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UH Engineering building renamed after Dr. Durga and Sushila Agrawal by Manu Shah

r. Durga D. Agrawal, a longtime Houston resident, is well known for giving back to the community particularly to his alma mater - the University of Houston. One 26th April 2019, the University recognized his sizable and generous gift by renaming the Engineering building as the Durga D. and Sushila Agrawal Engineering Research Building. A floor is also named after the couple and the gift will provide ongoing support for

faculty, students, research and building operations. Chancellor Renu Khator, Consul General of India Dr. Anupam Ray, members of the Indian community, students, faculty, Dr. Agrawal’s children, grandchildren and colleagues were present at the ribbon cutting ceremony. In his remarks, Dr. Agrawal credited several people for his success. He expressed his admiration and respect for his professors at UH like Dr. Rhodes (who was present at

the ceremony), Dr. Donaghey, Dr. Dawkins and Dr. Elrod who “put their heart and soul” into teaching students including some like him who had trouble understanding both the language and the American accent. He traced his values of compassion, giving back and respect for education to his parents and acknowledged his wife Sushila’s support and patience without which, he said, he would not have completed his doctorate or built his business. Continued on Page 4

Three selfie-crazy Indian teens crushed by train

EW DELHI, India | AFP | 4/30/2019 Three teenagers were killed while taking selfies on a railway track in India, the country which researchers say has the worst record for selfierelated deaths. A fourth youth managed to jump to safety before the accident in Panipat city in the northern state of Haryana, a police officer told AFP Wednesday. "The victims were busy taking selfies and when they saw a train approaching they jumped to a second track without realising another train was coming on that," M. S. Dabas told AFP. "One of them saved his life as he jumped on the other side of the track." The group had come to Panipat to attend a wedding. Two of those killed were 19 years old and the third was 18. Experts warn that youngsters obsessed with social media are going to extreme lengths in order to post selfies seen as daring and risky.

Regent Durga Agrawal (speaking) and Mrs. Sushila Agrawal inside the Engineering Research Building during the dedication ceremony. Photo provided by Dr. Agrawal

Prayer vigil for the victims of Easter bombings in Sri Lanka held at Sugar Land Town Square Read on Page 13 , Section 2

Members of the Sri Lankan community in Houston at the prayer Image credit: Screen grab from KPRC .

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS by James Clad

arlier this spring, an invitation-only briefing on Capitol Hill gave congressional attendees a disturbing glimpse into a high-tech research race that is spawning dangerous new weapons, delivery systems, and supporting technologies. It is a contest where China is forging ahead, shrugging off suggestions of restraint. China’s development of hypersonic glide vehicles seems deliberately targeted at upending the tenuous strategic stability that has been in place since the end of the Cold War. Yet this latest arms race still has a “Dr. Strangelove” quality to it; outside the strategic community and select think tanks, few acknowledge the risk that is posed by these new weapons systems, which upend the traditional calculus regarding defending against missile attacks from hostile powers. What’s going on? Last year, I helped co-author a report about China’s advanced weapons research for the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Among the five R&D areas we identified, none is more destabilizing than China’s counterspace programs. The glide vehicles developed by these programs possess aerodynamics and supporting technology which enable warheads to move around unpredictably following their atmospheric re-entry, making them maneuverable right up to detonation above or on target. This maneuverability confounds interceptor missiles fired against them — interceptors that would be effective against projectiles with more predictable ballistic trajectories. Though not impossible to intercept, the glide vehicles being developed by China now require us to augment five decades of ballistic interception science. The reason why concern is rising is this: Glide vehicles enable those who possess them to contemplate and/

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China's hypersonic weapons leave US defenseless, for now or plan for a no-warning first strike, confident that most of their warheads will reach their intended target. Once again, a surprise attack seems plausible. An ordinary YouTube search for hypersonic glide vehicles yields test footage of the firing of the Xing Kong (Starry Sky2) and Dong Feng 17 missiles, which the accompanying narrative cheerfully describes as a “leveler” of the strategic stability imposed by the U.S. Both these missile systems have the primary purpose of neutralizing both fixed and transient maritime positioning of U.S. weapons systems. A recent Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report makes the point that new technologies may embolden Beijing to adopt a riskier stance vis-àvis Taiwan. In a statement to Pentagon reporters, a senior defense official confirmed that the Chinese “are getting to a point where the PLA leadership may actually tell Xi Jinping that they are confident in their capabilities…” “The biggest concern,” the DIA continues, “is that as a lot of these technologies mature, as their reorganization of their military comes into effect, as they become more proficient with these capabilities, our concern is that we’ll reach a point where internally, within their decision-making, they will decide that using military force for a regional conflict is something that is more imminent.” In addition to fresh confidence in their offensive capability, including hypersonic weapon advances, the Chinese security establishment evidently feels new self-assurance as a result of improved defensive measures for China’s strategic

weaponry. Defense journals, both in and outside China, have described the Chinese military opting to develop an “Underground Steel Great Wall” to shield their missiles in enormous caverns from a first strike (presumably by the U.S., using its own hypersonic weapons).

Russia’s) offensive hypersonic weapon systems have outpaced our ability to defend against them. While there is hope that a U.S. missile defense interceptor could catch a hypersonic vehicle, it must first manage to target it. Therein lies the problem.

How much of this reflects an established reality and how much is propaganda touting unbounded technical success is still unclear. But when Chinese news agencies and media outlets linked closely to the Communist Party of China talk in the public domain about mounting “decapitation strikes” on an adversary’s command-and-control centers, or targeting a THAAD radar facility or aircraft carrier, it must command our attention.

As Dr. Tom Karako, a missile defense expert at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, noted at the same briefing, the number one unfunded priority in the 2020 defense budget is space sensors. Karako says finding and tracking hypersonic weapons can be done using “sensors with multiple orbits looking wide, looking narrow, waiting for these things to fly underneath you from a very low orbit, but also detecting them above.”

Dr. Larry Wortzel, a colleague at the American Foreign Policy Council, spoke at the Capitol Hill briefing about the various motivations behind China’s developing hypersonic missiles. Beijing has aimed in the past “to develop a suite of ballistic missiles that would hold our bases and potential bases at risk,” he said, noting also that the U.S. has deployed in response “some pretty effective ballistic missile defenses,” such as the Patriot system in Korea or Aegis in Japan.

The briefing justifiably left attendees in a somber mood. Unless the U.S. moves to fill the capability gap by launching a layer of space-based sensors, we may be shooting blindly, leaving ourselves vulnerable to hypersonic weapon attack. And being unable to track hypersonic weapons will probably give Beijing even more motivation to move against us decisively in the future conflict we hope never to see.

China now fears “it can’t strike the places it needs to strike if the U.S. intervenes against a aggressive move against Taiwan or Japan,“ Wortzel says. “So they’ve developed a maneuvering reentry vehicle for their missiles… they need these hypersonic glide vehicles… and quite frankly they are ahead of the U.S. in the development of these.” So where does this leave us? Unfortunately, China’s (and

Want a good way to ensure that doesn’t happen? Give the U.S. military a decent chance to defend and counter hypersonic weapons. James Clad is a former deputy assistant secretary of defense who now serves as Senior Fellow for Asia at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, D.C. He has taught at National Defense University and from 1995-2002 he was a Henry Luce Foundation professor at Georgetown University.

Indian Ambassador's remarks at the AAPI Legislative day event on the Hill - April 30, 2019

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Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Ambassador

am honored to address you on the AAPI (the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) Legislative Day. I would like to acknowledge Dr Naresh Parikh, AAPI President; Dr. Vinod K. Shah, AAPI Legislative Chairman, Dr. Sampat Shivangi, AAPI Legislative Co-Chair for their initiative in bringing the priorities and issues of Indian-origin physicians to the centrestage here on the Capitol.

 IMMIGRATION LAW  PERSONAL INJURY/ ACCIDENT  CRIMINAL DEFENCE  FAMILY LAW Mala Sharma has received “10 Best Attorneys” by American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys and “Top 40 Under 40” for Civil Plaintiff Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers. Sharda Sharma, JD, CPA has received “Top 40 Under 40” by the National Advocates. Mr. Sharma has received the Client’s Choice Award by AVVO. Anjali Sharma has been selected Immigration Law “10 Best Atto Attorneys” by the American Institute of Legal Counsel Immigration.

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Several Congressmen have addressed you including Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Congressman Ami Bera, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and several more. This goes to show the bipartisan support that you have on the Hill. AAPI founded in 1982 represents a conglomeration of more than 80,000 practicing physicians in the United States. In addition, it also serves as a platform for more than 40,000 medical students, residents and fellows of Indian origin in this country. It epitomizes the best and

brightest of Indian diaspora. I have met Congressmen whose introduction to India has been through their Indian-origin doctors. Your hard work, knowledge, skills and grey matter have defined India to Americans and you all are in fact the brand Ambassadors of India. In a democracy, it is essential for citizens to participate and make their voices heard. I am sure that during the course of your annual Legislative Day today, you have had productive discussions with your Representatives. I understand that one of the issues discussed is the green card backlog impacting Indian-origin Physicians. I had the opportunity to meet with Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Chair and Vice Chair respectively of the House Judiciary sub-Committee on Immigration and Citizenship on 2 April 2019 and had raised the matter with them. They are fully supportive of your concern and have in fact introduced H.R. 1044 Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act that seeks to address the issue. Affordable healthcare is a priority for any Government that is accountable to the people. On September 23, 2018, Government of India launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), to provide health insurance

worth Rs 500,000 (USD 7,124.54) to over 100 million families every year. This is the world's largest healthcare programme also referred to as Modicare. The healthcare market in India is expected to increase three fold to USD 133.44 billion by 2022. India is experiencing 22-25 per cent growth in medical tourism and the industry is expected to surpass USD 8 billion in 2019.

- Investment The hospital and diagnostic centers attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth USD 5.25 billion between April 2000 and June 2018, according to data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). I wish you all a very successful Legislative Day and look forward to welcoming you at the Embassy later this evening.

Tolerance and civility, not love, will heal our society by Emily Chamlee-Wright

n "Love Your Enemies," author and American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks offers a recipe for healing a country divided: “Go find someone with whom you disagree; listen thoughtfully; and treat him or her with respect and love. The rest will flow naturally from there.” We build a good society, Brooks argues, the way we build a good marriage: through love. Brooks is right that how we speak to one another matters. The language of contempt dissolves trust. Contempt

drives out any impulse we might have toward empathy and understanding, and it replaces reasoned argument with litmus tests for ideological purity. Moving toward greater empathy, understanding and intellectual openness will improve the quality of our public discourse and make us healthier, happier and better human beings. But the shift that Brooks is championing will not be inspired by the exalted virtue of love. It will be the fruit of the less-exalted tempered virtues of civility and tolerance. A defender of Brooks’ thesis might say that I’m splitting hairs — that it doesn’t matter if we use the language of love or the language of civility and tolerance. But words matter. If we uncriticallyaccept love as the appropriate standard for the good society and toss aside civility and tolerance as “garbage standards,” we set ourselves up for failure. To begin, as an expectation for the broader society, love is simply too tall an order. We learned this long ago from moral philosophers like David Hume and Adam Smith, who observed that there are cognitive limits to how far we can extend our sympathy. Continued on Page 4

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Krishna Leela – A devotional dance tribute with Narsi Mehta’s bhajans by Padmashree Rao

ance and devotion, imagery and inspiration – the evening of March 31, 2019 at Stafford Civic Center, Houston became memorable when the compositions of Shri Narsi Mehta, the great poet-saint revered as the Adi Kavi of Gujarat, came alive with music and mesmerizing movement. Aimed to be a fundraiser for Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya at Chinmaya Prabha, the event opened after invoking the blessings of God and the Chinmaya Guru Parampara. With a scroll that highlighted the contribution of Shri Narsi Mehta to the realm of the highest love, Prema-Bhakti, the unique dance recital gave everyone the opportunity to reminisce the Leela – sportive episodes of Bhagavan Sri Krishna and glimpse at the deep spiritual import behind each of them. It was an offering of love caringly conceived for over two years by the producer-director couple, Anil and Rucha Sheth, both physicians and longtime sevaks of Chinmaya Mission Houston. The grace-filled dance sequences that brought the uplifting emotions in the bhajans sung by Rucha Sheth and Nishad Mehta depicted the greatness of the poet-saint in two hours. Rathna Kumar, the internationally acclaimed FounderDirector of the Anjali Center for Performing Arts, Houston, expertly choreographed the classical dances in the show. Neha Vyas, Juhi Vyas, and Avani Dave from the Chinmaya Mission Houston team trained the folk dancers beautifully. All the talented dancers presented a perfect blend of classical Bharatanatyam and the folk

“Jal Kamal Chhandi” portraying the pranks of the young Krishna. Photos by Jayesh Mistry and Rajesh Thatte dances of Gujarat – Sanedo and Raas with smooth transitions. The storyline was dramatized by Hemant Bhavsar and his supporting crew. The show opened with the poet’s bhajan “Akhil Brahmandma” that portrayed the most exalted vision of the Lord who pervades the entire universe. Then, the joy of “Aajni Ghadi” welcomed the omnipresent Lord in the most delightful avatar of Sri Krishna. “Jagne Jadhava” conveyed the bliss of a spiritual dawn. And, the audience delighted in the dances for “Jasoda Tara Kanudane” and “Jal Kamal Chhandi” portraying the pranks of the darling Krishna. These divine episodes were interspersed with autobiographical episodes in Sri Narsi Mehta’s life through the bhajans, “Giri Taleti” and “Mari Hundi” that highlighted the saint’s all-embracing conviction and deep faith. The beauty of Nature in the peak of monsoon burst forth in “Mehulo Gaje.” This was followed

by the most notable “Vaishnavajan” which inspired Mahatma Gandhiji with the profile of a perfect devotee. After that sublimity of devotion, the show concluded with a spellbinding Raas that transported the audience to the moonlight night of Vrindavan to experience the bliss of union with Lord Krishna! To keep the audience in raptured attention, an eye-catching vibrant LED screen with digitally vivid and apt images technically managed by Vijay Azhagiasingam awed the audience. Synchronizing with that, a pleasing background music, skilled dancers, and enthusiastic actors captured the essence of each bhajan. The detailed narration that preceded each dance enabled the non-Gujarati audience to gain a rich understanding of the Adi Kavi’s devotional and spiritual vision. Swami Shivatmananda of Chinmaya Mission Austin, a special guest of that evening who has conducted workshops

Classical dances choreographed by Rathna Kumar, Director of the Anjali Center for Performing Arts

Folk dances of Gujarat – Sanedo and Raas on Sri Narsi Mehta, talked about the realm of timelessness that our saints inspired through their works of devotion. A flawless stage management of the lights that danced in perfect rhythm to each performance, the audio and acoustics that were harmonious through-

out the program, the props that aesthetically complemented the LED backdrop, the bright and beautiful costumes, and tasteful makeup – every aspect of the tribute to Sri Narsi Mehta was indeed a worship offered by each participant in Krishna Leela!

For more information about Chinmaya Mission Houston, Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and its activities visit www.chinmayahouston.org, www.saumyakasi.org or call temple 281 568 1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059 or Bharati Sutaria 281-933-0233

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UH Engineering building renamed after Dr. Durga and Sushila Agrawal Continued from Page 1 UH, he concluded, “has a very special place in my heart. We must keep the torch of knowledge, excellence and innovation growing and glowing.” Chancellor Dr. Renu Khator tweeted: “Today, we named the new Engineering building after Dr. and Mrs. Durga Agrawal, our alum and regent to celebrate their generosity. Your gift will inspire our students and alumni for many generations! Thank you. Over the years, Dr. Agrawal, who is 74, has been providing endowments, scholarships and internships for UH students. In 2013, he was named a member of the UH System Board of Regents by Texas Governor Rick Perry. He hopes his contributions “will encourage additional donors and attract high-caliber students, especially since many UH students are from the Houston area and will most likely stay here upon graduation to pursue their careers.” The building today bears no resemblance to the one Dr. Durga studied in but has been rebuilt on the same piece of land. UH’s engineering college boasts of more than 4,200 students, including over 1,150 graduate students, enrolled in 10 engineering disciplines, as well as several interdisciplinary graduate programs.

Regent Durga Agrawal, Mrs. Sushila Agrawal, Chancellor Renu Khator, Dr. Suresh Khator. Photo credit:AlexandersPortrait.com

The Agrawal family at the dedication ceremony. Photo provided by Dr. Durga Agrawal,

Consul General of India, Houston Dr. Anupan Ray with the Agrawals. Photo credit:AlexandersPortrait.com

Dr. Agrawal’s kindness and generosity isn’t limited to giving donations but also comes across in small gestures. When Houston was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey, Dr. Agrawal and members of his family showed up at the campus with vans to transport stranded students to other locations and even took many home. His deep seated value for education probably stems from his own early struggles for

Regent Tilman Fertitta, Regent Durga Agrawal, Chancellor Renu Khator, and Alan May. Photo credit:AlexandersPortrait.com

OpEd: Tolerance and civility... Continued from page 2 Love that’s genuine requires close-in local knowledge that we simply cannot cultivate beyond a relatively small circle of family and friends. The good news, though, is that love isn’t needed to achieve the good society. On this point, Nobel Laureate F.A. Hayek offered a helpful distinction between the social norms that are essential to the small intimate order of known family and friends and the norms essential to the extended order of the broader society. The right standard for the small band may very well be love. It’s in this sphere that we have enough local knowledge to attend to particular needs in nuanced ways. But, as Hayek argued, if we apply this standard to society as a whole, we will destroy it. Brooks tells us that expectations of civility and tolerance are too low of a bar; that if we want “true unity” in America, we must find our “shared whys.” But unity is the wrong goal.

A country of self-governing citizens is not one of shared ends; it’s one of shared rules: individual liberty, equality before the law, property rights and impersonal rules of contract, for example. The cultural norms that correspond to such rules are those like civility and tolerance, norms that can be applied generally, without a great deal of close-in, local knowledge. Expectations of civility and tolerance are admittedly cold and impersonal. That’s why they are not sufficient standards for, say, a happy family life. But it’s their impersonal quality that make them appropriate standards for the broader society. As cultural norms, civility and tolerance allow us to pursue our divergent ends without checking in with one another, without any expectation that we are aligning our beliefs and actions with some shared purpose. Once we commit to unity — even as a direction and aspiration — the individual who diverges from the pack

educational opportunities. He was born in Lakhanpur, a small village in Madhya Pradesh in India with a population of 700. The village did not have a water supply system, electricity or high school which meant that he had to cycle or sometimes even walk to the high school 13 miles away. He was also the bookkeeper for his father’s prosperous business from the time he was in elementary school and reveals that “when you work in the family business, you learn a lot.”

len College of Engineering. He attributes his present success to the two institutions equally and gives back unstintingly to both. As he says “giving back to the community is important and there’s no other field where money invested gives back more returns than education.” In 1975, Dr. Durga put his entrepreneurship skills to the test by building his company Piping Technology and Products from scratch, out of his garage. The company is today one of the leading providers of pipes for industrial and construction needs and employs over a 1000 people.

Encouraged by his parents, he attended one of the best engineering schools in India, IIT, New Delhi. In 1968, he came to Houston to pursue his Masters in Industrial engineering and in 1974 added a Doctorate to his resume, both from the UH Cul-

Dr. Agrawal also earns high marks for his spirit of community service. He was the first major donor and Found-

ing president of India House, a community center that offers free services and community programs. As the founder and first President of the Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, he has been part of many delegations to promote trade and the exchange of educational and medical resources between Houston and India. No stranger to high ranking elected officials, he was once introduced by President George Bush as “my good friend from Texas” at a State Dinner for Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Capitol Hill. A regular practitioner of yoga, Dr. Agrawal is a key contributor to the S-Vyasa Yoga Center that was recently inaugurated in Houston.

will always be seen as impeding progress toward the ideal. And therein lies a recipe for tyranny. Though it may seem counterintuitive, it’s the expectation of civility and tolerance that lays the groundwork for the good society, one characterized by pluralism and human flourishing.

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By not expecting more than we can offer, by not insisting on love and unity of purpose, we leave the cultural space contestable, open to countless conversations, out of which we have the best chance of forging bonds of mutual respect and trust.

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Brooks is right that if we are going to overcome the culture of contempt, we need better conversational ethics, such as a commitment to humility, respect and knowledge-seeking curiosity in the face of disagreement. But we don’t need love to cultivate these practices. We need the tempered virtues of civility and tolerance.

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Emily Chamlee-Wright is president of the Institute for Humane Studies. She formerly served as provost at Washington College and the Elbert Neese professor of Economics and Associate Dean at Beloit College.

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Panera Bread appoints Niren Chaudhary as CEO

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Smart to be discontinued in North America after 2019 model year

Chaudhary Succeeds Blaine Hurst, Who is Retiring as CEO but Remaining with Panera as Vice Chairman A Recognized Restaurant Industry Leader, Chaudhary Brings Deep Global Industry Expertise and a Proven Track Record of Growth

T. LOUIS, April 26, 2019 Panera Bread ("Panera" or "the Company") today announced that it has appointed Niren Chaudhary as President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Blaine Hurst who is retiring from his current role as CEO of Panera effective May 23, 2019. Hurst will remain on the Board of Panera and become Vice Chairman, and will work alongside Chaudhary after he joins the Company in early May to help ensure a smooth transition into his new role. Chaudhary joins Panera from Krispy Kreme, where he has been the Chief Operating Officer and President of Krispy Kreme International since 2017. Previously Chaudhary spent 23 years with Yum! Brands in a variety of executive positions. He has more than 25 years of international corporate leadership experience in the food retail and hospitality industry, and brings broad experience in building brands and driving value through long-term growth. Oliver Goudet, Panera Chairman and JAB managing Partner and CEO, said, "We are delighted that Niren will become the new CEO of Panera Brand," said Goudet. "Niren is a recognized industry leader with an impressive track record of establishing brands and leading companies to achieve growth in markets around the world. He is passionate about serving the people he works with as well as his customers, and has shown a keen ability to develop growth strategies that appeal

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The Smart brand will be discontinued in North America after the 2019 model year. © Daimler AG

Photo: Facebook/My Little Epiphanies to consumer needs no matter where they reside. These qualities make him perfectly suited to lead Panera into the next phase of global growth in the US and abroad, while maintaining its mission of doing good in the world and serving food as it should be." Goudet continued, "We are deeply grateful for Blaine's contributions during his time at Panera. Blaine played a significant role in making Panera a leader in the industry including his tireless efforts to lead Panera through its omni channel journey including Panera 2.0, digital, delivery, catering, brand evolution and his commitment to diversity and inclusion. To that effect, we are excited that Blaine has agreed to join JAB to help accelerate the technology transformation of our other food portfolio brands such as Pret a Manger." "I am thrilled to welcome Niren as the new CEO of Panera Bread," said Hurst. "While it has been a difficult decision for me to retire, I am confident that Panera will be well-positioned for continued long-term success with

Niren taking on the role of CEO. He has a proven track record of successfully growing brands in many markets around the globe while also being highly focused on culture and people, and I am as excited about Panera's future today as I was when I started working with the company nearly nine years ago. I look forward to this next chapter as Panera's Vice Chairman and helping JAB, our majority investor, with technology initiatives and other potential projects, while also having the opportunity to spend more time with my family. I am so proud of the Panera brand, the people, our food and the experience we provide to customers and associates every day." "I am honored to be given the opportunity to lead Panera at this exciting milestone in the company's history," said Chaudhary. "I look forward to working with all of the talented people who are part of Panera, including our employees and our franchisees, as we move forward to further grow one of world's best food companies. " - PRNewswire

s first reported by TechCrunch, Daimler announced that its compact all-electric car brand Smart will be pulled from the US and Canada after the 2019 model year, following poor sales. Yesterday, TechCrunch reported Daimler's plans to discontinue Smart in North America, as it prepares instead to launch the brand in China. The 2019 model year will be the final model to be available in the US. A number of factors, including a declining micro-car market in the U.S. and Canada, combined with high homologation costs for a low volume model are central to this decision," said a Daimler spokesperson. In Januray, February, and March of this year, the company was unable to sell even 100 units from the brand in the US. During all of last year, monthly sales rested around 100. Since the brand's US launch in 2008, sales have been steadily decreasing, and Canada has seen a similar trend.

As much as the Smart ended up falling to some American preconceptions, it broke the small-car paradigm in one important way: It was safe. In a video released by the company, the Fortwo crashed, in a frontal-offset impact, passenger cell intact, into a Mercedes-Benz S-Class—a vehicle that doesn’t seem so massive in the U.S. Next to Cadillac Escalades and Lincoln Navigators, it may have only served to underscore, again, just how tiny the Fortwo was.

Recently, Daimler announced that it is forming a joint venture between Smart and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese auto company -- the owner of Volvo -- that will help build Smart into an all-electric brand based in China, to launch globally in 2022. Though Smart will be pulled from the North American market, Daimler will continue to produce electric models for the US and Canada through Mercedes-Benz. - Relaxnews

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Nabila Mansoor is a mom, lawyer & grassroots organizer who has a history of building communities, through advocacy and volunteerism.

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EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS: April 22nd-30th Apr 22-26: 10AM-7PM Apr 27: 8AM-5PM Apr 28: CLOSED Apr 29-30: 7AM-7PM Sartartia Middle School - 8125 Homeward Way Sugar Land Fire Station No7 - 1301 Chatham Ave. Sugar Land City Hall - 2700 Town Center Blvd.

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

he Chithirai Mahotsavam is a very grand annual festival and is considered the signature event of Sri Meenakshi Temple. This ten-day festival occurs in the Tamil month of Chithirai, the first month in the Tamil calendar. This year, it was celebrated with even more grandeur than ever, from April 18th till April 28th. This festival follows the tradition set by the world famous Meenakshi temple at Madurai. The weather was perfect for the entire ten days, allowing the devotees to enjoy every aspect of the festival to the fullest. A special Yaga Sala was built, where every day, morning and evening homam rituals were performed as prescribed by the ancient Agama sastras. Every evening, abhishekams were performed to the deities to the chant of Sri Rudram and other vedic hymns. The purpose of these and other rituals is to purify the temple, it’s premises, all the surrounding environment, as well as all the devotees who attend them. It is believed that all negative thoughts and feelings are sacrificed in the sacred fire. Many visitors were absolutely enthralled by the divine vibrations and ambience in the temple. Rajendran and family from Dallas had visited the temple the previous week when they learnt of the festival that was going. They were told that the grand finale was on Sunday, April 28th. Without even the slightest hesitation they drove back all the way from Dallas to witness the event. This is just one example, and there were many more that came from far and wide. Sri Meenkashi Pattabhishekam, the grand Coronation of Sri Meenakshi was celebrated with great pomp and splendor on Saturday, April 20th. The Pattabhishekam is indeed one of the stellar events of this festival. Hundreds of devotees participated in the puja and events on this auspicious day. A team of dedicated volunteers spent many hours decorating the Pushpa Vimanam with more than 10,000 flowers, a specially built palanquin, con-

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Memorable Mahotsavam at Sri Meenakshi Temple by M.K.Sriram

(tying of Mangalyam), and it was a truly indescribably divine moment that will always remain in the memory of the attendees. The grandest of processions followed with Meenakshi in the brilliant silver Ratham (chariot) and all Deities in their respective Vahanas. The devotees thoroughly enjoyed and merrily celebrated this joyous wedding procession. The final rituals were completed and the temple flag that was hoisted ten days ago, was brought down to mark the completion of the grand Mahotsavam. A sumptuously delicious lunch with traditional wedding items was served on banana leaves to more than 1600 devotees. Scores of volunteers had worked on cutting vegetables, helping with the cooking in the temple kitchen and serving.

A spectacular sight as Sri Meenakshi is being carried in the Pusha Vimanam during procession accompanied by traditional chenda drums and dancing of the devotees. Photo credit: Srini Sundarrajan. ceptualized by Priest Manicka Bhattar and built by the temple’s very talented silpis (artisans). Sri Meenakshi was adorned most beautifully for this occasion. The crowning moment of the event was indeed the offering of the jewel studded crown and the divine Scepter to the Goddess, our Mother. Sri Meenakshi was then seated in the Pusha Vimanam and carried by enthusiastic devotees on a procession, to the accompaniment of traditional chenda drums, around the temple with hundreds and hundreds of devotees enjoying every moment. April 28th, 2019 is a day

that will for ever be etched in the memories of the thousands who attended the Thirukalyanam (Holy Wedding) of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Sundareswara (Siva). It was celebrated with extraordinary festivities, joy and grandeur. The weather was just perfect for the occasion. Many families had brought specially made Seer (savories and sweets), flower and fruits. The traditional Nadaswaram and Thavil (South Indian musical pipe & drums) music filled the air to create the perfect festive ambience throughout the ceremonies. After initial pujas to Lord Ganesha, the Seer Bakshanams

were carried in a procession around the main temple and awaited the arrival of the Deities from the Main temple. A most beautifully decorated Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Siva accompanied by Lord Vishnu were brought in palanquins on the shoulders of ardent devotees and joined the procession to the Youth Center. Priests performed the garland exchanges to the tune of the famous “Maalai Mattrinal” song played by the musicians. The Deities were then gently rocked on a swing decorated with flowers, while the ladies performed traditional rituals. The Deities were then car-

ried to the main Mandapam. Oh, what a glorious sight it was to see the Deities seated in the most gorgeously decorated Mandapam! it instantly uplifted the hearts and minds of the devotees. Many dedicated volunteers had worked all week on stringing beautiful flower garlands. The priests performed important rituals such as Rakshabandanam and Kanyadaanam, with participation by all the sponsor families. Many families availed of the opportunity to offer Vasthrams (saris & dhothis) and Mangalyam for the wedding. The most auspicious climactic moment was the Mangalya Dharanam

This whole Mahotsavam, especially the Thirukalyanam was meticulously planned and so well organized by the Temple Board members led by the Chairman Mrs. Padmini Nathan. There was great teamwork and coordination among the various committees such as Religious Activities, Cultural, Food, Infrastructure (sound & video) etc. as well as the Temple administrators. The priests led by Sri Manicka Bhattar conceptualized and performed the pujas and homams so beautifully. The talented group of artisans led my Sri Ramanathan worked tirelessly day and night to put on the magnificent event. Secretary Ramachandra Reddy thanked the priests, staff, volunteers, devotees, board and advisory council. Many of the devotees expressed their great fortune to attend this function and felt they were really in the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Indeed we are very fortunate to celebrate this Mahotsavam right here in Houston. This is the only temple in the entire western hemisphere where one can witness this. For those who somehow missed this year’s festival and Meenakshi-Sundareswara kalyanam, it is a must attend next year. Kudos to MTS for this fantastic event.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Are you, or a loved one, living Houston Methodist Orthopedics & with Parkinson’s disease or Sports Medicine hosts annual student essential tremor? physicals

UGAR LAND—(May 1, 2019) — Parkinson’s disease affects more than one million Americans and is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year. Toby Yaltho, M.D., fellowshiptrained movement disorders neurologist at Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center in Sugar Land, can help patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. Movement disorders result from altered communication between the brain, muscles and nerves. “Although Parkinson’s disease produces typical symptoms, its diagnosis may be delayed because symptoms often develop slowly over many years,” said Yaltho. “The risk of Parkinson’s disease increases with age and is more common in people older than 65 years.”

UGAR LAND – (April 25, 2019) — Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Sugar Land is offering annual student physicals from 9 a.m. to noon on July 27 for Fort Bend ISD, Stafford MSD and any other student needing a physical.

Toby Yaltho, M.D., fellowship-trained movement disorder neurologist (ALS), back and neck pain, brain and spinal tumors, epilepsy, migraines, headaches, multiple sclerosis (MS), peripheral neuropathy, muscle and nerve injuries and stroke.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease vary from person to person and can include tremor, or shaking, often in a hand, arm or leg; stiff muscles; slow movement; and difficulty with walking and balance.

Outpatient rehabilitation services are also offered by highly skilled therapists, including BIG® & LOUD® Therapy, which is a type of therapy developed specifically for patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders.

“It may be challenging for physicians to differentiate Parkinson’s disease symptoms from other conditions, such as essential tremor, that can be similar,” said Yaltho.

“Disorders and diseases of the brain and spine require a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and an individual treatment plan for every patient,” said Yaltho.

In addition to Parkinson’s disease, the Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center in Sugar Land provides diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of neurological issues, including Alzheimer’s and memory disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

To schedule an appointment with Toby Yaltho, M.D., or another physician with the Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center, call 281.274.7979 or visit houstonmethodist.org/neuro-sl to request an appointment.

Free Parkinson’s Disease And Essential Tremor Seminar Join Toby Yaltho, M.D., fellowship-trained movement disorder neurologist, and Brian Dalm, M.D., neurosurgeon at Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 11 for a free patient education seminar at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s Brazos Pavilion Conference Center. They will discuss Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy for Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor including the benefits and risks of surgery and appropriate patient selection. Registration required. Register online at events.houstonmethodist.org/parkinsons-sl or call 281.274.7500.

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) requires all high school athletes to undergo and pass a physical examination prior to participating in sports. Physical evaluations include examining height, weight, vision, blood pressure, pulse, ears, nose, throat, heart, lungs, abdomen, spine and all joints in the upper and lower body. Physicians discuss the athletes’ medical history and consult with them and their parents if further evaluation is necessary prior to releasing them to participate in sports. “I grew up in the area and attended Hightower High School, so it is an honor to come back and support the players. We look forward to continuing to support these school districts,” said Ashvin Dewan, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and team physician. “We truly enjoy working with the schools in these districts.” Houston Methodist physicians have been associated with local school districts for more than 18 years and have donated more than $500,000 back to those communities. “Performing physical examinations is just part of being a team physician. Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine physicians support coaches, athletic trainers and players

Timothy Sitter, MD

Ashvin Dewan, MD

throughout the school year,” said Timothy Sitter, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and team physician.

Land, TX, 77479. Orthopedic, sports medicine and cardiology physicians will be on-site to provide additional clearance as needed.

‘Partnering with Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine provides a convenient, inexpensive opportunity for our athletes to complete this physical exam, said Richard Gregoire, head district athletic trainer for Fort Bend ISD. “This partnership continues to provide access to some of the finest doctors in our community and a safer environment for our amazing students as they participate in our athletic programs,” Gregoire said. From 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday July 27, Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine will host student physicals at 16811 Southwest Fwy., Sugar

The cost is $20 (cash only) for ages 12 through 18. Be sure to bring a completed UIL Physical Evaluation form, which can be printed from events.houstonmethodist.org/physicals-sl along with the Houston Methodist release form. Proceeds generated from the physicals are donated back to the athletic training programs of Fort Bend ISD schools. For more information, email athletictrainer@houstonmethodist.org or call 281.275.0447. Please note that email is not a secure means to communicate confidential or health-related information, including Social Security number, date of birth, financial information, etc.

Thieves Take Video Games Totaling $2,300

UGAR LAND, TX – Sugar Land police are looking for two men who stole 56 video games totaling more than $2,300 from Walmart, 345 State Highway 6, on April 6. An employee noticed a cabinet appeared empty, so store surveillance was reviewed. Video shows two men enter the store at 3:15 a.m., walk to the electronics department, use a key to open a display case, fill backpacks

with video games and exit the store without paying. Both men were black. One was 40 to 50 years old; about 180 to 200 pounds; and wearing a dark shirt, pants and shoes. He had a balding head and a mustache. The other man was about 25 to 35 years old and wearing a white or gray hoodie, black pants, dark tennis shoes and a black do-rag on his head. Surveillance cameras outside the store captured the men arriving and

leaving in separate vehicles. One vehicle was a cream Buick Lacrosse with four doors. The other was a silver Chevrolet Equinox or Traverse. Anyone with information should call the Sugar Land Police Department at (281) 275-2540 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at (281) 342TIPS (8477). Surveillance video posted at www. sugarlandtx.gov/theft191757

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VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Southwestern National Bank reports record growth in first quarter of 2019

ALLAS - Southwestern National Bank’s Board of Directors meeting took place on Thursday, April 18, in Dallas, Texas. In attendance at the meeting were the Bank’s Management Team as well as several VIP customers of the Bank. During the meeting, CEO George Lee talked about the record-breaking growth Southwestern National Bank experienced during the first quarter of 2019. Mr. Lee also discussed plans for growth of Southwestern National Bank’s branches in

Texas and California, as well as short-term and long-term goals for the company.

and also for the hard work of the company’s management team and its employees.

During the Board meeting, President Mohammed Younus also talked about the economic condition in the Dallas area and future development plans, including adding a new branch.

CEO George Lee is optimistic about the future of Southwestern National Bank and its continued growth during the second quarter. Also discussed was the upcoming software enhancements, available in June 2019, adding much more functionality and ease of access for our customers to their accounts such as, Mobile Capture, Zelle Money Movement, Tokenization, EAlerts, Secure Connect, and more.

At the meeting, Director Steve Chen very graciously opened the doors of his home to host a customer appreciation party. At the party, the board expressed their appreciation for the patronage of their customers

Houston Banking Veteran Jon Heine Joins Veritex Bank as Houston City President

Southwestern National Bank’s Board of Directors and bank offi cials. Photos provided by Ling Chuang

ecutive Officer of Veritex Bank. “Houston is a unique and distinctive marketplace. Jon understands Houston. He knows what makes it work and what makes it special.” “I am very excited to join the team at Veritex Bank,” said Heine. “Houston is a vibrant community with tremendous potential for growth given Veritex Bank’s size and relationship approach to banking. Veritex Bank’s dedication to excellence, uncompromising customer service and one-on-one relationship banking all position us to be a leading force in Texas banking for many years to come.”

Jon Heine (Photo: Business Wire)

ALLAS & HOUSTON-- May 01, 2019 - Houston banking veteran Jon Heine has joined Veritex Community Bank as the bank’s Houston City President. Jon will lead and direct the efforts of the Bank’s recently expanded Houston market following the acquisition of Houstonbased Green Bank earlier this year. As a member of the Bank’s executive leadership team, Jon will work hand-in-hand with Jeff Kesler, his counterpart in the Dallas market, as well as Veritex Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Commercial Officer and other senior management members in developing and implementing Bank-wide strategic business initiatives and the creation of new lines of business to serve the needs

of Veritex Bank’s growing customer base. As a key member of the team responsible for the profitable growth of Veritex's Houston lending functions, he will help to develop new lines of loan business, including Wealth Management and Private Banking. Jon Heine joins Veritex Bank after nearly 19 years at Comerica Bank, where he served as the Regional Manager of Comerica’s Wealth Management team in Houston since 2016. Heine brings broad lending experience, having also held various roles in Private Banking, National Dealer Finance, Middle Market and Entertainment Finance in the markets of Texas and California. “Jon’s reputation for excellence precedes him and I am very happy to have him as a leader in our bank,” said C. Malcolm Holland, Chief Ex-

Mohammed Younu with guests.

A Texas native, Heine received a finance degree from Texas Tech University. He also serves on the Board of Directors for A Child’s Hope and is a former fouryear Committeeman with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He and his family are active members of Second Baptist Church in Houston. Jon and his wife, Allison, live in Houston with their three children. About Veritex Bank Veritex Community Bank is a mid-sized community bank serving its customers with a full suite of banking products and services. The bank has 44 branch locations in Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, with total assets of over $7 billion. The bank specializes in providing depository and credit services to retail and small- to mid-size businesses, which have been largely neglected by national banks. The name “Veritex” is derived from the Latin word “veritas,” meaning truth, and “Texas.” - Business Wire

Mohammed Younu making a presentation.

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DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Indian charged with kidnap- Indian-American engineer announces 2020 Congressional ping after driving away 2 bid from New Jersey children in car in US Two police officers observed the stolen vehicle fleeing the scene and chased Dalvir Singh, who was then taken into custody and charged.

EW YORK: Press Trust of India | April 30, 2019 - A 24-yearold Indian man has been charged with kidnapping, assault and theft after he drove off in an elderly woman's car from outside a medical centre in the US with her grandchildren inside the vehicle. Dalvir Singh, a heroin addict, was taken into custody and charged with two counts of kidnapping, felonious assault for dragging Nita Coburn, 69 and grand theft, Middletown Division of Police said in a statement. Coburn was injured when as she tried to stop Singh as the kids jumped out of the car. The police is also hailing Coburn's 8-year old grandson Chance as a hero for saving his 10-year old sister''s life by pulling her out of the car as Singh took off in it. The Middletown Police said that on the evening of April 25, it received a call that a car with children inside had been stolen at a medical center in Middletown, Ohio and that an elderly lady was injured. Coburn had taken another woman to the hospital and her two grandchildren were with her in the back seat. When they got to the emergency room, she pulled up close to the door and was helping the other woman into the emergency room. About 10 seconds after she got out of the car, Singh jumped into the driver's seat and took off with the children still in the back. The little boy opened the door to escape and his sister Skylar started to jump out also but Singh grabbed the hoodie of the little girl not allowing her to leave. As she tried to get away, Chance grabbed hold of her and pulled her away from Singh and they both tumbled out of the vehicle as it was moving. Police said Coburn did not realise that the children were able to escape because they flew out of the passenger side and by that time she was chasing the car on the driver's side.

Hirsh Singh, known as a supporter of President Donald Trump, will seek the Republican nomination for the US Senate in 2020 against Cory Booker

EW YORK: Press Trust of India | : April 27, 2019 - A 33-year-old Indian-American engineer has announced to challenge the Democratic senator from New Jersey in 2020.

Dalvir Singh, who was arrested on kidnapping charges in Middletown, Ohio, is seen in this undated booking photo. (Image posted on Facebook by Middletown Division of Police) She opened the driver's door to regain control of the vehicle she thought her grandchildren were in, but Singh slammed the door shut again and locked the door.

The Middletown Division of Police said it will be recognising the little boy's quick action to not only get out of the vehicle but also making sure that his sister got out with him.

Hirsh Singh, known as a supporter of President Donald Trump, will seek the Republican nomination for the US Senate in 2020 against Cory Booker, according to the New Jersey Globe news website. Booker has not yet announced if he will run for reelection, although a new law allows him to simultaneously run for president and re-election to the Senate.

She hung onto the vehicle panicking because she thought the children were still inside. The vehicle dragged her until it accelerated at a high rate of speed and she was forced to let go.

"Booker has brought nothing to New Jersey. Having a US Senator who's not just resisting the president is critical," Mr Singh said.

Middletown Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw lauded the heroic attempt by Chance to save himself and his sister from the kidnapping attempt.

Singh, an engineer from Atlantic County who works in the aerospace and defence industries, filed his campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday. This will be his third bid for public office. He lost the Republican Party primaries for governor in 2017 and Congress in 2018.

Two police officers observed the stolen vehicle fleeing the scene and chased Singh, who was then taken into custody and charged.

"This little guy is a hero. No question. He pulled his sister out of the car with no concern for his own safety. That is incredible at his age," he said.

Image posted on Facebook by Hirsh Singh.

Mr Singh is the first Republican to announce his intention to challenge Booker, who was re-elected by a 56 per cent to 42 per cent margin in 2014. Chance Blue and Skylar Weaver. (Image posted on Facebook by Middletown Division of Police)

He was endorsed by Bill Palatucci, the Republican Nation-

al Committeeman from New Jersey. Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said Hirsh is bright, ambitious and extremely focused, Shore News Network reported. "For as long as I have known him, he has been very interested in serving the community and being involved. He's capable of meeting the uphill challenge that lies ahead of him. Cory Booker is a national name with a lot of money, but Hirsh has a good understanding of what he has to do to win," Levinson said. Somerset Chairman Al Gaburo said: "Hirsh is a good man who will bring real energy and passion to a United States Senate run. I'm glad he's putting himself forward at this critical time".

Sikh family of four tragically killed at apartment complex where shots were fired

EST CHESTER, Ohio | April 30, 2019 | A Sikh family was found dead at an apartment complex in Ohio where multiple gunshots were fired, reports said on Monday. No suspect has been identified. A man called 911 around 10 pm Sunday, saying he had arrived at the complex in a northern Cincinnati suburb to find four members of his family—three women and a man—wounded, according to West Chester Township police. "They are on the ground and

bleeding," said the caller, often choking up and out of breath as the dispatcher struggled to get details from him. "They are all bleeding." At times, he can be heard on the 911 audio frantically yelling "Help!" apparently to neighbours at the Lakefront at West Chester complex. Township Police Chief Joel Herzog said at a news conference Monday that it's too early in the investigation to suggest a motive. It will be up to the Butler County coroner to determine the cause of death and release

the victims' identities, Herzog said.

"It appears to be isolated," Herzog said.

Herzog said that it didn't appear that anyone had shot back at the perpetrator or perpetrators, whom police were still working to identify.

He added that the victims all appeared to have lived in the same apartment in the township, which is a growing, mostly suburban area roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Cincinnati.

They were also interviewing family members and neighbours. "It does not appear that the shooter is among the dead," Herzog said, adding that he doesn't believe there is any danger to the community.There was no lockdown in effect at a nearby school, he said.

The man who called 911 provided little information on the call about what appeared to have happened. The caller has spoken to investigators, Herzog said. He confirmed that the caller was a relative of the victims. Police said it appeared the

family was preparing dinner when attacked, and there was some smoke when they arrived from the abandoned meal preparation. Authorities have said that multiple agencies, including the State Highway Patrol, have been assisting in the investigation. Police established a perimeter around the apartment complex early Monday and used police helicopters and K-9 units to search for a suspect. Herzog said: "We're actively searching with all the resources we can." —Agencies

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

SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 10

Pakistani vaccine teams confront violence, hysteria in polio battle by Joris Fioriti / Daud Muhammad

SLAMABAD, Pakistan | AFP - Flanked by armed guards, polio workers fanned out in the slums of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad after a bloody week of fatal attacks on health workers threatened to derail an ongoing vaccination drive. April has been a violent month for Pakistan’s polio campaign, with at least three people killed this week, while thousands of parents have refused to allow their children to be inoculated amid a deluge of anti-vaccine content on social media. The violence coincided with an outbreak of hysteria in cities across northwest Pakistan after rumours of children suffering from adverse reactions to a polio vaccine sparked panic, with tens of thousands rushed to hospitals. An official report later said a “pre-planned conspiracy” was responsible for the panic but provided few details. The incident fed festering suspicions about the vaccine campaign, with authorities saying dozens of polio workers have been beaten, stoned, and harassed and one health clinic burned to the ground in the episode’s wake. Undeterred health workers have continued to inoculate thousands of children -- with or without security -- while public health officials have argued with reluctant parents, pleading with them to vaccinate their children. More than 250,000 health workers are involved in the campaign. In a slum on the outskirts

of Islamabad, parents cradled wailing youngsters as staff administered oral doses of the vaccine, while neighbours crowded around to watch as police scanned the surroundings. Across the capital in an upscale apartment block, a Pakistani health worker spent time convincing mothers and fathers who had earlier refused to allow their children to be vaccinated. “What is pinching us is actually the fake or negative social media propaganda,” Dr Mohammad Asif Rahim, an assistant deputy commissioner in Islamabad, told AFP, saying thousands of parents each day are now refusing to participate in the polio campaign. Polio is endemic in only three countries globally -Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria -- although a relatively rare strain was also detected in Papua New Guinea last year. Polio vaccination campaigns have faced stubborn resistance for years in Pakistan. Opposition to myriad forms of inoculation skyrocketed after the CIA organised a fake vaccination drive to help track down Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad, where US forces later killed the militant leader in 2011. Some Taliban and hardline religious figures have been known to fan rumours that vaccines contain ingredients forbidden in Islam, such as pork derivatives, or that can cause infertility as part of a conspiracy to reduce the population.

Flanked by armed guards, polio workers have pressed on with their vaccine campaign despite ongoing violence. (Photo: AFP)

Attacks by militants have also been frequent, with nearly 100 people killed in assaults targeting vaccine teams since 2012. Despite the opposition, campaigners have reported progress with tens of millions of children vaccinated across the country along with a 96 percent drop in reported polio cases since 2014. But as Pakistan nears its goal of ridding polio from its territory, new headwinds have arisen amid a growing global movement against inoculation. The anti-vax phenomenon has attracted adherents worldwide, fuelled by medically baseless claims and proliferated by social media resulting in a resurgence of onceeradicated, highly-contagious diseases. In recent months Pakistani social media has also been inundated with fake news reports and videos -- garnering hundreds of thousands of views and shares in the last week alone -- claiming numerous children have been killed by the polio vaccine. Public health experts say the misinformation has in-

IACF Walkathon participants from 2018

UGAR LAND - The Indo American Foundation (IACF) invites all to join their 5k Walk-aThon on Sunday May 12, at Lost Creek Park, starting 7:30AM .

For sponsorship and other information contact IACF President Venkat Iyer or Nanda Vura: 281-236-0735, Dr Prasun Jalal: 347-229-2341, K.C. Mehta: 281-494-6292.

Indian startups now building products for the world: Advocacy group ASHINGTON, PTI, May 01, 2019 - Having graduated from coding or emulating the concepts invented in the West, start-ups in India have entered a new phase wherein they are successfully building products for the world and raising money from the West, according to a top India-centric US advocacy group.

Indo American Charity Foundation Walkthon on May 12 at Lost Creek Park

Themed “I Walk - I Care”, the Walkathon is signature event of IACF in collaboration with Indian Doctors Association (IDA) and Indian Doctors Charity Clinic (IDCC). Walkers avail free health screening: Hypertension & Diabetes Screening organized by the Indian Doctors Charity Clinic prior to the start of the event. Light breakfast will also be served ahead of the Walka-Thon. Each year over 125 walkers participated in the free for all event. Don't forget to registrar online at www.iacfhouston.com.

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Online registration: www.iacfhouston.com Read more community stories. Visit us online : voiceofasia.news

flamed already existing distrust of vaccine campaigns, resulting in a three-fold jump in refusals by parents to vaccinate their children in the last two years. “Here people have little knowledge, so if they see a professor allegedly from the US or elsewhere who is against the vaccine, they are easily convinced,” said Rana Safdar from Pakistan’s National Institute of Health. “Now there is a pushback. We need to regain the momentum.”

“I think the Indian start-ups scene is entering a third phase, building products for the world,” Mukesh Aghi, President of US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) told PTI. - Three phases of growth Noting that the whole Indian IT industry picked up after the year 2000, he said this area focused more on coding and was more of a labour arbitrage. In a way, it filled a vacuum which was needed, he observed. The second phase involved Indian companies emulating the concepts invented here in the US, following companies such as Uber, Ola, Amazon and Flipkart, he said, adding that on the healthcare side, there

are many similar examples. Up to a certain extent, this tactic has been successful in India. However, the second phase was not for an export market. It was more targeted towards bringing efficiency to the Indian domestic market, he observed. “In the third phase, what we are seeing is (that) product companies (are) coming up now and these are not only just building these products for India, but they’re also building for the world,” Aghi said, responding to a question on the start-up environment in India. These products could range from voice recognition, cybersecurity to healthcare. “I believe they are now showing a pattern of success. You can see this at incubators in India like T-hub in Hyderabad,” he said. There are many promising companies coming up and they’re raising Series-C and Series-D funding, which are coming from the US and these companies are also able to also line up customers. “One example is Zoho, a company from Chennai,” Aghi said.

Sri Lanka suspends police chief over Easter attacks

OLOMBO, Sri Lanka | AFP | Monday 4/29/2019 - Sri Lanka's president suspended the chief of police on Monday and appointed a new defence secretary in a shake-up of the shell-shocked country's security services following the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Intelligence warnings from abroad alerting to possible attacks by Islamist extremists

were ignored ahead of the multiple bombings of churches and upscale hotels on April 21 that killed 253 people and injured nearly 500. Chief of police Pujith Jayasundara had refused to quit to clear the way for a shake-up of the 85,000-strong force, prompting President Maithripala Sirisena to suspend him on Monday. Senior

Deputy

Inspector-

General Chandana Wickramaratne was appointed acting police chief in his place, Sirisena's office said in a statement. Separately Sirisena appointed on Monday a former head of the army, Shantha Kottegoda, as the country's top defence official. His predecessor at the ministry of defence and law and order, Hemasiri Fernando, stepped down on Thursday.

ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 11

Japan's new Emperor Naruhito ascends Chrysanthemum Throne

China sentences Houstonian, Canadian to death for drug trafficking

EIJING, China | AFP | Tuesday 4/30/2019 A Chinese court sentenced a second Canadian man to death for drug trafficking on Tuesday, eliciting a rebuke from Canada's foreign minister, amid diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and Beijing.

by Hiroshi HIYAMA

OKYO | AFP | Wednesday 4/30/2019 - Japan's new Emperor Naruhito pledged Wednesday to stand by the Japanese people as he formally ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne, the day after his father's historic abdication ushered in a new imperial era. It was the first time in more than 200 years that a member of the world's oldest royal family has chosen to step down, and solemn rituals accompanied both Akihito's abdication and Naruhito's enthronement. Naruhito officially became emperor at midnight, when the country also began the new imperial era of Reiwa or "beautiful harmony", but the transition was formalised in a Wednesday ceremony. The ritual, off-limits to all royal women, saw 59-year-old Naruhito accept the regalia relinquished by his father a day earlier: a sacred sword and jewel as well as the seal of the state and the imperial seal. Naruhito then delivered his first address to the nation, vowing to "act according to the Constitution" while "always turning my thoughts to the people and standing with them". The new monarch wore formal Western clothing including a heavy gold chain of office during the ceremony and his speech. He was joined by Empress Masako, wearing a long white gown and diamond-studded tiara, for his address. The nation's 126th emperor said he would "reflect deeply" on the example set by his popular father Akihito, and that assuming the throne filled him with a "sense of solemnity".

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

A Houston man, detained in China for more than six years without a verdict, has been found guilty and sentenced to death, suspended for two years.

A vehicle carrying Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako arrives at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on April 30, 2019.PHOTO: AFP visits Japan to meet the new monarch. His father will move out of the palace later this year and now assumes the title Emperor Emeritus. The Oxford-educated Naruhito faces the delicate balancing act of continuing his father's legacy of bringing the monarchy closer to the people while upholding the centuriesold traditions of the Chrysanthemum Throne. Like his popular father, he has warned of the need to remember World War II "correctly", without downplaying Japan's early 20th-century militarism. He has suggested the royal family should modernise, and vowed when he married Masako -- who left behind a promising diplomatic career -- to protect her "at any cost". - A different Japan She has struggled with palace life, including being subjected

to enormous pressure to produce a male heir, and has suffered stress-induced "adjustment disorder" for much of their marriage. The couple have one child, a 17-year-old daughter called Aiko, who cannot inherit the throne because she is female. In a statement released on her birthday in December, Masako pledged to do her best despite feeling "insecure" about becoming empress. In the candid statement, she said she was recovering and could "perform more duties than before", crediting the "powerful support" of the public. Naruhito is ascending the throne in a very different Japan to the one his father took over when he became emperor in 1989. Then, Japan ruled the world economically, its technology was the envy of every industrialised nation, and its stock

Mark Swidan was found guilty of trafficking and manufacturing drugs. Tuesday, a Chinese court announced the death sentence. He has been detained since 2012. The court in southern Guangdong province said the Canadian, Fan Wei, and 10 others -- including an American and four Mexicans -- were part of an international narcotics syndicate working out of Taishan city between July and November 2012. The group produced and

market was at highs unlikely to be matched again. But following a "lost decade" after the bubble burst, the country is locked in a battle against deflation and sluggish growth while its population ages rapidly. Akihito's abdication, the first in 200 years, has resulted in an unprecedented 10-day public holiday for the famously hardworking Japanese, with many taking advantage of the break to travel.

Houstonian Mark Swidan given suspended death sentence. sold 63.38 kilos (140 pounds) of methamphetamine and 366 grammes of dimethylamylamine, a drug used for attention deficit-hyperactive disorder, weight loss and improving athletic performance, according to the Jiangmen Intermediate People's Court. Fan and a Chinese man who played a key role in operations were sentenced to death, the court said in a statement. "The number of drugs sold and manufactured was extremely large and the crimes were extremely serious," the statement said. The other foreigners were given suspended death sentences which would be reduced to life imprisonment after two years while the rest of the men faced prison terms. They have 10 days to appeal the sentence. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland reacted to the sentencing, saying her government is "very concerned." "Canada stands firmly opposed to the use of the death penalty, everywhere around

the world," she told reporters. "We think that this is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which should not be used in any country. "We are obviously, particularly concerned when it is applied to Canadians." The Canadian foreign ministry in a statement called on China to grant clemency for Fan, who is the second Canadian to face capital punishment this year. In January, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was handed the death penalty following a oneday retrial after he appealed an earlier 15-year sentence in a separate drug trafficking case. China says that he was a key member of an international drug trafficking syndicate but Schellenberg claims that he was visiting as a tourist. The sentence came amid the backdrop of frosty diplomatic relations between China and Canada, with Beijing furious over the Vancouver arrest of a top executive from telecom giant Huawei on a US extradition request related to Iran sanctions violations.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, replying on behalf of the people, said: "We are determined to create a bright future for a proud Japan filled with peace and hope at a time when the international situation is changing dramatically." After heavy rain dampened celebrations for the abdication on Tuesday, Japanese took advantage of sunnier weather to flock to the Meiji Shrine in the heart of the capital, where free sake was served ahead of a display of horseback archery.

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- Celebrating history Others watched the ceremonies and speech, which were conducted behind closed doors at the palace, on big screens outside Shinjuku, the world's busiest station. "I am someone who loves history and what we are experiencing now will be talked about for a long time," 21-yearold law student Mito Okuno told AFP. "That's why I wanted to come in person," added Okuno, resplendent in a striped kimono, who came some 600 kilometres (370 miles) from the town of Himeji to experience the moment.

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Naruhito will make his first public appearance on Saturday when he will again address the people of Japan. But the real pomp and ceremony will wait until October 22 when he and Masako will appear in elaborate traditional robes for a palace ceremony before parading through the streets of Tokyo to be congratulated by a host of world leaders and royals. Naruhito will greet his first foreign head of state as emperor later this month, when US President Donald Trump

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New York bans alcohol advertising on city property

EW YORK | AFP | Tuesday 4/30/2019 - New York Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an executive order Tuesday banning alcohol advertising from city property, citing public health concerns. The ban would include bus shelters, newsstands and WiFi kiosks and would take effect immediately for new ads, though existing ads would be allowed to remain until their contracts run out. "There's no doubt that far too many New Yorkers struggle with serious substance misuse issues, among them excessive drinking," Democrat De Blasio said in a statement. "This order banning alcohol ads from City property reaffirms our commitment to health equity and our stand to protect the well-being of all New Yorkers." According to the statement, there were nearly 2,000 alcohol-related deaths in New York City in 2016, and 110,000 alcohol-related emergency department visits. It also said certain areas are hit harder, with East Harlem seeing five times the rate of alcohol-linked hospitalizations than the Upper East Side. Citing a 2017 study, the mayor's office said ads promoting alcoholic drinks could increase the likelihood of viewers consuming alcohol -- and could also affect they amount they drink. "Exposure to outdoor alcohol advertising has been associated with subsequent intentions to use and with problem drinking," said the study from the New York Academy of Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Alcohol ads were banned from buses and the city's subway in January 2018. The Distilled Spirits Council, an alcohol producer trade association, criticized De Blasio's order.

"The mayor's decision to ban alcohol advertising is misguided and unsupported by the scientific research," the organization's vice president Jay Hibbard said in a statement. Other major US cities have also banned alcohol advertising -- though Hibbard said some cities, such as Baltimore and Chicago, have since then overturned such bans. "The research is clear – parents and other adults are the most influential factors in a youth's decision whether or not to drink alcohol, not advertising," he said. According to a Federal Trade Commission report on alcohol advertising in 2014 -- the most recent available -- the agency relies on the industry to selfregulate its marketing practices.

Two dead in US university campus shooting

"Run, Hide, Fight. Secure yourself immediately," it said. Local emergency services said two people had been killed, while another two sustained life-threatening injuries and two more were being treated for less serious wounds.

He testified that he shot Jus-

The university said on Twitter that final exams have been canceled through Sunday. The shooting comes just days after a teenage gunman opened fire on a synagogue in Poway, California, killing one person and injuring three others: the latest in a string of mass shootings across the US.

The university's office of emergency management tweeted an alert warning that shots had been reported on campus shortly before 6:00 pm, on what was students' last day of classes this academic year.

INNEAPOLIS, Minnesota | AFP | 4/30/2019 - A US police officer who shot dead an Australian woman in 2017 was found guilty of murder Tuesday by a Minneapolis jury, ending a case that has shocked the Midwestern city and sparked outrage in her native country.

Noor was taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs and into custody, according to US media reports.

"My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives, those injured, the entire UNCC community and the courageous first responders who sprang into action to help others," she wrote on Twitter.

by Joy Powell

The jury, which began deliberating on Monday after three weeks of testimony from dozens of witnesses, acquitted the former officer of the most serious charge of second-degree murder with intent to kill.

said she was "in shock" after hearing of the rampage.

HARLOTTE, N. Carolina | AFP | Wednesday 4/30/2019 -Two people were killed and four were wounded in a shooting Tuesday at the University of North Carolina's Charlotte campus.

US cop who shot dead Australian convicted of murder

Mohamed Noor, 33, who was fired from the city's police force, was convicted of thirddegree murder and seconddegree manslaughter.

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

University students are seen leaving campus with their hands up. Source: Getty

tine Damond, an Australian who had moved to the US, to protect his partner, because he had feared an ambush when responding to Damond's emergency call.

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Yet no solution has been found over the decades that satisfies both those seeking stricter gun controls to reduce such tragedies and those supportive of constitutional guarantees to the right to bear arms.

The University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC) campus police chief Jeff Baker told a press conference that his team "disarmed" and took custody of the suspect after receiving a call around 4:40 pm that someone was "armed with a pistol."

A local Fox television affiliate identified the dead as male teenagers aged 17 and 18.

Mohammed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for shooting dead an Australian woman while serving as a police officer in Minneapolis in 2017 (AFP Photo/Hennepin

The perennial debate over gun control in America kicks up again at each shooting, a far too frequent occurrence.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department identified the shooter as 22-year-old Trystan Andrew Terrell.

He declined to share details about the victims.

But prosecutors insisted that the shooting was unreasonable and contrary to police department training policy. Noor targeted Damond from the passenger seat of the police cruiser he was in with his partner, Matthew Harrity. The 40-year-old victim, a yoga instructor, had approached the cruiser after calling 911 twice to report a possible rape in the dark alley behind her home. No such assault was ever found to have occurred.

According to government figures, 40,000 people were killed by firearms in the United States in 2017 -- two thirds of them suicides -- the highest annual toll in five decades.

Suspect: Trystan Terrell (pictured), 22, has been charged with two counts of murder and four of attempted murder after Tuesday's University of North Carolina shooting. Photo credit Daily Mail. Video footage posted on social media showed anxious students filing away from the school with their hands raised. It was not immediately clear which part of the school the shooter targeted. "It was a really scary experience to hear the shots and have to run... I didn't think I would have to experience something like that," one student told NBC News. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles

Efforts have always proved divisive, and Republican lawmakers have been highly successful at preventing what they describe as an assault on their right to bear arms under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. The number of firearms in circulation has continued to grow (now at 393 million in a nation of 326 million people), and mass shootings have become a disturbingly regular part of American life. The worst school shootings to date were those at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut in 2012 (20 young children and six adults were killed) and at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last year (17 dead). But the power of an influential gun lobby and a long tradition of gun ownership have meant that little has been done to improve gun safety.

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ORT BEND (April 29, 2019) – Fort Bend ISD is proud to announce that four District high school students are named semifinalists in the 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. They were among 13 FBISD students who were named candidates in the program in February of this year.

dents are named as Presidential Scholars, which is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.

Established in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors, who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts and career and technical education fields.

• Sameer Vikram Rajesh, Clements High School

Each year, approximately 161 stu-

•

Fort Bend County Judge KP George leads Sri Lankan prayer vigil at Sugar Land Town Square

Four FBISD students named semifinalists in 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

www.voiceofasia.news

The FBISD semifinalists include: • Yuqing Liu, Dulles High School Math and Science Academy • Divya Nagaraj, Clements High School

• Lauren Hu Yang, Dulles High School Learn more about the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program at www2. ed.gov/programs/psp/index.html. - FBISD

UGAR LAND - On Sunday, April 28, 2019, Fort Bend County Judge KP George held, organized, and lead a prayer vigil in support of the Sri Lankan Community who were devastated by the Easter bombings that mainly centered in and around Colombo which targeted churches and hotels. The Prayer Vigil event occurred on the steps of Sugar Land City Hall and began at 7:00 p.m. A number of local dignitaries and religious representatives from the Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim faiths rallied in solidarity to stand up against terrorism. “United We Stand & Divided We Fall. I want to let the world know that here in Fort Bend, we are united at every level against all hatred and bigotry. Through the unity of our religious leaders and public officials, we stand with the Sri Lankan community and all affected communities.” stated Fort Bend County Judge KP George.

House explosion caused by synthetic Dulles High School Science Bowl Team competes at marijuana manufacturing, national competition deputies say by Phil Archer

ISSOURI CITY - Fort Bend County sheriff’s deputies are investigating an explosion in the upscale Riverstone neighborhood. The explosion ripped through the house, which police said was being used as an illegal drug lab. It happened on Friday afternoon. The explosion ripped through a back room of the house where deputies said synthetic marijuana was being manufactured. There were at least four people inside the house at the time of the explosion. Neighbors said they ran out of the house. They turned up later at a local hospital. All are still being treated for serious burns. “Quite honestly, they’re lucky to be alive,” Fort Bend Sheriff Troy Nehls said. “To have a chemical to be able to cause this type of explosion, it’s dangerous, not only to individuals inside the house but to the people living next door.” The men were using highly flam-

mable acetone to mix the drug. Capt. Josh Dale with the Fort Bend Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division said that’s probably what caused the explosion. “That’s my presumption, is they were in here without proper ventilation and something caused a spark and ignited the acetone,” he said. Neighbors said the men had been renting the $400,000 house for several months, but didn’t seem suspicious. Kevin Fleming lives just across the street. “Always lots of coming and going with them. They always seemed friendly, polite. (It’s) a nice quiet neighborhood. See people once and again, but see nothing unusual,” he said. While a KPRC2 crew was there Monday afternoon, a man who identified himself as a resident returned to the house but declined to talk about the explosion except to say he knows nothing about illegal drugs being manufactured there. Nehls said the four suspects now in custody, three men and a woman, will be charged with manufacturing a controlled substance and possibly arson. - KPRC

2 people shot after argument in Stafford

TAFFORD, April 27, 2019 - A double shooting is under investigation Saturday morning.

Deputies said that person pulled out a gun and opened fire. A helicopter rushed one of the victims to a hospital.

The shooting was reported around 1:15 a.m. after two victims were involved in some sort of argument with a third person at a home on Lelia Street at Moore Road in Stafford.

The second victim wasn’t seriously hurt. Deputies said they may know who the gunman is.

ORT BEND ISD, April 30, 2019 - Dulles High School’s Science Bowl team earned 2nd place at the National Science Bowl, held this past weekend in Washington, D.C. This the highest place a team from Texas has ever achieved at the competition, and more than 60 teams competed from across the nation this year. The team received a $1000 cash prize for the DHS science department, and an all-expense paid trip to Alaska for five days. Science Bowl is a fast-paced, quiz format competition that includes questions on biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics, energy and mathematics - Facebook/FBISD

Pictured (l-r) is Judy Matney, sponsor; Ethan Zahid, Andrew Liu, co-captain; Shree Mohan, co-captain; Naveen Mukkatt; Krish Singal; and Dr. Chandra Mohan, sponsor.

Worker suffers skull fracture after trench collapse

ICHMOND, April 29, 2019 - A construction worker suffered a severe skull fracture Thursday evening when a trench he was working in collapsed, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office reported. According to rescuers, the man’s injures are considered life-threatening. Deputies say the worker was part of a crew installing underground pipes in a new section of the upscale Harvest Green community, near Texas 99 outside of Richmond. It’s unclear why the trench caved in but investigators from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office were at the scene. Sources said that the man, in his 50’s, was flown to the Texas Medical Center. Apparently someone else from the work site tried to drive the injured man to a hospital, according to Fort Bend County EMS, who says rescu-

ers were called to help the man in the parking lot of an H-E-B four miles away. Thankfully, the grocery store parking lot had plenty of room for a res-

cue helicopter to land, then fly the injured man to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. - KHOU

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Amyra Dastur shoots more for ‘Mental Hai Kya’

Sara Ali Khan’s look test for Rannbhoomi

ctress Amyra Dastur has shot a few fresh scenes for “Mental Hai Kya”.

The film was supposed to come out in March and has now been pushed to a May or June release date. According to a source, it was earlier said there was patchwork left to be shot and finished, but it turned out to be some new scenes for the actress, who will be seen as Rajkummar Rao’s on-screen love interest.

ara Ali Khan has a double whammy with Varun Dhawan. The makers of the film Rannbhoomi — Karan Johar and Shashank Khaitan, are now contemplating signing up the Simmba actress for their film Rannbhoomi. Apparently Sara is already Varun’s heroine in Coolie No 1 remake tentatively titled Coolie No 2. “Sara is shooting for Imtiaz Ali’s film with Kartik Aaryan at the moment. Once she is done shooting for the film, she will be giving a look test for the film which will determine her being confirmed, and the official announcement will be made post that. In the meantime, Sara will start shooting for Coolie No 1 remake with

Varun and David Dhawan. She will then start working on Shashank’s film by November. All this will happen only when the look test goes off well,” says our trade source. Ramnbhoomi is expected to release on Diwali 2020. The film is expected to have a sizable chunk of VFX in it and will need some time for its postproduction work, and hence it needs to be shot at the earliest. Ever since Sara made her debut with the films Kedarnath and Simmba last year, she has been touted as one of the best newcomers to hit Bollywood and Karan Johar may well be justified in casting her again for Rannbhoomi. - Deccan Chronicle

Ram Pothineni to play the lead role in Thadam remake Most of Ram’s films are produced by his uncle only.

Amyra’s character plays an important part in the development of both Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar’s characters. She said: “Working on this set is sort of like home for me. Shaileshji (Shailesh R. Singh) launched me in ‘Issaq’, so I trust him blindly when it comes to the film. If he says I need to shoot more, then so be it.” She is excited about having share screen space with Kangana and Rajkummar.

“It’s an absolute privilege for me to share screen time with such amazing and fine actors like Kangana ma’am and Raj sir. Kangana ma’am is someone who has and still inspires me, so being able to act with her even more feels amazing.

“This film is definitely going to shock and awe our audience especially because I truly feel that no one has seen this side of acting from the cast before,” Amyra added. - Daily Pioneer

Shanaya Kapoor’s Bollywood lessons The proud father Sanjay Kapoor is more than happy to see his little one taking the plunge.

s the new star kid on the block, Shanaya Kapoor — daughter of Sanjay Kapoor and Maheep Kapoor — is already making a wave on her social media platform. The pretty face wants to become an actor, but currently, she has taken up a new job as the assistant director for her cousin Jahnvi Kapoor’s Gunjan Saxena biopic. The proud father Sanjay Kapoor is more than happy to see his little one taking the plunge. Talking about it, he says, “When your children start working, you are very proud and happy. This is the line she always wanted to be and she is chasing her dreams. This is the best experience she can have which is better than all the classes.” The actor is delighted that the requirements of the job are taking her out of her comfort zone that she has been managing well. “Real experience is always the best experience. She is assisting and there are good actors on sets and it is a big production so she is learning the ropes the hard way. Shanaya is in Lucknow right now it is 41 degrees there. She is enjoying that and is sharing her room with another co-assistant, so she is seeing the real world and I am happy,” he added. The Lust Stories actor further reveals Shanaya eventually wants to be an actor. “She will get into acting soon and this is only for experience. She is just gaining some experience about the film industry and about the people. When you see them closely while performing, that’s the best experience one can have,” he reveals. Meanwhile, Sanjay Kapoor, whose fate changed post the success of Lust Stories, is on a roll. The actor will now be seen in The Zoya Factor, Mission Mangal and also in a web series.

fter completion of his upcoming film iSmart Shankar, actor Ram Pothineni will begin shooting for next film which is said to be the Telugu remake of Tamil film Thadam. This film is going to be jointly produced by Sravanthi Ravi Kishore and Tagore Madhu. Sravanthi Ravi Kishore is said to have bought the remake rights of this film. The original film, which released on March 1 has Arun Vijay in the lead role and it is a thriller. The film is in the pre-production stage and works are going on at a brisk pace. This film is the first ever thriller genre film for Ram. It is said that Ram has watched the movie and has shown interest in it. Most of Ram’s films are produced by his uncle only. Details on the cast and crew will be unveiled soon. Ram has not been part of any thriller till now and this film is going to be special for him, as well as his fans too. Ram himself has a good share of commercial entertainers like Ready, Maska, Kandireega, Pandaga Chesko, Nenu Sailaja and Hello Guru Premakosame. The actor is currently busy shoot-

“I was busy with production, and whatever was coming my way was not interesting, but I was fortunate to get something like Lust Stories. It was highly appreciated for the way it was shot. Everybody’s eyes opened up which is why things have changed for me,” said the 53-year-old actor. ing for iSmart Shankar which is being directed by Puri Jagannadh. He also developed six-pack abs for his role in the film. Niddhi Aggerwal and Nabha Natesh are playing the leading ladies of iSmart Shankar. On the other hand, it is also said that Ram will be teaming up with Sagar K Chandra for a commercial entertainer. An official confirmation is awaited. Nenu Sailaja is the highest viewed music video album for a Telugu film on YouTube with over 3 songs with 25 million views and “Crazy Feeling” with over 30 million views, a record for a Telugu film. - ZeeNews

Sanjay further added, “I keep joking that two and a half hour feature film couldn’t do what a short film did for me. But the fact is that in every 10 to 15 years, the whole pattern of acting changes. It’s become more real. It is suiting my personality mor now.”

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How Marvel will move on after ‘Avengers: Endgame’ by Rosie Knight

British actor Daniel Craig’s fifth movie as the British super spy is due for release early next year, 14 years after 2006’s ‘Casino Royale.’ (Photo: AFP/ Tobias Schwarz)

Daniel Craig makes his final outing as James Bond

aniel Craig, whose final outing as 007 will be unveiled on Thursday, is the longestserving James Bond -- but perhaps not always the most enthusiastic. The 51-year-old’s fifth movie as the British super spy is due for release early next year, 14 years after 2006’s “Casino Royale”. There were initially doubts about the casting of the British actor -- not least the fact he was blond. But he brought both a new ruthlessness and an emotional vulnerability to the character that audiences have warmed to -- and have proved box office gold. For a while, it seemed that 2015’s “Spectre” would be his last outing as Ian Fleming’s super cool intelligence agent. Exhausted by a gruelling shoot, he said he would “rather slash my wrists” than be Bond again. The actor, who has required surgery on his shoulder and knees over the years due to injuries sustained by doing his own stunts, later said that he had just “needed a break”. But his comments revealed at least an ambivalence about the all-consuming role from a man who guards his privacy closely. - ‘A pastiche’ When he was first named in 2005 to succeed Pierce Brosnan as the sixth incarnation of Bond, many questioned whether the blond-haired, blue-eyed, gym-sculpted Craig was the right man for the job. Even Sam Mendes, the director of “Spectre” who also worked with Craig on 2002’s “Road To Perdition”, was initially sceptical. “I thought Bond had become the op-

posite of what Daniel is -- a slightly disengaged, urbane, jokey, eyebrowraising, you know, a pastiche in a way,” he told the BBC. But the intensity Craig has brought to the part has allowed the multi-million dollar franchise to be rebooted with a harder, more serious edge. The late Roger Moore, who played Bond seven times between 1973 and 1985, called Craig the best Bond ever. He told Time magazine that his performances had “guaranteed Bond another 50 years of life”. - ‘I’m not James Bond’ Despite the fame that comes with such a huge film role, Craig likes to keep his private life private. He is married to Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz, star of “The Constant Gardener” and “The Favourite”, with whom he has a daughter.

Craig has always insisted his own personality is a long way from the tuxedo-wearing, Martini-drinking Bond. In real life, he prefers jeans, a T-shirt and a cold beer in the pub. Shortly after the birth of his daughter with Weisz, he was pictured carrying her in a sling on his front, looking tired and unshaven.

off of life support today,” his family said.

Singleton, 51, directed “Boyz n the Hood” as a 22-year-old fresh out of film school. The flick described youth and violence in South Central Los Angeles, the bleak, gang-ridden neighborhood of his childhood.

The family provided few details about Singleton’s medical crisis, but said he has long suffered from hypertension. US media reports said he was hospitalized April 17 after suffering a stroke.

“It is with heavy hearts we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton will be taken

After the destruction, devastation, and eventual restoration of the world of the MCU, reality as the inhabitants know it has been irrevocably changed. They are aware that aliens are real, superheroes exist, and that half of the Earth’s population were “vanished” for five years. They also know that somewhere there was a group of humans who were strong enough to battle the nigh-omnipotent being and bring all of the missing back to life. There’s no coming back from that, and in the face of the fallout it’s likely that there will be a mix of responses: inspiration, fear, and — in the likely case of Mysterio — opportunism.

“This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors.”

Starring the rapper Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding Jr, “Boyz n the Hood” was a breakthrough success that won special honors at Cannes and in 2002 was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress as a “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” film. The film, which also featured rappers 2 Live Crew and Too $hort, helped to popularize the genre. “Nobody was making movies about what we were going through in Los Angeles,” Singleton said, describing his inspiration behind the feature. - AFP

Some of the MCU’s core heroes will no long be around, but the film also opened the door for the next generation. (Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises) helmed Fantastic Four reboot, Marvel’s First Family has been in cinematic limbo. They’re some of the most well known characters from the publisher’s roster and would be an exhilarating addition to the MCU. There are a couple of potential angles the studio could take, but the fact that the Avengers are gone and there’s a whole generation of kids who grew up with them means that this could be a prime time to introduce a younger iteration of the team who were inspired by the actions of the heroes who came before them. The other option, of course, is that Reed Richards is the mysterious buyer of Stark Tower which was sold in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The Fantastic Four is known for working out of their New York-based Baxter Building which bears an uncanny re-

semblance to Tony’s tower. Marvel has a slate of films in development, including a Black Panther sequel, Shang-Chi, a Black Widow solo movie, The Eternals, a Doctor Strange sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. There are plenty of other new heroes that this could be introduced as well, such as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan or Riri Williams/Ironheart. So while the Avengers team of the MCU’s first decade has is over, the second decade is just getting started and holds promise that the greatest heroes are yet to come. Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. - Hollywood Reporter

‘Killing Eve,’ ‘A Very English Scandal’ among the winners at the BAFTA TV Craft Awards

He attended drama school in London and had a string of roles in television, art house cinema and on stage before breaking through in Hollywood with films like 2001’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”.

ohn Singleton, director of the groundbreaking 1991 film “Boyz n the Hood,” will be taken off life support after suffering a stroke, his family and US media said Monday.

He went on to a prolific career as a film director, with credits that included the remake of “Shaft” (2000) and “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003). His work on television included shows such as “Billions,” “The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story” and “Empire.”

The trailer for Far From Home introduced fans to a character played by Jake Gyllenhaal who’s instantly recognizable to comic book fans as the notorious Spider-Man villain Mysterio. In the world of Far From Home, Mysterio isn’t a bad guy, though. He’s apparently one of the world’s heroes, and that offers an interesting insight into the future of heroics in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Born in 1968 in Chester, northwest England, to a pub landlord father and art teacher mother, Craig started acting at an early age.

Singleton, 51, directed “Boyz n the Hood” as a 22-year-old fresh out of film school. (Photo: AFP / Robyn Beck)

The movie won Singleton Oscar nominations as best director and best original screenplay, making him the youngest writer-director and first African American to achieve the distinction.

That’s the questions audiences are asking after the climactic events of the film, which saw characters die or depart the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first hints can be gleaned from Spider-Man: Far From Home, which opens in July and is set after the events of Endgame.

But their wedding in 2011 was attended by just four guests, including his daughter from a previous marriage, and her son with her ex-partner.

‘Boyz n the Hood’ director John Singleton to be taken off life support

ow do you move on after Avengers: Endgame?

Despite how prominently she’s featured in the trailer and the movie’s marketing, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers is shockingly absent from most of “Endgame.” When she does appear, she’s awkwardly inserted into scenes and underutilized as a character and a hero. (Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises) In the comics, Mysterio is a special effects genius who basically bamboozles the world into thinking that he has superpowers utilizing the skills he learned in his former job. It appears there’s a chance that in the film he may have the same background and simply be using his skills for good instead of evil, or at least to make himself appear heroic by staging crimes and accidents for him to save people from. Why would someone do that? Well, if you look at Tony Stark, who’s been the public face of superheroics for 15 years in their world, that’s a very profitable business model which has seen him become a celebrity. (As Dr. Strange and Wong revealed in Infinity War, even the Hulk has an ice cream flavor named after him.) Other than the pursuit of fame and fortune, in a world where the Avengers have disassembled, there would probably be some new heroes inspired by their actions. Much of the talk about the future of the Marvel movies has centered around the Disney-Fox merger, which gives Marvel access to characters such as the Fantastic Four and X-Men for the first time. The dissolution of The Avengers would be the perfect reason for either of these iconic groups to make their MCU debut. Much of the X-Men’s history, both on-screen and off, has been based around the idea that the team is in hiding, usually because of anti-mutant oppression and sentiment. If Marvel wanted to introduce Charles Xavier and his band of merry mutants, it would be really easy to reveal that they had in fact been secretly training in Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters but after the death of Tony the leader felt compelled to introduce his superteam to the world. Many of the X-Men roster already have deep comic book connections to members of the Avengers. Black Panther was once married to Storm, a powerful hero who can control the weather and was briefly an Avenger herself. Scarlet Witch is the daughter of the X-Men’s most famous foe, Magneto. And Carol Danvers, a longtime X-Men ally, once had her powers stolen by power-sucking teen Rogue in what was a key storyline for both characters. After Fox’s disastrous Josh Trank-

‘A Very English Scandal’ by Stephen Frears is available on Amazon Prime Video internationally. (Photo courtesy of Amazon Prime)

head of the BAFTA TV Awards ceremony, the 21st edition of the BAFTA TV Craft Awards rewarded the talent behind the success of television series.

edition, nine in total, was “Killing Eve.” However, the spy drama starring Sandra Oh, won only two awards, for Best Original Score and Best Sound (Fiction).

The British Academy paid homage to the people working behind the scenes to produce top-quality programming on Sunday April 28, at the 21st edition of the BAFTA TV Craft Awards, rebroadcast on BBC One.

British mini-series “Patrick Melrose,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, didn’t leave empty-handed either, with Edward Berger’s dramatic comedy winning two BAFTA TV Craft Awards out of four nominations, with the award for Best Drama Writer going to David Nicholls and the award for Best Production Design to Tom Burton.

“A Very English Scandal” swept the floor, winning three awards from eight nominations. Stephen Frears’s dramatic comedy with Hugh Grant playing Jeremy Thorpe won the award for Best Costume Design, Best Editing (Fiction), and last but not least, Best Director for Fiction, where Frears (“Dangerous Liaisons”) was up against the directors of “Killing Eve” and “Bodyguard.” The production with the greatest number of nominations for this 21st

The ceremony was just a foretaste of the highly-anticipated ceremony for the BAFTA TV Awards, which rewards the actors and actresses starring in the top TV series. The 2019 edition will take place this May 12 with “Killing Eve” and “Bodyguard” both competing for the award for Best Drama Series. - Relaxnews

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Spike in US teen suicides after Netflix Bangladesh puts anti-sexual harassment units in schools after girl’s murder ‘13 Reasons Why’ release: study

HAKA, Bangladesh | AFP - Bangladesh has ordered some 27,000 schools to set up committees to prevent sexual violence, an official said Sunday, after a teenager who accused a teacher of sexual harassment was burned to death.

OS ANGELES | AFP | 5/1/2019 - The suicide rate among US teenagers spiked in the months after the release of the controversial Netflix drama “13 Reasons Why”, which follows the story of a high school girl who kills herself, a new study has found. The series was met with concern when it aired in March 2017, with health and education professionals fearing the content was potentially harmful for vulnerable populations, such as adolescents. According to the new study, researchers estimated there were an additional 195 suicide deaths -- an increase of nearly 29 percent -- among 10 to 17 year-olds in the nine months after its release.

The killing of 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi has sparked outrage across the South Asian nation of 165 million people and put police action in the case under the spotlight.

the controversial Netflix drama “13 Reasons Why”, which tells the story of the a highschool girl who kills herself (AFP Photo/ Presley Ann) the television series and the increase in suicides and acknowledged other factors may have played a role.

The number of suicide deaths among the same age category “increased significantly” in the month immediately after it hit screens, said the paper, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Author of the report Jeffrey Bridge, who led the research team from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, told AFP that the Netflix drama portrayed the lead character’s suicide in a sensationalized manner.

The additional deaths mainly affected boys.

“It is very concerning that a graphic depiction of the method of Hannah’s suicide was shown, which can be traumatic for survivors of suicide loss or suicide attempt and also provides a par-

The researchers however were not able to establish a causal link between viewing

ticular pathway for suicide in some cases,” he said. “The results of this study confirmed concerns about how the series disregarded best practice guidelines for depicting suicide in the media.” Researchers analysed national suicide statistics from January 2013 to December 2017, allowing for seasonal effects and an underlying increasing trend in monthly suicide rates. The study found no significant change in the level or trend of suicides among 18 to 64 year-olds.

Young migrants seeking legal status sue Trump administration In latest lawsuit of its kind, four young migrants say the US government is unfairly denying their claims.

oung migrants in New Jersey who are seeking legal status in the United States after allegedly suffering abuse or neglect in their home countries sued the Trump administration on Monday, saying it is unfairly denying their claims. It is the fourth such lawsuit of its kind around the country filed since last year over rejections of so-called Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions, which have increasingly been denied to migrants as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens immigration policy. Monday’s lawsuit was filed on behalf of four anonymous people from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador who say that they were victims of family abuse and gang violence in their home countries but that their applications for immigration status were unfairly denied because they are between the ages of 18 and 21. A state court judge has to rule on whether young migrants are eligible to apply for special immigration status, which can lead to a green card, but the government has argued that some state courts do not have jurisdiction over that age group. Pro-bono attorneys in New

Jersey who filed the suit said more than 100 other migrants in the state are facing denials and should be covered by the class action. “The government has imposed a new requirement for eligibility, resulting in the delay and denial of scores of meritorious petitions and placing young people in jeopardy of deportation,” said Monday’s lawsuit, filed in US District Court in New Jersey. The US Department of Justice and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) declined to comment on the new suit. But in past court filings, the government has said there is no official change in policy and that USCIS is correctly applying the law in each case on an ad hoc basis. Two federal judges have rejected those arguments. Approvals of special immigrant juvenile status petitions dropped by nearly 60 percent in the 2018 fiscal year compared with a year earlier, declining to a total of 4,712. Meanwhile, denials increased more than 88 percent to around 1,600, according to government data. During that time, the overall number of applications only rose around four percent. US immigrant visa denials

spike after little-known rule change Reuters reported in March that immigration authorities have ramped up demands for additional documents that are tying up applications for the status. Last month, a judge in New York ruled against the Trump administration, saying there is a new policy of denials that was not implemented through the proper channels and ordering the government to process the applications. A judge in California also ruled against the administration, granting a preliminary injunction last October to migrant plaintiffs.

Protesters in the capital Dhaka staged demonstrations for an 11th day on Sunday, seeking “exemplary punishment” for the killers of the girl. Police say she was lured to the rooftop of the Islamic seminary she attended in Feni, south of the capital, where her attackers ordered her to withdraw a police complaint against the head of the school. When she refused, she was doused in kerosene and set on fire. Rafi died in hospital on April 10 after suffering 80 percent burns. At least 20 people, including the head teacher, have been arrested. Activists say the murder has exposed a “culture of impu-

nity” surrounding sex crimes against women and children, and that fact that those who report harassment often suffer a backlash.

Amid nationwide protests, the Bangladesh government has ordered more than 27,000 schools and colleges to form five-member committee to prevent sexual violence, an official said. “The committee will be led by female teachers. They will take steps to prevent sexual harassment and take up any complaints,” the director of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Shahedul Khabir Chowdhury, told AFP. He said the committees were being formed by an order from the country’s high court, which in 2009 laid down a set of guidelines to prevent sexual harassment of women and children at workplaces, schools and on the streets. Rafi went to police in late March to report the harassment and a leaked video shows the local police station chief registering her complaint but dismissing it as “not a big deal”. Police said at least five of those under arrest, including three of Rafi’s classmates,

tied her up with a scarf before setting her on fire. They had planned to pass off the death as a suicide. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed that all those involved will face action and police say they are investigating why more was not done to protect Rafi. More than 100 protesters at the country’s elite Dhaka University held hands to form a human chain as part of continued demonstrations over the grisly murder. “I joined the protest because Nusrat Rafi’s murder was a wake-up call for all our women,” Dhaka University student Antara Labiba told AFP. “I am also a victim of sexual harassment. I think most women in Bangladesh face sexual harassment in their families, schools, markets and workplaces,” she said. The Manusher Jonno Foundation, a non-government group, says there have been at least 39 cases of children under 18 being raped in Bangladesh since April 2. Another eight have been subjected to sexual harassment, the group says.

Texas Young Democrats add Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to State Convention

USTIN - The Texas Young Democrats have added a huge name as a speaker at their upcoming state convention on Monday. Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was announced as a speaker at the 2019 Texas Young Democrats State Convention. The convention runs from May 17-19 at the Austin Marriott South Hotel.

threat Critics of the special status, including some officials in the Trump administration, have seen the ballooning number of petitions as a “loophole” that is being exploited. Trump, recently frustrated by the highest numbers of appre-

In 2018, Congresswoman Omar was elected to the U.S.

hensions along the US-Mexico border in more than a decade - including the detention of many families with young children - has railed against asylum protections and other US laws that he says are too permissive and are encouraging more immigration and illegal border crossings.

House of Representatives, becoming the first naturalized citizen form Africa and one of the first two Muslim women, along with Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, to serve in Congress. Texas Young Democrats (TYD) is an autonomous organization empowering the next generation of organizers, activists, and leaders. Founded in 1932, TYD is composed of individuals aged 14 through 40 who believe in Democratic values. - CBS News Austin

The plaintiffs in the New Jersey case migrated to the US in 2014 and 2015 when a surge of unaccompanied children from Central America crossed the US-Mexico border. Like asylum, the special protection programme has been used by immigration advocates and attorneys as a path to legal residency in the US. The government received 1,646 applications for the status in the fiscal year 2010. By 2018, the number of applications had jumped more than thirteenfold to over 21,000. ‘Not pawns’: US mayors decry Trump’s sanctuary city

Family of synagogue young shooting suspect call his actions ‘evil’

OS ANGELES | AFP The parents of the teenager accused of shooting dead one worshipper and wounding three others at a California synagogue denounced his actions on Monday as “evil” and said they had no clue what motivated him.

our son has caused for so many innocent people. He has killed and injured the faithful who were gathered in a sacred place on a sacred day.

John Earnest, 19, allegedly burst into the Chabad of Poway synagogue, near San Diego, on Saturday and opened fire with an assault rifle, killing 60-year-old Lori Kaye. The center’s rabbi was among the injured.

Prior to the attack Earnest had published an anti-Semitic screed online in which he said Adolf Hitler was among those that inspire him and claimed responsibility for an arson attack against a mosque in the area weeks earlier.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible attack on the Chabad of Poway synagogue,” his parents said in a statement released by their attorney. “But our sadness pales in comparison to the grief and anguish

“To our great shame, he is now part of the history of evil that has been perpetrated on Jewish people for centuries.”

He was formally charged on Monday with murder and attempted murder, with hate crime allegations, and was set to be arraigned on Tuesday. Authorities have also charged him with arson in connection to

the fire last month at an Escondido mosque. His attack on Saturday took place six months to the day after a white supremacist shot dead 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue -- the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in US history. “Our son’s actions were informed by people we do not know, and ideas we do not hold,” Earnest’s parents said. “Like our other five children, he was raised in a family, a faith and a community that all rejected hate and taught that love must be the motive for everything we do.” They described their son’s motivations as “a terrifying mystery” and said they were helping police uncover what had led to “this evil and despicable act.”

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US says glyphosate not carcinogenic, poses environmental risks

What’s Extra Help?

ASHINGTON | AFP | 4/30/2019 - The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Tuesday that the weed killer glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans, but recommended new measures to prevent potential ecological risks, especially to monarch butterflies and other pollinators.

Getting Extra Help means Medicare helps pay your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan’s monthly premium, deductible, and copayments. You automatically qualify for Extra Help if you have one of these: • Both Medicare and Medicaid • Help from Medicaid paying your Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) premiums (belong to a Medicare Savings Program) • Both Medicare and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Glyphosate developer Monsanto was convicted in 2018 and 2019 of not taking necessary steps to warn of the potential risks of Roundup -- their weed killer containing the chemical, which two California juries found caused cancer in two users. But in a statement, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the agency found “no risks to public health from the current registered uses of glyphosate.” It did propose new instructions, subject to a public comment period, for farmers and others using the chemical to reduce “spray drift” that can harm butterflies. Under those regulations, glyphosate labels in the US would have to instruct aerial users to not spray the chemical from more than 10 feet (three meters) above crops, or if wind speeds exceed 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour). Meanwhile, labels would also be required to state that when applied from the ground, the chemical must not be sprayed from more than four feet above crops -- and that all nozzles must be set to mist the product at a “fine” or coarser setting.

You need to join a Medicare drug plan to get Extra Help. The EPA says herbicide glyphosate could pose risks to pollinators such as monarch butterflies, but is not carcinogenic

The proposed instructions also include new regulations around glyphosate’s use around water. The EPA said the chemical presents a “low toxicity” to honey bees, but does present a “potential risk” to birds and plants, including aquatic plants. The agency will publish its final revised regulations at the end of the year. Agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue praised the proposed regulations, and said glyphosate is an important part of US agriculture. “USDA applauds EPA’s proposed

registration decision as it is sciencebased and consistent with the findings of other regulatory authorities that glyphosate does not pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans,” he said in a statement. The EPA’s findings contradict those of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, which said in 2015 that glyphosate was likely carcinogenic. German pharmaceutical firm Bayer, which bought Monsanto last year, announced last week that over 13,000 lawsuits related to the weed killer have been launched in the US.

Number of US measles cases rises to 704 in 2019: official

ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 4/29/2019 - The number of measles cases in the United States reached a recordsetting 704 for the year last week, the greatest number of cases in 25 years, health officials said Monday.

“We know vaccines are safe because they are among the most studied medical products we have,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that as of April 29, 704 measles cases have been confirmed in 22 US states since the start of the year. That was a jump of 78 cases from the previous week, it said. Measles were declared eliminated in the US in 2000 but this year has seen the greatest number of confirmed cases since 1994. Three percent of the measles cases developed pneumonia, while nine percent were serious enough to require hospitalization, said CDC director Robert Redfield. “At this time, there has been no death,” Redfield said. There were 17 measles outbreaks in 2018, but most of the cases were from outbreaks in New York state, New York City, and New Jersey -- mainly among unvaccinated members of Or-

What to do if you no longer automatically qualify for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs

Image credit: CDC

thodox Jewish communities, the CDC said. “Families are being targeted with inaccurate and misleading information about vaccines,” said Nancy Messonnier, head of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Federal health officials are struggling to counter disinformation spread by groups opposed to vaccinations.

The vast majority of measles cases “involve children who have not been vaccinated,” Azar said. According to the CDC, 94 percent of children entering kindergarten in the United States in 2017 had received their two doses of the MMR vaccine to protect them from mumps, measles and rubella. However the rate of vaccination is lower in certain communities such as the Orthodox Jews in the New York area, where the epidemic continues, and the Russian-speaking community in Washington state, where the epidemic was declared over last week.

You may no longer qualify for Extra Help if your income and resources changed since last year and that caused you to no longer to qualify for one of the programs listed above. You’ll get a notice (on grey paper) in the mail along with an application and postage-paid envelope by the end of September if you no longer automatically qualify for Extra Help. The good news is, even if you get this notice, you may still qualify for Extra Help. You need to apply to find out. You can apply for Extra Help through Social Security or the Medicaid office in the state where you live. If you don’t qualify, you’ll have to start paying a monthly premium. If you don’t make these payments, you may be dis-enrolled from your drug plan. If you still qualify for Extra Help but the level you qualify for is changing in 2020, you’ll get a notice (on orange paper) in the mail in early October that will show your new copayment amounts. If you don’t get a notice from Medicare, you’ll get the same level of Extra Help in 2020 that you got this year, although your actual copayment amount may change due to yearly adjustments to the Extra Help program. You’ll still get a notice from your drug plan letting you know what your copayments for 2020 will be. If I no longer automatically qualify, what should I do? You should apply for Extra Help if: • Your yearly income is $18,972 or less for an individual or $25,608 or less for a married couple living together. Even if your yearly income is higher, you still may qualify if you or your spouse meet one of

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 these conditions: – You support other family members who live with you. – You have earnings from work. – You live in Alaska or Hawaii. • Your resources are $14,390 or less for an individual or $28720 or less for a married couple living together. Resources include your savings and stocks, but not your home or car or the value of any life insurance you may have. How do I apply for Extra Help? It’s free to apply for Extra Help. Apply as soon as possible to see, if you qualify. There are 3 ways to apply: 1. Visit: socialsecurity.gov/i1020. 2. Call Social Security at 1-800772-1213 to apply by phone, get a paper application mailed to you, or make an appointment at your local Social Security office. TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778. 3. Visit Medicare.gov/contacts or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800633-4227) to get the phone number of your local Medicaid office. Source: CMS

To choose the right Medicare Supplement, Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Plan or have a small business health insurance Group Plan contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713771-2900.

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Food, medicine, water: What has Nature done for us lately?

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Dentists could play a key role in identifying cases of domestic violence

rom the food we eat to the air that we breathe, Nature not only provides mankind with the means to live but also the services to thrive. Ahead of a major biodiversity summit in Paris expected to outline in the starkest terms yet the threat humans pose to Earth’s natural habitats and species, here is a look at what Nature does for us. - On our plate One of the main unseen roles played by Nature comes in the form of pollinating insects. As much as three quarters of all food produced globally relies on insects to pollinate the crop -- an industry upon which 1.4 billion people rely for income, accord- Another study, from 2008, showed a fully-grown tree can sequester as much as 20 kilogrammes ing to one study. of particulate matter. © Tarja Hoikkala/Vastavalo/Visit Finland Yet faced with global temperature increases caused by manmade emissions and poisoned by blanket pesticide use, insects are dying en masse.

This has a cascading effect up the food chain -- birds, lizards and frogs that eat bugs are also dying out. In just 30 years, Europe has lost 80 percent of its insect population leading to the disappearance of some 400 million birds. In addition, the erosion of coral reefs due to warming seas imperils as much as 30 percent of all marine species, including the fish that half a billion people rely on to feed themselves. - In the medicine cabinet Around half of the active ingredients in commercial medicines derive from plants or animals. Starfishes, sea urchins and periwinkles are just three of the myriad species known to have anti-carcinogenic properties, while molecules from marine worms have proven crucial in preserving skin grafts. But the health benefits of simply living near Nature -- reducing allergies, alleviating chronic physical and mental conditions -- might outweigh those

provided by any drug. One US study of 100,000 people over eight years showed those who lived within 250 metres of a green space were 12 percent less likely to die than those who didn’t. Four billion people rely primarily on natural medicines for their healthcare, and 70 percent of drugs used for cancer are natural or bio-inspired, according to a draft report to be vetted at the Paris meeting. - Our sinks Plants and micro-organisms play a vital role in providing humans with clean water for drinking and crop production, sucking out dangerous particles from rainfall and sanitising groundwater. According to biologist Gilles Boeuf, “no waste treatment plant can ever be as good as a living swamp” for clean water production. - The air we breathe Forests and oceans absorb around half of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions annually, offsetting the worst excesses of global warming and providing us with clean air to breathe.

But as emissions continue to rise and the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hit their highest in three million years, scientists warn that Earth’s natural CO2 absorbtion ability may not be able to keep pace. Plants are also a powerful filter against air pollution in cities. A recent study in Shanghai showed that its green spaces were capable of capturing 10 percent of dangerous fine particles. Another study, from 2008, showed a fully-grown tree can sequester as much as 20 kilogrammes of particulate matter. - Our wallets Much research has tried to evaluate the worth, in monetary terms, of the services rendered to us by Nature. One estimate puts Nature’s worth at $125 trillion each year, corresponding to roughly a half of global GDP. Insect pollination alone is worth $200 billion per annum. One study from 2010 put the cost of biodiversity loss at between $1.35-3.1 trillion annually. - AFP

The role dentists play in helping victims of violence has been raised on multiple occasions. © Ridofranz/Istock.com

atients visiting the dentist for lesions to the jaw and teeth could be victims of domestic violence, US researchers warn. Oral biomarkers that might signal domestic violence include tears, fractures, breaks, and chips in the teeth and mouth. Published in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma in mid-April, the article reports that up to 75 percent of cranial and cervical trauma associated with domestic violence occurs following injuries to the mouth. As such, dentists could spot potential victims of domestic violence in patients visiting them for consultation. “It is an opportunity for dentists to be early detectors who can refer those individuals for follow-up care,” said Dr. Jonathan Lifshitz, director of the Translational Neurotrauma Research Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, and

study author. Signs that could indicate brain injury include jaw and tooth fractures, trauma to mouth or jaw nerves, and lesions to the nasal bone. Discoloration of the teeth, blunted roots and pulpal necrosis -- the death of cells and tissue in the center of a tooth -- can also be signs of previous dental trauma which merit further examination. The research also showed that dentists receive no or little information of how to identify potential victims of domestic violence and discuss it with them. “Many find it interesting, however, they have little experience. It is interesting that very stringent protocols exist in pediatric dentistry, but a large gap exists when dealing with teens, young adults and adults in general,” said Midwestern University dental student and study author Timothy W. Ellis. - Relaxnews

EU curbs trans fats from 2021 to boost heart health

Study: Men at bars and parties more likely to be sexually aggressive

Industrially-produced trans-fatty acids, like margarine and some hardened vegetable fats, are popular among food producers because they are cheap and typically have a long shelf life. © GMVozd/Istock.com

College-age men who drink alcohol at bars and parties are more likely to be sexually aggressive towards women, the study found. © miodrag ignjatovic / IStock.com

ollege-age men are more likely to be sexually aggressive towards women when drinking alcohol at bars and parties, according to research published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The study by researchers at Washington State University in the US followed a group of over 1,000 college-age men over a period of five semesters at a large university in the north-east of the country. The study was carried out by email and online, and participants were compensated with money. Participant confidentiality was ensured in the hope of obtaining the most truthful possible answers. “We asked them how often they

drank and if and how often they went to bars or parties. Then we asked them if they used any specific tactics to convince, or even pressure, women to have sex with them,” explained Michael Cleveland, associate professor at WSU’s Department of Human Development. The researchers found that men who attended parties and went to bars more often tended to favor sex without commitment and a greater number of sexual partners. From threatening to break up to physical harm “We found that it wasn’t alcohol use, per se, that leads to sexual aggression. But the combination of alcohol and the setting that the drinking takes place in had a major impact on

the number of reported aggressive tactics used,” the researchers said. Some of the tactics cited in the study, used to convince or pressure women into having sex, include threatening to break up with a girl, getting her drunk or harming her physically. According to the researchers, the study highlights the need to educate men in order to reduce sexually aggressive behavior towards women. “Prevention of sexual assault should target men’s behaviors and attitudes. There are hot spots, like bars and parties, where aggressive behavior happens more often. Having bystander intervention, where someone intervenes on behalf of the victim, is really important in these situations,” concluded Cleveland. - Relaxnews

www.voiceofasia.news

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he EU adopted a regulation on Wednesday to curb trans fat amounts in products like snack food as part of efforts to fight heart disease and strokes in Europe. Industrially-produced trans-fatty acids, like margarine and some hardened vegetable fats, are popular among food producers because they are cheap and typically have a long shelf life. But given their link to cardiovascular disease, trans fats have also been blamed for more than 500,000 deaths annually, according to World Health Organization figures. The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, set the limit from April 2, 2021 at two grams of industrially produced trans fats per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of fat in food. It said the regulation also requires wholesalers to notify retailers of any food that contains more than the limit. “The measure aims at protecting consumers’ health and providing Eu-

ropeans with healthier food options,” the Commission said in a statement. The European Food Safety Authority and other bodies have conducted studies pushing for the lowest possible consumption of trans fats. In May last year, the WHO unveiled a plan to eliminate the use of trans fats, extending progress in wealthier countries to those in poorer ones. Before 2006, consumers in the United States could not directly determine the presence, or quantity, of trans fats in food products. This information could only be inferred from the ingredient list, notably from the partially hydrogenated ingredients. In 2010, according to the FDA, the average American consumed 5.8 grams of trans fat per day (2.6% of energy intake). Monoglycerides and diglycerides are not considered fats by the FDA, despite their nearly equal calorie per weight contribution during ingestion. - AFP

www.voiceofasia.news

VOICE OF ASIA 19

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China’s quest for clean, limitless energy heats up by Kelly Wang

EFEI, China | AFP - A ground-breaking fusion reactor built by Chinese scientists is underscoring Beijing’s determination to be at the core of clean energy technology, as it eyes a fullyfunctioning plant by 2050. Sometimes called an “artificial sun” for the sheer heat and power it produces, the doughnut-shaped Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) that juts out on a spit of land into a lake in eastern Anhui province, has notched up a succession of firsts.

trepiece will be a giant cylindrical fusion device, called a tokamak. Now under construction in Provence in southern France, it will incorporate parts developed at the EAST and other sites, and draw on their research findings. - Unlimited power, mega budgets Fusion is considered the Holy Grail of energy and is what powers our sun. It merges atomic nuclei to create massive amounts of energy -- the opposite of the fission process used in atomic weapons and nuclear power

‘Indian renaissance, an ‘unfinished revolution’

he Indian renaissance movement, which has remained an “unfinished revolution”, has relevance in the modern-day scenario that witnessed a swell in aggressive fundamentalism and religion-based coercion of state machinery, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Health Sciences Liaquat Ali has said.

Dr. Ali said while the Indian subcontinent witnessed economic development, scientific outlook was yet to witness a parallel growth. “In fact, it has showed signs of regression in recent times. The scenario has been marked by a misuse of religion in politics. Currently, we yearn for economic development and unbridled consumerism at the cost of environment, ideology and ethics, signifying the lack of scientific outlook,” he said. He held the opinion that the Indian renaissance movement, the seeds of which were sowed in Bengal, was “unbalanced” due to the relative ab-

Most recently in November, it became the first facility in the world to generate 100 million degrees Celsius (212 million Fahrenheit) -- six times as hot as the sun’s core. Such mind-boggling temperatures are crucial to achieving sustainable nuclear fusion reactions, which promise an inexhaustible energy source. EAST’s main reactor stands within a concrete structure, with pipes and cables spread outward like spokes that connect to a jumble of censors and other equipment encircling the core. A red Chinese flag stands on top of the reactor. “We are hoping to expand international cooperation through this device (EAST) and make Chinese contributions to mankind’s future use of nuclear fusion,” said Song Yuntao, a top official involved in the project, on a recent tour of the facility. China is also aiming to build a separate fusion reactor that could begin generating commercially viable fusion power by mid-century, he added. Some six billion yuan ($890 million) has been promised for the ambitious project. EAST is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, which seeks to prove the feasibility of fusion power. Funded and run by the European Union, India, Japan, China, Russia, South Korea, and the United States, the multi-billion-dollar project’s cen-

plants, which splits them into fragments. Unlike fission, fusion emits no greenhouse gases and carries less risk of accidents or the theft of atomic material. But sustaining the high temperatures and other unstable conditions necessary is both extremely difficult and prohibitively expensive -- the total cost of ITER is estimated at 20 billion euros ($22.5 billion). Wu Songtao, a top Chinese engineer with ITER, conceded that China’s technical capabilities on fusion still lag behind more developed countries, and that US and Japanese tokamaks have achieved more valuable overall results. But the Anhui test reactor underlines China’s fast-improving scientific advancement and its commitment to achieve yet more. China’s capabilities “have developed rapidly in the past 20 years, especially after catching the ITER express train,” Wu said. In an interview with state-run Xinhua news agency in 2017, ITER’s Director-General Bernard Bigot lauded China’s government as “highly motivated” on fusion. “Fusion is not something that one country can accomplish alone,” Song said. “As with ITER, people all over the world need to work together on this.”

Japan creates first artificial crater on asteroid

OKYO, Japan | AFP - Japanese scientists have succeeded in creating what they called the first-ever artificial crater on an asteroid, a step towards shedding light on how the solar system evolved, the country’s space agency said Thursday. The announcement comes after the Hayabusa2 probe fired an explosive device at the Ryugu asteroid early this month to blast a crater in the surface and scoop up material, aiming to reveal more about the origins of life on Earth. Yuichi Tsuda, Hayabusa2 project manager at the Japanese space agency (JAXA), told reporters they confirmed the crater from images captured by the probe located 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) from the asteroid’s surface. “Creating an artificial crater with an impactor and observing it in detail afterwards is a world-first attempt,” Tsuda said. “This is a big success.” NASA’s Deep Impact probe succeeded in creating an artificial crater on a comet in 2005, but only for observation purposes. Masahiko Arakawa, a Kobe University professor involved in the project, said it was “the best day of his life”. “We can see such a big hole a lot more clearly than expected,” he said, adding the images showed a crater 10 metres in diameter. JAXA scientists had previously predicted that the crater could be as large as 10 metres in diameter if the surface was sandy, or three metres if rocky. “The surface is filled with boulders

but yet we created a crater this big. This could mean there’s a scientific mechanism we don’t know or something special about Ryugu’s materials,” the professor said. The aim of blasting the crater on Ryugu is to throw up “fresh” material from under the asteroid’s surface that could shed light on the early stages of the solar system. The asteroid is thought to contain relatively large amounts of organic matter and water from some 4.6 billion years ago when the solar system was born. In February, Hayabusa2 touched down briefly on Ryugu and fired a bullet into the surface to puff up dust for collection, before blasting back to its holding position. The mission, with a price tag of around 30 billion yen ($270 million), was launched in December 2014 and is scheduled to return to Earth with its samples in 2020. Photos of Ryugu -- which means “Dragon Palace” in Japanese and refers to a castle at the bottom of the ocean in an ancient Japanese tale -show the asteroid has a rough surface full of boulders.

Dr. Ali attributed the lacuna to the restricted focus of renaissance leaders towards rationalist-humanist streams of philosophy. Empiricist philosophical ideas had not been properly acknowledged. - Philosophical talks Besides, most practising scientists were not involved in serious philosophical discusLiaquat Ali, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh sion. University of Health Sciences. (Photo: The Hindu) He also credited the renaissance movement in Kerala. BSS State president P.S. sence of scientific ideas as compared Babu presided over the programme. to the European renaissance. National executive committee mem- Undeveloped yet ber T.K. Shajahan, State secretary P.N. Thankachan, State vice president “In spite of many revolutionary K.P. Saji and district coordinator P.P. contributions of the renaissance on Rajeevan also spoke on the occasion. the socio-political and economic life of people in the Indian subcontinent, - The Hindu

This cartoonish newly discovered crab looks like a rejected Disney character Aside from being cute, the crustacean could change the way scientists view modern day crabs. by Taylor Donovan Barnett

k, maybe that was a little harsh. The little guy is adorable. The newly discovered pocket-sized crab dubbed Callichimaera perplexa roamed the seas a cool 95 million years ago. Though the appearance of the crab had scientists chuckling to themselves, there is much more to this recent discovery. Published in the journal Science Advances, the discovery of Callichimaera is forcing scientists to rethink crabs. “The Beautiful Nightmare Crab” Paleontologist both at Yale University and the University of Alberta discovered Callichimaera, however, the crustacean has researchers scratching their head. Sharing the discovery described in an interview with the Washington Post, Javier Luque, a postdoctoral paleontologist described how the crab was very different from its modern-day cousins. Callichimaera rocked a nice but small shell that resembled that of a lobster as well as legs flattened like oars and huge “Pound Puppies” eyes that would be adorable in any stuffed animal. The eyes were actually so big on the crab that if humans shared the same proportions, our eyes would be the size of soccer balls. The crab’s body was about the size of a quarter coin and came equipped with wrench-like claws. Living during the mid-Cretaceous period, Callichimaera was hanging around what is now Colombia, Northern Africa, and the United States around when dinosaurs ruled the earth. However, as mentioned in the interview the crustacean may be the key to gaining a better understanding of how novel body forms can

Image courtesy of JAXA

it has remained an unfinished revolution. Except some sporadic initiatives, science and its basic concepts did not develop in the region as expected,” he said.

He was delivering the first G.S. Padmakumar memorial public lecture, organised by the Breakthrough Science Society (BSS), on the topic ‘Science and renaissance: European and Indian contexts’ here on Sunday.

- Signs of regression -

A vacuum vessel in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak device in Hefei, China. (Photo: AFP-JIJI)

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Photo: Oksana Vernygora / University of Alberta evolve over time. The researches believed that Callichimaera had a “mosaic of body parts” that crustaceans eventually grew out of laying the evolutionary framework for crabs today. As for the name of the newly discovered crab, Callichimaera perplexa means “perplexing beautiful chimera”, deriving itself from a Greek mythological creature that had body parts from different animals. Who knows? Aside from giving researchers more insight into the over 7,000 species of living crabs, Callichimaera could make its debut in upcoming Jurassic Park sequels. Callichimaera rocked a nice but small shell that resembled that of a lobster as well as legs flattened like oars and huge “Pound Puppies” eyes that would be adorable in any stuffed animal. The eyes were actually so big on the crab that if humans shared the same proportions, our eyes would be the size of soccer balls. The crab’s body was about the size of a quarter coin and came equipped

with wrench-like claws. Living during the mid-Cretaceous period, Callichimaera was hanging around what is now Colombia, Northern Africa, and the United States around when dinosaurs ruled the earth. However, as mentioned in the interview the crustacean may be the key to gaining a better understanding of how novel body forms can evolve over time. The researches believed that Callichimaera had a “mosaic of body parts” that crustaceans eventually grew out of laying the evolutionary framework for crabs today. As for the name of the newly discovered crab, Callichimaera perplexa means “perplexing beautiful chimera”, deriving itself from a Greek mythological creature that had body parts from different animals. Who knows? Aside from giving researchers more insight into the over 7,000 species of living crabs, Callichimaera could make its debut in upcoming Jurassic Park sequels. - Interesting Engineering

Amnesty says Hong Kong office hit by China-linked cyber attack

ONG KONG, China | AFP - Amnesty International’s Hong Kong office has been hit by a years-long cyberattack from hackers with known links to the Chinese government, the rights group said Thursday. The attack comes at a time of growing concern in Hong Kong over shrinking freedoms as Beijing flexes its muscles and western nations fret about the global dominance of China in telecommunications networks. Amnesty said it first detected its systems had been compromised on March 15 when its Hong Kong office migrated its IT infrastructure to the rights group’s more secure international network as part of a scheduled upgrade. The group brought in a team of experts to investigate. “Cyber forensic experts were able to establish links between the infrastructure used in this attack and previously reported APT campaigns associated with the Chinese government,” the group said in a statement. Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are the most complex and effective hacks that deploy significant know

how and resources -- and they are usually carried out by, or on behalf of, a state.

work out when the attack began, but they believe their systems were compromised for some time.

China has long been accused by western governments, businesses and cyber analysts of using APT groups to carry out corporate and political espionage as well as pursue critics and opponents overseas, allegations it denies.

“According to our cyber forensic experts the attack has been persistent, so it has been happening already for a few years,” he told AFP, adding that it has since been contained.

Amnesty said their investigations pointed to “a known APT group” which used “tactics, techniques and procedures consistent with a well developed adversary”. It declined to name the group, saying investigations were still ongoing, but added it would release a technical report at a later date. “This sophisticated cyberattack underscores the dangers posed by statesponsored hacking and the need to be ever vigilant to the risk of such attacks,” said Man-kei Tam, Director of Amnesty International Hong Kong. “We refuse to be intimidated by this outrageous attempt to harvest information and obstruct our human rights work,” he said. Tam said experts were still trying to

The rights group has contacted individuals whose details may have been put at risk. It declined to detail how many people could be affected but said no financial information had been compromised. Hong Kong’s civil and rights groups are already on edge about what they say are fading freedoms in the financial hub. Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty’s East Asia Regional Office, which is also based in Hong Kong but separate to the local branch that was targeted, said civil society was clearly a target to state-sponsored cyberattacks. “We see this as an attack on civil society and the NGO community as a whole,” he said. “We don’t want to hide this. Exposing the fact that this is happening is part of, I hope, how we protect ourselves.”

TRAVEL & LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 20

What to do on your next flight if you have animal allergies by Claire Trageser

t seems rare these days to be on a flight that doesn’t have at least one dog on it. Passengers are bringing their pets on board either as service animals, emotional support animals, or are paying the pet fee to carry their furry friends on and keep them at their feet.

the allergies. “If this is not available or unacceptable to the customer with the allergy, we will attempt to rebook the passenger with the allergy on a later American Airlines flight,” he said. Morgan Johnston, a spokeswoman for JetBlue, said her airline has a similar policy. “As with any allergies, customers with animal allergies are en-

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Flying high: Vietnam hot air balloon fest woos enthusiasts Rainbow-coloured hot air balloons ferried giddy visitors over Vietnam’s ancient city of Hue on Sunday for a festival organisers hope will kickstart a passion for flying in the tourist hotspot.

everal balloons -- including one shaped as an octopus, another as a heart -- offered aerial views of the former capital’s sprawling stone citadel, which was once the seat of Vietnam’s emperors. It is not a journey for the faint of heart. “When the balloon started to go up, I was buzzing and I could see the full view of Hue,” tourist Ha Anh Ngoc told AFP. Hue is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting some 4.3 million visitors last year. Most visitors travel by foot or cycle rickshaw to see the city’s ancient pagodas, imperial tombs and citadel, which still bears damage from intense fighting during the Vietnam War.

Photo: Richard Atrero De Guzman/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for American Airlines, said that between 2016 and 2017, American saw an increase of more than 40 percent in customers who transported a service or support animal.

couraged to speak with a crewmember if they have any concerns,” she said. “Crewmembers may be able to reseat customers in an area of the plane away from any animals, or assist with reaccomodation on a later flight.”

A service animal is different from an emotional support animal because it’s “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability,” according to the Americans with Disabilities Act National Network. But many airlines allow both service animals and emotional support animals as long as a medical health professional fills out a form.

And Alyssa Eliasen, a spokeswoman for Southwest, said her airline allows a maximum of six pets to be booked on one flight, “however we rarely reach that number on one single flight.”

So what does that mean for people who are allergic, or afraid, of dogs? Sarah, a frequent traveler from Ohio who asked to only be identified by her first name, is severely allergic to dogs. “I am uncomfortable with close proximity of pets that cause allergic symptoms,” she said. This allergy didn’t used to be as much of a problem, but Sarah said in recent travels she’s noticed a greater number of dogs flying in passenger areas. “Recently I was seated next to a passenger and her uncaged dog,” she said. “It was leashed as she walked down the aisle and then sat and moved around on her lap for our two-hour flight. At times, it shook its fur and seemed to be antsy.” The dog was friendly — licking Sarah’s arm and nuzzling her side. While some passengers would probably appreciate a little in flight cuddling, it made Sarah nervous. Her experience made her think that airlines should handle things differently. “Perhaps they should ask if the passenger next to the animal is comfortable before allowing the pet and owner to get settled,” she said. “In that manner, all passengers would feel respected and safe. Afterall, peanuts as snacks on flights have been eliminated for those who are allergic.” Airlines do tell passengers with severe allergies to contact them before the flight and ask not to be seated near another passenger traveling with a pet. Feinstein, the American Airlines spokesman, said if a customer is allergic, the airline will “separate the customer with the allergy as far apart as possible from the customer with the cabin pet.” “For example, one customer seated in the front aircraft and the other seated in the rear of the aircraft,” he said. If that won’t work, the airline lets the passenger with the pet stay on board and re-books the passenger with

“If a customer has an allergy, we recommend they speak with a Customer Service Agent upon arrival to their departure gate where the employee working that flight will help accommodate the customer’s needs,” she said. But that may not be enough for everybody. In 2010, a group of Canadian doctors made news by writing in The Canadian Medical Association Journal that airlines should ban all pets from the cabin because of allergy concerns. Air travel “should not include easily avoidable health risks. But it does on some major airlines, at least for passengers with allergies to pets,” they wrote. “Pets can be accommodated comfortably and safely in airplane cargo holds, which is where they belong ... Airlines must choose to put the needs of their human passengers first, or be forced to do so.” But people who travel with pets take exception to that stance. Some airlines, including Southwest, do not allow pets in their cargo holds. And there is a risk that an animal will be injured or die if stowed below the place. In addition, people who travel with service animals need them during the flight. Russell Hartstein, a dog behaviorist and trainer, said that dogs need to be properly trained before they can be allowed to fly. “If a dog is fearful or phobic and does not have a rock-solid temperament, and behavior, they are not suitable to fly regardless of some patch or title someone has given them,” he said. But that isn’t enough for Sarah, the Ohio traveler who sat next to a dog on a flight. She said that even though the dog was polite and well behaved, she would have preferred to have a different seat neighbor. “It was curious and enjoyed leaning toward me and sniffing me,” she said. “However, it felt like an invasion of space and was quite uncomfortable for me. I spent the flight leaning as far into the aisle as possible.” - Travel + Leisure

Many Americans are skipping summer vacation because they can’t afford it, survey says by Evie Carrick

acations are important — and there’s no time like summer to get away. While many Americans are booking tickets, dreaming of the beach, and squirreling away a little extra for a holiday splurge, many are getting ready to buckle down, sans vacation. According to study done by Bankrate.com, 39 million Americans won’t be going on a summer vacation this year because they can’t afford it, with 44 percent of them citing dayto-day bills as the primary obstacle. The same survey found that for those planning summer vacations, the average expected expense is $1,979 — a hefty cost when there are bills to pay and paid time off is running low.

Balloon enthusiasts are hoping to change that. “I really hope hot air ballooning will be more popular and closer to Vietnamese people,” said Vo Ngoc Ha, one of the organisers of the third annual festival. At $280 for a 40-minute jaunt into the skies, hot air balloon rides remain out of reach for most. Some visitors at Sunday’s festival

- Travel + Leisure

opted instead for a tethered ride for about $6, while others enjoyed the event from the ground, snapping selfies as the balloons soared over the city. Dutch pilot Wout Bakker, who has come to the festival every year since it was first held in 2017, said he has seen a gradual uptick in interest in hot air

ballooning which he hopes will grow further. “Vietnam has good potential because more and more tourists are coming and also local people -- they have money to take flights, so it is building up,” he said. - Relaxnews

Mystery of ‘Salvator Mundi’, the world’s most costly painting

ater this year, the Louvre in Paris will host an exhibition of masterpieces by the Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci to mark his death 500 years ago in France. But the work that in recent months has been the intense focus of scrutiny by the media and da Vinci specialists, may not be on show. In 2017, “Salvator Mundi” was sold at auction by Christie’s as a work by da Vinci for a record $450 million. But it has not been displayed in public since, triggering doubts about its ownership, its whereabouts and its authenticity. The painting, a portrait of Jesus, was to go on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in September last year. But its unveiling was postponed by the museum without any explanation. The Louvre Abu Dhabi has kept tight-lipped about the identity of the buyer, saying only that the emirate’s Department of Culture and Tourism had “acquired” it. And the mystery has further deepened ahead of a visit by Italian President Sergio Mattarella who will join France’s President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday on a trip to the Loire Valley to mark the anniversary of da Vinci’s death there in 1519, at the age of 67. “The Louvre has asked the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi for the painting to be given on loan,” a Louvre spokesperson told AFP. “But we have not yet had any reply.” - Proscribed by Islam? According to the Wall Street Journal, the buyer of the picture was Saudi prince Badr ben Abdallah, acting in the name of powerful Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. He has never confirmed or denied the report. Prince Badr was appointed to head the kingdom’s culture ministry in a government shakeup in June. Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring United Arab Emirates are very close allies who are both engaged militarily in the war against rebels in Yemen. Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS) is also a close confidant of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed who along with Macron opened the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017, the first foreign institution to carry the name of the great Paris museum. The painting’s disappearance comes as MBS’s international reputation has taken a battering over the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, in which he denies any involvement.

While an extended trip to Paris or a scuba excursion in Aruba aren’t likely, there are ways to prepare now so you’ll be vacation-ready when summer hits. Take a realistic approach to saving money over the next couple months, then forgo summer’s pricey airfare and be a tourist in your own state or do the legwork to secure a once-in-a-lifetime cheap fare.

A hot air balloon flies over the former capital’s stone citadel during a hot air balloon festival in the central Vietnamese city of Hue on April 28, 2019. (Photo © Manan Vatsyayana / AFP)

Artprice, the leading art market information service, said clerics from Sunni Islam’s leading authority the Al Azhar university in Cairo told MBS the painting could not be displayed on religious grounds. Jesus is seen as a prophet within Islam, which prohibits any physical depiction of God. But the picture portrays him as a saviour and thus a deity. - ‘Nothing by Leonardo’ Many art experts remain unconvinced of the painting’s authenticity.

A painting entitled Salvator Mundi by Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci.(Photo © Tolga Akmen / AFP) “Certain details are very telling,” said Jacques Franck, a specialist in da Vinci’s technique, pointing to the poor depiction of a finger and other elements that are “anatomically impossible”. He said that at the time the canvas was painted, da Vinci had his workshop complete certain paintings because he himself had very little time. Daniel Salvatore Schiffer, another da Vinci expert, also believes the painting was not done by the Italian master. “When you analyse the details, nothing is by Leonardo, it doesn’t have his spirit.” Ben Lewis, an art historian who wrote “The Last Leonardo” said London’s National Gallery, which exhibited the painting in 2011, had not taken on board the advice of five experts who were sent to authenticate the painting. Although two of them believed it was authentic, another didn’t, and the others were unsure. But the painting was presented at the exhibition as a genuine work by Leonardo da Vinci. But Diane Modestini, who worked on the restoration of the painting from 2005, said she did not understand the

controversy, insisting that “Leonardo da Vinci painted it”. A Christie’s spokesman said, “We stand by the thorough research and scholarship that led to the attribution of this painting in 2010. No new discussion or speculation since the 2017 sale at Christie’s has caused us to revisit its position.” - ‘Reputation and credibility’ The Louvre says its exhibition, due to open in Paris in the autumn, will bring together “a unique group of artworks that only the Louvre could bring together” in addition to its own outstanding Leonardo collection. But whether people will be able to draw their own conclusions by actually seeing the “Salvator Mundi” remains to be seen. “If the Louvre has still not received a response (from Abu Dhabi) months before the exhibition, it is because the work will not be exhibited there,” said Franck. Schiffer said it could end up being a positive thing for the Paris gallery, which could see its “reputation and credibility tarnished” if the work was exhibited. - Relaxnews

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FASHION & STYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Pride and pique as Louboutin takes Pakistan chappal global

The ethical gold rush: Gilded age for guilt-free jewellery

Famed for luxury red-soled stilettos, French shoe designer Christian Louboutin has taken inspiration for a new sandal from Pakistan’s tribal frontier, sparking claims of cultural appropriation along with grins from grizzled Pakistani cobblers.

orget how many carats -- how ethical is your gold? As high-end consumers demand to know the origin of their treasures, some jewellers are ensuring they use responsibly sourced, ecofriendly or recycled gold.

post on Louboutin’s Instagram last month announcing the release of the shoe sparked a social media frenzy in Pakistan, with fans praising the latest homage to the country’s rich artisan traditions -- and critics rolling their eyes.

Specialised producers now tack a “fairmined” ecologically friendly label on their output, and the Swiss house Chopard last year became the first big name to commit to “100 percent ethical” creations.

The “Imran” -- a flamboyant sandal complete with metal studs along with splashes of orange and silver -- is inspired by the country’s traditional Peshawari chappal, according to the fashion house.

Some social media users also suggested that the European brand was the latest perpetrator of cultural appropriation. “Highly recommend asking your friend to rename it though, so that it doesn’t become another culturally appropriated thing,” wrote Instagram user Mehreenfkhan under a post by Qureshi about the shoe. - Paying tribute Louboutin later removed the Instagram announcement, saying the sandal was just the latest creation expressing his “love for embellishments from different cultures” and was sorry some people felt “offended”. “My designs often pay tributes to artisanship, craftsmanship, traditions or various cultures,” Louboutin said in a statement. “The world and its diversity has always been the core of my work.” The chappal is no stranger to controversy. In 2014, British designer Paul Smith released a sandal that looked strikingly similar

to the chappal with no initial mention of the Pakistani shoe, sparking fiery protests online and in the press in Pakistan. Pakistani fashion designer Kamiar Rokni praised Louboutin’s latest creation, saying claims of cultural appropriation were misplaced in this instance. “When you visit different parts of the world, you do get inspired... and that seeps into your design,” said Rokni. “There’s nothing wrong with somebody being inspired by the Peshawari chappal,” he explained. - Durable and comfortable Far from the shoe boutiques of Paris, chappal makers and wearers in Peshawar, the northwestern Pakistani city near the Afghan border, greeted the arrival of the “Imran” with bemusement, pride, and some confused shrugs. “I’m totally amazed,” said Ghazan Khan -- a self-proclaimed chappal fanatic who has bought more than 20 pairs of the sandals in recent years alone. “People are getting addicted to this kind of chappals, so it’s good,” he added, while suggesting that local designers deserved a cut of the profits from the “Imran”.

“[The chappal] is longlasting and comfortable,” said resident Abdul Rehman, adding that the sandal’s ventilation helped keep the foot cool in the area’s stifling heat. “I have been wearing chappals for all of my life and never used any other shoe,” he added. The shoe’s popularity had been in decline for years, according to chappal makers in Peshawar, as the country’s youth adopted more modern footwear tastes. The trend was only reversed with the political ascent of former World Cup cricketing captain Imran Khan and his fondness for the shoe, spotlighted as he led mass protests in 2014. Khan’s adoption of the chappal was part and parcel of a makeover the former cricketer and playboy has embraced since retiring from the sport, taking on a pious image in Pakistan to accompany his crusading populist agenda.

- Good as recycled gold Concerned jewellers are keen to ensure they can trace the source of their entire supply to an ethical production cycle and to firms certified by the not-forprofit Responsible Jewellery Council, which has developed norms for the entire supply chain.

“I will not wear this shoe because it’s a ladies shoe,” said Riaz-u-Din after looking at a picture of the “Imran” on a phone as he shopped for a pair of chappals.

She says the brand’s watchwords are ethical and environmental consciousness. “In a mine, a tonne of terrain might contain five grams of gold, whereas a tonne of electronic waste might generate 200 grams,” Wachtmeister says. “Clients are also demanding an ecological approach more and consider the origin of what they wear,” she adds.

RJC members must adhere to tough standards governing ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices across the precious metals industry.

He insisted: “No one will wear it here in Peshawar.” - Relaxnews

- Relaxnews

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- She accessorised her red sari with traditional jhumkas -

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“We do not want to promote mining extraction or use recently extracted gold, so we sought suppliers who recycle gold used in graphics cards or computer processors. That’s because we know today that more than half of gold’s available reserves have already been extracted,” says MarieAnn Wachtmeister, Courbet’s co-founder and artistic director.

Such production remains limited -- just a few hundred kilograms annually. Global gold output by comparison totals around 3,300 tonnes.

And while the chappal’s popularity continues to thrive in Peshawar and throughout the country’s northwest, fans of the traditional sandal are less convinced by Louboutin’s new take.

The ploy has largely succeeded, with Khan elected prime minister last year on promises to reign in corruption and cut back on excessive spending, while chappal sales have boomed as the youth seek to imitate the country’s new, stylish leader.

hether she’s returning home from the gym sporting a sunny-hued kurta or attending an awards ceremony wearing a pink custom sari by Manish Malhotra, Janhvi Kapoor has favoured ethnic wear for several occasions.

Most importantly, the traditional red colour of her sari is a fail-proof shade for any festive occasion. As for those earrings, a pretty pair of jhumkas won’t just work during wedding festivities, they’ll always complement your puja looks in the future too.

Going a step further, using only precious metal from electronic or industrial waste is an original idea developed by Courbet, a brand launched just last spring.

Both support artisanal mines that seek to preserve the environment in terms of extraction methods, along with decent working conditions and wages for the miners.

protests in Islamabad... that’s why it has become famous and people overwhelmingly like them,” explains Chacha Noor Din -- the owner of a string of shoe stores in Peshawar -- who counts the premier as a loyal customer and named a version of the shoe after him.

by Nupur Sarvaiya

Janhvi Kapoor’s wedding look from Dhadak brought together two must-have items that every Indian bride needs to invest in—a gorgeous Benarasi six-yard drape (in this case, worn with a matching scarlet blouse), and gold jhumkas.

They are “fairmined” gold -- a label certified by a Colombian NGO -- and the more widely known “fairtrade” label launched by Swiss foundation Max Havelaar.

Chacha Noor Din, the owner of a string of shoe stores, makes a pair of sandals at his shop in Peshawar. ( Photo © Abdul Majeed / AFP)

Janhvi Kapoor’s Benarasi wedding sari in Dhadak is a bridal essential

Aside from her personal wardrobe, the one traditional ensemble of Janhvi Kapoor’s that caught everyone’s attention on the silver screen had to be her bridal look from her debut film Dhadak. Styled with traditional gold jhumkas, a stack of bangles, a delicate choker and a maang tikka, her red Benarasi sari from the movie makes for an ideal pick for an intimate wedding ceremony, and even deserves a spot in your trousseau. Brides, take notes from Kapoor’s traditional wedding look.

Fairmined or Fairtrade gold is “about 10 to 12 percent more expensive. But recycled gold barely generates any additional cost premium,” Piroddi told AFP, since it was already refined for a previous life in the form of jewellery or part of a high-tech product.

Among the many certificates and standards claiming to codify “responsible” goldmining, two labels stand out.

The sandal is distinguished by its overlapping leather strips that cover the foot and has a small heel with a hardy rubber sole.

While most celebrated the shoe’s debut, others jeered at the thought of paying designer prices -- Louboutins often retail for upwards of $500 -- for the ubiquitous sandals, which can cost as little as $5.50 in Pakistan.

“We are trying to maximise the proportion of Fairmined and Fairtrade gold -- but their modest production is in great demand so the bulk of our sourcing remains recycled gold, (which is) certified ‘RJC Chain of Custody’,” says Claire Piroddi, sustainability manager for Kering’s jewellery and watches.

The Geneva-based firm, which makes the Palme d’Or trophy for the Cannes Film Festival, says it now uses only verified suppliers of gold that meet strict standards to minimise negative environmental impacts of mining the precious metal.

The chappal has long been a staple for ethnic Pashtuns -from ordinary labourers to the country’s political elite -- in Pakistan’s northwest.

Louboutin’s version was named after famed Pakistani contemporary artist and friend of the designer, Imran Qureshi.

The French luxury group Kering, which says it has bought more than 3.5 tonnes of “responsibly produced” gold since 2015 for its Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo and Gucci brands, has committed to 100 percent use of “ethical” gold by 2020.

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STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: MOTHER’S DAY

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Week of May 3, 2019 21 March to 20 April You seem to have a lot to contribute to various discussions, and you aren’t afraid to take the lead to get an idea or project off the ground. As chatty Mercury angles toward prudent Saturn and potent Pluto this week, though, your ideas could meet with some resistance.

21 April to 20 May New moon in your sign over the weekend brings up feelings of jealousy, which can be directly linked to insecurity. Why don’t you think you have what it takes to be with the person of your dreams? Work on being more confident.

21 May to 20 June Your sense of duty to work and family could be in conflict early this week. Find a balance. This is a high-energy time. You may experience strong positive and negative feelings. Other people can react emotionally. It will be your job to remain focused and calm.

21 June to 22 July You’re heading into a fortunate time. Not only are you feeling more attractive now but you also have a pleasant confidence that other people find magnetic. This will last for the next few weeks, so make sure you give yourself the star treatment during that time.

23 July to 22 August You seem to be living on the edge, especially as far as your social life is concerned. You could get frazzled by staying out late, drinking too much, and exposing yourself to smoke. If you have to be on the go, take care of yourself the rest of the time. Walk in the fresh air and get adequate sleep.

23 August to 22 Sept Honest Capricorn rules Saturn, which turns retrograde at the start of the week, which means it’s a good time to weigh the pros and cons of your current relationship goals. Because this isn’t an ideal time to put things into motion, you can spend time fine-tuning the details.

astrology.com

23 September to 22 Oct Be patient dealing with people who aren’t as down to earth or organized as you. This is a powerful week for making progress, but you have to cope with some disappointing or delaying behavior. Positive and negative emotions could be running high midweek.

23 October to 21 Nov It’s important to focus on clearly understood duties and responsibilities. If you’re running into problems midweek, don’t assume it’s the fault of one particular person or organization. Do your best to see the big picture.

22 November to 21 Dec This week you need to remember what you bring to the table. Your debt picture is about to get rosier, because it’s possible to gently and realistically establish payment plans with banks and creditors. But you may not get all the support you want from your social network.

22 December to 20 Jan This could be an intense time, so keep yourself grounded. If you forget to feed and rest your body, you’re going to be more prone to accidents and other health problems. Stay aware and you’ll be able to maneuver through the days ahead.

21 January to 19 Feb As conservative Saturn turns retrograde in practical Capricorn in the beginning of the week, you lose a little bit of your whimsical romantic approach. Being more responsible doesn’t have to be boring, Aquarius! The Mars-Jupiter retrograde opposition over the weekend might lower your self-confidence.

20 February to 20 Mar There are some issues when it comes to debts and property you own with other people. You may be operating under one belief while your creditors have another. Best to sort it out calmly and without blame. You may have a wonderful insight on how to get debt paid down more quickly.

ACROSS 1. May occasion

DOWN

5. ____ Tzu

1. *School org. with moms (and dads) as members

8. Auto unit

2. Indian music

11. Lyft alternative

3. Farm team

12. “On Golden ____”

4. Pool hall mishap

13. Zetkin of International Women’s Day fame

5. Powerball, e.g.

15. Forever and a day

7. Perfume property

16. “The Simpsons” palindrome 17. Angler’s decoys 18. *Mother, e.g. 20. Friend in war 21. Divided, it cannot stand? 22. Black gold 23. *Mother, e.g. 26. Like anti-cruelty proponents 29. “This land is your land...” 30. Loan shark 33. *Like Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard 35. “Captain Marvel” genre 37. It also rises, in Spanish 38. Faulkner’s “As I Lay ____” 39. Ant construction 40. “Not my brother’s ____” 42. First Tudor monarch’s number 43. Meteorologist’s line 45. Battles royal 47. Modus operandi 48. Chocolate source 50. Barrymore or Carey 52. *Like grandmother on mother’s side

6. Playwright Chekhov 8. Lime-rich soil 9. Mouse to a snake 10. Fossil fuel 12. Accepted truths 13. Request to Geico 14. *Mother’s song 19. Tedium 22. “Days of ____ Lives” 23. *Delivery room word 24. Binary digits code 25. Train runners 26. *What many mothers want 27. Lacking guile 28. “Sesame Street” regular 31. Olympic cast-out 32. Future fish 34. Shining armor 36. *Form of thank you to mom 38. Gloomy and drab 40. Jared’s competitor 41. Hosted 44. Off-color 46. With nobody to call your own 48. Editor’s insert

55. Like Al Yankovic

49. Between harbors

56. Gaelic

50. Controvert

57. Joie de vivre

51. *Mother’s Day, e.g.

59. On pins and needles

52. *Emmanuel Macron’s mom, e.g.

60. *She played Zuzu’s mom in Christmas movie classic

53. Toward shelter, nautically

61. Left to a Russian

54. Volcanic flow

62. Pastrami partner

55. “The Art of ____”

63. Greek H

58. And not

64. One quarter of a Presidential term

SOLUTION: MOTHER’S DAY on Page 23

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Home&Real Estate Golfer Mark O’Meara tees up custom Houston home for sale

Airbus launches home furniture collection made from upcycled plane pieces

by Jack Flemming

ARIS - “A Piece of Sky” is comprised of ranges of tables, chairs and lamps -- all assembled from aluminum wing ribs, fuselage panels, cabin window frames and more upcycled aircraft materials from Airbus’s decommissioned airplanes.

ro golfer Mark O’Meara is taking a swing at selling his home in Houston. The two-story estate, which was built for O’Meara a decade ago, is on the market for $3.699 million, records show. Combining Mediterranean and traditional styles, the culde-sac home sits on half an acre, packing a swimming pool and putting green into the professionally landscaped grounds. It’s found on the west side of the city in Bunker Hill Village.

Built in 2009, the cul-de-sac estate backs up to a swimming pool, spa and putting green. (Photos: Realtor.com)

In view of this alarming situation, two Airbus employees -Anais Mazaleyrat and Jérémy Brousseau - -developed the startup A Piece of Sky, through the aerospace incubator Airbus BizLab. They commissioned 11 French designers and craftspeople to create a homeware collection at the crossroads of design and the circular economy.

In 7,072 square feet, it holds five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and a handful of elegant living spaces with high-end finishes. Highlights include a foyer under barrel ceilings, a formal dining room, a center-island chef’s kitchen, a wood-filled office and a pair of tile-lined living rooms. Amenities round out the rest of the interior. There’s a lofted media room, a wine cellar and a movie theater with tiered seating. The front yard features a circular driveway, and out back, palm trees top the swimming pool and spa. O’Meara, 62, boasts 34 wins

since turning pro in 1984. His notable victories came in the same year, when he won the Masters Tournament and the Open Championship in 1998.

Four years ago, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. - LA Times

Millennials flock to Houston, top luxe markets and more

The Houston Association of Realtors reports that luxury homes sold for an average price of $1.3 million and spent an average 73 days on the market from April 2018 through March 2019, according to the Houston Business Journal. 83 percent of these sales were of existing homes, while 17 percent were newly construction homes. The association also reported that there was a 9 percent year-over-

Texas homebuyer has a median age of 47 and an annual median household income of $101,700, according to a new report from the Texas Association of Realtors. About one out of every three is a first-time buyer, and nearly twice as many in Texas opt for a new home compared to homebuyers nationwide, according to the 2019 Texas Homebuyers and Sellers Report. The report analyzed survey data among Texans who bought or sold a home between July 2017 and June 2018. A first-time buyer in Texas had a median age of 32, while 19 percent of homebuyers in Texas were 75 and older. Nationwide, that age cohort ac-

Retail prices range between €800 and €1000 -- while the prices of limited-edition pieces are available upon request. The

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year increase in luxury home sales last month. The West University/Southside area topped the list of areas for the number of luxury sales, with 265, which accounted for 8.7 percent of the activity on the market. Hot on the heels of West University was the Heights/Greater Heights with 264 sales, and Memorial Villages with 246 sales (8.1 percent). The Woodlands had 239 luxury sales (7.9 percent) and Memorial West had 151 sales and five percent of the luxury market. Average Texas homebuyer profile announced by TAR A new report from the Texas Association of Realtors details the average profile of a Texas homebuyer. According to the report, the average Texas homebuyer is 47 years old and has a median household income of $101,700. One of every three of these buyers is a first-time buyer, with a median

age of 32. The report found that 29 percent of the buyers who bought a new home decided to do so to avoid renovations. The study also found that 70 percent of buyers are married couples, followed by single female buyers at 15 percent, single males at nine percent and unmarried couples at five percent.

counted for 5 percent of buyers. The report found that 29 percent of Texas homebuyers who opted for a new home said they did so to avoid renovations. Texas buyers also have several options when it comes to new home construction. Houston ranks second in the nation for new home starts, just after Dallas, according to data from the housing research firm Metrostudy. “We’re also seeing home prices rising faster than incomes, especially for first-time homebuyers,” Tray Bates, 2019 chairman of Texas Realtors, said in the release. Last month, both the average and median sales price for a local single-family home increased about 2 percent and

FAX: 281.494.6321

Fauchon Hospitality to open hotel in Japan

Gourmet French food purveyor Fauchon has announced plans to open a new hotel in Kyoto, Japan by next year.

Flooding found to cost millions in property value Between 2005 and 2017, houses along the Texas Gulf Coast lost more than $76 million in potential value because of flooding, according to a study by First Street Foundation. Half of that loss, $35 million, was from just five communities: Galveston, Jamaica Beach, Bolivar Peninsula and Nassau Bay, according to Houston Public Media. The total loss in potential property values came out to be $15.9 billion. - Houston Agent Magazine

Profile of a Texas homebuyer: Here’s who’s buying and why by Fauzeya Rahman

by A350 cabin windows.

BUYING OR SELLING? Mimi Selamawit Michael

Top five Houston markets found in HAR study

The flagship piece of “A Piece of Sky” is the Cloud armchair, designed around the shape of an A350 radome. This limited-edition chair is made mainly of composite materials, wood, concrete and custom-made fabric. The collection also features the U.F.O light fixture, assembled with an A340 radome kept at the Airbus materials design office, and the Nimbus chair, inspired

The collection “A Piece of Sky,” including this ‘Cloud chair,’ on sale as of this week, features a selection of 16 homeware items made from decommissioned or surplus airplane parts. Below: A ‘Carbon Table’ limited edition home item. (Photo: Airbus)

IMPERIAL

er a new study by the U.S. Census Bureau, Houston is among the country’s leaders in drawing new Millennial residents. According to the study, Houston has had 15,000 new move-ins of young adults, aged 25 to 34, a year, making among the top five destinations for millennials nationally. The other four at the top of the list include Dallas, Austin, Seattle and Denver. Larger cities in the US have had more millennials moving out than in as well, with New York losing a net total of 38,000 young adults a year while other big cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego each lost between 7,000 and 19,000. The large influx of young adults to Houston could be attributed to moves for work or the appeal of a lower cost of living. The data also found a continuing trend of millennials moving to other Sun Belt cities.

Indeed, the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association estimates that 12.000 commercial aircraft could be retired in the next 20 years -- most of which would likely end in aircraft boneyards.

hit record highs for a March in Houston. The average sales price last month was $298,766, and the median was $240,000, data from the Houston Association of Realtors showed. Among Texas buyers, nearly 70 percent are married couples. After that, single female buyers make up 15 percent of homebuyers compared to single males at 9 percent. Unmarried couples account for 5 percent of the buyer population. On the seller side, 22 percent of respondents said they put a home on the market to move closer to friends or family. Job relocations accounted for 17 percent of listings, while another 8 percent of sellers wanted to move closer to a current job. -Bizjournal

Superior room at Fauchon Hotel Paris. (Photos courtesy Fauchon Paris/Gilles Trillard)

est known for its macarons and pastries as well as foie gras and canapés, the gourmet food brand expanded into the hospitality business and opened their first hotel in Paris last year. For its sophomore project, Fauchon Hospitality will be planting a flag in Japan, where

the brand has established a presence over the last 47 years with 28 shops, two cafes, and two bakeries throughout the country. The five-star hotel will open in the center of Kyoto in the Shimogyo-ku district and feature 70 guest rooms and suites,

as well as a street-level bakery. It’s the latest in a string of planned projects for the group. After Paris and Kyoto, the company has plans to operate 20 hotels by 2028 in cities across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. - Relaxnews