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FRIDAY, June 7, In Section 2 2019

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Pramila Jayapal becomes first South Asian American woman to preside over House

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ramila Jayapal becomes first south Asian American woman to preside over US HouseJayapal presided over the US House of Representatives as a temporary speaker

By PTI June 05, 2019 Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal held the Speaker's gavel on Tuesday, becoming the first South Asian American woman to preside over the US House of Representatives.

Jayapal, 53, a Democrat from Washington DC, took to Twitter to share a clip of Tuesday's session where she was seen presiding over the House as a temporary speaker.

The 116th Congress broke records with women and lawmakers crossing racial and religious barriers, including an all time high for Asian American lawmakers.

In the text that accompanied the clip, Jayapal, who was first elected in 2016, wrote, “Today, I became the first South Asian American woman to preside over the US House of Representatives. Beyond proud to serve in the most diverse Congress in our nation's history and to hold the gavel today.”

A record number of 17 Asian Americans serve in Congress, with 14 in the House and three in the Senate.

Although Nancy Pelosi has been serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives since January 2019, members of the majority party in the House periodically take turns to temporarily preside over the chamber.

7 Indian Americans in US Spelling Bee's historic eight-way tie

Rep. Pramila Jayapal | Image source from: YouTube

Houston woman found guilty of robbing homes of IndianAmericans across US Chaka Castro and her accomplices committed a string of home invasions in Georgia, New York, Ohio, Michigan and Texas from 2011 to 2014.

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ASHINGTON, (Tuesday, June 4, 2019) - A federal jury in Michigan found a Houston, Texas, woman guilty of a nine-count indictment for her role as the leader of several robbery crews that traveled all over the United States in order to conduct home invasions of families of Indian and Asian descent.

Chaka Castro, 44, and her accomplices committed a string of home invasions in Georgia, New York, Ohio, Michigan and Texas from 2011 to 2014, according to the evidence presented at the trial.

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - MAY 31: Co-champions (L-R) Abhijay Kodali (407) of Flower Mound, Texas, Sohum Sukhatankar (354) of Dallas, Texas, Rishik Gandhasri (5) of San Jose, California, Shruthika Padhy (307) of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Rohan Raja (462) of Irving, Texas, hold up the trophy for photographers after 20 rounds of competition and won the championship of the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center May 31, 2019 in National Harbor, Maryland. The winning spellers made history with eight co-champions, the most number in the spelling event history. Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP

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ATIONAL HARBOR, United States | AFP | 5/31/2019 - The world's premier spelling bee has ended in an unprecedented eight-way tie after hours of intense competition among American youngsters tackling some of the English language's most obscure words.

Texas seventh-grader Rohan Raja became the eighth and final winner of the National Spelling Bee's 92nd annual competition on Thursday after a correct recital of the word "odylic", earning a wild round of applause from the audience.

He hoisted the trophy with the seven other kids to survive the final round

after successfully spelling a slate of tongue-twisters, including auslaut, erysipelas, bougainvillea, aiguillette, pendeloque, palama and cernuous.

The winners were "the most phenomenal assemblage of spellers in the history of this storied competition", said the bee's long-time official pronouncer Jacques Bailly.

Each will receive a $50,000 cash prize in addition to their own trophies, organizers said.

An American institution, the Scripps National Spelling Bee brought together more than 550 spellers from all over the country aged be-

tween seven and 14.

They were the elite among millions of youngsters, typically aged nine through 15, who competed in local and regional spelling bees this past school year.

Once Castro assigned a crew to a particular area, members of the group would travel to that location, conduct surveillance and execute the robberies.

The crews utilised a particular modus operandi in each of the robberies, it said, adding that they disguised their appearance with clothing and bandanas so that victims of their robberies would have difficulty identifying them.

Her sentencing is scheduled for September 2019 before a District Court in Michigan.

They would openly carry and brandish firearms to gain control of the victims and then immediately corral the victims, including children, into one location in the home, according to evidences presented during trial.

The leader of the gang was Castro, who would generate lists of robbery targets in various states around the country, specifically families of Asian and Indian ancestry, and then assign her accomplices to carry out the armed robberies of these families within their homes, the Department of Justice said.

At least one robber would then restrain the victims with duct tape and threats of violence while a partner would ransack the home in search of cash, jewellery and electronics to steal. The group organised their trips to involve multiple home invasion robberies over a series of days, it added.

The competition has only tied six times in its history, though four titles in the last six years ended with a draw.

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Seven of the eight winners are of Indian ancestry -- a reflection of the popularity of competitive spelling among Indian immigrant families.

This was the twelfth year in a row that American youngsters of South Asian heritage clinched the title.

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

by Nancy Jacobson

T

hose who say bipartisanship is dead or hopeless should look to Texas. Yes, it’s a Republican-dominated state, but in its recently completed legislative session the GOP House speaker proudly took heat for working closely with Democrats and rebuking far-right groups that assailed him as too accommodating.

Texas (yes, Texas) points the way to bipartisan achievements and I’m sure as hell not going to waste my time trying.”

The results? A record of accomplishments and a roadmap for elected officials elsewhere who are brave enough to stare down extremists to serve their constituents.

Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen chalked up significant achievements in the latest session. They included an $11 billion program to change how schools are funded; a plan to slow the growth of property taxes; and $210 million to improve customer service and reduce wait times at state driver’s license centers.

The Texas news media took notice. “Both Republicans and Democrats seemed to agree that Bonnen had given every lawmaker a fair shake, that he let the chamber drive itself,” the Texas Tribune reported.

The Dallas Morning News said Bonnen “received wide praise from his Republican and Democrat colleagues,” and “passed his ambitious priorities.”

And the Austin AmericanStatesman said Bonnen “has brought a hands-on bipartisan-

ship born of the traditions of the House, where he has spent half his life, to help steer the Legislature past the rancor that marked the 2017 sessions and back to the basics of governance.”

Bonnen’s strategies are straightforward: Treat all lawmakers, from both parties, with respect. And stand up to hardright and hard-left groups that abhor compromise and threaten to oust politicians who indulge in it.

The key, he told reporters, is “setting a clear tone and message that we will have issues that are divisive and contentious, but we will not let those issues divide us. We will do our work, we will do our job, and

Red China, green China?

by Glenn Hurowitz

D

eep in the forested mountains of Sumatra, scientists identified a new species of great ape in 2017 — the Tapanuli orangutan. It was the first time since 1929 that a new species of great ape had been identified. But from the moment of discovery, it became the most endangered great ape in the world, with only 800 individuals left. The primary threat to their survival comes from a planned dam that will irreparably fragment their habitat.

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This massive dam is backed

by Chinese finance, and is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project just celebrated at the second annual Belt and Road forum in Beijing. But in recent weeks, something surprising has happened: In response to international outcry, China’s flagship state-owned Bank of China has announced it will reevaluate its participation in the project. Senior executives have treated the issue with rare urgency, going out of their way to meet with experts and activists.

Until now, this kind of responsiveness from a Chinese state-owned institution was extraordinarily rare. Chinese investors were seen as purely short-term and transactional, more focused on extracting gain than building economies and societies for the longterm. Chinese state-backed investment was seen as a means of locking desperate developing world countries into a permanent state of geopolitical dependency.

Indeed, Chinese markets and investors have long been safe havens for governments and rogue companies evading basic international environmental or human rights standards. In our own work to clean up global agricultural supply chains, resistant companies have often said they can just turn around and sell an environmentally inferior project to China — everything from meat to coal — or turn to unscrupulous Chinese banks for financing.

But in the last year, we have seen signs that China’s engagement model has shifted. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s pledge to create an “ecological civilization” seems to be having a significant effect. Just recently, he told the Belt and Road forum that the BRI projects must consider environmental impacts to “protect the common home we live in.”

Perhaps the most significant signal is the Chinese state-owned food company COFCO’s ambitious efforts to eliminate deforestation in its South American meat supply chain, where deforestation for beef production and soy for animal feed has destroyed

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

millions of acres of rainforest and some of the world’s last remaining large, intact savannah. COFCO’s policies and on-the-ground practices are significantly stronger than those of its American competitors, Cargill and Bunge, and COFCO is determined to improve in coming months (Europe-based Louis Dreyfus has gone even further).

The same phenomenon is at work in clean energy. China is the undisputed global leader in wind power, according to the World Wind Energy Association, with more than 221 gigawatts of installed capacity (the equivalent of over 200 large nuclear plants and more than double the US wind total). The US has seen plenty of wind installed in recent years — 7.6 new gigawatts in 2018 — but it pales in comparison to China, which added 26 new gigawatts in the same year. China had also, as of 2017, installed 130 GW of solar photovoltaic power — nearly six times the generation power of the Three Gorges Dam.

India House Houston

He urged his fellow lawmakers to stand strong.

“You are fooling yourself and you are not respecting your constituents -- and you are not respecting this institution -- if you are chasing their Photo by Marjorie Kamys Cotera wants and their desires,” he said.

Imagine Republiwe will respect each other.” can and Democratic leaders of Lawmakers in both parties the U.S. House and Senate takgave him a standing ovation ing such bold stands. How rewhen he returned from a meet- freshing it would be. Congress ing with the governor with a could actually begin tackling package of spending deals to some of our toughest issues improve public schools and – immigration, health care afcurb property taxes. fordability, income inequalSome groups that take hard- ity – instead of catering to the line stands for gun rights and “never compromise” purists on against abortion access were the far right and left. displeased. They heaped scorn Impossible? Dennis Bonnen and political threats on Bonnen has proven otherwise, even in a and his allies. Bonnen didn’t state known for bare-knuckled flinch. politics. Please take note all “They aren’t worth respond- you politicians in Washington ing to,” he told reporters. “If and in state capitals beyond we passed every pro-life bill Austin. filed in the history of the state, Nancy Jacobson is co-foundthey would say we had not er and CEO of No Labels. done enough. You will never - The Hill please or appease those folks,

We shouldn’t be naïve about China. There is self-interest involved: climate change threatens one of the country’s agricultural heartlands, the North China Plain. China wants to sign more deals like the one it just finalized with Italy to extend its flagship Belt and Road infrastructure initiative into the heart of Europe.

It’ task that will be difficult if it is seen as careless about the environment or a faithless financial partner.

And COFCO’s action on deforestation is likely to snag it more business from customers that have pledged to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains by 2020. China still has major environmental and human rights issues.

The world is waiting to see what China will do next.

There are still major tests that will show whether China is committed to combining its emerging economic power with responsible global leadership.

In Guinea, China’s stateowned hydropower company is planning to build a dam that

will inundate large parts of the newly-created Moyen-Bafing Park, the habitat of hundreds of endangered Western chimpanzees.

In South Africa, a country with huge solar potential and already choking in haze, China plans to build a massive new coal-fired power plant.

And the dam project threatening the Tapanuli is still unresolved.

We should hope that China continues to move away from projects like these, and instead makes its action on deforestation in South America the template for its global engagement. We should celebrate that the world’s largest polluter is taking real steps to lighten its footprint. If it continues, China can help jumpstart the race to provide the environmentally responsible products and investments that the world increasingly demands.

Glenn Hurowitz is the CEO of environmental advocacy group Mighty Earth, a nonprofit that works to conserve threatened landscapes.

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Community Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

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"I Walk, I Care" - IACF's annual 5K Walkathon held jointly with IDA and IDCC

IACF, IDA and IDCC Board members and volunteers at the registration 5K Walkathon Photos credit: Roy Photography.

by Shobana Muratee

by the participants.

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UGAR LAND - On Saturday May 25th, the Indo-American Charity Foundation, (IACF) held its annual 5K Walkathon: "I Walk, I Care" in conjunction with the Indian Doctors Association (IDA) and the Indian Doctors Charity Clinic (IDCC) at the Lost Creek Park in Sugar Land.

The event had a bright start with the ribbon cutting by jointly by Venkat Iyer, IACF President, Dr Swati Joglekar (outgoing President IDA) and KC Mehta (Director IDCC) along with the board members and participants.

About 185 walkers trailed the Lost Creek Park on what seemed like a picture-perfect day at the Walkathon.

Funds in the excess of $13,000 was raised at the Walkathon.

Volunteers arrived at 7 AM that morning and served coffee, tea, protein bars and fruits before the walkathon. Later, at 10:30 AM breakfast sponsored by Biryani Pot was served to participants.

The free health screening for hypertension and diabetes at the medical camp set up by experienced health professionals and technicians was greatly appreciated

Organizers thanked participants, volunteers, sponsors and team members that helped conduct the event flawlessly. Breakfast was sponsored

by Biryani Pot, photography and videography by Roy Photography and media partners were: Radio Dabang and Voice of Asia Success of such an event would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors: Curve Hospitality, Brask Inc., Hancock and Whitney Bank, NRG Reliant, PurePoint Financials, New York Life, Quartet Engineers, TDK Constructions, Chelsea Gardens, Craft Basket, MIH Realty, IPC, Dr KT Shah, Dikondas, and Dr. Sushovan Guha.

About IACF: Indo-American Charity Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that helps the underprivileged and needy with monetary and volunteer work contributions through established and emerging organizations [501(c)3] in the Greater Houston Area. The IACF was founded in 1988 and for over 30 years, IACF has appealed to the philanthropic spirit of the Indo-American

IACF president Venkat Iyer is joined by Dr Swati Joglekar IDA outgoing President, KC Mehta (Director IDCC), Event Chair Rajesh Dikonda community in Houston to target four key areas: Education, Family, General Welfare and Healthcare. Having our motto “We live here, we give here”, our mission is to act as a bridge between the Indo-American community and mainstream causes. Visit www.

HOUSTON - Family Day: Eid, presented by the Tameez Family, is Asia Society’s first-ever Family Day celebrating Houston’s Muslim community and the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Attendees can learn about the holiday of Eid al-Fitr and how it is celebrated in the U.S. by exploring a showcase of Islamic traditions, arts and crafts, food, music, and more.

As with all Family Days at Asia Society, admission is FREE; no RSVP necessary. Food and drink will be available for sale.

The event is de-

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About IDCC: Indian Doctors Charity Clinic, a nonprofit (501c3) organization, was established in 1999, for the sole purpose of serving the Houston community people, who are

in dire need of medical services that they could not afford. For the past The IDCC has successfully completed 11 years of service to Houstonians of all ethnic groups once a week, Saturday, from 9 A.M to 12 noon. For more details visit www.idccharityclinic.org

Asia Society hosts Family Day: Eid on Sunday, June 9, 12-4pm, in the Museum District

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signed for adults and children of all ages, and all are welcome.

Activities Grand Hall Bazaar | 12–4 p.m.

Explore the all-day market, featuring traditional food, fashion, toys, and games.

Islamic Calligraphy | 12–4 p.m.

Watch demonstrations, learn about traditional writing styles, and write your name in Arabic.

Ebru Water Marbling Exhibition | 12–4 p.m. Ebru is the traditional Turkish art of creating colorful patterns by painting on a surface of water. Watch artists as they create Ebru paintings and teach about this beautiful artistic tradition.

The Story of Eid al-Fitr | 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. "Eid al-Fitr" translates to "Festival of Breaking the Fast." Join us upstairs to learn the history of Eid al-Fitr, see traditional stories come to life with props and costumes, and enjoy an Eid cookie!

More details at asiasociety.org/texas

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 4

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Citizens Encouraged to Be Prepared & Stay Alert Bawa Jewelers host Iftar dinner in Houston

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ISSOURI CITY, Texas -The 2019 Hurricane season blows in tomorrow, Saturday, June 1 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 30. If disaster strikes, Missouri City’s Emergency Operations Center is ready to respond.

Emergency Management website— www.MissouriCityReady.com.

“As the ‘Show Me City’ and the region witnessed during Harvey, hurricanes can produce heavy winds, storm surges, torrential rains, inland flood-

Emergency Contacts Officials also stress the importance of keeping a list of informational resources for reference. Recommenda-

What’s Expected this Season?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center is predicting that a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season is most likely this year.

This outlook forecasts a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season.

For 2019, NOAA forecasts a likely range of 9 to 15 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 4 to 8 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 2 to 4 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence. An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, of which 6 become hurricanes, including 3 major hurricanes. View list of names for this season below: Are you Prepared?

While MCTX is designated by the State as a pass-through City for evacuees who live along the Gulf Coast, citizens are still encouraged to prepare themselves and stay aware of the potential for severe weather that can accompany tropical systems.

Residents and businesses in Fort Bend and Harris Counties are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts on www.missouricityready.com and learn how to prepare supply kits and stock up on necessary items such as non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, radios, first-aid kits, cell phones, chargers, maps and important documents.

To emphasize the importance of preparing before a storm hits and to assist the public with getting ready for the 2019 Hurricane Season, May 5 to May 11 was marked as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. In addition to sharing Hurricane Preparedness tips from the National Weather Service, MCTV produced several videos highlighting these main topics:

• Determine Your Risk: Based on your location, find out what types of wind and water hazards could happen in your area and make a plan now on how to handle them.

• Develop an Evacuation Plan: Identify safe locations that are not prone to wind/flood threats that you can shelter in, if there is an evacuation order issued. Remember to account for your pets too, as most local shelters do not permit them. Make sure to put these locations and the plan in writing as well.

•

Assemble Disaster Supplies: Have enough non-perishable food, water and medicine to last each person in your family a minimum of three days. Also, remember to include extra cash, battery-powered radios, flashlights, batteries, maps, cell phones, chargers and other important documents.

• Get an Insurance Checkup: Ensure that you have proper insurance coverage for your home, cars and boats. Standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding; check with your insurance company/agent or the National Flood Insurance Program at floodsmart.gov now if you think coverage is needed. Flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period.

• Strengthen Your Home: Make sure to trim trees that are too close to homes ahead of a storm. And, remember to secure loose objects that are outside, move vehicles to a safe location without blocking the streets and board up windows/doors including garage doors with proper plywood, steel or aluminum panels once there is a storm approaching.

• Help Your Neighbor: Check on your neighbors and share the importance of preparing ahead of time, collecting supplies before the storm, assisting with evacuation if needed and checking-in after the storm passes.

• Complete a Written Plan: Take the time now to write down your hurricane plan and share it with your family. Know where you will ride out the storm and get your supplies now.

Don’t forget to keep all your important documents together for quick access and have photo documentation of all valuables.

To watch the full videos on these tips and to learn more about emergency preparedness, visit the City’s

Jasbir Bawa and wife Bhupinder Bawa. Facebook Photo

by Shobana Muratee ing and tornadoes,” City Manager Anthony J. Snipes said. “It is important that along with our staff, citizens and businesses also prepare ahead of time, so that together as a City, we can withstand anything nature brings us this season.”

Where Do You Find Accurate Information?

In a disaster, communication between the City and residents is key; we saw this first-hand with Hurricane Harvey. Citizens are encouraged to follow the City’s official websites and social media outlets to receive timely, accurate information during any emergency.

The two main platforms used by City staff to share real-time information is the MCTX Emergency Management website, www.MissouriCityReady. com and the MCTX Twitter account, Twitter.com/MissouriCityEM. Residents may sign-up to receive alerts via both of these outlets.

To ensure that the message is available to the public at-large, information will also be shared on the City’s main website—www.missouricitytx. gov; Facebook—fb/MissouriCityTX; Twitter—@MissouriCityTX; municipal television station—MCTV (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse); radio station—1690 AM and Nextdoor.

“When inclement weather strikes, we encourage citizens to follow the City’s official communications tools to receive accurate information quickly,” said Mayor Yolanda Ford. “The safety of our citizens is a top priority and any decisions taken during an emergency will be first shared on the official channels. Take action now to stay alert during this hurricane season.”

tions for City residents include: ü Police and Fire Departments: 911 or 281.403.8700 • CenterPoint Energy: 713.207.2222 ü American Red Cross - Fort Bend County Branch: 281.342.9480, Greater Houston Branch: 713.526.8300 • Ready Harris (www.readyharris.org); 713.881.3100; the Harris County Office of Emergency Management’s official website.

HOUSTON – On Thursday, May 16, Jasbir Singh Bawa and wife Bhupinder K Bawa, owners of Bawa Jewellers, on Hillcroft hosted their annual Iftar dinner at the elegant Dervish Table Top Grill in Stafford.

Nearly 200 friends and families of Houston’s Muslim community attended and enjoyed the sumptuous feast after breaking fast being observed during the Holy month. The couple have been hosting Iftar dinners for the last eight years and say that it’s the most gratifying feeling to spent time together. Jasbir Bawa and longtime friend, Sheikh Najam Ali, Publisher and Editor of Pakistan Times USA were joined by some prominent peo-

ple of Houston Muslim community on the occasion. Jasbir Bawa and wife Bhupinder Bawa want to continue this tradition as it brings good synergy being the Holy month. Those attending were very appreciative of the couple’s gesture and respect for Muslim tradition especially knowing that he is a Sikh and a staunch follower of Guru Nanak Dev ji.

Jasbir Bawa and wife Bhupinder Bawa want to continue this tradition as it brings good synergy being the Holy month. Those attending were very appreciative of the couple’s gesture and respect for Muslim tradition especially knowing that he is a Sikh and a staunch follower of Guru Nanak Dev ji.

• Enable Fort Bend (www.enablefortbend.com); 281.238.3514; the agency assists individuals with functional and medical needs during an emergency or disaster.

• MCTV: Comcast Ch. 16; AT&T U-verse Ch. 99 • WQMN – 1690 AM: Emergency advisory radio station • MCTX Mobile App: Download it in the Apple App store or on Google Play For more updates and news, please watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov, like us on Facebook—fb/ MissouriCityTX, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat—@MissouriCityTX and Nextdoor, watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T Uverse) or download the MCTX Mobile app (available for free in Google Play and the Apple app store).

Jasbir Bawa with Sheikh Najam. Facebook Photo

Key Terminology & Tips It is also vital to understand the National Weather Service forecasts, and especially the meaning of hurricane and tornado watches and warnings.

“Serving the community for over 31 years”

• Hurricanes: For a storm watch in this category, forecasters would report a possibility of winds of 74 mph and higher within 36 hours. For a warning, forecasters would report a possibility of winds at the same speed within 24 hours.

On Sat., Sep. 28, 2019

• Tornadoes: A watch is an alert to monitor the skies and a warning signals that a tornado has struck the ground and shelter must be sought immediately.

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And, for the following types of severe weather, experts offer these safety tips:

• Lightning: Avoid high objects, stay away from isolated trees, telephone poles or communications antennas. Avoid contact with metal surfaces and do not bathe, swim or boat. Only use the telephone for emergency purposes.

• Flash Floods: Never drive through flooded roadways, do not cross flooded roads or waterways on foot, avoid ditches and storm drains and stay tuned to local media for road reports and updates. Remember— Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

• Tornadoes: Texas is struck by more tornadoes than any other state.

The safest places to seek shelter in homes, schools or workplaces are interior rooms, such as bathrooms, closets, rooms without windows, hallways, auditoriums and gyms. If driving when a tornado strikes, leave the vehicle and lie flat in a ditch or ravine, if possible.

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VOICE OF ASIA 5

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US cuts off India preferential trade access

The US will end preferential trade treatment for India from Wednesday. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP)

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Saturday 6/1/2019 - The United States will end preferential trade treatment for India from Wednesday, US President Donald Trump has announced, in a fresh economic headwind for New Delhi alongside slowing growth and record unemployment.

India has been the single biggest beneficiary of the decades-old US Generalized System of Preferences programme, allowing the country to export $5.7 billion worth of duty-free goods in 2017, according to figures from US Congress.

Trump said in a statement issued late Friday that he wanted greater access for US goods to the giant South Asian nation.

"I have determined that India has not assured the United States that India will

provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets," Trump said.

"Accordingly, it is appropriate to terminate India's designation as a beneficiary developing country."

Trump announced in March that he would be ending the preferential trade accord with India, but did not give a date.

Washington has sought to make India a closer diplomatic ally, but has long complained about limited access to the huge market of 1.3 billion people.

The US had a $26.7 billion trade deficit with India in 2017-2018.

The announcement is the latest headwind to threaten the Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was reelected to his second term in

a landslide just weeks ago after campaigning partly on his record as an economic reformer.

Official figures released Friday showed that India's growth slowed for the third straight quarter to 5.8% in January-March, while unemployment hit a 45-year high in 2018.

The Indian government made no immediate comment on Washington's move, but media reports said New Delhi was considering higher import duties on more than 20 US goods including agricultural produce and chemicals.

Indian commerce secretary Anup Wadahan played down the move to end the country's GSP status in March, saying that preferential trade accounted for a fraction of its nearly $80 million in annual exports to the US.

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Tel: 713-774-5140

Amazon says drone deliveries coming 'within months'

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AS VEGAS, United States | AFP | Wednesday 6/5/2019 - Amazon said Wednesday it expects to begin large-scale deliveries by drone in the coming months as it unveiled its newest design for its "Prime Air" fleet.

scale Prime Air both quickly and efficiently, delivering packages via drone to customers within months."

Jeff Wilke, head of Amazon's consumer operations, told the company's Machine Learning, Automation, Robotics and Space conference in Las Vegas that drones would play a role in ramping up efforts to shorten delivery times for many items to just one day for Amazon Prime members.

The company conducted its first test of drone deliveries in 2016 in Britain. At the time, it said US regulations made it harder to use drones for delivery in the United States.

"We've been hard at work building fully electric drones that can fly up to 15 miles (25 kilometers) and deliver packages under five pounds (2.3 kilos) to customers in less than 30 minutes," Wilke said in a blog post.

"And, with the help of our world-class fulfillment and delivery network, we expect to

Amazon offered no details about where or when the drone deliveries would be operational.

Wilke said Wednesday that Amazon has invested to make its delivery drones safer and more efficient.

"It can do vertical takeoffs and landings -- like a helicopter," he said. "And it's efficient and aerodynamic -- like an airplane. It also easily transitions between these two modes, from vertical-mode to airplane mode, and back to vertical mode."

The new drones are also designed to be stable even in

gusty wind conditions, Wilke added.

"We know customers will only feel comfortable receiving drone deliveries if they know the system is incredibly safe," he said.

"So we're building a drone that isn't just safe, but independently safe, using the latest artificial intelligence technologies."

Amazon said earlier this year it would speed up its free delivery for its Prime subscribers, currently two days for most items, to a single day, with North American customers the first to benefit.

It said it would spend some $800 million in the current quarter in the effort to shorten delivery times. It is also hiring more drivers and offering employees an opportunity to launch their own delivery enterprise with a subsidy from Amazon.

Fitch downgrades Mexico credit rating amid trade tension with US

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EXICO CITY, Mexico | AFP | Wednesday 6/5/2019 - Fitch downgraded Mexico's credit rating Wednesday, saying Latin America's second-largest economy faced greater risk due to US President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs and financial woes at state oil company Pemex.

Fellow ratings agency Moody's changed its outlook for Mexico to negative from stable, as a high-level Mexi-

can delegation in Washington scrambled to reach a deal to avoid US tariffs of five percent starting Monday and rising incrementally to 25 percent by October.

Fitch said it had downgraded Mexico's long-term foreign currency and local currency issuer default ratings to BBB from BBB+, citing "Pemex's deteriorating credit profile together with ongoing weakness in the macroeconomic outlook, which is exacerbated by external threats from trade ten-

sions," among other factors.

"Downside risks are magnified by threats by US President Trump to impose tariffs on Mexico from June 10... to compel it to stop the flow of migrants across its territory into the US, amid a pattern of trade uncertainty," Fitch said in a statement.

Trump tweeted that there had been "progress" in the US-Mexican talks to defuse the tariff situation, but said it was "not nearly enough!"

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Houston hosts first TRICON USA Alumni Meet

Dr. Kochuthresiamma Thomas, Emeritus Scientist of College of Nursing (center) inaugurated the event with traditonal lighting of the lamp.

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he first meeting of TRICON USA (Trivandrum College of Nursing) was organized and conducted on May 25, 2019 at Safari Ranch, Houston, Texas. Many alumni from different parts of America and India gathered there to make this event a grant success.

The inauguration was done by Dr. Kochuthresiamma Thomas, Emeritus Scientist of College of Nursing. She is also from the first batch of BSN. Lamp lighting ceremony was blessed with the presence of distinguished guests from India and the representatives from each batch.

Prof. Prasannakumari. Y, GLP consultant of ODEPC, and from the 5th batch BSN talked about “Alma- Mater’- Past, Present and Future, which was very informative. Maria Unni, Nurse Anesthetist, 1st batch BSN from NY discussed briefly about Indo American Nursing. Dr. Harilal Nair, DNP, President of APRN world, 27th batch BSN explained about entrepreneurship in Nursing and how the knowledge of the American Nurses

can be used to help the education of nurses and nursing students in India.

He also encouraged nurses to think ‘out of the box’ to explore the multiple scopes of practice of nursing.

Moly Poulose, APRN, 2nd batch BSN from NJ guided us about how the challenges in Nursing and life can be used as chances for success. She empowered every alumni to come forward to give back to the community in terms of education, leadership and collegiality.

Elizabeth Reddiar, APRN, 24th batch, from Dallas, Texas discussed about the future plans of TRICON USA. Major plans include sponsoring nursing students, scholarships, subscription of educational material to the library, guest lectures, mission work, and CME activities with cruise and so on. Executive members were also elected during the meeting.

Accamma Kallel, APRN, 5th batch BSN, President of IANAGH did the welcome speech. She quoted the words of Henry Ford “Coming to-

Trivandrum College of Nursing USA alumni met at Safari Ranch, Houston, Texas on May 25, 2019 gether is beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success” so let’s work together as a TEAM, Together Everyone Achieves More.

Other distinguished guests from India were Indira Ramachandran, Principal of College of Nursing, SUT hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, Annamma Roy, and Susamma Varghese.

Ms. Nidhika Pillai, daughter of Raji Pillai sung the prayer song. APRN world gave the token of appreciation were given to the guests from India and 1st batch of BSN and also the organizers of the alumni.

Kavitha Nair, 21st batch from Dallas and Elizabeth Reddiar were the MC. Program ended with cake cutting and lunch. Haridas Thankappan, 15th batch from Dallas gave the vote of thanks.

A section of the audience

Altogether the event has inspired and empowered a large number of

alumni, residing in different parts of USA to come together and work to-

wards the welfare of the nursing community.

Seva Clinic receives Certificate of Congressional Recognition on its Second Anniversary Event

by Dr. P. Vaduganathan eva Clinic, the first charity medical clinic in Pearland celebrated its two-year anniversary on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at the clinic which is located in the Pearland Neighborhood center, 2335 N Texas Ave, Pearland, TX 77581.

Seva clinic provides free medical care every Thursday from 5.30 to 7.30 pm and treats patients with basic medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension etc. The clinic does some basic medical tests and treats children on every second Thursday.

The clinic has provided free care for thousands of patients since its inception.

Dr. P. Vaduganathan, chairman of the clinic welcome all the guests especially Mayor Reid, Mr. Kyle Price, C.E.O. , Dr. Glenn Garner, C.M.O., Ms. Rebecca Lilly, Mr. Effrain Siller from Memorial Hermann Hospital South east and Pearland, and Ms. Lizz Sitz from the office of state representative Mr. Ed Thompson and Ms. Amber Murray

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Seva Clinic team with Mayor Reid and other dignitaries

of the office of the US Congressman Pete Olson. He paid respects to one of the physicians who used to volunteer regularly Dr. Sathish Cayenne who had died in an accident. He thanked all the physicians, nurses, NPs, scribes and volunteers for their dedicated service. He reported that the number of patients seen in the clinic is steadily increasing. He also added that we can do EKGs and provide wound care for patients.

Seva Clinic also provides a platform for high school students to volunteer and the students form Turner high school volunteer regularly at the clinic Honorable Mayor Reid praised the vision and service of Seva clinic.

Honorable Congressman Pete Olson sent a Certificate of Recognition commending that in Sanskrit SEVA means “ selfless service” and Seva Clinic exemplifies that mission.

The directors Dr. Subhadra and Ms. Joanne Barrett along with Dr. Vaduganathan gave certificates of recognition to the physicians, nurses and all the volunteers.

6565 West Loop South, Suite 850, Bellaire, TX 77401 6565 West Loop South, Suite 850, Bellaire, TX 77401

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Indian-origin Anita Bhatia appointed as Cigarette lighter helps UN-Women's deputy executive director French police identify murdered Indian man

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ndian-origin Anita Bhatia, a veteran in strategic partnerships, resource mobilisation and management, has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the Deputy Executive Director in the global body's agency focussed on women empowerment and gender equality.

Bhatia holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Calcutta University, a Master of Arts in Political Science from Yale University and a Juris Doctor in Law from Georgetown University.

She has been appointed the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWomen) for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships, a statement from the UN Spokesperson's Office and UN Women said Thursday.

She has had a distinguished career at the World Bank Group, serving in various senior leadership and management positions, both at the headquarters and in the field.

In various positions, she focused on enhancing sustainability, institutional effectiveness and impact through strategic partnerships.

As Head of IFC's Latin America Advisory Operations, based in Lima and La Paz, she successfully grew the Corporation's reach grew the Corporation's reach and impact in the region.

Anita Bhatia (Image: Facebook) partnerships, resource mobilisation and management.

Veteran Indian diplomat and a gender equality champion Lakshmi Puri had previously served as the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women.

Bhatia served for several years as Director of Global Partnerships for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group's private sector arm.

innovative partnerships with public and private sector partners to support IFC strategy in key areas, including fragile and conflict-affected states, gender equality, financial inclusion, support to women-owned businesses and other priorities critical to attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition, Bhatia has served as Director of Development Partner Relations for the World Bank, leading efforts to ensure strategic alignment between institutional priorities and resource mobilisation across the group.

As Director of Partnerships and Advisory Operations, she oversaw financial management, risk management, portfolio management, knowledge management and learning for Advisory Services across the globe.

Bhatia has led diverse teams, including as Global Head of Knowledge Management, Head of Business Process Improvement and Head of Change Management. In addition to Latin America, she has worked in Africa, Europe, Central Asia and South and East Asia.

The key appointment comes less than a week after Guterres appointed decorated Indian Army officer Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar as his new Force Commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan.

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ILLE, France | AFP | Monday 6/3/2019 - French police said Monday they had identified the body of an Indian national found in a sack by the side of a road in northern France, thanks to a cigarette lighter found in the dead man's pocket.

victim's trousers that finally led to a breakthrough, when Belgian federal police saw a picture of the evidence.

Police said the clue had proved distinctive enough to help lead to the detention in Belgium of another Indian national suspected of murder.

The cafe on the lighter, though a common name in Belgium and the Netherlands meaning "the pub," was located near the victim's home in Ravels close to the Dutch border.

Last October a machine operator was clearing out a pit at Bourbourg when he found a sack containing a decomposed body, without any documents or cellphone to help determine the sex, nationality or circumstances of the death.

The DNA and fingerprints also failed to reveal the identity, according to a statement from investigators in Lille who led the inquiry.

But it was a cigarette lighter stamped "Kroeg Cafe" that was found in the pocket of the

Police had been searching for 42-year-old Darshan Singh, an Indian national resident in Belgium, since last June.

Investigators confirmed the victim's DNA from a toothbrush.

The discovery of the missing man's remains relaunched an inquiry by Belgian authorities, who in late March questioned another man of Indian nationality suspected of having killed Singh.

A source close to the case declined to give further details on the motive for the suspected murder. French authorities will hand over the file to Belgium.

US starts process to ban Proposed New Education Policy: Ushering work permits for spouses in a golden era in India’s education sector Bhatia brings extensive experience in the area of strategic

She developed and expanded

The US government on May 22 issued a notice for the proposed rule-making that will kick in public consultations to ban the H-4 EAD, a work visa programme for spouses of H-1B visa holders.

by Bhamy V Shenoy

N

ewly released 480 page draft report, “New Education Policy’ by a nine member committee headed by Dr. Kasturirangan is a delight to study. It constantly reminds us of our civilizational contribution which has been down played or often ignored by the current education system. NEP if implemented fully will completely transform India’s education sector.

Unfortunately it is a crying shame that some our political leaders have tried to highlight the non-issue of three language policy to build political capital rather than discussing more substantive issue of how NEP will help the country.

Since children learn languages quickly between the ages of 2 to 8, NEP suggests that encouragement should be given to children to learn many languages. No priority has been given to Hindi and in fact more emphasis is placed to teach India’s classical languages like Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, etc. Still after the protest the government tweaked the draft NEP to make sure that for non-Hindi speakers Hindi is not mandatory.

If NEP is implemented even partially, it will usher in a new era in India’s education sector.

There will be no fear of one examination deciding the destiny of the student. Going to school will be enjoyable and not boring like today. Students will have far more flexibility to select courses. Rote learning will be replaced by creative thinking. Minimum bureaucracy, less regulation and less scope for corruption. Only honest elected leaders will opt to become education ministers.

Though the report deals with all aspects of school education, higher education, and professional education (health, technical, legal, and healthcare), greater emphasis is given to school education. Early childhood education which has been more or less totally neglected is given the highest priority.

This is influenced by the fact that over 85% of cumulative brain development occurs prior to the age of six.

The current 12 years of

by Priyanka Sangani

NEP suggests that encouragement should be given to children to learn many languages. Representative image. schooling will be replaced by 15 years but still students can complete high school by age 18. Current 5+3+2+2 will be replaced by 5+3+3+4. Current system consists of primary, upper primary, secondary and pre university. It will be replaced

by Foundational stage from age 3 to 8, Preparatory stage from age 8 to 11, Middle stage from age 11 to 14 and High School from age 14 to 18. The Foundational stage will comprise five years of flexible, multilevel, play-based, activity-based, and discovery-based learning and is the most important stage.

op scientific temper, aesthetic sense, communication, ethical reasoning, digital literacy, knowledge of India, knowledge of critical issues facing the community and the world.

It is at High School stage where there is complete transformation. Pre university or higher secondary is eliminated.

Each year will be divided into 2 semesters, for a total of 8 semesters. Each student would take 5 to 6 subjects each semester. There will be some essential common subjects for all.

Simultaneously there will be a great flexibility in selecting elective courses including in the arts, music, vocational subjects, and physical education.

SSLC and PUC examinations will be eliminated. Each semester students can take Board Examinations in subjects they have taken and there will be no in-class final examinations.

Thus the pressure of the examinations will be eliminated and so also the student suicide rate.

There will be three types of institutions. First is Research Universities offering Ph.D and Masters Degree to focus on research. Second is Teaching Universities focusing on high quality teaching across all disciplines and third are individual colleges offering only undergraduate courses. Every such college irrespective of private or public will be autonomous.

All these HEIs will have the rights to award degrees unlike today where only universities have the right. There will be no affiliating universities or affiliated colleges in the future.

All stages will heavily incorporate Indian and local traditions, as well as ethical reasoning, socio-emotional learning, quantitative and logical reasoning, computational thinking and digital literacy, scientific temper, languages, and communication skills.

School education will devel-

Objective of higher education is to create world class multi disciplinary higher education institutions (HEI) across the country and to increase Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) to 50% by 2035 from the current level of 25%. The ancient Indian Universities of Takshashila and Nalanda have served as role models in developing these efforts.

In order to drive the vision of NEP and to facilitate the efficient and holistic implementation (in India best of reforms have failed at implementation stage ) of NEP, a high level body called Rastriya Siksha Aayog (National Education Commission) headed by the PM is proposed. Such a high level RSA will be responsible for developing, articulating, implementing, evaluating, and revising the vision of education in the country on a continuous and sustained basis.

NEP should have discussed what are the key success factors for its implementation.

One such factor is honest, competent, dedicated teachers and managers at all levels.

While the NEP is exhaustive, substantive policies specially concerning school education could have been discussed in fewer pages. They are: 1.Getting rid of public examinations.

2. No transfer of government school teachers. 3. Developing a system to hold teachers and administrators accountable based on the performance of the students. 4. Closing down of ‘small’ schools and to integrate them into larger and integrated schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas with library, and laboratory facilities. Children residing away from schools can be transported by bus like the children going to private schools. 5. Government should allocate at least 6% of GDP for education sector which is currently at 3% level.

With the elimination of public examinations, it will be the end of coaching schools.

Teachers union are unlikely to favor the recommendations since they will be held accountable and also they need to teach unlike preparing children to take exams. Anganwadi unions will not be happy since pre schooling will take place in large school complexes. But general public and students should rejoice and welcome the NEP. Unless there is a vibrant movement to support the NEP, it will remain a pipe dream and India would have a lost another golden opportunity to usher in million mutinies in education sector as recommended by NEP.

FIS to host distinguished lecture on "Democracy and India" by India's Justice Hegde on June 8 Registration needed to attend SUGAR LAND - The Foundation for India Studies invites you to "Democracy and India," a distinguished lecture by former Indian Justice Santosh Hegde on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 6:30 PM.

Venue: Madras Pavillion, 16260 Kensington Dr., Sugar Land, TX 77479 Social: 6:30 PM Lecture: 7:30 PM (Free)

Optional Dinner: 8:30 PM ($15)

optional dinner closes Thursday, June 6, 2019 at 3:00 PM.

Everyone must register prior to the event. Registration for

Link to Register: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/democracyand-india-tickets-62618598915

The Trump administration has begun the process to ban work permits for spouses of H-1B visa holders, a move that would affect the families of thousands of Indian hi-tech workers in the US. The US government on May 22 issued a notice for the proposed rule-making that will kick in public consultations to ban the H-4 EAD (Employment Authorisation Document), a work visa programme launched by the previous Obama administration to leverage skilled spouses of H-1B visa holders and address skill shortage in the technology domain. While explaining its reasons for the proposal, the Department of Homeland Security wrote that American citizens would benefit “by having a better chance at obtaining jobs that some of the population of the H-4 workers currently hold”.

Indians, largely female engineers, have been the biggest beneficiaries of the H4 EAD visa programme, taking over 90% of the 1.2 lakh visas issued since 2015. The Trump administration had first indicated the scrapping of the programme in February last year. Even if this proposal goes through, it would take a while for it actually take effect, said policy watchers.

Rajiv S Khanna, managing attorney at immigration law firm Immigration.com, said it could take as much as a year for the visa programme to get scrapped. “The process is currently at the second last stage.

Once it is approved here, it will be posted in the federal register and people will have 30 or 60 days to post comments, following which the regulation will be made final,” said Khanna.

The administration is obligated to comment before publishing and implementing the final rule, a process that could take several months, he added.

Since Donald Trump became President in 2017, the US has tightened immigration rules across the board. The biggest that has affected India is the tightening of the H-1B visa programme for IT services companies in favour of US technology companies. The US has brought in rules that give preference to candidates with US Master’s degrees for H-1B visas, helping US companies, while increasing the rejections for existing visa holders who seek extension for another three years. Nearly 70% of the H-1B visas are granted to Indian nationals.

Sarah Pierce, an analyst who tracks immigration to the US at Washington DC-based Migration Policy Institute, said setting a timeline would be tough.

“The proposed rule is still waiting for approval from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Legally, that office has until June 20 to conduct that review. Should it approve it, the rule could be published shortly thereafter,” published shortly thereafter,” she said.

A fallout of the scrapping of the visa would be a shortage of talent for US tech firms as these families arelikely to return to India, she said. While most tech firms have increased their local hiring in the US, it has been difficult to find people, given the low unemployment rates coupled with a shortage in the number of people with the kind of skills required. If an employee’s spouse can no longer pursue a career in the US, it would lead to more people turning down US postings, said analysts. “There is no doubt that ending the opportunity for spouses of certain H-1B visa holders to work will have negative consequences for tens of thousands of immigrant families in the United States, as well as for the US companies that employ them,” said Pierce.

- Courtesy : Economic Times.

SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 8

Bodies spotted in search for missing climbers in India

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ITHORAGARH, India | AFP | Monday 6/3/2019 - A helicopter searching for eight climbers missing on India's second-highest peak spotted five bodies on Monday, officials said.

British climbers rescued a day earlier from Nanda Devi base camp.

Nothing has been heard from the four Britons, two Americans, an Australian and an Indian on the 7,826-metre (25,643-foot) Nanda Devi in the Himalayas since May 26.

The missing climbers, led by Briton Martin Moran -- who has two previous successful ascents of the mountain -- had initially set out on May 13 for the eastern peak of Nanda Devi.

But on Monday two Indian Air Force helicopters scoured the area for a third day and took aerial pictures.

"During that search some photos were taken and in those photos four to five bodies can be seen. The resolution is quite bad that is why their faces or exact features are not clear," said local official V.K. Jogdande.

"But what we can roughly say is that these are body parts of five persons which can be seen.

We have ordered a technical evaluation... so that the bodies can be retrieved as quickly as possible," he said.

The search operation involving the helicopters and dozens of mountain rescuers has been hampered by poor weather and the remoteness of the area.

Authorities were able to reduce the search area to roughly 50 square kilometres (20 square miles) on Monday following information from four

They had been in contact with the larger group until May 26 when heavy snowfall and avalanches struck.

But in a post on May 22 on the Facebook page of the mountaineering company he runs, Moran Mountain, said they were set to attempt "an unclimbed peak".

They were expected to report back to base camp on May 26 but a porter stationed there reported to authorities that the group remained missing on May 31, prompting the search operation.

- 'No sign' A statement by the Moran family on Sunday had said they have been informed by the Indian Mountaineering Federation that the air search has "revealed the scale of the avalanche, but no sign of the climbers, their equipment nor their tents."

The Sydney Morning Herald named the Australian member as British-born Ruth McCance.

It quoted her husband Trent

Goldsack as saying that her last communication to him had been a text message around a week ago saying: "OK at base camp."

Another of the British climbers was reported to be Richard Payne, a lecturer at the University of York.

"We remain extremely concerned for his safety and our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time," a spokesman for the British university said.

Hundreds of climbers from across the world visit India to scale mountains across the Himalayan chain, and the peaks of Nanda Devi are considered the toughest to scale.

The first successful ascent of the Nanda Devi summit was in 1936.

India has 10 peaks above 7,000 metres, including Kangchenjunga -- the world's third highest -- sandwiched between India and Nepal.

Four Indians were among 11 climbers that died climbing Mount Everest in the latest season that ended last week amid allegations of overcrowding on the world's highest peak.

Mountaineering experts criticised the government of Nepal for giving permits to anyone ready to pay $11,000, letting rookie climbers risk their lives and those of others on the slopes.

Indian-Americans welcome Jaishankar's appointment as India's External Affairs Minister During his trip, Jaishankar had said that Houston has a special relationship with India as its trade with the country is about USD 8 billion, more than some countries, he said.

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OUSTON (PTI) Jun 03, 2019 - Several Indian-Americans in Texas have welcomed the appointment of S Jaishankar as the External Affairs Minister, saying he was instrumental in negotiating India's civil nuclear agreement with the US.

During his trip, Jaishankar had said that Houston has a special relationship with India as its trade with the country is about USD 8 billion, more than some countries, he said.

"The Chamber looks forward to welcoming him back to Houston on the Chamber's 20th anniversary this year," said Chamber President Swapan Dhairyawan.

Jeff M Smith, research fellow at South Asia-Heritage

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India Foundation and author of 'Cold Peace: China-India Rivalry' and 'Asia's Quest for Balance' tweeted: "I've sung his praises before and I'll do it again: S Jaishankar is a uniquely skilled diplomat. Having him in the cabinet will be a great asset for India, for Modi 2.0, and for India's relations with both China and the US".

Jaishankar, considered an expert on China and the US, served as foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018 and both he and Swaraj were credited for bringing vibrancy in India's foreign policy.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in his first official Twitter post, said on Saturday that he was "proud to follow on the footsteps" of his predecessor Sushma Swaraj.

The deal, initiated in 2005, took several years to craft, and was signed by the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh in 2007.

He was a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

I

SLAMABAD, Pakistan | AFP 6/2/2019 - Indian diplomats in Islamabad complained Sunday that Pakistan security officials had hassled guests invited to a Ramadan fast-breaking meal at a top hotel, going so far as to confiscate mobile phones and remove the vehicles of those attending.

It said security officials had carried out a "concerted campaign" in the days leading up to the event to try to dissuade invited guests from attending an iftar, or fast-breaking meal, at the Serena hotel.

"Those guests who did reach the function venue, in some cases from places as far as Lahore and Karachi, were intimidated and physically stopped from attending," the high com-

by Amal Jayasinghe

C

OLOMBO, Sri Lanka | AFP | Monday 6/3/2019 - Sri Lanka's Muslim ministers resigned en masse Monday over widespread hate attacks against their community in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings that hit the majority Buddhist nation.

The resignation of nine government legislators, several of them cabinet ministers, came after a Buddhist monk lawmaker supporting President Maithripala Sirisena demanded the sacking of three top Muslim politicians.

Demonstrations by several thousand people gripped the central pilgrim city of Kandy as monk Athuraliye Ratana insisted governors of two provinces and a cabinet minister be sacked over their alleged involvement with jihadists responsible for the bombings.

Even as shops and offices were closed in the city 115 kilometres (70 miles) east of Colombo, the two provincial governors stepped down, Sirisena's office said.

Within hours, the nine legislators, belonging to several Muslim and mainstream parties, resigned saying they were giving up their portfolios to ensure free investigations into the Easter attacks.

The nine included Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, the cabinet minister whose sacking had been demanded by Ratana.

Muslim leaders said their community -- which consists of 10 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million population -- had become victims of violence, hate speech and harassment since Islamic extremists were held responsible for the bombings.

Water Supply Minister Rauff Hakeem said Muslims had cooperated with security forces to arrest suspects, but the community faced collective victimisation.

Kandy is famous for the Temple of Tooth, where Buddhists believe a tooth of the Buddha is enshrined (AFP Photo/Ishara S. Kodikara) after quitting the cabinet.

He said the Muslims were giving up their portfolios in the hope that the authorities will fully investigate the allegations against members of their community within a month.

The ministers who quit Monday will remain loyal to the government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, they said in a joint statement.

-Death fast endsInside Kandy's famed Temple of the Tooth, where Buddhists believe a tooth of the Buddha is enshrined, prominent monk Ratana ended what he had called a "death fast" since the weekend after the first two resignations.

The monk was taken away in an ambulance for medical treatment. Also present earlier in the day was Galagodaatte Gnanasara, a firebrand monk released from jail on a presidential pardon late last month who has long been accused of instigating hate crimes against Muslims.

Buddhist monks accuse the three Muslim leaders of supporting the Islamic extremists responsible for the April 21 attacks on three churches and three hotels that killed 258 people including 45 foreigners.

The head of the Catholic Church in Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, also travelled to Kandy on Monday to express solidarity with Ratana.

"We support the monk's cam-

paign because so far justice has not been served," Ranjith told reporters in Kandy.

Government spokesman and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera criticised Ranjith for supporting "communalism".

"Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith fanning the flames of hatred and communalism by visiting fasting robed MP Ratana.

Vatican TAKE NOTE!" Samaraweera said on Twitter.

The government has said nearly 100 people linked to local jihad group, the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), have been arrested since the attacks.

In the wake of the bombings, anti-Muslim riots spread in towns north of the capital killing one Muslim man and leaving hundreds of homes, shops and mosques vandalised.

"The demonstrations fizzled out peacefully by afternoon," a police official told AFP. Sri Lanka is under a state of emergency since the Easter attacks. Police and troops have been empowered to arrest and detain suspects for long periods.

In March last year, a week of anti-Muslim riots in a suburb of Kandy left three people dead and more than 20 injured.

More than 200 Muslimowned homes and shops were also destroyed and the government clamped a brief state of emergency in the area to contain the violence.

Sri Lanka must toughen up against Afghanistan, says Malinga

India accuses Pakistan of harassing guests at Islamabad party

"Guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies," the Indian High Commission said in a statement.

Sri Lanka Muslim ministers resign en masse over Easter bombings

"We want an end to hate speech, an end to the culture of hate and the culture of impunity for those engaging in hate," Hakeem told reporters shortly

The 64-year-old former foreign secretary's appointment to the key post is seen as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempt to add further strategic heft to India's external engagement.

"Houston was the first city he visited when he was appointed India's Ambassador to the US in 2013, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) Founding Secretary/Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia said.

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

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ARDIFF, United Kingdom | AFP | Monday 6/3/2019 Veteran paceman Lasith Malinga said Sri Lanka must be mentally tough against Afghanistan as they seek to get their World Cup campaign up and running on Tuesday.

The 1996 world champions were thumped by 10 wickets in their opening match against New Zealand in Cardiff on Saturday.

Sri Lanka were routed for a paltry 136, giving their bowlers little chance, and New Zealand's opening pair of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro coasted to their target in the 17th over.

Malinga, who is playing in his fourth World Cup, said Sri Lanka had talent in their ranks but were short of experience in the conditions they were facing in England and Wales.

"Bowlers have a big role to play in tomorrow's game (also in Cardiff). We never know what's going on, who is bowl-

Pakistan and India often accuse each other of harassing their diplomatic missions.

Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria (Photo | Twitter) mission said.

"In some cases, cars used by invitees were lifted and removed using forklifts."

The high commission said more than 300 guests were turned away, including parliamentarians, diplomats, business people and members of the media.

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily

harm. In some cases mobile phones belonging to officials were snatched away," it said.

"We have requested the government of Pakistan to urgently investigate these ugly events and share the results of the exercise with the High Commission of India."

The Pakistani foreign office did not immediately respond when contacted by AFP.

The arch-rivals barely escaped a war just months ago when they launched cross-border air strikes at each other, but Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Indian rival Narendra Modi exchanged warm messages after Modi's hawkish party won a new term in May. Last month, Khan congratulated Modi on the win by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has long taken a strong anti-Pakistan stance.

"Congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan tweeted.

"Thank

you

PM

@Im-

Lasith Malinga is playing in his fourth World Cup. (AFP Photo) ing first or second," he said.

"But still, bowlers can change the game. I still believe that. Then I feel players need to get confidence, but we can improve our skills at the moment.

"We need to get mentally tough. And all the pressure is with us, yes, but we have to

ranKhanPTI. I warmly express my gratitude for your good wishes. I have always given primacy to peace and development in our region," Modi responded, also on Twitter.

In February, India launched an airstrike inside Pakistan accusing its neighbour of harbouring a group that staged a suicide bomb attack on Indian troops in Kashmir.

Pakistan launched its own raid the next day amid fears of war, but tensions have since eased.

Pakistan has restricted large swathes of airspace near its eastern border with India since the February clashes, effectively closing off major international flight routes in and out of Islamabad and Lahore, while also disrupting Indian flights headed west.

play with a free mind and do our best in tomorrow's game."

Sri Lanka, who lost to heavily to Afghanistan in last year's Asia Cup, have won only one of their 10 one-day international matches this year -- against minnows Scotland.

"I feel we have talent but not much experience of these conditions," said Malinga.

The bowler backed skipper Dimuth Karunaratne to anchor the innings, as he did with his 52 not out against New Zealand.

"We see that Dimuth has good temperament to play in these conditions," said Malinga of his skipper.

"I feel we have also top seven batsmen who have to take more responsibility and patience."

Malinga said although Afghanistan were rank outsiders at the World Cup, they had enough experience to make an impact.

"I think they have good experienced players because most of them play in franchise cricket," he said.

They know how to accelerate and they have all the confidence, so I believe if we do our best, we can see a good finish."

US/WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 9

Trump says Ireland's Brexit 'wall' issue will work out

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Trump's Republicans warn him against Mexico tariffs

by Alina Dieste and Michael Mathes

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 6/4/2019 - Donald Trump faced fierce opposition Tuesday from his own Republican camp to his threat of tariffs to force Mexico to stem illegal immigration, with top allies warning Congress may not back the US president in his latest trade standoff.

As Mexican officials shuttled through Washington for lastditch talks to avoid punitive tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in goods, Trump doubled down with his threats -- and said Republicans would be "foolish" to try and stop him.

President Trump flew to Ireland after a state visit to Britain AFP Shannon, Ireland | AFP | Wednesday 6/5/2019 - US President Donald Trump told Ireland's prime minister that the Brexit issue over "your wall, your border" with the UK would work out well, during talks on Wednesday.

Speaking with Leo Varadkar in Shannon, southwest Ireland, Trump -- who flew there after a state visit to Britain -- raised the subject of the UK's European Union exit.

"I think it will all work out very well, and also for you with your wall, your border. I mean, we have a border situation in the United States, and you have one over here," he said.

The border between North-

ern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland is unmarked allowing free movement of goods and people as both states are EU members.

Varadkar responded: "I think one thing we want to avoid, of course, is a wall or border between us."

Trump then replied: "I think you do. The way it works now is good, you want to try and to keep it that way.

"That's a big point of contention with respect to Brexit. I'm sure it's going to work out very well. I know they're focused very heavily on it."

Brexit has prompted concerns that new checks will be

erected at the island's frontier, providing a potential target for attacks and upsetting the fragile peace in Northern Ireland.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's government struck a deal with Brussels to keep open the border by keeping Britain economically close to the EU. But the so-called "backstop" plan was rejected by her own lawmakers, forcing her to resign and leaving the entire Brexit process in chaos.

Britain is due to leave the EU on October 31.

Trump was asked whether he thought Brexit would be bad for Ireland, to which he replied: "I think it should be good."

Senators seek to block Trump's arms sales to Saudis

Trump has vowed that fivepercent tariffs on all imports from its southern neighbor would begin June 10, reaching 25 percent unless Mexico dramatically reduces the flow of undocumented migrants, mainly from Central America, to the US border.

With tensions running high, Senate Republicans made clear they were considering a brazen legislative move to block the tariffs, and delivered an earful to White House officials explaining Trump's position at a closed-door Senate lunch.

"There is not much support in my conference for tariffs, that's for sure," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the meeting.

Asked if Trump's administration should be concerned about the threat of a disapproval vote to block the tariffs, Senator Ron Johnson told reporters: "If I were the White House I would be, sure. I made that point."

But McConnell declined to say outright whether his party would draft a measure to block Trump's tariffs from taking effect, in what would be the most dramatic act of Republican defiance since Trump took office in 2017.

"Apparently these (US-Mexico) talks are going well and I think our hope is that the tariffs will be avoided and we'll not have to answer any hypothetical," McConnell said.

trips to Cuba for about 10,000 people last year.

US Senator Lindsey Graham, speaking to reporters after a closed-door briefing on Iran in May 2019, has broken with President Donald Trump on arms sales to Saudi Arabia US Senator Lindsey Graham, speaking to reporters after a closed-door briefing on Iran in May 2019, has broken with President Donald Trump on arms sales to Saudi Arabia (Photo: AFP/File)

by Shaun Tandon

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Thursday 6/5/2019 - US senators across the political spectrum on Wednesday moved to block President Donald Trump's plan to sell $8.1 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies as lawmakers' frustration with the kingdom soars.

The Trump administration last month said it would use emergency powers to defy Congress and provide munitions, aircraft maintenance and other military components to Saudi Arabia along with the United Arab Emirates.

The move infuriated lawmakers who believe the weapons could be used to kill civilians in war-ravaged Yemen, where the Saudis and Emiratis lead a coalition supporting pro-government forces, and millions of residents are at risk of starva-

tion.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who is usually in lockstep with Trump, voiced hope for "strong bipartisan support" in preventing the sales.

"While I understand that Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally, the behavior of Mohammed bin Salman cannot be ignored.

Now is not the time to do business as usual with Saudi Arabia," Graham said, referring to the kingdom's powerful crown prince.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration would not follow the usual process of submitting the sales to Congress due to an emergency caused by Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional rival which has backed the Huthi rebels who control much of Yemen.

The senators nonetheless said they would go ahead and introduce resolutions of disap-

proval -- as they could for sales that are formally submitted -for each of the 22 arms deals, which also include a transfer of US arms from the United Arab Emirates to Jordan.

The chances of success are uncertain as Trump could veto any disapproval resolutions.

The Senate and House of Representatives both need twothirds votes to override him.

Trump -- who has hailed the Saudi alliance as good for the US arms business -- in April vetoed a resolution that would have ended US military support for the Saudi-led forces in Yemen.

- Buying from China, too? CNN, meanwhile, reported that US intelligence has shown that Saudi Arabia -- generally a loyal US customer -- has stepped up its ballistic missile program with support from China.

She said it will hurt not only companies like hers but also those of the many entrepreneurs in Cuba who have built businesses to serve tourists.

"The people making the rules have never been to Cuba. They

"There is not much support in my conference for tariffs, that's for sure," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. (Photo: REX/ Shutterstock) Trump doubled down on his threats during his state visit to Britain, bluntly saying it was "more likely" than not that the tariffs go into effect next week.

"Mexico should step up and stop this onslaught, this invasion into our country," Trump said at a joint press conference with outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May. But Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador -- who has sought to avoid a confrontation with a longstanding ally -- shrugged off Trump's combative rhetoric and said he was prepared to meet with his counterpart to defuse the crisis.

"It's likely we will reach an agreement, and we are going to continue insisting that talks are the way to go," said the leftist leader, who took office in December.

Speaking in Washington ahead of talks between Mexican officials and US trade representative Robert Lighthizer, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said he predicted an "80 percent" chance of success in negotiating a way out.

- 'Resistance' Ebrard came to Washington armed with data, arguing steps already taken by Mexico would prevent an additional 250,000 migrants from reaching the US border by the end of 2019.

Steps ranged from letting US asylum seekers remain in Mexico while their applications are reviewed, to offering them work permits in southern Mexi-

don't know how things have changed" in recent years, she said.

"What they are doing is counter-productive. I believe it's really going to hurt the private entrepreneurs in Cuba -- all the private restaurants, all the private homes" who serve tourists.

can states.

A US administration official meanwhile confirmed that Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would hold further talks with Ebrard Wednesday at the White House.

Trump's shock tariff announcement pummelled the Mexican currency and sent markets in both countries tumbling over fears of a sharp slowdown in trade and high prices for imported goods on both sides of the border.

But US markets closed higher Tuesday, buoyed in part by Republicans signaling significant opposition to Trump's plan -which they warn could scuttle the massive free trade agreement being finalized between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

The new deal, called USMCA and set to replace the longstanding NAFTA, is in the process of ratification.

Trump brushed aside the clash, saying he did not believe Republicans would follow through with blocking his tariffs.

"If they do, it's foolish," he said. "I've had tremendous Republican support."

But several of his allies were insistent Trump reverse course.

Senator Ted Cruz, a conservative Trump ally and fierce advocate for stronger action to reduce illegal immigration at the southern US border, said lawmakers expressed "deep concern and resistance to imposing tariffs on trade with Mexico because it will hurt American jobs."

In unusually forceful language against a Trump initiative, Cruz said he expressed his concerns "very directly" with the White House, saying tit-fortat tariffs could cripple the Texas economy with the equivalent of $30 billion in taxes.

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

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VOICE OF ASIA 11

Fort Bend View

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

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New and expectant moms are invited to Community Baby Shower at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

•

Section 2

Tel: 713-774-5140

County Judge George convenes the Consular Corps of Houston for a historic meeting in Fort Bend

Fort Bend County Judge KP George at the launch of the Fort Bend Global Initiative at the begining of 2019. (Images of the Global Initiative. Source: Fort Bend County Judge office)

F

Community Baby Shower Committee

S

UGAR LAND – (May 23, 2019) — Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land invites new and expectant moms – along with their partners and babies – to the annual Community Baby Shower from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m on Thursday, Aug. 1. This event will be held in the Brazos Pavilion Conference Center on the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital campus.

The event will feature demonstrations on how to safely use baby carriers, presentations on the importance of safe sleeping practices, and a Sugar Land police officer will speak about car seat safety. In addition, lactation consultants from the Childbirth Center will be available to talk one-on-one with moms and provide guidance and

support.

“This is a great opportunity for new moms to speak directly with someone who understands their concerns,” said Donna Timmer, lactation consultant.

“There will be great discussions and information provided at this event; it’s been a very beneficial experience for our attendees in previous years.”

Timmer says attendees are welcome to stop by any time during the shower.

Demonstrations will be repeated several times throughout the event, and light refreshments will be provided.

Attendees can also participate in several door prize drawings.

“This is a fun event, but it’s also a great outreach program,” Timmer said. “Our goal is to celebrate new and

Summer fun set for Sugar Land

S

UGAR LAND – Come celebrate summer with the city of Sugar Land during communit events that promise to be a ton of fun for attendees!

Kick off the summer with the Summer Concert and Food Truck Friday Series at the plaza adjacent to the Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, 18111 Lexington Blvd. The series will showcase live entertainment, lawn games, a splash pad and food trucks on select Friday evenings in June from 7-9 p.m. Event dates include June 7,

June 14 and June 21. Attendees are encouraged to check facebook.com/ SugarLandParks for event updates to include performing bands and food truck information. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from onsite vendors. Free public parking will be available in the Smart Financial Centre parking lot, 18111 Lexington Blvd.

The summer activities continue into July with two exciting events for all to enjoy.

The city of Sugar Land’s Red, White

expectant moms, as well as help them learn techniques they need to know in order to care for their newborns.

Sometimes a mom gets home from the hospital and realizes that she needs additional support or information, and we’re here to help.”

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital hosts its annual Community Baby Shower in recognition of World Breastfeeding Week. Visit events. houstonmethodist.org/babyshower-sl for more information.

For more information about Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land, visit houstonmethodist.org/ childbirth-sl or call 281.274.7080.

Visit our Facebook page at fb.com/ methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.

ORT BEND - Since January 1st and before, Fort Bend County Judge KP George has been working tirelessly on increasing the level of economic development in Fort Bend County. Through launching the Fort Bend Global Initiative, he has meet with numerous countries, trade delegations, businesses, and investors attract, foster, and grow businesses, and in the process, create new, wellpaying jobs for Fort Bend County residents.

In that spirit, Judge George is convening a high level meeting of the entire Consular Corps of Houston, the third largest in the nation with over 90 countries represented, for the first time ever in Fort Bend County at the Ismaili Jamat Khana & Center in Sugar Land, Texas on Friday, June 7th.

“We have made history and will continue to do so with this historic meeting. It is crucial that Fort Bend build strong relationships with our Consular Corps and international economic development partners so that we can encourage job growth and attract private investment, for the benefit of our residents.

“I am grateful that we have a Consular Corps that is willing to collaborate and help improve the economic fabric of our community,” stated Fort Bend County Judge KP George.

With its 92 consulates, the Consular Corps of Houston is the third-largest consular corps in the nation, serving as a link between the Houston region and the world.

Fort Bend ISD to hold “Bloom with Pre-K” hiring event June 7 District recruiting certified Pre-K teachers for 2019-20 school year

and Boom will take place on Thursday, July 4 from 4-10 p.m. at The Crown Festival Park, 18355 Southwest Freeway, with family entertainment, food and fireworks! Ticketing and event information will be released soon.

To round out the summer, a Movie Under the Moon will be held on Friday, July 19 from 7-9 p.m. at Oyster Creek Park, located at 4033 Highway 6, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and National Parks and Recreation Month. In 1969, the NASA astronauts of Apollo 11 heroically demonstrated a universal truth - that mankind’s greatest leaps begin with the bravery of a single small step.

As neighboring cities join forces to commemorate the steps taken, the city of Sugar Land will showcase a movie under the moon. Food and lawn games will also be available.

For more information about the upcoming summer events, contact the Sugar Land Parks and Recreation Department at (281) 275-2900, visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/specialevents or follow Sugar Land Parks and Recreation at facebook.com/SugarLandParks.

F

ORT BEND ISD (May 31, 2019) – Fort Bend ISD is searching for new Pre-Kindergarten teachers and paraprofessionals to join the District and will host a “Bloom with Pre-K” recruiting event Friday, June 7, 2019. The meet and greet event will be held from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the FBISD Administrative Annex (3119 Sweetwater Blvd, Sugar Land, TX 77479).

The Fort Bend ISD Pre-kindergarten program establishes a strong academic foundation while setting the stage for life-long learning. FBISD provides teachers with opportunities for ongoing professional growth and one-on-one mentoring, and believes in a collaborative environment centered around

respect that fosters creativity in a safe and supportive learning/working environment. To ensure all students are provided with the attention and support needed, Pre-kindergarten classes will have an, 11 to 1 student to teacher ratio.

Fort Bend ISD’s Pre-kindergarten program ensures that children are successful and joyful learners; educators are supported and fulfilled; and families are partners in their child’s educational experience! Certified teachers and paraprofessionals interested in joining Fort Bend ISD can apply online at www.fortbendisd.com/careers, and register for the “Bloom with PreK” event at www.fortbendisd.com/ PreKcareers.

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2

•

www.voiceofasia.news

•

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

DiCaprio, Pitt want to team up Bollywood stars gather for again after Tarantino hit Baba Siddiqui’s annual Iftar party

M

UMBAI - It’s become a festive tradition of sorts where the big stars of Bollywood make it a point to attend every year.

(From Bottom) US film director Quentin Tarantino, US actor Leonardo DiCaprio and US actor Brad Pitt at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. (AFP Photo)

by Deborah COLE

C

ANNES, France | AFP | Wednesday 5/22/2019 Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt said Wednesday they had to tap into distant memories of being Hollywood outsiders for their star turns in Quentin Tarantino’s new movie, calling it a “love letter” to the industry’s dreamers.

Speaking after their movie “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood” was rapturously received at the Cannes film festival, the A-list actors said they bonded on set over fame’s surreal strangeness and hoped to work together again.

best on the opposite side of the table holding up the scene with you. And there’s a great relief in that,” he said.

“As Leo said, we have the same reference points... we’ve been going through this at the same time, have similar experiences to laugh about. I hope we get to do it again.”

Former politician and social worker Baba Siddique’s annual iftar party in Mumbai on Sunday saw a galaxy of Bollywood stars including Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Shah Rukh Khan attend and mingle with each other.

Salman Khan’s family including brothers Sohail and Arbaaz Khan, their father Salim Khan, his sisters Arpita and Alvira and brother-in-law Aayush Sharma were also a part of the festive bash.

Actors such as Aparshakti Khurana,

Superstar Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan attends an Iftar party hosted by politician Baba Siddiqui during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Mumbai late on June 2, 2019. Image Credit: Twitter (SRK Universe) Daisy Shah, Mouni Roy, Urmila Matondkar, Raveena Tandon, Sonu Sood, Jaccky Bhagnani, Sunil Grover and

Salman Khan’s Bharat release date unchanged; Court dismisses plea Bharat: The court also pulled up petitioner for circulating the petition in the media before it was listed.

‘Is it inappropriate to name a film after the official name of the country?’

“There was an incredible ease and comfort getting to work alongside Brad, we kind of grew up in the same generation, got our start around the same time,” Di Caprio said.

“Quentin gave us this incredible back story for our characters... their work together, their friendship together, what they’ve been through in the industry together.

had said that according to the Constitution, ‘Bharat’ is the official name of the country and it was inappropriate to name a film after it.

“All that fed into the incredible comfort and ease that I think he and I had with one another.”

“I feel it is not appropriate to name such film or any character associated with this film after our great nation. It is distorting the cultural and political image of our great country ‘Bharat’,” it had alleged. It had also sought directions to director Ali Abbas Zafar, production houses Real Life Production Pvt Ltd and Salman Khan Films, actor Salman Khan, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the Centre to change any dialogue that was related to Bharat and where the character has been compared with the country.

The plea had further sought an interim stay on the release of the film.

In the dark fairytale set in the Los Angeles of 1969 just before the Manson murders, DiCaprio, 44, plays a fading television western star with Pitt, 55, his stunt double and offscreen sidekick.

DiCaprio called the movie by the director of “Pulp Fiction” and the “Kill Bill” movies a “love letter to the outsiders of the industry”.

He said his and Pitt’s high-flying careers had long run in parallel until they finally converged thanks to Tarantino.

“When Quentin puts you into these improvised scenarios... it was incredibly easy working with Brad. We forged hopefully a great cinematic bond in a film about our industry,” DiCaprio said.

Pitt said remembering what it was like as young actors on Hollywood’s fringes, and later dealing with the often bizarre world of mega-celebrity led the two actors to bond.

“It was really great fun, I had a great laugh with him. It’s that thing of knowing you’ve got the best of the

several other television actors were also a part of Siddique’s annual bash.

A still from the film Bharat Salman Khan-starrer set for releasae on June 5

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EW DELHI: (PTI) | June 03, 2019 20 - The Delhi High Court Monday dismissed a plea that sought a stay on the release of Salman Khan-starrer Bharat on the grounds that it is “inappropriate” to name a film after the official name of the country. The film is slated for re-

lease on June 5. A vacation bench of justices J R Midha and Chander Shekhar said it was of the view that the petition was filed to draw mileage from it and the plea was premature as the petitioner has not yet seen the movie.

The court also pulled up petitioner Vikas Tyagi for circulating the petition

in the media before it was listed.

The plea had said that the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act prohibited the use of the name ‘Bharat’ for any trade, business, profession, or in a title of any patent and in any trademark. The petition

It has claimed that the movie was “merely a shameless, cunning stratagem to encash the deep-rooted feeling for our country”. “The court will have to put an end to such tricks to encash the people’s patriotic sentiments,” the plea had said. It had added that though there was nothing objectionable in the movie, when it was linked with our nation, it is inappropriate to correlate content of movie with its title.

“A ‘country,’ whose tradition and culture have been running for thousands of years cannot be exhibited by any single character or contained in any character,” the plea had said.

Streaming services battle Netflix for Arab audiences

by Shatha Yaish

D

UBAI, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Friday 5/30/2019 -Streaming services in the Middle East are competing for Arab audiences with US giant Netflix set to release its first Arabic production in June, chasing a slice of a potentially lucrative market.

CEO of Starz Play, Maaz Sheikh, is hoping the streaming service he co-founded can capture a large slice of the Arab market, competing with US giant Netflik.

(AFP Photo

www. voiceofasia.news

Streaming platforms Starz Play and Wavo have emerged in recent years as local competitors to Netflix, while giant Saudi-owned TV powerhouse MBC Group announced plans for original productions as well as the acquisition of international content to boost its streaming services Shahid and Shahid Plus.

These platforms are locked in a battle to attract millions of Arab viewers throughout the year, with a special focus during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the premier entertainment season in a region where tradi-

Read the latest articles and news on BOLLYWOOD /HOLLYWOOD & ENTERTAINMENT Visit : www. voiceofasia.news

tional television still dominates.

Viewing spikes during the month as families traditionally settle down with soap operas after breaking their fast at sunset with the iftar meal, or during the Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal.

- One episode a day Netflix has been showing four Arabic-language dramas during this year’s holy month, three being Gulf productions and one Syrian-Lebanese show.

Each has 30 episodes for the 30 days of Ramadan, and unlike the usual binge-worthy Netflix fare, tantalisingly only one episode is released each night.

“Adding these shows to our roster of licensed content during Ramadan gives our audiences the flexibility to watch the shows they want, when they want,” Artanc Savas, Netflix’s communications manager for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, told AFP, re-

ferring to the usual fixed times of traditional TV shows.

Its closest competitor Starz Play is streaming three series -- also Arabiclanguage productions -- but does not see its role as taking on traditional TV. “Competing with traditional television in Ramadan is not our strategy,” Maaz Sheikh, co-founder and CEO of Starz Play Arabia, told AFP. “What we are trying to do is bring more and more relevant Arabic content during Ramadan to our consumers.”

An estimated 85 percent to 90 percent of people across the Middle East watch television, while between 25 percent and 30 percent watch streaming video online with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, according to Mukul Krishna, head of digital media at US-based research firm Frost & Sullivan.

- Intrigue, adventure After Ramadan, Netflix will debut on June 13 “Jinn” its first production in Arabic.

Filmed in Jordan, the show is a supernatural drama that follows a group of teenagers who encounter two jinns -- or supernatural figures -- during a field trip to the historic city of Petra.

It will be full of intrigue and adventure, the company promises.

“Jinn is Netflix’s first Middle Eastern original series which will bring Middle Eastern folklore to the modern world,” Savas said.

LEGAL

VOICE OF ASIA 13

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

www.voiceofasia.news

PERSONAL INJURY – INJURED FROM A SLIP-AND-FALL?

by Sharlene Sharmila Richards, Immigration Lawyer Email at srichardslaw@aol.com

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

The term “slip and fall” is term referring to when someone is injured from a fall, usually on another person’s property, because of that property owner’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness.

Factors that contribute to this accident include but not limited to: wet floors, little lighting, narrow stairs, floor defect, torn carpet, and more. Often, there isn’t even a warning to this hazard causing someone to slip and fall.

On average, slip and fall injuries are reported in one million emergency room trips each year, according to the National Floor Safety Institute. In addition, the Consumer Product Safety Commission found almost two million injuries occur each year as a result from some defect in the floor such as torn rug and uneven floor. Those injured from a slip and fall due to the egregious negligence of another are entitled to recover all damages including medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish, and lost wages!

a puddle of water at the local grocery store when the store’s employees did not clean the spill in a reasonable time and manner, then the store may be liable and responsible for all injuries arising from the customer’s slip and fall. This applies to all businesses, restaurants, stores, and others similarly situated. To hold the owner accountable for all injuries, the claimant must be able to prove at least one of the following negligent action by the owner or employee: (1) created the hazardous condition for individuals (2) knew of the condition and failed to warn or repair, or (3) should have known of the dangerous condition as a reasonable prudent owner would have discovered and cared for the property. The most common slip and falls are created when the owner should have known of the dangerous condition and failed to take further action to remedy.

If one has been hurt from a slip and fall on another’s property caused by the negligence, recklessness of the property owner or their agents, employees, or other representative, please contact an experienced attorney. The standard of care that the claimant must In order to succeed on prove is negligence. These a slip and fall matter, cases are difficult to deal claimant must prove that with, entail bruises, sorea ‘dangerous condition’ ness, embarrassment, hoscaused the fall and subse- pital visits, follow up treatquent injuries. That is, if ments, and even worse, you a shopper falls down on could break your bones or

ruin your spine! There is also a statute of limitations in which a person may file for damages. Do not hesitate to seek legal help as soon as possible to recover your damages!

An injured person is entitled to recover all damages including medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish, and lost wages! In all cases, negligence by the property owner or others who occupy or exercise control over the premises must be proven in order to recover and be compensated.

About Mala Sharma Mala Sharma has been practicing family law and personal injury with her family at the Law Offices of Sharma & Associates, founded in 1997. Mala is President Emeritus of the Houston Northwest Bar Association, Board member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and South Asian Bar Association. She is also a member of the Houston Bar Association.

Disclaimer: This material is available for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you require advice on any particular legal question, you may contact Sharma & Associates at 281-893-8644 or by email at mala@sharmalaws.net to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Walmart faces major India test over unit Flipkart’s legal spat with startup

N

EW DELHI - An Indian startup’s legal challenge against a Walmart unit claiming losses caused by sharp discounting of its products is winning support from other online sellers, in what is shaping as a key test of how the giant retailer operates in the country.

The legal tussle between GOQii, a seller of smartwatch-type health devices, and Walmart’s Flipkart unit, comes just months after India imposed stricter rules for foreign investment in e-commerce that were aimed at deterring such sharp discounts.

GOQii sued Flipkart last month in a Mumbai court, alleging its devices were discounted by around 70% to the retail price, much more than the two sides had agreed to, legal documents related to the case showed.

The case will next be heard on Friday. Flipkart has denied any wrongdoing, saying it was not responsible for any discounts which are only determined by third-party companies which sell on the e-commerce website.

The legal spat has brought to the fore concerns long raised by small traders and a right-wing group close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party.

They say companies such as Flipkart and Amazon.com deeply discount some products by burning billions of dollars to lure customers onto their sites in the expectation that they will also buy other goods.

“It will set a precedent if the final decision goes against Flipkart for predatory pricing,” said Salman Waris, a partner at TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors.

“Small traders’ associations

and other startups may take other marketplaces adopting deep discounting strategy to court.”

The GOQii case could snowball. The All India Online Vendors Association told Reuters in a statement it plans to file a plea to join GOQii’s case against Flipkart on behalf of 3,500 online sellers it represents.

Flipkart said in a statement it takes legal compliance seriously and was compliant with Indian law. “We are engaged with the supplier to come to a swift resolution,” it said.

Q: I am a US Citizen and I wish to file a petition for my brother and his wife to immigrate to the US. Where do I find the Form?

A: The best place to obtain the Form is by online at the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov. On the USCIS webpage, you will see a link for ‘Forms’. Click on that and you will see the list of forms. You will select Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. In addition to that, I recommend you review the instructions for the Form to ensure that you provide all the necessary documents needed for the petition.

Q: My cousin is planning to visit the US in the Fall to attend my wedding.

I am a US Citizen. She does not have much savings to afford her trip here. Is there any Form I can provide to the US Consulate to assure that she will have accommodation, food, transportation etc. while she is here?

A: Go online to USCIS website for Form I-134 Affidavit of Support. You will need to complete this Form and provide it to her.

Be aware that you will also need to provide your Federal Tax Returns 2018, proof of employment and or income as well as proof of your US Citizenship when you submit this Form.

Q: I arrived in the US about 2 months ago as a B-2 Visitor. After checking out several colleges, I decided I wish to enroll as a student and to change my status to F-1 Student status. How do I go about doing this?

A: Changing status from B-2 Visitor to F-1 Student has become more complicated as USCIS has changed their policy and require that the applicant also maintain his or her non-immigrant status throughout the process of changing status from B-2 to F-1. Also, make sure you do not take any action to change your status until after 90 days have passed. You have to make sure you gain admission to the college of your choice. The school will issue you with a Form I-20.

With a 19 percent market share, GOQii was the secondbiggest player in India’s socalled wearables market last year, data from industry tracker IDC in December showed.

The market is dominated by China’s Xiaomi, with Samsung a small player. - Reuters

Q: I am completing Form I-485 Application to Adjust Status and I have lived at many locations in the past 5 years. The Form asked that I provide all these addresses and the dates for the addresses. I honestly do not remember exactly where I lived and the exact dates I lived at each of those locations. What should I do?

A: You do the best you can and provide whatever information you can to the best of your ability. As for the dates, you are not required to provide the exact date – just month/year to month/year would suffice.

Q: I am a US Citizen and I filed a petition for my mother. We received an interview notice to go to the local USCIS office. My mother cannot speak English and I was wondering if I need to hire an interpreter for her? I prefer not to as I am unable to afford one at the moment.

What do I do?

A: There is no need to hire an interpreter. It is acceptable for you to interpret for her. USCIS normally does not make an issue about this unless it appears that during the interview, you are unable to properly interpret for her. If you think that would happen, then take a friend or someone

whom you know who is fluent in both English and your mother’s native language to interpret for her.

Q: My sister has been picked up by ICE after her arrest for theft. I heard she can ask the Judge for bond to be released from custody.

Is this something I can do easily? Is there a Form to complete?

A: My advice is that your sister hires an Immigration Attorney to assist in her case. This is because she may or may not be bond eligible. If one has more than one theft conviction, that individual may no be bond eligible and is subject to mandatory detention, which means he or she must remain in custody during the entire course of the removal proceedings. The Immigration Attorney will be able to review her case and decide if she is bond eligible and if so, will complete a Bond Worksheet and put together a bond package for her. In addition to that, the attorney will have to evaluate and decide what forms of relief to seek to prevent her removal from the US. Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case. Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case.

My Bio Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration Lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court. If you require advice or assistance, you may contact her at telephone number 713-623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@ aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Attorney at Law

www.richardsimmigration.com

CALL US today at: 713-623-8088

L

awyers’ lack of fundamental understanding of new legal technologies will soon put them at a disadvantage if they don’t change their ways, according to experts speaking a recent ABA conference.

E-discovery, for instance, has completely transformed work, said Daniel E Pinnington, who is president and CEO at LawPRO in Toronto. Years ago,

At the same time, you will request to extend your B-2 visitor status for a further 6 months – you may indicate the reason for the extension request is to check out colleges for prospective future study. After having applied for the B-2 extension, you will then immediately apply to change your status from B-2 to F-1. You may have to work closely with your college or school to ensure that they are prepared to re-issue a new I-20 for the following semester if your change of status to F-1 Student has yet to be approved and you missed attending the session for the initial issued I-20. I recommend that because there are timing issues for change of status to F-1 student, that you consult with an immigration attorney to assist you in the process as it is a little more complicated to handle on your own.

E-mail: srichardslaw@aol.com

by Melissa Stanzione

The speakers pointed out that technology has been game changing for lawyers over time.

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The group, which spoke on a panel last week at the ABA’s National Conference on Professional Responsibility in Vancouver, Canada, emphasized that legal tech is only becoming more pervasive in the practice of law and lawyers must catch up.

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attorneys were sifting through paper files but now e-discovery tools do the job using artificial intelligence to search texts and find relevant documents, he said.

he explained.

Newer e-discovery tools are actually learning to refine searches based on human corrections to the initial search results, Pennington said. After a text search, the tools will use these corrections to improve the search function for more accurate results in the future,

Judges and clients will impose technological requirements on lawyers, Joshua Lenon, lawyer in residence and data protection officer at CLIO in New York, said. Lenon recalled a recent court opinion about a fee dispute involving a $900 research fee on a bill

If lawyers can’t accept emerging technologies on their own, outside forces will make them, according to the panelists.

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where the judge said the attorney could have used AI and gotten results much faster, resulting in lower spend.

Another technology increasingly incorporated into the legal profession is blockchain, Lenon said. Blockchain is digital information that can be distributed—but not copied— through cryptography to create

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permanent records over time.

Blockchain is being used or will soon be used for smart contracts, CLE tracking apps, and law firm trust fund trackers, Lenon said. Lawyers should get acquainted with it because blockchain evidence is admissible in three states, he said.

And the use of legal technol-

ogy will only escalate, perhaps, Pennington said, to the point where it may someday be hard to tell what’s AI and what is not.

He said singularity—when AI is indistinguishable from human intelligence—will likely hit in 2040.

- Bloomberg Business

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Section 2

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Canada indigenous teen covers Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ in Mi’kmaq language

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FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Tel: 713-774-5140

Athletic training residency program at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital earns reaccreditation

Paul McCartney, seen in 2017, gave a shoutout to Canadian teenager Emma Stevens’ cover of “Blackbird” in her Mi’kmaq language during a concert in Kentucky (AFP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)

O

TTAWA, Canada | AFP | Tuesday 6/4/2019 - A Canadian teen and her classmates are earning praise including from Paul McCartney for their cover of the Beatles’ classic “Blackbird,” sung in her native Mi’kmaq language.

McCartney wrote the song, inspired by the civil rights movement, for the Beatles’ 1968 “White Album.”

With the help of teachers in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, singer Emma Stevens, 16, and her classmates recorded the tender acoustic version to raise awareness about indigenous languages around the world at risk of disappearing.

A video of the performance quickly went viral after being posted to YouTube, where it has been viewed more than half a million times.

“There’s an incredible version done by a Canadian girl.

You see it on YouTube. It’s in her native language,” McCartney recently told a concert crowd in Lexington, Kentucky.

“It’s really cool.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also urged his followers on Twitter to “check it out.”

After learning of McCartney’s shoutout, Stevens said to the syndicated arts magazine show “q,” on Canadian public broadcaster CBC, that she got

so excited that she was almost moved to tears.

“I grew up listening to the Beatles every day. My dad is a super-fan,” she said.

“My culture is one of the biggest things in my life,” Stevens added. “So sharing it with others outside of the community, and people who don’t speak Mi’kmaq and don’t really understand it, it gives them a different perspective and shows them that our language is very beautiful.”

Her music teacher Carter Chiasson, who organized the recording, echoed Stevens’ remarks in an interview with AFP, saying: “We’re hoping that this recording brings awareness to the importance of preserving indigenous languages and culture.”

He said that “so many of them are endangered and could disappear within a few generations.”

There are more than 70 indigenous languages still spoken in Canada, divided into 12 distinct language families, according to government data.

Census figures show the total number of native speakers is 260,000, out of a total indigenous population of 1.6 million.

Three out of four are classified by the UN cultural agency UNESCO as endangered.

Rihanna declared world’s richest female musician

Some of the languages such as Kutenai are spoken by as few as 170 people while others, like Cree, are spoken by as many as 96,000.

Mi’kmaq is one of the most common Algonquian languages, spoken by 9,000 indigenous people.

A public inquiry into murdered indigenous women on Monday recommended that Ottawa recognize indigenous languages as official languages of Canada, alongside French and English.

Two acts to preserve indigenous languages and to bring Canadian laws into harmony with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are now before the Senate.

US teenager loses leg in shark attack

M

IAMI | AFP | Monday 6/3/2019 - A teenager lost part of her leg after being attacked by a shark while swimming off the coast of the southeastern United States, her family said on Monday.

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s 2019 Residency Program Graduates Top row, left to right: Jordan Bishop, DJ Ignacio, JeJuan French, Courtney Scott Front row, left to right: Isabella Pregozen, Marie Charpentier, Melanie Kwok

S

UGAR LAND— (May 30, 2019) — The athletic training residency program at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital recently received reaccreditation for a seven-year term.

the learning opportunities we provide.”

The national Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) granted the reaccreditation following an extensive review of documentation and a threeday site visit in January. This process ensures that athletic training residency programs meet or exceed 103 standards set by CAATE to ensure quality of care.

The hospital’s athletic training residency program is the largest of its kind and the only accredited multi-site program in the country. The hospital began with just two residents per year in the first few years, but the program has since grown in both stature and numbers. Currently, there are 18 residents in the program who split their time between didactic classroom instruction and actual athletic training coverage at middle and high schools in four area school districts, including Fort Bend ISD.

“This is a tremendous validation of our residency program, which gives highly qualified athletic trainers the advanced experience and knowledge they need to support sports teams and athletes at any level,” said Marie Charpentier, program coordinator, boardcertified physical therapist in orthopedic and sports medicine, and manual therapy fellow at Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.

“The seven-year designation is proof that CAATE recognizes the quality of our training, the commitment of our people and

“The Houston Methodist Sugar Land residents provide an extremely valuable service to the schools, delivering athletic training care and game coverage on-site, accompanying students to an orthopedist/ sports medicine specialist if necessary, and coordinating physical therapy and rehabilitation both at the hospital and at the school,” said Richard Gregoire, head district athletic trainer for Fort Bend ISD. “Their efforts extend the ability of our schools to provide knowledgeable, experienced athletic trainers who can help

Paige Winter, 17, was spending the day at the Fort Macon beach in North Carolina when she encountered the shark around noon.

keep students healthy.”

In the past, residents have even provided life-saving responses to students who suffered severe medical emergencies or injuries.

“There is a definite need for skilled athletic trainers in many states,” said Charpentier. “It’s a profession that is evolving in its scope and complexity, and many school districts are shorthanded when it comes to having knowledgeable people who can provide coverage. We are doing our part to help, not only by providing athletic trainers today but by expanding the overall talent pool for the future.”

Once this year’s class graduates in May, more than 60 residents will have completed the year-long program since its inception in 2013. Most are now working full-time at high schools across Texas, while some have gone on to work in military settings or attend medical or physical therapy school.

For the latest news, events and information about Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, visit houstonmethodist.org/sugarland or our Facebook page at fb.com/methodistsugarland.

Her father, a paramedic, entered the water and battled the fish until it retreated, local media reported.

Winter was airlifted to a hospital with deep lacerations to her left leg and hands.

“Due to the severity of the attack, amputation of the left leg above the knee was inevitable,” Winter’s family said on a GoFundMe page that has already raised more than $11,000 in donations for her recovery from the attack.

In May, Rihanna launched a groundbreaking partnership with LVMH to launch a luxury fashion brand based in Paris that will make ready-to-wear clothes, shoes and accessories. (File photo)

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EW YORK CITY| AFP | 6/4/2019 - 1 Singer, makeup entrepreneur, lingerie designer and now the first black woman to head a top luxury fashion house -- Rihanna has racked up a $600 million fortune to become the world’s richest female musician, Forbes said Tuesday.

The 31-year-old -- born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados -- has amassed wealth exceeding that of Madonna ($570 million), Celine Dion ($450 million) and Beyonce ($400 million), whose husband Jay-Z was just named the world’s first billionaire rap star.

Rihanna’s ranking puts into fresh perspective one of her signature lyrics -- “work, work, work, work, work,” which opened her 2016 dancehall smash “Work.”

Since bursting onto the scene in 2003, she has spun her triumphs in music into entrepreneurial gold, launching her makeup brand Fenty Beauty -- co-owned by French luxury giant LVMH -- in September 2017 online and with Sephora.

The line found success not least thanks to Rihanna’s fame both on and offline, with some $570 million in revenue last year after just 15 months.

“I know I have a long road to recovery, which includes additional surgeries. I will continue to stay positive and be thankful that it was not worse,” Winter said in a statement released to the local ABC network.

On Facebook, Paige’s mother Marcy Goodrum Winter wrote that her daughter had come out of surgery and that, although she was still a bit drugged, had managed to keep her sense of humor.

“She wants everyone to know that sharks are still good people,” her mother wrote.

The chances of being attacked by a shark are nearly one in four million, according to the International Wildlife Museum in Tucson, Arizona, but it does happen.

Last September, a swimmer died from an apparent shark bite off the coast of Massachusetts in the northeastern United States.

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VOICE OF ASIA 15

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

June is National Safety Month

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

Section 2 Tel: 713-774-5140

US risks losing measles elimination status with record cases

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Friday 5/30/2019 - The United States risks losing its measles “elimination status” if current outbreaks continue, US health authorities said Thursday.

A

lzheimer’s disease is a chronic ongoing condition. Its symptoms come on gradually and the effects on the brain cause slow decline. There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s but treatment can help slow the progression of the disease and may improve quality of life. Anyone can get Alzheimer’s disease but certain people are at higher risk for it. This includes people over age 65 and those with a family history of the condition.

Let us examine how Medicare helps during various stages of this disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday there have been 971 cases of measles reported in the US so far this year, which means more people have caught the disease in the last five months than in any entire calendar year since 1992, which saw 963 reported cases.

Authorities declared measles eliminated in the US in 2000, a goal set in 1966 with the introduction of the vaccine.

Measles is considered eliminated when there is an absence of continuous disease transmission for 12 months or more in a specific geographic area, according to the CDC. An ongoing outbreak in and around New York City that started last fall is threatening the US’s “elimination status” -- if it continues for four more months, the country will no longer be able to say it has eliminated measles.

Even though the New York mayor began requiring city residents in heavily affected areas, many with large Orthodox Jewish communities, to be vaccinated starting in April, the city still had 173 cases that month and 60 in May. The US has never counted zero measles cases. Since 2000, the number has fluctuated between a few dozen and a few hundred cases per year, with 667 cases recorded during a 2014 outbreak in Ohio, especially in Amish

communities.

The disease’s resurgence can mostly be traced back to un- or under-vaccinated travelers who brought the infection back with them from abroad -that’s what happened last year when cases were reported throughout the country, originating from the Philippines, Israel and Ukraine.

“Measles is preventable and the way to end this outbreak is to ensure that all children and adults who can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated,” said CDC director Robert Redfield.

“Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease that vaccination prevents.”

China gene babies’ mutation linked to higher mortality: study

P

ARIS, France | AFP | Monday 6/3/2019 - The genetic mutation given to Chinese twins last year rendering them immune to the HIV virus may significantly reduce life expectancy, scientists said Monday in a fresh warning against human gene-editing.

Researchers from the University of Berkeley California examined the

Following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, individual patients may require psychological counseling for the associated conditions like depression and aggression, or they might need physical and occupational therapies.

Provided these services are considered medically necessary and prescribed by a doctor, Medicare Part B will pay 80 percent of these costs.

In fact, recent changes to Medicare removed the caps on the amount of therapies individuals can receive.

Once Alzheimer’s progresses into the middle stage, the symptoms become more severe. One can expect persistent memory loss and confusion associated with present and past events. There is a minor loss of motor skills and coordination, and a slowness to movement. Mood changes also become more severe; often aggravated by the confusion the individuals experience.

Chinese researcher He Jiankui last year provoked widespread outrage among doctors by unveiling the results of an experiment he conducted to alter the DNA of twin girls, prompting authorities in Beijing to announce a moratorium on the practice.

But a new wide-ranging study of genetic make-up and death registry information suggests individuals carrying the D32 mutation face a 20-percent higher risk of early death compared with the global population.

Diagnosing Alzheimer’s can be an expensive process because there is not a single definitive test. Instead the process consists of ruling out other conditions with similar symptoms which do have definitive tests and mental evaluations with a team of specialists including neurologists, psychiatrists and psychologists.

Since this is a diagnostic process, Medicare Part B will cover 80 percent of the cost once an individual has reached their deductible.

Medicare Supplemental Insurance can cover the remaining 20 percent – which Medicare Part B does not pay and can increase the quantity and range of Alzheimer’s medications that are covered. There are also Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNP) designed specifically for individuals with Alzheimer’s.

by Patrick Galey

He used a gene-editing tool known as Crispr to insert a mutated variant of a CCR5 gene -- known as Delta32 -into the girls’ chromosome at the embryo stage meaning they are now immune to the AIDS-causing HIV virus.

June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month Learn How Medicare helps Patients

China has now halted human gene-editing using the Crispr techonology, after widespread outrage (AFP Photo/STR) health data of 409,000 people of British ancestry and looked at whether or not they possessed the mutation, which occurs naturally in around one percent of the population, and how and when they died.

After correcting for the ages of those involved, they found those with the mutation were 21 percent more likely to die before the age of 76 than those who did not.

Some families choose to provide personal care at home with the help of family members or home care aides and other families prefer to receive personal care and supervision in an assisted living location.

Assisted living specifically for persons with Alzheimer’s is referred to as “memory care.” Unfortunately,

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 Medicare does not provide benefits for personal care or supervision either at home or in memory care residences and the cost of memory care can be high.

Medicare continues to pay for doctors’ visits and prescription drugs, there are few additional covered benefits by Medicare as one’s Alzheimer’s progresses.

When symptoms become severe patients require help from loved ones or caregivers. At this stage, a person with Alzheimer’s may need help with basic tasks, such as eating and putting on clothes. This is the most severe and final stage of Alzheimer’s. There may be a loss of speech and facial expressions.

It’s a long haul and Long-Term care is needed. It is a care that you need if you can no longer perform everyday tasks known as activities of daily living, by yourself due to a chronic illness, injury, disability or the aging process. Long term care also includes the supervision you might need due to a severe cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease.

This type of care is not intended to cure you. It is chronic care that you might need for the rest of your life. You can receive long term care in your own home, a nursing home or another Long-Term Care facility, such as an assisted living facility.

Medicare does not cover Long Term Care. It requires separate Long-Term Care insurance to pay for, if need arises.

To select most suitable Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare Supplement Plan or Medicare Prescription Plan OR to plan for Asset based or traditional Long Term Care contact..

Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900.

Continued on Page 16

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VOICE OF ASIA 16

Falls a ‘major epidemic’ for older Americans ty levels could also play a role since it is linked to a weakening of the muscles.

In the United States, the absolute number of deaths among over 75s attributed to falling almost tripled from 2000 to 2016 In the United States, the absolute number of deaths among over 75s attributed to falling almost tripled from 2000 to 2016. (AFP/File photo)

by Ivan Couronne

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 6/4/2019 -From late-night tumbles on the way to the bathroom to accidents outdoors, more and more elderly Americans are dying after a fall, with the risk doubling since 2000, according to a study published Tuesday.

The figures confirm a trend that has also been observed in Europe.

In the United States, the absolute number of deaths among over 75s attributed to falling almost tripled from 2000 to 2016 (8,613 to 25,189).

While the population has grown since that time, it still represents a doubling in the rate of such deaths for men as well as women, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The research was led by Klaas Hartholt at the Reinier de Graaf Groep in the Netherlands.

“Approximately one in three persons aged 65 years or older falls every year,” Marco Pahor, director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Florida, wrote in an editorial on the subject for the journal.

“Falling is a potentially cata-

strophic and life threatening event for older persons.”

But the risk of death from head trauma and internal bleeding isn’t where it ends.

Fractures to hips, knees or ankles can mark the start of a vicious cycle: hospitalization, reduced independence, physical rehabilitation and long-lasting effects on morale and mental health.

One in five people who break their hips will never walk again, according to Atul Gawande, a doctor and the author of the book “Being Mortal.”

In the US, the costs linked to falls is among the most expensive categories for hospital care.

“Falls represent a major emerging epidemic among older persons,” Pahor told AFP. - Fewer pills In the Netherlands, Spain, Australia and Canada where falls were also recently studied, the trend has been similar since 2000. In France, the problem is described as a “major public health issue.”

The reasons for the spike have not been well studied, but geriatricians have some ideas.

It’s possible that the elderly of today are more active than those of the past. Rising obesi-

A diet rich in red meat may increase levels of chemical linked with heart disease

N

Perhaps most of all, while modern medicine has done a good job in improving the treatment of chronic illnesses, it has neglected the quality of life that people can live in their old age.

ew research has found that eating a diet high in red meat could increase levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a chemical generated in the gut and linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

That is according to George Taler, a geriatrician who heads the home visit program at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center in the US capital.

Carried out by researchers at Cleveland Clinic and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the small-scale study looked at 113 healthy men and women to see whether different sources of dietary protein -- red meat, white meat, or non-meat sources -had different effects on TMAO production.

One of the methods he most favors for lowering the risk of falling is simple: “de-prescribing” medication that is no longer necessary.

Studies have shown that when the number of prescription drugs taken daily is four or more, disorientation and loss of balance rise significantly.

“We’re very good at writing prescriptions for medications.

We’re not so good about taking them away, even when they’re no longer helpful or necessary,” he told AFP. “I’ll just give you a case today: this is an older woman who’s had multiple falls, and she has swelling in her ankles.

“Well, if I gave her a prescription for a diuretic to get rid of the swelling, and all the fluid disappears, she is likely to have a fall from dehydration.

So we need to adjust the medicine to her reality.”

Another study published in JAMA led by Teresa LiuAmbrose at the University of British Columbia found that physical exercise played a role in reducing falling.

In a relatively small experiment carried out in the Greater Vancouver area with around 300 septuagenarians, researchers tested the effectiveness of the Otago Exercise Program, a home-based program supervised by a physical therapist.

It involves numerous strength-building exercises for knees, hips and ankles as well

Continued from Page 15 They found that D32 possessors were significantly more likely to die from diseases that are far more common than HIV, notably influenza.

“The cost of resistance to HIV may be increased susceptibility to other, and perhaps more common, diseases,” the study’s authors wrote.

- ‘We don’t know enough’ The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, doesn’t explain why the mutation increases mortality risk, but the authors said there was a clear statistical trend that should discourage repeats of He’s experiment.

“Introduction of new or derived mutations in humans using Crispr technology... comes with considerable risk even if the mutations provide a perceived advantage,” they said.

China in November it said had ordered people involved in the twin experiment to halt their activities, ruling that it “seriously violates” national law and medical ethics.

David Curtis, honorary Professor at University College London’s Genetics Institute, said the new study provided a clear look at the possible unintended consequences of geneediting in humans.

“There are many other examples in medicine where an intervention intended to treat one condition inadvertently causes major unexpected problems elsewhere,” said Curtis, who was not involved in the study.

“This sends us a warning that we should be extremely cautious around the introduction of therapies involving modifying the genetic code.”

Robin Lovell-Badge, group leader at The Francis Crick Institute in London, added: “All this shows once more that He Jiankui was foolish to choose CCR5 to mutate in his attempts at germline genome editing. We simply do not yet know enough about the gene.”

M

AISONS-ALFORT, France | AFP | 5/15/2019 - The “blue light” in LED lighting can damage the eye’s retina and disturb natural sleep rhythms, France’s government-run health watchdog said this week.

New findings confirm earlier concerns that “exposure to an intense and powerful [LED] light is ‘photo-toxic’ and can lead to irreversible loss of retinal cells and diminished sharpness of vision,” the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) warned in a statement.

The agency recommended in a 400-page report that the maximum limit for acute exposure be revised, even if such levels are rarely met in home or work environments.

The report distinguished between acute exposure of high-intensity LED light, and “chronic exposure” to lower intensity sources.

While less dangerous, even chronic exposure can “accelerate the ageing of retinal tissue, contributing to a decline in visual acuity and certain degenerative diseases such as agerelated macular degeneration,” the agency concluded.

Long-lasting, energy efficient and inexpensive, light-emitting diode (LED) technology has gobbled up half of the general lighting market in a decade, and will top 60 percent by the end of next year, according to industry projections.

LED uses only a fifth of the electricity needed for an incandescent bulb of comparable brightness.

The world’s leading LED light-bulb makers are GE Lighting, Osram and Philips.

The basic technology for producing a white light combines a short wavelength LED such as blue or ultraviolet with a yellow phosphor coating. The whiter or “colder” the light, the greater the proportion of blue in

New research has found that a high consumption of red meat may increase levels of a chemical in the body which is linked to heart disease. (Photo: © Provided by AFP / RelaxNews)

Participants followed each of the three diets for one month, with the red meat diet including roughly the equivalent of about 8 ounces of steak daily, or two quarter-pound beef patties, daily.

increasingly linked to heart disease,” said senior author Stanley L. Hazen, M.D., Ph.D. “It suggests that you can lower your heart disease risk by lowering TMAO.”

for another month significantly lowered the TMAO levels.

TMAO is formed by gut bacteria during digestion and comes partly from nutrients that which are found in red meat.

The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, a publication of the European Society of Cardiology, showed that participants who ate a diet rich in red meat had triple the TMAO levels of those who eat a diet rich in either white meat or mostly plant-based proteins.

“These findings reinforce current dietary recommendations that encourage all ages to follow a heart-healthy eating plan that limits red meat,” added study author Charlotte Pratt, Ph.D. “This means eating a variety of foods, including more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy foods, and plant-based protein sources such as beans and peas.”

Although the high level of saturated fat in red meat is known to contribute to heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States, a number of new studies now suggest that TMAO may also increase the risk of the condition.

However, the good news is that the effect was reversible, with the researchers finding that removing red meat from the diet and switching to either a white meat or non-meat diet

“This study shows for the first time what a dramatic effect changing your diet has on levels of TMAO, which is

as balance-training (including walking backwards, standing on a leg, etc), repeated three times a week with participants asked to also walk 30 minutes at least twice per week.

-AFP

The program “significantly reduced the rate of subsequent falls” compared to those in a control group, but the researchers cautioned that the results required replication in other clinical settings.

The physical therapist visited at various intervals to keep things on track, with their fifth and final visit six months after the program began.

China gene LED light can damage eyes, health authority warns babies’...

by Amélie Baubeau

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

increase muscle mass.

“The very act of exercise just makes people more aware of their body, more aware of their space, feeling better about themselves,” said Taler. “And even though we may not be able to measure that, it still has its measurable benefits in terms of falls.”

One thing that has intrigued researchers has been the positives associated with physical exercise even when it did not

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That are also increasingly found in auto headlights, torches (flashlights) and some toys.

LED cellphone, tablet and laptop screens do not pose a risk of eye damage because their luminosity is very low compared to other types of lighting, Francine Behar-Cohen, an ophthalmologist and head of the expert group that conducted the review, told journalists.

But these back-lit devices -especially when they are used at night or in a dark setting -- can “disturb biological rhythms, and thus sleep patterns,” the agency cautioned.

Because the crystalline lens in their eyes are not fully formed, children and adolescents are particularly susceptible to such disruptions, the ANSES reports noted.

Interfering with the body’s circadian rhythm is also known to aggravate metabolic disorders such a diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer, noted Dina Attia, a researcher and project manager at ANSES.

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ANSES also said that manufacturers should “limit the luminous intensity of vehicle headlights,” some of which are too bright.

Finally, the agency cast doubt on the efficacy of some “antiblue light” filters and sunglasses.

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In addition, a stroboscopic affect in some LED lights -- provoked by tiny fluctuations in electric current -- can induce “headaches, visual fatigue and a higher risk of accidents,” the report said.

For domestic lighting, ANSES recommended buying “warm white” LED lighting, limiting exposure to LED sources with a high concentration of blue light, and avoiding LED screens before bedtime.

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VOICE OF ASIA 17

Collision sparks fresh debate over cruise ships

V

ENICE, Italy | AFP | Sunday 6/2/2019 -A massive cruise ship lost control in Venice Sunday, crashing into a wharf and sparking a fresh controversy over the damage the mammoth vessels cause to one of the world’s most famous cities.

“When we saw the ship bearing down on us, everyone began shouting and running,” a sailor who was on the River Countess tourist boat was quoted as saying by Italian media.

“I didn’t know what to do. I got away quickly, jumping to get on shore,” said the man, who was not named.

Five tourists were slightly injured in the accident at San Basilio-Zattere in Venice’s Giudecca Canal, port authorities said.

The foreigners, aged between 67 and 72 years old, were from Australia, New Zealand and the United States, according to media reports.

The incident came just days after a river cruise ship collided with a sightseeing vessel in Budapest, killing seven people and leaving 21 missing.

The Opera -- which can carry more than 2,500 passengers and boasts a theatre, ballroom and water park for children -- has suffered mechanical trouble before in 2011, during a Baltic cruise.

- Ship unable to stop “The MSC ship had an engine failure, which was immediately reported by the captain,” Davide Calderan, head of a tugboat company involved in accompanying the ship into its berth, told Italian media.

“The engine was blocked, but with its thrust on, because the speed was increasing,” he said.

The two tug boats that had been guiding the ship into the Giudecca tried to slow it, but one of the chains linking them to the giant snapped under the pressure, he added.

Malaysia fights to save centuries-old creole

by M. Jegathesan

M

ALACCA, Malaysia | AFP | Sunday 6/2/2019 - Children in colourful outfits sing in a creole of Portuguese and Malay during a class in the historic Malaysian city of Malacca, part of efforts to stem the decline of the centuries-old language.

Footage posted to social media showed people on the harbour fleeing as the 13-deck MSC Opera, which suffered an engine failure, scraped along the dockside before knocking into a luxury tourist boat.

The damaged River Countess tourist boat (RearC) is pictured after it was hit early on June 2, 2019 by the MSC Opera cruise ship (Rear) that lost control as it was coming in to dock in Venice, Italy.

(AFP Photo) “I could see the prow coming closer, and I thought it would hit my house. The noise was deafening,” one Venetian resident was quoted as saying by Italian media.

The accident has reignited a heated row in Venice over the damage caused to the city and its fragile ecosystem by cruise ships that sail exceptionally close to the shore.

While gondoliers in striped T-shirts and woven straw hats row tourists around the narrow canals, the smoking chimneys of mammoth ships loom into sight behind the city’s picturesque bell towers and bridges.

Critics say the waves the ships create are eroding the foundations of the lagoon city, which regularly floods, leaving iconic sites such as Saint Mark’s Square underwater.

“What happened in the port of Venice is confirmation of what we have been saying for some time,” Italy’s Environment Minister Sergio Costa wrote on Twitter.

“Cruise ships must not sail down the Giudecca. We have been working on moving them for months now... and are nearing a solution,” he said.

- ‘Risk of carnage’ WWF Italy described the incident as “an important alarm bell to which it would be madness not to listen”.

Italy’s Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said the government would come up with a

“definitive solution” by the end of June.

It is not the first time the government has made such promises. In 2013 it banned ships weighing more than 96,000 tonnes from the Giudecca Canal.

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

The youngsters chant “bong atardi mestri” (good evening teacher) and work their way through songs including “Bunitu siara siorus” (Beautiful ladies and gentlemen) and “Gato do matu” (The jungle cat).

Sara Santa Maria runs the weekly classes at her home to ensure the younger generation learn “Papia Kristang”, one of several steps aimed at preserving an endangered language spoken by people of mixed

Portuguese and Malaysian ancestry.

“I definitely fear Kristang could disappear,” the 50-yearold teacher told AFP, as the youngsters dressed in Portuguese-style traditional costumes laughed and danced.

“Many Eurasians have moved out of the settlement and the children only speak Malay and English,” she added, referring to an area of Malacca that has traditionally been home to speakers of the language.

Kristang developed after the Portuguese took over the strategic port city on the Straits of Malacca, one of the world’s most important shipping routes, about 500 years ago and colonisers married local women.

It was an era when tiny Portugal had a global empire and Malacca, a centre of the lucrative spice trade, was a key prize

for rival powers. After Portuguese rule, the Dutch colonised it and later the British took it over until Malaysian independence.

The city on Malaysia’s west coast still has vestiges of colonial rule which have made it popular with tourists, including red-walled Dutch buildings and a gate house which is all that remains of a once-mighty Portuguese fortress.

Kristang has a largely Portuguese vocabulary but its grammatical structure is similar to Malay -- the most commonly spoken language in Malaysia -- and it is also influenced by Chinese and Indian languages.

As well as in Malaysia, it is spoken by tiny communities in Singapore and Australia due to migration.

But it has been in decline for years. The language is not part of the school curriculum and the Eurasian community has been steadily assimilated into the broader Malay-speaking community.

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But the law was later overturned by a regional court, which ruled that safety or environmental risks had not been proven.

Two years ago the government announced that larger ships would be diverted away from the historic centre -- but failed to follow through on the pledge.

MSC Cruises, founded in Italy in 1960, is a global line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva.

One of its cruise ships, the MSC Preziosa, collided with a passenger embarkation ramp as it entered port in Venice in 2014, according to the local La Nuova daily.

The Opera, built 15 years ago, suffered a power failure in 2011 in the Baltic, forcing some 2,000 people to be disembarked in Stockholm rather than continuing their Southampton to Saint Petersburg voyage.

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US moves to bar American tourists from visiting Cuba

by Sophie Pons

F

EZ, Morocco | AFP | Sunday 6/2/2019 - In recent times the imperial city of Fez has been overlooked by tourists in favour of Marrakesh, but now Morocco’s “spiritual” capital is bustling with visitors due to major renovations and low-cost flights.

“It is an open air museum, with the largest pedestrian zone in the world and its 10,000 alleyways,” said Yassir Jawra, vice president of the Fez tourism commission.

Fez “is the spiritual capital of Morocco, famed for its culture and its (age-old) handicraft work,” he added.

Since 2013, more than one billion dirhams (92 million euros, $103 million) of investment have been poured into Fez to restore the 9th-century walled medina and develop tourism.

The medina, home to the world’s oldest working library, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 for its “outstanding universal value”.

Guardian of priceless treatises in Islamic studies, astronomy and medicine, the library is nestled in the maze of narrow and dark alleyways which tourists and donkey-drawn carts can struggle to navigate.

Like many monuments it has been renovated after the authorities in the late 1980s sounded the alarm in a report saying that more than half of the buildings in the medina were crumbling and 10 percent were threatened with ruin following years of neglect and a lack of public funds.

Behind the high crenellated walls that surround the medina lie 9,000 historical houses, 11 madrassas, 83 mausoleums, 176 mosques and 1,200 handi-

The 9th century walled medina in Morocco’s “spiritual” capital of Fez has become a more popular tourist destination. (AFP Photo) craft workshops.

Patrician palaces with their secret gardens and terraces, elegant fountains and ancient caravansary, or inns, are among the jewels lying there to be discovered.

- Respect ‘authenticity’ According to Fouad Serrhini, head of the Agency of Development and Restoration tasked with rehabilitating the medina, “thousands” of buildings and monuments have been saved from ruin since 2013.

“They were chosen according to their state of degradation and how urgently the work was needed,” he said.

In all, 4,000 buildings were saved between 2013 and 2018, while 27 monuments were restored.

In mid-April, King Mohammed VI visited Fez to inaugurate some buildings that had been renovated and launch the second phase of the rehabilitation programme.

Following his visit, authorities issued a report insisting that the rehabilitation work re-

spect the medina’s “authenticity” and “original architecture”.

“The ancient medina is a live treasure, hidden and secret, which cannot be taken lightly,” said Salim Belghazi, a 33-yearold who has transformed his 14th-century riad, or traditional family home, into a private museum.

Belghazi, who hails from a wealthy background, said he hopes that despite the transformation, Fez will maintain its soul.

- Ancient tanneries Meanwhile, tourists are flocking to Fez, where the regional Fes-Saiss airport has undergone an expansion to accommodate the growing number of visitors and low-cost flights mainly from across Europe.

The number of passengers has jumped from 108,000 in 2004 to more than a million in 2018, according to official figures.

But Marrakesh remains the country’s top tourist destination, with more than two million arrivals in 2017.

Cubans watch as the first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016

by Paul Handley

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | 6/4/2019 The Trump administration clamped down on US tourist visits to Cuba Tuesday, aiming to cut the flow of dollars to a country Washington accuses of helping prop up Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The Treasury banned group educational travel and cruise ship and private yacht visits by Americans, taking aim at the most common ways US tourists visit the Caribbean island.

The move could constitute a heavy hit on Cuba, which saw more than a quarter-million US visitors in the first four months of 2019, almost double a year earlier.

“The United States holds the Cuban regime accountable for its repression of the Cuban people, its interference in Venezuela, and its direct role in the man-made crisis led by Nicolas Maduro,” the State Department said in a statement.

“Empowered by Cuba, he has

created a humanitarian disaster that destabilizes the region.”

exchanges and business dealings.

White House National Security Advisor John Bolton said the aim was to end what the administration considers “veiled tourism” to Cuba.

The former US president himself visited Havana in a historic trip in March 2016, meeting with then-president Raul Castro. Weeks later, the ban was lifted on US commercial ship visits, opening the door for the Caribbean cruise ship industry to expand stops in Cuba.

“We will continue to take actions to restrict the Cuban regime’s access to US dollars,” Bolton said on Twitter.

The Cuban government condemned the move, which could cost the country’s economy tens of millions of dollars a year in lost income.

“They seek to stifle the economy and damage the standard of living of Cubans to wrest political concessions,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez in a tweeted statement.

“They’ll fail again.”

American tourism in Cuba took off after Barack Obama moved to ease the half-century embargo against the communist government in 2014 -- even though continuing restrictions kept visits nominally in the realm of cultural and artistic

But President Donald Trump came into office attacking the Obama opening, and within months began tightening relations, first by banning individual visits and limiting commercial interactions.

The State Department tied the new ban directly to Havana’s support for Maduro -whose embattled regime faces a direct challenge from USbacked opposition leader Juan Guaido, the self-declared acting president of Venezuela.

“These actions are directly linked to the tourism industry, which has strong economic ties to the Cuban security, military, and intelligence sectors in Cuba,” it said.

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VOICE OF ASIA 18

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Week of June 7, 2019 21 March to 20 April Following through isn’t exactly your thing when the sun spends time in fidgety Gemini this week.

Don’t say you’re going to text or call if you know you probably won’t. Chatty Mercury joins forces with sensitive Cancer early in the week.

21 April to 20 May You may feel people are trying to hold you back. This isn’t necessarily true. This is a lucky time for practical solutions backed by hard work. You may have to choose between personal gain and the good of the group. For best results, pay close attention to small details.

21 May to 20 June It’s a week of contradictions. You may be going over a recent relationship to see what you could have done differently. Mentors, business partners, and investors may not be all that they seemed a few weeks ago. It’s time to reevaluate your partnerships.

21 June to 22 July You may be feeling more restless than usual. You’ll probably be tempted to do more than you should day after day. It’s better to develop greater body awareness than to forget your health completely. The best way is to use it.

Exercise, eat well, and look after yourself.

23 July to 22 August The moon has dramatic energy as it moves through your fiery sign midweek, giving you permission to treat the world as your stage. It’s easy to feel confident when all eyes are on you! The lazy sun-Neptune square over the weekend makes the world look like it’s moving in slow motion, and you aren’t a big fan of this change of pace.

23 August to 22 Sept It’s time to get organized. Try to focus your attention on one thing at a time. Cut down on the technological distractions. You can do a better job by simplifying your schedule and workspace. Be sensitive to other people’s feelings.

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STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: FATHER’S DAY

astrology.com

23 September to 22 Oct Your relationships with other people are important not only for the good feelings they provide but also for their strategic advantages.

Who you know is crucial to getting the information and advice you need to succeed.

Your many firends are there for you.

23 October to 21 Nov You’re full of energy. It needs to be used in a way that helps you promote good health. It’s important to have fun and enjoy life. Doing so will go a long way toward helping you feel less stressed and more relaxed. Don’t feel despondent if you aren’t progressing very quickly.

22 November to 21 Dec Air sign Gemini is busy playing host to both the sun and a new moon in the beginning of the week, and you feel the casual, flirty energy that these transits bring. Your wit slays! Romantic Venus also visits versatile Gemini late in the week.

22 December to 20 Jan This is a powerful time to make a good impression on others or improve your self-confidence.

It’s important to admit any fear you feel so you can overcome it. These are positive days for setting or revising budgets.

21 January to 19 Feb You may need to guard your health this week. Since communication is your favorite sport, you may need to protect your voice! So many calls, texts, and e-mails, so little time. Managing your appointments becomes paramount, particularly with the current aspects. Your social life explodes.

20 February to 20 Mar If your partnerships are good, your health will reflect it. Spend some quality time with your partner and find a way to address any issues that may have been bothering you.

Holding onto resentment and bad feelings uses up valuable energy.

ACROSS 1. Use elbow grease 6. Goody bag stuff 10. “_e_ _ect,” song 13. Singer Lenya 14. Band’s work-related trip 15. Capt.’s prediction 16. Assumed name 17. Debate side 18. Schumer or McConnell, abbr.

19. *Founding father with no biological children 21. Runs, as on TV 22. Last letter 23. *Dad’s mom 25. Ready for confrontation 29. *This before becoming father?

31. Lakes in Scotland 32. Opposite of post33. Henry VI had 6 37. Not in port 38. Have a bug 39. ____ of faith 40. *Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor’s dad 42. Layer 43. Ouzo flavor 44. Like farm-to-table 46. Made 50-50 47. Phony 50. “Wheel of Fortune” vowel request 51. Parts of play 52. *Dad to Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack 59. However, poetically

DOWN 1. BBQ side 2. Fizzy drink 3. “The Dock of the Bay” singer 4. Four Corners state 5. Turns large into medium 6. “All the world’s a ____” 7. Refuses to 8. Grand theft target 9. Disparaging term for foreigners in Mexico 10. Pine product 11. Harsh 12. Popular annual flower 20. *Dad to Rod and Todd on “The Simpsons” 21. *Christopher Robin’s father 24. Column’s counterpart 25. Boring 26. Santa ____, CA 27. Tennis serving whiz 28. *Prince William’s dad 29. *Dad’s favorite cooking device?

30. Bank on 32. *The biggest bear 34. Tube in a body 35. Convenience 36. Hightailed it 41. ____Tube 43. Eagerness 45. Painful body spasms 46. Between NE and E 47. *What patriot and patriarch have in common 48. Autumn color

60. Coconut fiber

49. Ben Franklin invention

61. Dostoyevsky novel, with “The”

50. Found in a quiver 53. Cozy corner

62. Once around

54. Make a reference

63. Japanese zither

55. Over head light?

64. It can be firma or incognita

56. 100 cents in Ethiopia

65. Ill temper

57. Master of his castle

66. Place at an angle

58. #15 Across, pl.

67. Ten of these before a first down

SOLUTION: FATHER’S DAY on Page 20

CLASSIFIED

VOICE OF ASIA 19

FAMILY LIVING

FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Houston Community College Request for Proposals

Why dads should get involved in playtime

(RFP-C) Natural Gas Supply Services Project No. 19-58

Stay in touch with your community.

Visit: www.voiceofasia.news Playtime with dads may also be beneficial to children’s health - study. (Image: StatePoint stock photo)

E

xperts say that it’s just as important for dads to provide emotional comfort to their kids as moms, and that playing is one of the best ways for dads to serve as role models and strengthen bonds. It all starts with finding the time.

“There are so many distractions taking us away from playing with our kids -- from technology to work commitments to household chores,” says Dr. Erik Fisher, psychologist and expert contributor to TheGeniusofPlay.org.

“But unstructured play is crucial. No matter what the age, kids learn valuable lessons from this time spent together.”

What’s more, studies suggest that playtime with dads may also be beneficial to children’s health. Those families where fathers had increased involvement with childcare -- particularly with such physical tasks as playing with kids, taking them for walks outside, bathing or dressing them -- experienced a decreased likelihood of childhood obesity from age 2 to 4, according to a 2017 study published in the research journal

“Obesity.”

The good news is that incorporating play into your family schedule does not need to be a daunting task. Check out these fun ideas for dads from The Genius of Play, a national movement providing families with information, inspiration and hands-on ideas to make play an important part of their child’s day.

• Quicksand: Lay two even trails of pillows on the floor.

These are the “stepping stones” players need to land on to avoid falling into the quicksand! The pillows should be at least a foot apart from each other. Take turns jumping from stepping stone to stepping stone. Anyone who touches the floor must start from the beginning. Whoever makes it to the end first wins!

• Dolls: Experts say that it’s important for fathers to play with their kids in gentle ways beyond roughhousing. Not all dads played with dolls as children, but this is an example of play that offers an opportunity to teach children about love, as well as model healthy emotions and desirable social behaviors.

• Scavenger Hunt: Write a

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STATEPOINT CROSSWORD SOLUTION

list of items kids should look for and see how many of those things they find. Indoor objects can be a book, a blue sock, etc.; outdoor objects can be a green leaf, a rock, a feather, etc.

• Building Together: Whether you use simple blocks to create a tower or interlocking pieces to form a race track or maze, construction toys offer opportunities to collaborate and problem solve together, while helping the child develop spatial reasoning and explore science concepts like gravity.

• Homemade Map: Before setting off on a trip, talk with your kids about where the family is headed. Together, draw a map, including your starting point, destination, and major stops and landmarks along your route, complete with illustrations.

For more play ideas, expert advice and other play resources, visit TheGeniusOfPlay.org.

Playtime is beneficial for healthy child development.

From spontaneous games of catch to hands-on arts and crafts, there are many ways that dads can, and should, get in on the fun. -StatePoint

Theme: FATHER’S DAY from Page 20

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FRIDAY, June 7, 2019

Home&Real Estate Report breaks down storm surge risk for Texas real estate

H

OUSTON - This week, CoreLogic released its 2019 Storm Surge Report, which evaluates the number of homes in the United States that are vulnerable to hurricane and tropical storm damage.

named storms and four to eight hurricanes over the course of the year.

Evaluations made in the report encompass both single-family and multifamily homes vulnerable to damage and loss from storm surges. The report

3 Dynamic solutions for championing seamless indoor-outdoor living in your home

by Karen Lamb

F

rom the illuminating natural light to the refreshing, crisp air, there are countless benefits attached with indoor-outdoor living.

Here, we share three refined product solutions for establishing a rich connection with Mother Nature, all while featuring lots of drool-worthy homes in the process.

Now that the long, warm days of summer are just around the corner, there’s no better time to enhance indoor-outdoor living throughout your home. And fortunately, no matter the size, style, or setting of your abode, LaCantina Doors is well equipped with the solutions you need to foster a harmonious relationship with nature. Founded in 1993, the California–based company has long been celebrated for its ability to seamlessly blend interior and exterior spaces.

Hurricane season begins on June 1 and experts are predicting a fairly average year for tropical storms and hurricanes (Graphic: Zillow) The report showed that, along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, 7.3 million homes have the potential for storm surge damage. The homes have a combined reconstruction cost value (RCV) of almost $1.8 trillion, the cost to completely rebuild the properties from the ground up.

The RCV for the Atlantic Coast, $1.1 trillion, came out higher than the RCV for the Gulf coast, $668 billion, simply because the Atlantic coast is more densely populated with homes than the gulf coast. The Gulf contains 43 percent of the homes at risk and the Atlantic coast has 57 percent of the total homes at risk.

Florida and Texas have the most risk for loss to storm-surge flooding, primarily due to the length of their coastlines, with 2.9 million homes vulnerable in Florida and 561,000 in Texas. Because of this, Florida’s RCV is the highest in the country, over $603 billion and Texas has the fifth highest, with more than $113 billion.

The report focuses specifically on storm surges, large volumes of seawater pushed onto land by a storm that can be very damaging. According to the report, each cubic yard of seawater in a surge can weigh one ton.

Hurricane season begins on June 1 and experts are predicting a fairly average year for tropical storms and hurricanes, with a predicted nine to 15

lists risks of damage cumulatively, meaning that the further inland a storm goes, the more damage is anticipated as the storm increases in category.

In all, 19 states were analyzed for the report—including all of those on the Eastern and Southern coast that border the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, respectively.

Some states are at high risk because of geographic characteristics like low elevations near the shoreline. In New Jersey, 475,000 homes are at risk, and in Louisiana, the number is 847,000 homes. Geographic characteristics like these allow for storm surges to go further and damage more houses farther away from the shore.

Most homes in high risk zones are protected against storm surges and flooding, although many still aren’t.

This is because, although things like wind damage are covered under typical homeowner’s insurance, flood insurance is overseen by the National Flood Insurance Program. Due to this, 70 percent of the homes damaged in Hurricane Harvey in 2017 were uninsured.

This report can also help those considering buying a home to be aware of the danger and possible property loss that could come with a home in a storm surge area, especially the further inland they go.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of LaCantina’s top innovative systems, which have all contributed to awardwinning projects across the globe.

Backed by an industry leading warranty, these product solutions are guaranteed to transform your space from the inside out.

Thanks to its strategic top-hung system which prevents alignment issues, the LaCantina bifold doors provide users with effortless fingertip control.

1. The Folding System (Top right) With their high-quality rolling hardware, robust panel, and frame design, the LaCantina bifold doors set the standard for style, function, and performance. Available in a handful of different materials—along with a wide range of glazing options—these doors have the ability to span any size opening, meeting the demands of any project.

“The LaCantina folding doors are unique in that they offer openings of basically unlimited width,” states Ed Ogosta, founder of Edward Ogosta Architecture. “As an architect, I appreciate the numerous options these doors come with, such as finishes, panel sizes, and details, allowing them to work great in any aesthetic.”

“By opening a house at both ends with the various LaCantina doors, light, air, and movement are all able to flow freely throughout the space,” Ogosta notes, “which assists in cre-

The multi-slide doors have a unique interlocking track design, which adds to their strength and structure. More so, the advanced seal system provides ultimate weather protection, no matter the setting. create a seamless transition between the interior and exterior spaces, but they’re also incredibly easy to use,” explains architect Trace Wilson, founder of Materia-LLC. “I’ve collaborated with LaCantina for the last 12 years and I am continually impressed by how well their doors maintain their integrity and form.”

- Houston Agent Magazine

Houston-based developer plans new urban community in the Heights

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OUSTON - David Weekley Homes purchased 6.1 acres of land near the Houston Farmers Market on the east side of the Heights, according to a May 28 press release.

The first goal is to build a gated community on 4.81 acres of land at 2100 Airline Dr., which currently houses a mobile home park about a half mile south of Loop 610 North, according to the release. The developer did not reveal plans for the remaining 1.3 acres of land at 1602 Northwood St. The land was purchased from the Robert Wayne Estate, which was represented by Chris Dray, executive vice president of Houston-based NewQuest Properties. The deal took two years to close because the Airline Drive tract needed to be cleared of nearly 35 homes, and the park’s interior road, Nadine Street, had to be legally abandoned, according to the release.

“The land was under contract in three weeks, but it took two years to close because of the complex structuring of family ownership and boundary issues,” Dray said in the release.

The next step is to demolish two houses at the trailer park’s entrance in order for David Weekley Homes to begin its first phase of residential development — a gated urban community, totaling 78 units with upscale amenities, the release reads.

A couple of projects are currently under construction in the area. A 291-unit apartment complex is being developed by Dallas-based Lincoln Property Co., just south of David Weekley Homes’ project.

Meanwhile, north of that, MLB Capital Partners is renovating the 17.67-acre Houston Farmers Market to create an open-air market with a mix of vendors and gathering spaces, according to the release. The renovations’ “early budget” for that project was $8 million to $9 million, Todd Mason, co-founder of MLB Capital Partners, told the HBJ in 2017.

“This was an incredibly rare opportunity to get a tract of that size in the Heights,” Dray said in the release.

“Lots of people were interested in this site. Everyone knows the redesign of the farmers market will be the catalyst that will dramatically change this area.”

- HBJ

3. The Swing Door System (Left)

LaCantina door systems can also be combined to create zero-post corners, as pictured below. The zero-post corner system is a unique application that permits uninterrupted views, without the need for a supporting wall or post. ating an intimate oasis of luminosity, atmosphere, and serenity.”

2. The Multi-Slide System (Middle) Beautifully blending symmetry, strength, and performance, the multislide doors are another superb option

for establishing an intimate indooroutdoor connection. With the combination of architectural grade materials and AAMA-certified low-profile wheels, these oversized door panels slide away effortlessly without having to interrupt living areas.

“The LaCantina doors not only

Wider and taller than typical swing doors, the LaCantina swing doors utilize heavy duty architectural stainless hinges and robust door panels. Featuring the company’s signature narrow stile and rail profiles, these doors perfectly match the folding and multislide systems—creating the ideal solution for a complete door package.

With single and double door configurations available, the swing doors also come with a concealed multipoint locking system for ease of operation and security. Like all the other LaCantina products, the swing doors feature Cardinal Glass, the world’s leading glass manufacturer which has the ability to match any LaCantina door and window package, as well as meet any energy code requirement.

- Dwell Magazine

Master architect I.M. Pei dies at 102- His key work in dates

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ARIS | AFP | 5/17/2019 - Celebrated architect I.M. Pei has died at age 102. Here are key dates in his life: - April 26, 1917: Born Ieoh Ming Pei in Guangzhou, southern China, the son of a banker.

- 1935: In his late teens he leaves for the United States to study architecture, receiving an undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940 and a masters degree at Harvard in 1946.

- 1955: He creates the agency I.M. Pei and Associates, having been naturalised a US citizen a year earlier.

- 1956: The construction of Mile High Center

in Denver, Colorado, becomes the first in a series of major orders in the United States and around the world.

- 1978: His East Building of the National Gallery of Art opens in Washington.

- 1979: Pei completes The John F. Kennedy Library in Boston.

- 1982: His Fragrant Hill Hotel in Beijing opens.

- 1983: Pei is awarded the Pritzker Prize, considered the Nobel prize of architecture.

- 1989: The Louvre Pyramid is opened to the public.

The same year, Pei completes the Bank of China office tower in Hong Kong.

- 1992: He is awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honour.

I.M. Pei completed the Bank of China tower (center) in Hong Kong the same year as the Louvre Pyramid opened to the public in Paris (AFP/File Photo) - 1995: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens a lakefront

museum designed by Pei in Cleveland, Ohio.

- 2008: His Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, opens.