VOA Epaper 09/20/19

SPECIAL ISSUE

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FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

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Unprecedented turnout expected for ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston India's Prime Minister Modi welcomes President Trump’s participation on September 22 at NRG Stadium September 16, 2019

I

ndia's Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, expressed delight atthe news of President of the United States of America,Donald.J.Trump, joining the special community program, ‘Howdy Modi’, in Houston, Texas on September 22. Prime Minister said that U.S President’s participa-

tion signifies the special friendship between India and USA. Terming President Trump’s participation in the event as a special gesture, Prime Minister said that it highlights the strength of the IndiaUS bilateral relationship and recognition of the contribution of the Indian community to American society and economy.

Prime Minister tweeted this morning, “A special gesture by @POTUS, signifying the special friendship between India and USA! Delighted that President @realDonaldTrump will join the community programme in Houston on the 22nd. Looking forward to joining the Indian origin community in welcoming him at the Continued on Page 13

Prime Minister. Narendra Modi. AFP Photo.

Indian rescuers search for 39 missing after boat accident

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EW DELHI, India | AFP | 9/15/2019 - The boat was carrying a total of 73 passengers, of whom 26 have been rescued, local police official Adnan Asmi said.

It is thought that the boat was carrying 73 people and heading from Singanapalli to famous tourist spot Papikondalu. Rescuers at the Godavari River

Almost 300 personnel using boats and a helicopter were engaged in the search operation on Monday including from the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force.

Media reports said that a special

diver team equipped with sonar equipment was expected to reach the spot later in the day from the northern state of Uttarakhand.

The vessel was heading to a popular picnic spot when it capsized. Local media reports said the Godavari river has been in spate for a week.

A report in the Times of India quoted a senior Andhra Pradesh minister as saying that the vessel had no licence or permission to car-

ry tourists while the river was swollen. Poor safety checks and overcrowding are major causes of boat tragedies in India, especially during the current monsoon season.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences.

Last week, a dozen people died in the central city of Bhopal after two boats capsized during celebrations to immerse an effigy of the Hindu god Ganesha into a lake.

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

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FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

Let us all be Indian American, No segregation Publisher: Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Austin Correspondent: Director Marketing: Office Accountant: Data Entry:

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

Contributors: OpEd: Dr. Chandra Mittal Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Mala Sharma Health: Sudhir Mathuria Research: Dr. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee

www.voiceofasia.news

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

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

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by Koshy Thomas Publisher, Voice of Asia

W

e Indian Americans are relevant, and dominant players in all paths of industry, commerce, science and the arts. We are astronauts, lawyers, judges, physicians, nurses, and engineers, CEOs of billion dollar corporations, IT professionals, architects, university presidents, and scientists. We are industrialists, philanthropists, governors, congressmen and women, senators, and mayors.

We serve in the White House, the Armed Forces, and serve in various echelons of law enforcement agencies.

Our children are Rhodes Scholars, valedictorians, scholarship recipients, and National Spelling Bee champions. It is but a small leap from United States ambassador to the United Nations to the Oval Office. There is nothing we don’t do exceptionally well.

But let’s face it. The only

reason we’re able to ascend to these heights is because we are blessed to live in a country that opened its arms to us, embraced us, and shared its bounty with us. All our razor sharp intellect, scientific wizardry and business acumen would have been for naught but for the opportunities afforded us by the generosity of the United States.

For all our education and sophistication, we are so regional in our approach. There are those among us who earnestly believe they will make their fortunes in the United States and go “back home” – wherever that is. Even though they have been the beneficiaries of countless blessings given freely to them by the United States, their loyalties remain divided. This, even though they we all swore allegiance to the United States and undertook the oath that we are the citizens of this country and will obey the laws even if we have to take up the arms against India.

Many see themselves first as Malayalees, Gujaratis, Marathis, Punjabis, and ____

just fill in the blank for whatever regional association you see fit. These individuals do not see themselves as either wholly Indian, or wholly American. Their aperture is narrow, and their vision, myopic. On the basis of false superiority, they shun anyone who is not cut from the identical religious cloth they are cut. Unless you attend the same church, gurdwara, temple, or mosque they do, they have no use for you, and will try to exclude you from their inner circle. Yet, these same individuals are quite well versed in the rights they are entitled to and are the first ones to demand equal treatment in employment, access to education, and ancillary benefits of all kinds. They can recite chapter and verse as to what is owed to them.

Regrettably, these individuals are unable, or unwilling to acknowledge, or articulate what it is they owe this country for the bounty they enjoy.

It is cringe worthy to attend galas, and social functions during which a predominantly Indian audience will engage in a rousing rendition of the Indian national

anthem, and then fumble their way through the Star Spangled Banner. The, albeit, unintended discourtesy and disrespect to the flag and to the country that provide the very freedom for them to assemble together is something we should dialogue about as a community. It is well past time for this discussion.

Our community consists of Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jains, Parsis, Punjabis and many other classifications. At least 28 regional languages are spoken and heard. This is an indication we have many diverse cultures within our Indian community in Houston and the surrounding areas. It is easy to cloister ourselves within the familiar environs of our own communities rather than come together as one community and show solidarity with the people.

Isolation whether based in ignorance, or a sense of entitlement, will keep you out of the mainstream But never forget all Americans to openly embrace and honor our identity as Americans too. Remember July 4th is the Independence Day for all Americans

Modi: A Leader with Zeal to make India a Global Power

by Chandra Ph.D.

K.

Mittal,

O

ne may call his governing style autocratic, his administrative approach dictatorial or his mannerism abrasive, but no one can fault Narendra Modi for his passion for India and his progressive vision for it. His unlimited energy and enthusiasm to accomplish national goals, and his commitment to solve challenging problems of India like mass poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, etc. are the testament of his reverence and resolve for India.

Instinctively, Narendra Modi has exhibited penchant for handling tough and controversial issues of Indian society. These do not deter him from engaging. This was best exemplified recently by his government passed The Muslim Women (Protection of Right on Marriage) Act, which made Triple Talaq (Divorce) among Indian Muslims illegal. Similarly, the abrogation of Special Provision Article 370 of the Indian Constitution from Indian State of Kashmir in order to protect and fully integrate it into India was politically a sticky matter. But Modi was able to pull it.

leadership of a political figure after due dissection and analytical processing, but Narendra Modi is proving to be an exception to this rule while still in the office. His abilities and efficacious political skills have been at the display through political and social events in India since Modi’s ascendance to national leadership role in 2014. And if there were any doubts about it, those were answered decisively by the 2019 national election where his party was chosen with overwhelming majority by the Indian electorate, giving Modi an absolute majority in the Indian Parliament - a far cry from the past when BJP or its predecessor Bhartiya Jan Sangh used to have just two seats in this 500-membered national body.

It is this efficiency and confidence in his governing approach that made Narendra Modi to recently announce his goal of making India a 5 Trillion Dollar (nominal GDP) economy by the end of his second Prime Ministerial term in 2024 from 2.97 Trillion in 2019, an ambitious target. Whether such target can be achieved is a matter of debate, but it certainly falls within the realms of possibil-

ity by many economists’ estimates.

Besides ambitious, Narendra Modi is also a realist. Realizing that he cannot achieve the economic target of 5 Trillion in five-years without infusion of both foreign and domestic capital into India’s economy. He is, hence, actively engaging foreign countries for investment and joint economic project.

When it comes to international interaction and alliances, not many world leaders can match the credentials and jet setting pace of Narendra Modi. In the span of 3-weeks in August-September, Modi travelled from United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi to promote bilateral trade and receive UAE’s highest Civilian Award, to France to meet leaders like US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron for bilateral projects, to Vladivostok, Russia to meet and sign the 30 Billion Dollar deal with President Vladimir Putin in energy, defense and shipping sectors. Such bilateral international economic activities ultimately create multiplier effect on India’s GDP.

Narendra Modi is both, a secular nationalist as well as a globalist with belief in the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - is a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu texts such as the Maha Upanishad, which means "the world is one family". His secularist credentials were also confirmed in the recent 2019 national elections in India where his party, BJP, was not only supported by Hindu voters but also by significant Muslim population in various part of India.

Finally, Narendra Modi is patriot driven by his inner zeal and ambition to make India a global power in his lifetime. He is likely to be proved a transformative figure on the world stage with ability and political skills to make India a prosperous, progressive and peaceful nation on earth with his effort, dedication and fortitude.

Dr. Chandra Mittal is Professor at Houston Community College, Op-Ed Columnist, and Co-Founder of Indo-American Association, Houston.

Whether his political adversaries like it or not, leadership of Narendra Modi is showing results for Indians.

In Modi’s administration, all governmental functions like internal national security, defense, healthcare, education, infrastructural development, scientific research, etc., are centrally monitored by the Prime Minister’s office for meeting project targets. Various public projects are being completed either before or within the allotted time frame. Best example of this are many infrastructural projects involving roads and highways.

Usually, it is the crucible of history that defines the

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Sri Meenakshi Temple celebrates “Bhavishya”, Looking to the Future

by M.K.Sriram

S

ri Meenakshi Temple’s annual fundraising dinner was appropriately named Bhavishya, looking forward to a bright future. Looking back however, it all started from humble origins when the temple started in a trailer in a little-known neighborhood south of Houston. Fast forwarding 42 years to the present day, it has become the premier temple in a sprawling complex with spectacular architecture that has become a landmark and a must-visit destination of Pearland, Houston and the entire state of Texas. Bhavishya gave a glimpse of what is yet to come. The vibrant energy of the members of the Board of Trustees, the dedicated staff and scores of enthusiastic volunteers was very much on display on Sunday, September 8th. With the renovation of the adjacent Kalyana Mandapam going on briskly, the entire gala was most innovatively performed in the transformed Youth Center and Cafeteria complex.

As the guests started to arrive by 5 PM, they were welcomed with free valet parking, tasty snacks and beverages in the cafeteria now transformed into a beautiful reception area. The annual silent auction which is a center-piece of the banquet, was beautifully setup with many exquisite art pieces, exotic jewelry and beautiful silk saris. The visitors were truly amazed by this collection and bid and counter-bid on their favorite pieces, all for raising funds for the temple.

The guests then moved to the most stunningly decorated Youth Center hall for the main event, A spectacular sculpture

Mayor of Pearland, Mr. Tom Reid with the 16 scholarship winners and senior community leaders. depicting the celestial wedding of Goddess Sri Meenakshi with Lord Sundareswara was the centerpiece. Much of the credit for setting up for the event goes to the temple shilpis (artisans) who worked tirelessly day and night.

The main program started with a prayer by the priest. The Chairman Dr Padmini Nathan warmly welcomed the guests and gave an overview of all the temple activities highlighting the ongoing FRPE project.

Mayor Tom Reid of Pearland who has rarely ever missed a major temple event, reminisced his association with the temple for the last several decades.

MTS takes great pride in promoting education and awards scholarships to deserving high school graduating students, every year. Most of these are children who literally grew up at the temple and call it a sec-

ond home. The Joint Treasurer Bhargavi Golla announced all the 16 scholarship winners and the awards were presented to students by the senior community leaders.

The FRPE fund raising team members proudly announced the names of the donors at various levels and made the pitch for more donations to reach the 1.5M target.

The members of the Board, Advisory Council and Honorary Trustees were introduced.

The Joint Secretary Partha Krishnaswamy gave a presentation on the progress of the Kalyana Mandapam renovation project with 3-D rendering. This was followed by a hilarious skit “Let’s go to Kasi”, created and directed by Dr Vaduganathan. The actors, all amateurs and temple volunteers, put on a great performance. The stars of the show

A section of the audience at the fundraising dinner named Bhavishya, were the ever-young couple Dr Appan and his wife Rajam. ‘Kanmani’, the pet dog of Mala and Dr Gopal stole the show with its first time ever on-stage performance wearing the garb of a sanyasi.

The Honorary President, Mr Kannappan honored and presented the title Priest Emeritus to Sri Thanga Bhattar, who has been associated with the temple from the very beginning.

Dr Padmini presented him with a plaque on behalf of the

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The finale of the event was the stand-up comedy by the very talented Dr Subodh Bhuchar.

The guests were treated to a phenomenal dinner catered by Madras Pavilion. The best was yet to come! While the show was going on, the cafeteria was magically transformed into a dessert lounge of a Five Star hotel, and titled MADHUR MAHAL [ Palace of Sweets]

thanks to the incredibly talented Nalini Kannan of Décor One The guests were treated to a vast array of desserts including walnut halwa, falooda, thava dessert and an awesome fresh fruit display specially prepared & served in style by Rajan and Mahesh of Madras Pavilion.

All in all, it was an evening to remember for the more than 350 guests, and many felt that this was one of the best ever annual gala organized by MTS. Great ambience with entertainment, food and teamwork!!

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FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

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At 17.5 million, Indian diaspora largest in the world : UN report India's leading country of origin of international migrants with a 17.5 mn strong diaspora, a UN report said.

U

NITED NATIONS, PTI, September 18, 2019 - India was the leading country of origin of international migrants in 2019 with a 17.5 million strong diaspora, according to new estimates released by the United Nations, which said the number of migrants globally reached an estimated 272 million.

The International Migrant Stock 2019, a dataset released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) on September 18, provides the latest estimates of the number of international migrants by age, sex and origin for all countries and areas of the world.

The estimates are based on official national statistics on the foreign-born or the foreign population obtained from population censuses, population registers or nationally representative surveys.

The report said that the top 10 countries of origin account for one-third of all international migrants. In 2019, with 17.5 million persons living abroad, India was the leading country of origin of international migrants.

Migrants from Mexico constituted the second largest diaspora (11.8 million), followed by China (10.7 million), Russia (10.5 million), Syria (8.2 million), Bangladesh (7.8 million), Pakistan (6.3 million), Ukraine (5.9 million), the Philippines (5.4 million) and Afghanistan (5.1 million).

India hosted 5.1 million international migrants in 2019, less than the 5.2 million in 2015. International migrants as a share of total population in India was steady at 0.4% from 2010 to 2019.

The country hosted 207,000 refugees, the report said, adding that refugees as a share of international migrants in the country was four per cent.

Among the international migrants in the country, the female population was 48.8% and the median age of international migrants was 47.1 years.

In India, the highest number of international migrants came from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.

In 2019, regionally, Europe hosted the largest number of international migrants (82 million), followed by Northern America (59 million) and Northern Africa and Western Asia (49 million).

At the country level, about half of all international migrants reside in just 10 countries, with the United States of America hosting the largest number of international migrants (51 million), equal to about 19% of the world’s total.

Germany and Saudi Arabia host the second and third largest numbers of migrants (13 million each), followed by Russia (12 million), the United Kingdom (10 million), the United Arab Emirates (9 million), France, Canada and Australia (around 8 million each) and Italy (6 million).

The share of international migrants in total population varies considerably across geographic regions with the highest proportions recorded in Oceania (including Australia and New Zealand) (21.2%) and Northern America (16.0%) and the lowest in Latin America and the Caribbean (1.8%), Central and Southern Asia (1.0%) and Eastern and SouthEastern Asia (0.8%).

A majority of international

migrants in subSaharan Africa (89%), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (83%), Latin America and the Caribbean (73%), and Central and Southern Asia (63%) originated from the region in which they reside.

By contrast, most of the international migrants that lived in Northern America (98%), Oceania (88%) and Northern Africa and Western Asia (59%) were born outside their region of residence.

UN Under-Secretary-General for DESA Liu Zhenmin said that these data are critical for understanding the important role of migrants and migration in the development of both countries of origin and destination.

Facilitating orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people will contribute much to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The report added that forced displacements across international borders continues to

rise.

Between 2010 and 2017, the global number of refugees and asylum seekers increased by about 13 million, accounting for close to a quarter of the increase in the number of all international migrants.

Northern Africa and Western Asia hosted around 46% of the global number of refugees and asylum seekers, followed by sub-Saharan Africa (21%).

Turning to the gender composition, women comprise slightly less than half of all international migrants in 2019.

The share of women and girls in the global number of international migrants fell slightly, from 49% in 2000 to 48% in 2019.

The share of migrant women was highest in Northern America (52%) and Europe (51%), and lowest in sub-Saharan Africa (47%) and Northern Africa and Western Asia (36%).

In terms of age, one out of every seven international migrants is below the age of 20 years.

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

India bans e-cigarettes as vaping backlash grows

by Aishwarya Kumar and Simon Sturdee

N

EW DELHI, India | AFP | 9/18/2019 India announced on Wednesday a ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes, as a backlash gathers pace worldwide about a technology promoted as less harmful than smoking tobacco.

The announcement by India came a day after New York became the second US state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes following a string of vapinglinked deaths.

"The decision was made keeping in mind the impact that e-cigarettes have on the youth of today," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters in New Delhi.

E-cigarettes heat up a liquid -- tasting of anything from bourbon to bubble gum or just tobacco, and which usually contains nicotine -- into vapour which is inhaled.

The vapour is missing the estimated 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke but does contain a number of substances that could potentially be harmful.

They have been pushed by producers, and also by some governments including in Europe as a safer alternative -and as a way to kick the habit.

However critics say that apart from being potentially harmful in themselves, the flavours of some liquids have

A Juul e-cigarette and pods are seen in this picture illustration turned millions of children into vapers -- and potential future smokers.

The emergency legislation in New York, the second US state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes, followed a mysterious outbreak of severe pulmonary disease that has killed seven people and sickened hundreds.

President Donald Trump's administration announced last week that it would soon ban flavoured e-cigarette products to stem a rising tide of youth users.

Legislation is also being tightened elsewhere, and in Singapore e-cigarettes are already outlawed. In Japan, vaping and alternatives like "heat not burn" tobacco vaporisers are allowed but e-juices with nicotine are not.

China, home to almost a third of the world's smokers, indi-

cated in July that it wants the "supervision of electronic cigarettes" to be "severely strengthened".

The Indian ban covers the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage of e-cigarettes, as well as advertisements.

The government said it would "advance tobacco control efforts" and "contribute to a reduction in tobacco usage". Punishments include up to a year in prison.

Although few Indians vape at present, the Indian ban also cuts off a vast potential market of 1.3 billion consumers for makers of e-cigarettes.

"Big Tobacco" has been investing heavily in the technology to compensate for falling demand for cigarettes due to high taxes and smoking bans, particularly in the West.

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'My quest': Priyanka Chopra brings Bollywood to Toronto

Priyanka Chopra Jonas attends The Sky Is Pink premiere during the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. JEMAL COUNTESS/GETTY IMAGES/afp

by Andrew MARSZAL

T

ORONTO, Canada | AFP | No Indian star has made a bigger splash in Hollywood than Priyanka Chopra -- and the "Baywatch" actress told AFP she is on a quest to shatter myths about Bollywood, including its approach to sex.

Chopra was the first Indian actress to lead a primetime US series with FBI thriller "Quantico," and cemented her global celebrity status by marrying pop singer Nick Jonas last December.

That star power secured a glitzy, red-carpet slot at Toronto's film festival for "The Sky

is Pink," Chopra's first Hindilanguage film in three years.

It is the only Asian film on the prestigious gala lineup at North America's biggest movie festival.

"People get surprised when they see 'The Sky is Pink' and they're like, 'this is not a Bollywood movie.' Bollywood is not a genre!" Chopra told AFP ahead of the premiere Friday.

Chaudhary delivered a TED talk and wrote a book on her battle before her death in 2015 at the age of 18. But the film focuses on her parents, exploring how their marriage and love -- and even their sex life -- survived the loss of two children.

"It really is my quest to educate people in that."

Until recently kissing was rarely shown in films made by conservative Bollywood, better known abroad for its colorful musical numbers and fairytale romantic plots.

Directed by Shonali Bose, "The Sky is Pink" tells the tragic true story of Aisha Chaudhary, an inspirational Delhi teenager whose life was cut short by a rare genetic disorder.

"I don't think we haven't spoken about sexuality in Indian films -- we do," said Chopra, 37. "I think sexuality is spoken about in many different ways in Indian cinema."

Norwalk Public Library Unveils India Collection

The new India Collection at the Norwalk Public Library

community.

Library Director Christine Bradley was very enthusiastic about the new collection for the Library and said that most of the books have been catalogued and the books can be taken out right away by card holders. Bradley thanked the Indian Consulate and GOPIOCT for making this happen.

Flanked by dignitaries and GOPIO officials, GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham presenting a book titled ‘Global Indian Diaspora

N

orwalk Public Library in Connecticut unveiled India Collection at its main library at One Belden Ave on Sunday, November 15th. The books were donated by Govt. of India.

It was an initiative of the Connecticut Chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-CT).

The program started with a welcome by Library Board President Alex Knoop followed

by Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling who welcomed everyone to Norwalk. President Knoop introduced GOPIO-CT Committee Chair Divya Misra, who is also staff at the library, and thanked her for her effort in making this happen. Divya in turn thanked all the library staff and volunteers for helping to put together the program.

Mayo Rilling said that Norwalk is a place where all communities and nationalities stay harmoniously and complimented GOPIO and the Indian American community for its constitution to the city such as offering scholarships at Norwalk Community College.

“I have met GOPIO delegation three times in the last several years in my office and they always emphasize on how they can help the city rather than asking for any help.” Mayor Rilling said.

Senator Bob Said that he has very friendly relations and interaction with the community and works very closely with the

GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham conveyed greetings from GOPIO International and said that the objectives of the GOPIO chapters

are to involve and help the local communities. “GOPIO-CT has been going great job in that respect by organizing soup kitchens, offering scholarships and other charitable activities,” said Dr. Abraham.

India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty was the chief guest who complimented GOPIO-CT and the Library for making this happen.

“It was an idea which came up during my meeting held at Mayor Rilling’s office in May

this year and now you have completed that task,” Ambassador Chakravorty complimenting GOPIO and the Library. He further said that he would be happy to work with Norwalk Community College.

Amb. Chakravorty offered to provide books for other libraries too.

Other dignitaries attending program included CT Assemblywoman Lucy Dathan and Norwalk Common Councilman Greg Burnett. It was a house full program with only standing room for many.

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Visit us @ voiceofasia.news THE STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI

of the European doctrine of the sword. Let us act in accordance with the holy prophets of old. Noncooperation without violence is the battle of the brave.”

Visit, Programs of Prince of Wales are Boycotted

T

he story thus far…During the latter part of 1920 Gandhi advocated a triple boycott. He wanted an absolute boycott of the Government and all government institutions, including schools, colleges, and courts. If the people were free of these they could easily have their own schools, colleges, and courts, and the power of the British would collapse at once. There was much laughter and ridicule from the moderates and the supporters of British rule. But Gandhi paid no attention.

Gandhi’s activities made the British government nervous and panicky. They issued a warning that anyone who overstepped the bounds of law would be arrested and imprisoned. Gandhi thought that this warning was a victory for the campaign. He issued instructions, which the people were to follow if he were arrested.

On December 26, the Congress session was held in Nagpur. Though there were signs of opposition to Gandhi’s policies, his resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority.

The adoption of the new program at Nagpur was the signal to start the mass movement.

Gandhi felt that the complete boycott of all government organizations would give a chance to the Congress to set up a parallel organization, a State within a State which would lead India to Swaraj. The Duke of Connaught was sent to India in 1921 to try to pacify the Indians. He came to open the

four legislatures in the country which had been introducedas a result of the reforms announced by the King.

Fearing that there would be disorder when the Prince of Wales visited various places, the government began severe acts of suppression. Thousands of people were arrested. The Indian people were so agitated that in city after city bonfires burned and the bonfires were made with foreign cloth, especially British cloth. On November 17, 1921, the Prince of Wales landed in Bombay.

His coming and going passed off without any material change in the attitude of Indians towards Britain. Gandhi traveled far and wide, propagating the ideals of nonviolence and noncooperation. Day by day the Indians were getting more and more excited over carrying out Gandhi’s program. Many students left their institutions, many officers resigned their posts.

The boycott movement gained momentum. As the people’s morale grew, the morale of the government went down. Repression started. Gandhi advised the people to have patience, and he insisted on nonviolence. He saw the weaknesses of Indians and he urged them to improve. He wanted social reforms and constructive work to be intensively followed. It was announced that the Prince of Wales was to visit India. Functions were arranged at many places to enable him to meet his loyal subjects.

Gandhi was indignant when he read the announcement in the newspapers. “Do the British think we are children?” he said. “Do they believe that pa-

According to Ayurveda, each individual is born with a very unique proportion of these Doshas.

Amount or level of each Dosha present in every individual is reflected in physical, physiological, psychological, behavioral patterns of that individual.

Number of people we have on planet earth equals to number of permutation and combination of these three Doshas. Ratio of these Doshas is referred as Prakruti in Ayurveda.

Unfortunately, there is no lab that can tell us what is the Prakruti of the individual. Since body and mind needs to be simultaneously addressed, Prakruti is typically gauged by reading the pulse.

Every recommendation is based on Prakruti in Ayurveda. Understanding that some people are prone

Mahatma Gandhi Week in Houston Call 713785-3900 or visit www. mahatmagandhilibrary.org rades for the Prince will make us forget atrocities in the Punjab or the perpetual delay in granting us Home Rule?” On Gandhi’s advice the Congress declared that all parades, receptions, and celebrations in honor of the Prince were to be strictly boycotted.

“We have no grudge against His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,” said Gandhi, “but our ideas are against him as a symbol of oppression. We can show the world that such noncooperation is just the reverse

Loyal stooges of Britain went to greet the royal visitor. Those who were observing nonviolent noncooperation did not stop them. However, religious and political hatreds fanned the flames. Riots started, many were killed, much property was destroyed. There was panic in the city.

Gandhi was in Bombay, and he rushed to the scene of disorder to stop the rioting. Order was finally restored. “Every man has the right to his religion and his own political opinion. Satyagraha will never succeed until man understands that,” Gandhi announced bitterly. In other cities the boycott of the Prince’s visit was peaceful.

As the unfortunate Prince of Wales visited city after city,

Image provided by Houston Ayurveda

for certain conditions as well as treatment plans require the understanding of Prakruti.

So we can say, that Ayurveda is a person oriented understanding rather than it being a disease oriented process.

According Ayurveda, this Prakruti does not change over entire life span of the individual. The proportion of Doshas (Prakruti) is like a blue print that we are born with.

There are seven types of Prakruti described in Ayurvedic texts. 1-Vata, 2-Pitta, 3-Kapha, 4- Vata Pitta, 5- Pitta kapha, 6- Vata Kapha, 7- Vata Pitta Kapha Once Prakruti is evaluated every aspect of care will be according to Prakruti. If we learn to maintain Prakruti, automatically imbalances or disorders would be avoided easily. We all can learn this simple method and enhance our lives.

he- was greeted with empty streets. Not a shop was open.

intended satyagraha at Bardoli. His co-workers did not agree with him, but he was adamant. He wanted his followers to start constructive programs.

The people remained behind closed doors and drawn curtains. This infuriated the British and they called upon the government of India to act.

Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal, and other leaders were arrested and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. Yet the determined courage of the people did not abate.

They were ready to suffer any penalty for the cause of Home Rule. Demands had been made to Gandhi that he should start a mass movement for the attainment of Swaraj. Gandhi decided to act. Preparations were made to start satyagraha in Bardoli. But Gandhi had to stop the campaign suddenly because of what had happened ill Bombay and other places.

In Chauri Chaura, near Gorakhpur in U.P., some policemen fired on a crowd which was holding a demonstration against the government. This annoyed the demonstrators so much that they became very violent. They chased the police.

The police took refuge in the city hall. The angry mob surrounded the hall and set it on fire. Some policemen were burned to death. Others, trying to escape, were killed by the furious mob outside.

Gandhi was very upset. He thought that it was clear that the people were still not prepared for satyagraha. He stopped the

Many Indians were sorry for Gandhi’s action. They thought that Swaraj was now within their reach and the movement should therefore continue. The Government was playing a waiting game.

Instead of thanking Gandhi for stopping the mass movement, they arrested him on charges of inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch and sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment. He was removed to Yeravda Central Jail in Poona.

In prison Gandhi settled down to a regime of spinning, writing, and meditation. The people were disappointed and the government tightened its hold. Almost all the leaders were put in jail.

Then, in 1924, Gandhi fell ill. He was suffering from appendicitis and was in great pain. The government was alarmed. What would happen if Gandhi died in prison?

An urgent operation was arranged, and Gandhi agreed.

The operation was successful, but his recovery was very slow. The government thought it best to release him, so he was set free. He went to Juhu, near Bombay, to recover.

— To be continued

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

Great Summer Project For children! Enter Mahatma Gandhi Week 2019 citywide contests: Essay, I-Tribute, Poster and Speech contests.

Visit gandhilibrary.org for registration and more information. By participating in these contests not only will the children make good use of their vacation time, they will also learn universal values of Truth, Nonviolence, Love and Service by participating in these contests.

VOICE OF ASIA 11

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

VOICE OF ASIA 12

NAMASTE MODI - NAMASTE TEXAS

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

India's birthday boy Modi gets another biopic

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ollywood producers said Tuesday India's media-savvy Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to be the subject of what looks set to be another flattering film about his life.

Earlier this year India's election commission found a previous film so hagiographic that in April it ordered the release be delayed until after elections concluded on May 19.

The new movie, "Mann Bairagi: Jab Mai Mujhse Mila" (Recluse Heart: When I Met Myself), was announced by the production house of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, one of India's top filmmakers.

"I am sure it will connect and inspire our today's youth deeply," co-producer Mahaveer Jain told the Hindustan Times daily.

The film delayed earlier this year by the election commission, "PM Narendra Modi", was panned by most critics with one reviewer saying it should be used to "study how cinema can be used for propaganda".

A similar fate befell an online series, "Modi: Journey of a Common Man", with the election commission ordering that streaming be stopped until voting ended.

Modi also recounted his life story from tea seller's son to premier in a programme with British television adventurer Bear Grylls aired on the Discovery Channel last month.

The announcement of the new movie, scheduled for winter release, coincided with Modi's 69th birthday which was widely covered in India media -- including his lunch with his nonagenarian mother.

A bakery in Modi's home state Gujarat on Monday said that it would celebrate by baking a 700-feet (213-metre) long

PM Modi to celebrate birthday with mother

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ew Delhi: On September 17 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will turn 69. Modi plans to fly to Gujarat, his home state.

He will visit Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district to witness the water level reach its highest capacity at 138.68 metres for the first time since it was raised two years ago. The entire dam is illuminated.

Modi will reach Gujarat late Monday night. But before proceeding for the dam, the Prime Minister will seek blessings from his 95-year-old mother Heeraben.

Earlier, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani tweeted: “We look forward to welcome our beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modiji on his birthday 17th September at Kevadia to celebrate ‘Namami Devi Narmade Mahotsav’.”

Apart from this, Narmada Arti is being organised.

The BJP is also celebrating the entire week as ‘Sewa Saptah’ where every BJP member right from Amit Shah down to the cadres observing it by either taking part in cleaning or donating blood or simply helping the needy. It is also a ground connect event for the ruling party. (IANS)

Varanasi temple gets a gold crown

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ARANASI: A staunch supporter of Narendra Modi has offered a gold crown weighing 1.25kg to the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple here to mark the Prime Minister's 69th birthday.

Arvind Singh made the offering on Monday night on the eve of Modi's birthday.

Singh told reporters said that he had taken a pledge to make the offering if Modi, who represents the Varanasi parliamentary constituency, returned to power to form a government for the second consecutive term. Varanasi is celebrating the Prime Minister's birthday by lighting lamps and distributing sweets and fruits to the poor.

A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party feeds cake to a woman to celebrate the 69th birthday of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Pingalwara Charitable Society in Amritsar (AFP Photo/ Narinder Nanu). cake weighing a supposed seven tonnes (15,430 pounds).

ton dubbed "Howdy, Modi!", the White House said Sunday.

ress India is making in improving sanitation.

Modi is to be joined by US President Donald Trump when he attends a September 22 rally of Indian-Americans in Hous-

While in the United States, Modi is also due to receive an award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the prog-

However British-Asian actors Jameela Jamil and Riz Ahmed had reportedly dropped out of the event in protest at In-

Poster of the film "Mann Bairagi" dia's move last month to strip the region of Kashmir of its autonomy.

Last week a group of Asian Americans working in philanthropy published an open letter

saying the award would "signal the international community's willingness to overlook, and remain silent, in the face of the Indian government's brazen violation of human rights principles".

VOICE OF ASIA 13

Unprecedented turnout ...

Continued from page 1 programme.”

“The special gesture of President @realDonaldTrump to join us in Houston highlights the strength of the relationship and recognition of the contribution of the Indian community to American society and economy.”

Earlier today, White House had issued a press statement confirming Donald Trump’s participation in the event.

Highlighting the importance of the event, the press statement noted, “It will be a great opportunity to emphasize the strong ties between the people of the United States and India, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship.”

‘Howdy Modi – Shared Dreams, Bright Futures’ is a community summit hosted by Texas India Forum, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, September 22 at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, USA. Over fifty thousand people are expected to attend the event.

NAMASTE MODI - NAMASTE TEXAS

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard welcomes India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to America

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jectives. Let us work together to usher in a 21st century of aloha—respect and love for others, no matter our race, religion, ethnicity, caste, economic status or political affiliations.”

ASHINGTON, D.C. | September 18, 2019 -- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) extended her warm welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, who will be attending a large gathering with an audience of over 50,000 at the NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday, September 22. President Donald Trump along with a number of high-ranking U.S. government officials, including Governors, Members of Congress and Mayors, will also be attending the event being dubbed as “Howdy, Modi!”.

“I’m very happy to see that Howdy Modi is bringing together Indian Americans and Hindu Americans from across our country, including many of my colleagues in the U.S. Congress.” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

“India is the world’s oldest and largest democracy, and one of the United States most important allies. The Unites States and India must work closely together if we are to address the pressing issues that impact our nations, our countries, and the

Background: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is a former Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

She was part of a select group of Members of Congress to greet and escort Prime Minister Modi to the podium when he addressed a Joint Session of Congress in June 2016 and has welcomed him to events promoting greater U.S.-India relations. A long-time advocate for greater ties between the U.S. and India, she also congratulated Modi when he was first selected as Prime Minister following the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard welcomes PM Modi entire world—such as combating climate change, preventing nuclear war and nuclear proliferation, and improving the economic well-being of our people.”

Gabbard described the wonderful opportunity the U.S. and India has for “... a strong and lasting partnership between our two great nations, a partnership based on shared values and ob-

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has also promoted greater trade between Hawai‘i and India as well as broader U.S.-India cooperation across sectors. In 2018, she led the effort to create a Sister-State relationship between Hawai‘i and Goa, In-

dia.

About Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is serving her fourth term in the United States House representing Hawaii’s Second District, and serves on the House Armed Services and Financial Services Committees. She previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee. She was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 2010, and prior to that at age 21, was elected to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 2002, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard for 16 years, is a veteran of two Middle East deployments, and continues to serve as a Major. She is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2020 and is the first female combat veteran and first Hindu to run for president.

More Information and Updates from Tulsi Gabbard: Credit: TULSI2020.com

Idea that Hindi can alone unite India dangerous: Chidambaram Chidambaram said while he supported the idea that all languages should be developed, he will never accept that Hindi can alone unite the country.

- PTI

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EW DELHI, Sep 18 (PTI) - Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is lodged in Tihar Jail, on Wednesday said the idea that Hindi alone can unite the people of the country is a dangerous trend.

Chidambaram said while he supported the idea that all languages should be developed, he will never accept that Hindi can alone unite the country.

"I have asked my family to tweet on my behalf the following: A dangerous idea that Hindi alone can unite the people of this country has been floated," a tweet from Chidambaram's official Twitter handle said.

"The Tamil people, as well as all others who speak other languages, will never allow the imposition of Hindi," he tweeted.

In another tweet, he said, "We support the development of all languages, but we will never accept the idea that Hindi alone will unite the people of this country."

Chidambaram also urged TNCC president K S Alagirii to ask all Congress workers to join a protest announced by the DMK on September 20 to oppose the imposition of Hindi.

VOICE OF ASIA 14

NAMASTE MODI - NAMASTE TEXAS

OPEN LETTER

COMMENTARY

An open letter to PM Narendra Modi during his visit to IndoAmericans in Houston Bhamy V. Shenoy Dear Modiji,

Y

ou must have been already briefed by your staff about the tremendous interest showed by Houston Indo-Americans. Even one month before your visit, 50,000 (which is more than 50 % of those Houston Indo-Americans who are above 18 years) had signed up. Many had to be denied.

Houston had hosted two other Indian PMs earlier- Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 and PV Narasimha Rao in 1994. Unfortunately very few can recall what was said or what happened after their visits. At this critical juncture in world history, human kind is facing three major crises: religion driven terrorism has been threatening world peace, climate change is an existential threat to mankind, and platform based digital economy is worsening the already existing huge wealth gap. We look forward to hear how India can contribute to defusing these crises.

The bold stand you have taken in abrogating articles 370 and 37A may indeed in the medium term will help put down the jihadi terrorism. My logic is counterintuitive as discussed later.

For other two crises, India’s civilizational teaching of “simple living, high thinking” can serve as role model. Already during Paris summit, India’s submission had highlighted this principle.

Kashmir policy, let me also request you to take some extra steps to give a feeling of greater safety and comfort to our Muslim brothers and sisters. You have helped the latter despite all opposition by removing inhuman Triple Talaq.

Unfortunately there is the perception that NDA is not doing enough to take action against senseless lynching and also banning beef in the name of cow protection by few fanatics.

I know you have condemned such lynching. But you can consider doing much more to silence your critiques.

As far as beef is concerned, instead of banning and interfering with one’s personal choice, one way to handle cow protection is to promote vegetarianism. A recent IPCC report has argued that a global shift from meat to plant based diets (Vegetarianism) could cut as much as eight billion tons of greenhouse gases per year. This is more than the annual emission of the entire US. Even in the west where meat eating is prevalent, there is now a movement to promote vegetarianism. Under your leadership India can be a role model by promoting vegetarianism just like you have done for Yoga.

I am happy that your government is planning to implement the far reaching recommendations of Draft New Education Policy (DNEP). DNEP can transform Macaulay imposed dysfunctional education system. But there is strong opposition from several quarters.

Even some of your own party leaders are not happy with some of the recommendations.

Most Indians including NRIs have applauded your wise judgLike you have taken bold ment. Many large countries steps to pass several laws to including the ones in the Gulf have realized that Kashmir is an internal matter and others should not interfere. The UN Security Council has also taken a similar stand. This is because they know that India has the second largest Muslim population in the world who are enjoying more democratic and human rights than in the neighboring Muslim countries.

They appreciate that often mentioned eight million Kashmir Muslims are no different than 200 million Indian Muslims.

If Muslims have any misgiv- Nik Nikam. MD ings of any mistreatment, why are Bangladeshi muslims illegally entering India and settling

by Nik Nikam down even in the farthest part exas India Forum and of South India?

Houston is ready to welcome more than It is true that because of historic circumstances at the time 50,000 Indian-Americans to of India’s independence, India the NRG Stadium on Sept. 22, did agree to give autonomy 2019 to attend HowdyModi as a special case. However in Summit, greet PM @Narendra today’s totally changed en- Modi, and to celebrate the trevironment, where secularism mendous success of the Indianshould guide the policy and not Americans’ contribution in the religious consideration, it is ir- US, and look forward for a rational to argue that Kashmir stronger US-Indian economic should be treated as an autono- and political ties. mous state. By supporting InThis gathering will be largest dia’s stand, world community for Indian PM Narendra Modi will indirectly help eliminate to address in the united states, jihadism. Raison d’être of kh- and the largest for a democratiilafat movement behind jihadi cally elected foreign leader in movement based on religion America. Texas India Forum will lose its justification in sec- will be providing FREE parkular world. ing for all attendees for this special event.

Some time we hear of KashThe event based on the miris losing identity after the theme, “Shared Dreams and removal of autonomy. This again is a bogus argument. I Bright Future,” will showcase am a Kashmiri Gowda Swarsat the strength and talent of the Brahmin brought up in Karna- Indian-American community,” taka and my ancestors had to It has been recognized at the move away from Goa. Even “Model immigrants in the US," after 400 years, we are able to by the policy experts. keep our identity. Let me give Indian American commuanother example of a Muslim nity in addition to excelling in majority district, Mallapuram, education and welfare, have in Kerala, who do not agitate become a strong, organized, to be autonomous. These are and valuable voting block with just two examples. There are a unified voice, mission, and hundreds of such examples in commitment for the betterment India. of Humanity in the US. Many have already contributed at the Unfortunately blinded by county, city, state, and national pre conceived ideas and with levels, in addition to holding strongly held biases some op- key positions at the state and position political parties in In- national levels. Gitesh Desai, dia and also international media one of the organizers of the have failed to appreciate this. howdymodi event said, “The It is rather ironical no one is impact of the Indian-American raising the issue of Kashmiri community is palpable in the Pandits who were driven out by American politics, today.” terrorists.

On the intellectual and business front, many Indian-AmerWhile fully supporting your icans with their core Indian val-

T

develop India, I have the confidence that you will stand behind DNEP. However to implement DNEP, India needs a large number of professionals. It is here you can consider giving a call to well qualified NRI professionals to help India in the implementation of DNEP working with Indian professionals. This is not a reflection on the existing talents in India.

After all these NRIs have been the beneficiaries of India’s education system and this is the time for India to make use of the “brain bank”. Since Houston is also leading space and medical science, India can also develop a formal plan to make use of experts in these two sectors.

Since you are visiting the oil capital of the world, let me suggest a strategy to attract more investment in petroleum sector.

In oil sector also you have taken several bold decisions where previous governments failed.

Wisely you did not pass on the benefit of lower cost of crude and increased excise taxes. Despite pressure to merge public sector oil companies to form a mega oil company, you resisted such a concept. It would have been an unmitigated disaster.

Through direct benefit transfer you have practically eliminated what I call as the mother of all corruption in PDS kerosene and residential LPG distribution which was creating as much as Rs 50,000 crores per year of black money.

While I applaud you for all these hard decisions, your government has failed to liberalize natural gas prices. It is because of this failure, foreign oil companies have not showed any interest to invest in India’s oil sector. This may come as a surprise to you that even the US has suffered in the past when gas prices were controlled.

Amit Verma

by Amit Verma

I

t has been a month since India abrogated article 370, and with it the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Now that the initial euphoria has died, it seems as good a time as any to assess different aspects emanating from the action.

First, it is important to understand that not all those who

From your Houston visit, you may take this useful lesson home to liberalize India’s gas sector.

In closing let me wish you a very productive visit which may create history and not be forgotten like the previous visits by Prime Ministers, Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 and P V Narasimha Rao in 1994.

Regards Bhamy V. Shenoy An activist, Dr Bhamy Shenoy has a doctorate from the University of Houston. He is an Op-Ed contributor and has written several articles on India’s energy sector. He has served on the board of Georgian National Oil Company, as a senior advisor at center for energy economics at UTAustin. Currently Dr Shenoy is an advisor to Pratham Mysore, trustee of Sehgal Foundation.

He started Mysore Grahakara Parishat, a leading consumer NGO in the city.

PM Narendra Modi Houston Summit on Sep 22, 2019 ues and family structure have gone on to lead multinational corporations like Microsoft, Google, Master card, Pepsi, Adobe, among many others.

According to the Pew research, an average Indian -American enjoys a median income of $88,000, much higher than that of an Asian American income of $66,000, all US household income of $49,000 (2010 data). Indian origin physicians, form the second largest physician force in the US, along with heading departments in many of the elite medical schools such as Harvard, Mayo clinic, etc..

“The Indian-American community has arrived,” says Devesh Kaur, the director of the Center of Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania. I would like to add to that, “And, the Indian community had delivered and made a positive impact in the US.” The Indian community will show that, PM Narendra Modi is not only a Rock Star Politician (as some people have called him) , but he is as solid and sound as the Rock of Mount Rushmore, when it comes to steering India into a new era of International connections and businesses and a seat at the G7+1. India has already been recognized as the third largest economy in the world, growing and expanding as an international player in world trade and collaborations.

Indian-American community in the US has become an import, reliable, and sound economic force and contributor in many sectors, including, technology, banking, innovation, space exploration, financial service, oil & gas, chemicals, pipelines, philanthropy, and many more. Indian-American community has been source for many jobs and careers.

“The rise of Indian-Americans today parallels the progress made in America in the

recent decades,” says Desai.

The contributions by more than 1000 volunteers and more than 650 organizations ready to Welcome the PM Narendra Modi, underscore the true spirit of the Indian-American community the US, and especially in the Houston area lead by such great visionary leaders like Jugal Malani, Gitesh Desai, Rishi Bhutada, Achalesh Amer, Ramesh shah, Bangar Reddy, CG Anupam Ray, Umang Mehta, Hasu Patel, Madhukar Adi, Nisha Mirani, Sharad Amin, Sanjay Rambhadran, just to name a few.

In all fairness we should recognize that this program has been supported by leaders from practically all Indian associations, charitable foundations, social and business organizations, educational organizations, and most religious organizations.

“It is testament to their passion for their mother land they call, ‘India,’ and their power of belonging to a community they are proud off, and their belief in a ‘Better Future,’ for the Indian-American community, working hand-in-hand with the US for mutual co-operation and progress,” says Rishi Bhutada.

The Texas India Forum, in addition to proving FREE passes for the event, also is proving FREE transportation, and FREE parking. It is an Indian way of thanking the community that has come together to celebrate this special day on Spt. 22, 2019, starting at 10 AM. But you can start you day at the NRG Stadium at 7:00 am.

Please read the, “Clear Bag Rules,” posted on the #NNN Facebook media to know what you can and cannot bring. Most importantly we would like to see you come be part of this memorable day and etch in the annals of Indian-American community in Houston 2019.

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

370 – A Month Later supported the abrogation of the article are ultra-nationalists who subscribe to right-wing Hindu ideology. A case in point is the Aam Admi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal who is no friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which voted with the ruling party. Similarly, it is an unfortunate mistake to call those who did not favor the move as being motivated by some vague anti-national itch.

A case in point is Janta Dal (United) led by Nitish Kumar, which is a member of the ruling coalition.

There is no question in mind of Indians that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, and worthy of great sacrifices, article 370 or not withstanding. This is despite the fact that Kashmir in itself no longer carries the same loud emotive call for great untrampled beauty that movies and songs of yesteryears depicted.

Indians can now as easily afford to vacation in Switzerland or New Zealand, as they can anywhere in the world. The net contribution of the state towards Indian economy is also relatively small. This meant that till recently Kashmir was mostly relegated to one among the more important problems facing the country. It will continue to be that.

But the abrogation of the article itself has raised many other important issues. Here, there may be a need to draw a parallel with demonetization carried out by this government in 2016. That too was carried out with speed and alacrity, and generated a great deal of initial euphoria as a panacea for all that ills India. We are, however, yet to be fully told why it was done, and if that indeed was the best solution. Abrogation of the article, similarly, has not been fully justified. What problem was it meant to solve? Terrorism is primarily a problem emanating from Pakistan, and was not because of the presence of article 370. It will continue to be a problem, or not, depending on how Pakistan, as a country and as a society, evolves.

Economic development of the state is also not a particularly strong excuse because some of the poorest states in India – Bihar, Jharkhand, among others – do not have article 370 in their constitution that has prevented them from economic development over the last 73 years. People in Kashmir have the same issues with Delhi as they did before the action was taken, perhaps now more so (it is not clear because there is still a clampdown on movement and media in the Kashmir valley – but it is safe to assume that people there are not celebrating the move). It is also not clear if Kashmiri Pandits, victims of ethnic cleansing themselves, will be able to go back to Kashmir anytime soon.

It is also somewhat strange that people in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, to name a few, would want to take away the special status of Jammu and Kashmir when these states are trying to close themselves to Indian citizens from other states through job reservations and other actions. One concrete accomplishment this action certainly did was to raise the profile of Prime Minister Modi as someone who will fulfil some of his party’s election manifesto. Another one is that it made a sizeable number of people in India and elsewhere take the efforts of educating themselves on article 370 and the complex issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

Just like demonetization, India will be grappling with the effects of the abrogation for some years (perhaps decades) to come. If world events in the last 15-20 years are any pointers, they point to an important lesson – not all problems should be solved in so drastic a fashion. Some of them should be allowed lots of patience and time – years and decades – and soft diplomatic efforts to solve by themselves. A case in point is the removal of Saddam Hussain. As abhorrent as he and his regime were, what has followed since then has been astronomically worse – ethnic cleansing in Iraq, rise of ISIS, utter destruction of Syria.

European powers were excitedly supporting the removal

of Gaddafi, but Libya is now a violent basket-case, and a busy conduit for illegal migration into Europe, giving those very same powers and public heartburns. In a similar vein, article 370 had already been hollowed out over the decades by various governments. A little more effort and time, it would have become completely toothless, a provision only on paper, and no one would have had any complaints. But of course, this is far less exciting than a shockapproach.

This brings us to the more important aspect of the action of the government. Just like demonetization, abrogation has showed a small glimpse of the authoritarian power of the central government of India.

But unlike demonetization, the action has laid bare the weak seams holding constitutional democracy in India together – its Achilles heals. This, more than anything else, is the most concerning aspect of the action. Democratic spirit, and checks and balances, have been severely compromised to the dismay of great many who assumed that India would become more, not less, democratic as time progressed, and democratic institutions would become stronger, not weaker. In a country where a vast number of people would not mind some version of a dictatorship, this is one scary proposition indeed.

States in India, it is now very clear, are nothing more than administrative units, carrying out the will of the Center. They can be broken apart and formed very easily, with bare minimum legislative action at the Center providing a cover, with voices from the people being affected being an afterthought. It does not require an aficionado of dystopian movies and novels to appreciate how easily India can slide into a dictatorship. Just as the people of Jammu and Kashmir did not have a voice at the table through the dissolved state assembly, one can imagine a national crisis that leads a leader at the center with great mass support to utilize the opportunity to first prorogate the national parliament. Then he or she can make the argument that the Prime Minister is the voice of the Cabinet, and the Cabinet is the voice of the President, and the President is the voice of the Parliament, and the Parliament is the voice of the People, so therefore, the Prime Minister is the sole voice of the People. Then all states can be dissolved and brought together into one single union territory, to be ruled over by the Prime Minister. If this sounds slightly fantastic, then one should just look at recent actions by Boris Johnson. He prorogated the parliament when he does not even enjoy a great support, to push his agenda in a country with a stronger democratic tradition than India. What can he accomplish if he has more popular support?

Continuing on that vein, the mess that is Brexit has one important lesson for everyone, including Pakistan, as it ponders its response to India’s actions.

It is that the European Union is a very successful model, worthy of emulation. Great Britain, through Brexit, will accelerate a slide into irrelevancy, and may perhaps even break apart and cease to exist. By being part of European Union, it carried a voice in world affairs beyond its weight. If Pakistan is willing to dissociate its perceived reasons for its very existence from Kashmir, it opens up the possibility of forming a vast, powerful, single currency economic block, stretching from Afghanistan to Myanmar, including Nepal, and Bhutan, and Sri Lanka and Maldives.

This solves the problem of stateless people and territorial disputes, and allows for huge economic investment and development. The fear is that in Pakistan, this may be not as exciting as dabbling with terrorists and rabble rousers.

Amit Verma is a resident of Houston, and a Professor at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. He is the author of two well received works of literary fiction – The Lives and The Times, and The Lives and the Times II. His third work, A Quiver in the Purlieu, is expected to appear soon.

VOICE OF ASIA 15

NAMASTE MODI - NAMASTE TEXAS

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

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FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

Fort Bend View

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

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City, Sugar Land Legacy Foundation call Sugar Land Skeeters create bobblefor Legacy Award nominations head for fan favorite bat boy

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UGAR LAND ¬- The Sugar Land Legacy Foundation -- a charitable organization created to support and fund local quality of life projects that benefit the residents of Sugar Land -- is accepting nominations for the annual Legacy Awards through Sept. 30.

The recognition honors individuals and businesses that have made significant, lasting impacts on economic development and overall prosperity in the city. Recipients will be honored during the city's annual business appreciation luncheon. Last year's winners were NALCO Champion, an Ecolab Company, and the late Herb Appel, former president/ chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council.

The Sugar Land Legacy Foundation Board of Directors selects recipients from nominations based on commitment, business experience, tenure, service and leadership in Sugar Land.

"The commitment and vision of Sugar Land businesses, community leaders and philanthropists have built a city that is often recognized for its exceptional quality of life, diversified economy and strong city leadership," said Sugar Land Legacy Foundation President Sunil Sharma. "The Sugar

Land Legacy Awards were created to commend individuals and organizations for their leadership, mentoring and outstanding economic investment in the community. We look forward to honoring the 2019 recipients."

The Sugar Land Legacy Foundation was created by City Council in 2010 to assist in the development of city-owned capital projects and to promote community investment in facilities and activities that enhance the longterm prosperity and quality of life for Sugar Land residents.

The Foundation focuses on "planned giving opportunities" that do not compete with the fundraising efforts of Fort Bend County's many charitable organizations.

Past projects made possible by the Sugar Land Legacy Foundation include: • Remembrance Tower and Honor and Remember engraved brick pavers located within the Veterans Memorial area at Sugar Land Memorial Park; • a universally accessible playground in Sugar Land's First Colony Park; • trail improvements and expansion at Eldridge Park; • skate park improvements at Sugar Land City Park; and

CarMax rolls with new online experience

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ICHMOND, Sept. 17, 2019 - CarMax, Inc., the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, today announces its new personalized car buying experience is now available to customers in Texas. Customers can now choose to complete the entire carbuying experience from home and have the car delivered, including the ability to test drive, prior to purchase.

The new offering also gives customers the flexibility to do more of the car buying process from home, and then head to their local CarMax for expedited pick up of the vehicle.

In a world where consumers can buy almost anything from anywhere, CarMax continues to make the car buying journey easy and painless with this new offering. The company plans to scale this new capability nationwide and anticipates having it available to the majority of CarMax customers by February 2020.

“This is the future of car buying,” said Bill Nash, CarMax president and CEO. “We’re delivering on an unmet customer need for a car buying experience that is flexible, convenient, and completely tailored to each customer. This experi-

• installation of several sculptures throughout Sugar Land.

"Our city's commitment to excellence and the Sugar Land Way is particularly evident in our business community which represents a diverse and vibrant corporate presence that continues to keep Sugar Land as an economic powerhouse," said Sugar Land City Manager Allen Bogard.

The city of Sugar Land has achieved its sustainable, strong local economy through an aggressive, focused economic development program that creates opportunities for new business investment and jobs. Sugar Land now has more than 77,000 jobs and is home to high-profile regional and international corporations housed in more than 25 million square feet of commercial space, including several Fortune 500 companies.

Sugar Land is also proud to have one of the lowest tax rates in the state while still providing a high level of service and quality of life that residents and businesses have come to expect.

To make a nomination, visit www.sugarlandecodev.com/ legacy or contact the Office of Economic Development at (281) 275-2229 or ecodev@ sugarlandtx.gov. Nominations are due Sept. 30.

ence has been well-received by our customers who are excited about buying a car on their own terms.”

The new personalized experience is now available the Fort Bend/Houston, Dallas, Austin, Waco/Killeen, Lubbock*, Tyler*, Corpus Christi* Launching in late-October: San Antonio, El Paso*, and McAllen/Pharr* *Home delivery not currently available Texas is the latest state where CarMax has launched home delivery and expedited pick-up capabilities – joining Florida, Georgia, Maine, and North Carolina, as well as select cities in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Virginia.

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UGAR LAND, (KTRK) -- Every Houston team has come out with bobbleheads of their star players over the years, and now the Sugar Land Skeeters are honoring their bat boy with his own figurine.

This Friday, the first 2,000 fans at the game will get a Derek "Tank" Schottle commemorative bobblehead.

Schottle is an Special Olympian and has been working for the team since last March.

He is one of 15 employees with special needs that work every home game at the ballpark.

The team wanted to create a welcoming working environment for adults with special needs, and earned an outstanding employer award in 2017 and 2018.

In other Skeeters news, the Sugar Land team today unveiled their special-edition “Come and Take It” uniforms that will be worn during the 2019 Atlantic League postseason.

The Skeeters, winners of the 2018 Atlantic League Championship, clinched a 2019 postseason berth after winning the First-Half Freedom Division Championship.

They’ll be hosting Games 1 and 2 of the Freedom Division Championship Series on Sept. 24 and 25 at Constellation Field. The Skeeters 2019 postseason is sponsored by Evolution Rx Pharmacy.

Sugar Land medical center closes

by Chris Mathews

F

ORT BEND, September 16, 2019 Houston-based Nobilis Health Corp., which has experienced difficulties in the past year, closed their Sugar Land location and another outside the area.

Nobilis announced that it closed the Surgeons’ Premier Medical Center facility in Sugar Land and the Scottsdale Liberty Hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to a Sept.

13 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Both closures were effective Sept. 13.

The Surgeons’ Premier Medical Center is not listed as a location on Nobilis' website, but the website lists the “Hospital for Surgical Excellence (of OakBend Health System)” at 1211 Highway 6 in Sugar Land, which is the same address that the Texas Department of State Health Services lists for Surgeons’ Premier Medical Center.

Nobilis had a 75 percent ownership interest in the Scottsdale Liberty Hospital, which had two operating rooms, accord-

ing to Nobilis’ 2017 annual report — the most recent annual report filed by the firm. No information on the Hospital for Surgical Excellence was listed in the annual report.

company expects that its shares will become eligible for the over-the-counter markets but can make no assurance as to when trading may commence, if at all, according to the filing.

Nobilis did not respond to a request for comment on the closures by the time of publication.

Separately, Nobilis also received a delisting warning on May 30 because its price per share was too low.

Aside from clinic closures, Nobilis has gone through trying times recently. Most recently, the NYSE American LLC stock exchange began the process to delist Nobilis by suspending trading of the company's stock after markets closed Sept. 3.

Also in early September, Nobilis saw two C-level executives step down — former CFO Brandon Moreno and Chief Legal Officer Marissa Arreola resigned effective Sept. 6.

The NYSE American had originally warned Nobilis in November that it was not in compliance with a requirement to continue listing its stock because its third-quarter 2018 earnings report had not been filed on time. An extension until Aug. 31 was granted in May, but the company has yet to file any quarterly or annual earnings report since its secondquarter 2018 report. Nobilis has decided not to appeal the delisting, which is expected to become effective Sept. 23. The

Meanwhile, Harry Fleming resigned as an executive of Nobilis May 16 but remains chairman of the board of directors, per a May 17 SEC filing. Fleming was replaced as the company’s CEO in late December 2018, when Nobilis appointed James Springfield as chief executive. Springfield later resigned on May 7, after less than five months as CEO. Nobilis Health Corp. is a health care development and management company that manages 12 health care facilities in the Houston area. - HBJ

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2

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11th Indian Film Festival of Houston Friday, October 4, 2019, 5:00 pm - Saturday, October 5, 2019, 9:00 pm

Showing at Asia Society Texas Friday, October 4, 2019, 5:15 pm, followed by Q & A session Buried Seeds - The Life Journey of Vikas Khanna – Documentary Film Director: Andrei Severny Duration: 75 minutes Language: English Starring: Vikas Khanna

Abhishek Bachchan plays the lead role in The Big Bull.

Synopsis: The inspiration of the movie comes from the day when widows of Vrindavan and Banaras celebrated Holi for the first time, breaking a centuries old taboo. The Last Color is a story of promises kept and promises broken, a friendship that knows no bounds, and the freedom and victory of the human spirit.

adversity and political turmoil. They are intensely connected to their sacred ponies and play in an international tournament every year.

Saturday, October 5, 2019, 7:00 pm Pataakha – Feature Film Director: Vishal Bhardwaj Duration: 134 minutes

Synopsis:

Language: Hindi (English subtitles)

An immigrant from India, born into physical disability, becomes the unlikely personification of the American Dream. Shown through Michelin Star Chef Vikas Khanna's eyes, the film recreates his childhood, finding comfort in his grandmother's kitchen and follows the journey of an immigrant enduring overwhelming obstacles and pain in achieving his dreams.

Starring: Sanya Malhotra, Radhika Madan, Sunil Grover Synopsis: Based on Charan Singh Pathik's short story Do Behnein, Pataakha narrates the story of two feuding sisters who realize the true nature of their relationship only after marriage "separates" them.

A

bhishek Bachchan on 16 September (Monday) started filming his next,

The Big Bull. The actor took to Instagram to share the news and shared a photograph of the film's clapboard.

Abhishek Bachchan was last in the Anurag Kashyap-directed Manmarziyaan (2018), alongside Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal. He will be seen in Anurag Basu's new film with Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Aditya Roy Kapur and Pankaj Tripathi. Akin to Basu's hit 2007 film, Life In A... Metro, the slice-of-life film will have intersecting stories at its core.

The Big Bull is being directed by Kookie Gulati. Actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn is producing the film in association with Anand Pandit. Abhishek and Ajay have previously worked to-

gether in the 2012 hit comic-caper Bol Bachchan, directed by Rohit Shetty.

Besides Abhishek Bachchan, Ileana D’Cruz is also playing an important character in the movie.

Though nothing much is known about The Big Bull at the moment, a source had earlier told a tabloid that the movie is inspired from a series of true events that happened between 1990 and 2000. “It is based on real events that took place between 1990 and 2000 and changed India’s financial fabric. Ajay loved the subject and immediately agreed to back it. Ileana has a very strong role in the film but isn’t paired opposite Abhishek. The team is on the lookout for an actress to be paired with him. The film will go on the floors by the year-end," the source had informed. (With inputs from Press Trust of India)

Booming Bollywood comes home for 'Oscars' 20th edition Friday, October 4, 2019, 7:45 pm, Dhut – Short Film

Saturday, October 5, 2019, 5:10 pm,

by many as "Nan Shen" ("male god").

Katran (The Uncalled) – Short Film Director: Prem Singh

Director: Manish Tiwari

Film distributor Akshaye Rathi told AFP that the industry has also seen "great growth" in many European countries and in Canada, New Zealand and Singapore thanks to the South Asian community.

Duration: 15 minutes

Duration: 12 minutes Language: Hindi (English subtitles) Starring: Iqbal Khan and Shakti Anand Synopsis: A pretentious man returns to his native city of Bhopal to meet up with some of his old college buddies and proceeds to poke fun at some of them who are still struggling. By the end of the reunion, karma strikes back and takes its toll which changes Ravi’s life forever.

Language: Hindi (English subtitles) Starring: Iqbal Khan and Synopsis: An old couple decides to end their 36 years of marriage because of their unresolved issues and this results in an eventful conversation between them on the way to the lawyer.

"Now it is just a matter of time before we focus on the wider populations in these countries," Rathi added.

And not forgetting 1.3 billionstrong India itself, where there is massive potential for growth.

According to the Ernst & Young analysis, industry revenues are estimated to swell from 174.5 billion rupees ($2.4 billion) in 2018 to 236.1 billion Bollywood blockbuster releases in parts of North America and Britain are huge events, rupees in 2021. with passionate fans often queueing for hours (AFP Photo/Angela WEISS) - A shot in the arm -

M

Saturday, October 5, 2019, 5:25 pm Daughters of the Polo God – Documentary Film Friday, October 4, 2019, 8 pm The Film

Last

Color

–

Feature

Director: Vikas Khanna

Duration: 91 minutes Language: Hindi (English subtitles) Starring: Neena Gupta, Rajeswar Khanna, Aslam Shekh

Director: Roopa Barua Duration: 34 minutes Language: Meiteilon (English subtitles) Synopsis: A film about an endangered breed of ponies and empowering women in the sport of polo, a traditional male sport.

A young polo sisterhood is developing in Manipur that ploughs on in spite of

UMBAI, India | AFP | by Vishal Manve, with Bhuvan Bagga in New Delhi

Mumbai hosts the "Bollywood Oscars" for the first time in India in 20 years this week with the megastars, movers and shakers of a booming Hindi film industry celebrating another bumper year, including in huge markets like China.

With nearly 1,800 titles released in 2018, the South Asian country is the biggest film industry in the world in terms of movies made, its flicks wowing viewers from Australia to Afghanistan to Africa.

The industry grew 12.2 percent in 2018, which included not only Hindilanguage -- Bollywood -- movies, but also titles in regional languages like Tamil and Telugu, according to a report released in March by Ernst & Young and the Federation of Indian

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Chambers of Commerce & Industry.

The huge South Asian diaspora in North America, Britain and the Gulf region has traditionally been the major overseas market.

Bollywood blockbuster releases in parts of North America and Britain are huge events, with passionate fans often queueing for hours just to catch a glimpse of stars like Shah Rukh Khan.

But Indian films have also been making huge inroads elsewhere -most notably in China.

The black comedy "Andhadhun", for example, nominated for best picture at the glitzy Indian International Film Academy Awards on Wednesday, was a huge hit with Chinese viewers, grossing almost $50 million.

Aamir Khan, the star of the two topgrossing Indian films in China, has a crazed following there and is known

As the other nominees for best picture at the IIFA -- spy thriller "Raazi", swashbuckling epic "Padmaavat", and middle-aged motherhood comedy-drama "Badhaai Ho" -- underline, Bollywood has long ago moved on from the cliched all-singing, all-dancing affair.

The industry has also been attracting big, institutional capital and fresh talent, which have helped create greater variety and reaching out to wider, often younger, audiences.

There were fears for the industry when major streaming services arrived in India a few years ago, changing the way many Indians consume films.

But the likes of Netflix and domestic players like Hotstar have instead been a shot in its arm, providing a new medium for releasing films and more money for new productions.

Unlike regular cinematic releases, they are not subject to India's notoriously stuffy censors.

Revenues from the sale of digital rights ballooned nearly 60 percent in 2018, according to the EY-FICCI report, with Amazon Prime and Netflix among the major buyers.

The major streaming giants have started producing original Indian content, splashing out on big-money titles.

Netflix, for example, recruited Bollywood superstars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan for its acclaimed series "Sacred Games".

Last week, the streaming giant linked up with Karan Johar, one of the highest-profile producers in Bollywood, to produce films and series exclusively for its platform.

"It's going to be P.H.A.T -- pretty hot and tempting," said Johar.

VOICE OF ASIA 19

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

Brad Pitt talks weightlessness and calluses on phone call to ISS

HOLLYWOOD - BOLLYWOOD The Bollywood dream factory in Mumbai's slums

by Vishal Manve

M

UMBAI, India | AFP |In a windowless attic in Dharavi in Mumbai, one of Asia's biggest slums, some are looking to become a Bollywood star -- or at least get a bit part.

Brad Pitt had a 20-minute call with astronaut Nick Hague to discuss the unexpected effects of living in zero gravity (AFP Photo/HO)

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | 9/16/2019 - When Brad Pitt called the International Space Station (ISS) Monday to talk to American astronaut Nick Hague, the conversation turned to the unexpected consequences of weightless life.

"The calluses on my feet have basically gone away because I don't walk on the bottoms of my feet," said Hague, who is currently living on the ISS with two other Americans, two Russians and an Italian.

"But now I have calluses across the top of my foot, around my big toe, because I'm constantly hanging on things with my big toe," he added.

"That's incredible to see," said Pitt, who held the 20-minute video call via split-screen from NASA's Washington headquarters.

The call, which was broadcast on NASA TV, was part of Pitt's promo-

tional tour for his upcoming film "Ad Astra", in which he plays an astronaut sent on a dangerous mission at the edge of the solar system.

"Let's talk about me," the actor said.

"How did we do? How was our zero G?" "It was really good," Hague replied.

Pitt then asked about the pace of life aboard the ISS (the astronauts work from 7:30 in the morning to 7:30 at night), who controls the music ("We take turns"), and if the astronauts had been able to watch the failed landing of an Indian Moon lander ("No, unfortunately").

Finally, the actor called on Hague's extensive expertise to answer the most pressing question: "Who was more believable, Clooney (in the movie "Gravity") or Pitt?"

"You were," Hague said. "Absolutely."

COMING SOON: The Warrior Queen Of Jhansi

It is in this studio, accessible via a narrow ladder and rope, that largerthan-life Baburao Ladsaheb offers what a hand-painted sign calls "Five Star Acting Dancing Fighting Classes".

"I've been running these classes for 35 years and have trained over 15,000 students," says Ladsaheb, taking a break from classes where he blows a whistle as his pupils learn the steps to famous Bollywood dances.

The school is yet to produce the next Aamir Khan -- number four on the Forbes list of the world's best-paid actors -- but he believes he has some potential stars in the making.

In any case Ladsaheb, who once made his own movie which he wrote, directed and played all 12 roles, generally has more modest aims for his pupils.

These include small acting or dancing roles, and film set jobs -- as well as stunt work and extras for dance sequences, a Bollywood staple.

- Ages five to 55 He says his turning point came when some 30 of his pupils featured in Danny Boyle's hugely successful, 2008 Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire".

In this photograph taken on August 18, 2019, children practice fight techniques with acting teacher Baburao Ladsaheb during a class at the "Five Star Acting Dancing Fighting Classes" in Mumbai's Dharavi, one of Asia's biggest slums. (AFP) ply them. From five years old to 55 years old."

Ladsaheb says extremely poor youngsters can attend classes free of charge, but for those that can afford it, lessons range from 100 rupees (about $1.40) to 600 rupees per month, depending on age.

Ladsaheb, a skinny man with an overgrown moustache, not only teaches, but also helps with networking and getting auditions -- a priceless service in who-you-know Bollywood.

One student is Raziq Sheikh, 35, a driver on his second attempt to make it to the silver screen.

"After 'Slumdog', I became a casting guy and everyone would come to me and ask for trained actors," Ladsaheb said.

"It was my childhood dream to become an actor, but financial stress and lack of education delayed my goals," the father of two told AFP.

"That's where my life changed. Now over 120 casting directors approach me seeking actors. They ask me for men, women and children and we sup-

Besides small roles in Bollywood -- which this week hosts its glitzy

- Leila -

annual awards show -- the explosion of streaming services in 1.3-billionstrong India is also providing work for some of Ladsaheb's clients.

The likes of Netflix have been pushing to team up with Indian production companies to make films and series for domestic and international viewers.

Netflix this month announced a long-term partnership for Karan Johar, a director and producer of Bollywood feel-good blockbusters.

One Indian-made Netflix series, "Leila" starring Huma Qureishi, featured 10-year-old Manisha Maitree -a product of the Ladsaheb's academy.

"I've been training here for the last two years and honing my dancing and acting skills," said Maitree, calling the experience "amazing".

"My friends taunt me, saying 'Hope you don’t forget us once you become a star'."

Long way to go: Deepika Padukone on mental health awareness surrounding mental health.

"As far as the conversation around the causes of mental health is concerned, I think we've come a long way. But we certainly have a long way to go in terms of creating more awareness...

N

EW DELHI, Sep 16 (PTI) Deepika Padukone says the conversation around mental health awareness may have opened up a lot in recent years but there is still a long way to go.

The actor, who is the founder of The Live Love Laugh Foundation, was in the capital for the initiative's inaugural 'Lecture Series' to discuss the stigma

"I think the conversation has opened up. I don't think that there's as much stigma as it used to be four years ago," Deepika told reporters here on Sunday.

The "Padmaavat" star was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2014 and went public about it next year.

In 2015, she launched the foundation to create awareness around mental health.

Deepika, 33, said the idea behind the 'Lecture Series' was to bring people

from different walks of life together and create more awareness about the cause. "(It's about) inviting from different professions from various parts of the world, but most importantly, people who are passionate about mental health and have them talk to us about their their journey, their experience," she said.

"It's about taking to the next level," she added.

The actor also praised the media for its role in opening up the conversation on mental health.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Padma Shri awardee Siddhartha Mukherjee delivered the first lecture in the series. Deepika's sister, professional golfer Anisha Padukone was also a part of the event.

Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas trailer: Screen grab starring Karan Deol and Sahher Bambba The Warrior Queen Of Jhansi will open November 15, 2019 Directed by Swati Bhise Written by Swati Bhise, Devika Bhise & Olivia Emden Starring Devika Bhise, Rupert Everett, Nathaniel Parker, Ben Lamb with Jodhi May and Derek Jacobi The Warrior Queen of Jhansi tells the true story of the legendary Rani (translation: Queen) of Jhansi, a feminist icon in India and a fearless free-

dom fighter.

In 1857 India, this 24-year old General led her people into battle against the British Empire earning the reputation as the Joan of Arc of the East.

This real-life Wonder Woman’s insurrection shifted the balance of power in the region and set in motion the demise of the notorious British East India Company and the beginning of the British Raj under Queen Victoria.

Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas trailer: Karan Deol, Sahher Bambba romance in midst of snow-capped mountains

T

he trailer of Sunny Deol's directorial Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas was released earlier on Thursday. The film will serve as a launchpad for Sunny's son Karan Deol, and Sahher Bambba. The title of the film comes from a popular song featured in the 1973 film Blackmail, starring Karan's grandfather, the veteran actor, Dharmendra.

The trailer launch event was scheduled to take place at a multiplex in Mumbai yesterday, but was cancelled due to the heavy rainfall.

Publicity photo from The Warrior Queen Of Jhansi.

The trailer opens to the two leads embarking on a daredevil adventure

sports trip in the mountains. They are seen on a zip line, rock climbing to water sports, and even catching fish with their bare hands. Over the course of a week, they eventually become closer, and fall in love. The clip also shows Karan making a public declaration of their love, and shows the couple share a kiss in the rain.

Speaking about his feature debut, Karan told Mumbai Mirror, "I’m an intense romantic and I’m starting with a love story because I found it interesting. While we were brainstorming, the idea just came up and Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas was born. Having said that, there is action in the film too as another side to my character is unveiled later in the

film. It’s a film about external factors which influence the lives of the couple and try to stop the romance from blooming."

The music of Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas has been composed by Sachet Parampara, with lyrics by Siddharth and Garima.

Ganesh Acharya, Caesar Gonsalves, Adil Shaikh, Raju Khan, and Shampa Gopi Krishna have choreographed the dance sequences.

Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas is slated to release on 20 September, alongside Sonam Kapoor-starrer romantic comedy, The Zoya Factor, and Sanjay Dutt's drama Prassthanam. - Firstpost

VOICE OF ASIA 20

Section 2

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

Young Life

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Generation healthy: alcoholic seltzer craze sweeps US

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One in 16 American women forced into first sexual encounter: study

by Peter HUTCHISON

N

ew York | AFP | 9/14/2019 - Healthconscious American millennials have found their drink of choice: alcoholic carbonated water that is lower in calories and carbs than beer and wine.

A hard seltzer craze is sweeping the United States as Generations Y and Z pursue healthier lifestyles, influenced by viral trends on Instagram and YouTube.

US sales of the bubbly booze, also called spiked seltzer, have soared almost 200 percent this year compared to 2018, according to research firm Nielsen.

"It has replaced other canned alcoholic drinks for me," says Hannah Stempler, a 25-yearold living and working in New York.

Stempler drinks White Claw, the brand at the forefront of America's beverage fixation this summer.

The company said sales were up over 265 percent on-year at the beginning of September and that it holds 61 percent of market share.

Truly, another brand, saw sales spike 163 percent in Q2, according to Macquarie market research.

From beaches and parks to house parties and boat trips, youngsters were seen drinking White Claw across the Big Apple and other major cities.

Panic even struck this month when shopkeepers and retailers reported shortages and the manufacturer said it was working overtime to keep up with demand.

Stempler, who works in television, told AFP that one of the reasons she drinks it is because she is "health-conscious."

A 12-ounce can of White Claw contains 100 calories and a maximum two grams of carbs. It is also gluten-free.

An average beer, in comparison, usually packs 140 calories and five times the number of carbohydrates.

- Beer slowdown The hard seltzer has five percent alcohol, which comes from fermented sugars. That

Cartons of White Claw, a flavored alcoholic fizz in a can equals the strength of Budweiser but is considerably less than the 12 percent commonly found in wine.

Alcoholic sparkling water comes in several flavors, including mango and cherry, appealing to customers seeking convenient, ready-to-drink cocktails on the go.

Sanjiv Gajiwala, White Claw's senior vice president of marketing, thinks young consumers are turning to hard seltzers because of their moderate alcohol levels and variety of tastes.

"Millennials are consumers that grew up on 10 different flavors of Gatorade and cuisines from around the world.

When they come to the legal drinking age, they are looking for more," he told AFP. White Claw sales have surged every year since it launched in 2016 but seems to have captured the imagination this summer in part thanks to YouTube influencer Trevor Wallace.

A video of him drinking White Claw has been watched more than 2.5 million times in two months. The clip spawned memes and hashtags that went viral on social media.

The trend for hard seltzers, which include malt beverages, is shaking up the US alcoholic drinks industry and fueling a slowdown in overall beer sales, analysts say.

Beer manufacturers are rolling out their own seltzers to try to lure customers away from White Claw and Truly.

Anheuser-Busch,

which

makes Budweiser, has launched Natural Light Seltzer.

- Fad? Aaron White, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is pleased youngsters are mindful of what they drink but warns that fewer calories does not mean less alcohol.

He worries that people may consume more alcohol because fruity seltzers don't taste like traditional booze, and is especially concerned by the Four Loko brand's plans to launch a seltzer with 14 percent alcohol by volume.

"The alcohol is the drug. Everything else is just the way it's delivered," White told AFP. Other types of drinks have been the subject of similar crazes in the past, notably wine coolers in the 1980s and Zima, a malt beverage that was all the rage in the 90s.

Rob Fink, a 29-year-old living in New York, believes spiked seltzer is here to stay but says it won't usurp beer and other liquor for him.

"There's a time and place for both," he told AFP. The alcoholic soda industry is worth $550 million and could grow to $2.5 billion by 2021, according to a UBS analyst recently quoted by Business Insider.

Gajiwala notes that White Claw has not even reached six percent of American households yet.

"There is a great opportunity for us to continue to grow," he said.

AFP Photo

W

ashington | AFP | 9/17/2019 - One in 16 American women were either forced or coerced into their first sexual encounter, according to a study investigating the long-term negative impacts of such "trauma" on women's health.

In the US, "the #MeToo movement has highlighted how frequently women experience sexual violence," the researchers wrote in the introduction.

"However, to date, no recent studies have assessed the prevalence of forced sex during girls' and women's first sexual encounter or its health consequences."

Published Monday in the American Medical Association's peer-reviewed journal (JAMA Internal Medicine), the study is based on a sample of more than 13,000 women aged 18 to 44, who were interviewed as part of a survey conducted between 2011 and 2017 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 6.5 percent of women were either forced or coerced into their first sexual encounter.

Extrapolated out to account for the US population (327 mil-

lion), this number works out to approximately 3.3 million women in that age group, the authors note.

That equals one in 16 women.

The women surveyed said they were submitted to multiple forms of coercion: 56.4 percent said they experienced verbal pressure, 46.3 percent said they were held down, 25.1 percent were physically harmed, 22 percent were forced to consume alcohol or a drug, and 16 percent said their partners threatened to end the relationship.

Forced "sexual initiation," the study said, was reported by women of all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

There is a higher risk for black women, women who were born outside the US, lowincome women and women with lower levels of education.

The main difference between women who consented to their first sexual encounter and those who were coerced is linked to age: on average, women who were coerced were closer to 15 years old, while women who consented were 17 years old.

For women who had been co-

erced, their male partners were also much older -- 27 years old, versus 21 years old in couples where the woman had consented.

The study also showed that "forced sexual initiation appeared to be associated with multiple adverse reproductive, gynecologic and general health outcomes."

Women who had been physically restrained during their first sexual encounter were subsequently more likely than women who consented to have unwanted pregnancies or abortions.

They were also more likely to develop endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease or problems with ovulating or menstruation.

Their general health was also worse, with a higher likelihood of drug use and mental health issues, the researchers said, adding that their research points to a need for public health strategies to prevent sexual violence.

The study never used the word "rape," although some of the situations addressed in the study seem to meet the criminal definition of the term.

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Black carbon from air pollution found in placentas: study

New York state bans flavored ecigarettes over vaping concerns

N

EW YORK | AFP | 9/17/2019 - New York became the second US state to ban flavored e-cigarettes Tuesday, following several vaping-linked deaths that have raised fears about a product long promoted as less harmful than smoking.

A health council passed emergency legislation proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo outlawing flavored vaping products amid an outbreak of severe pulmonary disease that has killed seven people and sickened hundreds.

The ban comes into force with immediate effect. Michigan became the first state to declare a ban earlier this month, but that law has yet to be implemented.

The biological explanation for how and why air pollution poses such a threat to newborns has long puzzled doctors.

by Marianne Hood

P

ARIS, France | AFP | 9/17/2019 - Black carbon particles typically emitted by vehicle exhaust and coal-fired power plants have been detected on the foetus-facing side of placentas, researchers said Tuesday.

The concentration of particles was highest in the placentas of women most exposed to airborn pollutants in their daily life, according to a study in Nature Communications.

"Our study provides compelling evidence for the presence of black carbon particles originating from air pollution in human placenta," the authors said.

The findings, they added, offer a "plausible explanation for the detrimental health effects of pollution from early life onwards."

Air pollution is known to have potentially devastating impacts on children's health.

The biggest risk is for low birth weight, which in turn increases the odds for diabetes, asthma, stroke, heart disease and a host of other conditions.

But the biological explanation for how and why air pollution poses such a threat to newborns has long puzzled doctors.

"The new study sheds some light on this by showing that inhalation of black carbon particles can accumulate in the placenta," commented Christine Jasoni, director of the Brain Health Research Centre at the University of Otago in New Zealand, commenting on the study.

Scientists led by Tim Nawrot at Hasselt University in Diepenbeek, Belgium postulated that "black carbon particles are able to translocate from the mothers' lungs to the placenta."

Nawrot and his team used highresolution imaging to examine the placentas of 23 full-term and five pre-term births.

Women who had been exposed to

higher levels of black carbon particles -- averaging 2.42 micrograms per cubic metre -- showed significantly higher levels of particles in the placenta than ten mothers exposed to a quarter as much.

Critically, traces of black carbon were found on the inward-facing side of the placenta, putting them in direct in contact with the developing foetus.

There was no evidence, however, of pollution particles in the foetus itself, suggesting the placenta may act as a barrier to the toxins.

"But the black carbon could be damaging the placenta," said Jennifer Salmond, and an associate professor at the University of Auckland's School of Environment, commenting on the new findings.

"Poor placental function could explain the low birth weight that has been associated with air pollution in other studies."

Prof Jonathan Grigg, a leading expert in the effects of air pollution on children, from Queen Mary University of London, said: "There's very strong epidemiological evidence that maternal exposure to air-pollution particles is associated with adverse outcomes such as miscarriage.

"This is the beginning of showing that this is a 'plausible mechanism' that could be causing these effects."

Children are particularly vulnerable to poor air quality during foetal development, when exposure can result in life-long changes to development as well as permanent damage to lung tissue.

"Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this study is that black carbon particles from air that is not even considered to be particularly polluted by WHO standards is nonetheless accumulating in the placenta," Salmond said.

More than 90 percent of children live in environments where the outdoor concentration of airborn pollutants exceed World Health Organization guidelines.

"It is undeniable that vaping companies are deliberately using flavors like bubblegum, Captain Crunch and cotton candy to get young people hooked on e-cigarettes -- it's a public health crisis and it ends today," said Cuomo.

President Donald Trump's administration announced last week that it would soon ban flavored e-cigarette products to stem a rising tide of youth users.

The move could later be extended to an outright prohibition of vaping if adolescents migrate to tobacco flavors, seen as more legitimate products that help smokers quit their habit, said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates e-cigarettes.

"New York is not waiting for the federal government to act, and by banning flavored e-cigarettes we are safeguarding the public health and helping prevent countless young people from forming costly, unhealthy and potentially deadly life-long habits," Cuomo added.

- Popular with adolescents Shops in New York now have two weeks to remove vaping products from their shelves. The ban does not prohibit menthol or tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes have been available in the US since 2006 and are sometimes used as an aid to quit smoking traditional tobacco products like cigarettes.

Their use among adolescents has skyrocketed in recent years: some 3.6 million middle and high school students used vaping products in 2018, an increase of 1.5 million on the year before.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently that there were now more than 450 possible cases of pulmonary illness associated with vaping in the US. The CDC has cautioned against vaping as officials investigate the precise cause of the deaths.

No single substance has been found to be present in all the laboratory samples being examined.

New York's health department found very high levels of vitamin E oil in cannabis cartridges used by dozens of people in the state who had fallen ill after using e-cigarettes.

Vitamin E is a commonly used nutritional supplement but is dangerous when inhaled.

San Francisco, the home of market leader Juul Labs, became the first American city to ban e-cigarettes in June last year.

The FDA has warned Juul to stop advertising itself as a less harmful alternative to smoking, noting in particular the company's attempts to attract young people.

Medicare Eligibility – Who May Enroll in Medicare Medicare eligibility – Part A and Part B

T

o be eligible for Medicare Part A and Part B, you must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent legal resident for at least five continuous years. You must also meet at least one of the following criteria for Medicare eligibility:

Be age 65 or older and eligible for Social Security: You may be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) when you reach age 65 and become eligible for Social Security. Further, if you are already getting benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), you will automatically get Part A and Part B starting the first day of the month you turn 65. (If your birthday is on the first day of the month, your Part A and Part B coverage starts the first day of the prior month.) But, if you’re not receiving retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board (for instance, because you’re still working), you must sign up for Medicare Part B when you meet the age requirement, as your enrollment isn’t automatic.

Be permanently disabled and receive disability benefits for at least two years: You automatically get Part A and Part B after you get disability benefits from Social Security for 24 months or certain disability benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) for 24 months.

Have end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (permanent kidney failure that requires dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant): You need to sign up for Medicare, as your enrollment isn’t automatic.

Most individuals don’t have to pay a premium for Medicare Part A if they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes while working for at least 10 years (or 40 quarters). If you’re not eligible for premium-free Part A, you will have to pay a monthly premium of up to $437 in 2019.

In addition, you must also pay the Part B premium each month.

The standard premium is $135.50 in 2019.

Also, keep in mind that individuals with a higher income may have to pay more for their Part B premium. Be aware that if you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B when you first become eligible, you may have to pay a 10% penalty (added to your monthly premium) for each full 12-month period you could have had it but didn’t sign up (some exceptions apply).

Medicare Part C eligibility Medicare Part C (also called Medicare Advantage ) is an alternative way to your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. Medicare Advantage plans are available through private insurers. To be eligible for Medicare Part C, you must already be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, and you must reside within the service area of the Medicare Advantage plan you want.

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 The Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) Initial Coverage Election Period is generally the same as the Initial Enrollment Period for Medicare Part A and Part B (the sevenmonth period that starts 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65). Or, you can sign up during the Annual Election Period (AEP) from October 15 to December 7 for coverage effective January 1 of the following year. You can also enroll during a Special Election Period (SEP), if you qualify.

If you have end-stage renal disease (ESRD), you might not qualify for a Medicare Advantage plan in most cases. But there’s one type of Medicare Advantage plan that’s specifically meant for people with ESRD. Read about Medicare Special Needs Plans.

Medicare Part C is optional, and there is no penalty for not signing up. But you must have Medicare Part A and Part B to get Part C, and live in the service area of a Medicare Advantage plan. You also generally can’t have end-stage renal disease (with some exceptions).

If you have Medicare Part C, you must continue paying your Part B premium even if you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. Monthly rates and plan coverage for Medicare Advantage plans vary by the insurance company you choose and your specific plan details.

Medicare Part D eligibility Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs and, like Medicare Part C, is available through private insurers that are approved by Medicare. To be eligible to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP), you must have Medicare Part A and/or Part B and you must live in the service area for the prescription drug plan in which you want to enroll. To be eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage (MAPD), you must have Medicare Part A and Part B, and you must live in the service area for the MAPD plan you’re considering. Source CMS and e-health.

To choose suitable Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Supplement plan contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900.

More articles on Health Insurance

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No cheating: Frenchwoman was world's old- SEVA Clinic hosting Health Promotion Day in October est person, researchers say

P

ARIS, France | AFP | 9/16/2019 - Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died two decades ago aged 122, should retain the title of the oldest person on record, French researchers said Monday, rejecting claims of fraud.

Ageing specialists Jean-Marie Robine and Michel Allard, who declared Calment the longest-lived person in the 1990s, said their review of old and new data confirmed she "remains the oldest human whose age is well-documented".

"Recently the claim that families Calment and Billot (her in-laws) organised a conspiracy concerning tax fraud based on identity fraud between mother and daughter gained international media attention," Robine, Allard and two other researchers wrote in The Journals of Gerontology.

"Here, we reference the original components of the validation as well as additional documentation to address various claims of the conspiracy theory and provide evidence for why these claims are based on inaccurate facts," they wrote.

Calment, who used to joke that God must have forgotten her, died in southern France in 1997, setting a longevity record that has been questioned.

Last December, Russian researchers Valery Novoselov and Nikolay Zak claimed in a report that Calment had actually died in 1934 and that her daughter Yvonne stole her identity to avoid paying inheritance tax.

According to their research, the woman who died in 1997 was Yvonne, not her mother, and at a young 99.

The Russian repoprt was based on biographies, interviews and photos of Jeanne Calment, witness testimony, and public records of the city of Arles where she lived.

Dr. Periyanan Vaduganathan, center, stands with his staff at SEVA Clinic, a medical nonprofit in Pearland providing access to primary and pediatric care for low-income families. (File photo)

S

EVA Clinic is having its Health Promotion Day on October 5th , Saturday from 9.30 am to 12 noon Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died aged 122 in 1997, remains the longestliving person on record, researchers insist. (Photo: AFP/Eric Cabanis) - Meeting Van Gogh The new article insists Calment's identity "has not been usurped", according to a statement from the French research institute INSERM, where Robine works as research director.

The authors cross-checked the original data used to validate the centenarian's identity with newly uncovered documents, to show "there was neither tax fraud nor falsification of Jeanne Calment's identity" the article says.

The team also turned to mathematical modelling to counter arguments that her considerable age was impossible.

In every 10 million centenarians, one can reach the age of 123, they said, "a probability that is certainly small, but that is far from making Ms Calment a statistical impossibility."

"All the documents uncovered con-

The six most common senior health issues

by Vicki Geson

C

ertain conditions or disorders can develop as we age that impact our quality of life. In time, this can effect our ability to live independently.

"There are numerous conditions that our worth monitoring and may require the help of a caregiver so a senior can live a more productive and active life," said Director of Operations Mary O'Connor at the Senior Helpers Northbrook office.

Here are six of the most common health issues: Osteoporosis Bones become weak and brittle and are prone to fractures. This is a common health problem in elderly people. The end result is osteoporosis- one of the most common health problems in elderly people.

Treatments can include medications which slow the breakdown of bone, increasing calcium and Vitamin D consumption, strengthening with weight-bearing exercise and taking measures to reduce falls, which result in fractures.

Hearing impairment As we age, changes often occur

in the middle and inner ear that diminish our hearing. Treatment for age-related hearing loss can include hearing aids, telephone amplifiers or cochlear implants.

Age-related urinary incontinence.

This is typically a combination of the effect aging has on our muscles combined with the anatomic effects of another condition.

They include urge incontinence, stress incontinence, overflow incontinence and functional incontinence.

See a physician to determine which treatment would be best for you.

Treatments could include pelvic floor muscle exercises or medication.

Age-related skin conditions As the skin thins, there is a lack of moisture resulting in dryness, loss of immune ells in the skin decreasing wound healing and a los of elasticity. It is important to manage these problem with regular moisturizing and inspecting the skin for sores.

Age-related macular degeneration This is the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. While it does not lead to complete blindness, it often results in a blurring of the center of our vision,

tradict the Russian thesis," Robine told AFP, as the team demanded a retraction from Zak and Novoselov.

Novoselov, however, insisted Monday that the original work verifying Calment's identity and age "is full of flaws and mistakes", while Zak said he found the new article "weak".

Born on February 21, Calment became the biggest attraction of the southern French city of Arles since Vincent Van Gogh, who spent a year there in 1888.

She said she had met the artist when he came to her uncle's store to buy paints, and remembered him as "ugly as sin" and having an "awful character".

F

ProPublica and Bavarian public television BR reported that some 16 million records were available "unprotected on the internet and available to anyone with basic computer expertise", protected by neither a password nor encryption.

It is unclear how much of the data has now been safely sealed away by

the various hospitals and other health care providers affected in dozens of countries.

"Several thousand patient records were accessible," confirmed Germany's Federal Office for IT Security (BSI), referring only to some 13,000 of the country's citizens affected.

"The patient data could be accessed as the simplest IT security measures, like access control using usernames and passwords, or encryption, were not implemented."

However, the government agency "has no information that patient data were in fact copied for criminal purposes."

As well as scan and radiology data,

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This is the third year doing this public service.

The clinic welcomes everyone, noting that it would especially benefit parents visiting from India or countries abroad.

The clinic will be giving free flu shots that morning and do diabetic screenings with BP, blood check and a

The clinic is located at 2335 N. Texas Avenue, Pearland, TX 77581, in the Pearland Neighborhood Center.

Retirees headed back to college

by Brittany Le Vey

L

ooking for a place to retire?

An increasing number of colleges are hoping older Americans will choose to settle down in sponsored housing on or near their campuses.

Calment used to talk of enjoying chocolate and port and would smoke an occasional cigarette before her health deteriorated.

Throughout recent years, more institutions have been involved in partnerships to develop retirement communities, though the characteristics of each varies, as does its relationship with the college.

INSERM said however that it could not "support any requests for exhumation" of Calment's body, on which no autopsy was performed after her death.

Oftentimes residents at universitybased retirement communities will be allowed to audit classes for free, or granted other tuition-related perks.

In some cases they will also be given

access to campus amenities, assistedliving services, alongside typical retirement community service benefits.

The arrangement often offers proximity and access to state-of-the-art medical and research facilities. And affordability may also be a big selling point.

On the other hand, the communities give students employment opportunities and the ability to find new mentors in their fields of interest.

The college-affiliated senior housing communities have been widely described as synergistic for all parties involved, particularly for schools that Continued on page 23

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Millions of patient medical records freely accesRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany | AFP | 9/17/2019 Millions of records belonging to patients worldwide, including XRays, mammograms and MRI scans, were long freely accessible online without basic security measures, German authorities said Tuesday after a media investigation.

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BR and ProPublica reported at least 187 servers in the US and five in Germany were among the vulnerable computers, although there were similar security gaps in almost 50 countries including Brazil, Turkey and India.

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Gold prices ignore strong rise in U.S. housing construction data

by Niels Christophersen

N

EW YORK, Wednesday, 9/18/2019 - Gold prices remained under pressure, but are seeing little movement after a Commerce Department report showing that U.S. housing starts rose by 12.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.36 million units last month.

Consensus forecasts compiled by most news organizations called for starts to be around 1.25 million to 1.26 million units. The July tally was revised to 1.215 million units.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Department said the tally of building permits – important as an indicator of future construction activity – rose by 7.7% last month to an annualized rate of 1.42 million. Economists were expecting to see a reading around 1.31 million.

Gold has been holding above critical support at $1,500 an ounce as traders wait for the latest Federal Reserve monetary policy decision, which will be released later today. Economic data has had little impact on the yellow metal. December gold futures last

Gold has been holding above critical support at $1,500 an ounce. (File photo) traded at $1,511.6 an ounce, down 0.12% on the day.

According to some economists, the better than expected construction data is welcome news for the housing sector which has struggled for nearly a year.

“Lower interest rates appear to be working to support the US housing

market,” said Katherine Judge, senior economist at CIBC. “Single-family homebuilding appears to be on more solid footing than it was on in Q2, and a further pickup in permits issued for that category bodes well for the homebuilding outlook in the months ahead.”

- Kitco News

US Fed signals rate cut as market jitters cast shadow

by Heather Scott

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Wednesday 9/18/2019 The US Federal Reserve is poised to deliver the year's second interest rate cut on Wednesday but a glitch in critical financial plumbing for the US economy is casting a shadow over the deliberations.

With the second day of the policy meeting underway, the central bank again had to inject funds into the US financial market amid a cash crunch that threatened to push short-term interest rates to break out of the Fed's target range.

US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has sent strong signals in recent weeks that a rate cut is coming, vowing that policymakers stand ready to "act as appropriate" amid "significant risks" to the economy -- notably President Donald Trump's trade wars.

The decision is due at 1800 GMT, but in his press conference following the announcement Powell likely will be asked to explain the moves by the New York Federal Reserve Bank to pump funds to the market for the first time in more than a decade.

The last time was at the start of the 2008 financial crisis.

The New York Fed on Wednesday stepped into markets but unlike the so-called repo operation on Tuesday, when only $53 billion was used of the

$75 billion offered, the latest operation was short of the $80 billion requested.

The aim is to keep the overnight lending rate in the Fed's target range of 2.0 to 2.25 percent.

Liquidity on short-term financing markets began to dry up due to a host of conditions, including a surge in Treasury debt issues from accelerated government borrowing and quarterly corporate tax payments.

Banks can meet the Fed's cash reserve requirements by borrowing, using the repurchase agreements in which short-term loans are collateralized with assets such as Treasury bills or mortgage-backed securities.

Economist Jim O'Sullivan of High Frequency Economics said the cash crunch was "related to the timing of Treasury issuance and quarterly tax payments."

He cautioned that the pressures "are likely to be more frequent as the amount of bank reserves keeps shrinking and Treasury borrowing keeps rising."

As a result, "calls for the Fed to introduce a standing repo facility are likely to increase," O'Sullivan said in an analysis.

- Mixed data The Fed cut the key policy rate in July for the first time in more than a

decade, after four rate hikes last year, as the trade war with China clouded the US outlook and threatened to undermine growth.

But economic data in recent weeks has complicated the picture, showing firming inflation along with rising wages and consumer spending, prompting some to say fears for the world's largest economy may be overdone.

US home construction in August hit a 12-year high, fueling a key driver of economic growth, according to government data released Wednesday.

And the Fed reported Tuesday that US manufacturing, which had been hit hard by Trump's trade wars, had recovered somewhat in August, driving US industrial output up more than economists had expected.

Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics said he is less "dovishly inclined" than many FOMC members, and private economists, but still sees another rate cut later in the year as likely.

But in an analysis he noted "policymakers are as much in the dark as anyone when it comes to future developments in the trade war... they don't know what will happen."

Shepherdson and other economists expect at least two Fed officials to again dissent in the vote to cut the benchmark borrowing rate.

Losing the Apple battle might help win the tech tax war If the European Commission loses its $14 billion case against Apple, calls to overhaul the global tax regime will be difficult to ignore.

Commentary by Alex Webb

A

pple Inc. is squaring up with tech’s European bete noire, Margrethe Vestager, over its historical tax arrangements in Ireland at a court hearing this week. If the iPhone maker wins, Vestager may be able to use the defeat to her benefit.

Back in 2016, EU Competition Commissioner Vestager imposed a 13 billion-euro ($14.4 billion) bill on Apple for unpaid taxes in Ireland, alleging illegal state aid. That case has now reached the EU General Court in Luxembourg. The losing side will be able to appeal one level higher to the European Court of Justice.

Though a ruling will still take some months, either outcome could potentially play into Vestager’s hands. If the court decides in her favor, then all well and good: Apple has already placed the funds in escrow, Ireland enjoys a nice boost to its coffers and her efforts to end so-called sweetheart tax deals are rubberstamped.

If the court concludes that the arrangement was in fact above board, of course it would prove a blow to the Commission’s ability to use state aid rules to punish countries using tax breaks to prop up certain industries.

But if Ireland is able to get away with taxing Apple at such a tiny rate – the Commission says it was as low as 0.005% - then the question becomes: How was this permissible under the global tax system?

It could prove a useful political tool for Vestager, who in her new mandate as executive vice president in charge of digital policy will also be responsible for European efforts to change the way technology firms are taxed. It may also help pile pressure on the G-20 to finally agree an overhaul of global tax rules.

Moves to change the tax framework are reaching a climax. Back in 2013, the G-20 tasked the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) with developing a solution to the problem known as base erosion and profit shifting, where companies are able to book profits in countries with more favorable tax regimes.

The aim was to come up with a common framework that plugged some tax loopholes. The EU has already made some progress to tackle profit shifting by multinational corporations. But G-20 finance ministers will once again consider a more comprehensive multilateral plan when they meet on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings next month in Washington, D.C. The hope is that the proposals will then be formally adopted by the G-20 at its meeting in Riyadh next year.

The bone of contention now is essentially over whether to tax revenue or profit. Traditionally, taxes have been levied on profit, but the nature of digital services means companies can more readily shift around where exactly that profit is booked. Take Facebook Inc., for instance. Is the value being generat-

ed in the country where a user clicks on an ad? Or is it in Menlo Park, California, where Facebook has its headquarters and where an engineer might have written the code to serve up that ad?

In the absence of a broader agreement to combat profit shifting, the U.K. and France are pushing for digital taxes that would target the former, while the U.S. errs in favor of the latter – understandably, since that boosts its own tax revenue. The existing approach has made it easier to claim residency in lower tax regimes such as Ireland. Efforts to come up with a comprehensive European solution to take on the tech giants have so far failed, prompting France and the U.K. to advance with their own taxes on digital companies’ revenue.

The OECD is looking favorably on measures that assess whether a firm has a significant economic presence in a country – a combination of its footprint and sales. It’s also likely to take into account factors such as local user contribution (for example, videos uploaded) and where the product was developed.

If the OECD’s proposals aren’t adopted by the G-20, then Vestager has to find a way of convincing European member states to agree on a solution. Countries like Sweden and Luxembourg have so far stood in the way of a consensus.

Whether at the G-20 or EU level, a victory for Apple would serve as the primary example of why tax reform is needed.

- Bloomberg

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

Tel: 713-774-5140

Asian markets mixed ahead of key Fed meeting, oil drops again

H

ONG KONG, China | AFP | Wednesday 9/17/2019 Asian equities were mixed Wednesday, with attention turning to the Federal Reserve's key policy decision later in the day, while investors remain on alert for developments in the Middle East after the attack on Saudi oil facilities rocked markets.

with Asian markets struggling for traction.

News that Riyadh will get its two major installations back online earlier than expected sent crude prices tumbling Tuesday, and they fell further in Asia, though analysts said there was nervousness on trading floors about oil security in the future.

Seoul added 0.4 percent and Taipei rose 0.3 percent but Sydney slipped 0.2 percent and Singapore fell 0.1 percent, while Wellington and Manila were also down.

With fears of a military retaliation against Iran -- who are accused of being behind the strikes -- low for now, focus is now on the Fed, which is expected to cut interest rates while its post-meeting statement will be closely followed for clues about future plans.

Global markets have spent most of this month rising on bets that central banks, led by the Fed, will move to a softer monetary policy to offset a slowdown in most economies exacerbated by the China-US trade war.

"A rate cut of 25 basis points is universally regarded as a done deal by global markets," said OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley.

"What will be closely watched is the press conference 30 minutes later, where we will gain more clarity as to whether the Fed has moved to an explicit easing bias.

"The likelihood of a shift from neutral to easing will be high as the (policy board) will not be able to ignore the storm cloud around the rest of the world that must eventually start raining on the United States."

Oxford Economics estimates the Fed will cut three more times this year, which would erase all its 2018 rate hikes.

The Fed has been forced to pump more than $100 billion into US financial markets owing to a tightening of liquidity that had seen short-term lending rates spike for companies.

- Eyes on Pompeo Equity traders shifted cautiously

Hong Kong edged up 0.1 percent after two days of steep losses that have been made worse by worries about long-running protests in the city.

Shanghai was 0.4 percent higher and Tokyo ended the morning 0.1 percent higher.

Dealers are being given some optimism by the fact the US and China are about to restart trade negotiations next month, with a delegation from Beijing reportedly visiting Washington this week for preparatory talks.

However, there are fresh worries about the impact on the already stuttering world economy from the Saudi oil attacks on Saturday.

While the resumption of output from the world's biggest exporter provided some much-needed relief, observers said long-term energy security is now a concern.

"Restoring production may placate global investors' immediate economic concerns, but that's only half the problem as the attacks exposed some significant vulnerabilities," said Stephen Innes at AxiTrader.

"None more so than just how inadequately prepared the markets are for disruptions of this magnitude which suggest that the supply risk premium could stick around well after production is restored."

Eyes are on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who departed for Saudi Arabia Tuesday to discuss possible retaliation, while Vice President Mike Pence said: "As the president said, we don't want war with anybody but the United States is prepared."

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the White House has concluded the attack -claimed by Huthi rebels in Yemen -involved cruise missiles from Iran and that evidence would be presented at the UN General Assembly next week.

Tide turns against vaping as India bans sales, China sites pull Juul

I

ndia became the latest country to ban electronic cigarettes only days after Juul Labs Inc.’s products vanished from online Chinese marketplaces, signaling that Asian nations may be no refuge for the industry from an escalating crackdown in the U.S. The Narendra Modi-led government announced an executive order Wednesday banning the sale and production of all e-cigarettes, echoing growing concerns worldwide over health risks associated with the smokeless nicotine devices popular with teenagers.

Juul only started selling its nicotine

vaporizers online in China last week.

Its official online stores disappeared on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Tmall and JD.com Inc. by Tuesday, prompting speculation that official action may be on the way.

Juul wasn’t given a reason for why its products were pulled, according to a person familiar with the matter, but said in a statement it wants to make them available again.

It isn’t clear if China plans to ban or enforce stricter scrutiny of e-cigarettes or vaping devices. The country’s National Health Commission has announced it was devising legislation for such products.

- Bloomberg

Retirees headed back to college...

Continued from page 22 stand to benefit economically.

“Having a retirement community on or near campus also affects the bottom line,” Andrew Pentis of Student Loan Hero told FOX Business. “After all, schools are businesses at the end of the day, and seniors represent a new base of customers. They contribute to the micro economy on campus, spending money on school goods and services, paying local taxes and increasing the school's enrollment figures. They could also serve useful volunteering roles on campus.”

Older residents are typically encouraged to attend sporting events and student performances.

Further, growth in college endowments has slowed – to 8 percent in 2018, from 12 percent the year prior.

Colleges are also enrolling fewer students as overall costs are rising.

Where alumni are concerned, ties are particularly valuable as it can extend the length and value of a relationship from a planned giving or donation perspective.

Among the colleges that have these sorts of arrangements – which tend to be reserved for individuals aged 60 and over – are Dartmouth, Cornell, Denison, Oberlin, Purchase University, among many others.

Arizona State University is building a community, called the Mirabella

ASU, which boasts floor plans that range in size from 751 square feet to nearly 2,700 square feet. A spokesperson for the university told FOX Business the price range is $300,000 to $1 million for penthouse units. The oncampus facility will offer amenities that resemble a hotel, including dining, laundry, housekeeping, a fitness center and valet service. Residents also have the option to enroll in more than 450 courses.

Other schools are also looking into the possibility.

A spokesperson for the University of Pennsylvania confirmed to FOX Business that it is exploring the option of creating a proximate retirement community, though she added no definitive plans have been made.

Colleen Mallon, the chief marketing officer at the Kendal Corporation – which has helped colleges develop these communities – told FOX Business that the practice actually dates back to the early 1990s, though it is “really starting to take off.”

“The impetus for these communities started with faculty members who were at those universities who started thinking about their retirement years,” Mallon said.

Kendal is currently working the two other colleges interested in creating communities of their own, though they have not yet made their plans public.

- Fox Business

VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

Home&Real Estate BIllionaire with presiden- Austin is getting a village of 3d-printed affordable tial connections shows homes—and they look incredible supreme faith in Houston’s A year ago, ICON proved it could 3D print a home you’d actually want to live in. Now, it’s building a cluster of 3D-printed homes for the homeless. young real estate tycoon A

by Duncan Nielsen

t 500 square feet, ICON’s stylish new structure was 3Dprinted over the course of several days—but it only took 27 hours of labor to construct.

by Chris Baldwin

T

he Cartier of real estate companies is coming to Houston, betting big on a 38-year-old wunderkind.

And the Bayou City itself.

For all the noise created over celebrity-loved real estate power Douglas Elliman arriving in Houston thanks to its first-ever joint venture with Jacob Sudhoff’s Sudhoff Companies one important truth’s largely been missed. What a show of confidence it is in Houston’s luxury real estate scene.

Houston now joins New York, Los Angeles and Miami as Douglas Elliman epicenters.

“They did not want to go into Dallas,” Jacob Sudhoff tells PaperCity. “They did not want to go into Austin. They wanted Houston.

“Houston has arrived in relation to the other major markets.”

Billionaire Howard Lorber, the executive chairman of Douglas Elliman, brings a wealth of connections to the Houston market. Something Jacob Sudhoff found out about firsthand when he called Lorber one afternoon in the midst of the long deal making process.

Lorber picked up — even though he happened to be with President Donald Trump at the time.

“Howard goes, ‘I’m with the president in the White House.

Mind if I call you back? I’m like, ‘Sure Howard,’ ” Sudhoff recalls.

Sudhoff laughs.

“I’ve never met anyone more connected than him,” Sudhoff says of Lorber. “And I’ve met a lot of people.”

Sudhoff looks forward to tapping into those relationships — and Douglas Elliman’s unparalleled technology and analytics tools. In many ways, Douglas Elliman is like the early days Oakland A’s of Billy Bean (and Moneyball fame) when it comes to utilizing analytics in real estate. Even if they’re more Goliath than scrappy underdog.

“Their research technology and research analytics are so far ahead,” Sudhoff says.

“They’re at another level when it comes to taking advantage of the data.”

Sudhoff’s already been blown away by the software now available to him. This includes some proprietary programs he did not even know existed before.

“We have better information,” he says. “And that’s going to be a great advantage for our clients.”

Douglas Elliman is probably best known for its splashy listings, celebrity clients and headline-grabbing agents. But Sudhoff is most wowed by the

substance behind it all. The tech. The connections. The drive from the very top.

Making this joint venture come together was an 18 month process, one that saw Jacob Sudhoff and Howard Lorber spend a lot of time talking about things. The 70-year-old Lorber and the 38-year-old Sudhoff found they shared many of the same real estate principles.

“One of the first things Howard asked me is, “What is your primary business? Resale or new development,’ ” Sudhoff says. “When I said new development, he said, ‘Good.’ ” Douglas Elliman specializes in the latest and greatest. By partnering with Sudhoff, they get that immediately. The largest real estate brokerage firm in New York jumps right into some of Houston’s most highprofile new buildings, including Giorgetti Houston, The River Oaks high-rise, The Sophie and The Revere.

The building will serve as a welcome center at Austin’s new Community First! Village—a 51-acre development that will provide affordable housing to men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. Six new 3D-printed homes will be added to the village by the end of this year— and ICON says that they can be built at significantly less cost than conventional homes.

"ICON is pushing the envelope and is technologically laying out a new way of looking at how we build homes," says Alan Graham, founder and CEO of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, the nonprofit behind the Community First! Village.

Garaham’s hope is that ICON will be able to print an entire neighborhood capable of hous-

The 3D-printed welcome center in the Community First! Village in Austin, Texas, was constructed in a total of 27 hours. It’s an example of the kinds of homes ICON will soon print for the housing development. (Photos: Dwell.com) space to call home.

Industry West—whose clients include chic restaurants and hotels—knows the healing power and impact of a thoughtful space. "This worldview of giving back is why we often work with nonprofits to provide free or discounted furnishings," says Anne England, who cofounded the company with her husband, Jordan.

Their touch is personal, as they hand select the company’s inventory.

Douglas Elliman — and Waiting for the Right Deal A number of Houston real estate firms reached out to Douglas Elliman over the years, seeking some type of arrangement. Lorber was not interested — until he found the right ally.

While Jacob Sudhoff gushes about Lorber’s connections and business sense, there is obviously plenty of respect for Sudhoff on the billionaire’s side as well. Douglas Elliman does not typically do partnerships.

Lorber wants to own and control what his firm takes on.

But in Houston, with Sudhoff Companies, it is a true joint venture.

“I think Howard and I really built a relationship,” Jacob Sudhoff tells PaperCity.

Sudhoff becomes the CEO of Douglas Elliman Texas — and his business partner Catherine Lee will also have an important role in the new company.

The move comes with plenty of business perks.

Like the fact that Douglas Elliman has established relationships with architecture firms such as SHoP Architects — the prominent New Yorkbased firm that happens to be designing the Ion, Houston’s new Midtown tech hub. Now, SHoP will be doing a new Sudhoff building (as it becomes a Douglas Elliman Texas building) as well.

“Nobody else does that,” Sudhoff says. “They have access to architects that others simply don’t have.”

To Sudhoff, who only started his company in 2010, this does not represent a meteoric rise as much as it does an exhilarating evolution. He has been building toward something like this.

He always wanted to do even more.

Douglas Elliman now boasts

Home goods company Industry West and interior designer Claire Zinnecker collaborated to elevate the welcome center’s already beautiful design. ing roughly 40% of Austin’s homeless population.

The welcome center makes 3D-printed living look good— real good. Designed by Logan Architecture, the welcome center features black, white, and natural wood finishes that provide the perfect backdrop for home goods company Industry West and interior designer Claire Zinnecker to make the model pop. The team pushed what was once a concept for future building into not just a livable—but also desirable—

more than 120 offices and more than 7,000 sales associates throughout the United States.

Houston immediately becomes one of its most interesting markets.

Part of the Bayou City’s draw came in how Lorber kept noticing that a disproportionate number of buyers of the spectacular homes Douglas Elliman sold in places like California, Denver and Miami were Houstonians.

“Most Houstonians will always keep a home in Houston even if they buy another home,” Sudhoff says. “The difference is their second home usually costs more than their main Texas home.”

- Paper City

5400SqFt PRIME SPACE AVAILABLE FOR LEASE - Whole or Part A Brand New Multi-Purpose Facility for Shopping Center, Day Care Facility, Grocery Store, Restaurant, and for Anything You Can Dream About!

Most Convenient Location opposite to Dulles High School at Dulles Ave.

E-Contact: 832-860-0371 or 405-602-9794 Email: Nairplaza525@gmail.com

The Community First! Village is the only development in the nation addressing homelessness with advanced print-

ing technology—but that could soon change. ICON’s cofounder and CEO Jason Ballard says, "I think anyone who sees [the welcome center] will feel like this is a future they can get behind."

The housing project is a glove-like fit for ICON, as it gave them an opportunity to flex their muscle. But this is just one application for a technology that could make a significant dent in the affordable housing market at large—the company is also working on a 3D-printed village in Latin America.

- Dwell.com

ART & CULTURE

VOICE OF ASIA 25

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

JLF Houston Returns for Second Festival at Asia Society

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian Ambassador to US addressing the gathering.

Photos provided by Asia Society Texas.

H

OUSTON, September 17, 2019 — Following last year's debut, JLF Houston returned to Asia Society Texas Center for two days of speakers, music, and thoughtprovoking panels.

A partnership of Teamwork Arts, Asia Society Texas Center, Inprint, and the Consulate General of India in Houston, the festival featured a roster of local writers and internationally recognized authors, including Bapsi Sidhwa, Lawrence Wright, Manisha Koirala, and William Dalrymple, with topics ranging from the medical industry to Texas culture to poetry.

superstars including Amish Tripathy, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi, and Vikram Seth.

An annual event that goes beyond literature, the Festival has also hosted Amartya Sen, Amitabh Bachchan, the late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey,

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Mira Jacob in conversation with Ussama Makdisi

Founded in 2006 in the Indian city of Jaipur, the ZEEJaipur Literature Festival has hosted nearly 2,000 speakers in more than 40 cities globally in the past decade to fulfill its mission to serve as a beacon of free speech around the world. Other U.S. host cities include New York and Boulder, Colorado.

About the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2019 Described as the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’, the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival is a sumptuous feast of ideas. The past decade has seen it transform into a global literary phenomenon having hosted nearly 2000 speakers and welcoming over a million book lovers from across India and the globe. The Festival’s core values remain unchanged; to serve as a democratic, non-aligned platform offering free and fair access.

Every year, the Festival brings together a diverse mix of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers on one stage to champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue. Writers and Festival Directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple alongside producers Teamwork Arts invite speakers to take part in the five-day program set against the backdrop of Rajasthan’s stunning cultural heritage and the Diggi Palace in the state capital Jaipur. Past speakers have ranged from Nobel Laureates J.M. Coetzee, Orhan Pamuk and Muhammad Yunus, Man Booker Prize winners Ben Okri, Margaret Atwood and Paul Beatty, Sahitya Akademi winners Girish Karnad, Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, as well as the late Mahasweta Devi and U.R. Ananthamurthy, along with literary

Bapsi Sidhwa, novelist delivering her keynote address

Dr. Anupam Ray, Consul General of India in Houston, delivering his address.

Stephen Fry, Thomas Piketty and former president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. The ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival is a flagship event of Teamwork Arts, which produces it along with over 25 highly acclaimed performing arts, visual arts and literary festivals

across more than 40 cities globally.

Over the years, Teamwork Arts has produced ZEE JLF at The British Library, Boulder, Houston, New York, Adelaide, and coming up in 2019 in Belfast and Toronto.

Gus Van Sant, filmmaker and painter, shows his watercolors in New York

Manisha Koirala in conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy is Managing Director of Teamwork Arts.

About Asia Society Texas Center With 14 locations throughout the world, Asia Society is the leading educational organization promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, lead-

ers, and institutions of Asia and the rest of the world. Asia Society Texas Center executes the global mission with a local focus, enriching and engaging the vast diversity of Houston through innovative, relevant programs in arts and culture, business and policy, education, and community outreach.

U2 announce first ever India concert

N

EW YORK | AFP | Wednesday 9/18/2019 - Renowned filmmaker Gus Van Sant has worked in cinema for more than four decades, but has never set aside his parallel interest in painting, a passion of his youth.

Nine recent canvases by the director known for films such as "Elephant," "My Own Private Idaho" and "Good Will Hunting" are now on show at the Vito Schnabel gallery in Greenwich Village until November 1, Van Sant's first solo exhibition in New York.

These watercolors on linen measuring 6.5 feet (two meters) high are almost all untitled and find a main character of sorts in a sketch of a nude man, who appears to float amid a dreamlike landscape with blending colors, waves of cars and at times one of Los Angeles' most known monuments, Griffith Observatory.

d'Or winner, but sometimes find a common thread.

"I think of filmmaking as somewhat story oriented with dramatic tension whereas painting has more visual, contextual, and compositional tension," he said.

A resident of Los Angeles since the end of the 1970s, Vant Sant said he drew inspiration from "years of living within a small distance to Hollywood Boulevard."

His multidisciplinary tastes and love of painting are well known: in 2016, the French Cinematheque put on a retrospective of his work, showing his canvases as well as photography.

"The images are meant to convey the transgressive emotions and activity found there. There are also moments of reflection, moments of desperation, hope, curiosity, and sometimes madness," he told AFP in an email.

And in 2011, he and actor James Franco organized a show in Los Angeles of their respective works.

Painting and filmmaking are "for the most part separate," said the Palme

The majority of the nine canvases on display in New York are already spoken for, said Cy Schnabel, brother of the gallerist Vito, without specifying by whom.

U2 bassist Adam Clayton says he is 'looking forward to bringing a dash of Dublin to Mumbai'

N

EW DELHI, India | AFP | Wednesday 9/18/2019 - Irish rockers U2 have announced they are to play their first ever concert in India, wrapping up the band's Joshua Tree Tour 2019 in the coastal megacity of Mumbai on December 15.

India has in recent years seen an increase in big international acts touring there, with Beyonce, Shakira, Coldplay, Demi Lovato and Bryan Adams playing to packed venues.

Bassist Adam Clayton said he was "looking forward to bringing a dash of Dublin to Mumbai" while frontman

Bono evoked India and Ireland's common struggles for independence from Britain.

"We have the same colours in the flag, our tiny little nation. Mahatma Gandhi commented on the struggle for Irish independence and warned against the violent struggle," Bono told Rolling Stone India.

"And our prime minister, he's a physician -- he's trained in Mumbai, his father's from Mumbai," Bono said, referring to Irish premier Leo Varadkar whose father is Indian.

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin, formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's effects-based guitar textures.

The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 kicks off in Auckland November 8th.

ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 26

Meaty issue: Mock pork edges onto Southeast Asian plates

by Joe Freeman

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

Chinese national pleads guilty to running 'birth tourism' scheme in US

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ANGKOK, Thailand | AFP | Wednesday 9/17/2019 - A sprinkle of chili, some pinkish "pork" and a few basil leaves tossed into a sizzling wok -- chef Songpol swears his vegan version of punchy Thai favourite pad kra phao is a match for the original, as plant-based protein creeps onto Southeast Asia's meat-heavy menus.

"It has the texture, the flavour (of pork). The rest is about technique," he said in the bustling kitchen at the Bangkok You & Mee restaurant.

But he concedes some diners remain to be convinced of the merits of fiddling with old recipes in a country ferociously proud of its cuisine.

"They do not expect plant-based items to be cooked with Thai dishes," he added.

A 2018 survey from market research firm Mintel found over half of urban Thai consumers say they plan to reduce their meat intake

L

Global food producers are racing to dominate the "alt-protein" sector, an industry Barclay's bank estimates could be worth $140 billion in a decade, as environmental, ethical and health concerns drive a plant-based boom.

Shares of beef-less burger maker Beyond Meat soared from their initial pricing of $25 to over $65 on the first day of trading on Wall Street in May, whetting the appetites of both investors and consumers who shun animal products.

Burger King already sells the beeffree "Impossible Whopper" in many US locations, KFC has trialled vegan nuggets and wings, while plant-based milk, cheese and even seafood are proliferating.

Kindergarten teacher Diane Piroon tries a vegetarian version of yam woon sen, a spicy glass noodle salad made with a meat substitute, at a restaurant in Bangkok (AFP Photo/Romeo Gacad)

But while the trend nibbles at the US' gargantuan meat industry, alt-protein protagonists are also eyeing new frontiers including in Asia where millions are nourished on meat and fishheavy diets.

In the US the plant-based sector makes up less than one percent of the conventional meat industry.

Pork in particular is ever-present in rice dishes and noodle bowls across the region.

Asia poses similar challenges, from ubiquitous meat use to higher prices of protein substitutes.

Chef Songpol's pad kra phao is made with new brand Omnimeat, a pork imitation of peas, shiitake mushrooms, rice and soy from Hong Kong-based firm Green Monday.

The pad kra phao at You & Mee costs about $8, four times more than a diner might pay on a Bangkok street.

"It is designed with Asian food in mind," said CEO David Yeung.

After Singapore -- where the brand launched in restaurants late last year -- Buddhist-majority Thailand has become a major Southeast Asian test bed for the mock pork.

But changing Asian palates and culinary habits "is extremely difficult", concedes Yeung.

- 'Thais love their meat' -

Critics also say that many new plantbased products are still processed and therefore not as healthy as advertised.

But a 2018 survey from market research firm Mintel found over half of urban Thai consumers say they plan to reduce their meat intake.

In step, companies across the region are "starting to move into this area and attracting more serious investments", according to Michelle Teodoro, a food science and nutrition analyst at Mintel.

From Japan to the Philippines, firms

are snapping up alt-protein producers in deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars -- while Singapore's stateowned Temasek Holdings recently invested in Perfect Day Foods, which makes cow-less ice cream.

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Muslims make up Thailand's second largest religious group, with the majority residing in its three southernmost states, which since 2004 have been in the grip of a conflict between Malay-Muslim separatist rebels and Thai authorities.

Rights groups have long accused the state of heavy-handed sweeps of the majority Malay-Muslim population in that region -- which is under martial law.

Last week the Special Branch Bureau issued a nationwide order to universities to provide "intelligence" on Muslim students and their activities in school, police spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen told AFP Tuesday, citing "security" concerns.

The news sparked immediate outrage from the community, and the Muslim Students Federation of Thailand on Wednesday called for parliament to "cancel" the request.

The Special Branch's order "is also a form of discrimination that breaches the constitution," president Ashraf Awae said, speaking outside parliament.

Such "groundless accusations... could create divisions among the Muslim students and others in the university and society," he said.

He added the federation had already heard of police requesting information on Muslim student groups from at least three major universities.

Junta chief-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha on Tuesday defended the Special Branch, and denied creating a "database" would be a violation of people's rights.

"We can't arrest anyone if they don't do anything wrong," he told reporters.

Prayut's backing shows an "alarming trend of growing Islamophobia in Thailand", said Human Rights Watch's Sunai Phasuk.

"This is state-sanctioned discrimination," he told AFP, adding that the Thai constitution explicitly prohibits discrimination towards different religions and ethnic groups.

OS ANGELES | AFP | Tuesday 9/17/2019 - A Chinese national pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal charges of running a "birth tourism" scheme in California that catered to wealthy Chinese clients, including government officials, who paid large sums of money so their children would be US citizens.

were coached on how to bypass US immigration control and conceal their pregnancies.

Dongyuan Li, 41, admitted in her plea agreement that between 2013 and March 2015, her company -- called "You Win USA Vacation Services -assisted mainly Chinese foreign nationals who were pregnant to travel to the US and give birth.

They were then told to take a flight to Los Angeles.

The company website advertised that it had catered to more than 500 Chinese birth tourism customers who, according to officials, were housed in 20 apartments in Irvine, south of Los Angeles.

Authorities say Li charged between $40,000 and $80,000 for her services and over two years amassed $3 million in wire transfers from China.

According to a series of indictments filed earlier this year against Li and 19 other defendants in relation to the "birth tourism" scheme, customers

Li admitted that her customers were advised to book two flights -- the first from China to Hawaii, where the women were told to list the Trump International Hotel in Honolulu as their destination.

As part of her plea deal, Li agreed to forfeit more than $850,000, a residence worth more than $500,000 and several Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

She faces up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing on December 16.

Thousands of pregnant women from various countries enter the United States every year on valid visas to give birth to children who automatically gain US citizenship.

The practice is legal as long as the mother does not lie on the visa application and can pay for medical care.

The Trump administration has lashed out at the practice and floated the idea of revoking birthright citizenship.

At some restaurants in the Vietnamese capital a popular stew of snails and pork now uses soya beans to replace the animal protein, while diners can also chow down on sweet and sour "ribs", made from potato flour and bean paste.

Hong Kong race meeting cancelled over protest fears

But the jury is out on whether a critical mass of Southeast Asians will convert from meat.

ONG KONG, China | AFP | Wednesday 9/18/2019 Gambling-mad Hong Kong has cancelled a horse racing event just hours before its start over fears antigovernment protesters might disrupt a race featuring a mount part-owned by a controversial pro-Beijing lawmaker.

One evening Thai kindergarten teacher Diane Piroon tried the meatless pad kra phao in Bangkok.

It "tastes like pork," she said, before dropping in a caveat: "Thais love their meat... the challenge is getting them to change what they grew up with."

Thai police order for intel on Muslim students sparks outrage ANGKOK, Thailand | AFP | Wednesday 9/18/2019 - A Thai Muslim student group Wednesday called for police to drop an order requesting universities to provide "intelligence" on Muslim students and their activities in the Buddhist-majority state.

File picture of a woman pushing a child in a stroller, adorned with colours of the US national flag, along a street in Shanghai (AFP Photo/Johannes Eisele)

"It could feed into radicalisation of Muslims in the deep south and worsen the conflict," Sunai said.

The ex-general had masterminded a coup in 2014, leading a five-year junta regime before elections in March formally installed him as a civilian premier thanks to a new constitution tilted to the military.

Under Prayut's tenure as junta head, police had rounded up at least 50 Thai Muslims, mostly university students, in a dragnet operation in October 2016 that authorities justified was necessary to stop a suspected car bomb plot.

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Frequently violent demonstrations featuring hundreds of thousands of protesters have raged in Hong Kong for more than three months, but this is the first time officials have cancelled a race meeting because of their action.

Massive income from around 80 race days per year has made the Hong Kong Jockey Club the city's largest taxpayer, swelling government coffers by more than HK$10 billion annually.

The club also donates millions to charities and has been responsible for building schools, hospitals and parks.

The first race at Wednesday night's meeting at the famed Happy Valley track in the heart of the city was to feature a horse named Hong Kong Bet, partly owned by lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu.

Ho has been highly critical of the anti-government movement and sparked outrage when he was filmed cosying up to alleged triad gangsters who beat up protesters in a pro-Beijing village near the China border.

A Jockey Club spokesman said the meeting was being scratched to "preserve the security and safety of people and horses", adding it was the first cancellation for any reason other than weather since Hong Kong's handover from British rule to China in 1997.

"Our concerns are tied to potential social unrest in the vicinity tonight, the very real threat of a disturbance or possible violence," said a statement from the club.

Racing was introduced to the former British colony in the 19th century and survived Hong Kong's handover to China -- even though gambling is officially banned on the mainland.

The non-profit Hong Kong Jockey Club is the only legal betting outfit in the city and runs two racecourses, as well as dozens of off-site betting shops, under a government licence.

Earlier Wednesday, users of the Reddit-like forum LIHKG and message app Telegram called for "support" for Ho's horse.

Ho, frequently outspoken on social media platforms, has so far not commented on the scrapped meeting.

Authorities have already announced the cancellation of a fireworks display to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of China on October 1 for "public safety" reasons.

Japan raids stores over school Indonesia's toxic haze affect- uniform cartel ing Borneo's orangutans T

J

AKARTA, Indonesia | AFP | Tuesday 9/17/2019 - Massive forest fires in Indonesia that have caused a toxic haze to spread as far as Singapore and peninsular Malaysia are also seriously affecting endangered orangutans and their habitat, a rescue foundation said Tuesday.

in its care at rescue centres and wildlife re-introduction shelters.

Jakarta has deployed thousands of troops as temporary fireman and deployed dozens of water-bombing aircraft to battle blazes that are turning pristine forest into charred landscape in Sumatra and Borneo islands.

"As many as 37 young orangutans are suspected to have contracted a mild respiratory infection," it added.

The fires -- usually started by illegal burning to clear land for farming -have unleashed a choking haze across parts of southeast Asia.

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation said Tuesday that the haze was affecting hundreds of great apes

"The thick smoke does not only endanger the health of our staff... but also it affects the 355 orangutans we currently care for", the foundation said in a statement, referring to just once cetre in Kalimantan

Conditions were so bad at their Samboja Lestari facility in East Kalimantan that outdoor activities for the animals had been restricted to a few hours a day.

Orangutans have been particularly vulnerable to commercial land clearances and have seen their natural habitat shrink dramatically in the last few decades.

OKYO, Japan | AFP | Wednesday 9/18/2019 - The cost of school uniforms weighs heavily on many a parent's budget, and in Japan authorities have got involved, raiding one of the country's biggest department stores on suspicion of price collusion.

Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores and its subsidiary were raided Wednesday by the Japan Fair Trade Commission, according to the firms' parent J. Front Retailing.

"We take this situation very seriously and will fully cooperate with the inspection," J. Front Retailing said in a brief statement.

The department store chain, along with several other local vendors, is suspected of colluding to keep prices high for uniforms for five public high schools in Aichi region in central Japan.

School uniforms in Japan are often

sold through a handful of specific vendors designated by schools.

Uniforms are usually more expensive than regular clothes, costing around 30,000 to 35,000 yen ($280 to $320) for a set.

Wednesday's raid is the latest in a series of occasional anti-trust cases launched in connection with Japan's vast and tradition-bound uniform industry.

Many Japanese schools have their own unique uniforms, as do many workers, including police officers, garbage collectors, train drivers and employees at the country's ubiquitous convenience stores.

Investigators had in recent years uncovered price collusion in connection with uniforms for an airline, a cellphone vendor, and a railway.

The Fair Trade Commission declined to discuss details of the case.

US/WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 27

FRIDAY, September 20, 2019

230 Indian-American Taliban kill at least 48 in organisations urge bloody day Congressman RO Khanna to withdraw K from Pakistan Cau-to Khanna, 42, became the first Indian-American have joined the Congressional Pakistan Caucus last ABUL, Afghanistan | AFP | Tuesday 9/17/2019 - Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 48 people and wounded dozens more in two blasts Tuesday -- one at a campaign rally for the president and the other in Kabul -- with the insurgents warning of more violence ahead of elections.

month.

W

ASHINGTON: PTI | Sep 17, 2019 - A record number of 230 Indian-American organisations in the US have urged Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna to withdraw from the Congressional Caucus on Pakistan, saying it was contrary to both American principles and India's geo-strategic interests.

Khanna, 42, became the first IndianAmerican to have joined the Congressional Pakistan Caucus last month.

He is also the member Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, which is the largest countryspecific caucus in the House of Representatives.

In a letter submitted to the IndianAmerican lawmaker on Monday, Hindu and Indian-American organisations, professional associations and community leaders urged Khanna to withdraw from the Congressional Pakistan Caucus.

A copy of the letter was released by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF).

“As a leading member of the House India Caucus, Foreign Affairs Committee, and a champion of human rights, we are deeply troubled that you joined the Congressional Pakistan Caucus,” the letter stated.

tians, Shia and Ahmadiyya Muslims, they said.

“We believe that your membership in this Caucus is contrary to both American principles and our geostrategic interests in the Indian Subcontinent and the broader South Asian region,” the letter said.

“Accordingly, we urge you to withdraw from the Congressional Pakistan Caucus. We further urge you to write directly to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and meet with (Pakistan) Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan to address Pakistan's ongoing use of terrorism to destabilise the region and its rampant and severe human rights violations,” it said.

The letter further raises concerns with Congressman's recent tweet on Hindutva and asked him to issue a clarification on the matter.

Khanna, in a tweet last month, said that "it is the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist and Christians", triggering divisive views among the Indian-American community.

The letter alleged that Pakistan continues to utilise the terror assets to attack US interests in Afghanistan and wage a proxy war against India.

The community members also urged Khanna to make a formal statement for the Congressional record, highlighting the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits, who were driven out from their homes by Pakistan-sponsored terror campaign three decades ago.

Pakistan has shown a complete and utter disregard for human rights and religious freedom and was recently labelled as a Country of Particular Concern by the US State Department for its “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom” against Hindus, Sikhs, Chris-

The members said that they looked forward to Khanna following through on the assurances he made on Sunday about working to address the suffering of both Indian and Pakistani religious minorities at the hands of the Pakistan government.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg meets with Obama

The first attack saw a motorcyclist detonate a suicide bomb at a checkpoint leading to a rally where President Ashraf Ghani was addressing supporters in Parwan province, just north of the capital, killing 26 and wounding 42.

Just over an hour later, another blast also claimed by the Taliban rocked central Kabul near the US embassy.

Authorities initially did not give casualty figures, but later said 22 people had been killed and a further 38 wounded.

The explosions came after US President Donald Trump, objecting to a previous deadly Taliban blast, abruptly ended talks with the Islamist extremists earlier this month over a deal that would have allowed the US to begin withdrawing troops from its longest war.

In a statement sent to media claiming responsibility for both of Tuesday's blasts, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack near Ghani's rally was deliberately aimed at disrupting the September 28 ballot.

"We already warned people not to attend election rallies. If they suffer any losses that is their own responsibility," the statement said.

At the scene near Ghani's rally, roughly an hour's drive north of Kabul, the remains of a burnt motorcycle, with a body on top, were covered by a blanket, next to a badly damaged police car.

Women and children were among the casualties, Parwan hospital director Abdul Qasim Sangin told AFP. The president was unhurt. He later condemned the attack, saying the incident proved the Taliban had no real interest in reconciliation.

"As the Taliban continue their crimes, they once again prove that

A

Speaking at an international energy forum in Abu Dhabi where he was the star of the show just a day after being appointed by his father King Salman, the new minister deflected concerns over the health of the energy sector.

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 9/17/2019 Barack Obama met with teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg in Washington, the former US president said Tuesday.

Thunberg said during the meeting.

Obama announced the Monday meeting via Twitter, hailing the 16-year-old as "one of our planet's greatest advocates."

"Recognizing that her generation will bear the brunt of climate change, she's unafraid to push for real action," Obama wrote on Twitter.

The Obama Foundation released a video of the former president's meeting with Thunberg -- who is visiting the United States after crossing the Atlantic in an emissions-free boat.

"No one is too small to have an impact and change the world, so just do everything you can. Be creative,"

"You and me, we're a team," said Obama, before asking the young activist if she believed in fist bumping, to which she responded in the affirmative.

On Friday, Thunberg took part in a climate demonstration in front of the White House in Washington, and on September 20 will participate in a "global climate strike" in New York along with other protests around the world.

Trump loyalist senator: attack on Saudi an 'act of war'

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Wednesday 9/17/2019 Several US lawmakers urged caution Tuesday in countering recent attacks on Saudi oil installations, but Trump loyalist Senator Lindsey Graham branded the incident an "act of war" that merits a decisive response.

the goal should be to restore deterrence against Iranian aggression which has clearly been lost," Graham said in a statement.

Graham said it was "clear" that such a sophisticated attack -- drones firing missiles into the world's largest processing plant and an oilfield in Saudi Arabia -- could only have originated with direction and involvement from the "evil regime in Iran."

Graham has been a defense hawk for years, and he noted that Trump's "measured response" to Iran shooting down an American drone in June "was clearly seen by the Iranian regime as a sign of weakness."

"This is literally an act of war and

The Republican lawmaker and trusted Trump ally tweeted that Washington should consider an attack on Iran's oil refineries in response, a move that he said "will break the regime's back."

Trump pushed back on Twitter, saying: "No Lindsey, it was a sign of

they are not interested in peace and stability in Afghanistan," Ghani said in a statement.

- Talks 'dead' Sixty kilometres (40 miles) away in Kabul, a shopkeeper, Rahimullah, said he had been sitting inside his shop when the second blast came.

"The wave broke all the windows," he told AFP. "I rushed outside and saw several bodies just across the street. This is the second time in less than a month that a blast has broken our windows. I just fixed them a week ago."

The UN's mission in Afghanistan also criticised the Taliban, accusing them of showing "despicable disregard for civilian life & fundamental human right to participate in democratic process".

These and other attacks "demonstrate blatant disregard for the people and institutions of Afghanistan," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

"For Afghans to truly reconcile, the Taliban must begin to demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace rather than continue the violence and destruction that causes such inordinate harm to the Afghan people and the future of their country," Pompeo said.

New Saudi minister jokes oil outlook could drive him to Prozac BU DHABI, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Monday 9/9/2019 - Saudi Arabia's Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman brought some humour to his debut as the kingdom's new oil minister Monday, joking that the industry outlook could drive him to take Prozac if he took it seriously.

Former US president Barack Obama (R) met with climate activist Greta Thunberg in Washington. (AFP Photo)

A wounded Afghan man is taken out of an ambulance at the Wazir Akbar Khan hospital following a bomb blast in Kabul (AFP Photo/Wakil Kohsar)

The International Energy Agency (IEA) last week lowered its growth forecast for oil demand for 2019 and 2020, blaming the ugly US-China trade dispute which has triggered fears of a global recession.

"If I (am) to be concerned with IEA projections, I'll probably be on Prozac all the time," Prince Abdulaziz said with a laugh, referring to the wellknown antidepressant.

Prince Abdulaziz, half-brother to de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is the first member of the royal family ever put in charge of the

The elections will see Ghani face off against his own Chief Executive, Abdullah Abdullah, and more than a dozen other candidates, including former warlords, ex-spies, and onetime members of the country's former communist regime.

For weeks, the election had been sidelined by the US-Taliban talks, with many Afghans and observers expecting the vote to be cancelled if a deal was agreed. Even candidates did little in the way of campaigning.

But with the deal off, Ghani and his rivals have begun the race.

Ghani is seeking a clear mandate they can use to negotiate with the insurgents on a lasting peace in Afghanistan.

Trump's declaration that the USTaliban talks were "dead" spurred the insurgents to declare last week that the only other option was more fighting.

Observers had warned the Taliban, who hope to weaken the future president, will do anything they can to upend the election.

Turnout for the vote is set to be low.

Experts cite fear of violence and a loss of hope among voters following widespread fraud allegations during the 2014 election.

kingdom's all-important energy ministry.

A veteran of the industry with decades of experience, the prince -whose country is the de facto leader of the OPEC energy cartel -- also made light of gloomy depictions of the global outlook.

"Do we have a recession today? No. They're projecting a recession subject to a possible trade war. Where is it?" he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.

"Do you really believe that the US and China and those other countries involved in this issue would not have the wisdom and sensibility to try and overcome these issues?"

'We are losing the race' on climate catastrophe, warns UN chief

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 9/17/2019 - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the world was "losing the race" to avert climate disaster, but that greenhouse gas reduction targets were not out of reach yet.

countries to raise their commitments set under the Paris agreement.

He was speaking during an interview with the Covering Climate Now coalition of media, which includes AFP, days before a UN youth climate summit that will be followed by a meeting with world leaders, where he will urge

"What I want is to have the whole of society putting pressure on governments to make governments understand they need to run faster, because we are losing the race," he said, adding: "What the science tells us today is that these targets are still reachable."

strength that some people just don't understand!"

A classified briefing book on the attacks was made available to US senators in a secure location in the US Capitol.

Other Republicans senators including Marco Rubio and Ron Johnson said they fully believe Iran was responsible for the Saudi strike.

But Jim Risch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cautioned against launching a rapid-response military attack on the Islamic republic.

"We're not anywhere near that point.

We're still in the analysis situation," he said, adding that he has encouraged lawmakers to study the classified evidence on the attack in Saudi Arabia.

Members of Congress have been

The landmark accord saw countries pledge to limit the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth to two degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, and if possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Guterres said that inaction by some key countries, including the US, could be at least partly offset by action at the sub-national level, for example in the carbon neutral pledges made by the

divided over Riyadh since the murder last October of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who wrote pieces critical of the kingdom, and revelations that he was killed by Saudi agents.

While Graham appeared quick to support Riyadh on Tuesday, earlier this year he led the charge to block some US arms sales to the kingdom over Khashoggi's brutal murder.

"There is no amount of oil that you can produce that will get me and others to give you a pass on chopping somebody up in a consulate," Graham said in June.

states of California and New York.

"I think one of the best things of the US society is the fact that it is a federal country... that decisions are decentralized, so I will be always very strongly in favor of keeping decisions on climate change as decentralized as possible," he said.

He noted that major cities, regions and businesses were taking over, and that banks and investment funds were pulling out of the coal and fossil fuel sectors.

Guterres also cited the example of the European Union, where only three countries now oppose the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, and said that he felt a "new wind" in the push for renewable energy, especially with the growth of solar in India and China.

Failure to meet the goals laid out under the Paris agreement could lead to the crossing of so-called "tipping points" such as the thawing of the Earth's permafrost that further accelerate warming, creating a situation where extreme weather events become the norm.

Guterres said he was heartened by growing societal awareness, which meant that hope was not yet lost, "but that requires profound changes in the way we produce food, in the way we power our economies, in the way we organize our cities, in the way we produce energy."

"I feel that more and more people, companies, cities, and governments, are understanding that needs to be done," he said.

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Week of September 20, 2019

Horoscope.com

21 March to 20 April If you have noticed delays to your ambitions and career plans, things can begin to ease from this week as cautious Saturn turns direct in a more prominent zone. It may not happen right away, but gradually you’ll begin to notice positive change.

21 April to 20 May Cautious Saturn turns direct in your sector of travel and far horizons this week. If you’ve postponed a trip for whatever reason, the coming weeks could see you back on track in this regard. If a scheme sounds dubious, it probably is, so leave well enough alone.

21 May to 20 June Home and family affairs continue to occupy your mind, with one matter proving quite intense. This could involve a domestic issue or perhaps another problem that you’re eager to resolve. You could be focused in your determination to overcome this or get the outcome you desire.

21 June to 22 July If certain relationships have been trying for whatever reason, there could be light at the end of the tunnel. As prudent Saturn turns direct in your sector of relating on Wednesday, your interactions could become more productive.

You are now making progress.

23 July to 22 August Finances continue to be on your mind, and a delightful focus on your sector of communication encourages you to network and connect with people who may be helpful to you.

You might be offered an opportunity or perhaps look to secure one that could enhance your income or reputation.

23 August to 22 Sept There is still a focus on your sign that could see you being proactive and eager to get ahead. With this in mind, sobering Saturn’s forward motion from Wednesday can assist you in your plans. Obstacles can begin to melt away and progress become more possible.

23 September to 22 Oct For now, though, you still have the chance to tie up loose ends and find closure on issues that may be draining your energy. And if family responsibilities have been keeping you very busy, the coming weeks can see you delegating some of them to lessen your load.

23 October to 21 Nov Keep a steady hand on your finances over this week and beyond. Unless you stay alert, a very dreamy aspect involving upbeat Jupiter and Neptune could see your cash draining away, It’s best not to get involved in schemes that sound too good to be true.

22 November to 21 Dec Try to avoid unrealistic schemes related to real estate, though, whether at home or elsewhere. You may think you’re getting a deal, but it could turn out to be a ruse. You may be offered an opportunity that can take you far.

22 December to 20 Jan There’s good news this week as prudent Saturn in your sign turns direct after its retrograde phase of many months. If you’ve found it difficult to make progress or felt that your affairs have been going backward, this can all begin to change.

21 January to 19 Feb As karmic Saturn turns direct in a secluded and spiritual zone midweek, you can begin to feel more at ease with yourself. If you’ve been busy sorting through issues, perhaps with a life coach or counselor, you’ll begin to see progress over the coming weeks.

20 February to 20 Mar If you’ve had issues with a certain friend over the past months, there’s a chance these can ease somewhat as prudent Saturn turns direct in your social zone midweek. You might be offered an opportunity that is out of this world , but there’s a chance it won’t materialize.

ACROSS 1. Same as Amir 6. Graduate degree 9. Rotisserie skewer 13. Wispy clouds 14. *Run-DMC performed at "Live ____", 1985 15. Elbow room 16. Portfolio content 17. Some special effects 18. Noncommittal response 19. *N.W.A. songwriter turned actor 21. *Marshall Bruce Mathers III 23. Last letter of Hebrew alphabet 24. Two-fold 25. Tit for ___ 28. Serve soup, e.g.

30. Done at "inspiration point" 35. Eurasian mountain range 37. Jack of all trades' sphere of expertise 39. More painful 40. Little bit, in Mexico 41. Open-mouthed 43. Classic TV's Mr. Cleaver 44. Friend from Mexico 46. Power system 47. Batman's cave, e.g.

48. Ketchup, to some 50. *a.k.a. Detective Tutuola 52. "To Kill a Mockingbird" author 53. Bangkok native 55. Yoga turf 57. *She likes dollars, she likes diamonds 60. *SAG and Golden Globe awards recipient 64. 2 halves of a diameter 65. Exchange for money 67. Watery-eyed 68. Turn upside down 69. To add, often used with "out" 70. Shockingly graphic 71. "Cobbler, cobbler, ____ my shoe" 72. Up and down nod 73. Horace's poem

DOWN 1. South American blackish-purple berry 2. Catchall abbr.

3. Gaelic tongue 4. Not slouching 5. Something regularly observed 6. Debilitating spray 7. *The Notorious one 8. Opposite of bonjour 9. Distance from wingtip to wingtip, e.g.

10. Pay as you earn tax system 11. Ballistic missile acronym 12. Golf peg 15. Expression of pleasure, pl.

20. Boss, in Swahili 22. Vitruvian one 24. Ancient Roman silver coins 25. *"The hate you give..." artist 26. Scent 27. Like unspoken agreement 29. *Snoop's last name?

31. Loose hood 32. Cattle enclosure in African village 33. Chill-inducing 34. *Beats by ____ ____ 36. Fireplace fodder 38. *"____ Rap Battles of History" 42. Possible allergic reaction 45. Bested 49. Sigma ____ Epsilon 51. Babble out 54. *Drake's tattoo of the The Beatles' "____ Road" 56. Bind 57. Super garb?

58. Port in Yemen 59. Orange peel 60. Cleaning cabinet supplies 61. Wyatt Earp's card game 62. Desert quality 63. Jekyll's alter ego 64. Cuba Libre ingredient 66. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's strings

SOLUTION: RAP ARTISTS on Page 29

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Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Monday, October 14, 2019.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs.edu/ about-hcc/procurement/

Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.

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