Voice of Asia - E Paper 10/25/19

VOICE OF ASIA 1

Serving Harris, Fort Bend and Surrounding Counties for over 30 years

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019 l Published Weekly From Houston Vol. 33 • No. 43 • 24 Pages (2 sections) • 50 cents • 713-774-5140 • www.voiceofasia.news • E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

VOICE OF ASIA 2

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Special Message and Greetings

A New Beginning at 86 Koshy Thomas

B

irthdays are a time of celebration, reflection and gratitude. It is no different with mine. The older I get, the more grateful I am for the everyday miracles, good wishes, encouraging words, and simple things in life so many of us take for granted.

On October 25th, 2019 I turn 86.

Looking back, I feel blessed and as I usher in yet another new year in my life, what I am most profoundly grateful for is my family. According to Hindu mythology 85 years means he or she has seen 1000 full moons in their life.

I’d like to take credit for getting to this age, but the truth is, aging gracefully is not necessarily tied to good genes, eating right, or exercising.

I have known too many wonderful people who had the genes, ate their vegetables, took their vitamins, and ran marathons who are no longer with us. I have not cracked the code as to why I have been blessed to see another year while gifted friends of mine have not been afforded the same privilege. Instead of asking “why me,” I just say: Thank you. Thank you for every new day I get. Life is beautiful, and I am profoundly grateful to God for the life I have Moani and Koshy Thomas been given.

In addition to my family, I have had the honor of publishing Voice of Asia for the last 32 years. As A.J. Winters rightly said, “If you do what you love, you’ll never have to work a

day in your life.” This statement has become a corner stone of my life as it hit upon a sentiment that I found to be true to my life. For the last 32 years, I have had the extraordinary privilege

I am proud and humbled that Voice of Asia has played an important role in the progress of the South Asian community in Texas for more than three decades now.

Voice of Asia continues to be a leader in the community, and I look forward to its continued success as a voice for the aspirations of our community.

of doing what I love every day, and it has never felt like work to me.

I’m humbled in front of God for my life partner Moani for the last 56 years and my three daughters.

When I was growing up as a young boy in the small state of Travancore in Kerala, there were 55 daily newspapers. One of them was a Malayalam paper that I read to my blind father every day while taking care of his businesses. His work ethics, and sharp interest in daily news were the inspiration that led to me to this life. And I strictly follow his principles and values in my life every second of my life. This was 85 years ago. More and more, technology is taking print media into a different direction. As

with other print media, in order to keep up with the speed of technology, Voice of Asia is planning a new beginning, heading in a new direction with an expansion of our digital media, and a smarter print footprint.

On the occasion as we look forward to the future, I wish all our friends, readers, advertisers, and the community for your support for the last 32 years great cooperation. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes, not just for my family and me but also for the staff of Voice of Asia who work hard to make it a success. Your prayers and well wishes are the best birthday present.

Koshy Thomas Publisher

VOICE OF ASIA 3

Serving Harris, Fort Bend and Surrounding Counties for over 30 years

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019 l Published Weekly From Houston Vol. 33 • No. 43 • 24 Pages (2 sections) • 50 cents • 713-774-5140 • www.voiceofasia.news • E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Diwali goes International at Skeeters Stadium Consul Generals and representatives of 15 countries attend

S

UGAR LAND, TX: Diwali is the biggest festivals of India celebrated celebrated around the world. The largest Indian festival Diwali also establishes restatement of the belief of triumphs over evil, Hope over Despair, Inner light over spiritual darkness, of knowledge over ignorance, and right over wrong .

This year the festival organized

by Shri Sita Ram Foundation and its message of brotherhood went international . Consul Generals and/or representatives of Fifteen Countries : Australia, Barbados, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Germany, Czech Republic , Portugal, Switzerland, Taiwan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and UAE were invited and joined the celebrations with over 10,000 People from Indian origin.

It was a sight to see the flags of 15 countries flying at Skeeters Baseball field along with those of Ram ji,

USA and Texas. Several countries thanked the Foundation for including them in the festival and honoring their respective flags by flying them at the stadium.

Since 2012, the Shri Sita Ram Foundation, a 501 C (3) non-profit, has brought this great festival to Houston in a manner not seen elsewhere in the US or even in India. This year the Foundation over delivered again by presenting Indian culture and heritage at its best for all to see and experience.

Celebration of togetherness irrespective of caste, creed & religion were truly represented through a cultural bouquet at Skeeter’s Stadium on 19th Oct. 2019.

The fact that Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (the official “Chief Guest”) and Fort Bend County Judge KP George (the parade marshal), Sugarland Mayor Mr. Zimmerman and other prominent politicians were present at the event, is reflective of Houston area’s fast-growing, newly powerful Indian population .

Last year the event attracted Texas Governor Gregg Abbott and Congressman Pete Olson as Chief Guest and Parade Marshall respectively.

Continued on Page 5

Houston's Mayor Sylvester Turner, Fort Bend County Judge KP George lead as Parade Marshalls accompanied by Dr. Arun Verma, Founder, Shri Sita Ram Foundation and host of Diwali celebrations at Skeeters Stadium in Sugar Land.

World Bank rates China, India as 'most improved' for doing business

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ASHINGTON | AFP | 10/23/2019 - China and India made the top 10 list of governments that have done the most in the past year to improve the ease of doing business in their countries, the World Bank said Wednesday.

Despite a bitter trade war, in which the United States is demanding reforms from Beijing to protect intellectual property and open its economy further to American businesses, China made the top 10 list for the second year in a row. With those improvements, China leap-

frogged France to take the 31st spot in the "ease of doing business" ranking, moving up 15 places, according to the World Bank report.

And despite US complaints, the report credited China with improving protections for minority investors, strengthening procedures for enforcing contracts and making trade easier with changes to customs administration and port infrastructure.

"Removing barriers facing entrepreneurs generates better jobs, more tax revenues and higher incomes, all of which are

necessary to reduce poverty and raise living standards," World Bank Group President David Malpass said in a statement.

India landed on the most-improved list for the third year in a row, making it easier to start a business by abolishing filing fees, lowering the time and cost of seeking construction permits and making trade easier with port improvements and an improved electronic platform for submitting documents.

The country jumped 14 places to number 63 in the global rankings.

Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi at a conference in southwest China two years ago. File Photo: AFP

OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

VOICE OF ASIA 4

By Joseph I. Lieberman, Opinion Contributor — 10/23/19

Publisher: Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Austin Correspondent: Director Marketing: Office Accountant: Data Entry:

Koshy Thomas Sherly Philip Shobana Muratee Sherine Thomas Giril Edakkunnath Priyan Mathew Satish Philip

Contributors: OpEd: Dr. Chandra Mittal Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Mala Sharma

W

ith each new terror attack or mass murder linked to extremist content online, major tech companies like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter make promises to better police their platforms. But after the outrage subsides, very little of consequence changes. It is clear now that tech firms will not effectively and consistently enforce their terms of service, since doing so negatively impacts their bottom line. Patience for their bait and switch tactics is wearing thin, and it is time for Congress to hold this unregulated industry accountable by modifying the blanket legal protection afforded through Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Congress must confront online extremism

Health: Sudhir Mathuria Research: Dr. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee

www.voiceofasia.news

Editor Online: Shobana Muratee All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher. Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol.com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com.

It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. Although paid advertisements may appear inVoice of Asia Group Publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, theVoice of Asia Group does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement.

— The Publisher Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $50 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074.

Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074.

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To bridge the chasm between claims of enforcement made by tech companies and the reality of internet and social media misuse by extremists and terrorists, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), an organization I proudly cofounded with former United Nations Ambassador Mark D. Wallace and former Presidential Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor Frances Townsend, regularly documents extremist content and the real-word implications of inconsistent enforcement.

Unfortunately, those examples are becoming more frequent and more deadly. From

V

OTER TION:

INFORMA-

Texas Election Day 2019: Your voice. Your vote - Your guide to voting

the El Paso mass shooting, to the Christchurch video, to the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, the path from online radicalization to horrific violence is unmistakable. Shooting, bombings and vehicle attacks by Islamists and white supremacists have all been linked directly to extremist content online. And prior to an attack being launched, many would-be killers post their manifestos to tech company platforms in the hopes of inspiring others.

The internet has transformed the way we communicate and given us exciting new ways to access information and entertainment. Yet, without rules, freedom usually devolves into chaos. While Congress has expressed concern and held hearings on the tragic consequences of extremist content online, it has been slow to force transparency and accountability on an industry that is protected from liability by a statute. To help save lives, ideologies and methodologies of hate easily accessible in a few clicks must have our urgent attention.

Voters guide provides non-partisan information.

Election Day is Nov. 5, 2019, but early voting begins Oct. 21, 2019.

WHERE TO VOTE BY COUNTY:

If you want some guidance before casting your ballot, the Houston League of Women

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For More Information Contact: 713-929-1900 Vipin@indiahouseinc.org www.indiahouseinc.org 8888 West Bellfort Ave., Houston, TX 77031

Since 1996, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has provided blanket legal protection to internet and social media companies for content posted online by third parties. There are, however, exceptions for child pornography and copyrighted material.

There ought to be another exception for extremist, hateful material.

On the basis of Section 230, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled recently that Facebook could not be held liable for allowing Hamas to promote, encourage, and celebrate terrorist attacks in Israel on its platform. The lawsuit was brought by the families of five murdered Americans, including Stuart and Robbi Force, whose son 28-year-old Taylor Force was stabbed to death in Israel by a Palestinian terrorist in 2016.

However, Chief Judge Robert Katzmann, in a dissenting opinion, observed: “Whether,

and to what extent, Congress should allow liability for tech companies that encourage terrorism, propaganda, and extremism is a question for legislators, not judges. Over the past two decades ‘the internet has outgrown its swaddling clothes,’ and it is fair to ask whether the rules that governed its infancy should still oversee its adulthood.”

Judge Katzmann is correct.

The rules governing the internet must be changed by Congress to meet the clear and present dangers that we now face. This will not be a simple task and of course it would best be accomplished with the active cooperation of tech companies. However, one way or another, it must be done.

Joseph I. Lieberman, the former U.S. senator from Connecticut and the 2000 Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States, is on the advisory board of the Counter Extremism Project.

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Tech companies have put profits over the physical safety of people for too long. How else can Facebook explain its inability to stop ISIS followers from exploiting its platform to host meetings, link to terrorist propaganda and organize?

How else can YouTube explain its failure to permanently remove ISIS videos or take action against the responsible accounts that repeatedly upload them?

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COMMUNITY

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FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Second Front Page

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

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Diwali goes International at Skeeters Stadium Continued from Page 3 The Foundation succeeded in meeting its objectives of : - Re-connecting first generation Indians with the culture and festive experience of the biggest festival of India; outside of India.

- Introduce and educate children born and raised in the US to the rich cultural roots through a three-dimensional presentation and participation.

- Introduce, educate, promote and showcase the rich and vibrant Indian culture and moral value to all mainstream Americans.

- Celebrate the ‘Victory of Good over Evil’, ‘Light Over Darkness’ and ‘Universal Brotherhood’.

The stadium and baseball field were specially decorated with millions of Diwali lights and other decorations were visible several miles away.

The main entrance gates and nearly 100 merchandize/ food booths were draped in multicolored silk and lights.

These booths sold traditional Diwali items including, Diwali candles, jewelry, fashion clothing, make up items for ladies and toys. A number of banks, financial institutions and companies promoted their services. A Ladies Bazaar – or Meena Bazaar – selling items exclusively for ladies was a big hit. A traditional Golu display was set up by Meenakshi temple in one of the booths; for the first time.

The ceilings and walls of the concourse and field were fully decorated with traditional banners, Hanuman and Ram ji flags, hangings, religious pictures and deities.

A food Bazaar served tra-

ditional vegetarian food from every part of India, so that no palate remained unsatisfied.

The festival specially catered to children with free henna booths, face painting, balloons, moon walk, merrygo-round, shooting Ravan game, Ravan piñatas, petting zoo, pony rides, clowns, toys and golf cart rides and many more.

The stage performance was presented on a 2-tiered 60 ft.by 40 ft. stage, located at 2nd base. Professionally installed stage lights, special effects and huge LED screens made this memorable evening the best Diwali-Dussehra event ever not only in Houston but also one of its kind in the United State . The performances included several folk dances from various parts of India. Two prominent plays , one showing the famous Kings and Queens of India from Satyug, down to the modern age as well as the play depicting the origin of Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth was dramatic and very effective.

The traditional Ram Leela Play; the incredible play on Lord Ram’s life and the final battle to overcome the Evil incorporated some on-stage magic this year. The special spiritual dance by an artist brought from Egypt was a show stopper. A special segment ( Children’s costume competition) showcased nearly 100 children dressed up as different characters from Indian scriptures & costumes.

Alongside the performance stage was a towering 24-foot tall figure of Lord Hanuman plus a new addition; a 35-foot tall figure of Lord Ram. Two Ram Temples were beautifully established, one in the main concourse and the other one in the field with two white life sized elephants stationed on

Children’s costume competition: Children dressed as mythological characters from scriptures.

either side.

A special tribute was paid to slain trail blazer and brilliant Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal .

Another tribute was offered to the leadership and the volunteers of Howdy Modi team for putting together an event during Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit which brought the two powerful democracies of USA and India much closer to each other.

The event at Skeeters also featured a large multicolored, magnificent parade with 50 floats by presented by local temples and charitable organizations depicting scenes, stories and characters from Indian scriptures. The Howdy Modi volunteers were part of the Dussehra parade. Ram and Sita ji also majestically rode in a beautiful horse drawn buggy, in the parade, along with numerous floats. There were nearly 1,500 people in the parade this year. The Houston parade is unique and has earned laurels in the US for its quality, content and unique presentation.

Highlights of this Festival were shown last year in about 100 countries and about numerous news papers covered this event in India.

Dussehra is not complete without demonstrating the destruction of Evil and the victory of Goodness. What better way to deliver this message home than through burning of the effigies of the evil figures of ‘Ravan’, ‘Kumbhakaran’ and ‘Meghnath’, specially built for this occasion. The evil was consumed by fire and the euphoria of the victory of Goodness was celebrated through bursting of fire crackers and a magnificent display of aerial fireworks display and shouts of Jai Shri Ram! It was to the delight of more than 10,000 people when they

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Spectacular performances of the play depicting the origin of Goddess Laxmi, Goddess of Wealth

Major sponsors who were recognized on the occasion seen with host Dr. Arun Verma. VOA photo. witnessed rose flower petals literally falling on them from sky through the Helicopter , towards the later stages of the event.

It was an amazing show to

celebrate the sense of togetherness with rich Indian tradition, culture, food, dance, music, feeling of perfect Divinity, purity of heart, spreading the fragrance of human virtues, illumination of inner enlight-

enment and celebration of the power of consciousness. The Foundation thanks all sponsors, vendors, volunteers, supporters and performers for their support in putting this mega community event together.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Tasen-Tyagaraja Music Festival 2019 hosted by

Global Creative Arts Academy and Classical Arts Society

G

lobal Creative Arts Academy (GCAA) uniquely presented this year’s Tansen Tyagaraja Music Festival at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, Cultural Hall in Sugar Land on Sunday, September 22 in collaboration with Classical Arts Society (CAS), which is Houston’s one of the very first organization to promote Indian Classical Arts and in association with Telugu Cultural Association (TCA).

This is GCAA’s third year to organize annual Tansen-Tyagaraja Music and Dance Festival and GCAA is very honored and happy to collaborate with these two major organizations of Houston.

The event began with lighting the ceremonial lamp! The both organization’s members Radhika Hariharan,, Nalini Sadagopan, Seetha Madabhushi and Vedic chanting by Sriman Yadagiri Swami, Seeshu Swami and Rangarajan Swami.

Seetha

Madabhushi

wani “Muladhara Murthi” a composition of Sri Papanasham Sivan then raags Khamas, Reettjigoula and Karaharapriya which were elaborated in a mind-blowing presentation. “Emani Talachavachu” a composition of Annamacharya and set to ragam Venkatadri this ragam was created

by A. Kanyakumari ji. The concert has concluded a traditional Mangalam. What an enthralling performance by A. Kanyakumari ji and interaction with Guru and Shisya was very exciting On this special day of Tansen-Tyagaraja Music Festival, Indradeep Ghosh has made a history in Indian Classical Music by releasing the first-ever commercial Viola recording by any Indian Violinist. The album “Tribute to Miyan Tansen on Viola” is produced by Global Creative Arts Academy (GCAA).

The album was released by Padma Shri & Sangita Kalanidhi A. Kanyakumari and

music and dance. This year the title was awarded to Dr. Smt. Ratna Kumar who is an internationally renowned danseuse, teacher and choreographer, and the FounderDirector of the Anjali Center for Performing Arts.

Tansen-Tyagaraja Music Festival 2019 was a grand success.

The audience have commented positively “memorable event”, “great experience”, “divine presence”, “very soothing to ears”, “great atmosphere” “serene music and place” and “nice food”. The audience have left with a great memorable experience and everyone is looking forward for next year’s Tansen-Tyagaraja Music and Dance festival.

GCAA would like to thank CAS, TCA and all those who involved in this event.

Report by Seetha Madabhushi Founder/CEO of GCAA

Hindole Majumdar, Gaurav Mazumdar, Indradeep Ghosh and Somanth Roy

Radhika Hariharan, Nalini Sadagopan, Seetha Madabhushi lighting the lamp accompanied with Vedic chanting by Seeshu Swami, Yadagiri Swami

K.V. Prasad, A. Kanyakumari, Vithal Rangan and Somanth Roy

(Founder/CEO of GCAA), Master of Ceremony has talked about the concept of Tansen-Tyagaraja Music and Dance Festival. Usually Tansen and Tyagaraja festivals are being conducted separately in different cities around the world. This is the only festival where names of both the Saints are bring together to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of North and South Indian music jointly.

The concert began with Hindustani music. The artists for the evening were Gaurav Mazumdar, a Grammy nominated and a senior disciple of legendary Sitarist Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar on Sitar, Indradeep Ghosh who is titled as “Prince of Violin” and Artistic Director of GCAA on Violin, Hindole Majumdar on Tabla, who occupies a commendable position amongst the tabla players of his generation and Somanth Roy, truly a name to reckon with in the select band of versatile percussionists on Ghatam. The concert has begun with Raag Yeman. They played Alaap, Jod, Jhala followed by a composition in Jhap Taal of ten beat rhythmic cycle and drut teental of sixteen beat rhythmic cycle.

Their presentation of pure Dhrupad style music which is the characteristic of Tansen’s musical genre combined with complex rhythmic patterns and melody. Their presentation was marked with great understanding of complimenting each other musically which made it truly remarkable and mesmerizing experience to the listeners. They concluded with very famous bhajan “Vaishanava Janato”.

Carnatic segment of artists for the evening Padma Shri and Sangita Kalanidhi Vidushi A. Kanyakumari on Violin, she is the the first lady violinist to receive the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award. She was accompanied on Mridangam Kalaimamani K.V. Prasad, on Ghatam by Somnath Roy and she was supported on Violin by her disciple Vittal Rangan.

The concert has begun with traditional raag Hamsadh-

Violin CD release of Indradeep Ghosh by A. Kanyakumari, & Dr. Rangarajan Madabhushi (CFO of GCAA)

Dr. Rangarajan Madabhushi (CFO of GCAA).

This album is unique as Viola is not common instrument for Indian classical music. Indradeep has taken the initiative to popularize and spread this instrument in Indian Classical Music.

Both the ragas in this album are created by Miyan Tansen. Raag Todi which is a morning raaga and Darbari Kanada which is a late-night raga.

In loving memory of Late Smt. Prabhavati Devi Tamirisa who was the first female Mridangist of India and her immense love and respect for fine arts, Global Creative Arts Academy has created an award called “Mridanga Prabhacharya”.

Each year an artist par excellence is honored for their achievement, dedication and contribution in their field of

Presenting “Mridanga Prabhacharya” to Dr. Smt. Rathna Kumar

by Seetha Madabhushi (Founder/CEO of GCAA)

DIWALI SPECIAL

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Macy's Diwali celebrations showcases Houston-area stores

H

OUSTON - Macy’s hosted six in-store Diwali celebrations at the below locations, including two in the Houston area: • Macy’s Houston Galleria – Houston, TX

activity table, and more.

• Macy’s First Colony – Houston, TX

These events are a special opportunity for Macy’s to honor the beauty of the holiday and the traditions celebrated across many communities. At Macy’s, we know that we are at our best when our business fully reflects the rich diversity of our colleagues, customers, and communities.

• Macy’s Stonebriar – Dallas, TX • Macy’s Dallas Galleria – Dallas, TX • Macy’s Northpoint – Atlanta, GA • Macy’s Cerritos – Cerritos, CA Sari Sapne, a local business on Hillcroft displayed their designer outfits that are in hi demand during the Diwali season. Raja Sweets restaurant served up sweets and savories for the shoppers.

Each event featured dance performances, henna artists, refreshments and activities such as gifting stations, kids

The Houston-area stores worked with Bollywood Touch (https://www.bollywoodtouch. com/) to secure both the dancers and the henna artist.

A customer at the by Sari Sapne booth at Macy’s Houston Galleria

Other event elements, included: - Mannequin featured traditional Diwali attire - Bollywood performance and photo opportunity Cosmetics passport (highlighting Clinique, Estee Lauder, and Lancôme) with an Enter to Win beauty basket valued at $200 - Cosmetics Gift with Pur-

A customer poses wearing a decorative turban

Raja sweets free Mithai give away at Macy’s Houston Galleria

chase – Henna candle with $35 cosmetics purchase - Jewelry Gift with Purchase – Henna tattoo and gifting set with $50 jewelry purchase - Children’s craft station - Henna Artist - Indian Sweets Table - Indian Garments & Sari Shop-in-Shop concept - Kids Activity Table (Make a Diwali Lantern) - Rangoli (Indian handmade art / Traditional Diwali ritual) Sari Sapne owners Jyothi Lulla, Ramesh Lulla with thier son Aakash Lulla at Macy’s Houston Galleria

- Friendship Bracelets & Bangles Souvenirs

Henna artist applying henna to a customer as part of Diwali celebrations at Macy’s Houston Galleria.

VOICE OF ASIA 8

DIWALI SPECIAL

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

ICC Nomination Form BoardForm of Directors Position ICC for Nomination for Board of Directors Position (Last date to receive applications: Nov. 22, 2019, Election: Dec. 1, 2019)

Election for Directors (9 positions for 2 year term) & Trustees (2 positions for 3 year term) For more information, visit www.icchoustontx.org

Section 1 --- to be completed by nominator --I nominate _________________________________ for the ICC Board of Director position Nominator: (Has to be a current ICC BOD or Trustee): BOD _____ Trustee _____ Name (print) _____________________________

Signature & date _________________________________

Date _____________________________

Address _________________________________

Email/Fax _____________________________

_________________________________

Section 2 --- to be completed by the person who Seconds ---

Seconded by:

Name (print) _____________________________

Signature & date _________________________________

Date _____________________________

Address _________________________________

Email/Fax _____________________________

_________________________________

Section 3 --- to be completed by nominee --I, _________________________________________________________ accept this nomination.

I agree to abide by the ICC Bylaws and will disclose any conflict of interest prior to the election.

Nominee: Name (print) _____________________________

Signature & date _________________________________

Date _____________________________

Address _________________________________

Email/Fax _____________________________

_________________________________

Are these three people related? If yes, explain how: ___________________________ Mail Nomination Form and a check in the amount of $25 to: Meera Kapur, Member, Election Committee, 1614 Coleridge St, Sugar Land, Texas 77479 and e-mail: meerak@prodigy.net

VOICE OF ASIA 9

DIWALI SPECIAL

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

VOICE OF ASIA 10

DIWALI SPECIAL

Earth and fire: India pottery village lights up for Diwali

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Houston St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church dedication and consecration

by Bhuvan Bagga

N

EW DELHI | AFP | Thursday 10/16/2019 - The narrow lanes of Kumhar Gram are buzzing with activity ahead of Diwali as generations of potters race to create clay decorations for customers across the country -- and beyond.

Known as the "Potter's Village", the settlement is home to around 500 families from India's traditional pottery community, who moved to the area half a century ago.

Their skills and artistry have made Kumhar Gram one of the most popular spots for earthenware in the nation but in the run up to Diwali -- October and November depending on when it falls -- the place transforms.

The streets throng with shoppers buying every type of clay decor from pots and lamps to flower vases and statues of Hindu gods and goddesses.

Rev. Dr. Joseph Marthoma Metropolitan,

by Saji Pullad Children colour earthen pots along a roadside, at Kumhar Gram (Potter’s Village) in New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP

Diwali, known as the "festival of lights", is a Sanskrit word meaning rows of lighted lamps. The "diya" oil lamps have traditionally been made out of clay and placed around a home during celebrations.

Potter Dinesh Kumar, like many others in the village, learnt about clay from his father and is now passing on the skills to his young children.

"I am teaching them the same way I learnt from my father, he learnt from his father and so on," Kumar tells AFP as he sat at a wheel with many fresh clay pots behind him.

Jagmohan, who only goes by one name, shares the process with his brothers, their wives, his parents and their children.

The 48-year-old sits at the wheel churning different types of pots, lamps and flower vases throughout the day, particularly in weeks leading up to the famed Festival of Lights.

One of his brothers carves designs on them, then the women of the family take the finished works to the roof, where they are left to dry under the sun.

Once dry, they are placed in a rooftop wood oven to bake.

The finished products are loaded onto rickshaws dotted around the congested pathways to be taken to nearby markets and other buyers.

The rickshaw drivers must carry their cargo while navigating the winding alleys filled with stacks of dry clay, finished or unfinished products, and people painting them.

At a market in the village, Sushil Panwar is buying decorations for his home as he gears up for the festivals.

"I have been coming here for a decade now. We take all clay decoration items for our home, like flower pots and earthen lamps from here," Panwar tells AFP. Besides him, his wife Pratibha holds their purchases which have been care-

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A Community message from Voice of Asia Group

H

OUSTON - The Consecration of the Sanctuary of the St.Thomas Marthoma Church, Houston and the dedication of the parsonage will be held at 10am on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 19445.

Cypress Church Road, cypress, Texas 77433. His. Grace. The most Rev. Dr. Joseph Marthoma Metropolitan, supreme head of the Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church will be the chief celebrant with Rt. Rev. Dr. Isaac Mar Philexinos Diocesan Episcopa, as the co-celebrant.

The senior Vicar General of the Mar Thoma Church, Very Rev. Dr. Cherian Thomas will also be present.

St.Thomas

Marthoma

Church,

Houston, the third and the newest Marthoma parish in the greater Houston area-came in to existence as a congregation in cypress, Texas on May 15, 2018. The Congregation steadily grew in membership to thirty families, and on July 1, 2019 the Holy Synod of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church recognized the congregation as a Marthoma Parish.

On July 22, 2019, The Church acquired four acres of land and a building in Cypress, Texas. The building is now converted to a Parish sanctuary and the renovation work is being completed for the consecration. The vicar, Rev. Saji Alby and secretary, John Thomas are humbly requesting the cooperation and sincere prayers of all for the successful implementation of this sacred project.

Diwali themed whatsapp stickers

"People come to us from across India and not just Delhi," he added.

In many households, entire families are involved in the steps to make the finished products.

Rt.Rev.Dr. Isaac Mar Philexinos Diocesan Episcopa

A potter makes a clay pot in his residence at Kumhar Gram (Potter's Village) in New Delhi. (Photo: AFP) fully wrapped in worn newspapers.

vendor Kumar Prajapati explains.

"People come here from all over India around festivals because the (clay) oil lamps here are special," market

He adds: "Whatever you need is available here... which you won't find anywhere else."

D

iwali is just around the corner and everyone is busy prepping for it in their own different ways. But the common thing that most of us do is send Diwali wishes to friends and family on WhatsApp. This time, instead of sending those Diwali wishes via

boring texts, try making it fun. You can wish Diwali to your loved ones by sending them creative WhatsApp stickers.

These stickers can be downloaded from third-party apps that are available in abundance on Play Store.

VOICE OF ASIA 11

DIWALI SPECIAL

Trump to celebrate Diwali at White House on October 24 “The United States has deep ties to the nation of India and I am grateful for my friendship with Prime Minister Modi,” he had said during 2018 Diwali celebrations.

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Texas Governor Greg Abbott hosts Diwali celebrations

Meanwhile, a U.S.-based non-profit social and cultural Hindu organisation celebrated Vijaya Dashami at 35 locations across America.

Over 7,000 youngsters, adults and children participated in these celebrations throughout the month of October, a media release issued by the organisation, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangha (HSS), said on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump participates in the Diwali ceremonial lighting of the Diya as India's Ambassador to the U.S. Navtej Sarna (right) looks on in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, U.S. on November 13, 2018. (Photo Credit: Reuters)

W

ASHINGTON:, Oct 22, 2019 - PTI - U.S. President Donald Trump will celebrate Diwali at the White House on Thursday, three days ahead of the formal celebrations of the festival of lights in India.

This would be Trump’s third Diwali celebrations at the White House, a tradition that began with his predecessor Barack Obama in 2009.

According to the White House, Trump will participate in the Diwali celebrations by lighting a ceremonial ‘diya’ (lamp) on Thursday.

No other details of the celebrations were immediately available.

Mr. Trump’s first Diwali celebrations at the White House was in his Oval Office in 2017 in the presence of a select group of Indian-American community leaders and members of his administration.

Last year, Mr. Trump invited the then Indian Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Singh Sarna, for the Diwali celebrations in the Roosevelt room.

Meanwhile, Diwali celebrations have already began in the US.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott celebrated Diwali on Saturday with the Indian-American community.

“We lit Diwali lamps on display in the Governor’s Mansion. We discussed Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi’s visit to Texas. We celebrated the victory of light over darkness,” he said in a tweet.

Republican Congressman from Texas Pete Olson also tweeted, “Celebrating Diwali at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.”

In 2017, after lighting the ceremonial ‘diya’, Trump hailed the Indian community’s contribution in different fields.

“You have made extraordinary contributions to art, science, medicine, business and education. America is especially thankful for its many Indian-American citizens who serve bravely in our armed forces and as first responders in communities throughout our great land,” he said.

Both in 2017 and 2018 Diwali celebrations, Mr. Trump referred to his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We need more of the universal values. I hope and pray that all of us subscribe to the idea of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) and that we must take care of the entire family all the time,” Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said in his address during a Vijaya Dashami function in Illinois.

The HSS celebrations include a “Sharirika Pradarshan” (a sports demonstration emphasising team spirit, synergy, cohesion and endurance).

In addition to yoga, Indian traditional games like kho-kho and kabaddi, followed by ‘Ghosh sanchalan’ (marching band) were also part of the celebrations.

“This year, Vijaya Dashami coincidentally falls between October 2 and November 12, the first marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the second the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev,” HSS-US president Vinod Ambastha said.

“Both Guru Nanak and Gandhiji drew inspiration from the same timeless ‘dharmika’ truth that recognises the divinity of all humanity. Their teachings of compassion, equality and service resonate loudly and clearly today. HSS members should reflect on these teachings as they continue to care for the welfare of all,” he said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Abbott, with Dr. Arun Verma and Mrs.Vinni Verma at the Governor's mansion in Austin.

A

USTIN- Texas Governor held Diwali celebrations at his mansion in Austin on Sunday the 20th . Oct. 2019 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

About 50 prominent Indian from various cities of Texas were invited to this celebration, which Dr. Arun Verma and Mrs. Verma also attended.

He talked about Diwali celebra-

tions at the Governor's mansion since he became Governor and the fact that he has two Diwali lamps on either side of the main fireplace which are lit each year in celebration of Diwali.

He lit these lamps in the presence of the guests and talked about the close bond that he has with Indians in Texas, and the bond that Texas has with India .

VOICE OF ASIA 12

DIWALI SPECIAL

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Fort Bend View

VOICE OF ASIA 13

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

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

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Join Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital in Fighting the Flu

S

UGAR LAND—(Oct. 17, 2019) — The muscle aches.

The fever. The tiredness. No one likes having the flu. If you do catch the bug, it’s important to know how to care for yourself. It’s also important to learn how the flu virus spreads and how it can be prevented.

People who catch the flu have different symptoms, but many complain of a fever, cough, muscle aches, headache and sore throat. Some adults feel better in a week or two, while others, including small children, the elderly and the chronically ill, may have a harder time recovering.

STOP FLU IN ITS TRACKS You can help guard yourself against the flu. “The best methods are getting a yearly flu vaccination and keeping your immune system healthy,” Ope said.

Get a flu shot. A flu shot can lower your risk of catching the virus. It’s best to get the shot by the end of October, before the flu season reaches its height. A flu shot is especially important for people at high risk for flu complications, including adults age 65 or older, children younger than age five, pregnant women and those with chronic health problems.

Steer clear of germs. Unfortunately, sick people don’t always keep their germs at home. You can help keep yourself flu-free by washing your

Asisat Ope, M.D.

hands frequently and following a healthy lifestyle. Carry hand sanitizer with you in case you can’t wash your hands right away after being around those who are showing signs of being sick. You may also want to use disinfecting wipes to wipe down surfaces or shopping carts when you’re out and about.

If you do get the flu, drink plenty of fluids. Your doctor can prescribe antiviral drugs that may make the illness milder and shorten the time you are sick if you go in right away.

If you have questions about the flu shot, talk to your doctor. To schedule an appointment with Asisat Ope, M.D. or another primary care physician at Houston Methodist Primary Care Group, visit houstonmethodist.org/ pcg/southwest or call 832.416.1678.

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

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Tel: 713-774-5140

H

OUSTON, October 21, 2019: Walking the Path of Charity Katy Premier League (KPL) successfully completed in grand style its annual Volleyball and Throwball Tournament. The Biggest Charity thru Sports event was conducted on October 11th and 12th, 2019 at Houston Sportsplex with firm resolve and dedication.

Games for many were conducted.

KPL is now the biggest IndoAmerican Charity Thru Sports Platform in USA with 58 Teams, 60 Corporate sponsors, and 600 players.

On Oct 12th, KPL Carnival included family event with various vendor booths, Bollywood dance, music and multiple games for Kids and Adults in a spectacular fashion. While Men’s volleyball included various levels - Pro, Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner, Throwball included Women and Teen teams.

Throwball KPL 2019 Champions/ Runners Teens - Cypress Rising Stars/AshaJyothi Women’s Advanced - Telfair Stars/ Shooting Stars Women’s Beginners - Telfair Risers/Memorial Warriors Men’s Volleyball Pro: Baltimore Cobras/Star Crushers Advanced: Austin Powers/Houston Panthers A Intermediate: Katy Dragons/Katy Whackers 2

L to R: Hari Rao , Vasu Parupudi , Kiran Manukonda, Amar Venkat, Jithender Reddy , Ford Bend County Commissioner KP George, with Fort Bend Sheriff's office representatives.

Beginners: Katy Boyz 2/Riverstone Raptors We are truly grateful for our sponsors who supported us and donated generously, also to the players who participated with enthusiasm and competed for every point. KPL provided a platform to network and bond with friends and family.

Chilling weather didn’t hinder the spectacular opening ceremony that attended by over 1,000 people, including Indian Film Actor Sud-

DEA to collect e-cigarette and vaping devices during FBISD'S annual drug take back event, Saturrday Oct. 26

F

ORT BEND ISD (October 22, 2019) – Fort Bend ISD will host its DEA National Drug Take Back event on Saturday, October 26 in the FBISD Adminis-

tration Building parking lot (16431 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land, 77479), from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will give community members an opportunity to dispose of expired

or unused medication they may have in their homes.

For the first time, vaping devices and cartridges are being accepted at the FBISD drop off site and other lo-

Custom manufacturer and Designer Houston . Mumbai . Hyderabad . Hongkong . Dubai

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713-524-3333 www.jiannajewelers.com

Section 2

Over $125,000 raised by charity thru sports

KPL that started 7 years ago with ‘Charity thru Sports’ as their motto to raise funds for local beneficiaries has grown leaps and bounds with staunch support from the community.

Over the years, KPL has raised and donated over 300 Thousand dollars.

In 2018, KPL donated over $100K to various beneficiaries. In 2019 KPL plans to donate over $125,000 to several beneficiaries including two individuals suffering from Brain cancer, GenYuva - an organization that rescues child beggars and several other local and international causes.

FLU BASICS “The influenza virus, more commonly known as the flu, is contagious and usually spreads through the air, by coughing, sneezing, talking or touching a contaminated surface,” said Asisat Ope, M.D., board-certified primary care physician with Houston Methodist Primary Care Group in Sugar Land.

www.voiceofasia.news

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

cations. It is important to note, items containing lithium ion batteries will not be accepted. If batteries cannot be removed prior to drop-off, individuals should consult with stores

heer Babu, former NBA star Rafer Alston, Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers were among several other dignitaries and local community leaders. The games were witnessed by over 1,500 local community members and several community leaders, public officials and political aspirants.

The Sporting Phase of KPL was finished on a grand scale showcasing the KPL Grandeur. The Charity phase and serving the community continues.

that recycle lithium ion batteries.

Learn more about proper disposal of e-cigarette and vaping devices.

To find additional Drug Take Back locations other than the FBISD site, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2

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www.voiceofasia.news

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Top writer sinks TV doctors myth: 'They're too busy to care'

by Fiachra GIBBONS

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ANNES, France | AFP | Wednesday 10/16/2019 Television medical dramas do not show how cynical and jaded doctors are in real life, doctor-turnedscriptwriting star Jed Mercurio said Wednesday.

The British showrunner behind such record-breaking hits as "The Bodyguard" and "Line of Duty" said the myth of the super-caring hospital doctor was a load of rot.

"A lot of medical dramas still work on the idea that someone comes into a very busy hospital, and alongside their medical problem, they receive a talking cure about their family and emotional problems from the doctors," Mercurio said.

But as "anyone who has ever been in hospital knows, they don't care and they don't have the time," he insisted as he received an award at MIPCOM, the world's biggest entertainment market, in the French Riviera resort of Cannes.

Mercurio said almost no one dares to portray "that cynicism that starts to infiltrate your work as a doctor when human suffering becomes quite banal to you.

"A lot of medical dramas still show doctors to be very idealistic, and very invested in the patient's wellbeing, not just in terms of the medical process."

- Police bosses 'in denial' The Emmy winner made his name with "Cardiac Arrest" -- voted the most realistic hospital drama by British medical professionals -- and "Bodies", which he adapted from his own novel.

Mercurio said he was prompted to start writing because dramas were "very unrepresentative of what was going on in our health service".

Netflix FYC Screening of 'Bodyguard', New York, USA - May 5, 2019 Jed Mercurio (Writer) But despite his efforts, the myth of the empathetic, idealistic doctor will not die.

in its medical branch, he became an anonymous adviser on the show and then began writing the scripts himself.

Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi during the trailer launch of upcoming Bollywood film 'Satellite Shankar', in Mumbai, on October 17, 2019. The Times Of India/Prashant Jadhav

"The Good Doctor" has become one of the most successful TV shows in the world, with versions of the original feelgood South Korean series the fourth most sold internationally, according to new figures from analysts at MIPCOM.

"I had never written in my life. It was not something that was open to people of my background," he added.

Satellite Shankar: Sooraj Pancholi plays a cheerful soldier, who saves the day

"The way that the medical profession was portrayed on TV played a big part in me choosing to be a doctor," said Mercurio, a miner's son whose family were Italian immigrants.

"I was seduced by the myth of the glamour and then found it was very different."

Mercurio, 53, was working as a hospital doctor when he replied to an advert in the British Medical Journal looking for a specialist to advise on the script of "Cardiac Arrest".

Having begun his career in aviation medicine in the RAF as a pilot officer

Mercurio said that when he was coming up with "Line of Duty", about a police anti-corruption unit, the British police force he approached said they "did not want to get involved with anything that showed police officers making mistakes."

He said top brass are obsessed with PR and in denial of problems within their forces.

"A lot of very senior police officers go on public platforms and say, 'We don't do the kind of things that are depicted in the show.'

"But we can produce news stories that show that not only did police do that, but they actually did it themselves," he added.

‘Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker’ runtime revealed, and it’s kind of insane

by Erik Kain

L

OS ANGELES - There’s been a flurry of new Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker news and content dropping over the past few days.

S

ooraj Pancholi is a soldier in his new film, Satellite Shankar, directed by Irfan Kamal.

The trailer, which released on Thursday, and marks the Bollywood debut of South Indian actress Megha Akash.

The film begins with Pancholi, a cheerful soldier stationed at the border, caught in a crossfire. He tells the Pakistani troops at the other side in Punjabi, "Relax, you morons! We just had dinner. Don't you have something better to do?"

All he wants to do is visit his hometown, Pollachi, in Tamil Nadu. When

he finally gets the permission, he ends up involved in busting one problem after the another. The people he rescues are quick to realise that he is a soldier, who is using his time off to do the good deeds, and unite to get him back home as quickly as possible.

According to a press release, the film is "a beautiful tale of an army man on the journey of self discovery while exploring the beauty of the country."

Satellite Shankar has been shot at 10 locations across India.

-First Post

Ghosts of Sugar Land documentary now showing on Netflix

We have the new trailer, for one thing. And tickets just went on sale, so you might want to get on that if you want opening weekend seats.

And now that tickets are on sale we can confirm the runtime of Episode 9: 155 minutes–that is, two hours and 35 minutes.

That’s . . . very long, especially for a Star Wars film. In fact, it’s the longest Star Wars film ever, clocking in at three minutes longer than 2017’s The Last Jedi Here’s every Star Wars film’s runtime, from shortest to longest, for some perspective: A New Hope – 121 minutes The Empire Strikes Back — 124 minutes Return of the Jedi — 131 minutes Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — 133 minutes Solo: A Star Wars Story — 135 minutes The Phantom Menace — 136 minutes The Force Awakens — 138 minutes Revenge of the Sith — 140 minutes Attack of the Clones — 142 minutes The Last Jedi — 152 minutes Rise of Skywalker – 155 minutes This means that Rise Of Skywalker is 34 minutes longer than the shortest

Star Wars film, A New Hope.

I honestly thought that after audience complaints about the length (and pacing) of The Last Jedi, that Disney and LucasFilm and director JJ Abrams would strip back Episode 9 to something more manageable in the two hour range.

Then again, I suspect that this film will have fewer pacing issues than the last. I liked The Last Jedi, but there’s

no doubt that it fumbled the pacing at times, especially in the casino subplot.

Abrams, however, tends to do pacing quite well–even, at times, a little too brisk for my liking. I imagine Episode 9 will feel shorter than Episode 8, even if its runtime is just a hair longer.

Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th. I can’t wait.

- Forbes Entertainment News

www. voiceofasia.news

GHOSTS OF SUGAR LAND: Suburban Muslims have to learn to live with the consequences of a close friend's actions.

Initial release: 2019

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

Director: Bassam Tariq Music composed by: Forest Swords Cinematography: Jake Saner Producers: Bassam Tariq, Farihah Zaman Screenplay: Bassam Tariq, Thomas Niles Shocked when their friend embraces extremism, a group of Muslim Americans in Texas recount their time with him and theories about his fate.

LEGAL

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

www.voiceofasia.news

5 Things You Need to Know About Modifications in Texas

Mala Sharma

P

arents may want to modify change the amount of child support ordered and or child custody (to change the primary residence of the child or to change from a prior decree or mediated settlement agreement.

However, there are certain requirements needed in order to do this: 1) A parent must show a material, substantial, and continuing change of circumstances.

The burden to prove this test is upon the person who desires to change the decree.

Circumstances that would necessitate a modification include moving to another state, significant changes in income, and change of health insurance coverage, problems relating to the care of the children including psychological, medical, and educational.

Other circumstances to modify include a parent losing their job, has another child, or has a pay increase.

2) Parents usually have to wait 1 year in order to modify child custody from an original order or mediated settlement agreement and must show a Material and Substantial change of circumstances.

In order for a court to consider modifying the child’s primary residence less than one year from the time of the original order, the parent must show that

3) In order to modify child support, a parent, typically, may only modify child support after 3 years from the original order and the parent must show the monthly support differs by $100.00 or either $20% from the amount in the original order. However, if the parent can show that the circumstances for either the children or parent have materially and substantially changed, such as a job, salary increase, children’s needs, then a parent may request a modification of child support before the 3 years from the original order.

4) You must collect all proof and evidence to support your case. This includes taking pictures, writing down a timeline of events in your calendar, children’s school records, and health records. The requesting parent must strive to be the best parent once a modification has been filed, which includes: taking much interest and being active in the child(ren’s) school activities, school projects, after-school activities, sports, family and friend activities, supportive and thoughtful of college goals and other future goals, being on time with any child support payments, not missing any designated custody and visitation periods, getting the child(ren) to school and other activities on time, etc. All such efforts should

be heavily documented through pictures, written records, and witnesses.

This model behavior is critical in order to increase the possibility of achieving the modification. A Court will use this behavior to make a determination of the modification.

5) Don’t face the modification battle, alone.

Please contact a qualified attorney to help you as these are very difficult battles to pursue.

About the Author: Mala Sharma has been practicing family law and personal injury with her family at the Law Offices of Sharma & Associates, founded in 1997 with over 42 years of combined experience.

Mala is a Board of Advocates for the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, ViceChair of the American Bar Association GP Solo YLD, member of the Houston Bar Association, President Emeritus of the Houston Northwest Bar Association, and prior board member of the South Asian Bar Association.

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

How tech companies measure ‘legal’ How good is your lawyer? It’s hard to tell.

I

n a working environment obsessed with metrics dashboards, key performance indicators, and objectives and key results, the legal function presents an elusive target. Compared to sales, marketing and product, “legal” in a growing tech company can seem an inaccessible alchemy of risk, contracting and policy.

But interviews with general counsels at tech companies and a survey conducted by TechGC — a private community of top lawyers at technology companies across the United States — reveal how innovative in-house attorneys measure both productivity and quality and position their teams as central to advancing enterprise-wide goals.

- The Status Quo Legal lags behind other departments in the metrics game. While more than three-

quarters of general counsels surveyed said their companies collected regular, departmentspecific metrics, only 29% indicated that the metrics regime extended to the legal department.

Many point to the unpredictable and reactive nature of a GC’s work as a key barrier to collecting informative metrics.

As Sarah Feingold, former general counsel at Etsy and Vroom, explains, “if there’s a dispute or there’s an employment issue, everything else drops.” Absent an established operating history against which to measure, it can be hard to identify trends and put those disputes in context. “I could say, ‘oh we didn’t get sued this quarter,’ but that’s not necessarily so indicative of my performance as the general counsel,” adds Katherine Hooker, Head of Legal at Greenhouse.

- Productivity & Quality Faced with these challenges, many general counsels first turn to a “goal cadence” — a set of time-bound, objectively measurable goals against which to report progress. Goal Cadences come in many forms including “Objectives and Key Results [OKRs],” “Management by Objective [MBOs],” and “Goals/Signals/Metrics [GSMs].”

Measuring outputs and productivity has its rewards, as Colin Sullivan, head of legal at Patreon explains. “When you measure, there are two purposes: one is to improve and the other is to demonstrate the value you are providing to the company.” Many GCs stressed the power of metrics collection and presentation as key in characterizing how the company at large viewed the legal department.

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YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

Family Law:

the child’s current environment will endanger or significantly impact their emotional and physical health.

If one is seeking to change a geographic restriction from the prior order, then a showing of extraordinary circumstances must be proven.

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

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE PROPOSED NEW RULE RELATING TO PUBLIC CHARGE – PART III

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Q: Does this mean that if my wife now files for her adjustment of status post October 15th, 2019, she will not be subjected to this rule? I am a US Citizen and I wish to file a petition for her and she will file for her adjustment of status.

Q: What is the status of the new rule relating to public charge which was due to be implemented on October 15th, 2019?

A: On October 11th, 2019, three Federal Judge in New York temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing their new rule relating to public charge which would effectively link immigrants’ receipt of legal status if they had used public benefits for more than 12 months within any three year period or are likely to use public benefits in the future. The temporary injunction stops the Trump administration from enforcing the rule as well as to stay the effective date of its implementation which was to take effect on October 15th, 2019. This is the notification on the USCIS’ website pertaining to this. ALERT: Judges before U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York (PDF (PDF)), Northern District of California (PDF (PDF)), Eastern District of Washington (PDF (PDF)), Northern District of Illinois (PDF (PDF)), and District of Maryland (PDF) (PDF) have ordered that DHS cannot implement and enforce the final rule on the public charge ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a) (4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The court orders also postpone the effective date of the final rule until there is final resolution in the cases. Most of the injunctions are nationwide, and prevent USCIS from implementing the rule anywhere in the United States.

Until final decisions in these cases are issued or the injunctions are lifted, USCIS will only accept the version of this form that is available on this landing page. We will reject any other version of this form and will notify you to submit your benefit request on the correct form.

If we reject your benefit request, you will not keep your filing date.

A: Yes, that is correct.

Just make sure when she files her Form I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status, the application is accompanied by an Affidavit of Support which shows sufficient income. If your income is insufficient, please also provide an Affidavit of Support from a Joint Sponsor.

Q: My mother will be having her interview for her Immigrant Visa at the US Consulate next month. I had Petitioned for her and I am worried about this new public charge rule. My understanding is the injunction only applies to adjustment of status to permanent residence cases in the United States. Does this rule now only affect applicants who are applying for Immigrant Visas (for permanent residents) from the US Consulates? My mother has good health and she speaks English and has never been on public benefits.

A: On October 11, 2019, Department of State (DOS) published an interim final rule that amends 22 CFR 40.41, Ineligibility Based on Public Charge Grounds, to add certain definitions, including definitions of public charge, public benefit, alien's household, and receipt of public benefit. However, on October 15, 2019, DOS announced that “visa applicants are not requested to take any additional steps at this time and should attend their visa interviews as scheduled. The Department is seeking approval for use of a new form before it implements any changes to our processes. We will inform applicants of any changes to current visa application procedures.” Please note that last year in January 2018, the Department of

State (DOS) had already revised their Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) to instruct consular officers to consider a wider range of public benefits when determining whether visa applicants who have received or are currently receiving benefits are inadmissible on public charge grounds.

In August, 2019, Politico reported about the increase in Immigrant Visa denials based on individuals determined as ‘likely to become dependent on government benefits’. According to Politico, the number of public charge denials for applicants from all nations also increased during the past year. In your mother’s case, provided there is an affidavit of support and the requirements are satisfied and your mother is in good health, and has never received any kind of public benefits in the past, she should not have any problems with the public charge ground of inadmissibility.

Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case. Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case.

My Bio Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration Lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court.

If you require advice or assistance, you may contact her at telephone number 713-623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Read more articles on legal issues by our columnists Visit : www. voiceofasiaonline.com

Sharlene Sharmila Richards Attorney at Law

www.richardsimmigration.com E-mail: srichardslaw@aol.com

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Section 2

Young Life

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130 million children under five have died since 2000

www.voiceofasia.news

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Tel: 713-774-5140

Katy ISD Awarded 19 of the 25 Best Elementary Schools in the Houston-area

The early childhood death toll exceeded 130 million for the first two decades of the 21st century

by Marlowe HOOD

P

ARIS, France | AFP | 10/16/2019 - More than 15,000 children under five die each day in the developing world, with huge disparities in death rates between and within countries, according to a detailed assessment of childhood mortality released Wednesday.

From 2000 to the end of 2017, 123 million newborns, infants and toddlers perished in 99 low- and middle-income countries that account for more than 90 percent of under-five deaths, the study found.

Adding preliminary figures for 2018 -- along with nations not included in the tally such as China, Mexico, Brazil and Malaysia -- the early childhood death toll will exceed 130 million for the first two decades of the 21st century, researchers told AFP. The main cause of death varied depending on age, a consortium of several hundred experts reported in the journal Nature.

the US state of Washington.

"We need to enable precise targeting of interventions, such as vaccines," he said in a statement.

"Our findings provide a platform for nations' health ministers, clinicians, and others to make focused improvements in health systems."

Globally, under-five mortality has declined by almost half since 2000, from nearly 10 million to 5.4 million in 2017.

While comprehensive data for 2018 if not yet in, the total is likely "over five million," the authors said.

- Rwanda a model Progress made by some countries over the last 18 years shows that goals of reducing mortality are within reach.

In Rwanda, for example, the highest district-level rate of child death in 2017 was less than half that of the lowest district-level death rate in 2000. Expanding access to health insurance and boosting the number

Keiko Davison Elementary

K

ATY [October 22, 2019] – For the second year in a row, Katy Independent School District continues to dominate Niche’s list of the best Houston-area public elementary schools. Katy ISD has not only been identified as the number one school district in the greater Houston area, but it’s elementary schools earned 19 of the top 25 spots on the national research and review organization’s “2020 Best Public Elementary Schools in the Houston area” list.

This is up from last year, where the District had 16 of the top 25 elementary schools on the list.

10 Hayes Elementary School

“I am extremely proud of our teachers, staff and entire school community for the work and planning they put in everyday to ensure each of our 83,000 students have access to unparalleled learning experiences across our 66 campuses,” said Dr. Ken Gregorski, Superintendent of Katy ISD. “It is their diligence and hard work that makes these schools and our district excellent.”

18 James E. Randolph Elementary School

11 Roosevelt Alexander Elementary School 12 Bonnie Holland Elementary School 13 Jenks Elementary School 14 Michael L. Griffin Elementary School 15 Roberta Wright Rylander Elementary School 17 Ray & Jamie Wolman Elementary School

19 Joella Exley Elementary School 24 Ursula Stephens Elementary School 25 James E. Williams Elementary School

Ranking: 2020 Best Public Elementary Schools in the Houston Area – Katy ISD Campuses 1 Keiko Davidson Elementary School 2 Hazel S. Pattison Elementary School 3 Stanley C. Stanley Elementary School 4 Fred & Patti Shafer Elementary School 5 Tom Wilson Elementary School 7 Sue Creech Elementary School 8 Woodcreek Elementary School 9 Odessa Kilpatrick Elementary School

More than 15,000 children under five die each day in the developing world, with huge disparities in death rates between and within countries

Premature birth was the biggest killer of infants under one. Two-tofour year olds were more likely to succumb to malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, and lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia.

- Precise targeting The chance of a newborn or toddler dying varied up to ten-fold between nations, and up to 40-fold between regions.

In 2017, for example, only four children in 1,000 in Santa Clara, Cuba failed to reach their fifth birthday. But in the district of Garki, Nigeria an estimated 195 of every 1,000 children born did not cross that threshold.

"It is as reprehensible as it is tragic that, on average, nearly 15,000 children under age five die every day," said senior author Simon Hay, director of the Local Burden of Disease group at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in

of health workers in poor districts contributed to that outcome.

Narrowing the inequality gap within Nepal and Peru also led to lower mortality among the youngest citizens in those nations.

"Providing access to medical treatment is just one element," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Chile Michelle Bachelet said in a comment, also in Nature.

"The factors that contribute to deaths come down to failures to treat broader ills: poverty, disempowerment, discrimination and injustice."

"Tackling child mortality requires efforts across all government functions," she added.

The new study is the first to break mortality statistics down to the subregional levels -- 17,554 districts across 99 nations.

Stanley Elementary

Meghan Markle is pretty in purple at One Young World Summit

by Elana Fishman

L

ONDON, October 22, 2019 - Meghan Markle once again shopped her own closet for her latest royal appearance, picking a style she previously wore while pregnant with baby Archie.

The Duchess of Sussex, 38, attended the opening ceremony for the One Young World Summit at Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday, where she glowed in a vibrant violet Aritzia Babaton “Maxwell” dress.

Markle debuted the purple midi-length sheath back in January when she was around six months pregnant, layering it with an equally bold red Sentaler wrap coat for an official visit to Birkenhead with Prince Harry.

This time around, she went with navy suede pumps and long, loose waves for a more formal feel.

The duchess’ involvement with One Young World, an organization that aims to empower young leaders, predates her induction into the royal family.

She served as a Counsellor at the 2014 summit in Dublin, where she gave a speech about women’s rights and gender bias, and also attended the 2016 event in Ottawa.

- Page Six

Each year, Niche (a research and review organization for K-12 schools) assesses school districts from across the country. The rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics, reviews from students and parents, as well as data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, student-teacher ratio, student diversity, teacher quality, grade school ratings, and the overall quality of the school district.

Founded in 1919, the Katy Independent School District recently celebrated a century of legacy, as a leader in educational excellence. The District is a flourishing suburban school district that encompasses 181 square miles in southeast Texas, housing over 70 campuses, and serving 83,000+ students.

Recently, Katy ISD earned an “A” overall district rating from the Texas Education Agency, an “A+” Niche Best School Districts, and an “A” from the Texas Schools Financial Accountability Rating System of Texas (FIRST).

Family Health

VOICE OF ASIA 17

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Scientists shed light on how brains turn pain up or down

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Wednesday 10/15/2019 - Pain perception is essential for survival, but how much something hurts can sometimes be amplified or suppressed: for example, soldiers who sustain an injury in battle often recall not feeling anything at the time.

Studying mice, Carrasquillo and her colleagues found that the activity in neurons that express protein kinase C-delta amplified pain, while neurons that express somatostatin inhibited the chain of activity in the nerves required to communicate pain.

The central amygdala isn't completely responsible for pain itself: if it were removed en-

T

he standard premium for Medicare Part B is $135.50/month for 2019, but it’s projected to increase to $144.30/month in 2020 (this won’t be finalized until the fall of 2020)

Pain perception is essential for survival, but how much something hurts can sometimes be amplified or suppressed. (Photo: AFP) tirely, then "the 'ouch' of things, or the protective pain, would remain intact," said Carrasquillo.

"It seems to be sitting there waiting for something to happen," for example responding to stress or anxiety that amplifies pain, or being forced to focus on a task that diverts your attention and reduces pain.

Experiencing pain can be a vital warning to seek help, for example in a person experiencing appendicitis or a heart attack.

People who are born with in-

sensitivity to pain, meanwhile, often do not realize the severity of injuries and are at greater risk of early death.

But not all pain is useful. According to a 2012 survey, about 11 percent of US adults have pain every day and more than 17 percent have severe levels of pain.

Often this leads to dependence on potent painkillers like opioids, or attempting to self-medicate through counterfeit or illicit drugs which are increasingly laced with deadly fentanyl.

by Cecil Morella

"Parents believe that filling their children's stomach is the most important thing. They don't really think about an adequate intake of protein, calcium or fibre," Hasbullah Thabrany, a public health expert in Indonesia, told AFP. UNICEF said the harm done to children is both a symptom of past deprivation and a predictor of future poverty, while iron deficiency impairs a child's ability to learn and raises a woman's risk of death during or shortly after childbirth.

To give some sense of scale to the problem, Indonesia had 24.4 million children under five last year, while the Philippines had 11 million and Malaysia 2.6 million, UNICEF data show.

Mueni Mutunga, UNICEF Asia nutrition specialist, traced the trend back to families ditching traditional diets for affordable, accessible and easyto-prepare "modern" meals.

"Noodles are easy. Noodles are cheap. Noodles are quick and an easy substitute for what should have been a balanced diet," she told AFP. - 'Poverty is key' The noodles, which cost as little as 23 US cents a packet in Manila, are low on essential nutrients and micronutrients like iron and are also proteindeficient while having high fat and salt content, Mutunga added.

Indonesia was the world's

The Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) is expected to be about 1.6 percent for 2020, which will increase the average retiree’s total benefit by about $23/ month. That’s more than enough to cover the roughly $9 increase in premiums for Part B, which means that the premium increase is likely to apply to nearly all Part B enrollees.

If a Social Security recipient’s COLA isn’t enough to cover the full premium increase for Part B, that person’s Part B premium can only increase by the amount of the COLA. Part B Deductible.

For 2019, however, it increased to $185. And for 2020, it’s projected to increase to $197, although the exact amount won’t be finalized until the fall of 2019.

Part A premiums, deductible, and coinsurance Medicare Part A covers hospitalization costs. For most enrollees, there’s no premium for Part A. But people who don’t have 40 quarters of work history (or a spouse with 40 quarters of work history) must pay premiums for Part A coverage.

M

In those three nations, an average of 40 percent of children aged five and below are malnourished, higher than the global average of one-in-three, according to a report out Tuesday from UNICEF, the UN children's agency.

Tel: 713-774-5140

How Medicare Premium and Deductibles are Changing in 2020 Part B premiums

High on ease, low on nutrition: instant-noodle diet harms Asian kids ANILA, Philippines | AFP | Tuesday 10/14/2019 - A diet heavy on cheap, modern food like instant noodles that fills bellies but lacks key nutrients has left millions of children unhealthily thin or overweight in southeast Asia, experts say.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia have booming economies and rising standards of living, yet many working parents do not have the time, money or awareness to steer clear of food hurting their kids.

There are several changes for Medicare enrollees in 2020:

A new study published in Cell Reports honed in on the brain circuitry responsible for upgrading or downgrading these pain signals, likening the mechanism to how a home thermostat controls room temperature.

Yarimar Carrasquillo, the paper's senior author and a scientist for the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), told AFP the region responsible was the central amygdala, which according to her work appeared to play a dual role.

www.voiceofasia.news

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Those premiums have trended upwards over time,

Instant noodles are low on essential nutrients and micronutrients like iron and are also protein-deficient while having high fat and salt content, experts say. (Photo: AFP/File) second-biggest consumer of instant noodles, behind China, with 12.5 billion servings in 2018, according to the World Instant Noodles Association.

The figure is more than the total consumed by India and Japan put together.

Nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy, fish and meat are disappearing from diets as the rural population moves to the cities in search of jobs, the UNICEF report said.

considered middle-income countries by World Bank measures, tens of millions of their people struggle to make enough money to live.

although they’re lower in 2019 than they were in 2010.

They’re projected to increase in 2020, however: The premium for people with 30+ (but less than 40) quarters of work history is projected to be $253/month in 2020, up from $240/month in 2019.

And for people with fewer than 30 quarters of work history, the premium for Part A is projected to be $460/ month in 2020, up from $437/month in 2019 (these numbers are from the Medicare Trustees’ 2019 report, the exact amounts will be published by CMS in the fall of 2019).

Part A has a deductible that applies to each benefit period (rather than a calendar year deductible like Part B or private insurance plans), and it generally increases each year. In 2019 it is $1,364, but it’s projected to increase to $1,420 in 2020. The increase in the Part A deductible will apply to all enrollees, although many enrollees have supplemental coverage that pays all or part of the Part A deductible.

The Part A deductible covers the enrollee’s first 60 inpatient days during a benefit period. If the enrollee needs additional inpatient coverage during that same benefit period, there’s a daily coinsurance charge. In 2019, it’s $341 per day for the 61st through 90th day of inpatient care, and that’s projected to increase to $355 in 2020.

The coinsurance for lifetime reserve days is $682 per day in 2019, and that’s projected to increase to $710 in 2020.

"Poverty is the key issue," said T. Jayabalan, a public health expert in Malaysia, adding that households where both parents work need quickly made meals.

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900

For care received in skilled nursing facilities, the first 20 days are covered with the Part A deductible that was paid for the inpatient hospital stay that preceded the stay in the skilled nursing facility (Medicare only covers skilled nursing facility care if the patient had an inpatient hospital stay of at least three days before being transferred to a skilled nursing facility). But there’s a coinsurance that applies to days 21 through 100 in a skilled nursing facility. In 2019, it’s $170.50 per day, and that’s projected to increase to $177.50 per day in 2020.

All of these projections are on page 188 of the 2019 Medicare Trustees’ Report; CMS will confirm the official amounts in the fall of 2019 Source: Medicare source org To enroll in 2020 Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplement Plans, or Medicare Prescription Plans contact contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900.

Low-income households in Malaysia depend largely on ready-made noodles, sweet potatoes and soya-based products as their major meals.

3222 Mercer St. | Houston, TX 77027 | (713) 623-0005

Though the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are all

Juul suspends US sales of some flavored e-cigarettes

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Thursday 10/17/2019 - The leading American maker of electronic cigarettes, Juul Labs, announced Thursday it is suspending sales of some flavored vaping products in the United States, as the US government prepares a nationwide ban.

Juul will stop selling mango, cream, fruit and cucumber flavored pods, while federal health authorities finalize new regulations on vaping, Juul said in a statement. Its tobacco, menthol and mint-flavored products will still be available.

"We must reset the vapor category by earning the trust of society and working cooperatively with regulators, policymakers and stakeholders to combat underage use while providing an alternative to adult smokers," Juul CEO CK Crosthwaite said.

The debate over regulating e-cigarettes comes amid a mysterious epidemic of lung conditions linked to vaping that has claimed the lives of at least 33 people in 24 states.

The latest tally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the number

of confirmed or probable lung injury cases at 1,479 as of October 15.

THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, was involved in more than three quarters of cases in which patients reported using e-cigarettes in the three months prior to their injuries.

E-cigarettes have soared in popularity among young people since they were introduced about a decade ago, according to multiple surveys.

The industry defends vaping as a healthier alternative to cigarettes that can help people quit smoking. But lawmakers around the country, and overseas, are seeking to impose total or partial bans.

President Donald Trump's administration has chosen the path of barring flavored e-cigarettes, including the popular mint and menthol flavors.

Health Secretary Alex Azar announced plans for a ban in September. The text has not been made public yet but will soon be, according to the Federal Drug Administration, which is responsible for regulating tobacco and e-cigarettes.

HEALING FOR YOUR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL BODY

Ayurvedic Consultation, Herbal Treatments and Therapeutic Oil Massage Houston Ayurveda Center | www.houstonayurveda.com | info@houstonayurveda.com

VOICE OF ASIA 18

Section 2

Senior Living

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

What every family needs to know about Parkinson's Disease

www.voiceofasia.news

D

As his condition progressed, Doug would regularly scan the environment outside his home, looking people up and down, as if assessing their potential to do harm. At the senior center, he was concerned that the water was poisoned and that the staff was antagonistic toward him.

He couldn’t be convinced that his beliefs were untrue.

Doug was experiencing hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease, symptoms that around 50 percent of people with Parkinson’s may experience over the course of their disease, according to a study published in the Lancet Neurology.

The onset of non-movement symptoms, like hallucinations and delusions, can impact both the person with Parkinson’s and

their caregiver’s quality of life.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Parkinson and Movement Disorder Alliance (PMDA), 90 percent of people with Parkinson’s (or their caregivers) reported experiencing non-movement symptoms associated with Parkinson’s and nearly half felt these were harder to live with than movement symptoms. Further, of those reporting non-movement symptoms, most said they had a significant negative impact on sleeping (60 percent), planning for future events (55 percent) and partner intimacy (53 percent).

Non-movement symptoms aren’t reported to physicians often. Only 10-20 percent of those experiencing hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s proactively report it to their health care providers. Some may not connect the symptoms to Parkinson’s, or feel embarrassed to discuss it, but doctors say these nonmotor symptoms can potentially be addressed and caregivers play an important role in this process.

“A person with Parkinson’s may not understand that certain images they see or beliefs they hold aren’t true, making input from caregivers on their loved one’s day-to-day behavior critical to helping their doc-

tor address these aspects of the disease,” says Dr. Neal Hermanowicz, M.D., director, UC Irvine Movement Disorders Program.

Indeed, caregivers are two to four times more likely than people with Parkinson’s to recognize the presence of hallucinations and delusions, according to the PMDA survey.

Debbie felt compelled to share Doug’s symptoms with his movement disorder specialist when he began accusing her of infidelity, a commonly reported delusion among those with Parkinson’s.

“I’m glad that I told Doug’s doctor about his visions and beliefs. It was reassuring to learn that many people with Parkinson’s experience these and other non-motor symptoms, and realize that I’m not alone in trying to cope with them,” says Debbie. “I recommend all families seek that support.”

If you believe your loved one is experiencing hallucinations or delusions as a result of Parkinson’s disease, talk to their neurologist and learn more at MoretoParkinsons.com.

You can also find support through a Parkinson’s disease organization, many of which include support for caregivers.

- StatePoint

PHOTO SOURCE: (c) monkeybusinessimages / iStock via Getty Images Plus

A

s America’s opioid epidemic continues to impact communities large and small, new trends are raising new challenges for doctors and policymakers.

While opioid-related overdose remains a top concern, the epidemic is now driven by illicitly manufactured fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drugrelated overdoses, according to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the bulk of which were from illegal drugs.

over the past five years.

specific actions:

When it comes to helping patients with substance use disorder lead satisfying, productive lives, the science shows what works: medication prescribed by a physician or dispensed at special opioid treatment centers, combined with behavioral counseling and other services.

• Patients and physicians should have conversations about safe storage and disposal of opioids and all medications; and increase access to the opioid overdose reversal medication, naloxone, to patients at risk of overdose.

Since its founding in 2014, the American Medical Association (AMA) Opioid Task Force has sought ways that practicing physicians could play a role in helping end the epidemic. The task force’s recommendations include urging physicians to enhance their education, as well as advocate for comprehensive care for patients in pain, and for those with a substance use disorder.

“The opioid crisis today is a national tragedy that requires the same resolve we have mustered for other public health epidemics. Those with substance use disorders deserve no less,” says AMA president, Dr. Patrice A. Harris. “Most people agree we need access to treatments that include medication.

Unfortunately, that’s not readily available for many patients, and this epidemic will not be reversed until we deal with access issues and stigma associated with opioid misuse.”

Perhaps thanks in part to these efforts, more than 700,000 physicians and other health care providers took courses related to opioids in 2018. What’s more, between 2013 and 2018, the number of opioid prescriptions decreased by more than 80 million -- a 33 percent decrease nationally -- with every state individually decreasing opioid prescriptions

Senior living community to emulate 1920s with paid actors, opulent amenities

by Tim Regan

world,” he explained. “That includes even VIP reservations somewhere in Paris, provided you’re willing to foot the bill for that.”

A

forthcoming senior living community hopes to transport residents to the Roaring Twenties with a slate of amenities that includes actors in top hats and coat tails, Cadillac shuttling services and possibly even access to private jets.

The property, dubbed The Grand Royale, is coming together in the Kansas City suburb of Gladstone, Missouri. As planned, the community will have 34 units for independent living, 43 assisted living units and 28 units for skilled nursing residents. It’s currently on track to welcome its first independent living residents next month, with the rest arriving by the end of the year.

Urbane Healthcare, a senior living and skilled nursing provider headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is the company behind The Grand Royale.

Urbane has one other property, a farm-style senior living and skilled nursing community in Puryear, Tennessee, called The Farms at Puryear.

At The Grand Royale, amenities for residents include a theater, multiple dining venues, a barbershop and beauty parlor, billiards, a five-and-dime store and a children’s play area — all carrying 1920s-themed names and designs. The community will also have some relatively unique offerings, such as a speakeasy-style bar, lavishly dressed paid actors and, for

All of the community’s residents will also receive an Apple Watch meant to monitor for falls, track heart rates and prompt movement and exercise.

The planned foyer (Image: Urbane Healthcare) residents who are willing to pay for it, rides in Cadillacs and possibly private jets on demand.

The community’s design will also help conjure that period in time. In creating The Grande Royale, Urbane gutted a shuttered skilled nursing facility and redeveloped it into a property with art deco-inspired design features. The community’s $13 million development costs were funded by private investors.

The overarching idea is to emulate the opulence of the 1920s, according to Urbane Healthcare CEO Daniel Stockdale.

“With the ‘20s coming back up upon us, it was an opportunity to put our own spin on what we imagined life was like back then,” Stockdale told Se-

nior Housing News. “Even our door greeter is going to have a top hat, coat tails and all. He or she is going to be a paid actor who is there to entertain guests.”

Residents can pay for three levels of care and services: “silver,” an all-inclusive package starting at $3,000 per month; “gold” for $5,000; and “diamond” for $10,000 per month.

At the highest end of that range, residents will have access to a private concierge service meant to offer them “anything they want,” Stockdale said. Other perks at that level include a personal shopper and a chauffeured luxury vehicle.

“We’re also entertaining partnerships with a couple companies that provide jets, and a few others, to make sure our concierge can get our residents … anywhere they want in the

Tel: 713-774-5140

Confronting the opioids epidemic in our communities

PHOTO SOURCE: (c) Monkey Business / stock.Adobe.com ebbie, 63, and Doug Chambers, 72, had always been a social couple, enjoying travel, dinners with friends and going to the movies. But their active lifestyle began to change in 2016 when Doug’s gait became slower and he had difficulty concentrating. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease soon thereafter.

There was a learning curve as Debbie and Doug adapted to managing this disease, especially with the onset of unexpected non-movement symptoms.

The Grand Royale represents a new focus on hospitality and entertainment for Urbane. The community’s activities and programming budget will likely be at least $5,000 per month, which is much larger than the $500 to $1,000 a month other similar communities budget for activities, Stockdale said.

But focusing on hospitality is necessary, as it’s what the baby boomers will want as they move into senior housing en masse over the next decade, he added.

“Clinical excellence is a requirement, and that’s nothing new,” Stockdale said. “But, we’re also in the hospitality and entertainment business, and we have a long-term resident who doesn’t want to be bored for the next 10 or 15 years.”

Stockdale sees the potential to develop, acquire or manage senior living communities all over the U.S., with The Grand Royale serving as a proof of concept. So far, Stockdale has identified 26 sites for future growth.

- Senior Housing News

Despite certain positive trends and clear science, of the 20.3 million people nationwide with a substance use disorder, 90 percent receive no treatment, according to federal officials.

The AMA stresses that while doctors are leading in areas where they can have an influence, they cannot end the epidemic alone. To combat the issue at the state and national level, the organization has issued a national “roadmap” to policymakers focused on these

• Insurance providers should remove barriers that prevent patients from obtaining affordable medication-assisted treatment combined with counseling.

• Policymakers and regulators should enforce laws that require mental health benefits to be on par with other health benefits, thereby broadening access to treatment related to mental health and substance use disorders.

• Health insurance providers and pharmacy benefit managers should ensure patient access to affordable, non-opioid pain care.

To learn more about efforts to end the opioid epidemic, visit end-opioid-epidemic.org.

“There are many reasons to be optimistic,” says Dr. Harris.

“However, much work remains to be done so that patients can access needed pain treatment, while addressing and alleviating substance use disorders.”

- StatePoint

4 Ideas for Becoming a Lifelong Learner

O

ctober is National Learning and Development Month, a time set aside for broadening one’s personal and professional skills.

Here are four cool ideas for marking the occasion: • Learn to Dance: Dance is a beautiful art form offering opportunities to immerse yourself in different cultures and musical genres. There’s also evidence that taking up dance can boost mental and physical health, reduce stress and even improve memory.

From ballet to ballroom to salsa to swing, there’s a dance style for everyone.

So, consider taking that first step of learning the steps.

• Play Piano: Playing the piano helps develop motor skills and improves cognitive learning. Now, thanks to new tools, you can develop your musical skills faster. Using the Casio Tone LK-S250 keyboard’s Key Lighting System, which features a voice-guided step-up lesson system, you can quickly learn its 60 built-in songs and sound great in no time.

• Take a Writing Course: From email correspondence to meeting agendas to thank you notes, you are likely doing at least a little writing in your daily life. But is your message clear? You don’t need to have designs on writing the next great American novel to benefit from tightening your prose.

A writing course can help anyone become more powerful, effective communicator.

• Get Mathematical: Whether you’re a student in school or a student of life, you can delve into math and improve your comprehension of related concepts using ClassPad.net, a webbased calculator which serves as a one-stop shop for enhancing analytical thinking, and making math come alive for people of all ages. Usable on a desktop or tablet, the program also makes it easier for students and teachers to collaborate.

This October, pave the way for becoming a lifelong learner by boosting personal and professional skills.

- StatePoint

VOICE OF ASIA 19

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Tel: 713-774-5140

Cloud computing gains drive Uber turns to India, Africa and Middle East as losses mount up profit for Microsoft

Chief Executive Satya Nadella of Microsoft has led the company's new focus on cloud computing which has helped it grow to a value of $1 trillion (AFP Photo/GABRIEL BOUYS )

S

AN FRANCISCO | AFP | Wednesday 10/23/2019 - Microsoft reported Wednesday that quarterly profits rose on the back of its thriving cloud computing business which has become a core focus for the US technology giant.

Profits rose 21 percent to $10.7 billion in the recently ended quarter as revenue increased 14 percent to $33.1 billion compared with the same period a year earlier.

"The world's leading companies are choosing our cloud to build their digital capability," said Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella.

Revenue from cloud services sold to businesses was up more than a third in the quarter to $11.6 billion, according to chief financial officer Amy Hood.

"Microsoft did for (the quarterly) earnings what it has done so many times before, and that is to crush it with cloud and

SaaS growth," said analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy, using an acronym for software-as-aservice.

slowing.

"I attribute this quite simply to the investments it has made in the cloud and its ability to uniquely serve the needs of multinational corporations."

A reason is likely that the latest generation Xbox console that debuted nearly six years ago is poised to be replaced by a successor on the horizon.

Meanwhile, revenue from its career-centric social network LinkedIn was up 25 percent, Microsoft reported.

Microsoft in June gave the world a first glimpse of a powerful next-generation Xbox that it aims to release late next year.

Microsoft shares were up essentially flat in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

Nadella has moved Microsoft to focus on cloud computing and other business services, helping the company's valuation grow to $1 trillion and draw even with rival Apple in terms of market value.

While the quarterly earnings, overall, beat market expectations, there was a sign that revenue growth in Microsoft's cloud unit Azure might be

Microsoft reported that it saw no growth at Xbox gaming unit.

Xbox head Phil Spencer pulled back the curtain on "Project Scarlett," a successor to the Xbox One that will give game makers "the power they need to bring their creative visions to life."

The new Xbox was promised to be released in time for the Christmas holiday shopping season in 2020.

Xbox battles in the console gaming arena with Sony, which is working on a new generation PlayStation.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi addresses a press conference in New Delhi, India, Oct. 22, 2019.

N

ew Delhi, India | AFP | Tuesday 10/22/2019 - The head of Uber said Tuesday that the global ride services firm was counting on India, Africa and the Middle East for future growth amid investor fears about mounting losses and a slump in its share price.

New Delhi.

Uber has exited several markets -- including China and Southeast Asia -- to pare back losses, and is in fierce competition with rival Ola in India, a market estimated to be worth $7 billion a year.

Khosrowshahi brushed aside fears the stock price could fall further after the expiration of a lock-up period in November, after which company employees and early investors can sell their shares.

Since its public offering in May, Uber's share price has tumbled some 30 percent, while the company lost $5.2 billion in the second quarter.

The chief executive, who was in Delhi to unveil an updated version of Uber's app linking the Delhi Metro public transport system with its services, said he was focused on longterm prospects.

"India is a fundamental part of Uber's growth going forward... it's a top 10 market for us," chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi told reporters in

"The profitability characteristics of our business here are improving. If I look at Uber's growth over the next 10 years, it's... going to be defined by India, Africa and the Middle East, more so than the developed markets."

The revamped app is part of a global campaign to attract more users.

While India is one of Uber's biggest markets -- with 12 percent of its global rides -- the firm still lags behind Ola in the nation of over 1.3 billion people.

It has also struggled to keep up with the two largest online food-delivery players Zomato and Swiggy.

The company laid off some staff in India as part of global job cuts as it tries to map a route to profitability.

But chief product officer Manik Gupta told AFP that Uber would double its technology team to 1,000 as proof of its commitment to Asia's thirdlargest economy.

"We definitely want to show our commitment to India," Gupta said.

Uber's third-quarter results will be released in two weeks.

US stocks flat as some earnings cite weakening economy

Facebook's Zuckerberg open to scaling back Libra plan

EW YORK | AFP | Wednesday 10/23/2019 - Wall Street stocks were little changed early Wednesday following a trove of mixed earnings that included some cautionary notes about the economy.

ASHINGTON | AFP | 10/23/2019 - Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg opened the door Wednesday to scaling back plans for the company's digital coin Libra if it cannot win approval as a new currency for global exchanges.

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Analysts cited as concerning remarks from Caterpillar about global economic uncertainty as the company cut its profit forecast.

Another worrisome sign came from Texas Instruments, which reported a drop in revenues and said "most markets weakened further."

On the positive side for stocks, "the demand warnings from Caterpillar and Texas Instruments have likely cemented an October rate cut in the market's mind, which is seemingly always stimulated by the idea of monetary policy staying ac-

commodative," analyst Patrick O'Hare wrote at Briefing.com.

About 10 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 26,840.21, up 0.2 percent.

The broad-based S&P 500 was essentially flat at 2,996.88 and the Nasdaq Composite Index slipped less than 0.1 percent to 8,102.22.

Among other companies reporting results, Boeing jumped 3.0 percent as it confirmed that it still expects to receive regulatory approval this year to return the 737 MAX, which has been grounded since March following two deadly crashes.

That statement reassured investors, even though the company reported sharply lower quarterly profits, cut production levels on the 787 plane and pushed back first deliveries on another jet, the 777X.

Tesla shares soar after crushing third-quarter earnings

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esla delivered a strong third-quarter earnings report after the bell on Wednesday, posting a surprise profit and telling shareholders it is ahead of schedule with a new factory in Shanghai.

Shares spiked more than 20% after hours, putting them at their highest price since February.

vs. expected $6.33 billion, according to Refinitiv consensus estimates

Here’s what the results were versus analysts’ expectations:

The company also said it was ahead of schedule on its longawaited Model Y crossover, which it now expects to launch by next summer.

- Adjusted earnings per share of $1.86 vs. expected losses of 42 cents per share - Revenue of $6.3 billion,

The electric car maker gave investors plenty to look forward to next year. It released a glossy 28-page investor update filled with photos from its new factory in Shanghai where Tesla said it’s already begun trial production runs.

- CNBC News

by Rob Lever

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dollar, Zuckerberg said "the community is fairly split on this point."

He said that it could be far simpler from a regulatory perspective but that "it may be less welcome in other places if it's only 100 percent based on the dollar."

- Facebook under fire -

Zuckerberg made the comments as he faced a torrent of criticism on Capitol Hill over the cryptocurrency Facebook is seeking to roll out next year.

Lawmakers did not hold back in their harsh criticism of Facebook's data practices and doubts about Libra in particular.

"We clearly have not locked down exactly how this is going to work yet," Zuckerberg told members of the House Financial Service Committee.

"It would be beneficial for all if Facebook concentrates on addressing its many existing deficiencies and failures before proceeding any further on the Libra project," Representative Maxine Waters, who chairs the panel, said at the opening.

"The goal of Libra is to build a global payment system rather than a currency."

He acknowledged that Libra could be limited to digital payment systems using individual currencies -- a less ambitious plan than creating a new coin linked to a basket of major currencies.

"I personally am much more focused on being able to help innovate and build a global payment system than I am in any specific makeup of what a currency or reserve might look like," he said.

Libra is backed by an alliance of companies in a nonprofit, Swiss-based association, but some lawmakers are skeptical about the project, and want Facebook instead to focus on data privacy.

Zuckerberg repeated his pledge that the digital coin would not launch without full regulatory approvals and added that Facebook would quit the alliance if it launches prematurely.

Asked whether Libra could simply be linked to the US

On Twitter, Waters ramped up her criticism of Facebook and pledged to block the digital currency plan.

"No one is above the law including Mark Zuckerberg," Waters tweeted.

"Facebook has allowed election interference, released private data, violated civil rights laws, among other offenses & now they're trying to launch a #BigTechTakeover by creating this mysterious #ZuckBuck? Not on my watch!"

Several other lawmakers also took the occasion to question the trustworthiness of the world's largest social network.

"In order to make a decision about Libra, we need to kind to dig into your past behavior and Facebook's behavior with respect to our democracy," said Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who peppered Zuckerberg with ques-

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the annual F8 summit at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. tions about the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Facebook's decision not to factcheck political ads.

impossible for us to impose our sanctions or the kinds of protections" US policymakers would like to see.

Republican Representative Patrick McHenry offered a more sympathetic view, suggesting the Libra plan should be given the benefit of the doubt given that similar plans are being made in China and elsewhere.

Zuckerberg was also grilled by several lawmakers on why the Libra Association is based in Switzerland rather than the United States.

"I have my qualms about Facebook and Libra ... but if history has taught us anything, it's better to be on the side of American innovation," McHenry said.

- China vs American 'leadership' In his prepared remarks, Zuckerberg argued that the digital currency plan could help "extend America's financial leadership" and promote democratic values as other digital currencies emerge.

During questioning, Zuckerberg noted that a major competitive threat is coming from a Chinese public-private partnership and warned of risks if such a system became the global standard.

If that happens, he said, "it would be very difficult if not

He said Switzerland is important for the global financial system but added: "This is still going to be an American innovation."

Republican Representative Lance Gooden countered that Zuckerberg had "enough influence to bring this home" and said the plan might be better received if the association were based in the US. Regulators and officials on both sides of the Atlantic have criticized the Libra plan.

The G7 said last week it should not launch "until the legal, regulatory and oversight challenges and risks are adequately addressed."

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday a Libra launch would be "premature," raising the need to address issues such as protection against money laundering and other illicit activity.

US / WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 20

US and Gates Foundation plan $200m for sickle cell, HIV cures

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Trump vows to build a wall... in Colorado

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Wednesday 10/23/2019 The US government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to jointly invest $200 million over the next four years to achieve affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV. The administration of President Donald Trump announced earlier this year its intention to end the HIV epidemic over the next decade and has also identified SCD, which disproportionately affects people of African descent, as a condition requiring greater attention.

Gene therapy is a relatively new area of medicine designed to replace faulty genes in the body that are responsible for a disorder, and has been responsible for new treatments for blindness and certain types of leukemia.

Building a wall on the southern border with Mexico was one of the signature promises of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. (File photo)

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Bill and Melinda Gates. (File photo)

ITTSBURGH | AFP | Wednesday 10/23/2019 - Donald Trump has made building a barrier to stop migrants on the USMexico border a central plank of his presidency, but on Wednesday came up with a puzzling new twist to the initiative: a wall in Colorado.

But the treatments are complex and costly, ruling them out as an option for most of the world.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said the collaboration would focus therefore on "access, scalability and affordability" to make sure the eventual treatments are available globally.

The problem? Colorado lies well within the United States, though its large southern neighbor New Mexico does border Mexico.

The NIH and Gates Foundation aim to achieve clinical trials in the United States and countries in sub-Saharan Africa within the next seven to 10 years.

"You know why we are going to win New Mexico? Because they want safety on their border," Trump said during a speech in Pittsburgh.

"And we are building a wall on the border of New Mexico, and we are building a wall in Colorado," he continued. "We are building a beautiful wall, a big one that really works,

Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders characterized by the presence of an abnormal protein in the red blood cells, causing the feet and hands to swell, fatigue, jaundice, and episodic or chronic pain.

Over time the disease can harm a patients' vital organs, bones, joints and skin and it is currently only curable via a blood and bone marrow transplant, available to only a tiny fraction of people who have the disease.

When it comes to HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) are now able to reduce patients' viral load to the point that they are undetectable and cannot be further transmitted.

But "a major goal is to find a cure, whereby lifelong ART would not be required," said the NIH's Anthony Fauci.

Though SCD is a genetically inherited disease, and HIV is acquired

from infection, gene-based treatments are said to hold promise for both, and "many of the technical challenges for gene-based cures are expected to be common to both diseases."

The goal for SCD is to achieve a gene-based intervention that either corrects the gene mutation responsible or promotes fetal hemoglobin gene expression to achieve normal hemoglobin function.

For HIV, the proposed cure would involve targeting the reservoir of proviral DNA that lurks inside a small number of cells even after many years

of ART. The NIH said that approximately 95 percent of the 38 million people living with HIV globally are in the developing world, with 67 percent in sub-Saharan Africa, half of whom are living untreated. Around 1.1 million Americans are affected SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans, according to official figures. Fifteen million babies will be born with SCD globally over the next 30 years, with about 75 percent of those births occurring in sub-Saharan Africans, said the NIH.

Oil and gas giants spend 250 mn on EU lobbying: green groups

that you can't get over, you can't get under."

"And we are building a wall in Texas, and we are not building a wall in Kansas, but they get the benefit of the walls that we just mentioned," he added.

Building a wall on the southern border with Mexico was one of the signature promises of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, but Congress has refused to pay for its construction.

Social media users reacted to Trump's comment with bafflement and mockery.

On Twitter, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy posted a map showing a new international border drawn around New Mexico and a line obscuring the first half of the state's name so that it reads: Mexico.

More than 100 Islamic State prisoners have escaped in Syria: US envoy

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Wednesday 10/23/2019 More than 100 prisoners of the Islamic State extremist movement have escaped in Syria in the chaos since Turkey's incursion, a senior US official said Wednesday.

"We would say the number is now over 100. We do not know where they are," James Jeffrey, the State Department pointman on Syria, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee when asked about the detainees.

- Allegations of war crimes Jeffrey also charged that Turkey or Turkish-allied Syrian forces have committed war crimes, although he dismissed allegations by a lawmaker that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was carrying out ethnic cleansing against the Kurds.

"We haven't seen any widespread ethnic cleansing in that area since the Turks have come in. Many people have fled because they were concerned about these Turkish-supported

by Patrick Galey

P

ARIS, France | AFP | Wednesday 10/23/2019 - The five biggest publicly listed oil and gas companies and trade groups representing them spent more than 250 million euros lobbying the European Union to influence climate action since 2010, environmental groups said Thursday.

Research showed that BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and Total, as well as trade groups acting on their behalf, have held at least 327 high level meetings with European Commission officials since Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker took office in 2014 -- an average of more than one a week.

The findings came from publicly listed documents and companies who responded to requests for comments said there was no conflict of interest in their executives meeting high-level EU policymakers.

But green groups said the money spent on access to officials showed oil and gas firms were seeking to influence decisions in Brussels.

"This is part of a long trail of the fossil fuel industry delaying, weakening and torpedoing much-needed climate action," Pascoe Sabido, a researcher and campaigner with Corporate Europe Observatory, told AFP. The EU is seen as one of the global leaders when it comes to climate action.

But there are fears its member states are not phasing out fossil fuels quickly enough to comply with the 2015 Paris climate accord, which commits nations to limit warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 Farenheit).

The European Commission did not respond to a request to comment from AFP. Last year the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) called for a radical drawdown in fossil fuel use in order to hit the safer 1.5C cap laid out in the Paris deal.

Yet global emissions are rising year on year, and environmental groups fear major EU gas infrastructure projects in the pipeline could lock the continent into fossil fuels well beyond the IPCC's deadlines.

File photo - 'Fossil free politics' The investigation by Corporate Europe Observatory, Food & Water Europe, Friends of the Earth Europe, and Greenpeace EU looked at companies' own declarations and the EU's lobby transparency register and published meetings.

It found that the five firms declared spending of 123.3 million on EU lobbying between 2010-2018. Trade associations representing them spent an additional 128 million in that period.

In April the watchdog Global Witness calculated that oil and gas majors were planning to spend $5 trillion (4.5 trillion euros) on new exploration by 2030, a figure it said was "poles apart" from the Paris goals.

A spokeswomen from Total told AFP that the figures contained in Thursday's report "in no way reflect" what the group spends on lobbying.

Public records show Total spent between 1,750,000-1,999,999 euros on EU lobbying last year, an amount the spokeswoman said had stayed "stable for many years".

"Total is convinced that a collective approach is necessary to respond to the magnitude of the climate issue," she said.

An ExxonMobil spokesman said the giant "complies fully with the requirements of the EU Transparency Register."

"ExxonMobil believes that climate change risks warrant action and it's going to take all of us -— business, governments and consumers —- to make meaningful progress," he told AFP. A spokeswoman for Shell said it "firmly rejected" the report's premise.

"We are crystal clear about our support for the Paris agreement... everything we do is to advocate for good policy outcomes to that end."

BP and Chevron did not respond to requests for comment.

- 'Firewall' The green groups called for a "firewall" to protect EU officials from fossil fuel representatives to avoid conflicts of interest.

"Tackling the climate emergency means leaving the vast majority of known fossil fuel reserves under ground and that is incompatible with the future projections of these firms who are going to massively increase their production over the next 10-20 years," Sabido said.

Myriam Douo, from Friends of the Earth Europe, said citizens could no long afford the "delay tactics" of fossil fuel producers.

"We must listen to the millions of young climate protesters on our streets and cut fossil fuels out of our politics now."

Residents welcome Syrian soldiers shortly after they entered the northern town of Tal Tamr on Monday, Oct 14, 2019. (Photo: SANA via AP)

Turkey launched a military operation in Syria after President Donald Trump agreed to pull US troops who were allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish-led group that bore the brunt of the fight against the Islamic State group.

Jeffrey said the Kurdish fighters were still guarding prisoners from the extremist group, despite their warnings that they will need to devote resources to fighting Turkey instead.

"Almost all of the prisons that the SDF were guarding are still secured.

The SDF still has people there," Jeffrey said.

"We are monitoring that as best we can. We still have people in Syria working with the SDF and one of those priorities is these prisons," he said.

The remarks nevertheless appeared at odds with Trump's claim on Twitter earlier that "Kurds are safe and have worked very nicely with us. Captured ISIS prisoners secured."

The Kurdish fighters have pulled out of a key border area as part of a USbrokered agreement with Turkey to end the offensive.

Turkey links the Syrian Kurdish fighters to PKK separatists at home, who are considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

Syrian opposition forces, as are we," Jeffrey said.

"We have seen several incidents which we consider war crimes," he added.

He did not specify the incidents, but the United States earlier said it was appalled when pro-Turkish forces pulled 35-year-old Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf out of a car and killed her, with purported footage released on video.

Jeffrey said the United States was also investigating Kurdish allegations that Turkey used white phosphorus -which can be used to create a smokescreen but is also a deadly incendiary weapon and is banned under international law.

The envoy faced heated criticism from lawmakers who said that Trump strengthened the Islamic State group as well as Russia, whose forces are heading to northern Syria in an agreement with Erdogan in the wake of the US pullout.

"I think that it will affect us for years and years and decades to come and I think it will go down as one of the major American blunders in history," said Representative Eliot Engel, the Democrat who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"I just think what we've done there is shameful," he said.

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Home&Real Estate Houston hits a home run on housing prices

The pristine Midcentury home of artist Edward Goldman lists for $1.3M

by Nick Natario

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OUSTON -- When it comes to the battle between Houston and New York, there's no comparison when it comes to home prices.

There are many differences in being an Astros fans versus a Yankees fan. One, you get to watch baseball from an air conditioned stadium.

But that's not the only perk.

There's a major difference in the cost of living between the two cities, especially when it comes to housing.

The newly-built home at 1606 McDuffie Street in River Oaks features quite a bit, as explained by Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty agent Jay Monroe.

From the kitchen, with "built in sub-zero fridge, double ovens," Monroe showed off, to the master bath.

"With this Japanese soaking tub," Monroe said. "The shower is hidden behind that space."

And even a way to travel stories. "We've got an elevator shaft in this house," Monroe explained.

At around $1.5 million, Monroe said a New Yorker might not believe it.

Compared to New York, your dollar goes a lot further when it comes to home prices in Houston. (Photo courtesty Sotheby's International Realty) "Everyone is always surprised at how much you get for your money," Monroe explained. "Not just the square footage of the houses, but you also get some land."

At 4,000 square feet with a backyard, Monroe says this home would sell for a lot more in NYC. "This house, in Manhattan, would be in the $7 to $10 million dollar range," Monroe said.

As compared to Manhattan, for the same $1.5 million price

tag, Monroe showed Eyewitness News listings that were 900 and 1,200 square feet, not to mention the nearly $3.000-amonth HOA fee.

Monroe said home prices are a reason why people move to Houston. There's another reason as well that New Yorkers know is only a few weeks away.

"We're not shoveling snow," Monroe said. "We won't shovel snow all year long."

- KTRK/ABC Channel 13

Houston real estate investment company accused of misusing $15,000

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OUSTON — A Harris County woman is suing a Houston real estate investment company, alleging her $15,000 investment was misused.

Ashley Gallegos filed a complaint on September 9, 2019 in Harris County District Court against Real In Houston LLC and Joseph Dean Jensen, alleging breach of fiduciary duty and common law fraud.

According to the complaint, Gallegos was convinced by Real in Houston to invest $15,000 in a joint venture in January 2019. The plaintiff says she was told the defendant would secure owner financing of the property at 4227 Meadowchase Lane, Houston, but the defendants failed to do so.

The defendants also allegedly failed to expend any funds on repairs of the property and the property was foreclosed

Feb. 5, 2019. The plaintiff alleges that had she known of the defendants' plan for the property, she would not have invested the $15,000.

Gallegos seeks up to $100,000 in damages, attorney fees, court costs, interest and all just relief. She is represented by attorneys Richard Guerra, Eric Days and Brent Smith of Guerra Days Law Group PLLC in Spring.

- SE TEXAS RECORD

Houston and Dallas poised for Life Sciences CRE construction growth

by Kerri Panchuk

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ALLAS, October 20, 2019 - The best predictor of future healthcare-related construction is the quality of a city’s scientific and medical talent pool along with its access to venture capital inflows aimed at medical research.

Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston score high on each of these metrics, which is turning the two markets into hotbeds of life sciences activity and medicalrelated commercial real estate development.

A 2019 report from CBRE pegged Houston and Dallas among the nation's top seven emerging life sciences markets, with Houston ranking second and Dallas seventh. Both markets scored high thanks to

quality local talent, access to top researchers, recent life sciences workforce growth, ample National Institutes of Health funding and the emergence of top-ranked medical schools and research facilities.

While Boston, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles remain the top established life sciences markets in the U.S., commercial real estate experts see something special emerging in Texas, according to CBRE. “Historically, the life sciences business has been dominated by the coasts,” CBRE Vice Chairman Jeff Ellerman said.

“It’s been in the Boston area and the San Francisco area."

But, he adds, “UT Southwestern [in Dallas] has become a hotbed for research and devel-

opment of new drugs that could have commercial applications, so there has been more life sciences companies that have come to fruition out of the Dallas area.”

In Dallas-Fort Worth, life sciences demand isn’t just from big pharma research, but data solutions and tech innovations related to healthcare that create real estate needs around medical centers like UT Southwestern and Parkland, Transwestern Managing Director of Healthcare Advisory Services John Huff said.

While much of the real estate that is highly valued is located around research hubs like UT Southwestern, Huff sees a trend of life sciences companies branching out and looking for more open, collaborative

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A look at the spacious living room area, which flows into the kitchen. Built-in shelving runs along one wall, while the back corner offers a brick fireplace and windows overlooking an interior atrium space.

by Katherine M.

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esigned by Norman Polivnik in 1957, the long-time Goldman residence is a time capsule of midcentury style and vintage abstract artwork.

The late artist and businessman Edward Goldman balanced two passions throughout his life: a career at Central Electric in Denver, where he rose to be CEO, and a dedication to perfecting his craft as a self-trained painter. For most of his life, Goldman, along with his wife, Elaine, lived in the lush Denver neighborhood of Wellshire. It was there that local architect Norman Polivnik built the couple a classic midcentury-style residence in 1957—a home never before offered for sale, until now.

Stretched across a wide treelined lot, the 5,000-square-foot home embraces its green surroundings with atrium-like spaces and windows galore.

Wood paneling runs throughout the interior, contrasting with pops of abstract artwork and built-in shelving. The spacious floor plan offers three bedrooms, along with two full and two half baths, plus a library and an Allmilmo kitchen.

Keep scrolling to see more of the home, currently listed for $1,295,000.

- Dwell.com

Another view of the kitchen, which offers plenty of cabinetry and countertop space. A central island offers an additional prep area, while large windows provide views of the yard.

The living room also flows into a formal dining room. Wood paneling lines the walls and ceiling, with an abstract screen and indoor plantings dividing the space from a family room and office.

Cooper Carry wins 2019 Radical Innovation Design Award for hospitality

by Colleen Curry

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onnectic, a sprawling, modular pop-up structure devised by New York architecture and design firm Cooper Carry, won first place in this year's Radical Innovation in Hospitality competition, announced at an awards ceremony held last night. Contest organizer The Hardy Group (formerly The John Hardy Group) hosted the event at the New Museum in Soho. Cooper Carry joined two other finalists, San

workspaces known as innovation hubs.

This asset class is growing in demand even as companies still look for traditional data, research and lab settings.

Houston outpaces Dallas for its growth in the life sciences sector, announcing plans for TMC3, a private-public project that will bring a 30-acre research campus into Houston and give medical facilities like Texas Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center, the University of Texas Health Science Center and the MD Anderson Cancer Center a hub for medical and healthcare-tech related innovation.

"The core of this whole movement seems to be [the creation] of collaborative space, where people can get together and work ideas out because bringing them together creates that synergy of ideas," Huff said. Houston already is stretching itself from an inno-

The adaptable and reusable Connectic modules by Cooper Carry can be temporary rooftop additions to hotels. (Image: Coope Carry)

vation hub standpoint with the Texas Medical Center “literally the largest medical center in the world,” said Gayle Blakeley Farris, Transwestern Development Co. regional partner, Life Science & Healthcare. “The numbers are staggering from a real estate point of view, 60M SF of facility with 110,000 employees on 1,350 acres, which is larger than the downtown loop in Chicago.”

As Dallas and Houston continue to expand in the life sciences space, Farris also sees a need for diverse facilities that are built with collaboration in mind.

“The whole goal is to provide facilities not only for the institutional researchers, but space where private companies can locate and work closely together,” she said. “I think we are at the top of the hill and the sled is beginning to go down and will accelerate quickly thanks to the shared vision between government, the public sector and the universities and institutions.”

- Bisnow.com

Francisco-based SB Architects and New York-based Danny Forster & Architecture, in presenting forward-thinking hotel concepts to a panel of jurors and dozens of industry professionals. An audience vote ultimately secured Cooper Carry the grand prize of $10,000.

Each of Connectic’s modules is a polyhedron with hexagonal and square faces, making it unusually conducive to diagonal arrangements and therefore easier to construct in unconventional spaces, particularly densely developed cities that lack room for new construction.

According to Cooper Carry's estimate, the structure can be constructed and deconstructed quickly and cheaply, making it ideal for short-term needs like large-scale sporting events, which can attract countless one-time visitors to a city, or even disaster relief.

This was the first time in the contest’s 12-year history that all three finalists have been American - Interior Design Magazine

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21 March to 20 April The lovely tie between sultry Venus and dreamy Neptune could make you sensitive to others and very aware of their innermost thoughts. Monday could find you eager to reach out and help people and perhaps do a few random acts of kindness.

21 April to 20 May As the sun moves into Scorpio midweek, your perspective on relationships could shift. You might be more willing to look beneath the surface for any hidden agendas and become more aware of others’ weaknesses. You might continue to reform aspects of your life

21 May to 20 June Both work and play are important to you, and getting the balance right can allow you to feel at peace with the world. With warrior Mars powering through your sector of relating, this is a time when all kinds of exercise can do you a world of good.

21 June to 22 July This can be a very creative and romantic time when you might relish the chance to indulge in your favorite hobbies and generally enjoy life. The focus on your leisure sector is further emphasized as the sun moves into Scorpio midweek.

23 July to 22 August You’re no pushover when it comes to discussions and negotiations.

With feisty Mars moving through your sector of communication, you’ll be willing to compromise, but not to the extent that you lose your advantage. Still, with a frustrating Mars-Saturn angle building this week, someone could prove more difficult to deal with.

23 August to 22 Sept Don’t hold yourself back from showcasing your skills even if you feel a tad fearful about it. You can make positive strides this week if you can be willing to move beyond your perceived limits. This might be due to an edgy Mars-Saturn tie that peaks on Sunday.

23 September to 22 Oct As potent Mars continues its journey through your sign, you might look back over the past few weeks and see how much you’ve accomplished. Those things that you’d been afraid to do or try may no longer be an issue.

23 October to 21 Nov You could be overanxious about matters that aren’t as important as you think. Dynamic Mars, your co-ruler, forges an uncomfortable angle with prudent Saturn over this week, which could cause you to lack confidence.

22 November to 21 Dec With fiery Mars in your social zone and jovial Jupiter in your sign, you might be busy with social occasions and fresh opportunities, but another side of you may be seeking quiet and inner peace.

Are you feeling creative?

22 December to 20 Jan Over this week, pushy Mars in your sector of goals forges an awkward angle with sobering Saturn in your sign. There could be a clash with someone in authority, or you may have misgivings about a goal or ambition of yours.

21 January to 19 Feb As the sun joins charming Venus and thoughtful Mercury in a more prominent zone of your chart on Wednesday, this is the time to embrace the spotlight.

As the sun will be here for around four weeks, make it a priority to showcase your skills and freshen up your resume.

20 February to 20 Mar With a focus on your sector of travel and adventure, your mind may be ranging far and wide.

A delightful aspect on Monday could see you dreaming of someone far away and perhaps feeling eager to get in touch.

ACROSS 1. Tetanus symptom 6. *Giant bird of "One Thousand and One Nights" 9. Cooking grease 13. Home to Buccaneers 14. Major division of geological time 15. Dressmaker's measurement 16. Brown, Dartmouth and Yale, e.g.

17. "To ____ is human" 18. Provide, as with some quality 19. *Brian Jacque's fictional world 21. *One of Mr. Popper's visitors 23. Like a fox?

24. Play charades 25. International Monetary Fund 28. Reproductive structures 30. 7th planet from the sun 35. *Arnold Lobel's "Mouse ____" 37. Approximately, two words 39. 50th state greeting 40. Cannonballs to cannon 41. Big Dipper shape 43. Niels ____ of quantum physics 44. Change the Constitution 46. *Hugo Cabret's "wheel" 47. Arctic jaeger 48. *a.k.a. Caroline Augusta Woodlawn 50. '70s hairdo 52. "Be quiet!" - onomatopoetically speaking 53. Like never-written story 55. Mining product 57. *"Roar of ____, Hear My Cry" 61. *"The ____ in Times Square" 65. A variety show 66. *Peter Parker's Aunt 68. Escape 69. Signs of things to come 70. Military activities 71. Burdened 72. Black or green, hot or cold, pl.

73. No longer working, abbr.

74. "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" trick

DOWN 1. Cookbook direction 2. Make way?

3. In the thick of 4. What Old Faithful does 5. Indian spice mix 6. Movie roll 7. Hockey legend Bobby 8. Plural of carpus 9. Carol on Christmas Eve 10. Pakistani language 11. Evening purse 12. *"That Was ____, This Is Now" 15. Plural of genus 20. Popular disinfectant 22. Second-largest bird in world 24. Error in a card game 25. Babel or Stern 26. *____ Beaumont in "Savvy" 27. Was furious 29. Rugged rock 31. Priests' robes 32. Located near crannies?

33. Yeah or aye 34. *Plain and tall one 36. *"The Witch of Blackbird ____" 38. *"The Series of Unfortunate Events" villain 42. Fielding mistake 45. Type of semiconductor, pl.

49. *"But I heard him exclaim, ___ he drove out of sight" 51. Bay windows 54. Knight's shiny garb 56. "Bravo! Bravo!"

57. *Mother Goose's "Dame ____ and Her Cat" 58. Part of hemoglobin 59. Iris holder 60. *Miss Clavel and such 61. Benign lump 62. Spiral-horned antelope 63. Biblical paradise 64. Backpacker's shelter 67. *Ivan of "The One and Only Ivan"

SOLUTION: CLASSIC CHILDREN'S BOOKS on Page 23

CLASSIFIED

VOICE OF ASIA 23

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

Cyber Safety Day

Fort Bend ISD Police Department and Crime Stoppers Host Cyber Safety Outreach Event, Oct. 24

F

ORT BEND ISD (October 22, 2019) – The Fort Bend ISD ISD Police Department has partnered with Crime Stoppers and four other local school district police departments to host the first city-wide, Cyber Safety Outreach Day on October 24.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Cyber Safety Outreach Day will educate the community on important safety precautions and potential online dangers that children are exposed to in today’s society.

At the event, Crime Stoppers of Houston and local law enforcement will cover cyber safety trends, potential dangers

such as predatory activity and inappropriate exposures, popular apps and games, safety settings/restrictions, recommended monitoring tools, and laws as they relate to cyber safety.

The Fort Bend ISD event will be held at the Chapel at Sugar Creek Church, 13213 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Click here for the event brochure.

The goal of the event is to empower parents, guardians, family and community members with awareness of cybersecurity and ensure that they have the knowledge and resources to be safe and secure online.

RSVP to phollek@crimestoppers.org and specify that you are attending the Fort Bend location event.

The event will be Thursday, October 24, from 6:00 p.m.

– 8:00 p.m. and held in four locations around the Houston area: Deer Park, Katy, The Woodlands and Fort Bend**.

When you find some time, READ!

READ DAILY! 15 - 30 minutes of reading daily helps your brain focus better. Grab a novel!

(**Please note: the presentations at the Fort Bend ISD, Katy, and The Woodlands are NOT suitable for children.

Only the Deer Park presentation will have sessions for adults and students.)

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VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, October 25, 2019

WE HAVE A PLAN FOR

TRAFFIC. 500 miles

*

of travel improvements whether you ride or drive.

75 miles of new METRORapid

21 new or improved

bus service that operates like light rail, including an extension to Bush Airport

suburban Park & Rides and transit centers

16 miles of light rail,

110 miles of a Regional

with a METRORail extension to Hobby Airport

290 miles of BOOST and Signature bus service, plus accessibility and usability improvements for the disabled and seniors

Express Network including two-way HOV Lanes

It's in the MOVING FORWARD PLAN. Find out more at:

METRONext.org *Approximate mileage; pending final implementation