VOA Epaper June 28 2019

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FRIDAY, June 28, In Section 2 2019

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5th International Yoga Day celebrations in Houston

Nearly 1200 yoga participants celebrated the the 5th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on the lawns at Midtown Park in Houston on June 21, 2019. (Photo credit: Ravikanth Sirigadde) Read Report on Page 3

Wesley Mathews sentenced to life in prison in 3-year-old daughter Sherin Mathews’ death

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ALLAS (AP) JUNE 26, 2019 - A Texas man was sentenced to life in prison in the death of his 3-yearold daughter, who he said went limp after choking on milk.

Wesley Mathews has testified that he was paralyzed by fear when his daughter choked, and he decided to dump her body in a culvert near Wesley Mathews. (Image:Dallastheir home.

County-Texas) Mathews, 39, testified Tuesday in the punishment phase of his ment.

Dallas trial that he panicked A medical examiner has when he couldn’t resuscitate testified that it’s unlikely a 3-year-old Sherin Mathews. child could choke to death on Her body was found about milk. two weeks later.

Wesley Mathews was He has told investigators charged with capital murder that Sherin was underweight but pleaded guilty Monday to and he at times had to force her to drink milk for nourishContinued on Page 8

Pompeo hails Modi's "wonderful" re-election

by Simon Sturdee with Vishal Manve in Mumbai

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EW DELHI, India | AFP | Wednesday 6/26/2019 - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed on Wednesday Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "wonderful" re-election, vowing both sides will overcome a number of spats that have dogged relations under President Donald Trump.

"I am confident that we have the benefit of building on a strong foundation between two of the world's great democracies. We saw this in the election, we saw this incredible democratic vigour lead to a wonderful outcome," Pompeo said after meeting Modi in New Delhi.

As a democratic heavyweight in a region dominated by authoritarian China, India is a natural US bedfellow but Trump has irked New Delhi with measures aimed at reducing the trade imbalance under his "America First" mantra.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during their meeting at the prime minister's residence on Wednesday in New Delhi.

(Image Credit: AP) Washington in turn is unhappy at what it sees as India's well-developed pro-

tectionism, often expressed through tariffs and red tape that makes life difficult for

US firms competing in the Continued on Page 11

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by Sarah Sherman-Stokes The Hill (06/26/19)

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s an immigrant child seeking asylum in America today, there are three ways to die. You can die trying to get here — in the desert, without access to water, or attempting to swim the Rio Grande. You can die while waiting in Mexico to seek asylum at a port of entry. Or you can die in U.S. immigration custody — in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, succumbing to the flu, dehydration or a respiratory infection.

President Trump is not the first U.S. president to detain immigrant children — and the Obama administration bears significant blame for an earlier family detention crisis — but the horrors unfolding under this administration certainly have been exacerbated, and in some instances created, by the policy and rhetoric of this president.

Trump has had asylum seekers in his sights since the campaign trail in 2015. Nearly every immigration policy his administration has rolled out has been an effort to deter asylum seekers from requesting, or winning, the protection to which they are entitled. Asylum-seeking children, in particular, have borne the brunt of these pernicious efforts.

One early attempt at deterring asylum seekers at the southern border was “metering” — violating U.S. law by requiring migrants to seek asylum at an official port of entry, and then limiting the number of asylum seekers allowed entry each day.

Waiting in this line — several thousand people deep in Tijuana alone — poses tremendous risk. Asylum seekers, especially children, are easy targets for kidnappers, traffickers, gangs and criminals.

by Elaine Parker The Hill (06/26/19)

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ith degrees in hand, the Class of 2019 is eager to enter the workforce and earn some cash. Luckily, they are stepping into a white-hot economy oozing with opportunity.

The outlook is rosy. There are more than 7 million job openings in the country — a level nearing an all-time high.

At the same time, unemployment is at the lowest level since 1969. Combined, these two factors create an environment that is not only welcoming for traditional college graduates, but those who completed trade or vocational school.

Additionally, many employers are reporting that while open positions are abundant, few are currently qualified to take advantage of the opportunities. This plays into the Class of 2019’s favor, allowing new graduates to enter a workforce hungry for educated and skilled job applicants.

This crop of graduates is lucky to be inheriting such a healthy economy. America was in the midst of the Great Recession just a decade ago.

For millions of people, the economic downturn was the source of great distress. More experienced adults were having difficulties keeping jobs they’ve performed for years — not to mention attempting to find new ones. At the time, new graduates experienced even greater adversity as budget-tight businesses preferred labor market experience over academic insight. Studies show that starting a career during a recession can damage a person’s earnings for up to 20 years. Even today, Americans who graduated in 2009 are still struggling to catch up.

Circumstances became even worse as the housing market soured and business conditions deteriorated further. In fact, less than one-tenth of Americans reported the economic environment as favorable in 2009 — a nightmare illustrated with unbelievably high unemployment rates.

In June of 2009, 9.5 percent

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

As an immigrant child in America, there are 3 ways to die Without parents to protect them, and with limited space inside often dangerous and overcrowded shelters, children are in acute danger. Just before Christmas last year, two Honduran teenagers were murdered in Mexico while they waited for their number to be called to cross the border.

Until 2019, children seeking asylum could be assured that, once over the border, they were safe at least from whatever dangers might befall them in Mexico. In January of this year, that changed. The so-called “Migrant Protection Protocols,” implemented by executive fiat, are now active in three U.S. border cities. The program’s Orwellian name belies its purpose — rather than protecting migrants, it puts the most vulnerable at significant risk.

The protocols allow children and adults to cross the border only to attend court hearings. In between hearings, they must return to Mexico, often without food, shelter or the ability to work. Immigrant children recently were found crying in El Paso immigration court, begging not to be sent back to Mexico, for fear of what they would face there.

For children such as these, the wait in Mexico is insufferable. Fearful of returning to the countries they fled, and unsafe in Mexico, many travel to remote desert areas or attempt to navigate the Rio Grande.

But the desert is unforgiving — brutally hot during the day, and devastatingly cold at

night. What’s more, the U.S. government will prosecute aid workers who leave water in the desert, further endangering the lives of asylum seekers. In early June, a 7-year-old girl from India was found dead in a remote area of desert in Arizona, where temperatures hovered around 108 degrees. Crossing the Rio Grande is similarly grim. In mid-June, the river took the lives of three children, including infants and toddlers.

Yesterday, a 23-month-old child drowned, tucked inside her father's shirt as he attempted to ford the river.

Even if a child is lucky enough to make it to the United States, he or she runs the risk of dying in immigration custody. When children are apprehended by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), they often are held in what children refer to as “la hielera,” or “the icebox,” so named because it feels like being trapped in a freezer. Though a legal settlement agreement sets a 72-hour limit on this detention, children often are held in these border stations for prolonged periods.

As reported this week, hundreds of immigrant children were found in filthy, overcrowded conditions in Clint, Texas, where 8-year-olds cared for infants and toddlers, and preschoolers slept on concrete floors, subsisting largely on Kool-Aid and cookies. Government lawyers have argued that withholding soap and toothbrushes in these facilities satisfies the “safe and sanitary” legal standard for children held in detention. But amidst these conditions, it’s

no wonder that seven children are known to have died in immigration custody since last year, after almost a decade in which no immigrant kids died in custody.

President Trump’s approach to deterring and detaining asylum-seeking children is to sow crisis and chaos. In this chaos, immigrant children will get sick and some of them will die. The president could change this. He could work with House and Senate leaders to come to agreement on funding for true humanitarian assistance, and vow not to direct such funds to enforcement.

He could reinstate a successful Obama-era program that released children and families and paired them with caseworkers to ensure they came to court. He could channel more aid to Central America and Mexico. He could rescind policies that place asylum-seeking children at risk.

Until then, we will hear more chilling stories. Asked to recall the experience of being jailed with other children, a 16-yearold asylum seeker who recently spent 48 days in immigration custody said her most impressionable memory is the crying. “The little children,” she said, including her 9-yearold brother, “never, ever, ever stopped crying.”

Sarah Sherman-Stokes is associate director of the Immigrants’ Rights and Human Trafficking Program at Boston University School of Law. Follow her on Twitter @sshermanstokes.

The Class of 2019 is entering an economy of opportunity of Americans were left jobless. And for young adults between the ages of 20 and 24, the unemployment rate was an eye-sweltering 15.2 percent — more than double the current unemployment rate for post-college years.

If asked to choose whether you’d want to enter the labor market in 2009 or 2019, the choice couldn’t be more clear.

The recent economic hot streak stems from sound free-market policies. These include measures that have reduced the tax burden on millions of Americans, eliminated unnecessary regulatory hurdles and opened up access to credit for small businesses in communities across the country.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — implemented last year — lowered the tax rate for indi-

viduals and businesses alike.

In fact, roughly 90 percent of Americans experienced savings. Moreover, the tax code revamp encouraged businesses of all sizes to hire new employees and expand operations through new deduction incentives and the immediate expensing of capital investment.

Over the previous two years an agenda of deregulation has also vigorously been pursued — removing red tape that has blocked businesses from realizing their full potential.

This started with President Trump’s executive order declaring that two regulations be eliminated for every new one added. Incredibly, not two, but four regulations were cut for every new one created in 2018. In total, net regulatory costs have been slashed by $30 billion since 2016.

Yet another recent policy

improvement spurring economic progress is the partial walk-back of Dodd-Frank — a move that is shielding local community banks from unreasonable financial regulation. These spigots of community credit are now able to once again fuel small business growth and investment — leading to an abundance of jobs and economic opportunity.

In short, today’s graduates are entering a far more promising labor market than their counterparts from a decade ago. To ensure that future graduates have the same good fortune, the Class of 2019 must play a part in promoting the very pro-business, pro-growth policies that are giving them the opportunity to prosper in the present.

Elaine Parker is the President of the Job Creators Network Foundation.

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FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

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5th International Yoga Day celebrations in Houston

by Manu Shah

a prayer seeking enlightenment and the playful smearing of eco- friendly colors that only Houston offers. The vote of thanks was given by Madhukar Adi. Sewa International volunteers distributed free yoga T-Shirts.

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espite the scorching sun, about 1200 yoga practitioners took over the lawns at Midtown Park on June 21st to celebrate the 5th International Day of Yoga (IDY) organized by the Indian Consulate of Houston. It was a record turnout and proof that Yoga awareness is growing exponentially and helping millions of people around the world lead healthier lives.

IDY at The Woodlands saw 300 people show up early at the Town Green Park on 22nd June to kick start their morning with a robust session of yoga. Twenty yoga teachers, 50 volunteers and the Hindu Temple Woodlands team ensured that the event was executed smoothly.

Yoga sessions are held at The Woodlands temple on a regular basis and the 22nd June event was to encourage everyone to practice and promote yoga.

Prior to the main program, Austin Dunn, Marion Hall, Samuel Parmer and Wayne Campbell displayed some of the most mind boggling poses in yoga to demonstrate what our bodies are capable of if we put our mind to it.

Emcee and renowned yoga teacher from Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, USA, Shekhar Agrawal welcomed the “yogis and yoginis” and described yoga as “a balanced study of the body, mind and intellect.”

An invocation dance to Adiyogi or the first yogi Shiva, set the mood for the evening and was performed by Meera Borle and Veda Charthad from the Anjali School for Performing Arts.

A practicing yogi himself, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray’s cheerful greeting showed that he was equally eager to hit the yoga mat. In a brief address, he noted that what began as one event in Houston three years ago is today being celebrated at 200 places in Texas and expected to be attended by 15000 people. Houston’s yoga program was coordinated by community leader Sharad Amin with the support of several city organizations and they were recognized prior to the event.

The formal yoga session began with the chanting of a Sanskrit prayer “to channel our energies” by Swami Vishvang accompanied by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh children. Six of

Yoga teachers, heads of Indian American yoga organizations and hundreds of yoga enthusiasts gathered together under the leadership of Sharad Amin on June 21 to celebrate 5th International Day of Yoga in Houston. the city’s top yoga instructors led the common yoga protocol prescribed by the Government of India. Vishwarupa Nanjundappa of SVYASA Yoga walked them through the warmup and standing practices, Olivia Keller of Black Swan Yoga with the sitting and lying down asanas (postures), Marlon Hall of Big Power Yoga Studio guided the Shravasana (Corpse Pose,) Pam Johnson of Heights Schools of Yoga led the Pranayama (breathing exercises) while the meditation practice was guided by Mark Ram of the Brahmakumaris.

Calming music during the relaxation session was provided by co-founder of YOUniverSoul Saumil Manek - a spiritual entrepreneur whose efforts are aimed at “bringing oneness in the community and changing the world with actions and beliefs.”

You’re never too old for yoga. This was proved by Ratanlal Jaju, a 97 year old yoga teacher who was invited

IDY was also celebrated at Austin, Dallas and San Antonio with a huge turnout everywhere.

on stage with the lead teachers and did the asanas with ease.

Ratanlal Jaju runs a free yoga studio in Hyderabad, India and has made teaching yoga his service to humanity.

Proclamations were presented by Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George and Congressman Al Green. Congressman Green’s representative, Sam Merchant, while presenting the proclamation, explained how as a teenager, he was advised to undergo joint surgery or alternatively try yoga. Merchant opted for yoga and that was the last he heard about surgery.

Combining the traditions of yoga, acrobatics and dance, Tanya Arriaga, Matt Bench, Zack Durr and Gayle Wetz displayed a perfect sense of coordination, strength, steadiness and flexibility in an awe inspiring acroyoga performance that drew several rounds of applause.

The program concluded with

Tanya Arriaga, Matt Bench, Zack Durr and Gayle Wetz present an awe inspiring acroyoga performance.

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SIMA and IAPAC host reception honoring Houston Mayor Turner

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Appoints Ann Dumas of the Royal Academy of Arts, London, as Consulting Curator of European Art Distinguished curator will steward exhibitions and collections, develop new initiatives for the MFAH and the Royal Academy, in this shared appointment Institutional partnership aligns the exhibitions and curatorial resources of the MFAH and Royal Academy

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OUSTON—June 25, 2019—Gary Tinterow, director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, today announced the appointment of Ann Dumas as consulting curator of European art at the MFAH. A specialist in 19th- and early 20th-century art, Dumas is currently curator at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. She will begin her appointment at the MFAH in September 2019, dividing her time and responsibilities between Houston and London, in her dual role as MFAH consulting curator and Royal Academy curator.

“We are enormously pleased to announce this partnership with longtime colleagues at the Royal Academy,” said Tinterow. “Ann’s talent as a curator will no doubt bring projects at the highest level of expertise to both institutions.”

Left to right: Hasu Patel, Raman Das, Mayor Turner, and Jagat Kamdar.

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IMA (Small Independent Motel Association of Houston) & IAPAC (Indo-American Political Action Committee of Greater Houston) hosted a reception for the Indo-American community of Greater Houston honoring the Mayor of Houston, Mr. Sylvester Turner. SIMA and IAPAC President Mr. Hasu Patel welcomed and introduced the Honorable Mayor Sylvester Turner. At a very well attended event at India House Houston, Mayor Turner, who is up for re-election on November 5th, spoke about issues that were close to his heart and provided his vision for the future of Greater Houston.

He thanked the Indo-American community for always being there for the city and the valuable contribution they made during Hurricane Harvey. He mentioned the critical role SIMA members played during the hurricane by providing hotel rooms for thousands of displaced victims and donating to the Mayor’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

Mayor Turner shared his overall mission as recognizing that diversity is the backbone of the city and is best demonstrated by active diverse participation at the city, on boards and commissions. Mayor Turner shared how the pension liability was at $8.2B when he assumed office and is now at 4.03B currently.

Similarly, unemployment in the city is the lowest since 1981. Continuing his talk related to employment, he shared statistics about summer jobs that were at 450 when he assumed office, and over the years

Tim Marlow, artistic director of the Royal Academy of Arts, added, “Ann Dumas is a worldclass curator and the partnership between the RA and MFAH will give her a more expansive global stage on which to operate.”

“I am delighted to be taking up the position of consulting curator of European art at the MFAH,” said Dumas.

“I’ve always admired their exhibition program, and it will be a privilege to work with their curatorial team.”

Hasu Patel, SIMA and IAPAC President and the Mayor Turner.

have grown exponentially to 1000 to 5000 to 7500 to 10985 this year.

To a round of applause from the hospitality community, Mayor Turner talked about his plans to bring back a theme park to Houston which will attract tourists and other enterprises to Houston and provide entrepreneurship opportunities to Houstonians.

Speaking about growth in Houston, Mayor talked about the city having identified 5 specific neighborhoods in Houston that were underutilized and various initiatives that were put into place to bring in development in those areas with appropriate incentives being provided.

As a follow-through, he mentioned the city intended identifying 5 more neighborhoods this week where

A carefree and happy childhood in Porbandar

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his is the story of a man born more than 130 years ago. As a boy, he looked no different from the millions of other children born in India. Yet this was no ordinary child. He was to fight and overcome a great empire and, without taking to arms, set his country free. He was to be called the Mahatma, the Great Soul. Having led his people to freedom, he was to lay down his life for their sake.Voice of Asia will bring to you over the next several weeks, the story of this remarkable man who is still an inspiration to millions of oppressed people around the world.

In a small, white-washed house in Porbandar, on the coast of Kathiawad in the western Indian state of Gujarat, Mohandas Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869. His father was Karamchand Gandhi and mother Putlibai. Porbandar is an old seaport, a little distance from the Barda Hills.

Even in ancient days ships from faroff lands arrived there to trade. It was the ancestral home of the Gandhi family.

The grandfather and father of Mohandas were famous for their ability and for their upright character.

Grandfather Uttamchand Gandhi, who belonged to a humble family of merchants, became the Dewan of Porbandar. He was succeeded by his son, Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Kaba Gandhi.

Karamchand had very little formal education, but his knowledge and ex-

similar plans will be put into place.

Finally, Mayor Turner thanked the Indo-American community for the wonderful trade mission he made to India where he met with the Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu and several ministers.

The Mayor also had a delightful visit to Akshardham. He also mentioned that he would do what was needed to help establish a direct flight from Houston to India, in the near future.

Thanking the Mayor for all his initiatives and services to the city, the President of SIMA and IAPAC, Mr. Hasu Patel thanked the guests of the evening and informed them that the evenings efforts had raised $50,000 towards the Mayor’s reelection campaign.

once.

eating meat, so he, too, tried meat.

“Don’t you know that a highcaste Hindu should never touch an untouchable?” she asked sternly.

He did not like the taste of meat but as time went on he started to like meat curries.

“But why not, mother?” asked Moniya.

“Why didn’t you hit him?” she would ask. “How can you teach me to hit people, mother? Why should I hit my brother? Why should I hit anyone?” would be Moniya’s reply. His mother wondered where her little son got such ideas.

“Because our Hindu custom forbids it,” she said.

Whenever Mohandas had a meat meal outside, he had to give his mother some excuse for not eating his dinner. He knew that his parents would not forgive him if they knew he had eaten meat. He was not against eating meat then, but he was against telling a lie to his mother.

Mohandas Gandhi or ‘Moniya’at age 7.

At Rajkot he was sent to a primary school. He was shy and did not mix easily with the other children. Every morning he went to school in time, and ran back home as soon as school was over.

perience of state affairs made him a good administrator. He was brave and generous. He had, however, one fault a bad temper.

His books were his sole companions and he spent all his free time alone reading. He had one friend, however; a boy named Uka.

Moniya adored his mother. He loved his father too, but he was a little afraid

Exhibitions curated by Dumas for the Royal Academy have included Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters (2010) and Matisse in the Studio (2017). Dumas also co-curated From Russia: French and Russian Master Paintings 1870–1925 from Moscow and St. Petersburg (2008), Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse (2016), and Revolution: Russian Art

About the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Established in 1900, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is among the 10 largest art museums in the United States, with an encyclopedic collection of nearly 70,000 works dating from antiquity to the present. The Museum’s Susan and Fayez S. Sarofim main campus comprises the Audrey Jones Beck Building, designed

by Rafael Moneo and opened in 2000; the Caroline Wiess Law Building, originally designed by William Ward Watkin, with extensions by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe completed in 1958 and 1974; the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, designed by Isamu Noguchi and opened in 1986; the Glassell School of Art, designed

by Steven Holl Architects and opened in 2018; and The Brown Foundation, Inc. Plaza, designed by Deborah Nevins & Associates and opened in 2018.

For more information visit:mfah.org

of him. As a child, Moniya seldom liked to stay at home. He would go home for his meals and then run away again to play outside. If one of his brothers teased him or playfully pulled his ears, he would run home to complain to his other.

Moniya was just seven years old when his father left Porbandar to become the Dewan of Rajkot. Moniya missed Porbandar, and he missed the blue sea and the ships in the harbor.

Putlibai, Karamchand Gandhi’s wife, was a deeply religious woman, lovable and strong-willed woman. She was widely respected for her wisdom and good sense. People often sought her advice on various matters. Mohandas was the youngest of the six children of Karamchand and Putlibai Gandhi. He was the favorite child of the family and was called ‘Moniya’ by his parents and their friends.

Dumas has been at the Royal Academy since 1999. Over the past 25 years, she has been responsible for a number of major international exhibitions, with a focus on her field, French 19th- and early 20th-century art. As guest curator Dumas co-organized The Private Collection of Edgar Degas (1997) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, alongside Tinterow while he was a curator in New York before his appointment to the MFAH. Together, Dumas and Tinterow also co-curated Matisse: The Fabric of Dreams – His Art and His Textiles (2005) and Cézanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde (2006).

1917–1932 (2017). In addition to her exhibition projects, Dumas has acted as a consultant to a range of museums in Europe and the United States. Dumas studied art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art, the University of London, and wrote her dissertation on the personal art collection of Edgar Degas. On graduating, she was awarded a Hilla von Rebay Research Fellowship at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, where she undertook in-depth research on the collection as well as on Surrealist paintings in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice. In 2019, Dumas was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to the Arts.

Uka was a sweeper boy and an untouchable. One day Moniya, was given some sweets. He ran at once to Uka to share them with him. “Don’t come near me little master,” said Uka.

“I don’t agree with you, mother. I find nothing wrong in touching Uka. He is not different from me, is he?”

His mother had no answer. She angrily told him to go, have a bath and say his prayers.

Karamchand Gandhi loved all his sons, but he was specially fond of the youngest. He often said to him: “You must go to high school and college and take up a profession.”

Moniya worked hard, and did his lessons carefully. But he did not like learning by heart and was therefore weak in Sanskrit. Geometry was his favorite subject because it involved reasoning. Once Moniya happened to read the story of Shravana.

Shravana’s parents were old and blind, and he always carried them with him in two baskets slung on a yoke.

Moniya was deeply touched by Shravana’s devotion to his old parents.

“Why not?” asked Moniya, greatly surprised. “Why can’t I come near you?”

Moniya’s brother had a friend named Sheikh. He was tall and strong.

Sheik was a meat-eater and he often told Mohandas that if he ate meat he would also grow tall and strong.

“I am an untouchable, master,” Uka replied. Moniya took hold of Uka’s hands and filled them with sweets.

His mother saw this from a window, and she ordered Moniya to come in at

There was also at that time a reform movement for a change in the orthodox beliefs and practices of Hindus.

Mohandas himself had heard that many wellto-do people had started

This feeling was gnawing at his heart and finally he decided not to touch meat again. Mohandas had also taken to smoking with Sheik, his brother, and another relative. He had to pilfer small amounts of money here and there with which to buy cigarettes.

One day, in order to pay off a debt which his brother had incurred, Mohandas stole a piece of gold jewelry.

Stealing was a great sin. He knew that he had committed a great crime.

He resolved never in his life to steal again. He wrote down a confession of his crime and handed the paper to his ailing father. Karamchand Gandhi read the confession. He tore up the paper without saying a word. The bits of paper fell to the floor. He sank back on his bed with a sigh.

Mohandas left the room, tears streaming down his face. From that day, Mohandas loved his father more and more. Every day he hurried home from school to wait on him. His father’s condition grew worse and at length he died. The house was filled with sorrow. Mohandas was only sixteen when his father died.

(To be continued)

Sponsored by Houston Arts Alliance in honor of Mahatma Gandhi Sesquicentennial Houston celebrations.

The Eternal Gandhi Museum is an initiative of the Mahatma Gandhi Library (MGL) of Houston. The museum will be a world-class destination in Houston.

The MGL has acquired land in Southwest Houston and has launched a capital campaign to fund the development of the Eternal Gandhi Museum. The total coast of the initiative is $8.5 million. The first Eternal Gandhi Museum opened in New Delhi in 2005, and Houston will be the only city in the United States where people will be able to experience these powerful exhibits and learning opportunities first-hand. Visit eternalgandhi.us for more information.

VOICE OF ASIA 5

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Microsoft missed mobile dominance by 'tiny' margin: Gates

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 6/24/2019 - Microsoft missed its chance to be the dominant firm in mobile technology because it was "distracted" during a lengthy antitrust battle with US authorities, company cofounder Bill Gates said Monday.

Gates, speaking at a forum in Washington, said Microsoft would be even more valuable if it had won the battle over operating software for mobile devices against Google and its Android platform.

"We were in the field of doing operating systems for personal computers. We knew that mobile phones would be very popular," Gates said during an on-stage interview sponsored by the Economic Club of Washington.

"We missed being the dominant mobile operating system by a very tiny amount. We were distracted during our antitrust trial. We didn't assign the best people to do the work."

Gates, who moved away from day-to-day management a decade ago, said the failure in mobile was "the biggest mistake I made" at Microsoft because it was "clearly within our skill set."

"We were clearly the company that should have achieved that, and we didn't," he said.

L

"Android is a huge asset for Google."

Gates praised the current chief executive Satya Nadella for helping reshape Microsoft and bring it back to the being the world's most valuable company with a market capitalization of over $1 trillion.

But he said Microsoft and other big software firms also erred in allowing Amazon to become the leading cloud computing firm though its Amazon Web Services platform.

"It is a surprise and it's a huge credit to (Amazon CEO) Jeff Bezos and his team that they got out in front and with AWS did the best cloud product," Gates said.

"Today Microsoft is a strong

but did not offer details about the amounts contributed by each company.

A sources close to the deal told AFP it was the biggest IOC sponsorship ever with the oldest Olympics sponsor, Coca-Cola, which first backed the Games in 2028, and newcomer Mengniu.

Neither the International Olympic Committee nor the two companies involved disclosed the size of the deal but the agreement is the first ever joint partnership under the Olympic TOP programme, the highest level of Olympic sponsorship, Bach added.

James Quincey, Coca-Cola CEO, described the deal as 'substantial'.

"Having our longest-standing partner, Coca-Cola, an iconic American brand, together with a young Chinese company, Mengniu, joining hands under the roof of our Worldwide TOP Programme is a great example of the unifying power of the Olympic spirit," said Bach.

Mengniu, which was also a sponsor of the 2018 men's football World Cup in Russia, has been eyeing global expansion.

"This partnership will give another dimension to the promotion of the Olympic values around the world."

The agreement was unveiled in Lausanne ahead of the opening of the IOC session Monday in which the IOC will choose the host city for the 2026 Winter Olympics, with two candidates in the running, Milan/Cortina of Italy and Sweden's Stockholm/ Are. The Financial Times reported the deal was worth $3 billion,

Mike Pompeo meets industrialists including Tata, Kotak, Mahindra

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said his company could have become the dominant mobile software company if it had not been "distracted" during antitrust proceedings. (File Photo/AFP) number two... (but) there are many companies including Microsoft that should feel bad" in failing to get ahead of Amazon in the cloud.

Now a technology advisor at Microsoft, Gates said he only spends about one-sixth of his time at the company and devotes much of his time to his philanthropic foundation and an energy venture fund which makes investments aimed at helping curb emissions and reverse climate change.

Gates said he is not disturbed at being overtaken by Bezos as the world's wealthiest individual. Asked about being number two on the billionaires list, he quipped that "it's a sign that I haven't given my money away fast enough to drop out of the top 10."

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach (C) shakes hands with Coca-Cola President and CEO James Quincey and China Mengniu Dairy CEO and Executive Director Jeffrey Minfang AFP

AUSANNE, Switzerland | AFP | Monday 6/24/2019 - Coca-Cola and Chinese dairy firm Mengniu have signed a deal to become joint sponsors of the Olympic Games from 2021 to 2032, IOC chief Thomas Bach announced Monday.

Tel: 713-774-5140

Pompeo said he shared thoughts on US-India relations with the business leaders.

Coca-Cola, China dairy giant sign Olympic sponsorship deal

by Eric BERNAUDEAU

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

The TOP programme of Olympic sponsors, an elite band of IOC partners, already includes one Chinese firm, multinational on-line and hightech outlet Alibaba.

Jeffrey Lu, Mengniu CEO, said the IOC deal would be a "catalyst" to overseas growth.

"This is a vital step in our international strategy, and we are honoured to have the opportunity to build the positive reputation of Chinese food and beverage brands among consumers globally," he said in a statement.

- 'Misled' But the company's attempts to have its brand recognised outside China have already hit trouble. The firm that was embroiled in a damaging milk contamination scandal in China in 2008 has been under at-

tack at home from Yili, its biggest domestic rival.

Yili has threatened to pull out its own sponsorship of Beijing winter Olympics in 2022 in response to the new deal.

In an open letter published on its official WeChat account Thursday Yili alleged that Mengniu's partnership was infringing upon its rights as the exclusive sponsor for dairy products at the winter Games.

In the letter, that has since been removed from Yili's official social media accounts, the company said Chinese consumers will be "misled" into believing Mengniu was also an "official dairy sponsor" if its ads appeared alongside that of Yili at the Beijing event.

Mengniu and Yili control nearly half of China's dairy market, according to Euromonitor.

Yili lashed out at Mengniu for attempting to "stage the biggest scandal in Olympic history" by listing itself as a beverage sponsor, and threatened to stop sponsoring the IOC for future events.

The IOC's Bach, asked to comment on the feud, said there were no grounds for complaint about the sponsorship arrangements.

"This agreement (with Mengniu) fully respects the rights of everybody," said Bach.

Mengniu is yet to respond to its rival's complaints.

Visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

M

UMBAI, PTI | Jun 26, 2019 - Visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday met captains of Indian industry, including Uday Kotak, Ratan Tata and Anand Mahindra.

Pompeo said he shared thoughts on US-India relations with the business leaders.

"The US is India's best trading partner and top market for exports. There is enormous potential to grow our trade relationship and stimulate the jobs in both countries," he tweeted after the meetings in the national capital.

Kotak, who heads the industry lobby CII, said he was honoured to meet Secretary Pompeo.

meetings with the US Secretary of State came in the wake of frosty trade ties between the US and China.

"Look forward to strengthening the India-US relationship, particularly in technology and financial services," the billionaire banker tweeted.

It can be noted that the Trump administration is also apparently unhappy with lowcost Indian IT workers going to the US for work and has put restrictions on the number of work visas which can be availed.

Mahindra said it was a "great pleasure" to meet Pompeo.

"There was a phrase you (Pompeo) used which we can hang our hats on: 'Our (IndiaU.S) relationship is based on Values'," the head of the USD 20 billion group tweeted.

The Indian industry leaders'

Pompeo, who arrived in New Delhi Tuesday, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Wednesday and discussed strategic issues.

VOICE OF ASIA 6

INDO AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 20TH GALA

Thank you for making our 20th Anniversary Gala and Awards Banquet such a special event.

We thank US Ambassador to India the Honorable Kenneth Juster for his gracious acceptance of our invitation to be the Gala Keynote Speaker and are grateful that he flew down to Houston

specially to help us celebrate our 20th Anniversary. His speech was a very powerful assessment on US-India ties and you can watch the video of his keynote below.

A big congratulations to all our award winners.

IACCGH Lifetime Achievement

awardee -

for introducing Ambassador Juster.

Former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett was missed and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Last but not the least, we thank all our sponsors whose generosity has enabled us to continue serving the community for the last 20 years.

A special thanks to our Guests of Honor - Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Ambassador Sosa for their kind remarks and IACCGH Advisor Bob Patel

We hope to see you at upcoming chamber events.

If you are not yet a member and

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

would like to become one or want to learn more about our initiativesVisit www.iaccgh.com for the Ambassador's speech, Gala report and pictures from the Gala.

Swapan Dhairyawan President

VOICE OF ASIA 7

INDO AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 20TH GALA

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

AWARDS

SPONSORS

Photography by Bijay Dixit Unique Photo Images

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

Indian man, wife torture, starve mother to death in Dubai

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UBAI: PTI|Jun 21, 2019 An Indian couple has been charged at a Dubai court with physically assaulting the man's elderly mother, causing her bone and rib fractures, internal bleeding and starving her to death, according to a media report.

According to the Gulf News, the 29-year-old man and his 28-year-old wife, whose identity have not been revealed, tortured the woman repeatedly and they even cut her right eye iris out and part of her other eye, the Court of First Instance heard.

The torture is believed to have lasted from July 2018 till October 2018.

A forensic doctor said that the woman weighed just 29 kg at the time of her

death, the report said.

"She was tortured repeatedly over a short span of time. Burns covered 10 per cent of her body. The bone and rib fractures, internal bleeding, beating with different tools, burns, negligence and starvation have all led to the deterioration of her health condition," the doctor said.

According to a hospital certificate, the woman died on October 31, 2018.

The couple has been detained but they denied the charge. A case was registered at Al Qusais police station, the report said.

The case was exposed by the couple's 54-year-old neighbour, who is a hospital employee, it said. The Indian witness recounted how the man's wife visited her at her apartment in the same building.

"I found his mother on the floor...

She was in a critical condition and needed urgent medical treatment. I called the ambulance."

A Filipino paramedic added that the son did not help carry his mother to the ambulance while the neighbours, who were around, stepped in to help.

The trial has been adjourned until July 3 and the couple will remain in custody till then.

University of Houston, HCA Houston Healthcare take major step to address physician shortage

H

OUSTON, June 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Houston and HCA Houston Healthcare have taken an important step toward addressing the local and statewide shortage of primary care physicians by partnering to bring 138 resident positions to Houston by 2020 with plans for 389 total resident positions by 2025.

The inaugural group of 39 residents will be welcomed to the newly established HCA Houston Healthcare/University of Houston College of Medicine Consortium residency program during a Long White Coat Ceremony on Friday, June 28 at 10 a.m. at the Hilton University of Houston. The newly-minted doctors from around the world will be given new long white lab coats, recite the Hippocratic Oath, and meet the faculty and program directors they will be training under during the years of their residencies.

“Our partnership with the University of Houston will train and keep high-quality physicians where they’re needed most – right here in Texas,” said Jose Perez, M.D., vice president of graduate medical education for HCA Houston Healthcare. “The Long White Coat Ceremony is a very important milestone in the career of a young doctor. It symbolizes the transition between being a doctor in training, and becoming a fully-fledged medical doctor charged with the care of patients.”

Houston has grown by four million residents since the last local medical school was established in 1972.

Moreover, Texas ranks 47th out of 50 states in primary care physician-topopulation ratio. The new UH College of Medicine is focused on preparing primary care doctors to practice in underserved urban and rural communities and hopes to admit its first class in 2020, pending preliminary accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The number of residency slots created in the UH-HCA partnership exceeds the total required by the State of Texas for consideration of new medical schools.

Studies conducted by the American Association of Medical Colleges found that 68% of all medical residents stay in the communities where they complete their graduate medical education.

“We are thrilled to partner with HCA Houston Healthcare to launch this residency program and we expect it to expand quickly,” said Stephen

Get your breaking news online at your Houston news source: voiceofasia.news

Spann, M.D., UH vice president for medical affairs and founding dean of the UH College of Medicine. “HCA will provide clinical training sites for our medical students and we hope that many of them will want to complete their residencies within the new graduate medical education training program. Our goal is to train and keep primary care doctors in Texas to address the significant shortage, so it’s a natural fit.”

Starting Monday, July 1, the residents will be located at HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood, host of four surgical residents and 20 internal medicine residents, and HCA Houston Healthcare West, the base for five obstetrics/gynecology residents and 10 in family medicine. The residents will also spend time training at HOPE Clinic, a local Federally Qualified Health Center with sites located in Aldine, Alief, Asiatown and west Houston.

WHERE: Hilton University of Houston, Waldorf Astoria Ballroom, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Houston, 77004 PARKING: From Interstate 45 South, exit Spur 5 (Exit #44B). Follow to University Drive and make a right. Turn left on Calhoun Road and then make a right at the first stop sign (between the parking garages). Turn right at the dead end and the entrance to the underground Hilton parking garage will be on your left. Please note there are road closures due to construction near the Hilton Hotel.

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

Teen sexting not a reason for parental panic Key Points · Consensual sexting between teens in a committed relationship might be a normal and healthy part of adolescence · Focus should be on healthy relationship practices, and education on digital citizenship and potential online risks

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ALVESTON, Texas – As many as a quarter of teens have received sexually explicit videos, images or messages on their mobile phone, but experts say parents shouldn’t push the panic button just yet.

Exploring sexuality is a normal part of being a teenager, but with each new advance in technology, parents, members of the media and others sound the alarm that children are at risk, according to the writers of a comment entitled “Sexting in youth: cause for concern?” which was published in the journal Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

According to lead author Dr. Jeff Temple, a professor at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, a more nuanced approach is needed.

“As with many technological advances, the ubiquity of the smart-

WHEN: 28, 2019

10 a.m. Friday, June

Separate studies have found that unwanted sexts are associated with mental health issues. Teen sexting within a committed relationship, however, was not associated with risky behavior, whereas casual sexting was associated with risk-taking behaviors.

What this all means, Temple argues, is that consensual sexting between teens in a committed partnership might be a normal and healthy part of adolescence.

“Our focus shouldn’t be to shame or criminalize teen sexting behavior, but rather to focus on healthy relationship practices, education on digital citizenship and potential online risks,” Temple said.

Other authors include Victor C Strasburger, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Harry Zimmerman, private attorney, Sheri Madigan, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute.

Source: UTMB Newsroom

mined she died from homicidal violence.

Mathews was indicted in January in Sherin’s death. In March, prosecutors dropped a child-abandonment charge against Sherin’s mother, Sini Mathews.

The couple early last year lost their parental rights to their biological daughter. Sherin was adopted from an Indian orphanage.

“I’m looking forward to learning about all of the latest treatments,” she said. “I’m also eager to learn how to interact with patients and handle difficult situations.”

WHAT: University of Houston and HCA Houston Healthcare White Coat Ceremony

A recently published meta-analysis found that sexting was related to behavioral problems and substance use, especially among younger adolescents. However, whether the sexts where consensual or not can be an important factor.

Wesley Mathews sentenced to life in prison in 3-year-old daughter Sherin...

Ana Benitez, M.D., one of the residents who will start working in internal medicine at HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood, is excited about beginning the next phase of her training.

Benitez, who has been living in New York City, is also “happy to be leaving all of my winter clothes behind!”

phone in adolescent circles has both good and bad consequences,” Temple writes.

Wesley Mathews initially told police Sherin disappeared after he punished her by sending her out in the night to stand by a tree near the home.

Sherin Mathews, 3 was the adopted child of Mathews who is found guilty of her murder. Image: YouTube Continued from Page 1 a lesser charge of injury to a child by omission.

The trial then began the sentencing phase, which concluded with the jury’s verdict of a life sentence Wednesday.

If he’d been found guilty of capital

murder, he would have received an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Mathews reported to police in October 2017 that Sherin, his adopted daughter, was missing. The body of the 3-year was found about two weeks later in a culvert near the family’s Richardson home. An autopsy deter-

He later said he had been trying to get the girl to drink milk in the garage of their home to help her gain weight because he claimed she was malnourished, according to an arrest affidavit filed by Richardson police. Sherin choked and coughed and eventually he felt no pulse and believed the child had died. He allegedly waited hours to call the police.

Prosecutors also said the couple didn’t adequately feed Sherin, and alleged Mathews broke Sherin’s arm and leg in 2017.

FEATURE

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

Yoga: Indian practice turned global phenomenon

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs yoga during a mass yoga event on International Yoga Day in Ranchi in eastern Jharkhand state June 21, 2019. — AFP pic

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ANCHI, India | AFP | Friday 6/20/2019 The Indian discipline of yoga, involving spiritual and physical practices, is followed in myriad forms today by millions of people worldwide, with an entry in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

Here is some background for International Yoga Day, marked on Friday for the fifth time.

- Transcending suffering The word "yoga" has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language and means "to attach, join, harness, yoke".

This is the notion underpinning the discipline, according to French historian Bernard Sergent, which is to join the intellect of the one practising with the "universal soul".

Yoga first appeared in ancient texts such as the sacred Hindu epic the Bhagavad Gita, written between the fifth and second centuries BC.

Yoga became known in the West towards the end of the 19th century as it was undergoing a major revival in India under the Hindu teacher Swami Vivekananda.

This philosopher-monk stressed yoga's rational and scientific qualities in a bid to make the discipline compatible with the West.

His book "Raja Yoga" lays the foundations for a modern and international yoga.

In the first half of the 20th century, Western texts began to detail yoga postures, also known as "asanas".

The emphasis on these postures and their sequences, such as the famous Sun Salutations, is a recent development, says India specialist Sita Reddy in "Yoga, The Art of Transformation".

Modern Western references such as the Oxford English Dictionary define yoga as a "spiritual and ascetic disci-

tice was popularised at this time with the more athletic and dynamic methods developed in the 1980s and 1990s, says Mark Singleton from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

It is difficult to say just how many people practise yoga around the world today, although some estimate it could be up to around 200 to 300 million.

Studies have shown its benefits for dealing with anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, with yoga considered more effective than a simple physical activity but less than psychotherapy.

- World heritage Since coming to power in 2014, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used yoga as an emblem of India's flourishing in the world, pushing for the UN resolution that has -since 2015 -- consecrated June 21 as International Yoga Day.

MB Entertainment presents singing sensation Richa Sharma Live in Concert on July 26

H

Yoga Day has been observed worldwide on June 21 since 2015 (AFP Photo/Money SHARMA) It is born of an "awareness of the unsatisfactory character of the human condition," says India specialist Tara Michael, author of the book "Yoga" published in France in 1980.

pline" which includes "breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures."

- Global phenomenon -

The practice emerged as a way Indian metaphysics captured the imagination of counter-culof transcending this suffering. tural movements of the 1960s However in its present-day and 1970s, as epitomised by

UNESCO added yoga to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2016 in recognition of its influence on Indian society, "from health and medicine to education and the arts."

"Designed to help individuals build self-realisation, ease any suffering they may be experiencing and allow for a

The word 'yoga' derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness (AFP Photo/Money SHARMA) use, yoga is often no more than a form of exercise, Michael says.

- A modern (re)invention -

the relationship between The Beatles and the Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh.

Yoga as a spiritual prac-

state of liberation, (yoga) is practised by the young and old without discriminating against gender, class or religion," UNESCO added in a tweet.

OUSTON, (July 26th, 2019): After the Grand success of the Javed Ali Live in Concert, MB Entertainment Company is launching The Richa Sharma Live In Concert on July 26, 2019. Richa Sharma an Indian film playback singer as well as devotional singer will be performing Live in Houston on July 26th at the Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Rd, Stafford, TX 77477.

Under the tutelage of Pandit Aaskaran Sharma, Richa went on to get proper training in Indian classical and light music. Richa added ghazals; film songs, Punjabi and Rajasthani folk songs to her repertoire, thus making her voice reach out to more and more people in a variety of sounds. In 2006, she sang Bollywood's longest track, the bidaai song, in flim Baabul (2006). She made her debut in Bollywood with Sawan Kumar's Salma Pe Dil Aa Gaya in 1996 and followed it up by a number of films until the big hit came by in the form of Taal where she sang for A.R. Rahman. Thereafter a spate of hits followed, Zubeidaa, Saathiya (A.R. Rahman); Hera Pheri (Anu Malik); Khakee (Ram Sampath); Tarkeeb (the song "Duppatte Ka Palu"), Baghban (Title Song for Aadesh Shrivastava); Soch (the song "Nikal Chali Be" for Jatin-Lalit); Rudraksh, Kal Ho Naa Ho (Sad version of the title track for ShankarEhsaan-Loy); Gangajal (Sandesh Shandilya); Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao (Vishal-Shekhar), Saawariya (Monty Sharma),

Singer Richa Sharma. Photo YouTube and Om Shanti Om (VishalShekhar) and the most popular song for Kaante ("Mahi Ve" for Anand Raaj Anand).

The versatile playback singer has also done quite a few albums to showcase her talent.

Albums like Ni Main Yaar Nu Sajda Kardi, Piya and Winds of Rajasthan (for Times Music released early 2004) have brought out the classiness and grace in Richa's voice and her versatility as a singer.

Speaking about the concert, Mousumi Banerjee the CEO, says, I am honored and thankful to the community for all their support. “Inspired by the great success of the Javed Ali LVE IN CONCERT, I am hosting this concert and I am sure it will be a grand success. It is my requests to the community please do not miss this Concert. It will be a power packed performance by Richa Sharma and she will deliver her best selections. I am sure you all will

enjoy the evening

About Mousumi Banerjee Entertainment: MB Entertainment is an entertainment company specializing in Concert Promotion, Talent Promotion and Cultural Event Promotion. Mousumi Banerjee the CEO of the Company had worked relentlessly several years helping the non-profit organizations like India House, CRY, SEWA International and currently a Director of Indo American Charity Foundation.

She has promoted both large and small scale events all over Houston.

For more information about Mousumi Banerjee Entertainment visit: https://www.facebook.com/ MBConcerts/?ref=settings , email: info@mb-entertainment. com or call 832-841-5727.

Get your Community News Online voiceofasiaonline.com

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VOICE OF ASIA 10

Indian police arrest 11 for torturing Muslim man to death

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EW DELHI, India | AFP | 6/25/2019 - Indian police arrested 11 people Tuesday over the killing of a Muslim man who was tortured and forced to chant Hindu slogans in the latest mob violence to shock the nation.

Two police officers have also been suspended over the handling of the lynching of Tabrez Ansari, captured on a video that went viral on Indian social media.

The 24-year-old is seen in the video crying and pleading as a mob in Jharkhand state forces him to chant "Jai Sri Ram" -- hail Lord Ram -- a slogan widely used by Hindu hardliners.

Ansari had been accused by villagers of carrying out a burglary. He was tied to a pole and beaten for up to 12 hours before police first detained him in Seraikela, and then took him to hospital -- where he died Saturday.

"We have arrested 11 people.

Two police have also been suspended because they failed to inform seniors about the case and tried to manage it at their level," Seraikela police chief Karthik S. told AFP. Media reports said Ansari's wife has accused police of deliberately taking him to jail first -- instead of a hospital -despite the critical injuries he suffered.

News of the death emerged as

the Indian government rejected a US State Department report that said religious violence against minorities has spiked under the right-wing Hindu Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The US religious freedom report said there had been growing numbers of attacks by groups claiming to protect cows -- considered sacred by Hindus -- on Muslims and lowcaste Dalits since 2014 when Modi came to power.

Opponents in India have also accused the government of not doing enough to stop lynchings.

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi condemned the killing however,

and said the government would not let a "destructive agenda" dominate India's development efforts.

"People who are involved in such incidents have only one motive -- to spoil the positive atmosphere created by the government," he said.

The opposition Congress party accused Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of failing to protect Muslims and other minorities.

"Can the BJP government honestly refute the US government report on minority safety when Muslims and Dalits are being openly lynched every other day?" said Shama Mohamed, a spokesperson for Congress.

Indian PM Modi says pained

by Muslim man's lynching

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EW DELHI, India | AFP | Wednesday 6/26/2019 -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday he was "pained" by the killing last week of a Muslim man who was tortured and forced to chant Hindu slogans, the latest example of rising communal violence in the secular country.

Modi has faced criticism for not speaking strongly enough against Hindu vigilantes targeting Muslims and other minorities, but called Wednesday for strong action

against those guilty of the brutal attack.

"The lynching in Jharkhand has pained me. Everyone... is grieved at the loss of life of the youth, and the guilty should be given harsh punishment," he said in the upper house of parliament.

Police in Jharkhand have so far arrested 11 men in connection with the attack -- including the main accused, who was seen thrashing Tabrez Ansari in a video that went viral on social media.

World Cup hero Babar Azam says belief is key for Pakistan

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

UN condemns murder of Pakistani journalist

I

SLAMABAD, Pakistan | AFP | 6/26/2019 - A top UN agency on Wednesday demanded justice for a freelance Pakistani journalist who was murdered earlier this month, as activists warned of a shrinking space for dissent and threats to freedom of speech.

Muhammad Bilal Khan, a social media activist, blogger and freelancer with tens of thousands of followers across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, was stabbed to death in Islamabad on June 16.

The motive for the killing is not known, but Bilal cast a wide net with his criticism, with the powerful military, politicians, sportsmen, religious figures and even fellow journalists coming in for their share.

Local police said on the day of his death he received a phone call from an unidentified person, who took him to a nearby forest and killed him.

"I condemn the killing of Muhammad Bilal Khan," UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said in a statement, calling for "authorities investigating this crime to bring its perpetrators to trial".

The statement came after an

Muhammad Bilal Khan. Image credit: saudigazette earlier condemnation by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which asked Pakistani authorities to "swiftly investigate the killing to determine the motive and hold the perpetrators to account".

"Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that must be preserved for everybody, regardless of individuals' religious or political opinion," Azoulay said.

Censorship is already rife among the country's onceriotous mainstream media, with the CPJ noting last year that the military had "quietly but effectively" imposed

strict limits on reporting.

Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were regarded as the last holdouts of dissenting voices, but now even that has changed.

In February, authorities announced the creation of a new enforcement arm to root out social media users accused of spreading "hate speech and violence" as part of the crackdown.

Pakistan routinely ranks among the world's most dangerous countries for media workers, and reporters have frequently been detained, beaten and even killed for being critical of the government or powerful military.

Sri Lankans charged over traffic in baby elephants

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OLOMBO, Sri Lanka | AFP 6/25/2019 - A senior Sri Lankan conservation official was among eight people charged Tuesday in a landmark case over the capture and sale to the wealthy of dozens of baby elephants as status symbols.

Wildlife experts say about 40 calves may have been stolen from their herds during a 10year period and sold for around $125,000 each.

The deputy director of the wildlife conservation department, Upali Pathmasiri, and seven others were charged with 33 counts of capturing and possessing baby elephants in 2014-15, state attorney Nishara Jayaratne said.

It is the "first ever elephant trafficking case in our legal history", Jayaratne told AFP.

There are an estimated 7,500 elephants in the wild in Sri Lanka AFP/File the current government came to power in January 2015 and launched a crackdown. Recovered animals were moved to a state sanctuary for elephant orphans.

If convicted they face up to 20 years in jail.

The super-rich consider having a baby elephant at home as the ultimate status symbol.

The practice stopped when

It was also a tradition by aris-

Pakistan's Babar Azam celebrates reaching his century against New Zealand (AFP Photo/Paul ELLIS)

B

IRMINGHAM | AFP | 6/26/2019 - Babar Azam says Pakistan have the belief they can win their remaining games to complete a dramatic turnaround and reach the World Cup semifinals following victory against a strong New Zealand side on Wednesday.

paign, losing three of their first five matches with a single victory, against England, and a no-result.

1992 winners Pakistan must still rely on other results going in their favour to qualify from the 10-team group phase.

The 24-year-old hit a matchwinning unbeaten 101 to anchor Pakistan's reply to New Zealand's score of 237 for six at Edgbaston.

But Sunday's win over South Africa at Lord's and Wednesday's victory in Birmingham have revived their hopes of pulling off a sensational comeback.

Their next game is on Saturday against Afghanistan, who have lost all seven of their matches at the tournament in England and Wales and they finish their group fixtures against Bangladesh, who are level with Pakistan on seven points.

"Belief has been the key," said Babar, who reached his 10th one-day international hundred off 124 balls with 11 fours.

"We have the belief that we will win our next two games and then look ahead."

Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed hit the winning runs in the final over as they finished on 241-4 to win by six wickets.

Pakistan had a disastrous start to their World Cup cam-

Sri Lanka are also in the hunt, one point behind but with a game in hand, meaning

Babar, 24, said even when the team were struggling earlier in the tournament, they were confident they could turn their fortunes around.

"We were not winning matches but we talked to each other and had the belief that we could do it and now our focus is on the next game," he said.

Defending champions Aus-

For latest on South Asia voiceofasiaonline.com tralia are the only team to have qualified for the semi-finals so far while New Zealand, India and England currently occupy the other top-four slots.

Babar said his role had been to bat until the end of the innings.

"I was given a role to bat until the end and others bat around me and that worked well as (Mohammad) Hafeez and then

Haris (Sohail) batted well to establish partnerships," said Babar.

He said his target is to become the best batsman in the world.

"I can say that this is one of my best knocks because the aim is to be the best batsman in the world," said Babar, who is already the top-rated batsman in the world in Twenty20 cricket.

tocrats to keep the animals, which are paraded at Buddhist temple festivals.

The illegal trade has been blamed for the drop in the elephant population, with conservationists saying mother elephants were often killed so the calf could be taken.

Elephant conflict with humans near wildlife sanctuaries has led to the deaths of 375 people in the past five years, according to official figures.

During the same period, enraged villagers have retaliated by slaughtering nearly 1,200 elephants.

The Sri Lankan elephant population in the wild is estimated at 7,500.

Conservationists also say that a large number of elephants are killed by improvised explosive devices hidden in bait used by villagers to hunt other animals, especially wild boar.

The devices explode when bitten, causing the animals a prolonged and painful death.

The US-based conservation website Mongabay.com said 64 Sri Lankan elephants were killed.

ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 11

Global shares turn higher as investors look to G-20 meeting

by Yuri Kageyama

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U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow and S&P 500 futures both adding 0.4%.

Asian markets closed lower earlier. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.5% to finish at 21,086.59, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.3% to 6,640.50. South Korea's Kospi stood virtually unchanged at 2,121.85. Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged up 0.1% to 28,221.98, while the Shanghai Composite lost 0.2% to 2,976.28.

Trade policy remains the biggest source of uncertainty looming over the market. Investors are worried about the trade dispute between the U.S. and China and its potential impact on global economic growth and corporate profits.

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will meet this week at the G-20 summit. The world's two largest economies spent much of the current quar-

Trump leaves for G20 with attacks on China, allies

by Sebastian Smith

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OKYO (AP) June 26, 2019 - Global shares were turned higher on Wednesday as investors await developments in trade friction between the U.S. and China at the Group of 20 meeting of major economies in Japan later in the week.

France's CAC 40 was up 0.1% in midday trading, at 5,518. Germany's DAX was up 0.4% at 12,280 and Britain's FTSE 100 inched nearly 0.1% higher to 7,427.

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

ASHINGTON | AFP | 6/26/2019 President Donald Trump flew to the G20 summit Wednesday with a final diplomatic broadside, warning that China is "ripe" for new tariffs and accusing some of the closest US allies of being freeloaders.

Currency traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Asian shares were mostly lower Wednesday as investors awaited developments on the trade friction between the U.S. and China at the Group of 20 meeting of major economies in Japan later in the week. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) ter escalating their trade war and giving global markets jitters over prospects for economic growth.

Fed and the European Central Bank have indicated they are open to cutting interest rates if needed.

"To a large extent, any further deterioration in trade relations is expected to guide expectations here so the focus remains up ahead with the G-20," said Jingyi Pan, market strategist at IG in Singapore.

ENERGY: Benchmark crude oil rose $1.07 to $58.90 a barrel amid worries about tensions in the Middle East, centered around concerns about Iran, and industry data that showed a decrease in U.S. crude oil inventories. It fell 7 cents to settle at $57.83 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 75 cents to $65.03 a barrel.

How the trade war develops could affect whether central banks move in to support the economy. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell this week noted that the economic outlook has become cloudier since early May amid uncertainty over trade and global growth. The

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose slightly to 107.71 yen from 107.03 yen on Tuesday.

The euro weakened to $1.1367 from $1.1381.

Chinese baguette king's dream goes stale

Air Force One took off on a fiercely hot day from Washington and Trump seemed to promise heat of his own when he meets leaders of the G20 countries in Osaka, Japan, before stopping over in South Korea.

Declaring that he enjoys a strong hand in the trade war with China, he made clear he'll be in no mood to give much ground when he holds closely watched talks with President Xi Jinping on Saturday.

"China's economy is going down the tubes -- they want to make a deal," Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network.

Trump has already hit $200 billion of Chinese imports with levies in an effort to force Beijing into intellectual property protection and other reforms of a trading system that Washington says gives China huge unfair advantages.

The president indicated he was also ready to slap tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports -- more than $300 billion worth.

"You have another $325 billion that I haven't taxed yet -it's ripe for taxing, for putting tariffs on," he told Fox. According to Trump, it's China that's feeling all the pain, while the US side is benefiting from the situation.

"What is happening is people are moving out of China. Companies are moving out of China, by the way, some are coming back to the United States

US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to fly to the G20 summit in Japan after delivering a diplomatic broadside against China and close allies Japan and Germany. (AFP Photo) because they don't want to pay the tariff," he told Fox Business Network.

Trump did say that a previous threat to tax this remaining segment at 25 percent could be changed to a less harsh 10 percent.

The two sides said they were close to a deal before talks broke down in May. "We were about 90 percent of the way there," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC television, saying he was looking forward to the Trump-Xi talks but stressing there would be no deal for "the sake of a deal."

"I hope the message that we want to hear is that they want to come back to the table," Mnuchin said.

- Trump on diplomatic warpath Trump's aggressive attempt to rewrite the rules with China are part of a wider policy of fixing what he says is a system rigged against the United States.

"Almost all countries in this world take tremendous advantage of the United States. It's unbelievable," he said in the

lengthy Fox interview.

Casting his eye over the wider landscape, Trump also lashed out at close partners Vietnam, Germany and Japan.

Vietnam is "even worse than China" when it comes to unfair trading practices, he said. Vietnam is the "single worst abuser."

He described Germany -- part of the bedrock of the US alliance with western Europe -- as "delinquent" for not paying enough to NATO's budget.

"So Germany is paying Russia billions and billions of dollars for energy, okay," he said.

"So they are giving Russia billions of dollars yet we are supposed to protect Germany and Germany is delinquent! Okay?"

Trump aired a similar complaint about Japan, Washington's closest ally in Asia, which has been under the protection of a US military umbrella since its defeat in World War II. "If Japan is attacked, we will fight World War III. We will go in and protect them with our lives and with our treasure," he said. "But if we're attacked, Japan doesn't have to help us.

They can watch it on a Sony television."

Pompeo hails Modi's ...

Continued from Page 1 huge market of more than a billion consumers.

Hu Keqin had planned to open 1,500 bakeries in China, supplied with French flour (AFP Photo/ FRED DUFOUR)

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EIJING, China | AFP | Wednesday 6/25/2019 - Chinese conglomerate Reward, whose CEO had ambitious plans to open 1,500 bakeries in China using flour produced on swathes of French land that he snapped up, has gone bankrupt according to court documents.

Beijing's Chaoyang District Court on May 13 accepted an application to go into receivership filed by Hu's group, according to a June 2 notice on the national bankruptcy register.

The Beijing-based group, which originally specialised in infant formula and cleaning products, has triggered debate in France about land grabs with its large purchases of agricultural land in recent years.

In an interview with AFP last year, chief executive Hu Keqin said he had bought about 3,000 hectares in France since 2014

and planned to open 1,500 bakeries in China in five years, supplied with French flour.

In 2017 Reward also took control of a lavender soap maker in the south of France, Le Chatelard 1802.

Reward also owns a cosmetics factory in the United States.

Despite Hu's dream of conquering China with baguettes, it only opened three Chez Blandine bakeries in Beijing, and they have already closed, according to Dianping.com, the go-to reference site for shopping and services in China.

Chinese) still had more assets than liabilities -- more than 11 billion yuan against six billion (or $1.6 billion against $870 million).

But the group explained it had insufficient cash and its assets were difficult to sell.

The company could not be reached for comment.

Credit ratings agency Fitch announced last year that Reward had been unable to pay a debt of 300 million yuan in early December, while at the end of September it assured that it had 4.15 billion in cash.

The notice published online said a shareholders' meeting at the end of December had approved a request to file for bankruptcy.

Fitch lamented the lack of transparency surrounding the accounts of Chinese firms, the non-publication of "relevant" information and notoriously incomplete audits.

According to its balance sheet at the end of December, Reward (known as Luowa in

Beijing has since announced a tightening of corporate debt control.

With Trump calling India the "tariff king", Washington has refused to exempt India from higher steel and aluminium tariffs and has ended India's preferential trade status that allowed the Asian giant to send America $6 billion in goods duty-free every year.

India retaliated earlier this month with tariffs on 28 items imported from the US, including almonds, apples and walnuts -- products close to the hearts of voters in Trump's rural base.

- G20 groundwork But Pompeo -- preparing the groundwork for talks between Modi and Trump at the G20 in Japan later this week, when the president's myriad trade battles will loom large -- suggested relations could be fixed.

"There are tariffs and counter-tariffs and we said we're going to do our best to make sure that all the right people get in all the right places and work through these problems, so that we can get out of this and get on with the business of growing each of our two economies," Pompeo told a news conference.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gestures as he speaks during a speech event on India Policy organised by US embassy New Delhi on June 26, 2019. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed on June 26 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "wonderful" reelection, vowing both sides will overcome a number of spats that have dogged relations under President Donald Trump.

Money SHARMA / AFP This was echoed by Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, who said he was "optimistic about where our economic relationship is going".

But he appeared to stick to India's guns that it intended to buy the S-400 missile defence system for $5.2 billion from Russia despite the threat of US sanctions slapped on countries buying Moscow-made military kit.

Russia has long been a major arms supplier to India, but New Delhi's use of its hardware complicates US efforts

to bolster regional security cooperation to counter China, as well as its push to pressure the Kremlin.

"I think Secretary Pompeo knows, and I have explained to him in some detail, we have many relationships with many countries... We will do what is in our national interest," Jaishankar said.

He also said Pompeo was "receptive" to Indian worries that any US-Iran conflict might interrupt the flow of oil from the Middle East and endanger the large Indian diaspora there.

US/WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

Mexico deploys 15,000 troops to US border to slow migration

Vietnam jails US citizen for 'state overthrow' attempt

Mexican National Guardsmen detain Central American migrants trying to cross the Rio Bravo, in Ciudad Juarez on Jun 21, 2019. (AFP/HERIKA MARTINEZ).

US citizen Michael Nguyen (L) was convicted during a half-day trial in a Ho Chi Minh City court (AFP Photo/Vietnam News Agency)

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EXICO CITY, Mexico | AFP | 6/24/2019 - Mexico has deployed nearly 15,000 soldiers and National Guardsmen to its border with the United States, the army chief said Monday -- admitting they are detaining migrants who try to cross, after the policy triggered backlash.

Under pressure from US President Donald Trump to slow the surge of Central Americans crossing the border, Mexico promised earlier this month to reinforce its southern border with 6,000 National Guardsmen, but had not previously disclosed the extent of the crackdown on its northern border.

"We have a total deployment, between the National Guard and army units, of 14,000, almost 15,000 men in the north of the country," Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said at a press conference alongside President Andres

Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Asked whether those forces were detaining migrants to prevent them from crossing, Sandoval replied: "Yes." "Given that (undocumented) migration is not a crime but rather an administrative violation, we simply detain them and turn them over to the authorities" at the National Migration Institute, he said.

The government has faced criticism over migrant detentions at the northern border since an AFP photographer documented last week how heavily armed National Guardsmen in Ciudad Juarez forcefully stopped two women and a young girl from crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States.

The policy is a shift from previous practice. The Mexican security forces had not typically detained migrants at the US border in the past.

Fleeing chronic poverty and brutal gang violence in their home countries, the Central Americans crossing Mexico mostly lack migration papers.

However, international law protects the right of undocumented migrants to cross international borders to request asylum. And the US courts have upheld their right to do that anywhere along the border, whether or not it is an official crossing.

Trump wants Mexico to do more to stop a recent increase in migrant arrivals.

Last month, he threatened to impose tariffs on all Mexican goods, extracting a promise from Lopez Obrador's government to reinforce Mexico's southern border and expand its policy of taking back migrants while the US processes their asylum claims.

The deal, struck on June 7, gives Mexico 45 days to show results.

US hits Iran's supreme leader Khamenei with sanctions

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ANOI (AFP) - A US citizen was sentenced Monday to 12 years in Vietnamese prison for "attempting to overthrow the state", a lawyer and state media said, as the one-party country squeezes dissent.

Vietnamese-American Michael Nguyen was detained in July last year while travelling in the country with two activists, who were also arrested.

The trio were accused of setting up a group to prepare armed protest and the occupation of official "headquarters" in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, according to state-run news site VnExpress.

Nguyen was convicted during a half-day trial in a Ho Chi Minh City court, given 12 years and ordered to leave the

country after completing his sentence, a lawyer for one of the group said.

The two activists arrested with him, Tran Long Phi and Huynh Duc Thanh Binh, were jailed for eight years and ten years respectively for the same charge.

"The sentence for the defendants is too harsh," lawyer Nguyen Van Mieng said.

State media also reported that police are looking for another Vietnamese man who had connections with Michael Nguyen and is currently on the run.

After leaving Vietnam in 1975, Michael Nguyen settled in the US alongside more than a million people who fled when the communist regime took over after the Vietnam War.

Many war refugees mobilised against the communist government from afar, but Nguyen's family have said he is not involved with any dissident groups.

Vietnam has routinely jailed its critics since a new administration came to office in 2016, with nearly 130 prisoners of conscience presently behind bars in the country.

A cybersecurity law passed last year gives authorities unprecedented powers to police online content and has come under fire from the US, the EU and the UN. The bill requires internet companies like Facebook and Google to hand over user data and remove material from their sites when requested by the government

Southeast Asian leaders throw weight behind China-led trade pact

ASEAN Summit. File photo shows President Rodrigo Duterte at the 6th ASEAN-US Summit in November 2018. (Photo courtesy of MalacaĂąang)

by Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI / Dene-Hern CHEN

President Trump signed an executive order authorizing economic sanctions against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday, after Iran shot down a U.S. drone last week.

MANDEL NGAN / AFP/GETTY IMAGES

by Sebastian Smith

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 6/24/2019 - The United States imposed sanctions Monday against Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military chiefs, tightening the screws on a country that President Donald Trump threatened with "obliteration" if it seeks war.

Signing the punitive financial measures in the Oval Office, Trump called them a "strong and proportionate response to Iran's increasingly provocative actions."

Repeating that "never can Iran have a nuclear weapon," Trump said it's now up to Tehran -- which insists it is not seeking nuclear capability -- to negotiate.

"We do not ask for conflict," Trump said, adding that depending on Iran's response the sanctions could end tomorrow or it "can also be years from now."

The US Treasury said it will blacklist Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif -- a moderate figure and key architect of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal -- and eight top commanders from Iran's elite military force, the Revolutionary Guards, targeting billions of dollars in assets in all.

Tensions are running high after Iran shot down a US spy

drone last week and Trump canceled a retaliatory strike at the last minute. In mid-June, mysterious explosions damaged two foreign ships near Iran, raising fears for the safety of shipping lanes used to carry a big portion of the world's oil supplies.

Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity, the UN Security Council issued a unanimous call for dialogue to address the standoff between the United States and Iran.

The United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates likewise urged "diplomatic solutions."

But Iran's UN ambassador said his country, already crippled by existing US sanctions that include the blocking of most of its own crucial oil exports, is being subjected to "economic war."

"You cannot start a dialogue with somebody who is threatening you, who is intimidating you," Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi told reporters in New York.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would use a meeting with Trump at the G20 summit in Japan to urge "a constructive solution with the aim of ensuring collective regional security."

The Kremlin, which has longstanding links to Iran's government, earlier called

Monday's sanctions "illegal."

- 'Phenomenal future?' Trump rejects criticism that he is sending mixed messages to Iran.

In a pair of tweets Monday, Trump said US aims regarding Tehran boil down to "No Nuclear Weapons and No Further Sponsoring of Terror."

On Sunday, Trump told an NBC television interview that if it came to war, Iran would experience "obliteration like you've never seen before."

Despite this, he has repeatedly said he's open to negotiations with Iran's leaders.

"I think Iran, potentially, has a phenomenal future," he said in the Oval Office.

Iran says it does not have a nuclear weapons program.

The complex international pact signed by Tehran in 2015 was meant to ensure that its nuclear industry sticks to civilian uses. Trump, however, pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018, seeking its collapse, because he believes it let Iran off the hook.

Further upending US diplomacy, Trump declared Monday that other countries should no longer expect US forces to police the Gulf.

"All of these countries should be protecting their own ships," Trump tweeted Monday. "We don't even need to be there."

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ANGKOK, Thailand | AFP | Saturday 6/22/2019 - Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Bangkok on Saturday determined to drive forward the world's largest commercial pact, with the trade war between the US and China clouding the outlook for their export-led economies.

Disputes in the flashpoint South China Sea and Myanmar's persecution of Rohingya Muslims are expected to be tussled over by leaders on Sunday, the final day of the Association of Southeast Asian Na-

Trump's criticism of the US military burden in the Gulf was welcomed by Iran.

It's "100% right that the US military has no business in the Persian Gulf. Removal of its forces is fully in line with interests of US and the world," Zarif, the foreign minister, tweeted.

- Israel on guard The US-Iranian dispute is bound up in a complex web of regional rivalries, with US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel long pushing Washington to act aggressively against Iran.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned his country, which is widely believed to have an undeclared nuclear arsenal, would do "everything" to stop Iran getting such a weapon.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Monday with leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, telling them to contribute more to maritime surveillance duties near Iran.

tions (ASEAN) summit.

Bangladesh.

But trade has taken centre stage with ASEAN leaders keen to hasten the signing of a China-drafted commercial deal covering around half the world's population.

Malaysia, which speaks up most strongly for the Rohingya, said the perpetrators of violence against the Muslim minority must "be brought to justice".

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) includes all 10 ASEAN economies, plus India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Repatriation "must include the citizenship of the Rohingya," Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Bin Abdullah said according to a tweet by his ministry.

It is seen as a mechanism for China to draft the rules of AsiaPacific trade, following a US retreat from the region.

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in Bangkok for the meeting.

While tit-for-tat tariffs between the world's biggest two economies have seen some manufacturers flee China to safer ASEAN hubs, economists say the big picture for global growth is bleak and member countries are keen to boost trade with the RCEP. A draft of the chairman's statement seen by AFP said the bloc was committed to finishing RCEP "negotiations within this year" and would "exert relentless efforts to reach this target."

"The faster it (RCEP) gets implemented the better," Martin M. Andanar, Philippines Communications Secretary, told reporters earlier.

Progress on the deal has stuttered in recent months with India digging in over fears cheap Chinese goods could flood its massive consumer market.

ASEAN is frequently criticised as a soft forum where diplomatic niceties often outweigh concrete action on pressing problems.

Foreign ministers discussed the repatriation of more than 740,000 Rohingya refugees that have fled Myanmar into

ASEAN has come under fire for suggesting the refugees should go back to Myanmar within two years, according to a leaked report seen by AFP -though virtually none have volunteered to return so far, citing safety concerns.

The bloc also agreed on Saturday to "take concrete actions in combating" marine debris -including plastic -- across the region in the "Bangkok Declaration", though activists have said it doesn't go far enough in curbing single-plastic use.

Regional leaders are set to continue to tackle thorny South China Sea issues on Sunday, with a draft Code of Conduct agreement up for review. Observers however doubt any major progress will be made.

Discussions so far have been overshadowed by a recent dustup in the sea between a Chinese ship that rammed a Filipino fishing boat and caused it to sink.

Beijing claims most of the resource-rich waterway.

Manila said a joint investigation into the incident has been launched, adding that the runin would not derail Code of Conduct talks.

VOICE OF ASIA 13

Fort Bend View

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

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

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

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Fort Bend Education Foundation awards over $800k to FBISD

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Tel: 713-774-5140

Trial site chosen for suspect in 2018 Texas school shootings

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ICHMOND (AP) — A teenager accused in the fatal shooting of 10 people at his Houston-area school faces trial 45 miles (72.42 kilometers) from where the attack happened.

UGAR LAND - FBEF Awards $811,341 to Fort Bend ISD Teachers and Schools! This year, the Education Foundation awarded 344 grants for $555,661 to support the Grants to Teachers and Schools program. Additionally, 166 New Teacher Gifts for $16,600, $43,500 in Professional Development Grants, and $195,630 in pass-thru grants.

Section 2

Judge John Ellisor in February approved a defense request for a venue change amid intense publicity. Ellisor on Friday set jury selection for January as Pagourtzis faces state charges as an

Since its inception, the Education Foundation has awarded nearly $36 million in grants to FBISD teachers and schools.

Aboth FBEF: The Fort Bend Education Foundation provides opportunities to enrich and enhance the quality of education for all FBISD students through its grant programs.

Established in 1992 to benefit the students of Fort Bend ISD, this 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors that includes local business, industry, and community leaders.

Pictured: Front Row (l-r) Lina Sabouni, FBEF Board Member; Peggy Jackson, FBEF Board Member; Dr. Charles Dupre, FBISD Superintendent; Terri Wang, FBEF V.P. Community Affairs; Dustin Fessler, FBEF Board President; Lynn Halford, FBEF Board Member; Shefali Jhaveri, FBEF Member; Second Row: Stacy Bynes, FBEF Past President and Board Member; Jonathan Pursch, FBEF Board Member; John Wantuch, FBEF Board Member; Gena Horak, FBEF V.P. Allocations; Noreen Covey, FBEF Board Member; Brenna Cosby, FBEF Executive Director

Online registration opens for full-day prekindergarten programs

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ORT BEND ISD - The Fort Bend ISD Prekindergarten program establishes a strong academic foundation while setting the stage for lifelong learning. Fort Bend ISD’s Prekindergarten program ensures that children are successful and joyful learners; educators are supported and fulfilled; and families are partners in their child's educational experience.

Following changes in the 2019 Legislative Session, Fort Bend ISD will begin offering full-day Prekindergarten (PreK) programs throughout the District in the 2019-20 school year, and will reopen online registration from June 12 to June 21 for eligible families who wish to enroll their children.

To be eligible for Prekindergarten in Fort Bend ISD, a child must be four (4) years of age on or before September 1, be a Fort Bend ISD resident, and meet one of the following specifications: · Limited English proficiency because a language other than English is the primary language spoken in the home (Students qualifying by language will be tested to determine placement in the program.); or · Qualify according to the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines (Parents must bring proof of income documentation for at least one month of income, including current check stubs, child support statement of payment, or SNAP qualification letter, etc.); or · Be homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including those living in hotels, camping grounds, emergency or transitional shelters, cars, public spaces, or any other space not designed for regular sleeping accommodations); or · Have current or previous conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services; or · Is the dependent child of an active

In this Feb. 25, 2019 photo, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a Santa Fe High School student accused of killing 10 people in a May 18, 2018 shooting at the high school, is escorted by Galveston County Sheriff's Office deputies into the jury assembly room for a change of venue hearing at the Galveston County Courthouse in Galveston, Texas. Pagourtzis faces trial 45 miles (72.42 kilometers) from where the attack happened. (Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News/AP) A judge in Galveston County has moved the capital murder trial of 18-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who attended Santa Fe High School, to Richmond, in Fort Bend County. Pagourtzis also is charged with aggravated assault.

Thirteen people were wounded in the May 2018 attack.

U.S. Armed Forces member or a U.S. Armed Forces member who has been injured or killed while on active duty; or · Is the dependent of a police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical responder seriously injured or killed in the line of duty and received the Star of Texas Award.

To begin the enrollment process, parents of four-year-old children who are eligible for PreK will begin with the online enrollment system. Please check the PreK Feeder Pattern to find your zoned PreK campus. If you need to find your campus, you can also enter your address in this PreK School Finder to find your school.

Parents should begin the enrollment/registration process online and plan to attend the districtwide PreK registration event to complete the

registration process. The event will be held Saturday, July 20, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Wheeler Field House (16403 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land, TX 77479). View complete list of documents to bring to the registration event and a list of required immunizations for all students.

Students will attend PreK at an FBISD elementary school campus, with the determination based on their home address. While FBISD makes all efforts to place students at the campus closest to their home address, determination of a final placement will be subject to seat and staffing availability.

Note: All students who were previously enrolled/registered to attend half-day Prekindergarten programs in 2019-20 will now attend for a full day, and parents will be contacted by FBISD to confirm their enrollment.

Child dies after accidentally shooting self in home

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area hospital after shooting himself at a house in the 28200 block of South Firethorne Road around 8 p.m. He was pronounced dead Sunday.

The 3-year-old boy was taken to an

It is not clear how the child got access to the firearm.

ATY, Sunday, June 23, 2019 - A child who shot himself Friday at a home in Fort Bend County has died, according to deputies.

adult, but isn't eligible for the death penalty because he was 17 during the attack.

The defense says Pagourtzis also faces 11 federal counts in a case sealed because he was a minor during the shootings.

Katy nonprofit open house set for Sunday, June 30

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ATY - Kingsland Community Center nonprofits invite the community to a June 30 open house beginning at 12:30 p.m.

The center is located in the Omar and Cheryl Garcia Building, 802 Dominion, across from Kingsland Baptist

Church, which owns the property.

The center is home to the Crisis Center of Katy Christian Ministries, Christ Clinic, Hope Impacts, Compassion Katy, Clothed by Faith and the 25 Group.

Katy ISD ranks in Forbes list of best employers in Texas

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ATY – Looking to work for one of the “best-liked” organizations by its employees?

That search is closer than many might think. Katy Independent School District was recently identified by Forbes Magazine as one of the Best Employers in Texas. In fact, it was the only school district in Texas to be included in the list of top 25 employers.

“To be one of only two school districts included on the Forbes Best Employers in Texas list is a testament to the talent, dedication and hard work of the teachers and staff who serve the nearly 81,000 students of Katy ISD,” said Superintendent of Schools Ken Gregorski. “Our employees ful-

fill roles not only as educators, but as caregivers, clerks, maintenance crews, and other professionals supporting the teaching and learning taking place in our classrooms. As superintendent of this great school district I am very honored to be working alongside each and every one of our Katy ISD employees,” added Gregorski.

Market research was conducted by Forbes and Statista to identify its firstever list of America’s Best Employers by state. Nearly 200 companies were ranked among the best in Texas, with Katy ISD identified as #22 on the list.

A sample of more than 80,000 U.S. employees at companies, with at least 500 people, were surveyed.

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2

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The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir movie review: Dhanush's potential is lost to a Bollywoodi-sed Hollywood debut

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ased on French novelist Romain Puertolas’s bestseller The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe, this English language film adaptation stars Dhanush as Ajatashatru Lavash Patel, aka Aja. The book wanted to spotlight the issues of immigrants and refugees but the film (adapted by Luc Bossi) gets caught up in the exotic and playing up the Bollywood genre, such as including songs and dances which are as awkward as the English-speaking slum children. The film also scrubs out the brand name of the Swedish furniture major while retaining Aja’s obsession with their designs.

Aja (Dhanush), the son of a washerwoman in Mumbai’s Worli area, makes a quick buck by posing as (fake) fakir and scamming gullible tourists. He eventually scams his way to Paris in search of his estranged French father. A Tamil star plays a half French-half Indian, English-speaking Patel from a Mumbai slum – wrap your head around that!

Aja has barely been in the French city a few hours before he is fallen head over heels in love with Marie (Erin Moriarty), an American woman he meets at his favourite furniture store. He makes a date to meet her at the Eiffel Tower the next day but “the tyranny of chance” plays its hand.

Actually it is just plain stupidity. The result is that he does not keep the date at the Eiffel Tower because he is being transported to the UK in the back of a

Actress Neeru Bajwa during the promotion of her upcoming film Shadaa in Mumbai on June 12, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

Neeru Bajwa opens up on why she does not do Bollywood films anymore Known for films like Mel Karade Rabba, Jihne Mera Dil Luteya and Jatt & Juliet 2, Neeru is currently being seen opposite Diljit Dosanjh in Shadaa, which released across India this past Friday.

Erin Moriarty and Dhanush in a still from The Extraorinary Journey of the Fakir.

(ImageL YouTube) truck filled with Sudanese immigrants.

Thus begins Aja’s unplanned journey around Europe in wardrobes, trucks, luxury luggage and a hot air balloon.

Aja proves to be a survivor who is determined to raise himself out of poverty and find his way back to Paris to fulfill promises made. During his travels, he meets a motley crew of characters – an illegal immigrant from Sudan (Barkhad Abdi), a European movie star (Berenice Bejo) and a British immigration officer (Ben English), who inexplicably bursts into a tuneless song while deporting the illegals to Spain.

Dhanush’s sincerity permeates through Aja. Director Ken Scott plays

to the actor’s core audience by even handing Dhanush a gratuitous Bollywood dance number. The international supporting cast, especially Bejo and Abdi, blend in nicely.

A few scenes are heartwarming, like when Aja turns his only shirt into a canvas and his determination to give his mother the send off she dreamed of.

Scott directs with a light touch, preferring not to underline the core issue of illegal immigrants and poverty but to play up the fable-like quality of the tale, which leaves you wondering how much was fact and how much was the fakir’s fantastic fiction.

- FirstPost

Kabir Singh: Bollywood's misogyny problem is not new

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new Bollywood film, Kabir Singh, is being described as misogynistic even as it has set box office coffers ringing. But this is hardly a new problem in India's biggest film industry, writes the BBC's Divya Arya.

Singh is volatile and violent - in one scene, he threatens to rape a woman at

knifepoint when she refuses to have sex with him. He eventually backs off, but it's no credit to him.

His character is neatly summed up by film critic Shubhra Gupta: "Here's a fellow who thinks that going through life yelling and shouting, snortingand-drinking on the job, assuaging his raging libido with crass directness, basically being a sexist so-and-so, is an acceptable thing."

This is not an exclusively Bollywood problem - Kabir Singh is a remake of Arjun Reddy, a hugely successful Telugu film from 2017 that also drew criticism for celebrating what was, in effect, an abusive relationship.

Bollywood's troubled relationship with women And this is not the first time an In-

On why she quit working in Bollywood, Neeru told IANS, "Well, without taking any name, I just want to say that I had a really indecent experience during a meeting for a Hindi film. I was told that, 'This is what you have to do to make it here'. It left me shaken, uncomfortable and I was put off.""I am not saying that that is how the industry works. I am saying that I was one of the unfortunate actresses who had encountered a terrifying experience. Since then, I did not try my luck in Bollywood, and I never will. I am comfortable in my space in Punjabi cinema," she said.

Known for films like Mel Karade Rabba, Jihne Mera Dil Luteya and Jatt & Juliet 2, Neeru is currently being seen opposite Diljit Dosanjh in Shadaa, which released this Friday across India. Talking about it, she said, "I think it also depends on the actors in the film. As for Shadaa, we are releasing the film for the Mumbai audience especially, because of Diljit. Now that he has strong followers among the Hindi audience, we know that this film will have a greater reach."

Directed by Jagdeep Sidhu, the film

Kabir Singh is the story of a man who becomes addicted to alcohol and drugs after his girlfriend's family refuses to accept their relationship, and marries her off to someone else. The movie hit the screens on 21 June and has divided opinions sharply.

The lead character - played by actor Shahid Kapoor - is a man-child who belittles his girlfriend, Preeti Sikka, tries to control her life and objectifies women. The lead female role is played

by Kiara Advani.

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eeru Bajwa started her career in the Hindi film industry with Dev Anand's Main Solah Baras Ki in 1998, and has gone on to become a celebrated name in the Punjabi film industry. However, she says she was "put off" by Bollywood after she faced an "indecent experience".

revolves around a girl from Punjab who does not want to get married. But the society and her family criticise her for making such a choice. Personally, Neeru said she does not believe in following the timeline that society sets for marriage. "Girls and boys too face the societal pressure to get married which I find wrong," added the actress, who got married at 34.A mother to a four-year-old girl, Neeru wants to encourage her daughter to be independent. "I think we condition our girls with the thought of getting married to feel complete and successful. Therefore, once girls finish education, their goal becomes not to build a career and earn money, but getting married.

"I will not even tell my daughter to get married if she does not find her life partner. I would rather push her for education and financial independence....

That is why I work even now. I know that the confidence comes from there.

I do not have to depend on a man to give me bread," she said.

In the film industry, she is happy to observe a vital change for women. She is glad that now a woman can continue her acting career even after marriage and having children. "Earlier it was so different. Now a woman is still offered a lead role in films at the age of 38. Look at me," she said.

She said motherhood has taken centre-stage in her life as of now, and that she does not plan her career anymore like she used to in her initial days. "My life revolves around my daughter now.

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn is investing in small-town India’s cinema-going experience The film stars Kiara Advani (L) and Shahid Kapoor (R). (Getty Images) dian film has irked people for its treatment of women. Misogyny is not just commonplace in many Bollywood scripts but it is also deeply rooted in the industry. Stalkers are often glorified, toxic masculinity is normalised and even molestation is justified as a legitimate form of courtship. Films driven by strong female leads are rare, but women, including leading heroines, frequently appear in titillating dances.

But in a country battling patriarchy, sexist stereotypes and endless violence against women, the movie's creation of a hero out of a bully has been questioned by many: And yet, the film has had a great opening, having earned more than 708m rupees ($10m; £8m) in just three days. Many have also lauded Kapoor for his "intense" performance.

The 38-year-old actor has starred in several critically acclaimed films, including Udta Punjab, which revolves around the drugs crisis in Punjab state, and Haider, which adapts Shakespeare's Hamlet to tell the story of a conflicted young man in Indian-administered Kashmir.ambition? #LetsTalk #India #KabirSingh Kapoor has defended his character. "There are all kinds of people in real life, including alpha-males who

feel territorial entitlement, and I have played this character truthfully," he told journalists recently.

But film critic Anna Vetticad has taken issue with justifying such a narrative in the name of depicting reality.

"This is exhausting, but for the zillionth time: it is not the depiction of reality that is objectionable here, it is precisely because violent, destructive misogynists do exist and women for centuries have suffered at their hands that it is deeply troubling when a film portrays such a person as cool, funny, and, as Kapoor puts it, a man with 'a good heart' who 'loves purely' and 'wears his emotions on his sleeve'," she wrote in her review of the film.

"If only the filmmakers today understood that these couples are, in fact, resounding tragedies… especially because they end up together. They are 'fairy' cautionary tales," film critic Rahul Desai writes.

One would hope that in the wake of campaigns such as #MeToo, Bollywood - and other Indian film industries - would portray far more nuanced relationships between men and women.

But Kabir Singh's resounding box office success only underscores how much the audience seems to approve and accept misogynistic plots and male leads.

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by Ananya Bhattacharya

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UMBAI - After acting, direction and production, Bollywood star Ajay Devgn is cradling a new venture in the film world: exhibition.

Backed by Rs600 crore investment led by Devgn, NY Cinemas—named after his daughter Nysa and son Yug— aims to set up 250 screens across India in the next five years.

Devgn made his debut in Indian cinema with Phool aur Kante in 1991.

He has since acted in over 100 films, directed two and produced more than

a dozen in Hindi and Marathi. Devgn also owns NY VFXWAALA, which has done the visual effects for big Bollywood projects like Simmba, Bajirao Mastani, and Shivaay.

Now, with the theatre chain, he wants to bring modern movie theatres to smaller towns, with more experiences to entertain cinemagoers beyond what’s on the silver screen.

Though the group is still tight-lipped on the exact offerings, it promises to be unique and hopes to create “engagement for every age group, from a child to a teenager to a family to senior citizens, everybody,” says chief executive officer Rajeev Sharma.

NY Cinemas isn’t going to lock horns with a chain like PVR. Instead, it will cater to tier 2 and tier 3 audiences that have disposable incomes but lack good cinemas in their areas.

Below are edited excerpts from Quartz’s conversation with Sharma: Who are NY Cinema’s competitors and how will it stand out?

Devgn felt the old-time charm of going to single-screens is lost. He wants to bring that back but without compromising on modern amenities and international standards of audio, video, and comfort.forms. But we also don’t believe the cinema-going experience can be replicated in a house, - Quartz India

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Chinese war film cancels premiere in apparent censorship US pop megastar Michael Jackson during his "Dangerous" tour. Defiant fans are preparing to mark 10 years since Michael Jackson's death as fascination with the King of Pop remains undimmed. (PHOTO | FILE | AFP)

Michael Jackson fans defiant as abuse claims loom over anniversary

by Andrew Marszal

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OS ANGELES | AFP | 6/23/2019 - Defiant fans are preparing to mark 10 years since Michael Jackson's death as fascination with the King of Pop remains undimmed despite lurid claims of child sex abuse.

On Hollywood's Walk of Fame, the singer's star continues to draw a constant scrum of selfie-snapping tourists, while nearby souvenir shops, street performers and even tattoo parlors report a brisk trade in all things Jackson.

Across the street at Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum, a statue of the singer is strategically perched above the box office to entice tourists. Staff at Madame Tussauds say Jackson's waxwork remains a top draw.

Yet according to the groundbreaking HBO documentary "Leaving Neverland," released earlier this year, it was just a few hours' drive from the heart of Hollywood that Jackson used his celebrity and glamor to molest young boys at his fairytale-themed ranch.

On Tuesday, the anniversary of Jackson's passing, die-hard fans from around the world have planned an "MJ Innocent Love Rally" through Hollywood to gather at his star on the sidewalk.

Other events include a "zombie dance" on Venice Beach and screenings of fan-made tribute films.

Those who cannot attend are invited to donate money for an annual ceremony placing roses by Jackson's grave in the nearby Forest Lawn cemetery.

Organizers did not respond to a request for comment, but claim on Twitter that a record of more than 18,000 roses have been bought this year.

The film details a story of a Chinese army unit fighting against Japanese invaders during the Second Sino-Japanese War .(AFP/File Photo)

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HANGHAI | AFP | 6/26/2019 - The premiere of Chinese war epic "The Eight Hundred" has been cancelled, an apparent

Bill Murray to get Lifetime Achievement award at Rome fest

While most fans who spoke to AFP were aware of the documentary, the adoration fostered from growing up with the "Thriller" megastar's many hits supersedes all else.

"Some stuff that they were saying in the doc was kind of hard, but you cannot say 100 percent it's true ... I just love him. I love him and I think everybody does."

- 'Love Rally' The claims in the HBO documentary by two men who say Jackson sexually abused them for years as minors were not the first, but reignited the scandal after the star's fatal overdose at age 50 in 2009.

In his lifetime, Jackson denied all child sex allegations and his estate filed a $100 million lawsuit against HBO for "posthumous character assassination."

After consultation between the production team and other parties, the July 5 premiere was cancelled and will not be released this summer, according to a statement posted on Tuesday on the film's Weibo account, a Twitter like platform.

The movie had already been abruptly yanked from the Shanghai International Film Festival earlier this month due to "technical issues" -- a term often used as a euphemism for censorship.

Antoine Baynes, 31, a Jackson impersonator who moonwalks along Hollywood Boulevard for tourists' tips, said the allegations had done nothing to diminish his performances' appeal -- in fact, the opposite.

"Honestly I've married people as Michael Jackson. I have two weddings to do this Sunday, to do as Michael Jackson!"

Hailed as the Chinese "Dunkirk", the film details a story of a Chinese army unit fighting against Japanese invaders in the 1937 Battle of Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

"The new release date will be announced at a later time," the statement said, without explaining the reasons behind the decision.

"I came here actually only for him. I don't take pictures with any other star," said Dutch tourist Hooman Nazemi.

"After the HBO special came out I received just as much if not more attention than before. It kinda gave it publicity," he said.

result of censorship after an association of retired party cadres deemed it "inappropriate" ahead of Communist China's 70th anniversary.

The abrupt cancellation of the premiere fuelled speculation about the motives on social media.

Top US actor Bill Murray, pictured earlier this year at Cannes, will get a lifetime achievement award at this year's Rome Film Festival. (AFP Photo/Laurent EMMANUEL)

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OME, Italy | AFP | A-list star Bill Murray is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rome Film Festival while director Ron Howard will unveil a documentary about Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, organizers said Monday.

Murray, 68, who starred in films including Ghostbusters (1984), Groundhog Day (1993) and Lost in Translation (2003), will also host a public talk at the festival, which runs from October 17 to 27 in the Italian capital.

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The award will be presented by American Wes Anderson, who directed the actor in "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Life Aquatic".

The festival, now in its 14th year, will also feature a talk with director and producer Ron Howard, the man behind "Apollo 13" (1995) and "The Da Vinci Code" (2006), who will present his documentary on legendary tenor Pavarotti, who died in 2007.

His flick will be released this summer in US and British cinemas.

"The film industry cannot go on like this," Chinese film director Jia Zhangke wrote on Weibo.

The film is very "inappropriate" to be regarded as a tribute to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the PRC, according to a report on the website of

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It had already been removed at the last minute from the Berlin Film Festival in February as well.

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Zhang Yimou's film "One Second" -- set during China's politically sensitive Cultural Revolution -- was pulled from the Berlin Film Festival in February.

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The first Chinese film shot entirely on digital IMAX cameras reportedly spent more than $80 million in production costs.

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"The Eight Hundred" is produced by the Huayi Brothers and directed by Guan Hu, who spent 10 years filming it.

The Chinese youth drama "Better Days", which contains a scene of violent bullying, said on Monday it would cancel its release in China just three days before the film was to hit theatres.

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"It makes use of fragments of history to cover up the essence of history. It seriously violates the historical facts of the Kuomintang's resistance," the report added. "That should not be encouraged."

Other films have recently faced setbacks.

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The Chinese Red Culture Research Association, which is managed by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, bills itself as a volunteer organisation that promotes the Communist Party's history. Most of its members are retired party cadres and writers.

Five days before the film was removed from the festival, the Chinese Red Culture Research Association held an academic seminar on filmmaking in which the storyline of "The Eight Hundred" was criticised because it glorifies the heroic role of Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang).

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Young Life

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Sanders unveils huge US student debt cancellation bill

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Student convicted in gruesome killing of Chinese scholar

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 6/24/2019 - A former graduate student at a US university was found guilty Monday in the kidnapping and gruesome killing of a visiting Chinese scholar.

Brendt Christensen could now face the death penalty, with sentencing hearings due to begin next month.

A federal jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting the 29-year-old, whose own lawyer admitted during the closely-watched trial that his client was responsible for Zhang Yingying's death.

Democratic Senator and presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, seen here addressing a rally in South Carolina, has unveiled proposed legislation to era $1.6 trillion in student debt. (AFP Photo/Logan Cyrus)

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ASHINGTON | AFP | 6/24/2019 Liberal US senator and 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Monday rolled out a proposal to erase all $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, cleaning the slate for 45 million Americans.

"If we could bail out Wall Street, we sure as hell can #CancelStudentDebt," Sanders posted on Twitter shortly before announcing his major legislation in an event at the US Capitol.

The proposal, which is cosponsored by Democrats Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar in the House of Representatives, would be paid for through a tax on Wall Street, according to the Sanders campaign.

"This is truly a revolutionary proposal," tweeted Sanders, whose calls for tuition-free college and student debt forgiveness gained traction during his 2016 presidential run.

"All Americans will get the college education or job training they need, while having all student debt forgiven."

The measure would have difficulty passing the Republicanled Senate. But it would escalate the political duel between Sanders and liberal rival Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has also proposed a massive plan for student loan debt elimination.

Under Warren's plan, more than 95 percent of the nearly 45 million Americans with student

loan debt would have that debt cancelled. Her arrangement is estimated to cost some $640 billion.

Sanders said Sunday that his plan would "probably go further than Senator Warren's."

The hot-button issue has been a common thread on the 2020 campaign trail, with several Democrats noting the extraordinary financial burden under which many college students and graduates find themselves when they take on tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans.

Sanders argues that the debt prevents young Americans from buying homes, improving their credit, and engaging more deeply in the US economy

Student debt a 'life sentence' for millions of Americans

According to official statistics, 71 percent of US students are burdened by such debt, with minorities the hardest hit.

"Black women particularly are the most impacted group with the highest student debt total per graduate," Hounanian said.

Her body has never been found.

Christensen was convicted of kidnapping resulting in death, as well as two charges of lying to the FBI, who investigated the case.

The trial generated enormous interest in the Chinese community in Illinois, and China. Beijing authorities sent consular representatives and the victim's

"Parents and teens should be aware that disordered eating behaviors are a common phenomenon, especially in young men," said study lead author Dr. Jason Nagata. He practices in the division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Haley Walters is still five years away from earning her law degree -and racking up a mountain of student debt (AFP Photo/Robyn Beck) Despite scholarships and financial aid available to many, the cost of higher education is such that the majority of students are unable to repay their loans on schedule.

"When borrowers leave school, they're in a program that's supposed to take 10 years... but more and more are enrolling in federal programs that are actually 20 or 25 years in length," Hounanian said.

In the long term, the loan balance for such people increases, interest accrues, and the debt burden just keeps going upwards, he added.

Hounanian spoke of his own experience as an example.

"I had $30,000 in student loan debt, I pay over $150 a month, and that's in one of these affordable repayment programs," he said. "By doing that, my loan balance is actually increasing. I'm not covering

even the entire interest that's accrued."

"I'm paying every month," he added, "just to be more in debt."

- 'System isn't working' Several experts interviewed said it's not unusual to have two generations in one family burdened with student debt.

That's the case for Walters, who just graduated with a twoyear degree in political science from Pasadena City College, near Los Angeles.

While she managed to go through that school without accumulating debt, come autumn she will be entering the prestigious -- and much more expensive -- University of California Berkeley, with a law degree the ultimate goal.

Despite being awarded scholarships, Walters said she will still have to take out loans to pay for nearly $20,000 in annual fees.

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"That is basically going to turn into loan after loan after loan... each with individual interest rates and individual payments," Walters sighed.

She said she

relatives came from China to attend the hearing.

Zhang, who was 26, was visiting the University of Illinois to conduct research. Christensen was a graduate student instructor in physics.

The court listened to secret recordings made by an ex-girlfriend of Christensen in which he described in detail how he sexually assaulted and killed Zhang.

But defense lawyers expressed doubts about Chris-

tensen's claims in the FBI recordings, in which he also described Zhang as his thirteenth victim, despite no evidence found to support it.

In closing arguments Monday the defense team said Christensen had struggled with mental health and alcohol issues.

Zhang's family also filed a civil complaint against the accused and against two university social workers in whom Christensen had confided.

The workers allegedly failed to inform authorities when Christensen mentioned ideas of murder and suicide and "an obsession with serial killers".

Many young men putting health at risk to bulk up

These unhealthy methods -- dubbed "disordered eating behaviors" -- include eating to gain weight and using supplements or anabolic steroids to increase muscle or body size.

Like millions of Americans, Walters is paying a steep price for an education that will likely weigh her down financially for much of her adult life.

"Somebody who graduates from a public university this year is expected to have over $35,000 in student loan debt on average," said Cody Hounanian, program director of Student Debt Crisis, a California non-profit that assists students and fights for reforms.

A large scrum of journalists gathered outside the Peoria, Illinois courthouse Monday as Zhang's tearful family members read a statement.

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It has emerged as a key issue in the 2020 presidential campaign, with candidate Bernie Sanders unveiling an ambitious plan Monday to erase all student loan debt.

Prosecutors said he lured Zhang into a car before choking and beating her with a baseball bat, stabbing her, and decapitating her body to dispose of it.

mage is everything for most teens and young adults, and 22% of young men and 5% of young women turn to potentially dangerous methods to "bulk up," a new study says.

OS ANGELES | AFP | Monday 6/24/2019 Haley Walters is five years away from earning her law degree. If everything goes according to plan, she will be under a mountain of $100,000 in student debt by the time she enters the work force.

With 45 million borrowers owing some $1.6 trillion, the debt burden of American college graduates has exploded in recent years.

Zhang Yingying’s parents Ye Lifeng (second from right) and Zhang Ronggao (right), arrive at the courthouse as jury selection in the federal trial of Brendt Christensen begins on Monday. (Photo: AFP)

By Serena Gordon

by Laurent Banguet

"I think the student debt crisis is truly a life sentence," the 19-year-old Californian told AFP.

Christensen kidnapped Zhang in June 2017 at a bus stop near the University of Illinois campus in Champaign, a small midwestern city surrounded by farmland.

"The eating disorder field has been focused on females and thinness. But over a fifth of young adult men are working toward a more muscular, more idealized body image," Nagata said.

And, he said, it's not surprising, given the look of modern Hollywood celebrities.

"There's 'The Rock' [Johnson] and Marvel superheroes, and these are the types of people that teens are looking up to and idealizing," Nagata said.

Social media also plays a role, he added. "Young men are posting muscular pictures

grew up listening to her mother, 58, bemoan the student debt that still haunts her.

"I would hear my mom talk about... how it was basically crippling our finances," she recalled.

"You know, we couldn't go on vacation, sometimes I didn't get school supplies for the new school year, sometimes we got fewer birthday presents."

Walters said she hopes student debt will be a key issue in the 2020 White House race.

For some candidates, it is already front and center.

- 'The system isn't working' Sanders's "revolutionary" bill aims to erase all student

Unhealthy disordered eating behaviors are to blame on Instagram and other social media sites that portray them in an idealized way. That can lead to misperceptions," Nagata explained.

The study included nearly 15,000 young people across the United States. They were first interviewed when they were 11 to 18 years old, and again when they were between 18 and 24.

Nearly 7% of young men told researchers they had used a supplement to gain weight or build muscle, and 3% had used steroids to build mass.

Fewer than 1% of young women said they had done either.

"Steroids have significant long-term and short-term side effects," Nagata warned.

"Long term, steroids are linked to heart disease, kidney damage and liver damage. In the short term, they can cause irritability and aggressive behavior. And, when taken in teens, can cause delayed growth or stunting of growth."

While supplements are easy to get, Nagata noted they're not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "You can be ordering one thing online and there's no guarantee that's what you're getting because there's no regulation," he said.

The researchers saw several factors that increased the risk for eating issues.

Boys who exercised specifically to gain weight in their teens had 142% higher odds of disordered eating. If girls exercised to bulk up in their teens, their odds of disordered eating were 248% higher, the study found.

Other risk factors for engaging in troubling behaviors to change body size included: • A perception of being underweight • Lower body mass score • Alcohol use (in boys) • Depressive symptoms (in girls) • Being black Participating in weightlifting, Rollerblading, rollerskating, skateboarding or bicycling.

So, what should parents be watching for?

"Everything in moderation.

A kid who's putting whey protein on foods and getting a 30- to 60-minute workout a day is probably fine, but there would be more concern if a kid is going to the gym four to five hours a day, and it seems like that's all they do," Nagata said.

- HealthDay News

loan debt and make public colleges tuition-free -- and he wants the financial industry to help pay for it.

free."

"The American people bailed out Wall Street," Sanders said, referring to lenders deemed "too big to fail" during the late 2000s recession.

In California, for example, housing and living expenses represent more than half of the $35,000 needed annually on average for public university.

"Now it is time for Wall Street to come to the aid of the middle class."

Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren also has a debt cancellation and free public college plan.

"My dad grew up in an extremely poor family in southern California," said Walters.

"The only reason he went to university was because it was

Tuition, however, is not the only financial burden of students.

Hounanian said it was crucial to address those issues to ensure students don't end up saddled with heavy debt before starting their professional lives.

"The system isn't working for students," he said. "It's working for profiteers, for big companies and for those who are making money off of students and borrowers."

VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

June is National Safety Month

Section 2 Tel: 713-774-5140

Cancer test, plastic recycling win Europe inventor awards

Hospital Compare: Overall Hospital Rating

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hat is the Hospital Compare overall hospital rating?

The overall hospital rating summarizes a variety of measures- Opens in a new window on Hospital Compare reflecting common conditions that hospitals treat, such as heart attacks or pneumonia. Hospitals may perform more complex services or procedures not reflected in the measures on Hospital Compare. The overall hospital rating shows how well each hospital performed, on average, compared to other hospitals in the U.S.

The winners of the European Inventor Award 2019 on stage at the award ceremony in Vienna on 20 June 2019, together with EPO President António Campinos, and Jury member Ursula Keller

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IENNA, Austria | AFP | Thursday 6/20/2019 - A diagnostic tool to assess the risk of a cancer relapse, machines for plastic recycling, an alternative to toxic ship paint -- all were among the inventions honoured at the European Inventor Awards on Thursday.

mune systems can help cancer patients survive longer and finally led to the Immunoscore cancer test.

Galon spent years on research, filing a patent application for the method as far back as 2005.

He won the prize in the "research" category.

Here is a closer look at the prize winners from Austria, France, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain. The annual awards launched in 2006 by the European Patent Office (EPO) were presented in Vienna.

Already in use at clinics around the world for colourectal cancer, the test aims to help doctors understand patients and their tumours better and prescribe the best treatment.

"It's opened up a whole new era -- the era of anti-cancer immunity, which is now unfolding with immunotherapy," the French immunologist says.

- Frenchman's cancer test Jerome Galon's research started with the theory that stronger im-

The test uses digital images of tumour samples and advanced software to measure patients' immune responses.

Scientists find earliest clues of Parkinson's in brain

- Austrians' plastic recycling When Austrian inventors Klaus Feichtinger and Manfred Hackl thought of a better way to turn all kinds of waste plastics into highquality pellets for new products, they reshaped plastic recycling with their machines.

The machines can recycle even plastics that are combined with other material such as paper, and get rid of any smell, for example from shampoo bottles.

"No consumer would be able to tell if it's new or recycled," Hackl says of their end product.

Today more than 6,000 of their machines around the world produce more than 4.5 million tonnes of plastic pellets a year.

Feichtinger and Hackl won the "industry" category prize.

- Dutch marine paint alternative Rik Breur was inspired by a sea urchin's prickly surface to come up with his invention aimed at minimising ocean pollution by replacing toxic paints that ships use to protect their hulls from algae, barnacles and mussles growth.

"Over years of evolution, nature has already solved all kinds of things that we humans can learn from," the Dutch inventor says about his antifouling fiber wrap, an alternative to paints which slowly dissolve, releasing toxics into the oceans.

The fiber wrap, called Finsulate, is suitable for yachts, large cargo ships and ferries, saving boats up to 40 percent of their fuel consumption as algae, barnacles and mussles just slide off it.

Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disorder that causes patients movement and cognitive problems, is estimated to effect up to 10 million people worldwide (AFP Photo/PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU)

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ARIS, France | AFP | 6/20/2019 - Scientists said Thursday they had found the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease in the brain years before patients show any symptoms, a discovery that could eventually lead to better screening for at-risk people.

Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disorder that causes patients movement and cognitive problems, is estimated to effect up to 10 million people worldwide.

It is diagnosed by a build-up in the brain of a specific protein, a-synuclein, the cause of which is unclear.

However some people are born with a genetic mutation that makes them almost certain to develop the disease at some stage in their life.

Researchers from King's College London compared data from 14 individuals carrying the mutation with that of 65 non-genetic Parkinson's patients and 25 healthy volunteers.

They found that changes in the serotonin system in the brains of Parkinson's sufferers started to malfunction well before other symptoms occurred.

"We found that serotonin function was an excellent marker for how advanced Parkinson's disease has become," said Heather Wilson, from the university's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.

"Therefore, brain imaging of the serotonin system could become a valuable tool to detect individuals at risk of Parkinson's diseases, monitor their progression and help with the development of new treatments."

Suspected causes of the disease before the study included levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, and there is growing evidence of a possible link between Parkinson's and gut function, though this is poorly understood.

Breur picked up the prize in the "small and medium-sized enterprises" category.

- DNA and batteries Spanish biochemist Margarita Salas Falgueras picked up the Popular Prize, getting the most public votes cast online, as well as the "lifetime achievement" honour for her work on DNA amplification for genomics.

Japanese scientist Akira Yoshino won the "non-EPO countries" prize for inventing the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which power some five billion mobile phones, laptops and other portable devices, as well as electric vehicles.

"Picking up on the condition earlier and being able to monitor its progression would aid the discovery of new and better treatments that could slow the loss of brain cells in Parkinson's," said Beckie Port, research manager at Parkinson's UK, who was not involved in the study.

Parkinson's develops, it could change countless lives."

"Further research is needed to fully understand the importance of this discovery, but if it is able to unlock a tool to measure and monitor how

The research was published in The Lancet Neurology.

The overall hospital rating ranges from 1 to 5 stars. The more stars, the better a hospital performed on the available quality measures. The most common overall hospital rating is 3 stars. The Hospital Compare overall hospital rating summarizes a variety of measures across 7 areas of quality into a single star rating for each hospital. Once reporting thresholds are met, a hospital’s overall hospital rating is calculated using only those measures for which data are available. This may include as few as 9 or as many as 60 measures. The average is about 39 measures.

The methodology uses a statistical model known as a latent variable model. Seven different latent variable models are used to calculate scores for 7 groups of measures.

1. Mortality 2.

Safety of Care

3. Readmission 4.

Patient Experience

5.

Effectiveness of Care

6.

Timeliness of Care

7. aging

Efficient Use of Medical Im-

How can I use the Hospital Compare overall hospital rating?

In an emergency, you should go to the nearest hospital. When you are able to plan ahead, the Hospital Compare overall hospital rating can provide a starting point for comparing a hospital to others locally and nationwide. Along with the overall hospital rating, Hospital Compare includes information on many important aspects of quality, such as rates of infection and complications and patients’ experiences, based on survey results.

Choosing a hospital is a complex

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 and personal decision that reflects individual needs and preferences. You should consider a variety of factors when choosing a hospital, such as physician guidance about your care plan and other sources of information about hospitals in your area.

Discuss the information you find on Hospital Compare with your physician or health care provider to decide which hospital best meets your health care needs.

Some of the measures used to calculate the overall hospital rating are based only on data from Medicare patients and some are based on data from all patients. The claims-based measures, which include the mortality, readmission, complications, PSI-90, and imaging efficiency measures, are calculated using Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) hospital claims data only. The process of care, healthcare-associated infection (HAI), and HCAHPS Survey measures include data from all payers.

Why is the Hospital Compare overall hospital rating not displayed for some hospitals?

This website displays an overall hospital rating for about 80% of hospitals on Hospital Compare.

Source: CMS For Hospital Indemnity Plans, Medicare Plans, Long Term Care Plans, Individual and Group Health Plans contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713771-2900.

Certain prescription drugs linked to increased chances of dementia

N

ew JAMA Internal Medicine study found certain classes on anticholinergic drugs increase odds of dementia by 50 percent.

The certain classes of anticholinergic drugs include antidepressants, bladder antimuscarinics, antipsychotics and antiepileptic drugs.

Those associated with a total anticholinergic exposure of more than 1,095 daily doses within a 10-day period increase their chances.

"This is important information for physicians to know when considering whether to prescribe these drugs,"Carol Coupland, professor of medical statistics in primary care at the University of Nottingham said.

"This is an observational study so no firm conclusions can be drawn about whether these anticholinergic drugs cause dementia."

She said that people taking these

medications should not to stop them without consulting with their doctor first, as that could be harmful.

The researchers found no significant increases in dementia risk associated with antihistamines, skeletal muscle relaxants, gastrointestinal antispasmodics, antiarrhythmics, or antimuscarinic bronchodilators, according to the data.

It has been well known that anticholinergic agents and confusion or memory issues are linked, but the new study investigated this association over a long period of time, said Dr. Douglas Scharre, director of the division of cognitive neurology at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, who was not involved in the study.

He encouraged any patients who might have questions about this association to talk to their physicians.

VOICE OF ASIA 18

HEALTH - DIET & EXERCISE

5 Delicious Low-Carb Recipes Perfect for a Cookout

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FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

Bangladesh 'Tree Man' wants hands amputated to relieve pain

ood on the grill, carbloaded side dishes and high-sugar desserts are at the center of most seasonal cookouts. But this doesn’t mean you need to avoid those countless neighborhood barbecues to ensure you stay on track with your healthy lifestyle.

Courtney McCormick, manager of Clinical Research & Nutrition for South Beach Diet, recommends these five lowercarb recipes that are great to bring along to any cookout.

• Shredded Chicken Chili: Just toss some chicken, beans, tomatoes and a combination of chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano in your slow cooker and let that magic machine do all the work. Six hours later, you’ll have perfectly cooked chicken and plenty of flavorful fixings for fewer calories than a chicken prepared in a sugary or cheesy sauce.

• Avocado Tuna Sandwiches: Mix lemon juice, avocado, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl and add canned tuna fish. Scoop onto a slice of whole grain bread with aru-

Abul Bajandar has had 25 operations since 2016 to remove growths from his hands and feet caused by a rare syndrome (AFP Photo/ Munir UZ ZAMAN)

PHOTO SOURCE: (c) georgerudy / stock.Adobe.com gula, sliced cucumbers and red onions and you’ve got yourself a delicious sandwich to eat in place of that hamburger.

• Skinny Shrimp Fajitas: You won’t miss the tortilla with this recipe! Combine shrimp, onion, bell pepper, olive oil and dry fajita spices such as chili

Ted Danson Shares Tips for Healthy Aging

I

n his distinguished career, actor Ted Danson has played many iconic roles, including a cantankerous but caring doctor. In real life, the 70-year-old says good relationships with health care providers are critical for healthy aging.

ing,” says Dr. Dirk Wales, chief medical director with Cigna Medicare.

“I like the personal relationship with a fellow human being who has compassion, and offers a solid plan to fix whatever is going on with both body and mind,” says Danson. “If some-

• Annual health risk assessment (HRA). Your physician or insurer will likely ask you to take an annual HRA -- a quick series of questions designed to help flag issues early, so you

For healthy aging, Dr. Wales recommends the following preventive measures:

powder, garlic, onion, cumin and paprika in a large bowl.

Pour into a veggie basket or place on skewers and let the grill do the work for you.

• Pesto Cilantro Dip: Bake walnuts at 275 degrees until golden brown, then chop cilantro, garlic, and walnuts in a food processor for about 25 seconds. With the machine running, pour olive oil in a steady stream. Add sour cream, lemon juice and salt. Pulse a few times to combine and you’re done!

Serve with fresh veggies.

“This recipe is quick and simple,” says McCormick. “It contains minimal ingredients and it is packed with healthy fats. Plus, it keeps five days in the refrigerator and freezes for up to a month.”

• South Beach Coleslaw:

Coleslaw is a BBQ staple and this recipe for a lighter version of it is easy as 1-2-3! Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, celery seed and a sugar substitute. Add cabbage and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For more details on these recipes and other great tips and tricks to lose weight and live healthier, visit South Beach Diet’s website The Palm at palm. southbeachdiet.com/cookoutlow-carb-recipes.

Remember, cookouts don’t need to wreak havoc on your healthy diet. By making some simple swaps and choosing healthier options, you’ll stay on track while still enjoying time outdoors with family and friends.

- StatePoint

A

Bangladeshi known as the "Tree Man" because of bark-like growths on his body said Monday he wanted his hands amputated to relieve him of unbearable pain.

Abul Bajandar has had 25 operations since 2016 to remove growths from his hands and feet caused by a rare syndrome.

Doctors had believed they had beaten the disease but Bajandar fled a Dhaka clinic in May last year following a relapse.

The 28-year-old father of one was readmitted to hospital in January because the condition worsened, with some growths several inches long.

"I cannot bear the pain anymore. I can't sleep at night. I asked the doctors to cut off my hands so I can at least get some relief," he told AFP. His mother Amina Bibi supported the plea. "At least he will be free of pain. It's a hellish condition," she told AFP. Bajander suffers from epidermodysplasia verruciformis, a rare genetic condition also known as "tree man syndrome".

Bajandar said he wanted to

diabetes. People with diabetes have a higher risk of blindness, but early detection and treatment can help protect against

go abroad for better treatment, but he does not have the money to cover the expenses.

Samanta Lal Sen, the chief plastic surgeon at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said a board of seven doctors will discuss Bajandar's condition on Tuesday.

"He gave his personal opinion. But we will do whatever is the best solution for him," said Sen. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised free treatment for Bajandar after his plight made national and international headlines.

Bajander lived in the hospital’s private wing for nearly two years during his first round of treatment.

Fewer than half a dozen people around the world are believed to have the syndrome.

The hospital also treated a young Bangladeshi girl suffering from the condition in 2017.

Doctors declared her surgery a success, but her father later said the growths had returned in even greater numbers and the family halted the treatment and returned to their village.

Americans Still Paying the Price of Cold War With Health Problems

PHOTO SOURCE: Courtesy of Cigna thing is going on with me, or I’m afraid something is, usually just knowing the facts not only relaxes me, but empowers me, because the doctor will tell me what to do to make it better.”

Danson is currently promoting whole person health with Cigna, which serves older adults in 16 states through its Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. He’s encouraging people to talk to their health care providers about emotional and physical health, including preventive care, as well as common issues like stress, anxiety, loneliness and sleeplessness, which can impact overall health, according to experts.

“Preventive care plays an important role in long-term wellness. Issues like stress can lead to serious health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. That’s why it’s so important to have annual wellness exams, and make that time meaningful by being open about everything you’re feel-

can access the right benefits and resources for you.

• Colorectal cancer screenings. Too few older adults get screened for colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country. When caught early, the disease is curable. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends starting screening at age 50. MA plans, like those offered by Cigna, cover screening costs at various intervals depending on risk.

• Breast cancer screenings. Breast cancer, the most common cancer in American women outside of skin cancer, affects one in eight women in their lifetimes. USPSTF recommends women ages 50 to 74 years old with average risk get a mammogram every two years. Screenings can help detect breast cancer early, when it’s easier to treat.

• Eye exams, if you have

voiceofasia.news is your health news source

vision loss. Getting an annual eye exam -- which Medicare covers if you have diabetes -- is critical. Certain MA plans may offer additional coverage.

• Annual flu shots. Between 70 and 90 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths occur in people 65 years old and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The best defense, an annual flu shot, is covered fully by Medicare and MA plans when you visit a participating provider.

• Discuss mind and body.

Depression isn’t a normal part of aging and it’s treatable. Be open with your health care provider about everything you’re feeling -- body and mind.

To learn about Cigna’s Medicare products, visit www.cigna. com/medicare. For more information about the connection between physical and emotional health, and the Body & Mind initiative featuring Danson, Queen Latifah and Nick Jonas, visit, Cigna.com/takecontrol.

Every individual has unique health needs. Ask your personal health advocate for additional preventive measures tailored for you.

- StatePoint

PHOTO SOURCE: Courtesy of StatePoint

F

or many Americans, the Cold War is a distant memory or something read about in history books.

But for thousands of workers who supported the war effort as an integral part of the nation’s nuclear defense system, it continues to be a bitter reality, as many are battling serious radiation-induced health problems from working in or near nuclear plants or uranium mines. According to experts, newly implemented reductions in benefits are making it harder for workers to get treatment for related conditions.

The push to develop superior nuclear capabilities -- what would ultimately become the key to America’s success in winning the Cold War -- took place throughout much of the 1950-1980s. During this time, thousands of workers, as well as residents in towns nearby nuclear plants and uranium mines, were involuntarily exposed to radiation, leaving many vulnerable to such lifethreatening radiation-induced health problems as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. By the collapse of the Soviet Union and the easing of the arms race, it was too late to reverse the damage inflicted on

workers’ health.

Numerous health studies conducted over the past 20 years document the full cost of this radiation exposure in terms of human life and adverse health effects, which include premature deaths for many, while others continue to endure painful symptoms. Not only are they battling the fallout of exposure to confirmed toxins (of which the adverse effects were not fully understood until more recently), but experts say they’re also facing an uphill battle with the US Department of Labor (DOL), which has implemented multiple health benefit reductions since April 2019.

“An act of Congress created the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, which promised protection and health benefits to those who became ill after working in nuclear facilities and uranium mines,” said Greg Austin, president of Professional Case Management, the first and largest provider of home health care services to nuclear defense and uranium workers.

“Many of these patients -- patriots who served the country honorably -- are gravely ill and cannot afford any delays or restrictions.”

The recent changes by the DOL include a reduction of what experts say is medically necessary case management nursing care from up to 15 hours per month to just 15 minutes per week, as well as increasing a preauthorization process from nine steps to 36 steps.

To stop the implementation of various DOL rule changes, Professional Case Management filed a lawsuit in March 2019, which is ongoing. The company also spearheads a number of educational and advocacy initiatives through its Cold War Patriots division.

More information, as well as resources for the nuclear and uranium mine worker community, can be found at coldwarpatriots.org.

Experts say that while it may be too late to reverse the health effects of radiation exposure, it is not too late to provide the workers impacted by the Cold War with the benefits they need to manage their resulting conditions.

(StatePoint)

LIFESTYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 19

'Tax us more,' US billionaires say

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EW YORK CITY | AFP | Monday 6/24/2019 -"Tax us more!" was the message on Monday from about 20 super-wealthy Americans who urged presidential candidates to back higher taxes on the wealthiest to confront climate change and other priorities.

"America has a moral, ethical and economic responsibility to tax our wealth more," said the group, which included George Soros, Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes, descendants of Walt Disney and the owners of the Hyatt hotel chain.

"A wealth tax could help address the climate crisis, improve the economy, improve health outcomes, fairly create opportunity, and strengthen our democratic freedoms. Instituting a wealth tax is in the interest of our republic."

Signers pointed out that fellow billionaire Warren Buffett has said he is taxed at a lower rate than his secretary.

The letter alluded to support among Democratic presidential candidates for higher taxes on the super-wealthy, including Pete Buttigieg and Beto O'Rourke.

But the letter noted broad bipartisan support for taxing the super-wealthy, saying "some ideas are too important

for America to be part of only a few candidates' platforms."

It praised a proposal by Senator Elizabeth Warren that would lift taxes on those with more than $50 million in taxes, a measure expected to affect the 75,000 wealthiest families.

The letter was signed by 18 people representing 11 families, plus one anonymous person. Many in the group have been associated with progressive initiatives on issues such as climate change and the growing wealth gap.

Of about 40 countries, the United States is the sixth highest in terms of wealth concentration, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Taxing the super-wealthy "would slow the growing concentration of wealth that undermines the stability and integrity of our republic," the letter said.

"Today, major policies seldom come to pass without the prior support of wealthy elites or other wealthy interests. Division and dissatisfaction are exacerbated by inequality, leading to higher levels of distrust in democratic institutions—and worse."

Watchmakers are opening up a new frontier of minimalism The idea of watch skeletonisation – reducing the structure to its bare bones – is hundreds of years old.

But the practice is getting a modern revival

by Chris Hall

I

t’s not easy to design a watch movement. Even at their simplest, they comprise more than a hundred parts, some of them near-microscopic, crammed into a few cubic centimetres. For reasons of efficiency and integrity, therefore, the moving parts are mounted to a solid disc – the mainplate – and held in place with other relatively sturdy plates, commonly known as bridges. And if it were a simple matter of engineering, there the story would end. But proud craftsmen that they are, watchmakers couldn’t stop there.

AP has great pedigree combining traditionally skeletonised movements – lately adopting a moody palette of brushed anthracite grey – with the bold, geometric case design of the Royal Oak, so it is perhaps no surprise that the most effective of the Code 11.59 references is the Tourbillon Openworked. The stripping away of excess material also extends to the case itself, with its wireframe lugs.

An advantage of skeletonisation is that it frees designers from following the classical layout of the movement; yet without a dial there remain obvious questions of legibility. Cartier’s Left: Cartier Santos Noctambule.

Diameter, 39.8mm; Calubre, 9612 MC (Credit: Cartier)

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

BMW vows to rev up electric car rollout

by Yann Schreiber

M

UNICH, Germany | AFP | Tuesday 6/25/2019 - German high-end carmaker BMW said Tuesday it would accelerate plans to introduce new electric models, as the whole industry comes under pressure to meet strict emissions regulations.

The Munich-based manufacturer will offer 25 electrified vehicles in 2023, "two years earlier than originally planned," chief executive Harald Krueger said, adding he would target annual sales growth in the segment of 30 percent between 2020 and 2025.

Of the new models, more than half will be all-electric while the remainder will be hybrids, BMW said.

The change in plans "is not impacting in a negative way our profit and loss outlook", financial director Nicolas Peter said, since "we can delay maybe the investment into one or the other combustion engine related topic".

Peter added that "growing demand" for electric technology in several key markets like California and Britain had helped make the case for the switch.

But Tuesday's announcement does not change the already-settled launch dates for a string of new all-electric models: the Mini, iX3 and iNext SUVs and i4 sedan, all slated to hit dealerships by 2021.

- Chasing the pack BMW took an early lead in batterypowered driving with its i3, released in 2013.

However, it is no longer the market leader in the technology, which is indispensable for carmakers to meet the EU's tough new carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rules set to bite from 2020.

Germany's flagship industry as a

The car we’ve been calling the BMW i5, or at least the concept version of it, has come out from under the sheet at Frankfurt. The concept is called Vision i Dynamics. The production car will be out in 2021. (-TopGear) whole is seen as lagging foreign competitors like California's Tesla or China's producers.

In the first five months of 2019, BMW sold 48,000 electrified vehicles, up two percent on the same period in 2018.

But that number made up just five percent of the group's total unit sales of more than one million.

"By 2021, we will have doubled our sales of electrified vehicles compared with 2019," Krueger promised.

Huge investments are needed to modify production lines and develop electric drive technology, weighing on carmakers' bottom lines -- and pushing them into unprecedented collaborations.

BMW is expecting a net profit "well below the previous year's level" in 2019, in part blaming higher costs.

In response, it has linked up with Jaguar Land Rover to develop nextgeneration electric motors -- a "winwin situation", finance chief Peter

said.

- Infrastructure push Meanwhile, manufacturers know electric cars will only find receptive buyers if the charging infrastructure is in place to support them.

They pressed Chancellor Angela Merkel on that point in a high-level meeting in Berlin on Monday night.

Politicians, car bosses and union representatives agreed that by 2030 there should be enough charging points to support between seven and 10 million electric vehicles on German roads, the VDA industry federation told news agency DPA. BMW research chief Klaus Froehlich called it a "constructive" meeting, although environmental NGOs called it a gathering "without results".

Mammoth Volkswagen has also jumped feet-first into an ambitious electric strategy, planning 70 new models by 2028 and shooting for sales of 22 million over a decade.

This $12 million, 360-degree infinity pool will sit atop a 55-story building in London

by Jimmy Im

T

o call this a pool with a view would be an understatement.

London, England will have what is reportedly the world’s first sky-high 360-degree rooftop infinity pool in 2020.

The pool will be built on the roof of a 55-story building, situating the the 174-gallon pool 200 meters (or about 656 feet) in the air, according to designer Compass Pools.

The pool will be part of a new luxury hotel, Infinity London, also slated to open by 2020, Alex Kemsley, the technical director and designer of the pool, tells CNBC Make It. “We are expecting the pool itself to cost in excess of 10 million pounds,” he says, which is $12.7 million.

The pool’s transparent floor, which will allow visitors to see people swimming and sky above, will be made from cast acrylic (rather than glass) “so that the pool will look perfectly clear, ” according to Compass Pools. Acrylic “transmits light at a similar wavelength to water,” causing the effect, says the company.

The mechanism to enter the pool is based on the door of a submarine, and it has a “rotating spiral staircase which rises from the pool floor when someone wants to get in or out — the absolute cutting edge of swimming pool and building design and a little bit James Bond to boot!” Kemsley said in a statement.

“Normally a simple ladder would suffice, but we didn’t want stairs on the outside of the building or in the pool as it would spoil the view,” he said.

Audemars Piguet Code 1159 Selfwinding (Credit: Audemars Piguet Switzerland)

The idea of reducing the structure of a movement to its bare bones (hence “skeletonisation”) dates back as far as the 1760s, when a watchmaker by the name of André-Charles Caron began cutting away as much non-essential metal as possible from his movements, and then removed the dial and caseback to let it all be seen.

But it remained an extremely niche artisan craft until the 2000s, when the advent of computer-aided design together with precision cutting machinery meant that skeletonised watches could be designed that way from the get-go. Suddenly, openworked watches became the norm for any brand wanting to make headlines with a new launch.

In 2019, no statement has been as emphatic as the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59, which debuts a new, complex case shape for the storied brand.

Santos “Noctambule” solves the latter while embracing the potential of the former, turning the connecting bridges into elongated Roman numerals that, for the first time with this year’s model, are coated with SuperLuminova. It’s a clever move that brings the 1980s classic up to date.

So emblematic of modern watch design has skeletonisation become that some brands have chosen to use it on every watch, no matter the style or purpose. So we find ourselves with the endearingly eccentric Angelus U51 Tourbillon Diver, an unlikely creation that pairs modern openworking and an in-house flying tourbillon – hallmarks of flighty, exhibitionist horology – with the high-contrast visuals of a dive watch, rated to 300m with a helium escape valve.

Chances are, it won’t see a lot of deep dives – but it has undeniably

A built-in “anemometer” that monitors wind speed will used to prevent water from blowing down to the street, according to the website,

got a real sense of fun. If we’re talking about reducing things to their barest essence, isn’t that what modern watch collecting is about?

- Wired

Rendering of the pool provided by Compass Pools UK. There will also be a seethrough bottom. (Image: Compass Pools UK) and the pool’s heating system will use waste energy from the building’s air conditioning system.

Though Infinity London’s is set to the only 360-degree infinity pool on a rooftop, it won’t be the only highsky pool you can visit. Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore has a rooftop infinity pool on the 57th floor of the hotel (thought the views are not 360 degrees). It’s 492 feet long and extends across three tower buildings and is billed as the “world’s largest rooftop infinity pool,” according to the website. It opened in 2010.

Marina Bay Sands was one of the

’Most Instagrammed Hotels of 2017, ” according to Travel + Leisure, which used number of geotags for the ranking.

In Houston, there is a glass-bottom pool 500 feet above ground at Market Square Tower Apartments, which opened in 2017.

The glass-bottom pool “cantilevered over the rooftop edge,” according to the website, is on the 40th floor infinity deck, and is open to residents and guests of the luxury high-rise.

- CBS News

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Week of June 28, 2019 21 March to 20 April The sensitive Pisces moon at the start of the week softens the mood and makes you a more sympathetic and caring lover. The more understanding you are, the easier it is to get to know someone. Talking over people is your biggest fault right now.

21 April to 20 May You may feel more courage and confidence than usual now. Assert yourself in as positive a manner as possible and stand your ground when necessary. This period supports marketing and making contacts with others. You can be an eloquent and skillful leader.

21 May to 20 June Aspects indicate a time of restriction and limitation when it comes to expressing yourself. You may feel unable to share all parts of your fascinating personality now, but the Universe is asking you to clamp down temporarily to make a point. Career is the place to push ahead.

21 June to 22 July You’ll now have a much easier time of it. In fact, your energy will return. Whatever aches, pains, colds, or infections you may have had should clear up. You need to maintain your fitness routine to get rid of toxins in your system. It will make a difference.

23 July to 22 August You love to be the center of attention when Mercury moves out of gentle Cancer and into your confident sign midweek. If there’s a stage, get up on it and tell a joke, sing a song, or do whatever it is you do best! The steady Taurus moon appears later in the week, making you question the seriousness of love. Security is important to you.

23 August to 22 Sept You may have to reconsider how you approach your work or your attitude toward people you see regularly. A work-related romance or flirtation may be on your mind.

This is a lucky period for travel to improve your prospects.

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STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: SAY IT IN FRENCH

astrology.com

23 September to 22 Oct This week you may want to make some home improvements or even get into the real estate market.

Before you decide to become a professional home flipper, weigh the pros and cons of this type of investment.

Make sure you have all the facts.

23 October to 21 Nov Keep a balance between work and play. It’s important, especially when you’re tempted to work too hard and you forget to relax.

Schedule downtime into your calendar and stick with it. It will have a positive effect on your body and energy level.

22 November to 21 Dec There will be inevitable disappointments during the confusing Venus-Neptune square at the beginning of the week, but live and learn, right Sagittarius?

As a student of love, you welcome another lesson.

Someone is taking your sexy talk seriously.

22 December to 20 Jan You may be feeling especially restless or lazy. Be sure this doesn’t reflect on any work you do for others. It’s a great time for a gathering. Stay as organized as possible and don’t volunteer for anything extra.

Rushing can lead to accidents.

21 January to 19 Feb You’re raring to go this week!

This provides a huge burst of energy best put toward amping up your advertising to attract new buyers or moneymaking endeavors, like starting a new business. If you’re seeking a new position, ask upfront about salary lest you be disappointed.

20 February to 20 Mar You may feel some pressure to have it all figured out. But remember that nobody, ever, has it all figured out! Remember the adage, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” That doesn’t just mean forgiving others you must learn to appreciate your own abilities.

ACROSS 1. House of Winterfell 6. Sugar Ray Robinson's punch 9. Concert units 13. Water-resistant wool cloth 14. ____ Baba

DOWN 1. Serb or Croat 2. Famous Amos 3. Tumults 4. Chart anew

15. Bay window

5. Butcher, baker and candlestick maker

16. Wafting pleasantness

6. #6 Across, pl.

17. Between Big and Wolf

7. *Pie ____ ____ Mode

18. Halle or Chuck

8. Fussy old woman

19. *Face-to-face

9. ____ code

21. *Feeling of familiarity

10. Type of nuclear missile

23. A pop

11. Paddington Bear's homeland

24. Cremation pile

12. "Rocky" star

25. *Geographic cape in French

15. Express disapproval

28. Indira Gandhi's dress

20. Extremely angry

30. Like an echo

22. Poetic "before"

35. Away from wind

24. Cindy Brady's do, sing.

37. Threads

25. *____ blanche

39. Small drum

26. Luau greeting

40. Do like buffaloes

27. Lively

41. "Peter, Peter Pumpkin ____"

29. Yellow brick one

43. Kind of pool

31. Ugly old witches

44. Monotonous sound

32. Obelus, pl.

46. Facts and figures

33. Not Doric nor Corinthian

47. Eminem, a.k.a. ____ Shady

34. *Crème de la ____

48. Dines at home

36. Flightless birds

50. a.k.a. The Islamic State

38. Series of reps, pl.

52. Rocks in "on the rocks"

42. Yogurt-based dip

53. Perfect houseplant spot

45. Slip-up in pool

55. "T" in Greek

49. National Institute of Health

57. *Overused idea

51. Talks back

60. *____-faire

54. Former Greek coins

64. Southern chicken stew

56. Run-of-the-mill

65. Tire measurement

57. Musical finale

67. Branch of Islam

58. Jar covers

68. Discombobulate

59. Bodily disorders

69. Summer color

60. Laundry room fire hazard

70. Worry or cause anxiety

61. Opposing prefix

71. Back talk

62. Involved in a secret

72. Be in a cast

63. Sound of passing bullet

73. Arm cast holder

64. *Faux one 66. *Cul-de-____

SOLUTION: SAY IT IN FRENCH

on Page 20

TRAVEL & LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

A travel nightmare: Waking up Disney Parks celebrate International Yoga Day cold and alone in a darkened with sunrise yoga for cast members plane

By Andrea Romano

W

ith all the hustle and bustle that goes on in a Disney park, you might not expect it to be the perfect place to find your zen. However, for thousands of Disney park cast members around the world, coming to work early was actually a great way to start the day.

In honor of International Yoga Day on June 21, Disney parks and offices offered a unique morning yoga experience for its cast members across the globe in order to encourage balance and healthy living, according to the Disney Parks Blog. Because even Disney employees need some selfcare time.

CAPTION: An Air Canada jet at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

(Photo: Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images)

by Richard Gonzales

E

ver had a nightmare in which you wake up at night, alone, strapped in a seat in a completely dark and freezing cold room with no means to contact anyone?

That's the story Air Canada passenger Tiffani Adams told about what was supposed to be a simple 90-minute flight from Quebec City to Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this month.

Her account was posted on the airline's Facebook page by her friend Deanna Noel-Dale.

Adams, who has since been experiencing anxiety and insomnia, wrote that she fell asleep in a row of seats on a nearly empty flight, and by the time she woke up the plane had arrived at its destination and had been parked away from the nearest terminal.

Her cellphone battery was depleted, therefore useless, and there was no power on the plane to recharge it.

No one else was on the pitch-black plane.

Adams made her way to the cockpit,

where she eventually found a flashlight. The light helped her figure out how to open the main exit door. But there was no gangway, so she was staring at what she said was a 40 to 50 foot drop to the ground, hardly an attractive means of escape.

She focused the flashlight on the plane's exterior, hoping that the reflection might catch someone's attention.

In time, the driver of a luggage cart came to her rescue.

Adams said Air Canada representatives offered her a ride home and then called her twice to apologize and say they've launched an investigation into how she was missed by the plane's crew when everyone else got off the flight in Toronto.

She says she's still recovering. "I haven't got much sleep since the reoccurring night terrors and waking up anxious and afraid I'm alone locked up someplace dark," she wrote.

A representative for Air Canada confirmed Adams' account, adding they "remain in contact with her."

- NPR

Cast members gathered in the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Anaheim, at the Aulani Resort beach in Hawaii, and many other Disney park and resort locations for some rejuvenating sunrise yoga. According to ClickOrlando, 21 locations around the world participated in the event.

According to the Disney Parks Blog, this yoga session is one of many events that Disney offers to cast members to support their growth and wellness. According to Attractions

Photo: Courtesy Of Disney Via Youtube Magazine, Disney also offers services like on-site gym access, healthy cooking classes, health coaching, sports leagues, and more to support their cast members’ health.

Dr. Pam Hymel, chief medical officer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, told Attractions Magazine, “Whether it was their first time on a yoga mat or their millionth, each cast member showed how easy it is to take steps toward their personal wellness.”

The Disney Parks Blog also posted a live stream of the hour-long yoga practice on its website, streamed directly from several parts of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

The event took place around 6 a.m. and continued through sunrise, which was about the time when the gates opened for the day (albeit, a little early), according to ClickOrlando.

-Travel+Leisure

It now takes even longer to get a U.S. Passport — here's what you need to know

by Evie Carrick

A

pplying for and renewing a passport takes time, and when you wait until the last minute — or forget completely — things get complicated fast. Those passport horror stories are about to get a little more common and potentially more dramatic after an official change in passport processing time by the agency that issues U.S. passports.

According to the Washington Post, the State Department’s Passport Services agency said it would now take between six and eight weeks to pro-

Belgium says it will work toward giving visas to once-missing Uighur family in China

Office Specialist Tanairi Ramos verifies a customer on his passport application. ( Photo: Medianews Group/Orange County/Getty Images) cess a passport application. Before May 31, processing a passport application took four to six weeks.

State Department officials provided information indicating that a lack of staff was to blame for the added processing time, the Post reported.

B

EIJING, AFP-JIJI - Belgium says it is working toward providing visas to a Uighur family that went missing after being escorted out of its embassy in Beijing last week under murky circumstances.

In 2017 and 2018, a record number — over 21 million passports and passport cards — were issued each year, but the number of passport specialists employed by the government has dropped by 14 percent since January 2017, the Post reported.

The woman and her four children disappeared for weeks, alarming her husband, before reportedly being located back home in Xinjiang.

load levels this summer, the Department is leveraging all available resources to ensure processing times do not rise further and that they return to lower levels by September.”

Travelers who are planning on applying for or renewing their passports this summer or early fall should plan on allowing the State Department eight weeks to process their paperwork. Those who are tight on time can pay an additional $60 and get their passport in two to three weeks. For an even faster turnaround, a visit to a passport agency or center is required.

An estimated 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are believed to be detained in internment camps in the restive region.

A State Department official told the Post, “To address high passport work-

Abdulhamid Tursun, a political refugee in Belgium, said he has not heard from his family since May 31, a few days after they left the embassy.

Dominican Republic travel: Is it safe?

“I am worried about their safety,” he told AFP. “I hope they can safely come be at my side as soon as possible, and our family can reunite.”

A

string of suspicious deaths in the Dominican Republic is raising serious safety concerns about traveling to this popular Caribbean island, and with the news of yet another American traveler dying there while on vacation, travelers are skittish.

Belgium had said one of its diplomats would travel Tuesday to Xinjiang to ascertain the whereabouts of the family. The Belgian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday evening the family had been located in Xinjiang.

“The goal of the mission has changed,” ministry spokesman Karl Lagatie told AFP. “Our embassy is still willing to travel to the region but to finalize the necessary formalities. Certain documents are still needed and must be in order,” Lagatie said, adding that officials were working on arranging the trip.

The Belgian Embassy in Beijing has come under fierce criticism for allegedly enabling Chinese police to take the family back to Xinjiang, where they could face detention.

“The case exposes the additional risk Uighurs in China face even if they want to seek help from foreign governments,” said Patrick Poon, China researcher at Amnesty International.

“The Belgian Embassy set an extremely bad example of how governments put economic interests above human rights,” he told AFP. China’s foreign ministry and the Xinjiang government did not respond to AFP requests for comment.

The mother, Horiyat Abdulla, and her children traveled to Beijing at the end of May to complete missing paperwork

This photo taken in 2018 and released to AFP on Wednesday by Abdulhamid Tursun shows Tursan's wife, Horiyat Abdulla (left) and their four children in Urumqi, in China's northwest Xinjiang region. (Photo: Abdulhamid Tursun / Via AFP-JIJI)

for their family reunification visas.

Tursun said they panicked upon learning it would take at least three months for their visas to be approved and refused to leave the embassy.

They were afraid to return to their hotel because police had visited them multiple times since they arrived in Beijing, he explained.

“The police came in the middle of the night, asking why they came to Beijing, when they would return,” he said.

“They were very scared, they didn’t sleep all night.”

The embassy offered to accompany Abdulla and her four children back to

their hotel, but they “refused to leave the embassy in a kind of sit-in,” a Belgian ministry spokesman told AFP. In an interview published Tuesday, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told Le Soir newspaper the diplomatic police “asked the family to leave the premises” and the situation was explained to the father the next day.

An embassy is not intended to “lodge people” applying for visas, he said. In the end, Chinese police escorted them away, the ministry said.

“There was a misunderstanding about the procedures to follow,” Lagatie said Tuesday.

Their fears are being compounded by other highly publicized incidents, including the assault of a female traveler and a subsequent attack on a male traveler at the same resort, the shooting of a former Boston Red Sox player and a multitude of reports about mysterious illnesses in the Dominican Republic, including that of Melissa Rycroft, a former contestant on "The Bachelor" who got sick after a vacation with her family in early June.

According to ForwardKeys, which analyzes airline data, cancellations by U.S. travelers taking flights to the Dominican Republic have increased by 45% between June 1-17, and bookings

He said Belgian authorities spoke to the Chinese about “following the correct procedure.” The family did not have Chinese passports when they first showed up at the embassy, Lagatie added.

A few days after leaving the mission, Abdulla and her children were taken away by Xinjiang police, her husband

-Travel+Leisure

to the island for traveling during the upcoming months (July and August) have decreased by 59%, compared to a year ago at the same time.

The American Society of Travel Advisors has reported that 60% of its members have canceled trips to the Dominican Republic planned by U.S. travelers. And Kayak is reporting that flights searches for the Dominican Republic have decreased by 19% since the beginning of the month.

Even travelers who are continuing with their plans are taking preventative measures. According to a new report from InsureMyTrip, search queries related to travel insurance for trips to the Dominican Republic are up 600% compared to the same time last year. "We are monitoring the situation and urging travelers to talk with their licensed travel insurance agent about their options," Erin Gavin, travel insurance analyst at InsureMyTrip, tells Forbes. - Forbes Travel

said, and he has not heard from her since.

The case highlights the barriers Uighurs face in attempting to leave China.

According to human rights groups, authorities in Xinjiang have confiscated passports of Uighurs, making it difficult for them to join their relatives overseas.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

VOICE OF ASIA 22

Islands in the sun: Heatwave gives cities that sinking feeling

by Amélie Bottollier-Depois

P

ARIS, France | AFP | Tuesday 6/25/2019 - Boffins call it a heat sink -- a passive exchanger designed to dissipate heat -- but when the sink is an actual city, its concrete and asphalt sweltering in the heat, it feels more like an oven to those who live and work there.

The phenomenon where cities are hotter than the surrounding countryside is actually known as an urban heat island, and while the effect exists yearround, it is most acutely felt at exactly the worst moment -- a heatwave.

- Urban microclimate In the countryside, vegetation uses sunlight and water from the soil for photosynthesis which in addition to converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, also releases water into the air.

This helps disperse solar energy and cool the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, in cities, there is not nearly as much vegetation to disperse heat.

Moreover, asphalt and cement absorb solar energy during the day and release it during the night.

The result is the city is hotter than the surrounding countryside, as buildings and streets act as a giant heat sink, and this is most noticeable during heatwaves.

France's national meteorological service has found an average annual difference between Paris and surrounding rural areas on the order of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (4 - 5 degrees Fahrenheit).

During a heatwave, the difference "can reach close to 10 degrees Celsius", said Meteo-France.

During a 2003 heatwave, when the daytime temperature hit 40 degrees C it fell to between 23 and 26 degrees during the night in the areas of the city that are the greenest or got the most breeze. But in the city centre it fell only to 28 degrees.

This urban microclimate "aggravates the effects felt, in particular during the night, a critical period when normally the human body recuperates," said Aude Lemonsu, who heads up Meteo-France's research centre.

These urban heat islands thus magnify the effects of climate change which is expected to increase the number of heatwaves, researchers warn.

- Air conditioning -

found that the more a city is designed into a square grid pattern, the more it traps heat.

The orientation of buildings can also play a role -- letting in more light lets in more heat.

- Cool down While redesigning cities would be difficult and prohibitively costly, there are things that can be done.

Planting more trees and plants can help cool the air locally.

"You can even create vegetal walls and roofs to reduce the heat created by buildings, said Amandine Crambes, an urban engineer and planner at France's environment and energy management agency, ADEME. When buildings are built and renovated the choices made can have considerable consequences.

If the outside temperature is 26 degrees C, the surface of a dark coloured roof can reach 80 degrees, said Crambes.

Meanwhile, the surface of a light coloured roof will be around 45 degrees C as it reflects more sunlight and absorbs less heat, and a roof covered with plants won't rise above 29 C, she said.

Such cool roofs are gaining traction, and some cities like Los Angeles have even experimented with painting streets white.

Another possibility that can be explored: water.

We all know from experience that a shower provides relief from heat.

The city of Paris has been experimenting in recent years to see if watering streets during extreme heat can help reduce temperatures.

"The question of urban resilience is being taken into account more and more," said Crambes, noting that authorities face difficult choices constrained by costs and the interest of different stakeholders, including property owners.

- A nap in the park For cities, it is fast becoming imperative to make the most of the cool islands within the heat islands.

Paris has opened up public parks normally closed at night to allow residents to sleep in the open air when a heatwave makes it difficult to spend a restful night in an apartment without air conditioning.

To the list of factors making cities feel like ovens, there is another one which must be added: air conditioning.

Paris and the central French city of Lyon have created maps showing where people can escape the heat, like air-conditioned museums and pools.

"The more you use air conditioning in buildings, the more you heat the outside air," noted Lemonsu.

The city of light has also been working to adapt school courtyards to climate change. Out are stark asphalt squares and in are trees and water fountains.

The vicious circle of air conditioning is abetted by the design of major cities.

A study published in a March 2018 issue of Physical Review Letters

These courtyards may even be opened to seniors and others at risk to extreme heat if needed.

A Martian methane belch melts away

Robots to take 20 million jobs, worsening inequality: study

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 6/25/2019 - Robots are expected to take over some 20 million manufacturing jobs worldwide by 2030, extending a trend of worsening social inequality while boosting overall economic output, a new study shows.

The forecast set to be released Wednesday highlights growing concerns that automation and robots, while offering economic benefits, are disproportionately killing low-skill jobs and aggravating social and economic stress.

The study by Oxford Economics, a private British-based research and consulting firm, said job displacement from the rise of robots will not be evenly spread around the world, or within countries.

Robots have already taken over millions of manufacturing jobs and are now gaining in services, helped by advances in computer vision, speech recognition and machine learning, the study noted.

In lower-skilled regions, job losses will be twice as high as those in higher-skilled regions, even in the same country, the study concluded.

The research comes amid intense debate on the rise of technologies such as self-driving cars and trucks, robotic food preparation and automated factory and warehouse operations and their impact on employment.

Many analysts point out that automation has generally led to more job creation than it destroys, but that in recent years the trend has created a skills gap that leaves out many workers.

W

NASA's Curiosity Rover last week detected the highest ever levels of the colorless, odorless gas over the course of its seven year mission on the Red Planet, raising hopes it could be evidence of the existence of microbial life.

But a follow-up experiment this weekend found the methane had returned to background levels, NASA said Tuesday, suggesting the temporary spike was caused by one of a number of transient plumes observed

by Curiosity in the past.

Scientists have tracked a seasonal rise and fall in background methane levels but haven't been able to establish a pattern for the transient plumes.

NASA added that Curiosity doesn't have instruments that can definitively say whether the source of the methane is a byproduct of living organisms or a result of geological phenomena.

One leading theory is that the methane is being released from underground reservoirs created by long extinct life forms.

Though Mars has no active volcanoes like on Earth, it is also possible that methane is being produced by reactions of carbon from carbonate rocks or carbon dioxide, with hydrogen from liquid water.

At the high end of the forecast, the researchers see a $5 trillion "robotics dividend" for the global economy by 2030 from higher productivity.

"We found that jobs where repetitive functions are required are most affected, with those such as warehouse work at imminent risk," the authors wrote.

"Jobs in less structured environments and which demand compassion, creativity or social intelligence are likely to be carried out by humans for decades to come."

It added that "robots will increasingly play in sectors including retail, healthcare, hospitality, and transport

as well as construction and farming."

The impact will be uneven depending on the country and regions within each country, the study said.

"Automation will continue to drive regional polarization in many advanced economies -- and this trend will intensify as automation spreads to services," the authors wrote.

But they cautioned against policymakers acting to slow the adoption of robotic technology.

"Instead the focus should be to use the robotics dividend to help those in vulnerable regions ready themselves for the major upheaval ahead," they wrote.

"Preparing for and responding to the social impacts of automation will be the defining challenge of the next decade."

G

While companies that export weapons are generally subjected to heavy government oversight, companies selling surveillance tools face no "global or national control," said the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye.

In a new report presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Kaye listed a range of products -from computer intrusions to mobile device hacking tools -- that states can purchase to spy on opponents, journalists or activists.

He called the surveillance industry "a free-for-all", where companies effectively self-regulate in the absence of meaningful export controls.

He cited two companies that have published self-regulation policies, but argued that they only "gesture vaguely at the need to respect human rights".

The two companies are the Milanbased Hacking Team, which according to its website specialises in "offensive security", and the NSO Group, an Israel-based firm.

Its independent "ethics Committee", which includes security, intelligence and geopolitical experts, "can block sales to potential customers without regard to commercial interests", the spokesperson added.

"We're more motivated than ever to keep measuring and put our brains together to figure out how methane behaves in the Martian atmosphere," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

According to the latest study, the current wave of "robotization" is likely ultimately to boost productivity and economic growth, generating roughly as many new jobs as it destroys.

ENEVA, Switzerland | AFP | Tuesday 6/25/2019 - A UN expert called Tuesday for "an immediate moratorium" on sales of surveillance technology until rules are established to stop companies selling products that help states violate human rights.

"That's why there is such a high bar for ever becoming a licensed customer," the spokesperson said.

ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 6/25/2019 - The mystery of the Martian methane continues.

Illustration of industrial robots in a modern auto factory (Courtesy: redw/blenderartists.org)

UN expert calls for 'moratorium' on spy tech sales

In an email to AFP, a NSO Group spokesperson said its technology "helps prevent terrorist attacks, stop drug and sex trafficking rings, and rescue kidnapped children, but it is not a tool to be weaponised against human rights activists or political dissidents.

An artist's concept illustration of the Curiosity Rover on the surface of the Red Planet. (Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech)

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

Hacking Team did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

- 'Immediately cease' sales Kaye noted in the report that developing an international, rights-based framework to govern the production and export of surveillance technologies would take time.

"In the meantime, scores of journalists, activists, human rights defenders and government critics will be at the mercy of governments emboldened by the array of highly intrusive surveillance tools at their disposal," he added.

Until adequate rules are in place, Kaye argued that companies should "immediately cease the sale and transfer", of such technologies until they have satisfied specific criteria demonstrating that none of their products support rights violations.

United Nations special rapporteurs are independent experts who do not speak for the world body, but report their findings to it.

Ben Whishaw in the James Bond film Skyfall, 2012. Photo: IMDB)

Hacker used Raspberry Pi to steal sensitive NASA docs

by Victoria Song

T

urns out a tiny Raspberry Pi was at the source of a big headache for NASA. An audit released by the NASA Office of Inspector General on June 18 reveals that an early 2018 cyberattack utilizing one of these mini-computers resulted in a hacker making off with restricted documents.

If you’re not familiar with Raspberry Pi, it’s a small computer about the same size and shape as a credit card. Since it costs about $35, it’s a popular tool for learning the basics of computer programming, robotics, and creating DIY projects. (You may have seen one featured in an episode of Mr. Robot.) As you might guess, its small size and flexible use mean people don’t always employ it for good.

Which brings us to NASA: The “unauthorized” Raspberry Pi created a portal through which the attacker pilfered files from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which handles robotic space and Earth science missions, including the Mars Curiosity rover, according to the agency’s OIG. This particular breach was discovered in April 2018, when JPL found an external user’s account was compromised. The hacker, using an unauthorized Raspberry Pi connected to the system, was able to expand their access once they logged into the network.

Two of the 23 stolen files—about 500MB in total—involved restricted information relating to the International Traffic in Arms Regulation and Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Additionally, the hacker accessed two out of three primary JPL networks,

leading NASA to temporary disconnect several space-flight-related systems from the JPL network. Perhaps most frightening is that the hack went undetected for 10 months.

Also disturbing: JPL didn’t have a complete or accurate inventory of system components on its network, according to the OIG report. Neither did it have security controls to consistently monitor and detect cyberattacks on its network—so administrators had no idea the Raspberry Pi was there because it wasn’t logged properly. As a result, it wasn’t properly monitored, and taking control over an unsupervised, practically ‘non-existent’ Raspberry Pi is ostensibly a fairly easy task for a hacker. According to the BBC, the audit found several other “unknown” devices on the JPL network, though none were believed malicious.

So far no culprit has been caught or identified, though NASA’s OIG report says the investigation is ongoing. In the meantime, JPL has installed more monitoring agents on its firewalls and says it’s reviewing network access agreements for external partners.

Gizmodo reached out to NASA for comment and how the agency plans to improve its lax security going forward but did not immediately receive a response. - Gizmodo (June 25, 2019)

VOICE OF ASIA 23

CLASSIFIED

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

Houston Community College Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Real Estate Broker and Consulting Services Project No. 19-61

Houston Community College

Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on July 18, 2019.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs. edu/about-hcc/procurement/

Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Thursday, July 25, 2019.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs. edu/about-hcc/procurement/

Request for Proposals (RFP) Facilities Maintenance Services Project No. 19-56

Small Business for Sale Pizza Inn Express (4.5 star rating with google) 6911 FM 521, Arcola/ Rosharon TX 77583 Fastest growing area in Fort Bend County Serving Sienna Plantation, Sienna Point, Southern Colony, Sterling Lakes,Teal run, Fresno, Glendale Lakes, Meridiana Iowa Colony, Lakes of Savannah.

Accounting Assistant

T

ax Consulting Firm’s accepting resumes from qualified entry level accounting graduate for “Accounting Assistant” Position.

The position challenge to all aggressive accounting graduates who would like to apply their accounting knowledge.

Please forward your resume for review to: P. O. Box 36770, Houston, TX 77236-6770.

E-mail: HarryTax@aol.com

When you find some time, READ!

READ DAILY! 15 - 30 minutes of reading daily helps your brain focus better. Grab a novel!

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STATEPOINT CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Theme: SAY IT IN FRENCH from Page 20

VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, June 28, 2019

Home&Real Estate Lightning strikes cause two house fires in Houston area

H

OUSTON - Storms brought heavy downpours and lightning to the Houston area.

Though the storms were moving quickly, the lightning struck at least two houses in north-northwest Harris County, causing them to catch fire.

West Valera Ridge Place Just after 5 a.m. Monday, authorities got a call about a house fire in north Harris County near The Woodlands.

A resident of the home told authorities the blaze spread through the roof quickly before firefighters could arrive to help put it out.

According to a neighbor, the couple living inside the home heard their smoke alarms and were able to escape with their two pets.

She said the couple are in shock, but otherwise OK. "(I'm) glad they were able to get out but, they’ve lost everything," said Michelle Riley, “We’ve been through a lot and our neighbors have always come through. It’s an amazing, sup-

portive area to live in, so we’ll all be there for them.”

The Woodlands and Spring fire departments had to work together to put the fire out. The flames left much of the roof charred and caved in.

Kiowa River Lane Shortly after the West Valera Ridge Place fire, authorities got reports of another house fire caused by a lightning strike.

According to authorities, they responded to a fire on Kiowa River Lane near Falling River Drive around 5:30 a.m. Monday.

Two deputies entered the building before firefighters arrived to check if there was anyone inside the burning home, authorities said.

Two deputies were transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation as a precaution, authorities said. They were alert and talking, authorities said.

No other injuries were reported.

- KPRC

Plans unveiled for longstanding post office building

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owntown’s Barbara Jordan Post Office, originally opened in 1962, will undergo a long-anticipated redevelopment.

The 550,000 square foot building was purchased by Lovett Commercial in 2015 and has served as a multipurpose venue for area events including the

An Architect Riffs on Chinese Design For Her Grandparents’ Aging-in-Place Retreat

by Alison Sinkewicz

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et within the East Asian community of Richmond, BC, Curio House allows two Chinese scholars—the architect’s grandparents—to age in place. "I have a very close relationship with them," says Haeccity Studio Architecture cofounder Shirley Shen, "and it was kind of a family endeavor." The homeowners had lived in a two-story home on the same street for 40 years, but it was falling into disrepair, and the stairs proved a challenge at their age. "So, [the design] was to reinterpret using their cultural background as the basis, but to do it in a modern way.

The resulting design integrates principles from feng shui, a set of spatial laws meant to direct energy, and siheyuan, a historical courtyard house. The home, for instance, lies on a north-south axis, an element that comes from Eastern philosophy—the front door allows you to enter from the south and proceed through the home to the more intimate spaces on the northern end. "Because the clients have a large extended family and regularly receivevisitors, we wanted to think of it more as a village than a house," says principal Travis Hanks.

Initially, guests are greeted with a

Honoring the homeowners’ roots in Chinese studies, Curio House taps into traditional Eastern design philosophies.

Douglas fir cladding that leads into the foyer conceals the garage, a single 24-inch wide top-hung bi-fold door. (Photos: Ema Peter) vaulted courtyard space, again borrowing from East Asian spatial principles.

"The main concept [references] how

now defunct Day for Night festival.

Lovett will unveil official plans at the groundbreaking ceremony slated for June 26th but has confirmed the property will become a mixed use development showcasing restaurants, shops, music, and art.

The front garden has a water feature that offers protection, according to feng shui, and an arrangement of volcanic rock that symbolizes mountains. Cedar wood cladding along the entrance wall offers a material connection to the western coast of Canada.

The single-story, zero-barrier layout is wheelchair accessible, and Shen added other features to make sure the home continues to be comfortable and convenient for her grandparents.

Texas among top states drawing educated workers

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report released by MagnifyMoney found that Texas has the second highest rate of bachelor-degree holding workers moving into the state, just behind Florida.

Texas’s warm climate paired with

"This was an opportunity to build their dream house, and an aging-inplace space—but the main thing was that it would be accessible to them," Shen explains. "Currently, they hang around the kitchen island a lot of the time. That’s sort of the focus of their current home. So, we were thinking, if they can’t sit at a high bar chair in the future, then they would have to roll up to it in their wheelchair." The team struck on the idea of a motorized island whose height can be adjusted via remote control.

a low cost of living attracts educated workers from cold and costly states like New York and Massachusetts and bordering states Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, all of which have a negative net flow of educated workers.

New flood risk maps for Harris County

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ccording to KHOU, Harris County is working with FEMA to update flood risk maps that were originally drawn nearly 20 years ago, following Tropical Storm Allison.

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hapel Heights, an urban community in the Garden Oaks/ Oak Forest area is now open for tours, the Houston Chronicle reported. The 18-home enclave from Miami based builder: Lennar fea-

The shower is also zero-threshold, allowing for ease of use. Every element within the home has been carefully considered for its holistic effect in the space.

New technology and recent rain data will result in more accurate and detailed maps. The project should wrap up by 2021 and residents will be able to type in their address and receive pinpoint flood risk information.

Gated community opens in Garden Oaks/Oak Forest tures two-car garages, porches, and backyards. Homes range from 1,503 to 1,758 square feet and start in the low $300s. Chapel Heights neighbors Neumann Oaks, another Lennar community.

Chinese families traditionally lived together back in Asia," says Shen. "So, the central courtyard is a public space for everyone, but people are able to retreat into their bedrooms, or to private quarters along the edges and along the back."

The private wings are separated by alternate cladding that transitions using insulated glazing systems. Cedar wood cladding along the entrance wall offers a material connection to the western coast of Canada, where this home finds it's center space.

"The basic tenement of Chinese architecture is that the earth is represented by a square, and heaven is represented by a circle," says Shen. "And that’s translated into things like the door hardware: rosettes are a circle set within a square, and there’s a perfectly round table that’s inside of a perfectly square plan."Ultimately, Curio House is a meditation on family—and the way families regard their histories and come together to build their futures. It’s a synthesis of philosophies both ancient and modern that feels unequivocally of today.

- Dwell.com

This Pink Tiny House a Millennial Dream Texas' tallest tower and downtown isCome True

Houston skyscraper to be sold for $627 million, reports say

The tower, at 600 Travis St., was completed in 1982 for Texas Commerce Bancshares and is the tallest building in Texas at 75 stories.

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OUSTON — The downtown Houston skyscraper commonly called JPMorgan Chase Tower and the adjacent Chase Center building reportedly are being sold in a deal that could be worth $627 million.

Industry publication Real Estate Alert reports that New York-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP and Houston-based real estate firm Hines have agreed to buy the 2.1 million-square-foot complex. Real Estate Alert's sources estimate the deal would be worth around $300 per square foot. Cerberus reportedly would own a 90 percent stake, with Hines owning the other 10 percent.

If the deal closes at that value, it would be Houston's second-largest office building sale ever in terms of total

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ituated on a sweeping twoacre lot, this 452-square-foot abode is just right for two.

In order to create a small yet comfortable vacation home for a young couple, the multidisciplinary workshop TACO, or Taller de Arquitectura

Photo: Melissa Dalton

Contextual, sited it in the corner of a two-acre lot, then employed built-in elements for an "intuitive" interior layout.

(Photo Left) JPMorgan Chase Tower was designed by I.M. Pei. dollar value, behind Toronto, Canada-based Brookfield Asset Management's purchase of the 4.2 million-square-foot Houston Center complex in December 2017, per Real Estate Alert. That deal was worth $855 million, or $198 per square foot, according to the report.

A Hines spokesman declined to comment on the report.

The firm employed folding doors with operable louvers of regional cedar wood (seen here in the upper window) to allow the occupants to control their level of contact between the interior and the exterior.

Rough stucco mixed wih artisanal paint conveys warmth and texture, while precisely placed apertures connect the interior to the remote setting.

"The objective was to achieve a reflective and contemplative place that links the occupant with the surrounding wild landscape," said the firm.

The home was built on a platform, as the architects wanted it to be raised off the ground to discourage wild animals from entering. - Dwell.com