Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia
www.gasiantimes.com September 1-15, 2019
U.S. to states: School lunch changes none of your business
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
Georgia Asian Times September 1-15, 2019
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Trusted for generations... Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Editorial: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho Photographer: Ben Hioe, Rendy tendean
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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.
24th Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Date: Saturday, Sept 7, 2019 Time: 7:00 am - 6:00 pm Venue: Olympic Rowing Facility, Gainesville, Georgia For more info: www.dragonboatatlanta.com Taste of Indonesian - Indonesian food, drinks and merchandise Date: Sunday, Sept 15, 2019 Time:10:00 am -5:00 pm Venue: OLA Church 1350 Hearst Drive SE, Atlanta GA 30319 GAT Asian Women Leaders Forum Date: Friday, Sept 20, 2019 Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Venue: Atlanta Tech Park, 107 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners GA 30092
2019 JapanFest Date: Sept 21-22, 2019 Time: 10:00 am-6:00 pm Venue: Infinite Energy Center, Duluth GA 30097 For more info: www.japanfest.org 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 across metro Atlanta For more info: www.ATLaff.org 2019 Korean American Coalition National Convention Date: Oct 25-27, 2019 Venue: Georgia Tech Hotel For more info: www.kacatl.org
Contact: Jennifer Rose and Rose Pak ATLANTA • 770.457.8118 iig-insurance.com
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
METRO ASIAN NEWS
Nomination is open for inaugural GAT Asian Women Leaders Awards Suwanee, August 21, 2019 — Nomination is currently open for the inaugural Georgia Asian Times’ Asian Women Leaders Forum scheduled for Sept 20, 2019 at Atlanta Tech Park. These four awards: Impact Award, Valiant Award, Amazing Award, Gratitude Award will be honored upon individuals who deserve the accolade for their accomplishment and dedication. Impact Award: This recognition goes to a woman who is making her mark in a field or who is a trail blazer in her profession. Valiant Award: Recognizing a young professional (under 40 years old) who is making a huge impact or “disrupt” the status quo. Amazing Award: Recognize a successful women-owned or women-led business/organization. It sets new standard and demonstrate excellence (must proof 51%ownership or managed by women). Gratitude Award: Tribute to a woman who sacrifice her time, talent, or
resources for the better of others and the community. Nomination closes by Aug 30, 2019. Finalists of each category will be invited to the Forum. Winners will be officially announced at the ceremony. To nominate: https://forms.gle/FRUhaekk49qaqhqz8 The GAT Asian Women Forum is a platform for women to exchange ideas, to learn and inspire, and to promote better leadership in a fast changing world. “Women from all backgrounds come together to learn and be inspired by top leaders and take the next step in their career through engaging and interactive forum,” explains Li Wong, Publisher of Georgia Asian Times. Registration fee for the Forum is $30.00 per person and register via: https://gasiantimes.com/ap8r
Record crowd projected for this year’s Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival The 24th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled to paddle off its first race on Saturday at 7:30 am at Olympic Kayak Facility at Clarks Bridge, Lake Lanier in Gainesville.
ing and to park at designated parking spots. Parking at event site is limited and no parking is advised at neighbor’s yard. Violators will be towed at the owner’s expenses.
With a beautiful weather forecast for the early Fall weekend, the Dragon Boat Festival organizer is expecting record number of 80 teams and large number of participants at this year’s festival.
“We also would like to advise the general public to not bring any pets, weapons, and smoking is not allowed at the premises,” adds Hanratty.
“Visitors to the festival can expect spectacular Asian cultural performances during the opening ceremony. There is also multicultural food vendors where you can sample authentic Asian cuisine,” said Gene Hanratty, Chairman of the Atlanta Dragon Boat Festival, organizer of the event. With record crowd expected at the festival, organizer have advised the general public to use caution for park-
Festival participants are encourage to visit www.dragonboatatlanta.com for latest updates and race information.
Georgia Asian Times September 1-15, 2019
WHY EXPERIENCE ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL NIGHT MARKET?
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Join the largest and most diverse NIGHT MARKET in the United States! With more than 75 nationalities represented in Metro Atlanta, this event showcases one of the greatest international communities in the world! Enjoy delicious food from all over the world, exciting cultural performances, a fun and festive Kids Zone, a vast retail/shopping area with local artisans, a cooking demonstration tent, a full bar, an educational International Village, and more! From Japan to Thailand to Germany to Colombia, Atlanta International Night Market will feature a cornucopia of tastes and flavors from different countries. Just like night markets around the world, there will be unique and exciting products from over 50 vendors including clothing, cosmetics, curios and dĂŠcor. Local makers and craftspeople will present their handmade items at the artisan market. The International Village will feature different countries each day for hands-on educational experiences. Learn about countries, languages, cultural games and travel.
Learn more at awesomealpharetta.com!
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
BUSINESS
Strong consumer spending propping up U.S. economy Washington DC, August 30, 2019 – U.S. consumer spending increased solidly in July as households bought a range of goods and services, which could further allay financial market fears of a recession, but the strong pace of consumption is unlikely to be sustained amid tepid income gains. The report from the Commerce Department on Friday added to July trade and inventory data in suggesting that while the economy was slowing, it was not losing altitude rapidly for now. But risks to the longest economic expansion in history are mounting, mostly from a year-long trade war between the United States and China. The trade fight between the two economic giants has spooked financial markets and caused an inversion of the U.S. yield curve, which has stoked fears that the economic expansion now in its 11th year is in danger of being derailed by a recession. “Even with elevated policy uncertainty and financial market turbulence, the U.S. consumer continues to display great vitality, emboldened by a large savings buffer,” said Lydia Boussour, senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics in New York. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. eco-
nomic activity, rose 0.6% last month after an unrevised 0.3% gain in June, the government said. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer spending advancing 0.5% last month. Consumer spending is being driven by a strong labor market, which is marked by the lowest unemployment rate in nearly 50 years, and better job security. But with Washington due to slap additional tariffs on Chinese goods on Sept. 1 and in December, there are concerns that consumer spending could take a hit. A survey from the University of Michigan on Friday showed its consumer sentiment index in August dropping by the most since December 2012, amid nervousness about the trade tensions. Earlier this week, a survey from the Conference Board, which focuses heavily on the labor market, showed a mild drop in consumer sentiment in August. The stock market has a bigger weighting in the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey. “The link between sentiment and spending is not especially tight, but the recent decline in consumer sentiment could be a sign that the spending data
will soften soon,” said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.
undershot the U.S. central bank’s 2% target this year.
The U.S.-China trade conflict has weighed heavily on manufacturing and business investment, which contracted in the second quarter. That, together with slowing global growth as well as persistently low domestic inflation, will likely see the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates again next month.
“While the shorter-term trend in core prices has picked up, the low yearly rate, along with the recent escalation in trade protectionism, can only spur the Fed to pull the easing trigger again on Sept. 18,” said Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto.
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said last week that the economy was in a “favorable place,” but reiterated that the U.S. central bank would “act as appropriate” to keep the economic expansion on track. The Fed lowered its short-term interest rate by 25 basis points last month for the first time since 2008, citing trade tensions and slowing global growth.
When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending increased 0.4% in July. This so-called real consumer spending rose 0.2% in June. Last month’s jump in core consumer spending suggested consumption remained strong early in the third quarter after it surged at its fastest pace in 4-1/2 years in the second quarter.
The dollar firmed against a basket of currencies, while U.S. Treasury prices fell. Stocks on Wall Street were trading higher. LOW INFLATION Consumer prices as measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 0.2% in July as a drop in the cost of food was offset by a surge in energy goods and services. The PCE price index edged up 0.1% in June. In the 12 months through July, the PCE price index increased 1.4% after gaining 1.3% in June. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the PCE price index rose 0.2% last month, matching June’s increase. That kept the annual increase in the so-called core PCE price index at 1.6% in July. The core PCE index is the Fed’s preferred inflation measure and has
The economy grew at a 2.0% annualized rate in the second quarter, slowing from the January-March quarter’s brisk 3.1% pace. Growth estimates for the third quarter range from a 1.5% rate to a 2.3% pace. The economy is largely losing speed as the stimulus from the White House’s $1.5 trillion tax-cut package and a government spending blitz fades. Last month, spending on goods surged 0.9%, driven by outlays on recreational goods and motor vehicles. Spending on services increased 0.5%. Consumer spending in July was supported by savings as personal income edged up 0.1%, the smallest rise since last September. That followed a 0.5% increase in June. Wages increased 0.2% and personal interest income fell 1.8%. Savings fell to $1.27 trillion, the lowest level since November 2018, from $1.32 trillion in June. – Reuters
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
BUSINESS not when we make it more expensive for Americans to get dressed everyday.” Trump on Sunday cited comments from U.S. economist Peter Morici, who said the tariffs would not affect U.S. consumers that much given a drop in the Chinese currency, and the president called on U.S. companies to find suppliers outside of China.
China, U.S. kick off new round of tariffs in trade war Beijing-Washington DC, September 2, 2019 – The United States began imposing 15% tariffs on a variety of Chinese goods on Sunday – including footwear, smart watches and flat-panel televisions – as China began imposing new duties on U.S. crude, the latest escalation in a bruising trade war.
“We don’t want to be servants to the Chinese!” Trump said. “This is about American Freedom. Redirect the supply chain. There is no reason to buy everything from China!” Later, he told reporters that talks with China were continuing and the two sides would meet in person in September.
A variety of studies suggest the tariffs will cost U.S. households up to $1,000 a year and the latest round will hit a significant number of U.S. consumer goods.
“We are talking to China, the meeting is still on, as you know, in September,” he said. “We’ll see what happens, but we can’t allow China to rip us off anymore as a country.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said the sides would still meet for talks later this month.
In retaliation, China started to impose additional tariffs on some of the U.S. goods on a $75 billion target list. Beijing did not specify the value of the goods that face higher tariffs from Sunday.
Trump, writing on Twitter, said his goal was to reduce U.S. reliance on China and he again urged American companies to find alternate suppliers outside China.
The extra tariffs of 5% and 10% were levied on 1,717 items of a total of 5,078 products originating from the United States. Beijing will start collecting additional tariffs on the rest from Dec. 15.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told “Fox News Sunday” that Trump was right to confront China, but “unfortunately, he’s done it the wrong way. To take on China, there has to be a multilateral approach. One country can’t take on China to try to dry up its overcapacity because they just send it through to you in other ways.”
A new round of tariffs took effect, with Beijing’s levy of 5% on U.S. crude marking the first time the fuel had been targeted since the world’s two largest economies started their trade war more than a year ago.
Steve Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, said on Sunday the new tariffs were “just in time for our most important selling season of the year. They claim that they are hurting China but, in reality, they are hurting us. Prices will go up, sales will go down, jobs will be lost.”
The Trump administration on Sunday began collecting 15% tariffs on more than $125 billion in Chinese imports, including smart speakers, Bluetooth headphones and clothing.
He said the United States “can make progress with China when we engage with them in calm, productive talks,
CHINA REACTS Chinese state media struck a defiant note. “The United States should learn how to behave like a responsible global power and stop acting as a ‘school bully,’” the official Xinhua news agency said. “As the world’s only superpower, it needs to shoulder its due responsibility, and join other countries in making this world a better and more pros-
perous place. Only then can America become great again.” Tariffs could not impede China’s development, said the official People’s Daily of the ruling Communist Party. “China’s booming economy has made China a fertile ground for investment that foreign companies cannot ignore,” it said, in a commentary under the name ‘Zhong Sheng,’ or ‘Voice of China,’ which is often used to state its view on foreign policy issues. Last month, Trump said he was increasing existing and planned tariffs by 5% on about $550 billion worth of Chinese imports after Beijing announced its own retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Tariffs of 15% on cellphones, laptop computers, toys and clothing are to take effect on Dec. 15. The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office said on Thursday it would collect public comments through Sept. 20 on a planned tariff increase to 30% on a $250 billion list of goods already hit with a 25% tariff set for Oct. 1. Trade teams from China and the United States continue to talk and will meet in September. For two years, the Trump administration has sought to pressure China to make sweeping changes to its policies on intellectual property protection, forced transfers of technology to Chinese firms, industrial subsidies and market access Trump has also linked the trade talks and the protests in Hong Kong, saying he believes the negotiations with the United States had led Beijing to be more restrained in its response to the demonstrations in Hong Kong. – Reuters
Georgia Asian Times September 1-15, 2019
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TECH
Facebook brings face recognition to all Apple Card owners warned not to store users, discontinues ‘Tag Suggestions’ their card in jeans... or a leather wallet SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 4 — Facebook Inc is opening up its face recognition technology to all users with an option to opt out, the social media company said yesterday, as it discontinued a related feature called “Tag Suggestions.” The old feature enabled users to choose whether Facebook could suggest that their friends tag them in photos, without giving them control over other uses of the technology. The face recognition setting, available to some Facebook users since December 2017, has additional functions such as notifying account holders if their profile photo is used by someone else. People who opt in to the new setting will still have tag suggestions automatically generated about them. Facebook’s face recognition technology has been at the centre of a privacy related lawsuit since 2015. The lawsuit by Illinois users accused the company of violating the
state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act, claiming it illegally collected and stored biometric data of millions of users without their consent. Last month, a federal appeals court rejected Facebook’s effort to undo the class action status of the lawsuit.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 22 — Yesterday, MacRumors spotted a new support page published by Apple instructing Apple Card owners on how to care for their new plastic. As a rule of thumb, users shouldn’t put it in their pocket... or wallet.
“We have always disclosed our use of face recognition technology and that people can turn it on or off at any time,” Facebook said last month.
True to its aesthetic, Apple designed their first credit card to be pearly white, a stylistic choice that works on a phone but unfortunately less so on plastic money.
The company said it continues to engage with privacy experts, academics, regulators and its users on face recognition and its control options. — Reuters
Yesterday, MacRumors saw that Apple has just published a support page titled “How to clean your Apple Card,” and it turns out, the signature white finish is incredibly fragile. Owners should avoid bringing the card in contact with hard surfaces, all household cleaners, and even leather and denim. Only a “soft, slightly damp, lint-free microfiber cloth” should be used to clean the card. When storing it, you shouldn’t put it in the pocket of your jeans or in your leather wallet due to potentially per-
manent discolouration. Furthermore, it should not share a slot with another card, or the multi-layer white coating could be damaged. Magnets should be avoided, as well as loose change, keys, and other abrasive objects. The Apple Card first began rolling out earlier this month to select users. By the end of this month, it is expected to roll out to the entire US.
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
FASHION
Fall-winter fashion trends: Pleats and bows will be omnipresent this year NEW YORK, Sept 3 — The autumn-winter 2019-2020 shows at the four fashion capitals in February and March 2019 were strongly marked by pleats and bows. Designers and major fashion houses subtly incorporated them in their collections, bringing glamour, romance, refinement and power to feminine silhouettes. Pleats reign supreme Feminine, delicate, sexy, or glamorous, pleats are everywhere this season, in enough variations to suit all styles and tastes. The result? An incredible array of choices on the catwalk. Fendi
leaned towards fluid, asymmetrical pleated skirts to soften lines that were almost authoritarian, while Alberta Ferretti looked to long pleated dresses with sexy cutouts to express strength and glamour. At Annakiki, pleats carried messages, giving an impression of imperfection. Longchamp distinguished itself with graphic pleated dresses accentuated by ribbons and metallic rivets created with modern rebels in mind. Having already been a major trend this summer, pleats will continue to be center-stage in the ready-to-wear lines for another season.
Bows, in XXL versions Fashion addicts have also have bows to consider this season. They were incorporated with collars, busts, and shoulders in the most refined of ways. However, they’re anything but discreet, showing up in XXL versions and lending a sense of strength and character to the clothes. Adorning collars, they brought retro style to Vaquera, chic to Blumarine and a 1980s vibe to MSGM. At Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello worked closely with proportions. Kaia Gerber wore an asymmetric minidress with diagonal stripes and an enormous bow to accentuate the shoulders at
the show on February 26, a detail that brought strength to the overall look. At Fendi, the bow brought an elegant, modern touch, whether perfectly knotted on a high-collared shirt or on the back of blazers, dresses and coats.
Georgia Asian Times
September 1-15, 2019
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ART
Christie’s to offer the majority of I.M. Pei’s art collection at auction NEW YORK, Aug 30 — The late architect’s collection is set to be auctioned in New York and Hong Kong in November and Paris in December, after embarking on a world tour. Before he died last May, I.M. Pei had assembled an extensive private collection, with his wife Eileen over the course of their 72-year marriage. It includes a selection of paintings, drawings, works on paper and sculpture by Eastern and Western artists alike. Among them are abstract expressionist artist Barnett Newman, French sculptor Jean Dubuffet, and Chinese-French painter Zao WouKi, with whom the architect and his wife developed a close friendship.
Additional works by Franz Kline,Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, Willem de Kooning, Henry Moore,Jacques Lipchitz, Xu Shiqi and Isamu Noguchi complete the 59-piece collection, which could fetch more than US$25 million. “My parents’ collection is a personal reflection of how they lived. They shared a deep curiosity about the world and I have wonderful memories of travelling with them. No matter the country, they always seemed to have friends, many of whom were artists, architects, gallerists and museum directors, ready to welcome them,” Liane Pei, daughter of Eileen and I.M. Pei, recalled in a statement. A standout piece from the collection is the large oil-on-canvas “27.3.70” by Zao Wou-Ki, which is estimated to sell for between
HK$38 million and HK$48 million. “Whenever we were in Paris, we would visit Zao Wou-Ki, whom I always referred to as ‘Uncle Wou-Ki,’ to see his latest paintings,” Liane Pei said. Among the most coveted lots are Barnett Newman’s “Untitled 4” and “Untitled 5,” which are respectively expected to fetch US$8 million and US$5 million. Both works come from a series of six paintings the artist executed in 1950, of which three are in museum collections. Another top lot is Dubuffet’s “La Brouette (The Wheelbarrow),” which is at the heart of the artist’s “Hourloupe” cycle. The artwork, which hints at Dubuffet’s longstanding interest in agriculture, is estimated between €350,000 and 550,000. Throughout his decades-long career, I.M. Pei designed building
around the world, including the Louvre’s glass pyramid, the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Museum of Islamic Art in Quatar. “The Pei name is one that resonates around the world, integrated into the landscape of the dozens of cities that feature a Pei-designed art museum, concert hall, university, hospital, office tower or civic building,” Marc Porter, Christie’s chairman of the Americas, said in a statement. Highlights from the collection will be exhibited in Paris from September 13 to 17, before heading to Hong Kong and Los Angeles in October. The entire collection will then be shown in New York in early November. For additional information, see the Christie’s website.
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
LIFESTYLE
South Koreans secretly recording abuse by bosses Seoul, September 2, 2019 – South Korean workers fed up with bullying are being increasingly emboldened by a new tougher labor law to secretly record alleged abuse or harassment by their bosses, boosting sales of hightech audio and video devices. Gadgets disguised as leather belts, eyeglasses, pens and USB sticks are all proving popular with employees in a country where abusive behavior by people in power is so pervasive that there is a word for it – “gabjil”. Several incidents have made international headlines, most notoriously the 2014 Korean Air “nut rage” case in which the airline’s vice president Heather Cho assaulted a crew member over the way she was served macadamia nuts in first class. Jang Sung-Churl, chief executive of electronics firm Auto Jungbo Co. Ltd., told Reuters that covert recording devices “have been selling like hotcakes” since the government flagged changes to the labor laws late last year. Under the new legislation, which came into force on July 16, company owners who “unfairly demote or dismiss” workers who allege harassment
can be imprisoned for three years or fined up to 30 million won ($24,700). Reuters spoke directly with a handful of employees using James Bond-like secret devices and observed around 100 others talking about their use in an online chat room created by lawyers, called Gabjil 119, to give free advice on bullying cases. Auto Jungbo Co.’s sales of voice recorders so far this year have doubled to 80 devices per day, Jang said as he forecast sales to also double this calendar year to 1.4 billion won. Jang, whose company is one of around 20 across the country selling the devices directly and supplying other retailers, said other popular devices included electronic car keys and cigarette lighters. “You can make any shapes, honestly,” he said as he showed Reuters his range of devices. “This glasses frame is a camcorder; it’s useful in places you cannot carry some of these devices. The pen is the most popular though.” A 34-year-old aircraft engineer using the Gabjil 119 site shared an audio recording with Reuters of a man he said
was his boss using expletives to berate him for taking leave to care for a sick family member. The engineer, who requested anonymity, made the recording on his phone but the confrontation convinced him he needed something more discreet so he snapped up a USB voice recorder “to carry it with me at all times.” FIGHTING BACK
months for obstructing aviation safety. Her sister Emily publicly apologized and resigned, before returning Hanjin Kal’s board this June. Yang Jin-ho was arrested on charges of assault and coercion in December and is on trial. Those high-profile cases resulted in a public outcry that prompted a cultural rethink, leading local media to dub the new legislation the “Yang Jin-ho Prevention Law”.
The gabjil culture in South Korea has been enabled by traditions of deference to status in all walks of life, from schools to family-owned conglomerates.
The labor ministry told Reuters that 572 employees had used the new law to file complaints against their workplace by Aug. 29, averaging 17.9 cases registered each day.
A few years after Heather Cho ordered her Korean Air plane back to the gate over a bag of nuts, her sister Emily Cho, an executive with the airline’s parent company Hanjin Kal Corp, allegedly threw a drink at a business meeting attendee.
Gabjil 119 said around 58% of the 1,844 enquiries in the chat room since the new labor law related to workplace harassment, a much higher percentage than the 28% of the 11,938 inquiries over the previous six months. – Reuters
In another incident, a video showed Yang Jin-ho, the chief executive of tech firm WeDisk, assaulting an employee over performance issues. Heather Cho resigned from Korean Air’s board and was jailed for several
Georgia Asian Times September 1-15, 2019
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SPORTS
Hamilton relishing many more battles with Leclerc SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Sept 2 — Five-times world champion Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to many more battles with Charles Leclerc after the young Monegasque took his first Formula One victory in Belgium yesterday and ended Ferrari’s win drought. Leclerc, the Italian glamour team’s youngest winner at 21, won from pole position on an emotional afternoon at Spa overshadowed by the death on Saturday of French F2 racer Anthoine Hubert. A chasing Hamilton finished second for Mercedes, stretching his overall lead to 65 points, with Ferrari’s fourtimes world champion Sebastian Vettel only fourth. “He (Leclerc) has been really unlucky in quite a few races this year. It could easily have been the third win (for him) today,” Hamilton said. “So there’s a lot more greatness to come from him and I’m looking forward to seeing his growth and racing alongside him. It was fun today, trying to chase him. He was just a little bit too quick.” Monza, Ferrari’s home race, is next up on Sunday and the Italian team can hope for a triumphant homecoming in front of their passionate fans. Team boss Mattia Binotto warned it would still be tough, however. “The best way to approach Monza would have been to win many races before and not only Spa,” he told reporters. “But...we proved that our package is
competitive here at Spa, and we maybe expect to be competitive in Monza as well.” Leclerc’s win at Spa-Francorchamps came in the 13th race of a 21-round season and was Ferrari’s first since Kimi Raikkonen, now at Alfa Romeo, won the US Grand Prix last October. The sport’s oldest and most successful team had been favourites to win in Belgium, with their car aerodynamically suited to the high speed track’s fast sweeps and flat-out blasts, and will be fancied again for Monza. The layout of the historic track near Milan, with long flat-out straights mostly broken only by fast chicanes, should suit Ferrari even more than Spa. They have not won at home since 2010 but Leclerc’s breakthrough, with the Monaco anthem sounding out for the first time, will have sent expectations soaring.
Grand Prix death triggers safety probe, says motor sport chief SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Sept 2 — Improved safety standards in motor racing will be pursued relentlessly and research into better protection for drivers will never stop, according to the sport’s ruling body. International Motoring Federation (FIA) race director Michael Masi said an investigation into the crash on Saturday that killed Formula Two driver Anthoine Hubert had already begun. “Safety is ever evolving,” said Masi, who took over his role following the sudden death earlier this year of longtime FIA official Charlie Whiting.
“Last year, coming to Monza was probably one of the best experiences in my life,” said the Monegasque, who raced for Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) in 2018.
“Once different technologies become available, different materials become available — safety is an ever-evolving process. For me, it is something that will never end.
“The support I had, even though I was not a Ferrari driver, was unbelievable. I imagine the welcome will be... probably even more now.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it. Safety is one of the core pillars of the FIA, part of why it exists. That is something that just won’t stop.
Memories of last year, when Ferrari locked out the front row in qualifying but Hamilton won for Mercedes, serve as a warning, however.
“We’ll continue to research and look at things and improve them as best we can.”
“We will need to be perfect there,” said Binotto. — Reuters
Frenchman Hubert’s death left the sport shocked and close friend Charles Leclerc dedicated his maiden Formula One victory for Ferrari to
him following a dramatic win in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. The young Monegasque drove with near-flawless judgement to convert pole position into a victory, fending off a late charge from defending fivetime champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes to win by nine-tenths of a second. Hamilton, who admitted he was devastated by the death of Hubert and had a sleepless Saturday night afterwards, praised the work of the FIA. “There’s a huge amount of work that the FIA have done up to this point,” he said. “I think they’ve been working incredibly hard and we’ve seen big steps already — obviously, particularly when Charlie was here, he made massive steps forward so we will continue in that direction.” Hubert’s death, the first as a result of an accident at a Grand Prix for five years, stunned the sport. American driver Juan-Manuel Correa, who suffered broken legs and a spinal injury in the crash, remained in intensive care on Sunday, but was reported to be in a stable condition.
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
SPORTS
Djokovic says ‘life goes on’ as injury wrecks US Open defence New York, Sept 2 ― Top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic said “life goes on” after a shoulder injury forced him to quit today’s clash with Stan Wawrinka in the last 16 of the US Open. Wawrinka, the 23rd seed and 2016 champion, led Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 2-1 when the Serb quit with a nagging left shoulder problem that had troubled him since the start of the tournament. “The pain was constant for weeks now. Some days higher, some days with less intensity and obviously taking different stuff to kill the pain instantly,” Djokovic said. “Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. You just know when you know, I guess, when you feel like you’re not able to hit the shot anymore.” Djokovic refused to expand on the nature of his injury, which had caused him considerable pain during a second-round win over Juan Ignacio Londero. “I retired and I told you it’s left shoulder. I have nothing more to talk about,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about my injuries. I said that in the past. I’m sticking to that.” Djokovic had claimed he felt “almost pain-free” following a straight-sets defeat of Denis Kudla in round three,
but the problem resurfaced against Wawrinka in the first meeting between the pair since the final here three years ago. The world number one received treatment before the start of the third set against Wawrinka but soon threw in the towel, the sixth time he has retired at a Grand Slam tournament. “It is frustrating. Very frustrating. Obviously not the first, not the last player to get injured and to withdraw from one of the biggest events in sport,” he said. “But obviously I just came off the court, so of course it hurts. “Obviously I’m in the midst of unfortunate situation, and I have to, you know, suffer the consequences of that. And as I said, I’m not the first nor the last one. Life goes on.” ‘Long road ahead’ But Djokovic, winner of four of the past five Slam events and 16 overall, remained bullish about his chances of eventually catching and surpassing long-time rival Roger Federer, who holds the men’s record of 20 major titles. “It’s no secret that I have of course desire and a goal to reach the most Slams and reach Roger’s record,” Djokovic said. “But at the same time, it’s a long road
ahead hopefully for me I hope I can play for many more years. I’m planning to. I don’t see an end behind the corner at all. “Now it’s a matter of keeping my body and mind in shape and trying to still peak at these kind of events that are majors and that are the most significant in our sport.” It marked just the second time in the past decade Djokovic had pulled out of a Grand Slam match, having last retired during a 2017 Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych with an elbow injury. That setback prompted him to shut it down for the remainder of the season and led to questions about his future. His spectacular return to form 12 months later silenced those concerns, and he is hopeful of a swift recovery. “This season is not yet over,” he said, reflecting on a year in which he added another Australian Open and Wimbledon title to his collection.
“Obviously Grand Slam season is done for me. I mean, I won two Slams out of four and played semis in French. I had a really good Grand Slam season. I cannot complain, not at all. “There is plenty of big tournaments ahead. Rankings-wise, plenty of points to defend for me and try to withhold that ranking of number one. “I just hope I’ll get a chance to be competing, because once I’m healthy I actually like my chances playing in Asia. And also indoor season, I play historically pretty well in those last couple months of the year.”
Georgia Asian Times September 1-15, 2019
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HEALTH
Study: Sleeping too much or too little linked with increased heart attack risk Colorado, Sept 4, 2019 ― New research has found that getting the right amount of sleep may help reduce your risk of a heart attack, even if you have a genetic predisposition to heart disease. Carried out by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder along with co-authors at the Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, and the University of Manchester, UK, the new study looked at 461,347 individuals age 40 to 69 who had never had a heart attack and who were taking part in UK Biobank, a large long-term study which includes genomic data on more than half a million UK residents. The researchers analyzed the participants’ self-reported sleep habits and medical records and also looked at their genetic information to determine whether those who were genetically predisposed to short sleep were also more likely to have heart attacks.
To make their analysis they used a method called Mendelian randomisation, which involves studying genetic variants to see whether certain factors are associated with a higher or lower risk of disease. As it gives more reliable results, any associations found are more likely to suggest a direct relationship. Participants were then followed for seven years. The findings, published on Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, showed that during the study, those who slept less than six hours were 20 per cent more likely to have a heart attack compared to those who slept six to nine hours per night. In addition, those who slept more than nine hours each night were 34 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack. The more people fell outside this
six-to-nine hour range, the more their risk increased. For example, those who slept five hours per night had a 52 per cent higher risk of heart attack than those who slept seven to eight, while those who slept ten hours per night were twice as likely to have one.
“It’s kind of a hopeful message, that regardless of what your inherited risk for heart attack is, sleeping a healthy amount may cut that risk just like eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and other lifestyle approaches can,” added lead author Iyas Daghlas.
The findings also held true after taking into account 30 potentially influencing factors such as body composition, physical activity, socioeconomic status and mental health.
“Just as working out and eating healthy can reduce your risk of heart disease, sleep can too,” said Vetter.
When the researchers looked only at people with a genetic predisposition to heart disease, they found that sleeping between six and nine hours nightly cut their risk of having a heart attack by 18 percent. “This provides some of the strongest proof yet that sleep duration is a key factor when it comes to heart health, and this holds true for everyone,” said senior author Celine Vetter.
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
Misc Asia
Body politics: Famous preserved corpses
Hanoi, Sept 2, 2019— Today marks 50 years since the death of Vietnam’s revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, whose embalmed corpse is on show at a stately mausoleum in Hanoi where it is visited by millions annually — despite his dying wish to be cremated. Posters, busts, statues and plaques honouring the father of modern-day Vietnam are ubiquitous across the country, today a bustling capitalist one-party state where communist politics still reign supreme. The embalmed body of “Uncle Ho” has been on show under a glass sarcophagus since 1975 at his towering tomb. It is expected to draw huge crowds on his death anniversary Monday, which also happens to be Vietnam’s National Day. Here are some other preserved figures around the world: Vladimir Lenin Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin was the original communist leader to be embalmed, starting a trend among hard-left regimes around the world. Lenin died in 1924 aged 53, and had wanted to be buried with his mother in the former imperial capital of Saint Petersburg, but was instead preserved in a mausoleum on Red Square, where he remains, attracting visitors curious to see the Bolshevik founder of the Soviet Union. Debates on whether to remove the body started after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 but Russia’s Communist party has vehemently lobbied to keep
Lenin in situ. Say “Ancient Egypt” to any schoolchild and the first thing they’ll think of is the mummies — preserved remains of important figures. The British Museum in London houses a collection of 120 human mummies from Egypt and Sudan, which counts as one of its biggest draws for many visitors. The museum also has 300 mummified animals, including dogs, cats and even a crocodile. None of the mummies has been unwrapped since the 1790s and museum experts have used x-rays and CT scans to carry out research on them. Mao Zedong The Chinese revolutionary leader, who died on September 9, 1976, has been embalmed and on show since 1977 in a glass cubicle in the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Mao’s body was placed in formaldehyde and other preserving fluids, according to an account in the People’s Daily newspaper, and today the parts of Mao’s body that cannot be seen are bathed in liquid. When the mausoleum is closed, the cadaver is lowered into a container maintained at a low temperature, the paper said. Eva Peron Eva Peron, Argentina’s emblematic first lady of the 1940s and 50s, was
embalmed when she died of cancer in 1952 at age 33.
exhibits display the two men’s possessions, vehicles and awards.
“Evita” was as adored by her husband’s poor and working-class base as she was reviled by the military and elite.
Kim Il Sung died in 1994 but remains Eternal President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as the isolated country is officially known, while Kim Jong-il, who died in 2011, is Eternal General Secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party.
After Juan Peron was toppled in a 1955 coup, army officers secretly removed Evita’s corpse from its resting place at a pro-Peron trade union headquarters and hid it. Worried that Peronist militants would find it, then-dictator Pedro Aramburu had the body taken to Italy and buried in Milan under a false name. Peron’s third wife and successor, Isabel, finally struck a deal: Evita’s body was returned to Argentina in 1974 and she has rested ever since in her family mausoleum in Buenos Aires, a place of pilgrimage for her admirers and fans of the musical and movie about her life. Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-il The bodies of North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung and his son and successor Kim Jong-il are on permanent display at the Kumsusan Palace of the
Sun mausoleum in Pyongyang.
Their embalmed corpses rest in glass coffins on biers in separate halls suffused with dim red light, soldiers stand guard in each corner as a steady stream of visitors — foreigners are allowed and everyone must adhere to a strict dress code — bows before them three times. Attendants glide silently across marble floors at the cavernous complex on the outskirts of the capital, where
Both men suffered heart attacks. Russian scientists helped embalm their bodies and are said to assist with maintenance. Current leader Kim Jong-un, the third generation of the family to rule, and his close aides visit the mausoleum on key national holidays — such
as their birthdays — to pay their respects. Ferdinand Marcos The divisive Filipino dictator died in exile in 1989 after he was booted out in a “People Power” revolt, but his embalmed body was returned to his ancestral home where it lay on display for over two decades. In 2016 his mortician told AFP that Marcos’s face was made of wax, but insisted the rest of the body — covered up by clothes — was original. He was finally interred in a Heroes’ Cemetary three years ago, sparking controversy in the Philippines, and removing him from the relatively exclusive global club of famous embalmed bodies on display.
Georgia Asian Times September 1-15, 2019
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Misc Asia
Finland’s capital Helsinki has tunnels housing car parks, shopping malls and even swimming pools, while Montreal in Canada has a so-called “Underground City”, a tunnel network connecting key points. In a report commissioned by Samsung about what the world will look like in 50 years, experts predicted the appearance of “earthscrapers” — like an inverted skyscraper burrowing downwards for many storeys — in an attempt to save space in overcrowded cities.
What lies beneath: Singapore plans a subterranean future Singapore, Sept 3, 2019 — Spacestarved Singapore has expanded outwards by building into the sea and upwards by constructing high-rises but planners are now looking underground as they seek new areas for growth. The nation has carefully managed its rapid growth in recent decades to avoid the problems faced by other fast developing Asian metropolises, such as overcrowding and traffic chaos. But with its population of 5.6 million expected to grow steadily in coming years, authorities are now considering how to better use the space below the streets in a city that is just half the size of Los Angeles. Singapore has already built an underground highway and state-of-theart air conditioning system, but is now looking to house more facilities beneath the surface in order to optimise land use above it. “We need to consider options for putting critical infrastructure under-
ground,” said Abhineet Kaul, a Singapore-based public sector specialist at consultancy Frost & Sullivan. “We have an increasing need for industrial, commercial, residential and green space on land in Singapore.” According to a draft development plan released in March, authorities want to put utilities, transport as well as storage and industrial facilities underground in order to free up land on the surface. There are as yet no plans to put housing underground, however. Three-dimensional technology will be used to produce subterranean maps, with three pilot areas targeted initially, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, which created the development plan. Digging deep Singapore is the latest city to try to make use of subterranean space.
Singapore’s main method of expansion has been land reclamation from the sea, which has increased the country’s area by over a quarter to 720 square kilometres, with most growth happening since independence in 1965. But reclamation has become more expensive as it moved to deeper waters, while countries that used to sell sand to Singapore have stopped exports due to environmental concerns. Unregulated sand mining erodes beaches and riverbanks, affecting wildlife and removing natural barriers to flooding, and dredging the seabed can damage ecosystems, green groups say. Moving facilities underground has advantages beyond saving space, including reduced use of air conditioning which could save energy in Singapore’s tropical climate. Still, building underground in Singapore poses challenges — construction is difficult beneath an already urbanised environment while new projects will compete for space with existing subterranean facilities. “Underground construction normally involves the blasting of rocks and if it’s in the downtown area, you will not be able to use blasting,” said Chu Jian, a civil and environmental engineering
professor at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). ‘Next frontier’ One of the most ambitious underground projects so far in Singapore is a system that pumps chilled water through pipes to cool buildings around the city-state’s popular waterfront district of Marina Bay. Buildings which use the centralised system — rather than relying entirely on their own air conditioners — have reduced energy consumption by around 40 per cent, said Foo Yang Kwang, chief engineer of Singapore District Cooling, SP Group, which is behind the project. Reduced energy use has enabled the buildings to slash their annual carbon dioxide emissions by 34,500 tonnes, which is equivalent to taking 10,000 cars off the road, he said. Other current subterranean facilities in Singapore include South-east Asia’s longest underground expressway, measuring 12 kilometres, the metro train, an ammunitions depot, and rock caverns beneath the seabed which are used to store oil. NTU, one of the city’s top institutes of higher education, is considering building labs and even classrooms underground, according to Chu. But he said shifting things underground is just one way of coping as the city-state grows: “It is the next frontier, but not the final frontier. “I am confident that we will be able to figure out other ways to create new space.”
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September 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times
TRAVEL Romania’s ‘Roma palaces’, a status symbol for poor minority BUZESCU - With their soaring marble columns, turrets and pagoda-style roofs, elaborate mansions built by affluent Roma dot Romania’s countryside in their thousands. Amid modest surroundings of fields or small towns, the so-called Roma palaces seem improbable, even outlandish, but reveal a quest for status within a marginalised and mostly poor minority. They began springing up in the early 1990s after the collapse of communism, when some in the Roma community came into money, they say, mostly by collecting and selling scrap iron or by doing petty trading. Now spread across one of the EU’s poorest members, the imposing buildings, estimated to number several thousand, often stand several storeys high, as neighbours add floors to outdo one another. Decorative flourishes such as a US dollar sign or a German car brand logo can be seen mounted on some of the facades as a symbol of wealth. Romanian architect Rudolf Graef said that, although often ridiculed as “absolute kitsch”, the style of the “Roma palaces” should not be dismissed. It “reflects, paradoxically, a part of Romania’s history, unlike contemporary architecture implemented by the state itself,” he said. The roofs, with their gables and twisty steeples reminiscent of Asian temples, are an “exaggeration” of the country’s typical architectural elements, he said. Courthouse copy Styles differ from region to region, according to Graef, author of a study on the topic.
In central Romania, the houses are inspired by Catholic churches, while they copy neo-classical structures in the southwest and neo-Romanian traditions in the east and south, with interpretations of traditional farmers’ houses or those of ancient boyars, or aristocrats. But, says Graef, despite their variations, they all have one common goal: That of showing off the “prestige and success” of those who live in them. At times, the structures can even replicate existing public buildings, such as one with a particular back story in the village of Buzescu, 100km south of the capital, Bucharest. Dan Finutu, a locally prominent and reportedly wealthy member of the Roma community who died in a car accident in 2012, had had his home modelled on the courthouse where he was sentenced to jail for fraud in the 1990s. Gold and poverty “The sources of funding for these palaces are unclear,” Graef said. Many of the Buzescu owners have said that they made money through scrap metal and still do that as an occupation; others have gone abroad to work. The end of communism heralded a laxer legal environment in which it was easier to make money. The Roma were also able to affirm their identity after the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s regime in late 1989. For centuries, the traditionally nomadic minority was reduced to slavery and then subjected to forced assimilation under communism. For his part, Costica Stancu, a Buzescu Roma community leader, linked
the emergence of the first “palaces” to the return to the Roma of some of their gold that had been confiscated by the communists. The Roma have long observed the tradition of giving gold coins as presents at the birth of a child or a marriage. The coins are passed down the generations, and Roma women often turn them into necklaces. But in 1978, the communist regime adopted a decree forcing all Romanians officially – but mostly targeting the Roma – to turn their gold over to the authorities. In most cases the handover was formally documented, which helped in the return of the gold to the Roma under post-communist legislation. Costly upkeep With a population of 4,000, Buzescu has dozens of “Roma palaces” lining its main street, to the delight of passing tourists. Most of Romania’s two million
Roma – about 10% of the population – remain impoverished, however. And for all their ostentation, the mansion owners often live in just one or two rooms, reserving the big salons decked in marble and gold for special festive occasions, Stancu said. “Maintenance is very costly,” added the 72-year-old, noting that fewer “palaces” were being built today. Several the Buzescu homes even appear deserted, and Stancu, who himself lives in a little house with a garden, reckons that those under construction won’t be finished for lack of money. A “palace” owner in her 60s who gave her name only as Lidia said that many Roma who can afford it leave. “Things aren’t like before,” she said, her voice tinged with bitterness, standing outside her imposing entrance gate. “People have left, for Bucharest or abroad,” she said. “They want to earn money and stay there.”