Voice of Asia E-paper April 19, 2019 by VoiceOf Asia

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Naushad Kermally runs for Sugar Land City Council District 2

BAPS hosts inspiring Women’s Conference

n the date of his mother’s birthday, Telfair resident Naushad Kermally honored her by adding his name to the list of candidates running for Sugar Land District 2 City Councilmember. The recent city redistricting added New Territory, his former home, to District 2. Naushad has many friends in his old neighborhood and wants to ensure that they are as well represented as long-time Sugar Land residents. Naushad loves Sugar Land; it is home for him and his family. When they came here, twentythree years ago, the Kermally’s did not just buy a home in Sugar Land, they became a part of the community. Naushad and his wife, Narmin, chose New Territory, to raise their three children. They relocated to the Telfair neighborhood nine years ago. Naushad has a long history of service to the Sugar Land community

Naushad Kermally through numerous organizations and volunteer activities and he is now committed to serving by being on City Council. His three Continued on Page 3

The keynote speaker, Dr. Aparna Kamat; Special Guest, Judge Juli Mathew and guest, Dr. Heena Thakkar (from right to left) commemorate the start of the conference in a traditional manner by lighting the divo (lamp). Photos by BAPS.

TAFFORD, TX The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford, TX hosted over 1100 women at its 13th annual Wom-

en’s Conference on March 30, 2019. Centered on the topic of “Sādhanā: The Purpose and the Pursuit”, the conference brought together women

of all different ages and backgrounds to engage in a dialogue relevant to Continued on Page 3

Forum on understanding hate crimes and protecting places of worship by Manu Shah

Image on the left

n 6th April, Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) hosted a first-of-its-kind Forum on “Understanding Hate Crimes and Protection of Places of Worship” for faith based and community leaders to learn how to prevent and respond to hate crimes against places of worship. Facilitated by the United States Department of Justice Community Relations Services (CRS), it held presentations by representatives from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern Dis-

L to R – Sitting - Morris Grunill, Fort Bend Church; Dr. Zahra Jamal, Rice University; Rev Gregory Han, IMG –Interfaith; Jason Plotkin, Jewish representative; Shri Kedar Thakker, BAPS Mandir Admin L to R – Standing Vijay Pallod, Kim Milstead (Dept. of Justice), Harpeet Mocha (Dept. of Justice); Tara Narasimhan; Bhawna Luthra, Gopal Agarwal, Partha Krishnaswamy; Girish Naik; Sreemathy Ranga, Raj Shah

Continued on Page 6 & 9

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS by Serge Schmemann (The New York Times, April 16, 2019) ne of the joys of living in Paris has been to hear the tolling of the great bells of Notre-Dame on Easter Sunday, their festive peals echoing through elegant streets festooned with the blooms of spring. The bells survived what is likely to become known as the Great Fire of 2019, thank Heaven. But they have fallen silent. Below them, one of the world’s most majestic and familiar monuments to faith, beauty and human genius lies gravely wounded. Photographers have been inside since the fire was extinguished, and their images show Gothic pillars soaring to an ugly hole through which the flaming spire had plunged. A cross, illumined by sunlight streaming through the jagged wound, glows over a tangle of charred timbers. The fire erupted about 6:30 p.m. on Monday, and within what seemed like minutes, flames were leaping into the twilight, instantly spreading horror and disbelief through Paris and far beyond. Huge crowds, united in shock, gathered as the consuming flames grew brighter against the darkening skies. Some began to chant hymns, some cried, others just gazed in silence. All raised their phones in what has become an instinctive gesture of witness.

by Colin DRONIOU ARIS, France | AFP | Wednesday 4/17/2019 - French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to complete a painstaking renovation of Notre-Dame within five years after the historic cathedral suffered a monstrous fire that destroyed its spire and roof. But will France be able to muster the necessary workers and materials to meet the challenge? While some experts say it's possible, others are less sure, especially if officials want to stick as closely as possible to the original features of the 850-year-old gothic masterpiece. - What needs to be done? The cathedral's floor is littered with charred debris that will require weeks, if not months, to clear. Architects say that before any work can begin they must establish how solid the stone structure is since it might have been weakened by the fire's extreme heat and water. Culture Minister Franck Riester said Tuesday that two gables are at risk of falling, including one high above a row of apartment buildings just to the north of the church. If it were to fall, "it could bring down the central gable that is between the two towers, the one you see when looking at Notre-Dame's facade," Riester said. Once structural integrity is assured, workers can begin erecting a vast "umbrella" to keep rain from pouring into gaping holes, including one made by the spire's collapse. Renovation of the roof can then proceed -- assuming officials have decided on aesthetic choices and materials. "Five years isn't much. Above all, it means three or four years of actual work, because first there's the security phase of several months, and then six to seven months for diagnostics, if they deploy enough people," said Frederic Letoffe, co-president of France's GMH association of monument restoration firms. Before Macron's announcement, Letoffe had estimated the work would take 10 to 15 years. But some things just can't be rushed, for example the drying of concrete and sealants,

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Opinion:

Notre-Dame’s Bells Will Toll Again Paris — and the world — comes together after a devastating fire. Words don’t work too well at moments when something so obviously terrible, fateful and awesome is happening. Thoughts come almost randomly, picking among visual details, questions, analogies. The etchings of St. Paul’s Cathedral engulfed in flames in the Great Fire of London in 1666 came to mind, until now probably the best known images of a cathedral in the clutch of an inferno. The destruction of a cathedral that defines the ethos of a great nation, a great city, seems almost a personal affront. Notre-Dame is far more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower or the grand boulevards ever could be. It was here, on the Île de la Cité, that this beautiful city was born, and the cathedral raised in the center of the island in the 12th century was meant to proclaim the glory of God and the political, economic and cultural might of a rising kingdom. NotreDame is still the point from which all distances are measured in France. In Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” written in 1831 in part to pro-

mote flagging appreciation for Gothic architecture, the cathedral is an active participant, the place where the Gypsy Esmeralda can find temporary refuge under medieval laws granting asylum in places of worship. The laws have changed, but many of the 13 million visitors who pass through Notre-Dame each year no doubt experience a spiritual retreat in “the House of God and the abode of men,” as I do whenever I visit. That it was savaged on Holy Week, when the church follows the passions of Jesus leading to his resurrection, seemed especially profane. These soaring pillars and buttresses survived the destruction of the French Revolution and Hitler’s mad jealousy. Why could they not defend against some silly accident? Officials are quick to say there is no evidence of foul play. The fire is finally extinguished in the small hours of the morning. The diminished profile looks sad against the gray morning sky, but the towers stand tall and unscarred. The word from the archbishop, the rector and Paris’s mayor is that many treasures are also intact. The full toll is

not yet known. Will we in the 21st century be capable of restoring an edifice that took an army of artisans and laborers almost 200 years to erect? President Emmanuel Macron declared that NotreDame will rise again, saying, “It’s part of the fate, the destiny of France, and our common project over the coming years.” French billionaires have donated the first large gifts. The rest of the world will also help — this was our common heritage. As the embers die, any doubts I had that Notre-Dame will be healed dissipate. I know now that Emmanuel, the grande dame of the cathedral bells, which has marked so many events great and tragic — it tolled when the twin towers fell on Sept. 11 — will lead the majestic chorus of bells again in celebration. Maybe not on this Easter. But soon. In the evening, exactly 24 hours after the fire broke out, more than 100 cathedrals across France tolled their bells in solidarity, their peals echoing across a country unified, only now in determination. SOURCE: The New York Times

Can Notre-Dame be restored in just five years?

Details of fire damage at Notre Dame Cathedral, with photos. AFP

"which can take months," he said. For architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the five-year goal is "tenable, but they'll have to make the right technological choices." He advised replacing the old roof's oak beams and lead sheeting with steel girders and titanium panels. "Those don't burn," he told France Inter radio. - Would an identical restoration take longer? "Rebuilding exactly as it was is both humanly and technically possible," said Francois Asselin, president of the CPME small and midsize business association and a specialist in restoring historic wooden roof frameworks. Experts would nonetheless have an ace up their sleeve: US art professor Andrew Tallon took ultra-precise measurements of the cathedral's interior and exterior in 2011 and 2012 that could be used to create a 3-D digital model. "It's quite possible to do it (in

five years) using multinational companies that work extremely fast, the way they build a reinforced-concrete skyscraper," said Benjamin Mouton, chief architect at Notre-Dame until 2013. But that might mean abandoning the temptation to use traditional materials, even while replicating the aesthetics. Purists might argue that a new "forest" of roof supports must be in oak, but modern materials could be lighter and stronger -- and would be invisible to the millions of visitors to the cathedral each year. "Five years is a very short timeframe for a wooden framework," noted architect Christiane Schmuckle-Mollard, who helped restore the Strasbourg cathedral in eastern France. - Are there enough workers and materials? "By September we'll have to recruit 100 masons, 150 woodworkers and 200 roofers" to meet the five-year target, said

Jean-Claude Bellanger, secretary general of France's storied Compagnons du Devoir artisan mentoring network. "Our sector suffers from a lack of youths and enthusiasm for these crafts," agreed Letoffe. "But we have the capacity for mobilising the qualified talent." "And we have in France all the materials at our disposal, the wood, stone, zinc, copper and lead," he added. The Groupama insurance group, for example, has offered to provide the estimated 1,300 centenarian oaks required for an exact replica of the roofing framework, considered by many experts an architectural monument in its own right. - How much will it cost? Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Wednesday that the price tag for such an ambitious project was not yet known. But experts have given ballpark estimates in the hundreds of millions of euros -- former culture minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon said anywhere from 600 million to one billion euros ($680 million to $1.1 billion). Already some 850 million euros has been pledged, mainly from French billionaires and companies as well as the city of Paris and other authorities. "The cost of the work isn't the problem, it's more about administrative delays," said the GMH's Letoffe. "The state needs to take measures to speed up the process." The government has named a former five-star general, Jean-Louis Georgelin, to oversee the race against the clock to wind up the work before France hosts the Olympic Games in 2024.

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BAPS hosts inspiring Women’s Conference Continued from page 1 all. Special guests in attendance included Dr. Aparna Kamat, Director of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Houston Methodist Hospital, as the Keynote speaker and Judge Juli Mathew, Fort Bend County Court #3 as the Guest of Honor. Also in attendance at the conference were members from over 15 fellow Indian organizations from around the Houston area. Sādhanā means the efforts towards our goals. Through discussion around hopes and goals, individual purpose and priorities, the conference presented an insightful look at the various efforts everyone partakes in while highlighting the integral Sādhanā of spirituality. Starting the conference on the right note, key note speaker Dr. Aparna Kamat, noted the importance of hope and passion in pursuing Sādhanās in all aspects of life and the role of perseverance and humility in the process. She encouraged members of the audience to make a choice to be the best version of themselves through their Sādhanā. The definition of Sādhanā that most resonated with her was, “Sadhana is a personal process in which you bring

out your best”.

their starting point. Through her talk, Ms. Patel simplified the seemingly difficult concept of spiritual Sādhanā into everyday achievable steps.

The opening portion of the conference focused on identifying the various Sādhanās, or efforts that are a part of everyday life. The opening speaker, Mrs. Hiral Patel, shared through her own ambitions and goals, how she strives to achieve balance among them, while aiming to keep one Sādhanā at the forefront. Highlighting how spiritual Sādhanā can elevate a person to a new level, by building faith and perseverance, teaching self-awareness, helping understand true fulfillment from within, and creating a more compassionate spirit, she emphasized the importance of focusing time and energy in building spirituality.

Throughout the conference, audience members were encouraged to take part in an interactive reflection activity. Questions around the topic of Sadhana were presented on the screen and audience members were asked to take part first in personal reflection and then share their answers via a The second portion of the conlive polling system ference focused on the “how” that was shared with of strengthening one’s personal the greater audience. spiritual Sādhanā. Ms. Anita Patel This allowed for atshared how making slight shifts in tendees to gain inspiperspective, incorporating small ration and learn from changes to daily routines to include spiritual practices, and find- Keynote speaker, Dr. Aparna Kamat sets the tone for the each other’s reflection and thoughts as well. ing time in everyday tasks helps conference. Through this activity, make the pursuit in building spiriattendees were able to tual sadhana a natural part of life. play an active role in walk away with to move forward She provided practical examples and the dialogue presented by the speakon the path of spirituality, no matter action items that the audience could ers. Speaking to the overall experience of the conference, attendee Mrs. Kavita Bhatt stated, “The conference was very inspirational, very motivational to make you want to aim to be better.”

A section of the audience at the Women's Conference

The BAPS Women’s Conference was inspired by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj and encouraged by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. The conference highlights the influential role of women in today’s society and also empowers the younger generations by promoting a healthy dialogue around current topics. Before and after the conference, attendees had the opportunity to network with others from the greater community and share their perspective on the talks of the day. Many in attendance felt inspired by the conference and conveyed their motivation to share the word with their family and friends.

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Naushad Kermally runs for Sugar Land City Council District 2 Continued from page 1 children were born here and are products of Fort Bend ISD. Like Naushad, his family is also highly engaged in the community. His two eldest children were part of the Sugar Land Mayor’s Advisory Council and one child is a graduate of the Sugar Land Police Department Youth Police Academy. His daughter plays Varsity basketball and softball at Clements High School. Naushad serves on the board of Child Advocates of Fort Bend and is a former HOA neighborhood delegate. He is a graduate of two City of Sugar Land programs: Sugar Land 101 and the Citizens Police Academy. He has served on the city’s Taskforce for Parks Bond, the Zoning Board of Adjustments and currently serves on the Ethics Review Board. Naushad is also a proud graduate of the Fort Bend Chamber Leadership Program. Amidst all of this, he has also made the time to coach his children’s basketball and soccer teams in the First Colony and New Territory sports leagues. Naushad started his career as a Trauma and Critical Care nurse at Ben Taub Hospital. In 1997 he took his expertise to Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. After a career in the medical field, he transitioned careers and joined a mobile technology startup company. That company has since grown from its’ local roots to a national leader in the wireless industry and Naushad serves as the Executive Vice President. Naushad is running to represent District 2 residents on Sugar Land City Council. He looks forward to your support and doing even more for the City and District 2 residents as their representative on Sugar Land City Council. Learn more about Naushad by visiting his website: KermallyforSugarLand.com

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FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

Utsav parking lot inaugurated at Sri Meenakshi Temple on April 14th, 2019 by Vatsa Kumar

completed within 6 weeks. This beautiful parking lot, which can accommodate 104 additional cars, was inaugurated by Pearlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mayor Tom Reid, after religious activities were performed by the temple priests. Speaking at the inaugural event after cutting the ribbon, the Mayor pointed out that the City of Pearland is also building new parking spaces to accommodate the needs of its citizens of Pearland which is growing at a fast rate. He commended the temple board for launching this project to add the additional spaces for the members of its congregation.

EARLAND - An April morning with clear skies and a gentle breeze was the perfect setting at Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, Texas for Mayor Tom Reid to inaugurate the Utsav Parking lot. Serving the Indian community for over 42 years, Sri Meenakshi Temple, one of its kind in the US, is a beacon for any Hindu pilgrim that yearns to visit the Original Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple built in Madurai, a South Indian pilgrim center. The current board of administration at the Temple under the leadership of Dr. Padmini Ranganathan has launched an ambitious project to renovate the 20 years old Kalyana Mandapam so as to meet the growing needs of devotees. The project estimated to cost over a million is scheduled for completion by the end of November, 2019. As part of phase 1 of this project, construction of a new parking lot was taken up in March and

Mayor Tom Reid is joined by Dr. Padmini Ranganathan and other members during the inauguration of the new parking lot at MTS.

Meenakshi Temple honored the Mayor in a traditional Indian manner by robing him with a beautiful Indian shawl (wrap around material). Delicious lunch followed this festive event. The welllighted Utsav parking lot is now open to serve the devotees of the Temple throughout the year. For more information, please call the temple office at 281 489 0358.

FIS honored by MLK Jr. Grande Parade organization

OUSTON - Mr. Charles Stamps, CEO and Founder of MLK Grande Parade organization brought and presented the Texas State House of Representatives' recognition to Foundation for India Studies during Dr. Milan Vaishnav's lecture held in India House on March 30, 2019. Signed by State Representative,(Hon) Ron Reynolds, the cita-

tion expressed Texas State House's most sincere Congratulations to the Foundation for India Studies (FIS) as the Honoree of the 25th. Annual MLK Grande Parade that was held in January 2019. The Citation also recognizes FIS's professional and community service. The Foundation has been continuously participating in the Parade for the past eight years, and in some years,

Mr. Vavilala himself led the group dressed as Mahatma Gandhi. In 2015, FIS was declared the winner of the parade's Grand Marshal Award. The purpose of FIS participation in the parade was to send a visual message that the Indian community and the grassroots America share the same values of Peace and Non-violence as practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King jr. Charles Stamps presenting the citation signed by State Representative,(Hon) Ron Reynolds to FIS Chairman Krishna Vavilala.

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Block China Mobile Flight suspensions hit Jet Airfrom US, FCC chair- ways shares amid crisis meeting man says by Peter HUTCHISON

UMBAI, India | AFP | 4/16/2019 - Jet Airways shares plunged Tuesday amid reports the board of the stricken Indian airline would suspend all operations after lenders refused to release emergency funds to keep the carrier flying. An emergency board meeting was called for Tuesday after the latest blow to the debt-laden company which is teetering on the brink of collapse. Thousands of passengers have been stranded in recent weeks after the airline, which has debts of more than $1 billion, cancelled international flights because it cannot pay its bills.

The statement from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai could mark the beginning of the end for China Mobile's eight-year effort to crack the US market.

AN FRANCISCO, United States | AFP | 4/17/2019 - The chairman of the top US telecoms regulator on Wednesday announced his opposition to allowing China Mobile to operate in the United States, citing risks to American national security. The statement from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai could mark the beginning of the end for the Chinese telecoms giant's eight-year effort to crack the US market. China Mobile -- the world's largest mobile operator with nearly 930 million customers as of February -- first filed an application for permission to operate in the United States in 2011. Composed of Democrats and Republicans, the five-member FCC next month is due to vote on an order that, if approved, would deny China Mobile's request to operate.

"Safeguarding our communications networks is critical to our national security," Pai said in a statement. Evidence, including that submitted by other federal agencies, Pai added, made it "clear that China Mobile's application to provide telecommunications services in our country raises substantial and serious national security and law enforcement risks." Chinese tech firms -- such as Huawei and ZTE -- have faced stiff resistance from US government agencies, which have described them as security threats. Washington has barred the Chinese networking equipment company Huawei from developing the new ultrafast 5G mobile network in the United States and has blocked US government purchases of its services. American officials have sought to persuade allied countries to do likewise.

Chief Executive Vinay Dube called the board meeting after lenders led by the State Bank of India failed on Monday to agree to give needed emergency cash. "The management will seek guidance from the board on the next steps forward," Dube said in an email to staff late Monday as he announced that the cancellation of international flights was being extended to Thursday. Shares plummeted about 19 percent on the Bombay Stock Exchange's Sensex index as the exchange sought clarification from Jet over a CNBC TV18 report that the airline was "likely to temporarily shut down its operations". Jet's share price is now worth barely a third of its value of 640 rupees (95 cents) of one year ago. Indian dailies and news channels said suspending all flights was one option open to the board although this could mean Jet would lose its operating license. Business Standard quoted sources saying the airline had only enough fuel to keep its seven remaining jets running until Tuesday afternoon.

India's Jet Airways has defaulted on loans and most staff have not been paid for many months

Ivanka Trump unveils $2 million boost for ICoast women

BIDJAN, Ivory Coast | AFP | Wednesday 4/17/2019 Ivanka Trump, daughter of the US president, unveiled Wednesday $2.0 million in aid for women working in Ivory Coast's key cocoa sector. Trump visited a cocoa plantation in Adzope, north of Abidjan, before taking part in the first West African summit on female entrepreneurship in the country's economic capital. Ivory Coast is the world's leading producer of cocoa. "When you empower women, they uplift their families, their communities, and the whole country prospers," Trump said. The aid was meant to "catalyse private sector investment" in the sector,

according to a statement released by the US embassy in Abidjan. Trump said the money would help "create 300 new saving associations, in the cocoa space across Cote d'Ivoire," and benefit "500 existing saving associations to connect them to the financial market place." She was welcomed by women cocoa farmers, and joined briefly in dancing with them. The aid is to be managed by USAID's Women's Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative and the World Cocoa Foundation. The W-GDP's goal is to allow 50 million women to achieve economic autonomy by 2025, and Trump had come to Ivory Coastafter pitching the initiative in Ethiopia.

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Forum on understanding hate crimes ...

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

Fire alarm and sprinkler systems should be tested regularly Ushers can be the first line of defense. They should be positioned at the main access points and trained to spot “something that doesn’t add up” such as nervous behavior, excess clothing or constant adjusting of clothing. Have ushers greet and talk to newcomers in the congregation

L to R - Chris Johnson: FBI Houston Supervisory Special Agent; M. Wyatt Martin: Commander Criminal Intelligence Division Houston Police Department; Tricia Sibley: FBI Houston Supervisory Special Agent; Ruben R. Perez: Bureau Chief-Special Crimes Harris County District Attorney’s Office; Sharad Khandelwal: Deputy Chief US Attorney Office of Southern District of Texas; Harpeet Mocha ( DOJ) Continued from page 1 trict of Texas, Harris County District Attorney’s office, FBI Houston Field Office, Department of Homeland Security and Harris County Sheriff’s Office. About 40 faith based organizations attended the forum which was held at the Houston Durgabari Society. The event touched on four issues: Hate Crimes Prosecutions Overview, Hate Crimes Statistics and Symbols of Hate, Preventing and Responding to Active Shooter Situations and a Panel Discussion on Protecting Places of Worship by Interfaith leaders. A brain child of HGH Past President Partha Krishnaswamy, the forum sought to educate custodians, caretakers and members of temples, churches, synagogues, gurudwaras and mosques on tackling the uptick in hate crimes against places of worship. Almost all the presenters pointed out that expressing hate, name calling and the display of offensive symbols, no matter how vile, are not inand-of-themselves criminal. The Constitution is bound to protect the rights of even those who indulge in hate speech. It has to rise to the level of a criminal act before law enforcement agencies can take action. Recent attacks against reli-

gious sites include the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh; Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, S.C.; Victoria Islamic Center, Victoria, Texas, the Oak Creek, Wis., Sikh temple; and the Overland Park Jewish Center in Kansas. A welcome address and prayer by members of Durgabari Society Tapan Das and Partha Chatterjee was followed by remarks from HGH President Thara Narasimhan who pointed out that there are 30 consecrated temples in Houston and one word common in every one of our languages is “Shanti” or Peace. Moderator Harpreet Singh Mocha and Kim Milstead, both from the US Department of Justice were instrumental in putting the program together. Deputy Chief US Attorney Office of Southern District of Texas, Sharad Khandelwal kicked off the program by highlighting the January 28th 2017 attack on the Victoria Islamic Center, a mosque about 80 miles in Victoria, Texas. Residents around the center woke up to a fire that engulfed the entire mosque and raged for hours eventually burning down the mosque to the ground. It was emotionally devastating for its congregation but Khandelwal noted the outpouring of support from the community. A prayer vigil was attended not just by Muslims but by other local

communities with churches and synagogues providing their premises for worship until the mosque was rebuilt. A squad of law enforcement agencies such as the ATF, FBI, Victoria Fire and Police Department used “every single law enforcement method and technology to crack the case.” The perpetrator was charged with a hate crime that got him 24 years of prison time. This was the repeated assurance offered by Khandelwal that in the event of a hate crime, the Department of Justice will not hesitate “to call it a hate crime and make sure justice is served.” Bureau Chief-Special Crimes Harris County District Attorney’s Office Ruben R. Perez who works for Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg also reiterated that their office was there to help and protect people and would prosecute all cases of arson, graffiti, theft, vandalism and aggravated assault on a place of worship. He encouraged the gathering to dial 911 as a first responder if they saw something that was out of the ordinary, or call CrimeStoppers with tips and speak up if they notice an overt display of hate speech against a community or race on social media. FBI Houston Supervisory Special Agent Tricia Sibley recommended two sites helpful in understanding hate

crimes, hate symbols and their incidence - Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program FBI and StopHoustonGangs. In a recent report, Federal Bureau of Investigation logged 7,175 hate crimes in 2017, a 17% increase from the prior year that was caused by growing attacks against racial and religious minorities. The number represented the third consecutive year that hate crimes went up and the biggest year-by-year increase in hate crimes since 2001. Due to an increase in attacks on Hindu temples and individuals, the FBI began tracking hate crimes against Hindus since 2013. FBI Houston Supervisory Special Agent Chris Johnson offered some broad based guidelines and resources on securing places of worship and how to survive an active shooter. Since 2014, 1016 hate crimes motivated by religious bias were reported and occurred at churches, temples, mosques, gurudwaras and synagogues. While entering to a place of worship should be a welcoming experience, some easy security measures he suggested were: Invite local law enforcement personnel to your building during larger prayer services or meetings. Other than the main access points, all other access points should be locked during services.

Install surveillance cameras in conspicuous and inconspicuous places. The perception of surveillance could change someone’s behavior and help law enforcers apprehend the perpetrator. 74% of active shooters enter through the main access point. If you have only one camera, install it at the main access point. Security cameras should employ good lighting. In case of a suspicious item, do not touch or tamper with it. Dial 911 immediately. In case of a threat by phone, do not hang up. If possible record the conversation, ask questions and write down the exact wording of the threat. In case of a suspicious person, note down license plates, write down descriptions of what the person looked like and what they did. Such evidence is critical for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute if necessary. A case of vandalism, no matter how minor, must be reported. Follow up with the appropriate officer regularly on the progress of the case. “See something, say something.” Call 911 if you spot suspicious behavior. Develop a plan and educate members of the congregation on the plan In case of an Active shooting: In the wake of the 2012 shooting at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek Wisconsin, Special Agent Johnson noted a dangerous trend in that the attacks are getting deadlier almost “as if the shooters are trying to outdo the previous shooting.” A study of 160 active shoot-

ers in the US from 2000-2013 showed that 3.8% or 6 of them were at places of worship. 69% of the 160 incidents ended in 5 minutes or less. Law enforcement response time was 3 minutes and 67% of the incidents ended before the police arrived. Some do’s and don’ts: In case of an active shooter, evacuees should leave all personal belongings behind. Avoid using elevators and escalators to escape. He recommended viewing a film on YouTube called “Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving an Active shooter.” During an active shooting, the three basic response actions are Run, hide or fight. Individuals can run away from the shooter, seek a secure place where they can hide or incapacitate the shooter with improvised weapons such as fire extinguishers or chairs. When hiding, silence electronic devices like cell phones, lock and barricade the door with heavy furniture, turn off lights and remain silent. Provide first responders with a site plan including information about door and window locations as well as locks and access controls. Commander Criminal Intelligence Division Houston Police Department M. Wyatt Martin clarified that the average response time after a 911 call is 5 minutes. He also encouraged the gathering to call Stephen Daniel at 713-308-3246 for a site security assessment and training in how to protect the place of worship. Developing a strong relationship with the local commander is important in helping protect a place of worship. One can also text 911 now for emergencies while the non-emergency number is 713-884-3131. Officer Martin strongly suggested the need for a plan of action, a plan of evacuation and a security committee to create a security plan. A good idea, when entering a public place, is to check out the exits on the property.

Continued on Page 9

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Economy, national security, protection of democratic values key priorities for Indian diaspora in US

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

Indian Consulate in Houston teams with Indo American organizations in planning International Yoga Day on June 21

With slogans of 'Abki bar 400 paar', Modi supporters among the diaspora said they are confident that he will return to power for a second term. PTI|Apr 14, 2019, As the crucial weeks-long general elections began in India, issues like sustained economic growth, national security and protection of democratic values are among key poll priorities for the Indian diaspora across the US as it galvanizes support for various political parties. An Indian-American community group recently organised an election campaign kickoff event in upstate New York, voicing its support for the Bharatiya Janata Party and Narendra Modi in the 2019 elections. With slogans of 'Abki bar 400 paar', Modi supporters among the diaspora said they are confident that he will return to power for a second term. American India Public Affairs Committee president Jagdish Sewhani said the 2019 general elections are very crucial for the future of India. "National security is a top priority of the BJP," he said, adding that another term for Modi will ensure sustained economic growth and development in the country. Members of the Indian-American community organised and participated in several programmes across the US, including a 'Chowkidar March' in New Jersey, car rallies in Washington and and Virginia, which travelled 12 miles. A 'chai pe charcha' was organised in New Jersey and other cities including Detroit, Pittsburg, Boston, Columbus, Cleveland, Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Meanwhile, advocacy group 'Coalition for the Defence of the Constitution and Democracy' held a 'Defence of Democracy' rally in the city. The rally was co-sponsored by other groups such as Alliance for a Democratic and Secular South Asia, Coalition for a Democratic India and Dalit Solidarity Forum (DSF) and Indian

American Muslim Council. "The BJP government has also been responsible for systematic erosion and weakening of democratic values and institutions," the Coalition said in a statement. It called for ensuring free and fair elections. It also said that lynchings of Dalits and Muslims must be stopped and perpetrators be prosecuted.

Forum on understanding hate crimes ...

Heads of Indo-American organization seen with Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray and Dy. CG Adhana INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY. The Consulate General of India in Houston with other organizations will host the International Yoga Day this year. There will be two events - on June 21, Friday at Mid Town Park, 2811 Travis Street, Houston and on June

Continued from Page 6

best.”

In a concluding panel discussion, representatives from Interfaith ministries – Rev. Gregory Han - IMG Interfaith, Dr. Zahra Jamal - Rice University, Jason Plotkin from the Synagogue, Kedar Thakker – BAPS Mandir and Morris Grunill from the Fort Bend Church shared the security protocols they utilize to protect their place of worship.

The Fort Bend Church has a carefully thought out multilayered system of security. Members are first greeted by parking lot attendants, then greeters and ushers. Security Officers are present on campus. During the week only one entrance is used except Sundays when all 6 entrances are used. An in house security committee meets once a year to review and revise security measures.

Security is a high priority for the BAPS Mandir. Ketan Thakker stated that BAPS looked at security through 2 perspectives – IT and people perspective. Since they host several events a year which sometimes attract almost eight thousand people, they take precautionary steps such as installing several cameras that are monitored, invite law enforcement to temple events, have officers present but in the end, he emphasized that “human vigilance is

Other suggestions included conducting fire drills or exercises to make a quick departure from the space, “using proactive fellowship” to check out newcomers, monitoring social media for hate feeds, asking first time people to stand and be acknowledged, knowing the people in your immediate vicinity and “finally educate and create awareness without creating panic.” The Hindu American Foundation, a non-profit advocacy group based in

22, Saturday, at the Hindu Temple of Woodlands. Attending the planning meeting above are Jennifer Tummala, left, Sharad Amin, Sanjay Jain, Rahat Sultana, Col. Vipin Kumar, Raju Veludandi, Manish Garg, Parthasarathy Krishnaswamy, Girish Ranade, Consul

General Dr. Anupam Ray, Deputy Consul General Surendra Adhana, Vivek Singh, Latha Kutuvanka, Amit Khanna, Madhukar Adi, Shekhar Agrawal, Mark Ram, Jayachandran, Vishwarupa Nanjundappa, and Saumil Manek.

Washington D.C., has been actively working for years with the Department of Justice, law enforcement, and legislators across the country to track and address bias motivated attacks on Hindus and other religious and ethnic minorities. HAF also requests help in tracking incidents of identity-based or bias-motivated intimidation, threats, harassment, and violence being experienced in our communities by filling out the Bias-Motivated Crime Data Collection Form, if they or someone they know has experienced or witnessed an incident. Contact HAF for assistance at info@hafsite.org or 201223-8222.

Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS) Visit justice.gov/crs

FEMA had a grant program of $150,000 to enhance the security of religious centers that are at risk for hate crimes. Organizations can apply at https://www.fema.gov/nonprofitsecurity-grant-program. Other resources:

Find your regional FBI office at fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices Learn about the FBI’s hate crime reporting process and statistics at fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hatecrimes Find hate crime data collection guidelines and a training manual at ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime-data-collection-guidelines-and-training-manual.pdf Protector Security Advisor Program (PSA) provide voluntary security surveys and assessments of facilities. Visit dhs.gov/sites/default/ files/publications/PSA-ProgramFact-Sheet-05-15-508.pdf. Federal Emergency Management Agency: www.fema.gov/protectinghouses-worship

SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 10

India acts against Tiktok app over pornography concerns

Man killed Bangladesh to call in new cow Shakib back from IPL lynching in for World Cup camp India

EW DELHI, India | AFP | 4/13/2019 0Indian police said Saturday one man was killed and three injured in an attack by a mob while they were skinning a dead ox, in the latest case of so-called cow lynching. The animal is revered by Hindus and according to Human Rights Watch, 44 people died in cow-related violence between May 2015 and December last year by Hindu vigilantes.

With short videos of up to 15 seconds, Tiktok has become a major rival to Facebook, Instagram and other social network sites

EW DELHI, India | AFP | 4/16/2019 - The Indian government on Tuesday ordered tech giants Google and Apple to take down the Chinese-owned Tiktok video app after a court expressed concerns over the spread of pornographic material, sources told AFP. Tiktok has already been banned in neighbouring Bangladesh and hit with an enormous fine in the United States for illegally collecting information from children. The app, which claims to have 500 million users worldwide with more than 120 million in India, has been fighting the effort to shut it down after a high court in Chennai called for the ban on April 3.

India's Supreme Court, which on Monday rejected a Tiktok appeal to suspend the order, is to hear the case again on April 22. "We have faith in the Indian judicial system and we are optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by over 120 million monthly active users in India," Tiktok said in a statement Tuesday. The Chennai case was launched by an activist group which said the app encouraged paedophiles and pornography. With short videos of up to 15 seconds, Tiktok has become a major rival to Facebook, Instagram and other social network sites among teenaged smartphone users in the past year.

Industry sources said the information technology ministry had now sent out an order to tech giants Google and Apple to remove the app from their online stores. Neither of the US companies would comment.

But facing increased pressure the app, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, said last week it had taken down six million videos in India since last July which had infringed its guidelines.

The app -- which allows users to make and share short videos -- can still be used by those who have already downloaded it on their smartphones.

The company said the measures were to "reinforce our ongoing commitment to ensure that our platform remains a safe and positive space for our Indian users."

But Tiktok has continued to be drawn into controversy in India. On Sunday, a 19-year-old man was allegedly shot dead by a friend in Delhi as they posed with a pistol to make a video to show on TikTok, police told Indian media. Three friends were driving in Delhi, when one pulled out a homemade pistol and aimed it at the driver. Police said the gun accidentally went off, shooting the man through the head. And the moves in India to ban Tiktok are the latest in a string of woes for the popular app. Bangladesh banned Tiktok in February as part of a clampdown on internet pornography. The same month, the US Federal Trade Commission said a $5.7 million fine ordered against Tiktok was the largest imposed in a child privacy investigation. The social network failed to obtain parental consent from underage users as required by the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, FTC officials said.

Thousands of Pakistanis form human chain in image of Christchurch mosque

Nine of the victims of the mosque shootings were of Pakistani origin and one was posthumously given an award for bravery by Pakistan (AFP Photo/MANSOOR ABBAS)

HANG, Pakistan | AFP | read: "Solidarity with the mar4/12/2019 - This story ac- tyrs of Christchurch from Pakicompanies video footage stan". by Shazia Bhatti and pictures The tribute was organised by by Mansoor Abbas the Muslim Institute, a nonThousands of Pakistanis clad government organisation aimed in white gathered in the central at promoting peace and stabilcity of Jhang Friday to make a ity in the Muslim world, which human image of Christchurch's also released the drone footage. Al Noor mosque, where 50 people were killed by a white Brenton Tarrant, a 28-yearsupremacist four weeks ago. old Australian and self-avowed white supremacist, has been Drone images showed wor- charged with 50 counts of murshippers standing in formation, der and 39 of attempted murder their snow-white traditional after opening fire at the Linshalwar kameez and prayer wood and Al Noor mosques on caps in stark contrast to the em- March 15. erald green of a public field, as a second group formed the words Nine of the victims were of "Islam is peace" nearby. Pakistani origin. One, Naeem Rashid, was posthumously givHuge New Zealand and Paki- en an award for bravery by Pakstani flags were also displayed istan after he apparently tried to along with a giant banner which

tackle the gunman before being shot. Tribute organisers praised the New Zealand government after what had been a "very tough time" for Muslims in the country -- especially Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Her response "not only soothed the wounds of Muslims but also assured them that Muslims in their country are safe," Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Ali, a religious scholar and one of the organisers, told AFP. "We worked really hard to make this model," one participant, Noor Hassan, told AFP of the tribute. "It was so pleasant that we were ready to stand like this for the whole day," he added.

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

Opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi say that such groups have become emboldened since his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in 2014. The latest incident happened in the eastern state of Jharkhand late on Thursday when men from a local Christian community were skinning the carcass of an ox in a field. "The men were armed with iron rods and sticks and attacked the group of skinners brutally," said M L Meena, a senior Jharkhand police official. The three men injured in the attack were sent to hospital. Two men have been arrested for alleged murder and five more were on the run, Meena said. It was unclear whether the accused were part of a Hindu vigilante group or acted on their own initiative, he added, saying the four men attacked were from a local tribal group and had been charged with illegal cow slaughter. Meena said the charges were based on a complaint by a Hindu villager who said he witnessed the slaughter of the ox. "So far the investigation has showed the ox died naturally. We are doing a thorough

HAKA | AFP | 4/15/2019 - Bangladesh will ask star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to return from Indian Premier League and join the team's World Cup preparation camp next week, the nation's Cricket Board said Monday. Shakib is currently in India with his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“Our camp is beginning. I have asked to send a letter to Shakib immediately to come back. Let’s see how he responds to this,” said Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan in Dhaka. Shakib played just one game this season, picking up one wicket for 42 runs in 3.4 overs against his former franchise Kolkata Night Riders. It was the only competitive game for Shakib since returning from an injury he picked up during the Bangladesh Pre-

mier League final in January.

In a star-studded line-up featuring Australia’s David Warner, England’s Jonny Bairstow, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, and Afghanistan duo Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, Bangladesh is concerned Shakib might not get more matches in the coming days. Unable to get enough games, Shakib recently invited his personal coach Mohammad Salahuddin to India in order to keep him ready for the World Cup. Bangladesh will start their preparation camp for the tournament on April 22 and the team will leave for the UK in early May. They are scheduled to play a tri-nation tournament in Ireland from May 5-17. The World Cup will be held in the UK from May 30 to July 14 with Bangladesh starting their campaign against South Africa at the Oval on June 2.

Hundreds of Afghan delegates to meet with Taliban in Doha

ABUL, Afghanistan | AFP | 4/16/2019 - Afghanistan published Tuesday a lengthy list of delegates who will meet with the Taliban in Doha this week, including government officials, in what could become the highest-level dialogue between the sworn enemies in years. A massive roster published by the presidential palace comprises 250 names, including President Ashraf Ghani's chief of staff, Abdul Salam Rahimi, as well as his election running mate, Amrullah Saleh, the former head of Afghan intelligence. Other delegates named on the list come from many walks of Afghan life including youth leaders, tribal elders and -- sig-

nificantly -- 52 women. The last time the Taliban met with the Afghan government was at secretive talks in Pakistan in 2015, which were quickly derailed by the news that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar had died. The three days of talks in Qatar, scheduled to start Friday, come amid a months-long push led by Washington for peace nearly 18 years after the US invasion, and as fresh violence rips across Afghanistan. Any contact between the Kabul government and the Taliban is seen as hugely significant, because the insurgents view Ghani as a US stooge and his government as a puppet regime, and have long refused to speak with them directly.

ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 11

Japan, US struggle to find crashed jet and its 'secrets'

Chilean suspect in Japanese student disappearance faces prosecutors

A Japanese Coast Guard vessel and US military plane search for a Japanese F-35A stealth fighter jet in the waters off Aomori, northern Japan on April 10, 2019. (Kyodo News via AP). by Shingo ITO

OKYO, Japan | AFP | 4/16/2019 - One week after an F-35A stealth fighter jet crashed off the northeastern coast of Japan, US and Japanese military vessels are struggling to find the wreckage and protect its valuable "secrets." The Japanese jet vanished from the radar on April 9 over the Pacific as it was conducting a training mission with three other aircraft some 135 kilometres (85 miles) east of Misawa, northeastern Japan. A defence ministry spokesman told AFP that the remains of the jet's tail had been found but they were still hunting in vain for the rest of the fuselage, as well as the pilot. "On average two aircraft, including a helicopter, and two patrol vessels are constantly deployed in the around-theclock search operations," said the official, who asked to remain anonymous.

cation, due to concerns that China and Russia might try to collect it," Takesada told AFP.

10 billion yen ($90 million), to replace its ageing F-4 fighters.

Japan's defence ministry confirmed it had not spotted any suspicious vessels or aircraft from a third country near the site.

The jet was one of 13 F35As deployed at the Misawa Air Base, according to the defence ministry.

Japan's air force announced a commission last week to study the cause of the accident but it remains unclear exactly what happened to the plane. US defence contractor Lockheed Martin touts the hi-tech fighter as "virtually undetectable" and says it allows the US and its allies to dominate the skies with its "unmatched capability and unprecedented situational awareness." Japan is deploying F-35As, each of which costs more than

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

The remaining 12 fighters have been grounded for the time being, the ministry said. The F35-A jets are a key part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to upgrade the nation's military capacity to meet changing power dynamics in East Asia, with China rapidly modernising its military. Over the next decade, Japan plans to purchase as many as 105 F35-As and 42 units of other high-capacity jets, most likely the F35-B variant.

Chilean Nicolas Zepeda (center) is the only suspect in the 2016 disappearance of Japanese student Narumi Kurosaki (AFP Photo/Martin BERNETTI)

ANTIAGO, Chile | AFP | 4/17/2019 - Chilean authorities on Wednesday questioned a man suspected of involvement in the 2016 disappearance of his Japanese ex-girlfriend in France. Nicolas Zepeda was interviewed by the public prosecutor in Santiago on Wednesday morning before leaving the Justice Center just after midday without speaking to reporters, AFP journalists said. He is the only suspect in the disappearance of student Narumi Kurosaki, then 21, in eastern France. Chilean prosecutors met with French investigators on Tuesday ahead of Zepeda's ques-

tioning. Attorney General Tania Sanchez said only that proceedings had been carried out at the request of French authorities. France is hoping to provide sufficient evidence to see Zepeda arrested and extradited to face a murder charge. A Chilean judge had previously denied a request to arrest and extradite Zepeda, citing insufficient evidence. Kurosaki had been living in the university city of Besancon in eastern France when she disappeared on the night of December 4, 2016, and despite extensive searches her body has not been found. Investigators in France believe 28-year-old Zepeda, who

had broken up with Kurosaki several months earlier, suffocated her in a jealous rage. He returned to Chile before French police issued an arrest warrant. Kurosaki was last seen hours before her disappearance having dinner with Zepeda in a restaurant in Ornans, near Besancon. Fellow students in her dormitory reported hearing terrified cries and banging noises later that same night, Besancon public prosecutor Etienne Manteuax said in November. No trace of blood was ever found in Kurosaki's room and Zepeda denies any involvement in her disappearance.

Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force has also dispatched an unmanned submersible vessel. Separately, the US military has dispatched one military aircraft and one vessel to join the mission, said the official, adding that the search has not yet been scaled back.

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Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the crash would be discussed at a meeting with his US counterpart in Washington on Friday, which will also involve the two allies' foreign ministers. "The F-35A is an airplane that contains a significant amount of secrets that need to be protected," Iwaya told reporters. "With the help of the United States, we will continue to take the leading role in investigating the cause of the accident," he said.

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And Hideshi Takesada, a defence expert and professor at Takushoku University in Tokyo, said it would not be a surprise if Moscow and Beijing were engaged in undercover activities to find some of the debris. "Even if Japan and the US find it, they may not disclose details, including its exact lo-

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FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

Columbine-obsessed US teen 29 German tourists killed dead from apparent self-in- in Portuguese bus crash flicted gunshot by Javier TOVAR

OS ANGELES | AFP | 4/17/2019 - A US teenager whose obsession with the Columbine High School massacre set off school closures and a manhunt in the Denver area has been found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said Wednesday. Media reports said 18-yearold Sol Pais's body was discovered near the base of Mount Evans, which dominates the Denver skyline. Jeff Shrader, the Jefferson County sheriff, told a news conference Pais was "deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound." She was discovered by the FBI, which separately confirmed her death. "They are currently processing the scene where her body was found to determine all of the factors that would lead to those conclusions," Shrader said. "I don't believe that they were in active pursuit at the time that she was found dead," he added. Authorities had mounted a massive search for Pais after she traveled from Florida to Colorado, bought a pump-action shotgun and ammunition and was last seen in the foothills around Denver. Pais was not even born when two Columbine students launched their attack with an assortment of guns and bags-full of pipe bombs, killing 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives. Security fears have soared because Saturday is the 20th anniversary of what at the time was the deadliest school shooting in US history, setting off an era of similar massacres at schools and public venues. Colorado authorities, who said Pais was armed and considered "extremely dangerous," had ordered around half a mil-

Sol Pais, 18, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound near the Echo Lake Campground in Mt Evans, just outside Denver, on Wednesday morning lion students to stay at home "due to ongoing safety concerns." Officials posted pictures of Pais, her unsmiling visage framed by shoulder-length brown hair. She was described as five foot, five inches (1.65 meters) tall, and last seen wearing a black Tshirt, camouflage pants and black boots. - 'An infatuation' Dean Phillips, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver office, said Pais had made comments in the past that expressed "an infatuation" with the Columbine massacre and its perpetrators. Concern mounted after investigators learned that upon her arrival at Denver's international airport from Miami on Monday, Pais went to a store in nearby Littleton, Colorado where she bought a pump-action shotgun and some ammunition. Littleton is where the Columbine High School is located, but officials said she did not go to the school. She was last seen on Monday night in the foothill areas around Denver, he said. Shrader said she moved around the city area using a ride-sharing service.

At a news conference Tuesday, Phillips said Pais was considered a "credible threat" but noted the FBI had no information of a specific danger either to Columbine or any other school.

An unknown number of German tourists were killed in the accident in Madeira

"She has had an infatuation with Columbine, with the perpetrators of Columbine, she has made comments to that effect, but she hasn't identified a specific threat to a specific school," Phillips said.

ISBON, Portugal | AFP | Wednesday 4/17/2019 - Twentynine German tourists were killed on Wednesday when a bus crashed on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

The Miami Herald reported that Pais lived in Surfside, Florida and that her parents had reported her missing Monday night.

Televised images showed the bus had spun off the road, apparently having flipped several times, before crashing into a house at the bottom of a slope.

Her father told the newspaper he thought "maybe she's got a mental problem," but added: "I think she's gonna be OK." Every law enforcement agency in the state took part in the hunt for the teen. Columbine has been followed by even deadlier school shootings -- at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia in April, 2007; Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut December, 2012; and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in February 2018.

"Horrible news comes to us from Madeira," a German government spokesman tweeted after the deadly crash. "Our deep sorrow goes to all those who lost their lives in the bus accident, our thoughts are with the injured," he added. Filipe Sousa, mayor of Santa Cruz where the accident happened, said 17 women and 11 men were killed in the crash, with another 21 injured. A doctor told reporters another woman died of her inju-

ries in hospital. "I express the sorrow and solidarity of all the Portuguese people in this tragic moment, and especially for the families of the victims who I have been told were all German," President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told Portuguese television. He said he would travel to Madeira overnight. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa added on Twitter that he had contacted German Chancellor Angela Merkel to convey his condolences. "It is with profound sadness that I heard of the accident on Madeira," he wrote on the government's Twitter page. "I took the occasion to convey my sadness to Chancellor Angela Merkel at this difficult time," he added. The regional protection service in Madeira confirmed 28 deaths in the accident that happened at 6:30 pm (1730 GMT),

while hospital authorities said another woman later died of her injuries. The bus had been carrying around 50 passengers. Regional government Vice President Pedro Calado said it was "premature" to speculate on the cause of the crash, adding that the vehicle was five years old and that "everything had apparently been going well". Judicial authorities had opened an investigation into the circumstances of the accident, the Madeira public prosecutor's office told the Lusa news agency. Medical teams were being sent from Lisbon to help local staff carry out post-mortems on the dead. Often called the Pearl of the Atlantic, Madeira hosts thousands of tourists each year, attracted to its subtropical climate and rugged volcanic terrain.

VOICE OF ASIA 13

Fort Bend View

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

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Ft. Bend Co. amputee athlete near top of Boston Marathon finishes

Fort Bend County woman raced to the finish line of Monday’s Boston Marathon, finishing third in her group.

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Missouri City salutes its own PGA Master Professional Richard Brown III

Nation’s first African-American pro to achieve the golf designation

But, this momentous achievement for Adessa Ellis almost didn’t happen. Eight months after being hit by a suspected drunk driver in Fort Bend County, a second-generation triathlete is opening up about her long recovery. Adessa Ellis Blankenship’s is a story of survival that almost didn’t happen. She was nearly dead on arrival at Memorial Hermann after she was hit in February. According to her and her family, doctors say her Iron Man training and her iron determination may have saved her life. “I was training for my seventh Iron Man, Iron Man Texas,” Ellis-Blankenship says. She was cycling with friends on Highway 90 in Fort Bend County when a car hit her from behind. That was February 20. “Thankfully the paramedics called LifeFlight as quick as they did because upon her arrival, within three minutes, her heart stopped,” says her husband Mack Blankenship. She had collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, broken hip, fractured pelvis, and broken bones in her legs. Doctors had

Adessa Ellis places third in the Boston Marathon. (Photo: KTRK) to perform a risky surgery called an open thoracotomy to put her back together internally. “I’ve seen her almost die. I watched her suffer. I’ve watched suffering that was beyond what a human should have to endure. She’s looked at me more than once and asked me why I just didn’t let her die,” Mack says. Adessa has been in hospitals ever

Sugar Land celebrates arts, cultures with brand new international arts festival

UGAR LAND - Sugar Land’s inaugural International Arts Festival on April 27, from noon to 6 p.m., at The Crown Festival Park at Sugar Land, 18355 Southwest Freeway, will combine two popular events – iFest and Kite Fest. Concluding April’s monthlong celebration of arts and cultures within the city of Sugar Land, this festival will unite the arts by highlighting dance, heritage, music and much more throughout the day, including the area’s first daytime fireworks display that will fill the sky with vibrant colors! Multiple stages will come to life with cultural performances from local area groups as well as musical entertainment from some of the best talent in the area. Activities will include demonstration areas; an artisan’s area; kite-flying zones; and an activity zone complete with a rock wall, inflatables, storytelling, face painting, henna tattoos, craft booths and much more for the entire family to enjoy. Stilt walkers will roam the site enticing the crowd with their visual artistry and movement. Throughout the event, attendees will be able to enjoy kite-flying lessons and participate in several onsite competitions. Competition categories include most unique kite, best onsite food vendor, poster art and chalk art. First- , second- and third-place trophies will be awarded for each category. There is no cost to enter the competition. Beat the lines by registering at www.sugarlandtx.gov/internationalartsfestival. VIP wristbands are required to participate in special festival attractions and activities at the International Arts Festival. Sugar Land residents can receive VIP wristbands at no charge prior to the day of the event, while non-Sugar Land residents may purchase wristbands for a nominal fee of $3 in advance of the event. Residents and non-residents may also purchase VIP wristbands for $5 at the event. VIP wristbands are available now at the Sugar Land Imperial Park Recreation Center, 234 Matlage Way, dur-

ing normal hours of operation. Public parking will be available onsite at the Brazos River Park and The Crown Festival Park at Sugar Land. Participants are encouraged to utilize free shuttles that will run continuously from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from

since. This week, she made the choice to have doctors at Memorial Hermann amputate her left leg. She tells Eyewitness News she made that choice because she has stuff to do. “I lost it. Then I was thinking oh, Paralympics,” she says. “I told everybody in my family and I told every doctor: Tokyo 2020.” “She couldn’t do that if she couldn’t use that leg. And the only we could get full usage of the leg again was to amputate,” adds Mack. While she smiles talking about training and competing again, make no mistake: the last eight months have been hell. “It’s hard. I’ve had to learn how to work every muscle again,” Adessa explains. “I’m still not there, but I’ve seen the progress move along.” “It’s really been just an amazing process watching her recover and watching the community respond to her courage,” her husband shares. Investigators say 25-year old Ryan Cipala, of Richmond, was driving the car that hit her. He’s charged with intoxicated assault. “He belongs in jail,” she said through tears. Adessa wants everyone to know she’s bouncing back. “There’s life after amputation,” she added. - KTRK

Sugar Land Earth Day celebration postponed until May 18

Mercer Stadium, 16403 Lexington Blvd., and University of Houston at Sugar Land, 14000 University Blvd. The Brazos River turnaround under U.S. Highway 59 is closed and will be unavailable during festival operations. Shuttle parking is strongly encouraged to avoid delays entering and exiting the site. Limited handicap parking will be available onsite. Participants planning to park onsite should arrive early and plan for possible traffic delays. The city of Sugar Land and all other sponsors are extremely excited to host International Arts Festival for the entire Sugar Land community. For more information about the event, contact Sugar Land’s Parks and Recreation Department at (281) 2752900 or visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/ specialevents for a complete listing of events. Don’t forget to follow social media for more event information @SugarLandParks. - City of Sugar Land

CALL @866 -723-9393 WWW.TRAVELGUZS.COM

ugar Land’s Earth Day Celebration – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rock – will be postponed until Saturday, May 18. Based on weather predictions, the city, Keep Sugar Land Beautiful and Sugar Land Town Square believe postponing the event is in the best interest of exhibitors and attendees. The event will now take place on May 18 on the plaza at Sugar Land Town Square. Look for more event details coming soon. For updates on the event please visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/earthday or www.kslb. org.

ometimes a golf Master can be found outside Augusta National Golf Club. One such pro—Richard Brown III—plays right here in the “Show Me City”. Brown has a long-range of golf success soaring from California to New Jersey to MCTX. During his time in Missouri City, Brown’s continued winning results have earned him one of golf’s most prestigious designations—PGA Master Professional. The Northern California native has been the Director of Instruction at Quail Valley Golf Course since 2012. And in 2018, he received the Master status, making him 1 of only 372 golfers to achieve this level—and the first African American to achieve this status— since the program began in 1969. “Richard becoming the first African American to earn Master Professional status in the history of the PGA, exemplifies the future of the game,” said Tyson Stittleburg, PGA Professional and General Manager of the Quail Valley Golf Course & City Centre. “Golf is an international sport that crosses cultural boundaries and Richard is showing many others that there are opportunities to play or even have a career in golf, no matter your background.” • The process of earning Master status is rigorous. Golfers must: • Be a Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) member for a minimum of 10 years; • Have PGA certification in the area of mastery; • Submit a literature review; and • Complete a three-phase dissertation Once approved by the PGA’s Education Department, golfers must prepare a presentation with a defense and lastly, perform a 30-minute golf lesson.

“Not too many people pursue certified professional or master,” Brown said. “Roughly out of 29,000 PGA members, probably six percent of those have gone through the certified process, and then out of the master, only one percent.” Bringing this designation to the “Show Me City” is a cause for celebration, and the MCTX team is proud of what one of our golfers has accomplished. “Earning PGA Master Professional designation takes years of hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence in the golf industry,” Stittleburg said. “Richard exemplifies each of these attributes. He also expects and motivates his students for the same. This is why he has been so successful.” Brown followed the teaching route because of his upbringing. “My mother was in education so I was always around education as a child,” he said. While he grew up around education, Brown didn’t plan on getting into golf. After a baseball injury, he stumbled into the game. “I got hit in the ankle with a pitch, and I had to walk as part of my rehab. Kids in the neighborhood would say ‘We go to this little pitch n’ putt and you can come with us and walk with us.’” Brown was reluctant to join his friends, but after debating going with them, he finally agreed. “The first couple of holes I watched them do their thing. I didn’t think anything of it,” he said. “After I took the first swing and hit the ball I was like ‘Wow, this is interesting.’ I continued on and played other sports throughout high school and I always gravitated back toward golf.” - City of Missouri City

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Priyanka Chopra-backed dating app Bumble debuts in India

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

Amyra Dastur shoots more for ‘Mental Hai Kya’

Sonam Kapoor on being body-shamed People asked who will marry me, called me ‘too dark, too fat, too tall’

ctor-filmmaker Arbaaz Khan’s online show Pinch has managed to grab eyeballs, thanks to all the interesting people who have graced it so far. Actor Sonam Kapoor joins the list of celebs including Kareena Kapoor, Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan and Sonakshi Sinha, who have appeared on the show earlier. Arbaaz shared a teaser of Sonam’s episode, which will air on April 16.

India is the first country in Asia to get Bumble, which was founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd (left) shortly after she left Tinder, a dating app she co-founded.

ctress Priyanka Chopra’s maiden venture as an investor in social and dating application Bumble, which has been launched in India, aims at bringing social change and women empowerment by letting only the woman make the first move in heterosexual matches.

that. Only 30 per cent users are using it exclusively for dating, and there’s a huge chunk looking at the business networking and friend finding. We are just trying to facilitate the digital empowered version of what we all need in the physical realm -- which is connections in business, friendship and love,” said the 29-year-old Herd.

India is the first country in Asia to get Bumble, started by Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014. In October this year, Bumble had stated that it plans to enter the India market by the end of this year. The company had roped in Priyanka Chopra as “partner, advisor, and investor” earlier this year.

Sarah Jones Simmer, Chief Operating Officer, Bumble, said they understand that there may be reserved mindsets about dating in India, but they saw the country as a progressive society. “Our eyes are open to the challenges, but we see them as opportunities,” Simmer said, adding that they may look at spreading their wings later by creating a physical place for people to connect -- akin to a Bumble Spots pilot they are doing in the US.

Herd told IANS “It was Priyanka Chopra’s idea to get Bumble to India. We always had India on the radar but we thought it might be a long time from now. When Priyanka and I were sitting next to each other at a dinner, we were sharing our missions and visions about the planet, and what we care about.”

As for competition, there are apps like Tinder, Truly Madly and OKCupid in India. But Herd is confident about what she is offering.

“We realised we care a lot about the empowerment of girls and women around the world, and she said it’s remarkable what you’re doing with Bumble, and this is so important for India. Let’s take it there.” Herd added.

“Competition is a great thing. It means that the need is validated... But with what we have, there is no competitor. We are approaching this with a true desire to create change and impact, and to empower women and men globally. A lot of the platforms that you may think are competitors, are truly just entering the market for numbers. That’s what sets us apart.”

Bumble claims to have 45 million users in 140 countries. Apart from being a date-finding platform, it also facilitates friendships with its “BFF mode” and business networking via Bumble Bizz.

The idea, as Priyanka’s manager Anjula Acharia - who is also a strategic advisor for Bumble in India - said, emerged as they felt women in India don’t just need dating apps, but something which helps them in all areas of life.

US is the largest market for Bumble, but its high-growth markets include Australia, Canada, UK, Germany and Netherlands. For the Indian market, language and cultural localisation has been done. Available in Hindi and ‘Hinglish’ on iOS and Android, Bumble has incorporated a religion filter, apart from letting users mention astrological signs, whether the person drinks or smokes, has pets or not, and the option for women to only mention the initial of their first names -- giving them the choice to disclose only what they want. “In India, Bumble started in October 2018, and it’s doing well so far. It goes to show there’s a real need, and the statistics are promising in a short time. You would assume it’s just another dating app, but it’s so much beyond

“Priyanka is very purpose-driven. She is very driven by things that make the world better and have a social impact,” Acharia, who has a huge role to play in the actress’ successful crossover from Bollywood to Hollywood. The actress will be the brand’s face in the country, but her “celebrity status is only the icing,” Herd said. “We never even approached our work with Priyanka thinking she’s a celebrity. We clicked with her passion to chase a common vision and mission with us and that is what became so special about this collaboration. -ET

In the short teaser, Sonam talks about a host of topics — talking nation (desh) on Twitter, body-shaming, whether Kareena is on Twitter or not and trolls. For all fans of Kareena, there is good news and a bad one -Sonam has revealed in the teaser that she knew “for a fact” that Kareena is on Twitter, though under a pseudonym. She also said how for a long time she was constantly body-shamed saying “People would say, bahut patli hai, bahot moti ho gayi hai, kaali ho gayi hai, lumbi ho gayi hai, shaadi kaun karega” (she is too thin, too fat, too dark, too tall, who will marry her) and that it was not the right thing to do. Sonam also said that haters were actually lovers, before signing off. Pinch has been making waves since its launch. One of features of the show is that they discuss what trolls write. Arbaaz read out to Kareena how a troll had blasted Saif Ali Khan for allowing Kareena to wear a bikini. Not one to take things lying down, Kareena had hit back: “Who is Saif to stop me from wearing a bikini anyway? Because I don’t think my relationship is as such that Saif would ever tell me why are you wearing a bikini or why are you doing such things or what? I don’t think so at all. I think we share a very responsible relationship. He trusts me and when I am wearing a bikini then obviously there’s a reason I am wearing it: I am taking a dip,” she said. - Hindustan Times

Randeep Hooda defends Alia Bhatt

andeep Hooda has tweeted words of support to his Highway co-star Alia Bhatt after she was attacked by Kangana Ranaut again. He said he is glad she is not letting Kangana’s opinions affect her. “Dearest @aliaa08 I’m so glad you are not letting the opinions of very occasional actors and chronic victims affect you and your work .. kudos to you for your continued efforts to outdo yourself,” he wrote in his tweet.

Camp Kangana was quick to retaliate. Her sister Rangoli Chandel launched an attack on Randeep for supporting Alia and called him a ‘permanent failure’. “The nepotism gang couldn’t muster the courage so E-mail: srichardslaw@aol.com they put you on the frontline to save Alia baby. I • Relative Petitions • Removal or Deportation Defense know what you • Citizenship • Consular Processing did during Un• Green Cards • Extensions / Change of Status gli, how much you harassed • EB1, EB2, EB3, NIW • Asylum Kangana and how big a bootOther types of cases such as removal of conditions licker you are on residence, E, H-1B, L, O, P visas, of Karan Johar. Even then, you PERM Labor, Appeals, Waivers etc. could not amount to anything. At Our business is rated A+ by the least people like BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. Alia are successful due to their sycophant nature but you are a permanent failure.) Call Now for Your FREE Consultation -HT

UMBAI – Actress Amyra Dastur has shot a few fresh scenes for “Mental Hai Kya”.

The film was supposed to come out in March and has now been pushed to a May or June release date. According to a source, it was earlier said there was patchwork left to be shot and finished, but it turned out to be some new scenes for the actress, who will be seen as Rajkummar Rao’s on-screen love interest. Amyra’s character plays an important part in the development of both Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar’s characters. She said: “Working on this set is sort of like home for me. Shaileshji (Shailesh R. Singh) launched me in ‘Issaq’, so I trust him blindly when it comes to the film. If he says I need to shoot more, then so be it.” She is excited about having shared screen space with Kangana and Rajkummar. - IndianNewEngland.com

Big B encourages people to try luck on KBC 11

mitabh Bachchan is encouraging common people to try their luck by participating in the upcoming season of the TV quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati-11.’

show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ has been gaining popularity every year. This is the first-ever TV show where a megastar like Bachchan appeared on small screen.

As the registration of the show starts from May 1, a promotional video released on social media by the channel Sony Entertainment Television shows how Bachchan is interacting with commoners: When a housewife who has tried to participate for seven years and failed decides to give up; Bachchan says, “Pehle hi haar manjayenge, to jitenge kaise? (if you give up in the beginning, how will you win?)”

Last month Bachchan shared, “So prep for ‘KBC’ starts and here we are running into introductions, systems, learning new inputs, rehearsing, getting ready for another year.”

Starting from the year 2000, the quiz

“It’s 2019 and it all began in 2000. 19 years and a gap of about two years when it did not happen for me. But 17 years is a lifetime and a lifetime that was given a lifeline by you,” he wrote on his blog.

The break was good for my craft: Aditya Roy Kapur

ditya Roy Kapur, who is awaiting the release of “Kalank” and is gearing up for two more films, says a break of two years in his career has been good for him to approach his craft better.

“It required me to do something. I am the happiest when I am at a film set, so after two years when we started shooting, I was more than excited. That break in between was good for me because I had a fresh approach to

“In ‘Kalank’, I am playing a character which is quite strong, quiet, a little complex, yet interesting. That drew me towards the character when I heard the narration from director Abhishek Verman.

my performance,” Aditya told IANS.

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“As actors, when we keep working every day, after a point of time we just know all our emotional cards and how to play them. It becomes a little mechanical because we can combine only that much to bring variety. “However, taking a break offered me new perspectives and perhaps that is why I am so excited now to work in films back-to-back,” added the actor, who rose to fame with “Aashiqui 2”. Aditya’s acting talent and screen presence has always been appreciated, but that hasn’t necessarily translated at the box office with releases like “Daawat-e-Ishq”, “Fitoor” and “Ok Jaanu”. - IndianNewEngland.com

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‘Grease’ prequel ‘Summer Loving’ in the works

aramount Pictures is looking to add a prequel to the “Grease” movie franchise, attaching the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” scriptwriter to new project “Summer Loving.” Actress Michelle Yeoh (© AFP PHOTO / Philippe Lopez)

Michelle Yeoh signs on for ‘Avatar’ sequels

ichelle Yeoh has been cast as scientist Dr. Karina Mogue in James Cameron’s forthcoming “Avatar” movies, as per the franchise’s social media channels. “Throughout her career, Michelle has always created unique and memorable characters. I look forward to working with Michelle to do the same thing on the Avatar sequels,” said Cameron. 2009 fantasy epic “Avatar” grossed $2.8 billion worldwide. “Avatar 2,” the first of four follow-ups, is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2020. The following films will release on the same weekend over the next few years, with “Avatar 3” releasing on December 17, 2021, “Avatar 4” on December 20, 2024, and “Avatar 5”

on December 19, 2025. Cameron and Jon Landau are producing via their Lightstorm Entertainment company. Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver will return for the upcoming films, joined by Kate Winslet and Oona Chaplin, in addition to Yeoh. “Crazy Rich Asians” star Yeoh, whose credits include “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Memoirs Of A Geisha” and “Tomorrow Never Dies” will next be seen in “Last Christmas” alongside Emilia Clarke and Golding, as well as in sci-fi action film “Boss Level.” She will also be headling a new “Star Trek Discovery” spinoff. - Relaxnews

Classic 1978 musical film “Grease” is to receive a prequel in “Summer Loving,” taking its title and inspiration from the original movie. Movie writer John August has been attached to the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter. His previous screenplays and stories include action movies “Charlie’s Angels” (2000) and its direct sequel “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” as well as the May 2019 reworking of Disney’s “Aladdin.” He’s also collaborated with Tim Burton (and, by extension, Johnny Depp) on a number of occasions, having notched writing credits on “Big Fish,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Corpse Bride,” “Dark Shadows” and “Frankenweenie.” “Summer Loving” is the opening line of “Grease” song “Summer Nights,” in which lead characters Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson tell their friends about how they first met. Of course, the details and direction of the tale differ according to the storyteller, but the song ends with both wondering whether they will meet again.

Doing it for themselves: Female shows take TV by storm

‘Grease’ was a smash hit at the box office and in record stores following a 1978 film debut. (© All rights reserved - Paramount Pictures / Wikipedia) The film then follows the pair, and their friends, as they deal with various social pressures before deciding if, and how, they can continue their romantic pursuits. Based on the 1971 musical, “Grease” generated a best-selling soundtrack album, an Oscar nomination (though for “Hopelessly Devoted to You”

rather than the more upbeat “Summer Nights” or “You’re the One That I Want”), and a 1982 sequel; just as the first film helped establish John Travolta and Stockard Channing, “Grease 2” did the same for relative newcomer Michelle Pfeiffer, despite its otherwise poor reception. - Relaxnews

‘Stuber’ trailer takes rideshare driver on action-packed cop case

Spanish actresses Aixa Villagran, Leticia Dolera and Celia Freijeiro of ‘Perfect life’ pose on the pink carpet during the closing night of the 2019 Cannes International Series festival Canneseries. (© Valery HACHE / AFP)

tsunami of dramas about women having to deal with useless, no-good and even murderous men is about to break on television screens across the world. From Latin America to Australia, the aftershocks of the #MeToo movement are being felt in the way women are being portrayed, with a sharp spike in female-driven stories. Millennia of patriarchy have given women creators selling their shows at the giant MIPTV market on the French Riviera at Cannes plenty of material to work with. Spanish actress Leticia Dolera heralded a new order with a rousing feminist speech when “Perfect Life”, the series she wrote, directed and starred in, took the top prize at the parallel Canneseries festival. She dedicated her win to all the women “who have fought stereotypes being forced on them, and all those who weren’t able to.” There was also stirring talk from veteran actress Diana Rigg, an early icon of girl power in the 1960s as Emma Peel in “The Avengers”, who hailed Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s cult BBC show “Fleabag” as a “major step forward for women. “Real women as they are” are finally being seen on screen, she told AFP. - ‘Taking power’ Analyst Virginia Mouseler of The Wit database said the big trend in global drama is “women on the verge of everything -- nervous breakdowns, rage and taking power.” The biggest cable show in Ameri-

ca this year is “Dirty John” starring Hollywood star Eric Bana as a really bad guy who manipulates a spectacularly wealthy woman. Based on the true-crime podcast, it comes with a companion documentary about the serial crook, who earned his nickname from his rampant philandering. Over the border in French-speaking Canada, audiences have been glued to “Monster”, another drawn-fromlife story of a violent, gaslighting truly nasty man who tries to control his young wife. But women get revenge for a sex crime from the past in the new Swedish show “Honour”, Mouseler said. The tale of four avenging female lawyers has already been snapped up by a string of European broadcasters. - ‘Disastrous males’ Another murder story with a more ironic edge, “Bad Mothers”, has been a big hit Down Under. Its five female friends also have to deal with a complement of “disastrous males”, the analyst said. There are bellylaughs aplenty -mostly at men’s expense -- in the hilarious Spanish series “Dangerous Moms”, a big hit with movers and shakers at Cannes which also won the MIPTV drama prize. Like “Perfect Life”, which beat the acclaimed tragi-comic Israeli series “Nehama” (Widower) and “The Walking Dead” creator Channing Powell’s compelling new digital age thriller “The Feed”, “Dangerous Moms” owes a debt to cult Spanish director Pedro Almodovar in its comedy.

Dolera urged women that now is the time to “tell your stories. Writing with empathy is a great tool to fight against hate, ignorance and machismo. “Culture should include a woman’s point of view,” the Catalan actress added. “Tell your story and spread the message,” she declared, her voice cracking with emotion. Women activists put their lives on the line to save the rainforest and its indigenous people from a powerful gold mining company in the new big-budget Brazilian series “Aruanas”. Mouseler said its motifs of “girl power, #MeToo themes, disastrous men and a group of women overcoming adversity” were typical of the new wave of female-centred dramas including the highly rated British university-set show “Cheat” and the Dutch crime family saga “Judas”. These themes are also seeping into historical dramas, like the South American hit “Argentina, Land of Passion and Revenge” and the Ukrainian epic about a woman who becomes the sex slave of a feudal lord, “Love in Chains”. There is a place for men, however, in this new order. The forthcoming Spanish-language Netflix series “Toyboy” features a male stripper who moonlights as a prostitute, servicing wealthy female clients, until he gets framed for murder. “Not all men are bad,” Mouseler quipped. - AFP

Theatrical poster image for ‘Stuber’ © 20th Century Fox. [Stuber | Official Trailer: youtu.be/i5l6a5RiR1E]

t’s a cab ride from hell, thanks to the combination of mildmannered Uber driver Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) and pumped-up LAPD cop Vic (Dave Bautista). Buddy cop movie “Stuber” shows off the goods in a debut trailer that pairs Stu, a timid and polite Uber driver hoping for a crucial five-star rating, with hulking police office Vic, hot on the trail of a deadly criminal. Set for a July 12 theatrical release in US cinemas and that week onward around the world, the “Stuber” trailer was shown at last week’s Cinemacon after the movie was screened at SXSW in March.

It pairs Kumail Nanjiani of comedies “Silicon Valley” and “The Big Sick” with action movie star and WWE wrestler Dave Bautista of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” James Bond movie “Spectre,” and “Blade Runner 2049.” Also featuring are Bautista’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” castmate Karen Gillan, Natalie Morales of “Santa Clarita Diet” and “Parks & Rec,” and martial arts star Iko Uwais of “The Raid: Redemption” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” - Relaxnews

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Starting classes later could help reduce risk of road accidents among young people

Researchers from the Farwaniya Hospital, Kuwait and Boston Children’s Hospital in the USA investigated the impact of a 50-minute delay in the early hours of the school day with students aged 16 to 18 years old. The study compared extensive data over two consecutive academic years in Fairfax County, Virginia, one of the largest school districts in

the United States. Data from two academic years was compared: 2014-15, when classes started at 7:20 AM, and 2015-16, after the delayed start was implemented (8:20 AM). Data from Fairfax County Youth Survey (annual health and well-being survey of middle and high school students) was used to determine the adolescents’ average sleep duration and their attitude to driving under the influence of alcohol. According to figures taken from the Department of Motor Vehicles of Virginia, there was a 5.25% decrease in the accident rate among teen driv-

ers between the two academic years studied. A significant reduction was also seen in distraction-related accidents (8.7%) and alcohol-related accidents (20%). During this same time period, there was an increase in teen accident rates by 3.5% in the rest of the state of Virginia. “Interventions in reducing sleep loss in young drivers such as delaying school start times may significantly reduce needless injuries and deaths due to drowsy driving,” concluded Dr. Saadoun Bin-Hasan, lead researcher. - Relaxnews

Rising startup founders highlight Young Entrepreneur of the Year category

he nominees for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category at this year’s GeekWire Awards prove that you can accomplish a lot by the time you’re 30 if you catch the startup bug.

After three years at Amazon, Mitra Raman caught the entrepreneur bug. Inspiration struck when her mother bagged up all of the ingredients needed to cook rasam, one of her favorite dishes growing up. All she had to do was add hot water.

As part of our annual GeekWire Awards event, we recognize rising stars under the age of 30 who are building startups in the Pacific Northwest. We’re soliciting votes for six promising young entrepreneurs to choose a winner, with input from more than 30 judges in the tech community. On May 2 we will announce the winners live on stage at the GeekWire Awards — presented by Wave Business — in front of more than 800 geeks at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. Community voting ends April 19. The 2019 nominees are Slope cofounder Brian Bosché; Rad Power Bikes co-founders Mike Radenbaugh and Ty Collins; Loftium co-founder Yifan Zhang; Buttermilk founder Mitra Raman; and Possible Finance cofounder Tony Huang. Last year, the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award went to Phil Kimmey, co-founder of the peer-to-peer petsitting startup Rover. This year, we wanted to learn more about our nominees so we went straight to the source. GeekWire con-

Mitra Rasan, founder of Seattle-based Buttermilk Co. (The Buttermilk Co. Photo) tacted their close family members to get the inside scoop on what makes them tick as entrepreneurs. Learn more about each nominee below, cast your vote, grab a ticket, and we’ll see you at the GeekWire Awards! - Mitra Raman, Buttermilk Mitra Rasan, founder of Seattlebased Buttermilk Co. (The Buttermilk Co. Photo)

“An idea was born,” Raman told GeekWire last year. She quit her gig at Amazon and struck out on her own, launching The Buttermilk Co., a meal delivery kit startup that charges $6 for meals such as the vegetable wheat porridge dish Khichdi and the lentil dish daal.

Mitra’s husband, Amar Rao, said her entrepreneurial plunge was in-character. “She is always working hard and never settles or gets complacent,” he said. “Whenever she finds herself getting comfortable, she starts looking for the next and biggest challenge and, for the most part, succeeds in all her undertakings,” he added. - Geekwire

House Dems unveil legislation aimed at curbing youth tobacco use by Juliegrace Brufke

wo Democratic House lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled legislation aimed at tamping down the uptick of tobacco and e-cigarette use in young people. Under the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act — spearheaded by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), the former secretary of Health and Human Services under the Clinton administration — the government would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21 years of age. The bill would also make it unlawful for companies to market their cigarette and ecigarette products to those under 21. Additionally, the legislation would

require tobacco companies to include “graphic health warnings” on cigarette advertisements and packages and extend Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations pertaining to cigarette sales and distribution to include smokeless and e-cigarette products. Non-face-to-face tobacco sales would also be barred if the bill is signed into law.

to appeal to young people to get them addicted to nicotine and tobacco,” Pallone said in a statement. “Congress must act to reduce youth nicotine addiction by making it clear that selling tobacco products to kids is illegal.”

Proponents of the bill cite statistics from a 2018 report from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing there has been a 78-percent increase in e-cigarette use among high school students.

“Our bill, The Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act, takes concrete steps to limit access and the appeal of tobacco products to people under 21,” she said in a statement.

“The Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act makes clear that we will not tolerate the proliferation of slick new products purposefully designed

Shalala noted statistics show adults are less likely to use tobacco products if they did not start using them when they were young.

“At the end of the day, our main goal is to reduce the number of kids using tobacco products in the United States.” - The Hill

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Cypress Woods student wins 1st place award at the Texas State Science and Engineering Fair

Cypress Woods High School junior Govind Chada won the 1st place award at the 2019 Texas Science and Engineering Fair in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics category for his research project on early detection of lung cancer using machine learning.

Delaying school start times by 50 minutes significantly reduced teen driving accidents by 5.25%. (Photo © LPETTET / IStock.com) new study, presented at the CHEST Congress 2019 which opened its doors this Wednesday in Bangkok, Thailand, shows a significant decrease in road accidents among teenagers when morning classes start later.

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

April 4, 2019—Cypress Woods High School junior Govind Chada won the 1st place award at the 2019 Texas Science and Engineering Fair in the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics category for his research project on early detection of lung cancer using machine learning. More than 1,200 students showcased their projects and were judged by experts in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the state competition held at Texas A&M University in College Station on March 29-30, 2019. These students gained eligibility to participate in the state’s premier science and engineering competition by qualifying as a top finisher from one of the 13 regional science fairs across Texas. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the U.S., with more than a hundred thousand deaths every year and a very low 5-year survival rate. Chada’s research was motivated by the fact that early detection of lung cancer significantly improves chances of survival and prognosis. Through research conducted for nearly a year, he developed a machine learning model that detects lung nodules with stateof-the-art accuracy. In addition, he applied a novel visualization technique that allows radiologists to see how the algorithm is making its decisions, thereby increasing their trust in the model. Chada plans to continue work in this area and hopes to see his research being used by radiologists in practice to save lives. His project was titled “Using 3D Convolutional Neural Networks for Classification of Lung Nodules and Early Detection of Lung Cancer” “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my teachers and administration for the encouragement and support I received in pursuit of my extracurricular activities. I have been very fortunate to have great teachers who spend countless hours after school and weekends creating strong STEM and leadership programs and inspiring us to be the best we can,” Chada said. As a 1st place winner, Chada was awarded a scholarship to attend the prestigious Governor’s Science and Technology Champions Academy summer camp to be held in July at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

When parents should start saving for college by Jacob Heller

t’s high school graduation season and teenagers across the country will soon be headed off to college for an exciting, albeit expensive, education. Here is what you can do now to plan and relieve some of that future financial stress. At 22-months-old, Blair Miller is more concerned with her toys than her transcripts. But, that’s not stopping her mom and dad from planning for college already. “Books, puzzles, that stuff is great, but being able to help her in that way, is equally beneficial, I think, at this point,” said mother Alyssa Miller. Even before Blair was born, parents Alyssa and Derek made some adjustments to their monthly budget, with their daughter’s higher education in mind. They set up a college fund and slowly started secreting money away. “We had a goal of what we wanted to be able to save a month, to have enough that when she did turn 18 and decide to be able to enter college, so it was just small, and then working up to that goal, it didn’t happen overnight,” said Miller. But, the two say it is happening. Financial Advisor Brandon Creech says getting started early will be a big help. Creech says his advice is to always save early and save often. Families can start by establishing a college savings plan, like a 529, allowing you to put money in on a tax-free

basis. And anyone, including family, can contribute to those types of plans. “It’s a real easy way for people to save and is one of the more commonly known plans that are out there right now,” said Creech. But, even with the best planning, Creech says college costs can quickly add up. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re exploring all options, like checking for any available scholarships and financial aid. He also says not every student is cut out for the traditional 4-year route. Community colleges and tech. schools should also be Considered, too. Regardless of what route Blair pursues, the Miller family is confident they’ll all be ready. “I think it’s just going to give us some peace-of-mind to be able to say that if she wants to go somewhere in state or a 2-year school, and then go somewhere else, just that whatever she wants to do, we will be able to help make that happen,” said Miller. The Miller family is confident they’re setting Blair up for success, without a ton of student debt to hold back her future. If you still have questions, please contact a trusted financial planner. That person will be able to help make sure you’re on the right track with savings during every step in your child’s life. - Fox44 News

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FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

April is Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Month

April is Autism Awareness Month

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Eye’ll bee damned: woman finds insects in eye April is Stress Awareness Month-Relieve it without F Medicine our “sweat bees” that had been living in a Taiwanese woman’s eye were removed by a doctor who described his surprise at finding a “leg with hair, protruding from the eyelid”.

The tiny insects, which are just three milimetres (one-tenth of an inch) long, were discovered after the woman -- known only as Ms Ho -- sought treatment for an itchy and swollen left eye, Dr Horng Chi-ting said. “I think the Halictidae mistook the eyelid for an armpit,” he told AFP, using another name for “sweat bees” that are attracted to sweat, adding it could be the first case of its kind worldwide. Horng looked closely at the woman’s streaming eye and “was surprised to find a back leg with hair protruding from the eyelid. I didn’t know what the insects were,” he told AFP. He then sent the insects to a professor at National Taiwan University for identification. The 29-year-old woman’s ordeal began when she was out weeding her

A woman thought a contact lens was causing an itchy eye but was suprised what her doctor found. (Photo © Shuttermon / IStock.com) ancestors’ graves at the end of last month and felt a gust of wind blow something into her eye, Horng said. “Luckily the Halictidae didn’t attack her eye and they were removed relatively quickly,” he said.

“She thought the itching was caused by her contact lens and did not rub her eye. That would have crushed the poisonous bees to blind her.” It took Ms Ho three days to recover, Horng said.

‘First’ 3D print of heart with human tissue, vessels unveiled by Delphine Matthieussent

EL AVIV, Israel | AFP | Monday 4/15/2019 - Scientists in Israel unveiled a 3D print of a heart with human tissue and vessels on Monday, calling it a first and a “major medical breakthrough” that advances possibilities for transplants.

Get out of the house. Spending time outdoors, even close to home, is linked to better well-being. You’re in a natural setting, and you’re usually doing something active, like walking or hiking. Even a few minutes can make a difference in how you feel.

The heart produced by researchers at Tel Aviv University is about the size of a rabbit’s.

“People have managed to 3D-print the structure of a heart in the past, but not with cells or with blood vessels,” he said. But the scientists said many challenges remain before fully working 3D printed hearts would be available for transplant into patients. Journalists were shown a 3D print of a heart about the size of a cherry, immersed in liquid, at Tel Aviv University on Monday as the researchers announced their findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Science. Researchers must now teach the printed hearts “to behave” like real ones. The cells are currently able to contract, but do not yet have the ability to pump.

A 3D printed, small-scaled human heart engineered from the patient’s own materials and cells. (Photo via TAU) dures will be conducted routinely,” he said. But he said hospitals would likely start with simpler organs than hearts. - Producing ‘ink’ In its statement announcing the research, Tel Aviv University called it a “major medical breakthrough”. Cardiovascular disease is the world’s leading cause of death, according to the World Health Organization, and transplants are currently the only option available for patients in the worst cases. But the number of donors is limited and many die while waiting. When they do benefit, they can fall victim to their bodies rejecting the transplant -- a problem the researchers are seeking to overcome.

Then they plan to transplant them into animal models, hopefully in about a year, said Dvir.

Their research involved taking a biopsy of fatty tissue from patients that was used in the development of the “ink” for the 3D print.

“Maybe, in 10 years, there will be organ printers in the finest hospitals around the world, and these proce-

First, patient-specific cardiac patches were created followed by the entire heart, the statement said.

Using the patient’s own tissue was important to eliminate the risk of an implant provoking an immune response and being rejected, Dvir said. “The biocompatibility of engineered materials is crucial to eliminating the risk of implant rejection, which jeopardises the success of such treatments,” said Dvir. Challenges that remain include how to expand the cells to have enough tissue to recreate a human-sized heart, he said. Current 3D printers are also limited by the size of their resolution and another challenge will be figuring out how to print all small blood vessels. But while the current 3D print was a primitive one and only the size of a rabbit’s heart, “larger human hearts require the same technology,” said Dvir. 3D printing has opened up possibilities in numerous fields, provoking both promise and controversy.

“The MediMap tests were intended to provide additional information to physicians in discussions with their patients regarding medication options,” reads an Inova statement, which said it began offering the tests as a tool for doctors based on industry guidelines, with the understanding that the FDA’s review wasn’t required. “After thoroughly reviewing the let-

ter, which clarified the FDA’s approach to laboratory developed tests (LDT) for pharmacogenomics, Inova has decided to end MediMap tests,” the statement reads.

agency. “Inova takes seriously FDA’s Warning Letter and is considering this recent clarification to assess the appropriate path forward to address FDA’s concerns,” that statement read.

Inova’s five MediMap tests have been used by physicians to help predict drug response, dose and side effects for patients within the Inova Genomics Laboratory. The health system has informed these doctors of the decision, it said.

As genetic testing to identify patients’ risks for developing diseases becomes more prevalent in health care, so does pharmacogenetics — or the study of how genetics affect patients’ reactions to certain medications.

Inova issued an initial statement last week after receiving the April 4 FDA letter, indicating it had suspended MediMap testing so it could work on getting the requested information to the

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Listen to the music- Music can help you calm down. In one study, people had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol when they listened to a recording of Latin choral music before doing something stressful than when they listened to a recording of rippling water. Talk to a friend. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, seek out the company of a friend or loved one. Have a friend who’s dealing with the same worries as you? Even more reason to open up. You’ll both feel less alone. Work it out- When you work up a sweat, you improve your mood, clear your head, and take a break from whatever is stressing you out. Whether you like a long walk or an intense workout at the gym, you’ll feel uplifted afterward. Most Medicare advantage plans and some other health plans have this benefit included in the plan.

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 Meditate – Believe in your faith. A still mind is a stress-free mind, so take a deep breath, quiet your thoughts and let the stress melt away. Even ten minutes of meditation done daily for the next 30 days will do wonders for releasing stress in your life. Be Positive - No matter what challenge you may be facing, do your best to think about it positively and then let that new positive mindset become your focal point. Help others – Give a helping hand. Be volunteer. Sometimes the best way to deal with stress is by providing relief to someone else. Putting your focus on others takes the focus off your own challenges leading to less rumination and stress. Look around you, see who needs help, and then offer yours. Be determined - Taking control of your personal health can make a great difference in the amount of stress you feel. The best way to reclaim control of your life is by taking charge of your body. Whether it is through diet, exercise, or simply getting that checkup you’ve been putting off, let April be the month you put yourself back in control. Thus, by practicing above tips and avoiding any anti-depression medicine one enjoy a stress free life. As discussed, stress can cause any health problem directly or indirectly. It can affect the health insurance cost or one ends paying more by visiting doctors and other healthcare providers more often. You can control health insurance cost by controlling your own stress. To choose right health plan, Medicare, Long Term Care etc. contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900.

The technology has developed to include 3D prints of everything from homes to guns.

Inova ends genetic tests that elicited FDA warning nova Health System will no longer offer a series of genetic tests after the Food and Drug Administration warned the system that it had illegally marketed them without the agency’s required clearance.

Live in presence-Enjoy the day. Do not think about something bad happened in the past or what might happen in the future. Focusing on this perfect moment, right now, provides a magical escape from the disappointment of what once was and the fear of what might be. Join a laughing club. If you can’t laugh join the club. As you know, laughing is the best medicine. Watch a funny video or a funny movie or show. Get a giggle by reading funny book or greeting cards.

While it remains a far way off, scientists hope one day to be able to produce hearts suitable for transplant into humans as well as patches to regenerate defective hearts.

It marked “the first time anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart replete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers,” said Tal Dvir, who led the project.

veryone feels stressed from time to time. How you handle stress makes a big difference in how you feel. It might even help your blood pressure, blood sugar level, and the many more. Use these calming strategies to stop stress If left unchecked, it tends to be a real joy-killer. This, of course, makes it harder for us to live Complaint-Free, happy lives. Stress can also lead to a number of major health problems, ranging anywhere from anxiety to severe depression and from mild headache to life-threatening heart attacks, so it is easy to see why it is so vitally important to keep life’s major stressors in check. Since April is National Stress-Awareness Month, let us learn how you can be less stressful. So here is a list of 10 positive ways you can tackle stress in your life and keep your own stress levels under control.

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Global life expectancy up 5.5 years since 2000: WHO

lobal life expectancy grew by 5.5 years between 2000 and 2016, the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning though that unequal income and access to healthcare translates into far shorter lives for many. The UN health agency also stressed significant gender differences in life expectancy worldwide. On average, a child Global life expectancy grew by 5.5 years between 2000 and 2016, accordborn in 2016 can expect ing to the World Health Organization. (Photo © shapecharge / IStock.com) to live 72 years, up from 66.5 in 2000, according to the annual World ple on average live to be just ratio shifts as the population Health Statistics report. 52, or 53 in the Central African ages. The first 16 years of the cen- Republic 53 years of age, comAt a global scale, girls born tury saw dramatic drops in pared to over 83 for Switzer- in 2016 are expected to live to deaths among children under land and over 84 in Japan. the age of 74.2, while and boys five, especially in sub-Saharan While most people who die on average will make it to 69.8 Africa, where progress has in rich countries are old, nearly years, the report showed. been made against malaria, one in three deaths in poorer One reason why women apmeasles and other communi- countries are children under pear to live longer is that they cable diseases, WHO said. five, WHO said. tend to be better about using Life expectancy has also in- ‘Shocking differences’ available healthcare. creased thanks to advances For the first time, WHO broke In countries facing HIV epiagainst HIV/AIDS, which ravaged much of Africa in the down its global health statistics demics, for instance, women by sex, clearly showing that are far more likely to take HIV 1990s. females have better longevity tests and access antiretroviral But despite progress in poor- prospects than males. therapies than their male couner countries, WHO said there At birth, babies are more like- terparts. Female TB patients remained significant life expecly to be male than female, with are also more likely to seek tancy gaps between developed some 73 million boys expected treatment, WHO said. and developing nations. to be born this year, compared It is therefore perhaps not People in low-income coun- to 68 million girls, WHO said. surprising that the gap between tries live 18 fewer years on avBut due to greater biological men’s and women’s life expecerage than those in high-income frailty and riskier behaviours, tancy is narrowest in places nations, statistics showed. mortality rates tend to be higher where women lack access to In Lesotho, for instance, peo- among boys and men, and the health services.

Airborne plastic particles blanket remote mountains: study

Major melon recall for salmonella includes Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, Kroger, and more by Josh West

ASHINGTON, April 14, 2019 - A voluntary recall by Caito Foods including pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fruit medley products is underway as the company reports a possible salmonella contamination, CNN reports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration made the announcement on Friday. So far, 93 suspected salmonella cases have been reported. The outbreak now spans a total of nine states: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. While there are no known deaths as a result of the contamination, 23 individuals have been hospitalized so far. According to the FDA, Caito Foods has suspended the production and distribution of the

problem products while they work with the FDA to identify and mitigate the source of the problem. Affected products were sold in clamshell containers made of clear plastic. They were sold under a variety of brandname labels, including Amazon, Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, Walmart, and Trader Joe’s. A complete list of all recalled products is posted at FDA.gov. “Because it is possible that products could still be on store shelves, this recall extends to both retailers and consumers,” the FDA said in a statement. “Consumers should not consume the product and should promptly dispose of any remaining product.” According to CNN, salmonella is responsible for as many as 1 million cases of food-related illnesses in the United States each year. Symptoms typically begin within 72 hours of ingesting the bacteria and can last

up to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. While it is true that most patients will recover on their own without medical treatment, those who experience severe diarrhea may need to be hospitalized. In severe cases in which patients are not properly treated, death can result. “Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis,” the FDA says in their posting regarding the outbreak. The investigation into this particular outbreak is ongoing and Caito Foods has not commented on the matter. - Source: Inquisitr

One in 3 cancer patients uses alternative approaches such as yoga, acupuncture by Traci Pedersen

new survey reveals that one in three cancer patients uses complementary and alternative treatments such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture, herbal medicine, chiropractic care and supplements. Herbal supplements are the most commonly used forms of alternative medicine, as well as chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Interview Survey. The findings, published in the journal JAMA Oncology, also show that among patients who use alternative approaches, 29 percent do not inform their doctors. “Younger patients are more likely to use complementary

and alternative medicines and women were more likely to, but I would have thought more people would tell their doctors,” said study author Dr. Nina Sanford, an assistant professor of radiation oncology from the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center in Dallas. Many survey respondents reported that they did not say anything because their doctors did not ask, or they did not think their doctors needed to know. Sanford and other cancer specialists agree this is concerning, especially in the case of herbal supplements. “You don’t know what’s in them,” Sanford said. “Some of these supplements are kind of a mishmash of different things. Unless we know what’s in them, I would recommend pa-

tients avoid using them during radiation because there’s likely not data on certain supplements, which could interfere with treatment. With radiation specifically, there is concern that very high levels of antioxidants could make radiation less effective.” Dr. David Gerber, a lung cancer specialist at UTSW, said physicians need to know if their patients use herbal supplements because they can completely throw off traditional cancer treatments. “They may interact with the medicines we’re giving them, and through that interaction it could alter the level of the medicine in the patient,” he said. “If the levels get too high, then toxicities increase, and if the levels get too low, the efficacy would drop.” - Source: UTSW

Researchers measured particle concentration in an area long considered to be among the most pristine in western Europe, and found that concentrations of microplastic pollution were on par with major cities, including Paris and Chinese industrial city Dong. (Photo © editorial_head / IStock.com)

ARIS, Apr. 15, 2019, AFP A secluded mountain region thought to be free of plastic pollution is in fact blanketed by airborne microplastics on a scale comparable to a major city such as Paris, alarmed researchers reported Monday. Over a five-month period in 2017-2018, an average of 365 tiny bits of plastic settled every day on each square metre of an uninhabited, high-altitude area in the Pyrenees straddling France and Spain, they reported in the journal Nature Geoscience. “It is astounding and worrying that so many particles were found in the Pyrenees field site,” said lead author Steve Allen, a doctoral student at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. The study focused on microplastics mostly between 10 and 150 micrometres across, including fragments, fibres and sheet-like pieces of film. By comparison, a human hair is, on average, about 70 micrometres in width. “We would never have anticipated that this study would reveal such high levels of microplastic deposits,” added co-author Gael Le Roux, a researcher at EcoLab in Toulouse, in southwestern France. Plastic litter has emerged in the last few years as a major environmental problem. Up to 12 million tonnes of

plastics are thought to enter the world’s oceans every year, and millions more clog inland waterways and landfills. Plastic takes decades to break down, and even then continues to persist in the environment. Scientists are only now beginning to measure the damage to wildlife and potential impacts on human health. A study earlier this year uncovered plastic fragments in the guts of animals living more than 10 kilometres below the ocean surface. Two whales found beached since the start of the year -- one in the Philippines, the other in Sardinia, Italy -- had 40 and 20 kilos, respectively, of plastic in their stomachs. Microplastics have also been found in tap water around the world, and even the furthest reaches of Antarctica. - As polluted as Paris “Our most significant finding is that microplastics are transported through the atmosphere and deposited in a remote, high-altitude mountain location far from any major city,” co-author Deonie Allen, also from EcoLab, told AFP. “This means that microplastics are an atmospheric pollutant.” Researchers used two monitoring devices to independently measure particle concentration in an area long considered to be among the most pristine in

western Europe. The nearest village is seven kilometres (more than four miles) away, and the nearest city, Toulouse, is more than 100 kilometres. While the scientists were able to identify the types of plastic, they could not say with certainty where they came from or how far they had drifted. Analysing the pattern of air flows, they surmised that some particles had travelled at least 100 kilometres. “But due to the lack of significant local plastic pollution sources, they probably travelled farther,” Deonie Allen said. Samples -- transported by wind, snow and rain -- were collected at the meteorological station of Bernadouze at an altitude of more than 1,500 metres. The researchers were stunned to find that the concentrations of microplastic pollution were on a par with those found in major cities, including Paris and the southern Chinese industrial city of Dongguan. “Our findings are within the range of those reported for greater Paris, and can thus be considered comparable,” Deonie Allen told AFP. “We did not expect the number of particles to be so high.” - AFP

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BEAUTY & SKINCARE

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Face serums get fruity for summer

Pantene explores strict Japanese school rules for hairstyles with new campaign

ace serums are getting a tropical update for summer 2019: we take a look at some of the newest and the fruitiest on the market. Pineapple

antene has launched a new haircare campaign in Japan, ality, both chosen and innate. Overly focusing on the prevalence of strict school rules are restricting both strict hairstyle rules in public schools. types and no one seems to understand why.” He added: “We hope that the The Procter & Gamble (P&G) brand ‘#HairWeGo What’s Wrong With My has unveiled “#HairWeGo What’s Hair’ campaign will bring attention Wrong With My Hair,” a social cam- to this issue, and provide a catalyst paign that aims to encourage discus- for dialogue that will help create a sion about hairstyle rules in Japanese society where students are respected schools, which often require students as individuals.” to keep hair in low ponytails, dye their As part of the campaign Pantene naturally brown hair black, or offer proof of their natural color via a ‘Natu- spoke to 1,000 current and former high school and middle school stural Hair Certificate.’ dents and teachers about haircare “News of high school students being rules, and discovered that both groups forced to dye their hair black provided had questions about the need for such the inspiration for this campaign,” said strict regulations. The research found Yoshiaki Okura, Regional Associate that, while one in 13 current and forBrand Director, Hair Care Focused mer middle and high school students Market at Procter & Gamble, in a state- said they had been “urged” to dye ment. “Hair represents one’s individu- their brown hair black, 70% of teach-

ers had “doubts” about hairstyle rules at their school. Pantene is not the only brand to explore the link between hairstyles and individuality recently. Popstar Kelly Rowland teamed up with Dove back in February to pen a new single, “Crown,” about hair confidence. The track aimed to encourage girls to feel confident in wearing their hair how they choose, and was inspired by several real-life stories of girls dealing with bullying or being sent home from school for their hairstyles. To watch the video, see https:// youtu.be/ILNVgpCltuw - Relaxnews

K-beauty favorite Glow Recipe is preparing to launch its brandnew ‘Pineapple-C Bright Serum’ this Friday. Featuring a fruity formula packed with 22% pure Pineapple Juice to brighten and exfoliate, as well as Chamomile, Aloe, and Vitamin E to soothe the skin, this is a serum that promises to pack a summery punch. https://www.glowrecipe.com Strawberry Strawberry-derived Vitamin C forms the basis of Volition Beauty’s new ‘Strawberry-C Brightening Serum,’ which promises to brighten and hydrate, as well as reduce the appearance of redness, fine lines and wrinkles. Kakadu Plum also helps to create a dewy complexion, while cucumber fruit water calms the complexion.

Kiwiberry Omorovicza’s ‘Daily Vitamin C’ serum contains Kiwberry, which is a naturally rich source of Vitamin C, to help protect the skin from stress and photo-ageing. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate also protects the skin from environmental stressors and Hyaluronic Acid keeps the complexion hydrated. https://www.omorovicza.com From left to right: Belei Retinol Refining Moisturizer, B e l e i Tr i p l e Peptide Eye Cream, Belei Ferulic Acid + Vitamins C and E Serum, Belei Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid (Photo © Belei by Amazon)

label.

The online retail giant, which

has been a major beauty shopping destination for some time, has unveiled the in-house brand ‘Belei’, a 12-piece line of skincare products that are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates and fragrance and are not

PINEAPPLE-C BRIGHT SERUM by Glow Recipe © Courtesy of Glow Recipe

https://volitionbeauty.com

Amazon launches in-house beauty brand

mazon has officially entered the beauty arena with the launch of its own skincare

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

tested on animals. The line, which is now available on the Amazon website, has been designed to tackle a range of skin issues, such as acne, dullness and dehydration.

5 feminine scents for the summer season

ow that warmer weather is making its way to much of the northern hemisphere, major perfume brands are revealing their spring and summer fragrances, many characterized by fresh, light notes that are a perfect match to the season. Fruits and flowers are gradually replacing the heavier scents of winter. Read on for an overview of the women’s fragrances that will keep you intoxicated until the fall.

youth or dare™ multi-acid & C serum by Tarte Cosmetics © Courtesy of Tarte Cosmetics

Apple Tarte’s ‘Youth Or Dare’ serum contains two different types of Vitamin C to keep the skin looking plump and healthy, as well as fruity apple extract and Hyaluronic Acid to plump out the complexion. https://tartecosmetics.com Broccoli Although not technically a fruity serum, Edible Beauty’s ‘Glowing Skin Smoothie’ contains myriad vitamin-rich ingredients, such as Broccoli Seed Extract to help protect the skin from UV rays and free radicals, and apple and banana extracts to keep the complexion hydrated and supple. https://ediblebeautyaustralia. com - Relaxnews

Strawberry-C Brightening Serum by Volition Beauty © Courtesy of Volition Beauty

CK One Summer by Calvin Klein Calvin Klein has released an eyecatching limited edition of its “CK One Summer” fragrance with bright, pop-art inspired colors. As a bonus, small stickers included on the back of the packaging allow you to express your personality and customize each of these unisex fragrances. > Composition: a mix of quince, tangerine, bergamot and water lily, with accords of ‘Icelandic blue lagoon,’ juniper berries, coriander, matcha tea, Siberian driftwood, musk and blue amber. Created by Carlos Vinals. Jimmy Choo Floral by Jimmy Choo Jimmy Choo celebrates the rebirth of nature at the heart of the city as well as femininity and elegance with his new fragrance based on a bouquet of flowers. A fruity, floral, and musky perfume created by nose Louise

Jimmy Choo Floral by Jimmy Choo (© Courtesy of Jimmy Choo)

Turner. > Composition: notes of bergamot, nectarine, mandarin, magnolia, sweet pea, apricot blossom, combined with scents of ambrox, musk and white woods Miami Blossom by Escada As it does every year around this time, Escada has unveiled the latest version of its celebrated summer collection. This season, the brand celebrates the glamour of Miami with a limited edition full of sunshine and freshness, dominated by flowers and fruits. Created by Caroline Sabas. > Composition: a combination of watermelon, orange, tiare flower, jasmine, tuberose, pineapple, sandalwood and musks. Mon Guerlain, Bloom Of Rose by Guerlain

CK One Summer by Calvin Klein

Guerlain presents a new facet of the “Mon Guerlain” women’s fragrance, strong and modern, with its new eau de toilette Bloom of Rose. Co-cre-

ated by master perfumier Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk, the scent calls you to make the most of the here and now. > Composition: the core of the original perfume is a combination of Carla lavender, Sambac jasmine, vanilla tahitensis and Australian sandalwood are enhanced with notes of neroli and Bulgarian rose. Mon Paris Parfum Floral by Yves Saint Laurent

Miami Blossom by Escada (© Courtesy of Escada. Le parfum “Miami Blossom” issu de la collection estivale d’Escada)

The latest edition of the “Mon Paris” perfume by Yves Saint Laurent, with a scent designed to evoke passion and desire. A bold fragrance that, as the name suggests, explodes into a striking floral bouquet. Developed through close collaboration between Dora Baghriche and Olivier Cresp. >Composition: notes of bergamot, pear, raspberry and peach, mingled with scents of datura, Sambac jasmine, orange blossom, magnolia and peony. All combined with essence of patchouli, musk - Relaxnews

Mon Guerlain, Bloom Of Rose by Guerlain (© Courtesy of Guerlain)

TRAVEL & LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 20

Four Seasons is answering that by throwing lavish parties around the world by Tanner Saunders

rying to book a cheap flight can be demoralizing. You find a perfect nonstop flight that’s miraculously in your price range, but while you take a day to think it over, the fare increases. Or, you book what seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime fare only to realize you arrive at your destination two days later after three layovers and an overnight in an airport.

But while boutique hotels are popping up faster than Kylie Jenner can post to Instagram, one luxury hotel brand is luring in the youthful, influencerinspired crowd with the thing they love the best: parties.

The first event outside of North America, the Four Seasons Pop Down Hong Kong took the series to the next level. Set in a vacant retail space in Hong Kong’s Central district, surrounded by storefronts from the biggest names in fashion, this exclusive, invite-only

event was never really what it seemed from the street. The front was, well, a front, and a seemingly hip bakery disguised the main attraction. Invited guests climbed through a retro refrigerator and into a culinary scene unlike any other during Hong Kong Art Week. Inside the blue- and purplehued, mirror-lined event space, party goers were dressed to the nines while they snacked on international-inspired dishes and sipped on masterfully designed cocktails. Chef Chan Yan Tak — the culinary vision behind Four Seasons Hong Kong’s Lung King Heen and the first Chinese chef to ever be awarded three Michelin stars — served a baked fermented bean curd bun with chicken and pottage, while Chef Marshall Allen Roth of the Four Seasons Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah

Island handed out twice baked potatoes with an entirely unexpected piece of — hold for dramatic effect — savory beef tenderloin hidden in the middle. The Pop Down highlights the best of the brand by turning the concept of a hotel on its head. First, that the event isn’t even at a Four Seasons property is proof that a hotel brand doesn’t just need its hotel to be relevant. Today’s modern, millennial traveler can be wowed by an experience on and off of the property. They want cocktails in Hong Kong from a Mixologist from Seoul, like Keith Motsi’s Ribena-based concoction, before cracking open a giant golden chocolate walnut that looks like it popped out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. - Travel + Leisure

Are lab-grown diamonds sold online the future? by Pamela Danziger

lean Origin is what happens when three deeply-embedded jewelry industry executives put their heads together to create a business aimed at the future of the jewelry market—Millennials and GenZ customers. Clean Origin sells the jewelry Millennials and GenZs want–lab-grown diamonds— the way they want to buy them—online—and at lower prices—more bling for the buck. Clean Origin is the brainchild of Alexander Weindling, thirdgeneration diamond merchant and former global managing director for Georg Jensen; Ryan Bonifacino, former chief marketing officer and digital vice president of Alex and Ani, one of the fastest-growing jewelry brands in the U.S.; and Terry Burman, who served as CEO for Signet Jewelers, Sterling Jewelers and chairman Zale Corporation, and is now chairman of the board for Abercrombie and Fitch and Tuesday Morning, All three company principals took a hiatus from the jewelry industry, giving them a unique outsiders’-insiders’ perspective of the industry. “We were done with the trade,” Weindling shared with me. I went on to be a private equity hack, but people keep calling me with the lab-grown diamond transition. Once I saw that you can make real gemstone-quality diamonds with no visible difference–Understand, I was trained in diamonds since I was in diapers and I couldn’t see the difference. “I called Terry and said I have this mad idea to run by you,” Weindling says. “I talked for an hour and he didn’t say anything. I had been there before with Terry and he ripped me apart. I expected the same. But when I stopped talking about this new idea, all he said was ‘Flawless.’” Not only did Burman give his stamp of approval, but he became a seed investor in the company that was to become Clean Origin. “It is partly the result of technology that allows gem-quality diamonds to be produced. But consumers now accept that these lab-produced diamonds are chemically and visually the same as mined diamonds and serve the same purpose,” he continues, but with the added benefit that lab-grown diamonds are more affordable. “These young couples are just starting out and their budgets are pressed. They can make a choice for a bigger dia-

This is how to find the best airfare every time, according to a flight deal expert by Evie Carrick

or millennial travelers, luxury doesn’t always equate to cool. Five-star hotels with turndown service, Michelin-starred restaurants, and a staff where everyone knows your name isn’t necessarily what younger crowds are looking for.

The Four Seasons Pop Down is a “global series of immersive events” designed to highlight the very best of the luxury brand’s chefs, mixologists, and hospitality from Four Seasons properties around the world. Designed to be bold and unexpected, the “Pop Down” — a clever play on the current trend of pop-up shops and restaurants — is actually more than a party: It’s an international event that’s taken over locations from an abandoned school house in Philadelphia to a $500-million yacht in Miami.

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

It’s all too easy to give up, book a significantly more expensive flight, and cut your losses. But as any seasoned traveler knows, when you give in, your wallet takes a hit. There are people who’ve made it their career to find cheap flights and beat the system, and Scott Keyes, co-owner of Scott’s Cheap Flights, is one of them. Keyes’ team of flight experts spend their days deal hunting so you don’t have to. Whenever they find a killer deal (think an average of $550 in savings per ticket booked), they send their newsletter subscribers an email. Keyes, who got hooked on deal hunting after once finding a $130 roundtrip ticket to Milan, is all about saving money on airfare. Here are his personal tips for planning travel. He makes cheap flights the true priority. Everyone says they want cheap flights, but Keyes says that considering the way most people go about planning their trip, “it’s not surprising that it ends up resulting in not very good fares.” A typical person’s booking process, he says, is: Figure out where you want to go, come up with travel dates, and then look at tickets. Keyes turns this strategy on its head by first looking at what destinations are offering cheap tickets and picking dates based on when there are low fares. “By doing that, rather than trying to pigeonhole the exact city and dates, you’re much more likely to get a deal,” he said. He doesn’t fall for advertised fares.

A lab-grown diamond engagement ring. (Photo: Clean Origin) mond or a better color or better quality without overrunning their budgets,” Burman says. “It is a great opportunity for them to get the diamond ring they really want.”

also offers larger CVD (carbon vapor deposition) stones with overnight delivery. But like mined diamonds, these higherquality CVD gemstones are in short supply.

“We set out to do something very simple: win on price, win on product selection and have the best possible customer experience with a team of experts that don’t win unless the customer wins,” Bonifacino adds.

“This is complex materials science. There aren’t that many people who have the secret sauce,” Weindling shares.

Plenty of venture capital dollars are backing other direct-toconsumer “disrupter” jewelry brands because of the market share shift that Burman refers to. So far Clean Origin has resisted that temptation, relying instead on the team’s years of experience in the jewelry business. “ What we are building is the ultimate fusion of modern DTC expertise and generations of supply-chain mastery led by actual jewelry-industry veterans , unlike others that only bring one side of the equation,” Bonifacino says. “Digitallynative brands without jewelry expertise lack value creation, while legacy brands are tone deaf to the evolving needs and expectations of the new consumer.” “We are jewelers and that is a huge difference,” Weindling adds. “We are looking to win through truth and transparency.” As Burman sees it, the company’s expertise in all that goes into creating a beautiful piece of diamond jewelry is a huge advantage for Clean Origin. “Alex [Weindling] spent a lifetime not just in diamonds but in the jewelry business. He knows how to source the best-quality rings with the best materials and mountings. Our offering is well rounded, high quality and we offer great service along with the purchase of a diamond,” he says. In addition to selling set labgrown diamond rings which are custom-crafted and delivered in nine days, Clean Origin

Lab-grown diamond market feels growing pains As we closed our discussion, I asked about the push back against lab-grown diamonds from the traditional mineddiamond industry. “Any new technology is going to face resistance,” Burman says and predicts, “ As the market shifts, eventually most if not all companies are going to want to get into this product. ” Weindling gets more philosophical. “This is existential for them. If they can kill labgrowns, then they will. But I am not here to say anything bad about anyone else, so why are they?” Clean Origin’s answer, according to Weindling, is to give people a choice with truth and transparency. At the same time, some labgrown companies are testing the limits of last year’s Federal Trade Commission’s new guidelines. Under those guidelines, the FTC allowed companies that sell lab-growns to call their products “diamonds” as long as that word “is immediately preceded with equal conspicuousness by the word ‘laboratory-grown,’ ‘ laboratory-created,’ ‘[ manufacturer name ]-created,’ or some other word or phrase of like meaning, so as to disclose clearly the nature of the product and the fact it is not a mined gemstone.” Late last month the FTC sent letters to eight lab-grown diamond companies, including Diamond Foundry and seven others not identified, claiming some of their website, Instagram and Twitter ads may not comply with its ruling or that their claims of environmen-

Keyes says if there’s one thing the travel industry doesn’t want you to know, it’s that, “Almost all advertised fares are frankly pretty garbage and you can do yourself a service by ignoring them.”

tal responsibility may not be backed up by reliable data. Weindling reports that Clean Origin did not receive one of those letters and “will not receive one as we have, from inception, been ahead of the FTC and in full compliance.” He further said that after hearing about the FTC letters, they had the company attorney, who was formerly the lead counsel for the FTC, confirm their status. “The FTC’s job is to protect consumers,” responds Weindling. “The FTC is trying to be the arbiter for the truth to the consumer and I applaud it. Truth is our friend.” On the other hand, he takes issue with the “mining interests that are seriously trying to denigrate the value and perception of lab-grown diamonds.” That effort will undoubtedly continue as the consumer market continues to shift as they learn more about this less expensive man-made alternative to mined diamonds with the same composition and visually identical without special equipment. As for the environmental claims, Weindling says, “I am not a scientist, but when openpit mines are visible from space, I am confident other non-scientists will prefer labgrown diamonds.” “Our ambition in bringing lab-grown diamonds to a new generation of consumers is centered around the fundamental belief that a new standard has to be set which starts with sharing generations of expertise through the digital conversation,” Bonifacino says. Burman gets back to the fundamentals. “In any retail business, you always must think of putting the customer in the center of it. In this case, it is a product they want and that they can buy at a better price.” - Forbes

Why? Because the truly good fares sell and market themselves.

lower price and maintain the $39 a year cost until they cancel their membership.

For example, Keyes says airlines will advertise flights to Europe for $600 to $800, but the real deals are the $400 fares that his team sees pop up fairly regularly.

He books first, thinks later.

He knows cheap, last-minute fares don’t exist. When Keyes knows he wants to go to a certain destination, he’ll start watching flights early, monitor prices, and purchase when the ticket price drops. He says that the theory that you should wait until the last minute to book flights because airlines will drop prices to fill the plane, is completely untrue. With business travelers booking last minute, airlines will actually boost fares when the departure date looms. He books Scott’s Cheap Flights finds, too. When his team found a ticket from the U.S. to Japan for $170 roundtrip, Keyes – and practically everyone on the Scott’s Cheap Flights team – jumped on it. This sort of deal is what Keyes calls “the holy grail of the cheap flight world” – they’re mistake fares, or prices that airlines publish on accident. Finds like this are only sent to Scott’s Cheap Flights’ premium members. Premium members pay $39 a year for access to these mistake fares, deals for peak seasons and holidays, coveted flights to Hawaii and Alaska, and early review of the deals regular members see. On April 18 the premium membership fee is increasing from $39 to $49 a year, but since Keyes says, “Members never see a price increase,” deal hunters can sign up at the

Keyes takes full advantage of the 24-hour free cancellation window when booking flights. Thanks to strict regulations by the Department of Transportation, any flight brought to or from the U.S. (on either domestic or foreign airlines) can be canceled without penalty, for at least 24 hours after the reservation is made as long as the ticket is booked at least one week prior to the flight’s departure. “So let’s say that the $130 flight to Milan pops up and I’m trying to get ahold of my wife. Because it’s a mistake fare there’s a good chance that the flight won’t be around for three hours,” he explained. So rather than waiting around and hoping the airline doesn’t correct their mistake, he’ll book “a few different travel dates with the understanding that you’ve bought yourself 24 hours of time to make a decision.” Keyes warns the 24-hour rule only applies to flights booked directly with the airline or with certain booking engines – like Priceline. He isn’t loyal to certain airlines, but does save miles. “I don’t have a favorite airline and purposely so,” Keyes said, since his true loyalty is to cheap flights, no matter what airline they’re on. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get into frequent flier miles. In fact, this summer, he plans to travel domestically to take full advantage of his wife’s Southwest Companion Pass. Anytime she has a ticket on Southwest, he can fly for free along with his daughter, who’s still a lap child.

This record-breaking pizza has 154 different kinds of cheeses

ohnny di Francesco, the chef at Melbourne, Australia’s 400 Gradi, knows a challegne when he hears it, according to Guinness. The small chain of pizzerias had already had a 99-cheese pizza on the menu — originally conceived based on a joke in the 2014 film version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles where

Donatello calls a pizza with 99 different types of cheeses a “culinary impossibility.” “While the 154-cheese pizza may not have been a culinary impossibility, it was certainly a culinary challenge! We knew it was an ambitious idea, but probably more-so than first anticipated,” - Food and Wine

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FASHION & STYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 21

A new school for sustainable fashion that’s free by Esha Chhabra

imon Collins who previously worked as the Asia-Pacific Creative Director at Nike cofounded WeDesign, a digital platform that houses interviews with founders, academics, and experts on all things art and design. It’ll now also host content on sustainable fashion.

powerhouse for the past two decades and often questioned for its working practices, could actually be a blueprint for sustainable manufacturing practices in the next decade. “China will play a very, very important role. It has the scale, the capacity and the enthusiasm to impact sustainability on a global level,” he argues. “China is able and willing to make big

sustainable fashion from different angles: Matt Scanlan, for example, as a founder and CEO of a brand, Naadam, to consultants like Julie Gilhart who have been working in the industry for a decades, as well as academics. “This is not a sequential course. It’s continued learning, where you can dip in and listen to one of the conversations and then bounce to another. We’re hoping that these conversations lead to a spark and show viewers that this is real. These are actual success stories to get people to think about how they can be a part of it, or replicate it,” McCarthy says.

“Over the next three years, WeDeHis hope is that sign will create the WeDesign a major worldplatform will class design bring together a school in China, community of plus a series of students, execs, smaller satellite designers, and design facilities even manufacacross China turers. “Right and the West,” now, all the consays Collins who versations are partnered with happening in Chinese entrevery segmented preneur He Mei ways, and we’re to build WeDehoping to bring sign. “We will all that together. provide highIn fact, I see my quality design role professioneducation to evally as far more eryone from preof a connector K to senior execthese days,” he utive, for people adds. following a deBut in the efsign career and forts of teaching for those who entrepreneurs are not. We will Yue-Sai Kan with Simon Collins. (Photo: Yue-Sai Kan China Beauty Charity and CEOs how expand the onFund) to become more line platform and sustainable, are enable everyone, everywhere, regardless of means, to changes very quickly. They have less they leading them down a tricky path? history and infrastructure to deal with. Realistically, manufacturing comes study design to improve their lives.” with its negative externalities. Jasonpaul McCarthy, who also men- They have technology and logistics to affect change very quickly and on a “No one can be 100 percent sustors emerging brands like New York City-based Behno, which sells ethical- large scale. WeChat has 1.2 billion us- tainable. And we’re aware of that. ly-produced bags and leather products ers and JD.com has 800 million cus- But we’re pushing these individuals from India, says, “It’s time. We’ve tomers so they can spread the word to think about having more measured outcomes, making that change, and fobuilt up the conversation around sus- and make changes pretty effectively.” But is it that simple? For large com- cusing on the tangible steps that can be tainability. But now people are asking for where they can go to find the right panies, pivoting in a new direction, achieved,” McCarthy clarifies. manufacturers or people they can hire, changing supply chains, and workTo make this a reality, the tripartite collaborate with it. It’s much more ing with new manufacturers, or even program on offer here will include onabout the practical elements of run- working with the same ones but de- line masterclasses, five days in New manding higher standards, can be York City of what Collins and McCarning a business.” That’s where this new online plat- challenging. So how will this actually thy define as “intensive education and form hopes to fill a gap: giving aspir- transcend the digital world into real- behind-the-scenes exposure to the best thinking and practices around sustaining entrepreneurs in sustainable fash- world change? “The biggest driver for any brand to ability,” and a visit to the upcoming ion with essential knowledge and a community that they can tap into for move toward sustainability is a genu- Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2019, ine commitment from the very top of which has become somewhat of a references, tips, and know-how. mecca for those in sustainable fashion. The funding for this online content the organization,” he adds. “Without McCarthy is also well aware that has been provided by the Yue-Sai Kan that, then nothing of any great note China Beauty Charity Fund (CBCF). will happen. We have people like this program could outgrow its China The organization has an annual China Larry Fink [CEO of Black Rock] and focus. With a growing interest in susFashion gala, which raised money Francois-Henri Pinault [CEO of Ker- tainable fashion from India, Africa, to fund this new initiative, officially ing] who are putting sustainability on and South Amertitled the CBCF Executive Education the corporate agenda with a penalty ica, they could expanding in Sustainable Fashion program. This for not addressing it. It feels like a be year’s gala, held on May 1st in New tidal wave that will leave no one un- quickly to accommodate talent and York City, will honor Taiwanese fash- disturbed.” So far the content of the WeDesign interest from new ion designer Jason Wu. geographies. Collins is convinced that China, online course includes conversations with individuals who are coming at - Forbes which has been such a manufacturing

FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

Why organza Kanjeevaram saris need to be on your radar this summer

by Shalini Shah

rendered unidentifiable?

hrough design intervention and harnessing tradition, Bengaluru-based label Advaya by the House of Angadi is breathing new life into Kanjeevarams, a centuriesold weave There is the kind of Kanjeevaram sari you’re familiar with—rich, like sunlight itself caught and woven into fabric, viscous, like tar made of gold. Beautiful, yes, but a little intimidating. The weave that draws its name from a little town in Tamil Nadu is crafted in pure silk yarn and real zari, factors lending it the durability and eternal appeal that make Kanjeevaram saris the stuff of heirlooms. More recently, Deepika Padukone was in the news when she chose a red and gold Kanjeevaram for her Konkani wedding ceremony, soon followed by an all-over gold one at her Bengaluru reception. The source of her much talked about drapes? Advaya by the House of Angadi, the latter a Bengaluru-based company with a 600-year-history of being in the textile business. But aren’t we a little too precious with our Kanjeevarams? Storing them away for distant occasions that hold promise, an insurance against ordinariness when the event is anything but. But what if you wedge open the window a little bit, air things out? Take the best that traditional knowhow has to offer and tinker with it, introducing a little gene that will make the fabric behave a little differently, feel different, but not so much that it’s

What if, for instance, you play around with the weight and opacity of a traditional Kanjeevaram? Or introduce a new yarn into the silk? For K Radharaman, design head and CEO of Advaya, the limited-edition label that focuses on Kanjeevaram, jamdani and Kota saris, the path to be treaded is between glorious tradition and necessary innovation. So while you will find the coveted 100 per cent silk Kanjeevarams at Advaya, there have also been innovations like the organza Kanjeevarams, linen-blended Kanjeevarams and khadi Kanjeevarams. “The point of design is to differentiate,” says Radharaman, “It’s not just about taking a fabric and creating a garment; this process [of innovating on a fabric] starts before even a single thread is in place. It’s an abstract process, there is no visual proof… What we house in Advaya and the designs we develop there are a radical departure from convention. A typical textile designer plays with motifs, colour, whereas I go a step beyond that. When you think of a Kanjeevaram, for instance, you’d automatically imagine silk that is shiny, that drapes a particular way, that is meant for certain occasions… I believe most people have a wrong notion of even that, because most of the Kanjeevaram you see in the market is not real; it’s a very poor representation of what a Kanjeevaram is and what it should be… The techniques have to be followed.” - Vogue India

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FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

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STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: OFF TO THE RACES

When you find some time, READ!

READ DAILY! 15 - 30 minutes of reading daily helps your brain focus better. Grab a novel! A Community message from Voice of Asia Group

Texas

Week of April 19, 2019 21 March to 20 April Friday brings a full moon in Libra, which could intensify feelings around a relationship. It’s an opportunity to clear the air as well as enjoy spending quality time with each other. You may be very eager to connect with someone you admire.

21 April to 20 May Will you be in the mood to explore more unconventional love during the Venus-Jupiter retrograde square at the beginning of the week? Maybe. But making sudden changes isn’t advised. Indulge in activities that satisfy your senses.

21 May to 20 June You have one more week before the energy begins to lighten and support the kind of progress you enjoy most. It’s a good time for a holiday. If you have work partners, pay careful attention to what they say. Be patient with small-minded people.

21 June to 22 July You may have a serious itch this week - to travel, learn something new, make a foreign friend, or speak a new language. Each of these has a unique benefit to your money life going forward, so it’s best to check out whatever seems most interesting.

23 July to 22 August Guess what, Leo? The moon is in dreamy Pisces at the start of the week, so you might have stars in your eyes when it comes to romance. Is it love at first sight or are those just your rose-colored glasses talking?!

23 August to 22 Sept You’re in good shape now. You might be more susceptible to subtle atmospheres that cause you to feel off center. You aren’t about to catch a virus, but your boundaries may not be as strong as usual. You may feel overwhelmed, but you can try visualization to help ward off those negative energy fields.

astrology.com

23 September to 22 Oct The full moon is in your sign on Friday, putting all of the focus on relationships. You’re a fair and balanced lover who matches best with other openminded air signs who value honesty. Sexy Venus enters powerful Aries late in the week, so you might have some unexpected passionate moments!

23 October to 21 Nov You’re incredibly psychic now. You may find that you can make some money through sheer intuition. Being at the right place at the right time to find out about an exciting new opportunity or getting a certain feeling about a particular stock.

22 November to 21 Dec Other people’s reactions to you may hold the biggest lessons this week. This can be a stressful period personally and professionally. Monday is the most powerful day of the month to find a new job or start a new project.

22 December to 20 Jan You’re developing a new relationship with your health. You may be drawn to some interesting alternative healing methods. You’re eager to experiment and willing to try anything to bring your health into harmony with yourself.

21 January to 19 Feb Holding back isn’t exactly your forte. You won’t always get what you want by taking a direct approach, but you’re too impatient to think things through now. Financial matters might be emphasized. This is a good time to confirm someone is going out with you for the right reasons.

20 February to 20 Mar You can be a conformist at times, and this week you may have all you need to keep this going in your life. New energy infuses your house of cash and values, facilitating a kind of pause for you. In this quiet moment, you’re thinking about what you are and are not willing to do for money.

ACROSS 1. Goes with flows 5. Worry excessively 9. Occasional heart condition 13. Well-____ machine 15. *War Admiral’s 1938 experience 16. Sudan’s neighbor 17. a.k.a. Pleasant Island 18. Great Salt Lake state 19. Marching band member 20. *Unlikely champion during Great Depression 23. Shiny wheel part 24. Religious Wednesday 25. Don’t just stand there! 27. A cool ____, as in money 28. Come off 30. Type of cabbage 33. Never without “n” 35. Infection of the eyelid, pl. 38. Ethiopian currency 39. Sea swallows 41. Arm bone 42. Best of the crop

DOWN 1. Longest division of time 2. Objectivity preventer 3. Like most-desired ribbon 4. Evening in Roma 5. Turn red 6. Co-eds’ military org. 7. Isaac’s firstborn 8. Informal wear 9. Part of play 10. *____ Downs 11. Olden day women’s riding garb 12. Dutch cheese 14. Home to Burj Khalifa 21. Florida Key, e.g. 22. Steeped beverages 26. Opposite of potential 27. Caribbean rattle 28. *Race, literally 29. European sea eagle 30. *Official Kentucky Derby broadcaster 31. Lungful

44. Aid in crime

32. *Second leg of the Triple Crown

45. Away from wind

34. Calf at a grocery store

46. Sourly

36. Between NE and E

48. Snakelike reef dweller

37. Sigma Alpha Epsilon

50. Winter glider

40. Beer garden mug

51. ____ as a fiddle

43. Catcher’s catcher

52. Peter of the Lost Boys

47. Drooping neck skin

53. *”The Most Exciting ____ ____ in Sports”

49. Chopin’s composition

59. December 24 and 31

51. Law business entities

61. Bear’s hang-out 62. Retire from military 64. *Official flower of the Kentucky Derby 65. Attention-getting interjection 66. Napoleon’s stay on St. Helena, e.g. 67. Bear constellation 68. Play on words, pl.

50. Relish tastebuds’ sensation 52. Paddington Bear’s homeland 54. Pearl Harbor island 55. Demeanor 56. SMS 57. Chieftain in Arabia 58. Aria, e.g. 60. Poseidon’s domain 63. *Trifecta or Exacta

69. *Between walk and canter

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FRIDAY, April 19, 2019

Home&Real Estate Houston housing market thrived in March but condos still lagged by Corina Munez

ingle-family home sales ticked up nearly 5 percent in March compared to a year earlier, according to the Houston Association of Realtors. Homes priced between $250,000 and $500,000 gained the most sales activity, closely followed by homes priced above $750,000. Housing inventory also notched a significant increase compared to last year, its highest level in five months. Single-family home sales rose to 7,072 in March. That’s compared to 6,740 last year, a 4.9 percent increase. Housing inventory went up by 17.5 percent, from 34,991 active listings in March 2018 to 41,127 this year. The median price of single-family homes sold rose to $240,000, a modest 2.1 percent increase compared to last year’s $235,000. Single-family average sales price rose a comparable 2 percent, jumping from $292,966 to $298,766. The sale of townhouses and Con-

dominiums experienced a seventh consecutive month of dips. March saw a 9.2 percent decrease with 551 units sold compared to 607 last year. The median price of townhouses and condominiums rose to $174,750, a 2.8 percent increase. The average price remained steady at $211,241. Rental properties continued to see significant growth this month as single-family home rentals rose 18.4 percent and townhome and condominium rentals showed a 16.7 percent gain. Single-family pending sales also underwent a considerable increase of 14.6 percent, rising from 7,628 last year to 8,740 this March. “Home sales are benefitting from some of the lowest interest rates in years, but we also continue to see tremendous strength in the rental segment, and with inventory growing steadily, the Houston real estate market looks solid,” HAR Chair Shannon Cobb Evans of Heritage Texas Properties said in a press release. - Houston Agent

Houston is No. 2 for construction gains

ouston was ranked the No. 2 city in the country for construction gains, according to a recent article by realtor.com. Despite a nationwide slowdown in construction, Houston was one of several cities in the US that saw an increase year-over-year in the number of residential construction permits approved. Permits examined by Realtor.com included those for single-family homes, condos, apartments, townhouses and duplexes.

of $306,000, according to Zillow.

Houston had 57,021 permits approved over the past year, a 33.6 percent increase over the number from 2018. The city’s median list home price also was recorded at $310,000 in February of this year, a 1.3 percent increase from last years median price

Reports have shown that housing affordability is the lowest it has been in years and the number of housing starts has decreased nationally, making it difficult for buyers to find affordable housing.

The Census Bureau recently released a report for February 2019, showing a shortage of homes on the market. Despite a national drop in construction of new homes, a few cities have still been able to push permits for new residential housing. Realtor. com compiled a list of the top 10 cities with increased construction over the past year, citing census data, to see which cities awarded the most permits for new residences.

The modern studio of a Finnish design legend

rjö Kukkapuro, one of Finland’s design legends, is primed for an international resurgence thanks to a new furniture collaboration with Artek. The 81-year-old Finnish designer Yrjö Kukkapuro greets us at his front door wearing a navy sweater, a jaunty red scarf, and a wide grin. His outfit ever so precisely matches the blue and red exterior panels on the street-facing facade of the house he built in 1968, as well as a lawn sculpture positioned near the entry. He’s a living Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art, who lives as he labors, even into his ninth decade. Kukkapuro and his wife, Irmeli, met in Helsinki’s Institute of Industrial Arts, were engaged within two months, and married in 1956. The couple have adjoining studios in the open-plan, 2,150-square-foot structure, which they use as laboratory for a continuous flow of work. A closet area, cordoned off by lively patterned hanging textiles, is the de facto foyer for the space, which features no walls—only mobile barriers in the form of bookshelves and furniture. And the furniture is everywhere: arranged in casual seating groups, standing at attention in soldierly rows, stored out of reach on top of cabinets, and, piled into a corner once occupied by the Kukkapuros’ daughter, Isa.

Yrjö Kukkapuro reclines in his 1976 Fysio chair in the open sitting area of his live-work home outside Helsinki—a perfect time capsule of the Pop art–influenced 1960s. He is surrounded by products from his six-decade career, including a molded fiberglass-and-leather Karuselli lounge chair, designed in 1964 and soon to be reintroduced by Artek.

In the 1960s, Kukkapuro says, it was “really fashionable for architects and artists to live in old factories” in order to inhabit spaces large enough to accommodate a live-work lifestyle. Since the Finnish capital lacked urban loft space, Yrjö and Irmeli decided to create their own studio-cum-residence, but closer to nature. Kukkapuro and his wife built the house with the intention of living in the studio so it would be “no problem for us to bring work home.” Near his standing desk are a few forays into pressed plywood and tube-metal construction, produced after the oil crisis of 1973 forced him to abandon fiberglass and plastics. - Dwell.com

The 1968 house’s shape—a rounded triangle topped with a sweeping concrete roofline that suggests a helmet as it rises above huge banks of windows—lends itself totally to Kukkapuro’s philosophy. “It is a structure in waiting, prone to change as the landscape around it—not yet a form, rather a possibility,” he says.

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