China, and now it’s a lovefest. That’s a good thing,” he said.

Liu took a different tone in his remarks, however. “We have made substantial progress in many fields. We are happy about it. We’ll continue to make efforts,” Liu said. China’s official state-owned news organization Xinhua said that both sides “agreed to make the efforts towards a final agreement.” In an editorial published online by the state-run People’s Daily newspaper on Saturday, China called the latest round of talks constructive, frank and efficient and noted that while the two sides were moving toward a resolution, “it is impossible to resolve the problem by putting arbitrary pressure on the Chinese side.” Trump, who is eager to show farmers in political swing states that he has their backs, lauded China for agreeing to buy as much as $50 billion in agricultural products. But he left tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese products in place. His announcement, while seen as progress, drew some skepticism. “I’m unsure that calling what was announced by President Trump an agreement is justified,” said Scott Kennedy, a China trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “If they couldn’t agree on a text, that must mean they’re not done. Wishing an agreement does not one make. This isn’t a skinny deal. It’s an invisible one.” Mnuchin said the president had

agreed not to proceed with a hike in tariffs to 30% from 25% on about $250 billion in Chinese goods that was supposed to have gone into effect on Tuesday. But U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Trump had not made a decision about tariffs that were subject to go into effect in December. “I think that we’re going to have a deal that’s a great deal that’s beyond tariffs,” Trump said. PHASED APPROACH The world’s two largest economies have made progress in their trade dispute before without sealing a deal. In May U.S. officials accused China of walking away from a sweeping agreement that was nearly finished over a refusal to make changes to Chinese laws that would have ensured its enforceability. Trump had said previously he would not be satisfied with a partial deal to resolve his effort to change China’s trade, intellectual property and industrial policy practices, which he argues cost millions of U.S. jobs. On Friday he said he had decided that a phased approach was appropriate. U.S. stocks ended more than 1% higher on Friday but well off the day’s highs after the announcement, with the S&P 500 .SPX up 1.09% after rising as much as 1.7% earlier on hopes of an agreement. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are both scheduled to attend a Nov. 16 summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation countries in Santiago, Chile, and Trump hinted that a written agreement could be signed there. There have been positive signs from China in recent days. China’s securities regulator on Friday

unveiled a firm timetable for scrapping foreign ownership limits in futures, securities and mutual fund companies for the first time. Increasing foreign access to the sector is among the U.S. demands at the trade talks. Beijing previously said it would further open up its financial sector on its own terms and at its own pace. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed net sales of 142,172 tonnes of U.S. pork to China in the week ended Oct. 3, the largest weekly sale to the world’s top pork market on record. The president said China had agreed to make purchases of $40 billion to $50 billion in U.S. agricultural goods. Mnuchin said the purchases would be scaled up to that amount annually. A person briefed on the talks said that the proposed intellectual property provisions were largely centered on strengthening “20th century” IP protections such as those involving copyrights, trademarks and piracy. Not addressed were more difficult technology transfer issues involving data flows, cybersecurity, product standards reviews and a new social credit system that evaluates company behavior. The status of China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world’s biggest telecoms gear maker, which has been put on a U.S. trade blacklist since May, was not part of the deal, Lighthizer said. Trump said some IP issues would be left for later phases of the talks. He said talks over a second phase would begin as soon as the first phase agreement was signed and said a third phase might be necessary, too. Liang Haiming, Hong Kong-based chairman of think-tank China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, called the agreement “anesthetic, pain relief, not an antidote.” - Reuters

Georgia Asian Times October 15-31, 2019

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BUSINESS

US farmers want more details in new trade deal

New York, Oct 15, 2019 -- Saying China has promised to buy up to US$50 billion in US agricultural products, President Donald Trump is encouraging American farmers to prepare for a major influx of business. But after months of losses and uncertainty amid the trade war Trump launched, many in the farm sector say they need more detail before they pop the champagne corks. Shortly after announcing that a trade deal had been reached in principle between the world’s two leading economies, the president even jokingly suggested on Twitter that farmers “start thinking about getting bigger tractors!” But yesterday, the country’s biggest agricultural federation, the Farm Bureau, told AFP it was awaiting more concrete information on the tentative deal with China, which negotiators are continuing to finalize. And Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), said that “while we are glad to see a detente in this seemingly endless trade war, the tangible benefits to American family farmers and ranchers are unclear.” “Over what timeframe will the US$50 billion of agricultural purchases – an amount that is double our peak annual farm exports to China – take place?” he asked in a statement on Friday. At their peak in 2012 and 2013, when

a drought in the US had sent the prices of agricultural commodities to record levels, exports to China reached no higher than US$26 billion. China’s imports of US farm goods fell in 2017 to US$19.5 billion, before dropping sharply last year to just over US$9 billion after Beijing imposed burdensome taxes on US imports in retaliation for similar US measures.

Waning patience “From the very beginning of the trade war, farmers have been promised that their patience would be rewarded,” Brian Kuehl, co-executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, said in a statement. “To date, the deal they’ve been promised has not come.” The Trump administration has released US$28 billion in financial aid to American farmers to soften the blow from the Chinese tariffs, but there is no mention in the trade deal of China lifting its existing tariffs. “Farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas and elsewhere will still wake up facing double-digit tariffs into one of America’s largest export markets,” Kuehl said. At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where brokers bet on trends in the prices of farm products, the market was far from euphoric. Soybean prices were up just 0.5% yesterday, even though American

producers of oilseed products would be among the first to benefit from a surge in Chinese orders. China’s soybean imports from the US totalled US$12 billion in 2017; the Asian giant purchased 57% of all US soybean exports that year. That total fell to US$3 billion in 2018, due to new US tariffs and an epidemic of African swine fever that decimated Chinese herds – many of them fed by American soybeans. “The market’s muted reaction shows the scepticism about the deal, the idea that, even if it happens, it just shuffles the trade flows” between different countries, said Bill Nelson, a chief economist for agricultural consultancy Doane Advisory Services.

Since the tariffs, China has upped its reliance on Brazil and Argentina for soybean supplies, while Mexico and some European Union members have purchased more of the US’s crop. Nelson said it is not possible to suddenly “materialise another US$20 billion of buying interests out of nothing.” To compensate for losses from the African swine fever epidemic, China has greatly boosted its pork orders in recent weeks, while ordering around 3.7 million tons of soybeans during the month of September. Nelson cautioned that while “that sounds pretty impressive … sales are still lower than what they used to be three or four years ago.”

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October 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

FASHION

Kylie Jenner and Ulta Beauty have holiday makeup covered New York Oct 15, 2019 — It may be October, but Kylie Jenner is already in the festive mood. The beauty mogul has rolled out a new holiday makeup collection via her cult Kylie Cosmetics brand. The series, which is exclusive to Ulta Beauty, features some of the star’s favourite makeup sets in limited-edition quantities. It includes a ‘Holiday Lip Set’ trio of lip liner, lipstick and gloss, as well as a ‘Holiday 5 Piece Lip Set’ of matte liquid lipsticks. A 14-pan eyeshadow palette, four-pan face palette and a ‘Holiday Try Kit’ (featuring lip liner, liquid lipstick, a lipstick, a blush and an eyeshadow duo) also feature in the lineup. A ‘Holiday Mini Ornament Duo’ of liquid lipsticks that can

be used as festive decorations completes the series. Taking to Instagram to announce the launch to her 148 million followers, Jenner revealed: “I created some of my favourite sets that make the perfect gifts!” Jenner first teamed up with the retailer Ulta Beauty last holiday season, with the move signalling the first partnership between her cult digital brand and a bricks-and-mortar stockist. Her exclusive launch with the company is the latest major milestone for the brand, which collaborated with the luxury fashion house of Balmain on a makeup collection that launched last month, during Paris Fashion Week.

Drew Elliott is MAC Cosmetics’ new creative director

New York, Oct 12, 2019 — Paper Magazine’s current Editor-in-Chief has been named Global Creative Director at MAC Cosmetics, according to a report by Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) on Friday, October 11. Drew Elliott is leaving publishing for the beauty industry. WWD has reported that he is preparing to leave his post as editor-in-chief at Paper Magazine in order to be the new senior vice president and global creative director at MAC Cosmetics. The American is leaving his current role in order to join MAC Cosmetics on October 28, taking over from Toni Lakis.

For those who don’t know him already, Drew Elliott was behind Paper Magazine’s Winter 2014 cover entitled “Break the Internet,” for which Kim Kardashian posed nude. The photographs, shot by Jean-Paul Goude, quickly gained worldwide attention, attracting millions of visitors to the magazine’s site in only a few hours. Drew Elliott confirmed the news on his Instagram page, stating that it is “a dream come true,” and paying homage to his numerous years at Paper Magazine.

Georgia Asian Times October 15-31, 2019

EAT OUT

A hidden hole in the wall serving best Jajangmyeon and Jjambong in Gwinnett

Duluth, Nov 1, 2019 — A friend recently introduced me to this hidden “hole in the wall” restaurant near Assi Supermarket. The Korean-Chinese restaurant could be easily missed if not for its landmark neighbor T-Mobile store. Signage for the restaurant is only in Korean language and you will miss the place if you can’t read Korean. Look out for “Chinese Restaurant” in small text at the main sign in front. With the cold weather descending upon metro Atlanta, nothing beats a hot bowl of Jjambong (spicy seafood noodle soup). The soup broth was thick and the noodles are chewy. The broth has flavorful seafood taste along with a nice spicy kick to it. Sam Won Gak makes the best Jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) in Gwinnett. The rich black salty sauce blends well with the thick noodles made of wheat flour. You get a pair of scissors in case the noodles are too thick or long for you to eat. This is an affordable, simple, and casual restaurant. The noodle dishes are under $10 each

and the meat dishes are about $12 to $14 each. Portion sizes are generous. Don’t expect any elaborate spreads of Banchan (side dishes) here. They serve Danmooji and onion with the black bean sauce, which most Korean-Chinese restaurants serves as a side. In addition, they also serve radish kimchi. Waitress here are friendly and speaks little English. Service can be spotty at times and wait times can be over 10 minutes. Sam Won Gak 1291 Old Peachtree Rd NW Ste 103 Suwanee, GA 30024 Business Hours: Friday 11AM–9PM Saturday 11AM–9PM Sunday 11AM–9PM Monday Closed Tuesday 11AM–9PM Wednesday 11AM–9PM Thursday 11AM–9PM Friday 11AM–9PM Saturday 11AM–9PM

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EVENT

October 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times Atlanta Asian Film Festival -Premiere Night Gala Oct 111, 2019 Atlanta Tech Park

Georgia Asian Times

October 15-31 2019

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ENTERTAINMENT

‘The Matrix 4’ reportedly nets Neil Patrick Harris Los Angeles, Oct 17, 2019 — With original trilogy stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss already in place, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II of Aquaman joining the cast, Neil Patrick Harris of everything from A Series of Unfortunate Events to Starship Troopers is the latest linked with the Wachowski revival. Harris is in the frame for an unnamed role in The Matrix 4, according to reporting from Variety. Harris is the latest name linked to the movie, which has been officially announced and is thought to be preparing to film in early 2020 with franchise co-creator and co-director Lana Wachowski at the helm.

The actor is more commonly associated with comedies and award shows, having broken through with child prodigy sitcom Doogie Howser M.D. in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, reconfirming his status as a TV comic actor through a nine-year run leading How I Met Your Mother from 2005 onwards. He voiced the Peter Parker and Spider-Man character in 2003’s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, featured in season four of American Horror Story, and gave the sinister a silly touch in the Series of Unfortunate Events show. Harris has also been inescapable as a glitzy entertainment

industry award ceremony host over the last five years, presenting for the Grammys, the Golden Globes, the Emmys (twice) and the Tony Awards (three times) since 2014. The Matrix franchise began in 1999 and, though the second two films (both 2003) were not given the same rapturous reception as the first, momentum was enough to push the franchise to US$1.6 billion at the box office and US$3 billion in total, generating three video games and a collection of animated shorts commissioned from influential animé directors. While Lana is returning for The Matrix 4, Lily Wachowski is working on another project;

stunt experts Chad Stahelski and David Leitch have established themselves as directors in their own right through John Wick, Deadpool 2, and Atomic Blonde; cinematographer Bill Pope has not necessarily been ruled out but is working on Marvel’s 2021 superhero movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

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October 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

LIFESTYLE

Want your kids to be more resilient? Encourage them to do sport, says new study New York, Oct 17, 2019 — New US research has found that participating in sports can help high school students develop the resilience needed to get through the difficult phase of adolescence and tackle challenges they encounter later in life. For the new study, carried out by Brigham Young University, researchers surveyed the parents of 276 high school students, including 214 students who participated in sports and 62 who did not. The parents were asked about their child’s sports participation and their levels of resilience, social competence, and empathy.

The findings, published in the journal The Physical Educator, showed that compared to those who didn’t participate in sports, the teens who did participate had significantly higher levels of resilience, including self-regulation, social competence and empathy, as reported by their parents.

“Adolescents are constantly faced with challenge and adversity while playing sports and have to figure out how to navigate it,” said study co-author Jason Johnson. “Sports teaches kids to participate with peers towards a common cause that’s bigger than the individual, a behaviour that teaches them how to be resilient.”

The researchers also found a positive correlation between the number of sports played and increased resilience levels, meaning that students appeared to benefit more from playing three or four sports, rather than just one.

“Team building and being a part of a group is really important in sports,” added co-author Paul Caldarella, “Playing sports also teaches students how to be humble after winning, how to treat each other and how to treat members of the opposing team.”

According to the authors, the findings suggest that encouraging students to participate in sports, whether as part of their high school education or recreational, could help them face challenges now and later in life.

“Resilience requires self-discipline and perseverance through adversity,” continued Caldarella. “You could get hurt, lose the game or get a bad call against you, but you have to figure out

how to channel that into a positive focus and move forward after these negative moments.” “This study serves as evidence that resilience is something that can be learned and developed over time. It’s not something that you either have or don’t have.”

Georgia Asian Times October 15-31, 2019

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SPORTS No goals, no fans, no TV: Koreas draw 0-0 in blacked-out World Cup qualifier SEOUL, Oct 15 ― North and South Korea drew 0-0 in a historic but surreal World Cup qualifier today, played in front of an empty stadium and almost completely blocked off from the outside world. The showdown between the two sides — whose countries are still technically at war — took place at Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Stadium with no live broadcast, no supporters and no foreign media in attendance. Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min captained South Korea in the first competitive men’s match to be played in Pyongyang but frustrated South Korean fans, who were not allowed to travel to the game, will have to wait days to see it on television — after officials bring back a recording on DVD.

Formula One reaches deal to hold Miami Grand Prix in 2021 Miami, Oct 16, 2019 — Miami will host a Formula One Grand Prix in May 2021, subject to local government approval, after the sport announced a deal yesterday with the city’s Hard Rock Stadium. Formula One and local organisers in April abandoned plans to hold an annual race in downtown Miami after businesses and residents objected. Organisers then turned their attention to building a racetrack on the grounds of Hard Rock Stadium, which is home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and is owned by real estate mogul and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Ross will fund construction of the estimated US$40 million custom track and cover all race costs, the Miami Herald reported yesterday. A company owned by the American billionaire has been lined up as the potential promoter. “We are thrilled to announce that Formula One and Hard Rock Stadium have reached an agreement in principle to host the first-ever Formula One Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadi-

um,” Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel and Sean Bratches, Formula One’s managing director of commercial operations, said in a joint statement. “With an estimated annual impact of more than US$400 million and 35,000 room nights, the Formula One Miami Grand Prix will be an economic juggernaut for South Florida each and every year.” “We are deeply grateful to our fans, elected officials and the local tourism industry for their patience and support throughout this process,” they said. Formula One will have a record 22 races next year, with a new race in Vietnam added to the calendar. The race would be a second grand prix in the United States after the one in Austin, Texas. The plan is expected to be met with opposition from Miami Gardens residents and businesses and will need the approval of the Miami-Dade County Commission to go forward. — Reuters

“North Korea promised to provide a DVD containing full footage of the match before our delegation departs,” the South’s unification ministry, which handles cross-border affairs, said in a statement. The only simple way to follow the match, which the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had billed as “one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures” for years, was via the limited online text commentary posted on Fifa and AFC websites. The minimal updates available, however, were limited to yellow cards and substitutions. Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim booked North Korea’s Ri Yong Jik and Ri Un Chol, and Kim Young-gwon and Kim Min-jae from the South. A photo posted on the website of the South’s Korean Football Association (KFA) showed the match in progress with giant floodlights illuminating the empty stands. Among the tiny number of spectators was Fifa President Gianni Infantino, who flew in to Pyongyang earlier in the day. “It’s a great pleasure to be here,” Infantino, sporting a North Korean flag lapel pin, said as he was welcomed at the airport by the head of the North Korean Football Association, Kim Jang San. The South Korean team had arrived in Pyongyang yesterday accompanied only by their coaches and support staff. The delegation had to leave their mobile phones at the South Korean embassy in Beijing ahead of their departure, and reaching the team in Pyongyang has been a struggle.

“Nothing is guaranteed in terms of communication so we have to use whatever works at any given moment,” a KFA official said, adding they were currently relying on emails.

Restrictive arrangements A Monday evening press conference by South Korean coach Paulo Bento was attended by five North Korean journalists and two KFA staff, who had to return to their hotel to get an internet connection before posting details of the briefing on the association website. AFC general secretary Windsor John said the restrictive arrangements were only to be expected. “We understand DPR Korea’s situation,” said John, using the official name for North Korea. “We are not surprised.” The match comes in the wake of a series of North Korean missile tests that raised tensions in the region, and after the breakdown of talks with the United States over Pyongyang’s weapons programmes. Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump in February, Pyongyang has regularly excoriated Seoul, ruling out prospects of inter-Korean dialogue. It is a far cry from the cross-border warmth of last year, when South Korean President Moon Jae-in seized on the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to broker the Pyongyang-Washington talks process and held three summits himself with Kim. Back then, the pair discussed and agreed on further sports exchanges including a joint bid to host the 2032 Olympics. South Korean football fans were outraged over the blackout and demanded that the North be held accountable for not following international standards. “A game that’s not broadcast live is completely meaningless,” a fan commented online. Another fan added: “If North Korea does not allow live broadcasts, it should be kicked out from international federations.”

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Oct 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS

LeBron addresses backlash to Hong Kong comments

NBA’s Silver says HK tweet furore already hit league’s bottom line Los Angeles, Oct 18, 2019 — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said today that the fallout following a tweet from a Houston Rockets official who backed the Hong Kong democracy protests has already cost the league substantial financial losses in China.

Lakers and Brooklyn Nets while the NBA cancelled many player appearances.

The National Basketball Association spent years building a huge following and burgeoning business in China, a market worth an estimated US$4 billion for the league, but its future in the country is suddenly on shaky ground.

“Our games are not back on the air in China as we speak,” Silver said in his first public appearance since returning from his recent trip to Asia.

“I felt we had made enormous progress in terms of building cultural exchanges with the Chinese people. And, again, I have regret that much of that was lost,” Silver said at the Time 100 Health Summit in New York. “And I’m not even sure where we’ll go from here, but the direct answer to your question is the financial consequences have been and may continue to be fairly dramatic.” The controversy began this month after Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for the pro-democracy demonstrators in a since-deleted post that included an image captioned: “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” In the aftermath of Morey’s tweet, China did not broadcast or stream the two preseason games that were held in the country between the Los Angeles

Corporate partners in the country have also scrapped or suspended relations with the league.

Silver also said the Chinese government has asked that Morey, who was named the NBA’s executive of the year in 2018, be fired for the tweet. “We said there’s no chance that’s happening,” said Silver, who has previously stated the league would not apologize for Morey expressing his freedom of expression. “There’s no chance we’ll even discipline him.” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang denied that Beijing made such a demand against Morey, however. “We especially went to the relevant departments to check on this claim,” Geng told reporters during the ministry’s daily briefing in the Chinese capital today. “The Chinese government has never made this kind of request.” — Reuters

Los Angeles, Oct 16, 2019 — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told reporters yesterday he believes his comments on Monday — regarding a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in favor of an independent Hong Kong — were taken out of context, calling the circumstances as a whole “tough.” “I mean obviously it’s a tough situation that we’re all in right now, as an association,” said James, who added that he often feels that his words are taken out of context. “Us as athletes, owners, GMs, whatever, so forth. I think when the issue comes up, if you feel passionate about it or you feel like it’s something that you want to talk about, then so be it.” James said Monday — after the Lakers returned from a tour in China — he believed Morey was “either misinformed or not really educated on the situation” and didn’t consider the consequences before posting his tweet. “So many people could have been harmed not only financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually,” James said Monday. “So just be careful what we tweet and say and we do, even though, yes, we do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that, too.” After backlash to James’ comments, he tweeted a follow up on Monday night, writing, “Let me clear up the confusion. I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of (Morey’s) tweet. I’m not discussing the substance. Others can talk About that.” James’ Monday comments and tweets drew plenty of criticism, including from many in Hong Kong, where protestors were seen stomping on and burning his jerseys on basketball courts in the city. Speaking from the Lakers’ facility yesterday, James said he hadn’t see those images and wasn’t monitoring the backlash. “I haven’t been paying attention to it much besides what I said and what we’re trying to do here,” he said. James elaborated somewhat on the discussion about free speech yesterday.

“I also don’t think that every issue should be everybody’s problem, as well,” James said. “There’s multiple things that we haven’t talked about that happen in our own country that we don’t bring up. There’s things that happen in my own community. ... “There’s issues all over the world, and I think the best thing we can do is, if you feel passionate about it, talk about it. If you don’t have a lot of knowledge about it or you don’t quite understand it, I don’t think you should talk about it. I think it just puts you in a tough position.” James finished his media session by saying he won’t discuss the subject moving forward, with hopes of avoiding distractions around the team. “I won’t talk about it again, because I’ll be cheating my teammates by continuing to harp on something that won’t benefit us,” James said. Morey has not been disciplined for his since-deleted tweet that included a logo and the words, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.” Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta spoke out against Morey and his tweet, and Rockets star James Harden said afterward, “We apologise. You know, we love China. We love playing there,” while standing next to teammate Russell Westbrook in Tokyo. According to an ESPN report Monday, players asked NBA commissioner Adam Silver whether Morey would face any ramifications from the league, with several arguing the point that if a player did or said something that cost the league millions, that player would face repercussions. In the days following Morey’s tweet, Chinese state television decided to not air the Brooklyn Nets-Lakers preseason games played in China, and numerous Chinese companies suspended business with the NBA. Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region in China, is in the midst of months-long protests — sometimes violent — with Beijing sensitive to foreign influence on the unrest. — Reuters

Georgia Asian Times October 15-31, 2019

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HEALTH

Could taking hormone therapy after the menopause improve cognition? Washington DC, Oct 17, 2019 — New US research has found that taking hormone therapy — medications that replace the female hormones no longer made by the body after menopause — could help improve cognition postmenopause. The new study looked at more than 2,000 postmenopausal women and followed them over a 12-year period to investigate the link between the hormone estrogen and cognitive decline. The researchers analysed the women’s exposure to estrogen by recording information such as the women’s age at menarche, which is a female’s first period,

their age at menopause, the number of pregnancies, duration of breastfeeding and use of hormone therapy. The findings, published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), showed that women who were exposed to estrogen for a longer duration of time appeared to have better cognition. In addition, those who started hormone therapy earlier had higher cognitive test scores than those who started taking hormones later. Starting hormone therapy earlier also appeared to be particularly beneficial for the

oldest women in the study. It is already known that estrogen is important for overall brain health and cognitive function, and with women making up two-thirds of the 5.5 million cases of Alzheimer disease in the United States women, it has been suggested that sex-specific factors such as estrogen could play a role in increasing a woman’s risk for the disease. The new findings suggest that a longer reproductive window, complemented with hormone therapy, may benefit a woman’s cognition. “Although the assessment of

the risk-to-benefit balance of hormone therapy use is complicated and must be individualised, this study provides additional evidence for beneficial cognitive effects of hormone therapy, particularly when initiated early after menopause. “This study also underscores the potential adverse effects of early estrogen deprivation on cognitive health in the setting of premature or early menopause without adequate estrogen replacement,” says Dr Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director.

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October 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia

Earth and fire: India pottery village lights up for Diwali New DelhiI, Oct 17, 2019 — The narrow lanes of Kumhar Gram are buzzing with activity ahead of Diwali as generations of potters race to create clay decorations for customers across the country — and beyond. Known as the “Potter’s Village”, the settlement is home to around 500 families from India’s traditional pottery community, who moved to the area half a century ago. Their skills and artistry have made Kumhar Gram one of the most popular spots for earthenware in the nation but in the run up to Diwali — October and November depending on when it falls — the place transforms. The streets throng with shoppers buying every type of clay decor from pots and lamps to flower vases and statues of Hindu gods and goddesses. Diwali, known as the “festival

of lights”, is a Sanskrit word meaning rows of lighted lamps. The “diya” oil lamps have traditionally been made out of clay and placed around a home during celebrations. Potter Dinesh Kumar, like many others in the village, learnt about clay from his father and is now passing on the skills to his young children. “I am teaching them the same way I learnt from my father, he learnt from his father and so on,” Kumar tells AFP as he sat at a wheel with many fresh clay pots behind him. “People come to us from across India and not just Delhi,” he added. In many households, entire families are involved in the steps to make the finished products. Jagmohan, who only goes by one name, shares the process

with his brothers, their wives, his parents and their children. The 48-year-old sits at the wheel churning different types of pots, lamps and flower vases throughout the day, particularly in weeks leading up to the famed Festival of Lights. One of his brothers carves designs on them, then the women of the family take the finished works to the roof, where they are left to dry under the sun. Once dry, they are placed in a rooftop wood oven to bake. The finished products are loaded onto rickshaws dotted around the congested pathways to be taken to nearby markets and other buyers. The rickshaw drivers must carry their cargo while navigating the winding alleys filled with stacks of dry clay, finished or unfinished products, and people

painting them. At a market in the village, Sushil Panwar is buying decorations for his home as he gears up for the festivals. “I have been coming here for a decade now. We take all clay decoration items for our home, like flower pots and earthen lamps from here,” said Panwar. Beside him, his wife Pratibha holds their purchases which have been carefully wrapped in worn newspapers. “People come here from all over India around festivals because the (clay) oil lamps here are special,” market vendor Kumar Prajapati explains. He adds: “Whatever you need is available here... which you won’t find anywhere else.”

Georgia Asian Times October 15-31, 2019

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Misc Asia

Supertyphoon Hagibis gives new wind to Philippine disco band Manila, Oct 12, 2019 - For a four-decade-old Philippine disco band, the namesake supertyphoon bearing down on Japan has brought a sudden rush of interest in its macho act. Known as the Philippines’ “Village People”, all-male band Hagibis has been going since 1979. While some members have changed over time, it has retained its act featuring tight black trousers, leather jackets, open shirts, shades, moustaches and suggestive dance moves. “Hagibis is getting indirect publicity worldwide,” said 61-year-old Jose Parsons Nabiula, who goes by his stage name Sonny Parsons and has been with the band since the start. “It reminded everybody of my group’s existence... Some people are making fun of it, some people are very serious.” Typhoon Hagibis is due to

make landfall on Japan’s main island of Honshu on Saturday as the most powerful storm to hit the capital in six decades. Google Trends showed that search interest had spiked this week in Hagibis the band as well as the typhoon. Hagibis means speed and strength in the Philippine language Tagalog. Tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific Ocean are given their identity in sequence based on names provided by 14 regional countries. People had been joking about the vigor of Typhoon Hagibis and comparing that to the band, Parsons said. Parsons said he hoped the inquiries and feelers pouring in for Hagibis would translate into bookings for a band that currently performs around twice in

a month in the Manila area. A former elected official, he now also juggles his performances with film-making and a construction business. “Maybe after a month or two I will be expecting a lot of concert offers,” Parsons said. Typhoon Hagibis looks on track to hit Japan a month after another destructive typhoon and Parsons said he was worried about the damage. “I hope that Hagibis storm’s show happens in the middle of the sea,” Parsons said. “Definitely, people will absorb the wrath of typhoon Hagibis and I feel bad about it.” Hagibis is best known for its members’ macho image and songs extolling the beauty of women. The group’s hit songs include “Katawan” (Body), “Legs” and “Babae” (Woman).

While the storm did not enter the Philippine territory, its extension brought scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in central and southern parts of the Southeast Asian nation. Hagibis had used its renewed fame to warn Filipinos in Japan ahead of the storm’s landfall, Parsons said. He hoped the band would get the chance to go to Japan after the typhoon. “We will undo the sorrow and depression people experience,” Parsons said. “If the singing group will have a chance to go to Japan, we will help you forget the typhoon.” - Reuters

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October 15-31, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

TECHNOLOGY

Fortnite launches ‘Chapter 2’ after Call of Duty challenge New York, Oct 15, 2019 — Epic Games’ launched a “Chapter 2” reboot of its battle royale smash hit Fortnite today, drawing the eyeballs of hundreds of millions of gamers globally as it bid to halt defections to rivals Apex Legends and Call of Duty. Fortnite has been down since Sunday, giving players no option other than staring at a black screen after a season-ending in-game event where its original island was sucked into a black hole. The new version of the game features 13 new locations, water gameplay where characters can swim, fish and ride motorboats as well as new places to hide and a host of new avatars and guns.

The changes, hashtagged #FirstDrop, were received well by gamers, with ‘Fortnite is back’ trending on US Twitter with 13 thousand tweets. Nearly 170 million tuned in to watch the new game being played live by gamer Turner “Tfue” Tenney on video game live-streaming platform Twitch, less than two hours after its launch. Fortnite and its early rival, Tencent-backed “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” (PUBG), popularised an arena-style battle royale survival concept where 100 gamers are dropped onto an island to fight each other to the death.

The games are free to download and play but users pay for upgrades, like the “skins” displayed on characters. Fortnite raked in US$2.4 billion in revenue in 2018, more than any other single title, according to Nielsen data. The runaway successes of the games prompted Electronic Arts to launch its similarly-themed Apex Legends earlier this year and competition continues to mount. The mobile version of Activision’s long-running Call of Duty franchise launched on Oct. 1, and has already racked up 125 million unique downloads and more than US$28 million in gross player spending, according to data website SensorTower.

Spending on Fortnite has fallen 23 per cent since the launch of Call of Duty, the website’s data also showed. — Reuters