Voice of Asia E-paper March 8, 2019 by VoiceOf Asia

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FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

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Proceeds top $1.4M at 2019 Tiger Ball: Asia Society

Trevor Noah sorry for IndiaPakistan war comment by Brendan Cole

revor Noah has apologized after a joke about the rising tensions between India and Pakistan was dubbed "insensitive" by citizens of the two countries. Thousands of social media users slammed a gag made by the host of The Daily Show, where he said the Kashmir issue could spark a war between the countries that would be “most entertaining.” Tensions in the region are at boiling point after Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jet, capturing and later releasing a pilot. Since the partitioning of India in 1947, the countries have fought conflicts over the Kashmir region, which they both claim.

Trevor Noah (Photo © Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Continued on Page 6

Pakistan detains relatives of JeM militant leader after Kashmir attack

akistan has detained dozens of suspected militants following the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which sparked a crisis with India.

Honorees Phoebe & Bobby Tudor at Tiger Ball 2019: Celebrating Asia Society's 40th Anniversary in Houston on Friday, March 1, 2019, at Asia Society Texas Center. Asia Society's annual gala was in honor of Founding Member Barbara Bush and recognized honorees Phoebe and Bobby Tudor. Co-chairs Michelle and Hector Herrera and Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron chaired the event, as well as honorary chairs The Honorable Hushang and Shahla Ansary, Maria and Neil Bush, and Molly and Jim Crownover. (Jenny Antill photo)

Read Report on page 7

They include the brother and another relative of Masood Azhar, the founder of the group that claimed the attack. Pakistan, which has been under international pressure to crack down on militancy, said 44 suspected militants are in "preventative detention". Many feared the escalation of tensions could trigger a dangerous conflict.

Two relatives of JEM founder Masood Azhar are among those held. (AFP Photo)

Continued on Page 6

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Editor Online: Shobana Muratee Marketing Director: Susan Pothanikat All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher. Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol.com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com. It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. Although paid advertisements may appear in Voice of Asia Group Publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, the Voice of Asia Group does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement. — The Publisher Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $50 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074.

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In the same article was a woodcut artwork from the series ‘Atlas of My World IV’, printed in 2001. It contained a map of India by the artist that a reader pointed out was historically incorrect. We wish to clarify that while we re-spect an artist work, the map was not intended by us to mislead or offend anyone especially our readers. Please, accept our sincere apologies if it did and visit www.metmuseum.org for the original source of the image. Thank you Editor

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Huawei restrictions are warranted despite no clear 'smoking gun'

In late January, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that access provided by Huawei could allow the Chinese government to “maliciously modify or steal information, conduct undetected espionage, or exert pressure or control.” The statement followed Canada’s arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in December over U.S. allegations of violating trade sanctions with Iran and theft of technology from TMobile. Businesses and other Western governments have heeded Washington’s warnings. Huawei has been prohibited from supplying its 4G and 5G equipment to the four major U.S. telecommunications carriers, and its products have been dropped by electronics retailer Best Buy. Japan’s government banned government purchases of Huawei and ZTE equipment in late 2018, and Australia and New Zealand haven blocked Huawei and ZTE from building 5G networks as well. The Czech Republic, among others, have designated Huawei and ZTE as cyber threats. Yet some cyber experts dispute the threat posed by Huawei. Critics have pointed out that no government has provided evidence of malicious Chinese state cyber activity through Huawei. A 2018 British government board issued an inconclusive report on the potential threat from Huawei. In light of the paucity of public evidence, some commentators have dismissed warnings about the company as unsubstantiated. Of course, these views are uninformed by whatever classified information may be held by the U.S. and other governments. Despite the lack of a publicly available “smoking gun,” restrictions on Huawei’s role in U.S. information networks could be justified for three strategic reasons alone. First, as part of the country’s

Photo: Getty Images critical infrastructure, telecommunication networks provide the information conduit for the future of health care, transportation and financial services, among many other areas. Governments have a right to be concerned about which foreign entities may have access to information carried on these networks. Beijing understands this point well, given its own refusal to allow foreign companies to build telecommunications networks in China. Second, Huawei and ZTE share the liabilities of being Chinese companies. The close relationship with the government invariably raises the risk that the companies will carry out espionage and security work for the government. Like other Chinese companies, Huawei and ZTE feature Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cells. These CCP cells ensure the companies comply with directives from Beijing. Laws obligate those companies to support any intelligence or security work deemed necessary. For example, China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law requires “all organizations and citizens" to “support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work.” China’s 2014 Counter Espionage Law similarly states “rel-

evant organizations and individuals” “must not refuse” to provide information during the course of a counter-espionage investigation. These laws do not clarify the scope of “intelligence” and “counter-espionage” work, suggesting interpretation could be very broad. Third, the intensifying tensions between China and the United States has increased the need to protect America’s critical infrastructure and competitive edge. In recent years, Chinese telecommunications companies have proved willing partners in efforts by Chinese authorities to expand domestic surveillance and hunt down political opponents. But Beijing has begun to export such behavior abroad. Anxiety over China’s influence operations has grown over Beijing’s willingness to coerce, blackmail and bribe people in other countries. Moreover, protection of America’s telecommunications market also serves the country’s economic and security interests. U.S. companies have thrived in areas of fair competition, but China is anything but a fair competitor. Thanks in large part to the state’s role in subsidizing the company and excluding Western competition in China, Hua-

wei surpassed Apple to become the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world last year. Huawei’s success follows a pattern in which Beijing has protected and nurtured domestic tech companies while denying access to Western competitors. Given the importance of information technology companies to the U.S. economy, Washington is right to take prudent measures to promote a level playing field for American companies. Although a “smoking gun” of Huawei involvement in government-directed espionage remains elusive, Washington has compelling security and economic reasons to consider limiting the involvement of Chinese telecommunications companies in its domestic networks. Chinese companies carry an unavoidable risk because of their inherent connections to the Chinese government. Moreover, the intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China demands improved security of information networks and fair competition for key U.S. technology industries. Timothy R. Heath is a senior international and defense research analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

Next American president should have this important qualification by Dan Glickman

In our January 25, 2019 issue on Page 20, in the section Art & Culture, we had carried an article titled ' India, Pa-kistan and the Gulf: A relationship told through art', originally published in The National (Dubai, UAE), about artist Zarina Hashmi.

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ecently, media reports disclosed that President Trump is weighing an executive order that would ban U.S. companies from using the products and services of China's two giant telecommunications firms, Huawei and ZTE.

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

he Democrats running for president have an abundance of interesting ideas, some good and some bad, about how to make our country a better place. The proposals include providing universal health care, lowering the cost of higher education, fixing our national infrastructure, reforming immigration laws, changing tax policies, and more. Ideas are great, especially aspirational ones that demonstrate the nuts and bolts of a policy agenda that also gives a vision for the country’s future. Great presidents, in almost all cases, have had a vision for the future of America and ideas that motivate and inspire the American people. But ideas aren’t enough. As we have learned, absolutely nothing can be accomplished or turn ideas into policy by working it through the system without management expertise, knowledge of how the different federal government branches operate, and the ability to put together a high performance team to actually get things done. I know from my own experience. When I moved from being a Kansas congressman to being Secretary of Agriculture in the 1990s there was a steep learning curve. I went from managing a congressional office of 20 to 30 staff to managing an agency with nearly 100,000 employees. I realized right away that I couldn’t be effective in getting anything done without understanding the nuance and complexity of the programs we were administering, and developing a team of high performance career and noncareer professionals was my ticket to gaining that knowledge. That same team could advise me about these complex policy challenges and then when I

came to a decision about what to do they could implement my agenda. It is incredible that in the campaign process, where we are debating some very fundamental and complex questions of national policy, that candidates for president are rarely, if ever, asked about their experience in and qualifications for managing a large and complicated bureaucracy. If you can’t organize a government

that works and can actually get things done then you can’t be an effective president. Voters want a government that can actually work, and a great leader would restore their confidence in government by being ready to move their agenda. It is not enough to dream great ideas, although that is a necessary part of leadership, but the dreams must be actionable, and a president and

his or her team must be able to make that happen. Dan Glickman served as United States secretary of agriculture under President Clinton and represented Kansas in Congress for 18 years. He is now a vice president of the Aspen Institute and a senior fellow with the Bipartisan Policy Center. - The Hill

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Sewa Dancing Stars raise money to support underprivileged students in Houston byu Kavita Tewary

OUSTON: It was a week of unpredictable weather in Houston Texas and as the Sewa Dancing Stars Team worked towards the event day, prayers were sent up and also answered! It was a beautiful spring day on March 2nd when the Stars descended at Houston Durgabari to compete for the Sewa Dancing Stars 2019. This magical event saw the best dancing talent from the Greater Houston Area compete for the very coveted Sewa Dancing Stars awards. With the support of over 20 dance schools, over 900 attendees (performers, audience, and judges) and over 20 sponsors we were able to raise over $27,334, to support ASPIRE tutorials. This fundraiser was organized to raise funds exclusively for “ASPIRE Tutorials”, an education initiative undertaken by Sewa International for over 250 kids from refugee / low income / under-served community background. These kids are from Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Kenya, Syria, Eritrea, Columbia, Guatemala and Mexico. The event this year featured about 100 performances in group and solo categories. The performers competed in 4 age groups and in 3 genera. The event emcees Mallika Ghei and Himi Haridas kept the audience engaged as performers in group category competed in the main auditorium, while Nilamani Venisetty and Shruthi were the masters of ceremonies for the solo competitions being conducted simultaneously in Kala Bhavan auditorium in Durga Bari. This years event was bigger and better than before

Winners with Sewa International USA President Prof. Sree Sreenath Ji. and Sewa International Houston President Gitesh Desai. Picture credits: Navin Medivala and Andrew Roberts. as 350 participants competed for 8 grand prizes in solo and group categories in all 4 age groups. The grand prize winners were 05 - 08 Solo - Ardra Rajesh Nair, Group- Sunanda's Performing Arts Center Bollywood Group 09 - 12 Solo - Megha Sunil, Group- Shivangini Academy Folk Group 13 - 17 Solo - Antaraa Sarkar, Group- Sunanda's Performing Arts Center Classical Group Arpanam 18+ Solo - Tejaswini Mohankumar, Group- Kalaangan School of Odissi Classical Group Sewa International President Gitesh Desai addressed

the gathering and thanked the dancers, their families and the volunteers for participating in the very noble cause of supporting educational needs of underserved and underprivileged children, he also remarked that the dancers’ passion for giving and of being service to others through dancing was very noticeable on their faces. Sewa International USA President Professor Sree Sreenath Ji was the guest of honor for this event and he spent over 2 hours interacting with volunteers, judges and the participants. In his address to the event gathering, he also talked about how ASPIRE is helping students in more 5 US cities, overcome the cycle of poverty. Nikhil Jain, Houston Chapter

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Co-coordinator, and Chapter Coordinator Achalesh Amar urged the audience to support such initiatives and give back to the Houston community by either volunteering or by funding the projects. Volunteer Coordinator of the event Andrea Garza thanked over 60 volunteers, that worked tirelessly under the leadership of the core team including Hema Venkat, Charanya Sriram, Hasita Karthik, Lekha Vasanth, Jagruti Sarkar, Andrea Garza, Andrew Roberts, Sharda Gadiya, Naveen Medivala, Achalesh Amar, Goutam Venkatesh, Kavita Tewary and the event chair Anita Ravat. On the event day, key volunteers helped to anchor the various roles, including Nikhil Jain, Madan

Ardra Rajesh Nair, student of Sunanda's Performing Arts Center Bollywood Group receiving the trophy from Sewa International USA President Prof. Sree Sreenath. Luthra, Yagnesh Patel, Anusha Jain, Bharat Patel, Aatreya Tewary, Kaushiki Tewary, Abhijeet, among others. About Sewa International Sewa International is a nonprofit charity registered

under the Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3). The mission of Sewa is to serve humanity in distress, aid local communities, and promote volunteerism. To know more about ASPIRE, please go to www. sewaaspire.com

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Andrew Yang for President 2020 in Houston

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

IANAGH celebrating Silver Jubilee Gala Night and Nurses Day on May 25th

Andrew Yang. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Yang campaign)

Accamma Kallel, President.

Kavitha Rajan, Vice-Persident.

by Helen Shih, PhD, Houston Yang Volunteer & Event Coordinator

ndian American Nurses association of Greater Houston (IANAGH) happily invites all nurses, families and friends for our Silver Jubilee Gala Night & Nurses Day Celebration 2019 on May 25th, 2019 at Safari Texas Ranch, Richmond, TX 77407. IANAGH is one of the pioneer leading Chapter of National Association of Indian Nurses of America (NAINA). IANAGH has made outstanding impressions in many fields including professional development through educational seminars, research, publications and through global outreach services and been grown significantly in the past 25 years.

LEADERSHIP Challenges to Championship”. The educational seminar is led by Indian and American nurse leaders. Silver Jubilee Gala evening will be filled with fine dining and colorful entertainment Scholarships and Awards will be distributed at Gala night and the pioneers of IANAGH will be honored and a Silver Jubilee Souvenir will be released.

OUSTON - Andrew Yang for President 2020 Campaign Houston is seeing the first visit by an out-of-state US Presidential Candidate: Andrew Yang and his plan of “Universal Basic Income” As the competition for the Democratic US Presidential Nominee is heating up with a historically crowded race, Houston area will enjoy the first visit by a Presidential Candidate out of Texas. Andrew Yang, who is known for his message of “Universal Basic Income”, is making a stopover in Austin and Houston area, March 09th – 10th, on his road trip across the nation. He is the first Asian American Democratic Candidate running for U.S. Presidency, and was invited to visit Texas by local Asian American communities who are excited by his campaign and see his success as a source of inspiration and hope for the future. Yang was born and raised in upper state New York, and has a law degree from Columbia University. His parents met in UC Berkeley graduate school, and lived in California. He was a successful entrepreneur who founded “Venture For America”, whose goal was to help young college graduates learn and launch startups, and thus, create jobs and boost economy in cities ripped by financial crisis or in mid-sized cities like Kansas City and Nashville. Yang’s vision was partially fulfilled when his venture was running on an annual budget of $6 million, with him being awarded 2015 Global Entrepreneurship by the Obama White House. Yet Andrew’s experience has also pointed him to a very different story than the commonly believed “American Dream”. Witnessing how artificial intelligence and automation are sweeping across the nation, he sensed that a massive-scale destruction is unfolding silently that will soon take away one third of American jobs. Yet no politician has vocalized this, not to mention about public policies which move like dinosaurs compared to lightening-speed technology changes.

candidates and the society overall will be tested by whether he will be able togather enough momentum and race into the top 20 Democratic candidates who will be put on the the stage of national debate in June. Andrew’s visit to Houston and Austin area is his plea to ask more Americans and their elected officials to look deeper into the next tsunami of industrial revolution, and whether it can either raise us higher, or subdue us all together. He sees his entering of the national debate is a critical step to get his messages out and to awake American workforce, poorly prepared for their disastrous fate. For Andrew Yang’s campaign platform along with his nearly 80 items of policy changes, visit his website of www.yang2020. com, and check his Facebook group “Houston Texas Yang Gang” for event updates in Houston. His public reception with the Houston volunteer and supporter group will be on March 9th, 8- 9PM, in Clarion Inn, 2930 West Sam Houston Pkwy South, and public fundraiser will be on March 10th, 10AM-1PM, in Hilton Garden Inn, 6855 West Sam Houston Parkway South.

The program includes a Leadership Seminar with continuing education hours from 12noon to 5 pm and Silver Jubilee Gala from 6 pm. The Seminar theme is “Journey of

Claramma Matrhew, Treasurer

IANAGH continue to grow in numbers and our services spread from local to international level. The Association organizes educational seminars, conferences, and our members educate, present, at local and international level. IANAGH provides annual scholarship to financially deserving nursing students in U.S.A and in India. Our outreach activities include chari-

Jessy Philip, Vice-Persident.

ty medical camps, health fairs, American Heart walk, Star of Hope shelter programs, school based Drug and rehabilitation education, medical missions, disaster relief efforts. In 2018, team members were able to conduct medical mission trip to Haiti, establish a clinic which currently provide care to many Haitians. Many members volunteered in Kerala Flood Relief Project in 2018 and 2019 with Let them Smile Again foundation. IANAGH’s Advance Practice Nurse Forum includes nurse practitioners & nurse Anesthetists. Tuition discounts available for members for higher education through Grand Canyon University and Chamberlin University. IANAGH Executive committee, Souvenir committee, Silver Jubilee committee,

Virginia Alphonsa, Secretary

Entertainment committee and Education committee is working hard to make this festivity an elegant program. The Association wholeheartedly invites everyone to join and celebrate this occasion and to make it a memorable event. As usual, we are planning to give scholarships to two nursing students from USA and three nursing students from India. For more details and criteria for applying for the scholarship, please visit www. ianagh.org or call Mr.Joseph C Joseph, phone no. 832-7460671 or email jjoseph549@ gmail.com. The deadline for completed application is 4.25.2019. For details and registration forms for the event, and sponsorships visit www.ianagh. org.

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Yang started to write his book of “The War on the Normal People”, in conveying his deep concerns for America’s future and possible solutions. During the process, his vision was gradually cleared with a profound calling for true leaders who can direct and protect where the society is heading to before it collapses under profitat-all-cost developments that put little consideration of the welfare of the common people. His key campaign message of #HumanityFirst was thus born. The election of Trump into the White House in 2016 further awakened Andrew’s will of running for U.S. presidency. Since earlier 2018, he has been actively spreading his messages and on road trips across the nation, from Iowa to California, then back to New York. His implementation of the changes, namely “Universal Basic Income”, promises every American to receive $1000 per month, paid by the tech sector. Along with that, he proposed nearly 80 policy changes, to revamp American politics and give it a fresh reboot. Yang is gaining a rapid recognition among the people he has met as they see his genuine and down-tothe-Earth spirit, as well as his pragmatic and entrepreneurial problem-solving skills. His futuristic and altruistic outlook also makes him standout as a fresh out-of-box candidate and brings a sense of hope in cracking Washington DC politics and repairing its derailment. But how he will be perceived and received by other better-known

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US oil majors to push production higher despite indications of faltering demand by Ellen Wald

il majors ExxonMobil XOM and Chevron both plan to increase their oil and gas production in the Permian over the next five years. Chevron expects it double its production to 900,000 barrels per day. Exxon, which owns about 10% of the functioning rigs in the Permian, plans to increase its production from 600,000 barrels per day to 1 million barrels per day by 2024. Right now, the Permian Basin is producing about 4 million barrels per day of oil. For comparison, this is more than any single member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is currently producing except for Saudi Arabia and Iraq . The United States is currently the world's largest oil producer, recording 11.85 million barrels per day in December 2018, according to the EIA. This just edged out Russia, which produced 11.16 million barrels per day. Record oil production has been a boon for the U.S. economy. Oil exports have also increased, as have the number of countries now importing U.S. oil and oil products. However, the story is not just one of growing production, more trade and lower energy costs for Americans. Just as U.S. production is forecast to grow to 13.2 million barrels per day in 2020, global demand for oil is expected to grow at a slower rate. Three of the major oil forecasting agencies, OPEC, the IEA and the EIA recently lowered their demand growth forecasts by as much as 60,000 barrels per day. These are driven by growing indications that global economic growth is slowing in 2019 and we may face a recession as soon

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

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US growth to slow considerably in 2019, says Fed Reserve Bank

EW YORK - The US economy should slow "considerably" in 2019 as the boost from last year's economic stimulus fades, the president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank said Wednesday. Amid economic uncertainty, the Federal Reserve could "wait" before raising interest rates again, John Williams said in remarks to the Economic Club of New York.

Photo: Getty Images

as 2020. China, which has been a major oil consumer is also seeing waning economic growth and has already lowered its own growth forecasts for this year. Exxon and Chevron don't appear phased by these troubling demand forecasts and indicators, perhaps because if faltering demand does start to impact producers in the Permian, those two companies will still have a leg up over the smaller and highly leveraged fracking companies. Growing production in the Permian will also exacerbate current issues of crude quality. The Permian produces light crude oil, a type which is oversupplied on the market today. Heavier crude oils, like the ones produced in the Venezuelan and Canadian tar sands, are in much shorter supply. Many refineries around the globe are not designed to run optimally on just light crude oil and need a mix of heavy and light crudes. This could mean that as oil production from the Permian grows and demand growth drops, U.S. oil will have an increasingly harder time finding customers on the global market. - Forbes

Bezos, Gates and Buffett still top the world's ultra rich: Forbes

Williams holds the number two position on the central bank's rate-setting monetary policy committee. Global markets have fallen in recent weeks as investors grow fearful the world economy will slow. The Commerce Department estimated last month that the world's largest economy had slowed at the end of 2018 but posted a strong 2.9 percent for the year. Williams said that last year strong global growth, fiscal stimulus and easy financial conditions had helped boost the US economy. "These tailwinds have calmed, and in fact reversed in some cases, and I expect growth to slow considerably relative to last year, to around two percent," he said, according to the text of prepared remarks. "Three developments contribute to this view: a downturn in global growth, heightened geopolitical uncertainty, and the effects of tighter financial conditions." The Fed raised interest rates four times in 2018 but policymakers have repeatedly signaled since December they will be "patient" before moving

Growth in the labor force and in productivity have slowed, putting the economy on track to return to a "new normal" of growth that is closer to two percent. (AFP Graphic) again.

ative to past decades," Williams said.

In December, the Fed forecast 2.3 percent growth for the this year but could revise that estimate later this month.

"Productivity growth has also fallen considerably from the boom years of the late 1990s and early 2000s."

And Williams said Wednesday US interest rates were now close to his estimate for neutral -- the rate which neither stimulates nor slows the economy. But growth in the labor force and in productivity have slowed, putting the economy on track to return to a "new normal" of growth that is closer to two percent, he said. "Baby boomers are retiring and fertility rates have come down. Both of these demographic shifts have significantly slowed labor force growth rel-

Still, this was not cause for alarm, he said, noting strong job creation, low unemployment, sustainable GDP growth and moderate inflation near the Fed's two percent target. As a result, he suggested US interest rates were not likely to rise again soon. "The base case outlook is looking good, but various uncertainties continue to loom large," Williams said. "Therefore, we can afford to be flexible and wait for the data to guide our approach." - AFP

US to ‘terminate’ India’s designation as GSP beneficiary; no significant impact on exports, says Delhi Under the United States GSP program, certain products can enter the United States duty-free if beneficiary developing countries meet the eligibility criteria established by its Congress. by Prabha Raghavan

EW DEHLI andWASHINGTON - The United States Tuesday has announced its intention to “terminate” India’s designation as a beneficiary of its Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) because it failed to provide assurances that it will give the US “equitable and reasonable” access to its markets in numerous sectors.

Jeff Bezos (left) and Bill Gates (File photos/AFP)

EW YORK | AFP | Tuesday 3/5/2019 - Jeff Bezos remains the world's richest person, ahead of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, according to the latest Forbes list of the ultra wealthy, while far behind President Donald Trump jumped 51 spots in the ranking. While things are largely stable up on top of the list, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg dropped three spots and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg rose by two. According to the list announced Tuesday by Forbes, the riches of Bezos, 55, have swelled by $19 billion in one year and he is now worth $131 billion. Bezos, who holds 16 percent of Amazon and whose wealth now makes him a target of the left wing of the US Democratic Party, has widened the money gap between himself and Gates, the philanthropist and cofounder of Microsoft. Gates, 63, has seen his wealth grow to $96.5 billion, up from 90 billion last year, said Forbes. Third place is held by Buffett, 88 and long considered an investment guru, although he did get stung in late February by a deep plunge in shares of US processed food maker Kraft Heinz, in which he had a large stake. Buffett's fortune slipped by $1.5 billion to $82.5 billion, the magazine estimated. It is more or less after this trio that things start to get shaken up on the Forbes list. The CEO of French luxury good company LVMH, Bernard Arnault, held on to fourth place. But Zuckerberg lost $9 billion in net worth and

slipped from fifth to eighth. Ahead of Zuckerberg now are Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, Zara and Inditex founder Amancio Ortega of Spain, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. Bloomberg rose from 11th to ninth place as his fortune increased to $55.5 billion, from $50 billion, said Forbes. Americans still dominate the list with 14 of the top 20 billionaires from the US. Non-Americans among the top 20 include India's Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, in 13th place, and China's Ma Huateng, head of the Chinese internet giant Tencent, who rounds out the top 20. - Donald Trump 715th richest Forbes estimates Trump's wealth at $3.1 billion, unchanged from last year. While 994 people from last year's ranking saw their wealth drop -- a record, according to Forbes -- Trump rose in the Forbes ranking from 766 last year to 715 this year. Trump's nine New York skyscrapers, including the famous Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, account for nearly half of his wealth, while his clubs and golf courses are valued at $550 million. However, one of Trump's Florida golf clubs, the National Doral Miami, took a hit and has been depreciated by $26 million following a sharp drop in bookings attributed to disagreements with the president's policies, Forbes said. Trump is not the richest US elected official: that honor goes to J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat who took office as governor of Illinois in January. Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, was estimated to be worth $3.2 billion.

The move comes alongside a letter reportedly sent by US president Donald J Trump to the Speaker of the US House of Representatives stating his intent to terminate India’s position as a GSP beneficiary as New Delhi has not assured this equitable and reasonable access to its markets. Under the United States GSP program, certain products can enter the United States duty-free if beneficiary developing countries meet the eligibility criteria established by its Congress. The US’ move is expected to have minimal impact on India, as exporters here were deriving duty-free benefits of only $190 million of the total $5.6 billion-worth of GSP items traded, said Indian commerce secretary Anup Wadhwan during a briefing on the development on Tuesday. “GSP benefits are relatively limited…so any package worked out should be commensurate with this (the benefits India was deriving),” he said. “At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced today that the United States intends to terminate India’s and Turkey’s designations as beneficiary developing countries under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program because they no longer comply with the statutory eligibility criteria,” stated the office of the US Trade Representative in a media release. “India’s termination from GSP follows its failure to provide the United States with assurances that it will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets in numerous sectors,” it stated. “By statute, these changes may not take effect until at least 60 days after the notifications to Congress and the governments of India and Turkey, and will be enacted by a Presidential Proclamation,” it added. According to Wadhwan, the Indian government had been engaged in discussions to arrive at a “balance” on the issues raised by the US, while protecting the welfare of its citizens.

The United States launched an eligibility review of India’s compliance with the GSP market access criterion in April 2018. (AFP/ File photo)

The U.S. goods and services trade deficit with India was $27.3 billion in 2017. India is currently our 9th largest goods trading partner with $74.3 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2017. Goods exports totaled $25.7 billion; goods imports totaled $48.6 billion. The major exports from India are engineering goods, refined petroleum, gems, jewelry, chemicals, agricultural products and textiles, the major Indian imports were crude petroleum, gold, coal briquettes, diamonds and petroleum gas. “We were able to work out an extensive and reasonable package that covered all US concerns,” he said, adding that, despite this, the US raised “additional requests” on sectors like medical devices, dairy products and the IT that India could not agree upon. This includes concerns raised by the US following India’s decision in 2017 to cap prices of cardiac stents, slashing their maximum retail prices over 70% in a move that impacted US stent giants Abbott, Medtronic and Boston Scientific. “We will not compromise on the issue of affordability (of medical devices like stents),” said Wadhwan. Around 1,900 products from India, including raw materials and intermediaries across sectors like organic chemicals, would be impacted if GSP is withdrawn, he said. Simply put: Levelling the bankers’ field On the issue of implementing retaliatory tariffs on products like steel, he said the government would continue to engage in “internal” discussions. “The door for discussions (with the US) is always open,” he added.

The United States launched an eligibility review of India’s compliance with the GSP market access criterion in April 2018. “India has implemented a wide array of trade barriers that create serious negative effects on United States commerce. Despite intensive engagement, India has failed to take the necessary steps to meet the GSP criterion,” stated the USTR. Turkey’s termination follows a finding that it is “sufficiently economically developed” and should no longer benefit from preferential market access to the United States market. GSP criteria include, among others, respecting arbitral awards in favor of United States citizens or corporations, combating child labor, respecting internationally recognized worker rights, providing adequate and effective intellectual property protection, and providing the United States with equitable and reasonable market access, stated the USTR. Countries can also be graduated from the GSP program depending on factors related to economic development, it added. - Indian Express

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

Pakistan detains relatives of JeM militant leader... Continued from Page 1

The 'war factor' in India's election

How did the latest tensions unfold?

What mad?

It began on 14 February when a suicide bomber killed more than 40 Indian soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Indian politicians have hailed their strikes as successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given rousing speeches at rallies, positioning himself as the protector of the country's borders.

Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) said it carried out the attack the deadliest to take place during a three-decade insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir. On 26 February, India retaliated by carrying out air strikes on what it said was a JeM militant camp in Pakistan.

Jaish-e-Moham-

But new satellite images have raised questions over India's claim to have demolished JeM training camps in Pakistan.

JeM is designated a terror organisation by India and the UN, as well as the UK and the US. At least some of those held are thought to be named in an Indian dossier handed to the Pakistani authorities investigating last month's attack. The whereabouts of Masood Azhar, the JeM leader remains unclear. Analysts are also sceptical over whether these arrests will be an effective measure, as they were not accompanied by any investigation or signs of a serious crackdown on suspected militants.

Images released by US firm Planet Labs appear to show a religious school run by JeM to be standing - even after the strike. Whether or not it is in fact linked to the militants cannot be independently verified, but the images show the site that India said it hit.

The fighter pilot, who was captured by Pakistan, was released on 1 March and arrived in India, where he has been hailed as a hero. The countries have retreated from the brink of further confrontation since then, but angry rhetoric has persisted.

What does Pakistan's latest move mean?

Some critics suggest the move is a symbolic gesture meant to defuse mounting international pressure. In the past suspected militants have circumvented attempts to rein them in.

Addressing the militant detentions, Pakistan's Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan told the BBC that if investigators find "evidence against them, they will be proceeded against," and if not

India accuses Pakistan of allowing militant groups to operate on its territory and says Pakistani security agencies played a role in the Kashmir attack -these are allegations Pakistan has consistently denied.

Trevor Noah sorry for IndiaPakistan war comment Referencing Bollywood musicals, Noah faked an Indian accent and said that any conflict between the nuclear powers “would also be the longest war of all time—another dance number!” Indian celebrity Swara Bhasker condemned Noah, tweeting: “@Trevornoah 1. War isn’t funny or entertaining. 2. Hindi is not gibberish. Your stereotype of Indo-Pak is ignorant.” Comedian and actor Mallika Dua described Noah’s joke as “shockingly unintelligent and tone deaf.” “If you’re going to be a racist comic than at least get the comic bit right,” she tweeted. Noah responded directly to the Twitter user Zanaib Sikan-

der, who said: “It’s sad when someone who’s had a violent past mocks war through a Bollywood stereotype. @Trevornoah’s mother was shot in the head by her husband (Trevor’s stepfather).

itself.

“Imagine someone making fun of it with a Xhosa stereotype- the tribe his mum belongs to.”

Last week, Noah used race as the focus of a joke he made when presenting the best picture nominee Black Panther at the Academy Awards.

Noah responded by saying: “Actually if you watch my stand up you'll see that I did make jokes after my mother was shot in the head. “As a comedian I use comedy to process pain and discomfort in my world but I am sorry that this hurt you and others, that's not what I was trying to do.” He also described it as “amazing” that his joke about India and Pakistan trended more than the story of the actual conflict

“Sometimes it seems like people are more offended by the jokes comedians make about an issue than the issue itself,” he said.

Including a Xhosa line in his introduction, he told the audience “Abelungu abazi ubu ndiyaxoka,' which means, 'In times like these, we are stronger when we fight together than when we try to fight apart." However, the real translation, as revealed by South African media outlet Channel 24, was: "White people don't know I'm lying."

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Vivah event had the post Valentine’s Day feel

they will be set free.

Pakistan - which denies any involvement in the 14 February attack - said it had no choice but to respond and the day after the strike, a dogfight between the sides led to an Indian fighter jet being shot down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Continued from Page 1

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

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lthough post Valentine’s Day, the flavor of love and camaraderie still lingered in the air on Feb 23. Hindu singles from Houston and the rest of the US found a platform to meet eligible partners of the opposite sex at Anjappar Chettinad Restaurant on Hwy 6 and Piping Rock. The event consisted of a round robin meet-up of bachelors and bachelorettes under the age of 39. A brief one-onone tete a tete was arranged only for Hindu participants, followed by a mixer. 77 out of the 94 registered who attended, were an equal mix of men and women. This was done on purpose to make the experience fair and just for both men and women. It was interesting and encouraging to see quite a few participants over the age of 35, confirming the popular belief that, “Love is ageless.” Participants had flown in from Michigan, driven in from Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, indicating they are serious about this. This was the 9th event that the Houston chapter of hinduvivah arranged. It has gained immense popularity in that, other chapters are active now,

including Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, New York/New Jersey, Bay Area, Washington DC and the latest addition being Detroit. HinduVivah (www.hinduvivah.org ) is a US based non-profit organization whose charter is to facilitate the meeting of Hindu singles for the purpose of matrimony. It is engaged mainly in the arranging of meetings where Hindu singles get a chance to mingle with like-minded suitors who are implicitly ready for marriage. These meets help break the ice and introduce Hindu singles to each other, at which point the singles who matched are left to explore and select a life partner from amongst the singles they matched with. Vivah requests Hindu singles to not use these events to date for dating sake. The services are meant to be used by those that are serious and contemplating marriage. Research shows that in-person meets have a much higher chance of leading to finding a partner suitable for marriage; than do online matching/dating sites based strictly on professed personal profiles. At some point in the future if some kind of online presence can complement these in-

person meets, Vivah is open to exploring that avenue. Kudos goes out to founder/ director Dharminder Dargan for his indomitable spirit, and being instrumental and persistent in building this organization to what it is now. His vision foresees several more chapters in the near future. The event was very well organized and many participants stopped by the Volunteers’ desk to compliment the event coordinators. They were all praise for the wonderful efforts put together by a great team of volunteers. A suggestion by one of the participants was to include the age to be added on the name tags, which will be considered by organizers of future events. This time around, there were 12 matching pairs. Radhika and Rajagopal of Anjappar restaurant went all out to be extremely hospitable. The organizers presented them a plaque as a token of appreciation. They were indebted to the owner of this fine restaurant chain, Kandaswami, which operates in several different countries all over the world. Please check the website www.hinduvivah.org for updates and notifications of future events.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

Proceeds top $1.418 Million at 2019 Tiger Ball: Celebrating Asia Society’s 40th Anniversary in Houston Gala exceeds previous fundraising records and honors memory of Co-Founder Barbara Bush

OUSTON, March 4, 2019 — Tiger Ball 2019: Celebrating Asia Society’s 40th Anniversary in Houston, paid homage on March 1 to the memory of Founding Member Barbara Bush. The event also recognized honorees Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and was chaired by cochairs Michelle and Hector Herrera and Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron, as well as honorary chairs The Honorable Hushang and Shahla Ansary, Maria and Neil Bush, and Molly and Jim Crownover. The proceeds topped $1.418 million, breaking preview Tiger Ball fundraising records, as well as exceeding this year’s goal by more than $100K. As the 670 guests arrived, they proceeded along the red carpet into the Asia Society Texas Center facility, which was thematically decorated and is itself an award-winning work of art (designed by famed architect Yoshio Taniguchi). Dancers from Huaxing Arts Group and Samskriti lit the way with Asian lanterns to the lavishly decorated 82’x180’ Chevron Gala Pavilion covering 1,700 square feet of the Asia Society parking lot. A 10’-tall archway flanked by enormous candelabras greeted guests, and inside, the Pavilion was adorned with a 60’ video wall, ambient projections of wishing lanterns, a water piece decorated with a traditional leogryph (the Asia Society emblem), 8’-tall custom-built castiron wishing lanterns suspended from ceiling, as well as lighting festooning the 13 live oak and Shumard red oak trees that are a part of the property. A sumptuous Pan-Asian dinner, including curried apple and cauliflower soup with poached shrimp and miso soy glazed Chilean sea bass, was served in the Pavilion (overseen by a remarkable 130 City Kitchen staff members), followed by a brief program utilizing a ceremonial candlelighting to honor the memory of ASTC’s Founding Member Barbara Bush. After dinner, guests returned to the ASTC building for dessert and dancing. In addition to the Ball honorees, honorary chairs, and chairs, special guests included Nancy Allen, Muffet Blake & Bob Murray, Laurie & Milton Boniuk, Kristy & Chris Bradshaw, Divya & Chris Brown, Leslie & Brad Bucher, Diane & Mike Cannon, Anne & Albert Chao, Monjula & Ravi Chidambaram, Julie & John Cogan, Anne & Charles Duncan, Chinhui Juhn & Eddie Allen, Diane Lokey Farb, Lily & Charles Foster, Rachel & Bud Frazier, Jo & Jim Furr, Kathy & Glen Gondo, Kathy & Marty Goossen, Marie & Vijay Goradia, David Harvey, Vicki & Bob Harvey, Maynard & Kathleen Holt, Nancy & Erik Littlejohn, Sultana & Moez Mangalji, Duyen & Marc Nguyen, Hong & Dorion Ogle, Cabrina & Ste-

Guests exit the building for dinner in the tent at Tiger Ball 2019: Celebrating Asia Society's 40th Anniversary in Houston on Friday, March 1, 2019, at Asia Society Texas Center. Asia Society's annual gala was in honor of Founding Member Barbara Bush and recognized honorees Phoebe and Bobby Tudor. Co-chairs Michelle and Hector Herrera and Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron chaired the event, as well as honorary chairs The Honorable Hushang and Shahla Ansary, Maria and Neil Bush, and Molly and Jim Crownover. (Daniel Ortiz photo)

ven Owsley, Alison & Chris Porter, Sylvia & Gordon Quan, Leigh & Reggie Smith, Starlee Sykes & Al Vickers, Stephanie & Frank Tsuru, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Mary & Roger Wallace (founding chairman), Brenda & Marc Watts, Margaret Alkek Williams, and Lynn Wyatt, plus members of the diplomatic corps from Australia, China, France, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and TECO. The highlights of big board auction included the opportunity to throw the first pitch at an Astros game; a week’s stay in the Tudor family’s 10-bedroom Nantucket home with ocean views, infinity pool, and spa bathrooms; luxury accommodations in NYC, with exclusive tours at the Big Apple’s most famous museums; two sets of first-class United airfare to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, India, or the Middle East; dinner for 10 with Rice University president Dr. David W. Leebron and first lady Y. Ping Sun in their 1920’s mansion; designer handbags by Versace, Valentino, and Alexander McQueen; artwork by Japanese painter/woodworker Ayomi Yoshida; jewelry by Tiffany & Co., Chopard, David Yurman, Mariquita Masterson, and a

necklace boasting 73 pearls honoring the 73-year long marriage of Barbara and George Bush, by Texas designer Becky Hollands. The auction items were valued at almost $195K. The décor choice revolved around the symbolic 40th anniversary motif (ruby). The variety of roses included black magic, freedom, big fun, and coral reef, plus Calla lilies, red tulips, hand-dyed willow eucalyptus, and curly willow. A full complement of top-shelf talent created this year’s Tiger Ball, including décor by Prashe, tent by Aztec Events & Rentals, lighting by GTX Production, catering by City Kitchen, and DJ’ing by DJ Senega of Karma DJs. Proceeds from the Tiger Ball support Asia Society Texas Center’s 150+ public programs each year. Next year’s Tiger Ball will be held in March 2020, honoring legendary Houston philanthropist Lynn Wyatt.

About Asia Society Texas Center With 13 locations throughout the world, Asia Society is the leading edu-

Joni Baird and Leela & Nat Krishnamurthy at Tiger Ball 2019: Celebrating Asia Society's 40th Anniversary in Houston on Friday, March 1, 2019, at Asia Society Texas Center. Asia Society's annual gala was in honor of Founding Member Barbara Bush and recognized honorees Phoebe and Bobby Tudor. Co-chairs Michelle and Hector Herrera and Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron chaired the event, as well as honorary chairs The Honorable Hushang and Shahla Ansary, Maria and Neil Bush, and Molly and Jim Crownover. (Jenny Antill photo) cational organization promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the rest of the world. Asia Society Texas Center executes the global

mission with a local focus, enriching and engaging the vast diversity of Houston through innovative, relevant programs in arts and culture, business and policy, education, and community outreach.

Hindus of Greater Houston announces its 2019 leadership

fter an incredible three year run as President of Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH), Partha Krishnaswamy handed over the reins to Thara Narasimhan in February 2019. As one of its founders, Thara’s association with the organization runs deep and with this she becomes the first woman to head HGH. While she “understands the greater responsibility that comes with the position, she accepts to serve the community and do her best to take the new Role as President of HGH, along with a new admirable team of Board members who join her to build a harmonious successful year.” The new HGH 2019 Executive Directors will comprise of Thara Narasimhan, President, Sanjay Jain, VicePresident, Partha Krishnaswamy, Immediate Past President, Bhawna Luthra Secretary, Hemant Jadhav Jt. Secretary, Girish Naik, Treasurer. A Houstonian since 1981, Thara isn’t new to leadership roles having served as President of Bharathi Kalai Manram- the Tamil cultural organization in Houston and the “Samskriti Society of Indian Performing Arts”. Thinking ahead, Thara intends to focus on the HGH website database and consolidate information about all the temples and their activities in and around Houston. Another goal is to develop an “open, single communication center” for clarifying questions about Hinduism for mainstream America or issues within the community. Developing young Hin-

dus of Houston is another priority. A competitive tennis player until two years ago, one of the lessons Thara absorbed is that one can’t always win but what’s important is “giving every game your best shot.” She will utilize these life lessons from tennis to “Listen, Learn and Lead” in her new capacity. A native of Chennai, high schooled in Besant Theosophical High School Adyar, Thara graduated with a Masters in Microbiology from Madras Medical College. Her grandparents were a major influence in imbibing in her the values of Sanatan Dharma, learning Sanskrit, Hindi and Tamil slokas and bhajans was mandatory for all in her family. She loves to learn the “arth” (meaning) of the lyrics in Classical music compositions and Sanskrit hymns. She is well versed in Tamil, Hindi, Sanskrit and Telugu languages. Her parents inspired her to develop love for arts and culture. As a hobby she contributes concert reviews in Houston on dance and music performances to local newspapers and websites. Professionally, a microbiologist, medical and radiology technologist at an Urgent Care Clinic for the past 35 years, Thara points out that the color of the blood she draws from every one of her patients is identical. In a philosophical vein she says, “We are all alike inside and different outside and I value each life as one and the same.” She shares these nuggets of spiri-

2019 Hindus of Greater Houston - Board of Directors. Left to Right: Gopal Aggarwal, Hemant Jadhav,(Jt. Secretary) Bharat Pallod( Board of Advisor-Hindu Youth camp), Girish Naik, (Treasurer)Sreemathy Ranganathan, Bhawna Luthra( Secretary) , Thara Narasimhan(President) , Partha Krishnaswamy, (Immediate Past President) Sanjay Jain, (Vice President) Somansh Agarwal, Swapan Dhairyawan, Vijay Pallod. (Not in Picture: Tupil Narasiman, Vinod Mantri, Bhagwan Bhutada, Sanjay Jajoo, Mark Ram, Rajesh Bakshi, Raj Shah, Sharad Amin)

tual wisdom every weekend with her listeners when she dons the headset on the “Voice of Sanatan Hinduism” a radio show that explains the tenets of Hinduism. She is proud to continue the legacy started by Shri Padmakant Khambhati as a Hinduism Radio program, which has communicated through public media not only the eminence of Hindu faith but also presented melodious bhajans, music and chants of Vedic Hinduism.”Khambhati ji was the

main influence for her to join HGH and also takes inspiration from Beth Kulkarni ji who is also a founder and past Advisory Board member of HGH. HGH Chairman of the Board of Advisor Dev Mahajan has this to say “Tharaji is not only a great team player but an excellent leader. The objectives and goals of HGH are ingrained in her blood since she has served diligently as a secretary for

last 6 years. I believe she will lead HGH to new heights.” Despite so much on her platter, Thara seems to juggle it all with ease. She credits this to a “very admirable and understanding husband, Dr. N.D Narasimhan who is a pillar of patience and support.” Their son Kirthi Narasimhan, Retail Development Manager, Lululemon Dallas, born and raised in Texas is married to Dr. Rashmi Narayan.

VOICE OF ASIA 8

TAXES & PERSONAL FINANCE

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

Indo American Chamber of GH Are you taking full hosts Tax Seminar on Feb 24th advantage of your workplace benefits?

illennials are a generation with unique financial challenges. Seven in 10 possess student loan debt, according to the Institute for College Access and Success’ “12th Annual Report, Student Debt and the Class of 2016.” Combined with car loans, housing expenses and entry level salaries, it’s no surprise to learn that many young workers lack the savings necessary to cover unexpected medical costs. To help strengthen their financial situation, experts say that this generation should take a closer look at their available workplace benefits to see if they have access to voluntary benefits, often also referred to as supplemental health insurance policies.

Presenters with Sponsor of the Tax Seminar Charter Title Company. Photo credit: Paresh Shah

he IACCGH Annual Tax seminar which seeks to educate the community on various tax related queries and issues was held on Feb 24th,2019 at the India House, attracting over 110+ attendees. Held for the seventh year in a row, the event was ably moderated and chaired by CPA Swapan Dhairyawan.

IACCGH Secretary Ashok Garg opened the event by thanking the distinguished panel of CPA’s for contributing their valuable time during the thick of tax season, in educating the community. IACCGH President and Moderator for the seminar, Swapan Dhairyawan introduced the speakers and thanked “Charter Title Company” the sponsor for this event. With the recent changes to many tax

related laws in 2018, he emphasized the Chamber’s commitment of bringing “value to the community” through such events. Panelist CPA Atul Kothari explained the complexity of IRS Code section 199A and interest deduction for qualified business income from a “specified trade or business”. He

“Having health insurance is not always enough. Someone with a serious injury or illness can face large deductibles or significant out-of-pocket expenses even with health insurance. If your employer offers the opportunity to obtain supplemental health insurance policies, such as accidental injury, critical illness or hospital care coverage, take a few moments to become familiar with what these options provide. They can help you create

stated that this new code is significant for small business owners and needs professional assistance to stay in compliance. CPA Mahesh Desai explained the importance of FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) and also highlighted the recent changes on Business & the Individual tax brackets. He went on to explain the new tax percentages changes for each income bracket and how the taxpayers need to comply under current tax laws. CPA Shehan Chandrasekar ventured into the new territory of Cryptocurrency and explained the various tax laws and implications associated with Bitcoin and its significance with emerging Tax compliance. The presentations were followed by an interactive Q&A session which covered most of the topics & issues raised by the attendees. Madras Pavilion provided refreshments for the event.

Panelists : CPA Swapan Dhairyawan, IACCGH President, CPA Mahesh Desai, CPA Shehan Chandrasekar and CPA Atul Kothari Photo credit: Paresh Shah

Visit iaccgh.com for more details about future events.

and personalize your financial safety net,” says Jim Boyman, president and general manager of Cigna’s voluntary benefits business. All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Life Insurance Company of North America, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York (New York, NY) and Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. Sixty percent of millennials are worried they’re unprepared for medical costs, according to Cigna’s Voluntary Benefits Consumer Survey, yet many aren’t taking advantage of obtaining voluntary accidental injury, critical illness and hospital care benefits when they are offered in the workplace. When asked how they would pay for expenses if a serious injury or illness struck, millennials were more likely than older employees to say they would borrow from friends and family, take out a bank loan or get a second job. However, these choices can often be accompanied by other drawbacks: borrowing money can sometimes impact personal relationships, and borrowing from the bank means paying interest on top of the original expense. Getting a second job may not be realistic depending upon the nature of the health condition and could also impact the ability to succeed at the primary job. Voluntary benefits or supplemental health insurance policies can help with those unexpected medical expenses. It is important to take the time to learn what is available in the workplace. Many employers offer educational tools and resources to help individuals understand how voluntary benefits work and how to tailor coverage to provide the most value for personal situations. Read the benefits materials and consider attending informational learning sessions that may be offered. An employer’s human resources department can also be a source for assistance. Or, use online tools to learn more. Whether employer-funded or employee-paid, workplace benefits can help provide additional financial protection and help deliver greater peace of mind. - StatePoint

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VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

Foster mother of 3-year- Indian-origin Cisco ex-direcold Indian girl dead in US tor arrested in $9.3 million fraud in US released from jail Sherin Mathews, adopted by Wesley and Sini Mathews in 2016, was found dead in a culvert near the family home in Texas.

A former director of the technology giant Cisco Systems, Prithviraj R. Bhikha, has been charged in a $9.3 million fraud using shell companies, according to federal prosecutor David L. Anderson.

OUSTON - PTI | Mar. 03, 2019 HOUSTON: The foster mother of Sherin Mathews, the 3-year-old girl found dead in Dallas, US in 2017, has been released from jail after 15 months, after child endangerment charges against her were dropped due to lack of evidence. Sherin Mathews, adopted by Wesley and Sini Mathews in 2016, was found dead in a culvert near the family home in Texas, two weeks after her family reported her missing. Sini Mathews was charged after prosecutors said she left her adopted daughter alone at home while she and her husband went to dinner with their other daughter, the night before the Sherin was reported missing. Coming out of jail Friday, Sini Mathews told reporters she felt "blessed" that charges against her were dismissed and that she has been looking

He was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport on March 1.

The death of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews had evoked outrage worldwilde (File Photo) forward to a reunion with her biological daughter, who has been living with family members in Houston. She said that the past 15 months she spent in jail awaiting trial were "challenging". Her husband Wesley Mathews still faces a capital murder charge and is being held on a $1 million bond. His

trial is set for May. In a letter to the 282nd Criminal District Court, the Dallas County District Attorney wrote that "after extensive investigation, it has been determined that the state cannot prove this matter beyond a reasonable doubt at this time... the state respectfully requests that this case be dismissed without prejudice."

Passports Of 45 NRIs cancelled for abandoning wives: Maneka Gandhi The Integrated Nodal Agency made to look into the matter has been issuing Look-Out Circulars to absconding husbands in cases of NRI marriages and 45 passports have been impounded by the External Affairs Ministry.

EW DELHI:| PTI | March 04, 2019 The government has cancelled passports of 45 non-resident Indians, or NRIs, for abandoning their wives, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has said. The Integrated Nodal Agency made to look into the matter has been issuing Look-Out Circulars to absconding husbands in cases of NRI marriages and 45 passports have been impounded by the External Affairs Ministry, Ms Gandhi said. The agency is chaired by secretary in the women and child development ministry, Rakesh Srivastava. Ms Gandhi said the government has also introduced in Rajya Sabha a bill to give justice to the women who have been abandoned by their NRI

Bhikha has been charged with wire fraud, Anderson announced on Tuesday after the former director was produced in a federal court in San Francisco following his arrest.

He was released on a $3 million bail, the prosecutor's office said. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Bhika, who was a director in the global supply unit of Cisco until mid-2017, set up shell companies abroad to negotiate with third-party vendors on behalf of Cisco and he directed payments to those companies. Cisco wired about $6.5 million to one of these companies and about $2.8 million to another and, in turn, more than

$8.5 million was wired back from the two companies to US bank accounts of Bhikha and his wife, the FBI said in court documents. When colleagues at Cisco became suspicious about one of the overseas companies, FBI said that he and another employee, who was not identified, created fake documents and the other worker arranged for someone to pose as the CEO of the company in meetings with Cisco.

Indian American named VP and Secretary of University of Pennsylvania Indian American Medha Narvekar has been appointed as the vice president and secretary of the University of Pennsylvania. Narvekar, an MBA from Wharton School, will be taking over the new position on July 1, according to a UPenn release. Narvekar has worked at the Penns Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Office for 32 years, soon after she earned her MBA from the same school. Prior to this appointment, she

served as senior associate vice president of DAR, working closely with the president and many trustees. "Medha is both renowned and respected across Penn," President of UPenn Amy Gutman said. "Very few people know Penn as well or have worked so successfully with so many people across our university. Her extensive experience across all areas -- including working directly with trustees, overseers and Penn's most generous donors -- gives her a unique capacity to step into the important position of

vice president and secretary." Narvekar received her bachelors degree from Swarthmore College in 1981 and MBA from Wharton in 1986. She will continue to provide support to DAR even after she moves on to the new role. She will act as a liaison from DAR to the President's Office and will remain a member of the DAR senior management team as the university moves through the final phases of the "Power of Penn" fundraising campaign.

Maneka Gandhi said govt has also introduced in Rajya Sabha a bill to give justice to the women abandoned.

MARCH 30 & 31

husbands, but expressed dismay that the bill has got stalled in the upper house.

10:30AM-6:30PM

The bill envisages registration of marriages by non-resident Indians, amendment of the Passports Act, 1967 and

Amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The bill is a joint initiative of the External Affairs Ministry, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law and Justice.

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Google launches ‘Bolo’ to tutor children to read Hindi, English

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he free app, which is being launched in India first, uses Google’s speech recognition and text-to-speech technology. Tech giant Google on Wednesday unveiled a new app Bolo that aims to help children in primary school learn to read in Hindi and English. The free app, which is being launched in India first, uses Google’s speech recognition and text-to-speech technology.

Tech giant Google on Wednesday unveiled a new app 'Bolo' that aims to help children in primary school learn to read in Hindi and English.

The app features an animated character Diya, who encourages children to read stories aloud and helps if the child is unable to pronounce a word. It also lauds the reader when he/she completes the reading.

Citing the annual ASER 2018 report, Kashyap said, it was found that only half of students enrolled in grade 5 in rural India can confidently read a grade 2 level textbook.

“We have designed the app to work offline, so users need to just download the under 50MB app once and then they have access to close to 100 stories in Hindi and English that the children can read out loud and improve their reading skills,” Google India Product Manager Nitin Kashyap said. Bolo will be available on Google Play Store in India for all smartphones running Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) and higher, he added.

“Lack of reading ability can significantly impact further education, and ultimately children’s ability to realise their full potential. Limited access to quality material, underresourced infrastructure, and barriers to learning outside the classroom are some of the challenges that children often face,” he added. Google piloted the Bolo app in about 200 villages in Uttar Pradesh and the early results are very encouraging with 64 per cent of children show-

ing an improvement in reading proficiency in just three months, Mr. Kashyap said. “We are now actively working with a number of nonprofit partners to take the app to more people across the country who could benefit from it,” he said.

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Mr. Kashyap said the company is also looking at expanding the app to other Indic languages like Bengali, soon. To ensure safety of the child, all personal information always stays on device. The users are also not asked for details like email ID and gender for logging into the app.

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SOUTH ASIA

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Pakistan navy says it stopped Indian sub from entering its waters

ARACHI, Pakistan | AFP | Tuesday 3/5/2019 - Pakistan has stopped an Indian submarine from entering its waters, the navy said Tuesday, as tensions continue to run high between the nuclear-armed foes. The development came days after a rare aerial dogfight between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir ignited fears of an all-out conflict, with world powers rushing to urge restraint. "The Pakistan navy stopped an Indian submarine from entering our territorial waters," a naval spokesman said. He added "the Indian submarine was not targeted, in line with the government's policy of maintaining peace".

was video of the submarine, with the grainy black and white footage showing only what appeared to be a periscope above water. The timestamp at the beginning of the video clip read 8:35 pm on Monday. India said its navy remained "deployed as necessary". "Over the past several days we have witnessed Pakistan indulging in false propoganda," an Indian Navy spokesman tweeted Tuesday. An Indian government source also dismissed the video, telling AFP: "Why would a submarine in Pakistani waters have its periscope up?"

It was the first such incident since 2016, when Pakistan said it had "pushed" an Indian submarine away from its waters.

Tensions between the archrivals have escalated significantly over recent days, after a suicide bombing in Indianadministered Kashmir killed 40 Indian paramilitaries.

The navy later said the submarine was detected on Monday within Pakistan's maritime zone, or 200 nautical mile (370 kilometre) exclusive economic zone, but did not give further details on the location.

A militant group based in Pakistan claimed responsibility for the February 14 blast, and 12 days later Indian jets bombed what New Delhi called a terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan.

It also released what it said

Pakistan has denied any

damage or casualties, and independent reporting has shown the strikes hit a heavily forested area with little infrastructure nearby. Residents have said just one person was injured. The next day Pakistani aircraft entered Indian airspace and the two nations' jets engaged in aerial dogfights, with at least one Indian aircraft shot down and its pilot captured by Pakistan.

"With immediate effect, all are required to announce 'Jai Hind' at the end of every announcement after a slight pause and with much fervour," the national carrier's head of operations said in a circular. A spokesman told AFP the order was first issued in 2017 but that a reminder was required because new staff had joined.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over it.

It comes as India's biggest military standoff with Pakistan in years triggers a rise in patriotism, stoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of looming elections. India's excitable news channels have gone into overdrive and people have been flocking to a rip-roaring film about an Indian special forces incursion into Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Its catchphrase "How's the josh?" -- meaning "How's the fervour?" -- has been widely quoted on and offline, with government ministers em-

Air India's announcement Tuesday also attracted mockery on social media in view of the stricken airline's crippling debts.

Islamabad's release of the pilot last Friday eased international alarm although tensions remain high, with both sides firing shells and mortars over their de-facto border in Kashmir. Indian media reports said that a Pakistani military drone was shot down over northern India on Monday, while Islamabad said Tuesday it prevented an Indian submarine

Bangladeshi hanged for Saudi diplomat's murder

"Much welcome but before starting this Air India should improve the service. Make the airline profitable. Keep up to schedule. Stop wasting taxpayer money. Be customer friendly," quipped Dinesh Joshi, one Twitter user.

Khalaf Al Ali, 45, who worked in the consular section of the Saudi Arabian embassy, was shot in the capital's diplomatic zone in front of his rented apartment. He later died in hospital. Police at that time said 30-year-old Saiful Islam, who was hanged on Sunday, led the gang who tried to rob the diplomat. "He was executed in accordance with a court order," prison official Shahjahan Ahmed told AFP.

The Supreme Court in August upheld Islam's death sentence. He was originally sentenced to death in 2013 by a trial court which described him as the main perpetrator of the killing. More than two million Bangladeshis are working in Saudi Arabia, which is a key ally of the South Asian country and a major donor. Bangladesh regularly executes death row convicts despite criticism from human rights groups. In recent years at least five top Islamist leaders, who have been convicted of war crimes, and nearly a dozen Islamist extremists were executed -- all by hanging -- in high security prisons.

The saris -- which are printed

face is printed on it.

The shop is doing a roaring trade in Modi-themed saris -- a traditional women's garment -as Indians gear up for a general election due by May. Modi, of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will be seeking a second term in office when the world's largest democracy heads to the polls. Rahul Gandhi of the main opposition Congress party will be up against him in the vote, the dates of which are expected to

ed images of the white-haired, white-bearded, stocky 68-yearold have became a common sight at BJP rallies across India while supporters were also often seen wearing Modi masks. The barrel-chested Modi famously takes great pride in his appearance, making a break with his more staidly outfitted predecessors with colourful dapper outfits often topped off with outlandish headgear. However, a year after being elected he was pilloried when he wore a pinstriped jacket that had his name embroidered in it dozens of times in gold thread during a meeting with then US President Barack Obama. "In 2014 I wasn't sure if peo-

in factories in India's financial capital Mumbai and Surat in Gujarat state -- cost 1,750 rupees ($25). As well as Modi's face they sport colourful floral patterns and images of tanks and fighter aircraft. They also depict Indian soldiers in battle, including some parachuting to the ground, tapping into jingoistic fervour in India amid heightened tensions with arch-rival Pakistan. For now, Gada has no plans to sell Congress-supporting saris but Indian media reports have said that at least one factory owner has started to make them with the images of Rahul and his sister Priyanka Gandhi on them.

by Dene-Hern Chen and Hla Hla Htay

ANGON, Myanmar | AFP | Tuesday 3/5/2019 - "Papu, pi pi, sapat" -- the slang for female genitalia elicits giggles during a rehearsal for Myanmar's first-ever Burmese-language "Vagina Monologues", as the country's conservative image is shaken up on-stage and online. This week a production of Eve Ensler's famed feminist play opens in Yangon and includes two showings in the local language. Its exploration of issues around sexual consent, body image and genital mutilation made it revolutionary in the '90s when it premiered in New York and interpretations have spanned the globe since.

"Women grew up here without cherishing their bodies because they were mainly taught their body is like a disgusting object," the 24-year-old from northern Shan State says.

HAKA, Bangladesh | AFP | 3/4/2019 - A Bangladeshi man was hanged in a jail outside Dhaka over the murder of a Saudi diplomat in 2012, an official said Monday.

Saris boasting digitally print-

"We have sold over 2,200 this year and expect to see a surge in the run up to the election," he added.

Once unspoken, 'vagina' gets stage debut in Myanmar

In Myanmar, where sex is still a taboo subject, co-director Nandar told AFP she hopes to "normalise conversations about women's bodies" even if it makes people uncomfortable.

A policeman in stands guard. A(FP Photo)

Entrepreneurial garment manufacturers tapped into a groundswell of support for Modi when he successfully bid to become prime minister for the first time in 2014, winning by a landslide.

ple would wear Modi saris but women were bold enough to try them," Vinod Gada, the owner of Paaneri, told AFP.

As well as Modi's face, saris sport colourful floral patterns and images of tanks and fighter aircraft (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

"It's a beautiful sari, enhanced by Prime Minister Modi. My wife likes it," Gokal tells AFP at the Paaneri clothing store in central Mumbai.

from entering its waters.

Tens of thousands attended funerals and solidarity marches around India for the 40 men, with some setting fire to Pakistani flags. The group that claimed credit for the attack is based in Pakistan.

D. Gokal is buying a sari for his wife that may not be to everyone's taste -- a huge image of Indian leader Narendra Modi's

be announced this week.

Pakistani and Indian soldiers have continued to fire over the Line of Control -- the de-facto border dividing Kashmir -- in the days since, killing several civilians on both sides.

An Indian fighter pilot who was shot down, captured and then released by Pakistan has become a national hero, with some copying his handlebar moustache and even one baby named after him.

India launched air strikes inside Pakistan 12 days later, and an aerial dogfight between the two countries' air forces over Kashmir broke out the next day.

UMBAI, India | AFP | Tuesday 3/5/2019 - This is to accompany pictures by Indranil Mukherjee and video by Subhash Sharma

Both sides also claimed a second plane had been shot down, but they have disputed whose plane it was and what happened to the pilot.

ploying it at political rallies.

The latest crisis between the nuclear-armed Asian foes was sparked by a suicide bombing in Indian Kashmir that left 40 Indian paramilitaries dead on February 14.

'Modi sari' flies off shelves as India poll fever grows

The pilot was handed back to India last Friday in what Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called a "peace gesture".

Fasten your seatbelts and Hail India! EW DELHI, India | AFP | Tuesday 3/5/2019 - Air India has reminded cabin crews to follow all announcements with a rousing cry of "Hail India!" as nationalistic fervour grips the nation in its latest military standoff with Pakistan.

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

"This play is very powerful as women are telling stories about themselves." Under a bamboo gazebo serving as the stage, women sit in rapt attention as performers run their lines speaking frankly about pubic hair, rape and menstruation -- normally taboo topics. "It's more worrisome if we don't think about the yoni!" shouts one actor during Sunday's final rehearsal, using a polite Burmese word for vagina that has its roots in Sanskrit. - 'Extreme ideology' Myanmar's best-known figure is civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a female icon still revered by locals as "Mother Suu" even though her global reputation lies in tatters over the Rohingya crisis.

Eve Ensler's famed feminist play "The Vagina Monologues" opens in Yangon this week. (Photo: AFP/Sai Aung Main) But she remains a rare exception in a nation where positions of power â&#x20AC;&#x201C;- whether in politics, at work or at home â&#x20AC;&#x201C;- are largely dominated by men. Myanmar started opening up in 2010 after decades of isolation under military rule, and women in recent years are opting for more contemporary Western attire. Some social attitudes are changing too but the fight for equal rights is still seen as an "extreme ideology", says Pyo Let Han, co-founder of feminist organisation Rainfall. "They think it would destroy our Myanmar traditions and norms," she says. "There's still a long way to go." One widely-held belief in the majority Buddhist country is that men are granted a special power from birth. "We're told that boys are morally superior to us...that the very space we occupy is dirty," says Baelachaung, the Instagram moniker of a female duo harpooning Myanmar cultural stereotypes. The two 20-something Yangonites, who wish to remain anonymous, are part of a grow-

ing population of young people taking to social media platforms to access and propagate more liberal ideas. The pair, whose name combines the millennial term of endearment "bae" with the spicy Myanmar condiment balachaung, pepper their feed with pointed statements in between Kardashian-inspired memes. Men who insist their partners use emergency contraception so they do not need to wear a condom are one frequent target. Their critics accuse them of misandry, or hating men, but the two have also been surprised by the support received from their mostly Myanmar followers through private messages. "It really goes to show that Myanmar youth values tolerance and inclusivity," they say. - Finding a voice But the role of women in society is still very much "stuck in the middle", says Su Mon Thaw, a brand manager for family planning organisation DKT International. The company's online ads for

contraceptives have raised eyebrows for emphasising the importance of consent and female pleasure in a country where even buying condoms can be considered shameful. The stigma of talking about sex means women often do not feel responsible for contraception, Su Mon Thaw says. "(Women) have to know more about their bodies and the (birth control) methods that they use. If they don't know and rely on men, they become more vulnerable." On Tuesday a couple of hundred people packed out a downtown Yangon rooftop for the first night of the Vagina Monologues as the actors took turns to perform, with moans of sexual ecstasy and guffaws of laughter echoing round the neighbourhood. "It was mind-blowing for me to see Burmese women talking so openly about orgasms and sexual pleasure," bar owner Hnin Yee Htun Win, 30, told AFP after the show ended. "This is the right time -- definitely," she says, adding that she was so inspired she hoped to join next year's performance.

ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 11

China denies Tibet support for Dalai Lama

EIJING, China | AFP | Wednesday 3/6/2019 - There is no widespread support for the Dalai Lama in Tibet and ordinary people are grateful to the Communist Party for "bringing them a happy life", Chinese officials insisted Wednesday.

Beijing -- which claims it "peacefully liberated" the Himalayan area -- stands accused of political and religious repression in the region. But China insists that Tibetans enjoy extensive freedoms and argues it has brought economic growth. "Since defecting, the Dalai Lama has not done a single good thing for the Tibetan people," Tibet party boss Wu Yingjie said during a meeting at the sidelines of China's annual parliamentary meeting. "Tibetan people have gratitude in their hearts. They are grateful to the Communist Party for bringing them a happy life." At least 150 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest against Beijing's presence in Tibet, most of whom have died from their injuries. China had reached out to the Dalai Lama in 2002 to negotiate but after nine rounds of dialogue that lasted through till 2010, many believed that Beijing was intentionally dragging on pointless talks, hoping international pressure over Tibet would end with the passing of the Dalai Lama.

EOUL, South Korea | AFP | Wednesday 3/5/2019 - North Korea recorded its worst harvest for more than a decade last year, the United Nations said Wednesday, as natural disasters combined with its lack of arable land and inefficient agriculture to hit production.

HH The Dalai Lama. (Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Image) At 83, the Nobel Peace Prize winner enjoys rapturous crowds around the world. Many Tibetan Buddhists fear Beijing may seek to impose their choice of spiritual leader after the Dalai Lama's death. It is unclear how, or even whether, his successor will be named -- the centuries-old practice requires senior monks to interview sometimes hundreds of young boys to see

whether they recognise items that belonged to the Dalai Lama and pick one as a reincarnation. But the 14th Dalai Lama announced in 2011 that he may be the last, seeking to preempt any attempt by China to name its own successor. China's officially atheist Communist Party has repeatedly said it has the right to control the process of reincarnation.

Ghosn out of Japanese jail, on bail after more than 100 days by Harumi Ozawa / Natsuko Fukue

decision granting him bail of one billion yen ($9 million).

OKYO, Japan | AFP | Wednesday 3/6/2019 - Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn left his Tokyo detention centre Wednesday after more than 100 days in custody, following a shock court

Ghosn left the detention centre in northern Tokyo flanked by guards, wearing a blue cap, a white medical face mask and a work jacket with orange reflective stripes.

India dominates list of world's most polluted cities ndia dominated a list of the world's most polluted cities in 2018, taking 22 of the top 30 spots, according to a Greenpeace report.

peace South East Asia. "This has enormous impacts, on our health and on our wallets."

Unrecognisable from the tycoon who dominated the auto sector for decades, Ghosn's outfit was a far cry from his usual sharp suits and caught the waiting pack of the world's media off guard. Without acknowledging the banks of cameras snapping wildly, he drove off in a silver van -- a Suzuki -- complete with a workman's ladder strapped to the top. Ghosn's unexpected outfit was the latest surprise in a case that has provided frequent twists and turns that kept Japan and the business world on tenterhooks. The man who once stood at the head of the world's top-selling car alliance paid his hefty

India rape victim kills attacker

Indian pedestrians walk amid heavy smog conditions in New Delhi, India, on November 2, 2018. (Photo © Money Sharma / AFP) Air pollution is estimated to contribute to 7 million premature deaths every year and is considered by the United Nations to be the single biggest environmental health risk. While Delhi was again named the capital with the dirtiest air, in tenth place, neighbouring business city Gurugram, which in 2016 changed its name from Gurgaon, took the not-so-coveted top spot. Cities in China, Pakistan and Bangladesh were also placed in the top 30. The 2018 World Air Quality Report, compiled by Greenpeace and IQAir AirVisual, used air pollution data from tens of thousands of public and private monitoring stations across the world to rank over 3,000 cities from dirtiest down to cleanest. At a country level, weighted by population, Bangladesh emerged as the most polluted country on average, closely followed by Pakistan and India, with Afghanistan and Mongolia also within the top 10. "In addition to human lives lost, there's an estimated global cost of 225 billion dollars in lost labour, and trillions in medical costs," said Yeb Sano, executive director of Green-

North Korea food production 'lowest for a decade': UN by Sebastien Berger

This week marks the 60th anniversary of a failed uprising which led to Tibet's Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fleeing into exile in India.

The report looked at measurements of fine particles known as PM2.5, which can penetrate into the airways to cause respiratory problems. Of the over 3,000 cities included in the list, 64 percent exceeded the World Health Organisation's annual exposure guideline for PM2.5. Average concentrations of the pollutant in Chinese cities fell by 12 percent from 2017 to 2018. Beijing now ranks as the 122nd most polluted city in the world. "In recent times, East Asia has demonstrated a strong correlation between rapid economic development and increased air pollution," the report found. It added that as the need to reduce air pollution has become more pressing in countries like China, "extensive monitoring networks and air pollution reduction policies have been put into place." The report also highlighted a lack of public information on air quality, particularly in Africa and South America. Real-time information is a "cornerstone in generating public awareness and driving action to combat air pollution in the long-term," it added.

OLKATA, India | AFP | Wednesday 3/6/2019 - An Indian woman who was raped and set on fire killed her attacker by dragging him into the flames, police said Wednesday. The woman survived with burns to her face and hands while the man died in hospital from his injuries. The widow, 35, told police that the man, 42, attacked and raped her in her home north of Kolkata in eastern India on Monday, when her daughters were out. "Then he poured kerosene on her body and set her on fire," police officer Sajal Kanti Biswas told AFP, quoting the woman's statement. India has a grim record of sexual violence, as highlighted by the gang rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus in 2012. On average, more than 100 rapes were reported each day in 2016, according to the most recent official figures. Victims are often threatened by the perpetrators against reporting the incidents to the authorities. A slow judiciary and lax policing system also fail the victims, experts say. In recent years some incidents of victims taking drastic actions for "instant justice" have surfaced. Last December a 47-year-old woman cut off the penis of her stalker after the 27-year-old repeatedly sought sexual favours from the mother-of-two.

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

The isolated North, which is under several sets of sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes, has long struggled to feed itself and suffers chronic food shortages.

cant food gap." As a result 10.9 million people in the North needed humanitarian assistance -- 600,000 more than last year -- with a potential for increased malnutrition and illness. It is equivalent to 43 percent of the population. But while the number of people needing help rose, the UN has had to cut its target for people to help -- from 6.0 million to 3.8 million -- as it seeks to prioritise those most in need. Funding has fallen far short of what the UN says it needs.

But last year's harvest was just 4.95 million tonnes, the United Nations said in its Needs and Priorities assessment for 2019, down by 500,000 tonnes.

Only 24 percent of last year's appeal was met, with Mishra describing it as "one of the lowest funded humanitarian plans in the world".

It was "the lowest production in more than a decade", the UN's Resident Coordinator in the North Tapan Mishra said in a statement.

Several agencies had been forced to scale back their programmes and some faced closing projects, he said, appealing to donors to "not let political considerations get in the way of addressing humanitarian need".

"This has resulted in a signifi-

bail bond "in cash," according to the Tokyo District Court. Throughout his more than three months in custody, Ghosn, 64, has loudly proclaimed his innocence, stressing in a recent statement he was "totally committed to vigorously defending" himself against "meritless and unsubstantiated accusations." He faces three charges -- two of under-reporting his salary in key documents to shareholders -- and one of attempting to transfer personal investment losses to Nissan. - 'Completely new legal strategy' The Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian executive had previously applied for bail twice without success, both times the court judging him a flight risk who might destroy evidence. Seemingly frustrated by the lack of progress, Ghosn shook

up his legal team, replacing his defence lawyer -- who was a former prosecutor -- with a hotshot lawyer known as the "Razor" for his sharpness. This lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, has an unusually strong record of securing acquittals in a country where almost every trial ends in a conviction. He told reporters on Monday that he had launched a "completely new legal strategy" to secure his famous client's release and his bail request offered fresh restrictions to win the court's trust. The bail terms reportedly prevent Ghosn from leaving Japan and include other measures restricting his communications. Kyodo news agency said Ghosn's cell phone use would be restricted and he would only be allowed to access a computer in his lawyer's office during weekday daytime hours.

Islamabad decides to send its envoy back to India

SLAMABAD: March 05, 2019 - Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that its High Commissioner to India will return to New Delhi “after completion of consultations in Islamabad.” According to an official handout, this was also communicated to the Acting Indian High Commissioner who was invited by Dr. Mohammad Faisal to the Foreign Office in Islamabad. The move comes only a few days after India and Pakistan found themselves on the brink of war: New Delhi ordered an airstrike near Balakot in response to a February 14 suicide attack in Pulwama that killed more than 40 paramilitary troops, and Pakistan downed an Indian fighter jet on its side of Kashmir and captured its pilot who was later returned to his country as a “gesture of peace.” While tensions are still brewing in the region, the Foreign Office also proclaimed that a Pakistani delegation “will visit New Delhi on 14 March 2019, followed by the return visit of the Indian delegation to Islamabad on 28 March 2019, to discuss the draft Agreement on Kartarpur Corridor.” Other than that, Pakistan has also conveyed its commitment to India regarding “continued weekly contact at the Military Operations Directorates level.”

He will also be banned from contacting Nissan executives and other people with links to the allegations against him, but he could still attend board meetings if the court gives approval, according to Kyodo. Francois Zimeray, a lawyer for the Ghosn family, told French radio station RTL that Ghosn had been "marked by the ordeal" but had "a firm will to fight so that his innocence is recognised and his dignity regained".

US/WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 12

Far out from 2020, a deep Democratic bench takes shape

ASHINGTON | AFP - Washington state Governor Jay Inslee launched a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on Friday, joining a crowded field vying to challenge Republican Donald Trump in 2020.

It includes female US senators, African-Americans, Hispanics and a young gay mayor and is likely to grow before the US primary season gets underway next year. Here are the main contenders to be the Democratic candidate on the ballot in November 2020. - Bernie Sanders The 77-year-old Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist, was an outsider when the 2016 Democratic primaries began. But he gave favorite Hillary Clinton a run for her money with his calls for a "political revolution" and battled her down to the wire. Sanders won passionate support among young liberals with his calls for universal health care, a $15 minimum wage and free public university education. - Amy Klobuchar The 58-year-old granddaughter of an iron miner, Klobuchar is a former prosecutor with an unpretentious demeanor. She has quietly gained attention in Washington as a centrist. Klobuchar is known for putting partisanship aside to pass legislation, something that has earned her a devoted following in Minnesota. Klobuchar has promised more stringent gun laws and set a target of universal health care. - Elizabeth Warren At 69, the US Senate's consumer protection champion from Massachusetts is on the party's left flank. She built her reputation by holding Wall Street accountable for its mis-

UK police probe suspect package link to London explosives

ONDON, United Kingdom | AFP | Wednesday 3/6/2019 - British police are investigating whether a suspect package found in Glasgow on Wednesday is linked to three small explosive devices discovered in London the previous day. Police Scotland carried out a controlled explosion on the package received at the University of Glasgow, but said there was no ongoing risk to the public. "The package was not opened and no one was injured," the force said. "The emergency services were alerted and several buildings within the estate were evacuated as a precaution." The force said it was "liaising with the Metropolitan Police in relation to their investigation into packages received in London yesterday." British counter terrorism officers are investigating the three "small improvised explosive devices" believed capable of starting small fires that were found in separate locations in London on Tuesday. Irish police later said they were "assisting the Metropolitan police with their enquiries", as Sky News reported that the packages had Irish stamps on them. Tuesday's suspicious packages were found at an office block next to Heathrow Airport, the post room at Waterloo station, and at offices near London City Airport in the east of the capital, according to Scotland Yard. The item sent to the Compass Centre, close to Heathrow's north runway, was opened by staff resulting in "part of the package burning", although no one was injured.

of her campaign. The barrier-breaking senator from California who aspires to be the nation's first black female president announced her candidacy on a day honoring slain civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.

- Julian Castro -

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee is the latest entrant in a crowded field seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. (Photo ÂŠ AFP) steps. Warren is considered to have one of the best campaign organizations of any Democrat.

Booker began his career as a community activist and rose to prominence as mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

Warren's campaign has been dogged, however, by her past claims of Native American heritage and Trump mockingly refers to her as "Pocahontas."

A talented orator, he was elected to the US Senate in 2013, the first African-American senator ever from the eastern state.

- Cory Booker The 49-year-old US senator from New Jersey announced his candidacy February 1, evoking the civil rights movement as he promised to work to bring together a divided America. Often compared to former president Barack Obama,

- Kirsten Gillibrand The New York senator made a name campaigning against sexual abuse, especially in the military, before the #MeToo movement gained national prominence. The 52-year-old, a fierce Trump critic, is making gender and women's issues a hallmark

FLYOVER FLAG

- Kamala Harris -

The daughter of an Indian immigrant medical researcher mother and a Jamaican economist father, Harris, 54, began her career as a district attorney in San Francisco before serving as California's attorney general.

The pool of Democratic candidates for the White House is among the largest and most diverse ever.

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

A cabinet member under Obama and grandson of a Mexican immigrant, Castro announced his candidacy in English and Spanish on January 12 in the heat of the debate on immigration and border security. At 44, the former mayor of San Antonio, Texas hopes to become the nation's first Hispanic president. - Tulsi Gabbard At just 37, Gabbard, a congresswoman from Hawaii, would be the first Hindu president. A supporter of Sanders in the 2016 race, military veteran Gabbard was criticized for meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad during that country's civil war, and for anti-gay positions that she has since retracted and apologized for. - Pete Buttigieg Nine months younger than

For the United Arab Emirates' national day, planes fly over Abu Dhabi, sporting the colors of the country's flag. (Photo: Alaa Al Harethi) Gabbard is the South Bend, Indiana, mayor who joined the race unveiling a resolutely future-looking and optimistic message to counter Trump's darker vision. A Rhodes Scholar, Buttigieg would be the first openly gay nominee of any major party. A US Navy reserve officer, he put his mayoral duties aside to serve in Afghanistan in 2014. - Jay Inslee Inslee, the governor of Washington state, said he would make climate change the central theme of his campaign, calling it the "most urgent challenge of our time." The 68-year-old Inslee served in the US House of Representatives before becoming governor of the northwest

state in 2013. - John Delaney An affluent Maryland businessman who served three terms in Congress, Delaney was the earliest Democrat to officially launch a bid, back in July 2017. The 55-year-old Delaney has crisscrossed the early-voting state of Iowa seeking to boost his name recognition. - Waiting in the wings Several big Democratic guns have yet to commit, including former vice president Joe Biden and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown. Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke is also considering a run as is billionaire New York ex-mayor Michael Bloomberg.

VOICE OF ASIA 13

Fort Bend View

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

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

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Houston Methodist welcomes orthopedic surgeon/ sports medicine specialist Kyle Borque, M.D.

“We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Borque join our team at Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine,” said Timothy Sitter, M.D., boardcertified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist. “Dr. Borque’s experience in Boston and London has given him hands-on skills and in-depth knowledge of complex orthopedic and sports medicine cases. He will strengthen our ability to serve high school, college and professional athletes here in Fort Bend County – as well as individuals with orthopedic injuries and conditions that need advanced care and treatment.”

UGAR LAND— (March 5, 2019) — Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine at Sugar Land is pleased to welcome knee and shoulder surgeon and sports medicine specialist Kyle Borque, M.D. He comes to Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine from Harvard School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he completed a fellowship in orthopedic sports surgery. He also recently completed a fellowship in complex knee surgery at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s Fortius Clinic in London. Borque, who grew up in Sugar Land and graduated from Clements High School, earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at Texas A&M University. He earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed his residency at the University of Chicago. Borque has extensive experience in sports medicine from his time at Massachusetts General Hospital, having served as a team physician for the New England Patriots during their 2018 Super Bowl season. He also assisted with the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins and New England Revolution soccer team. During his time

Borque will be located at Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine’s stateof-the-art facility at 16811 Southwest Fwy. on the Houston Kyle Borque, M.D., orthopedic surgeon Methodist Sugar Land Hospital campus. To make an appointment with Borque visit houstonmethodist.org/orthopedics-sl or call in London he treated players from 281.201.0409. many English Premier League soccer teams, including Manchester United, To learn more about Houston Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal as Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, visit well as Premiership Rugby players. houstonmethodist.org/sugarland or Borque also has provided physician our Facebook page at fb.com/methcoverage for a number of colleges odistsugarland for the latest news, and high schools. events and information.

State representative proposes bills to honor buried slaves found in Fort Bend County

UGAR LAND - Over a year ago, the graves of 95 freed slaves were uncovered at a Fort Bend ISD construction site. Now, a state representative wants to see the Sugar Land 95 honored. The discovery was made on a parcel of land off Highway 90. In the months after the graves were discovered last April, a court battle took place between the school district and historians who wanted to preserve the site. The bodies were found, each in its own wooden casket. Last month, the school district said its board of trustees voted unanimously to give the superintendent the power to negotiate with Fort Bend County on establishing an alternate site for James Reese Career and Tech-

nical Center, while also preserving the historic grave site. Researchers believe the bodies are those of freed slaves forced to work in convict labor camps. Although the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibited involuntary servitude, it created an exemption for people convicted of crimes. State Representative Ron Reynolds says southern states, including Texas, took advantage by enacting “Black Codes,” laws that applied only to African Americans, who could be prosecuted criminally for such offenses as loitering, breaking curfew, or not carrying proof of employment. The state of Texas leased prisoners as cheap labor to private railways, mines, and agricultural operations, including the sugar plantations along the

Brazos River. While receiving no pay, convicts often endured brutal conditions. More than 3,500 Texas prisoners died between 1866 and 1912, when the legislature finally outlawed convict leasing. Reynolds says for these reasons he’s proposed six new bills. They include HB 2036, HB 2428, HB 2430, HCR 51, HCR 55, and HJR 87. This legislation includes proposals to replace the confederate monument in the capitol with a plaque to honor the victims of convict leasing, to commission a study to determine the legacy of convict leasing, to establish a museum to educate the public on the history of convict leasing, and to administer $95 million in reparations to the descendants of the 95 victims of the convict leasing system discovered in Sugar Land. - KTRK

Local officials highlight Mother Language Day in Missouri City, other activities

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Section 2

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Japanese bookbinding craft class for teens at Sugar Land branch library

rea teens who are interested in exploring new crafts are invited to a special program for Young Adults in grades 9 through 12 at Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sugar Land Branch Library. The class “Japanese Bookbinding” will take place on Tuesday, March 19, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, in the Conference Room of the library, located at 550 Eldridge. Library staff will demonstrate the basic techniques of Japanese Bookbinding, a method of binding a book together without the need for glue or special equipment. The method of “stab binding” (or sewing) paper together with a needle and string began about 2,000 years ago and was pri-

marily used by the Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian countries. Its simplicity, effectiveness and cost make it a popular bookbinding method for small projects even today. Since the binding takes place after the content is written and individual pages are compiled, this technique is beneficial for group projects in which different people contribute separate pieces of an essay. It is also a beautiful way for book artists to express their creativity. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Sugar Land Branch Library at 281-238-2140 or the library system’s Communications Office at 281-6334734.

Messina Hof to open largest winery in Richmond

ICHMOND - Messina Hof, the largest wine producer in Texas, plans to open the Houston region’s largest winery inside a master-planned community in Richmond. The Messina Hof Harvest Green Winery will break ground later this year in Harvest Green, a 1,300-acre master-planned community anchored by a working farm. The award-winning winery’s fourth Texas location will feature a wine bar, tasting rooms that can be booked for private events and a 130-seat restaurant with an open kitchen and a 2,600-square-foot covered patio. The farm-to-table restaurant, similar to the Vintage House Restaurant in Messina Hof’s Bryan estate, will offer “vineyard cuisine” incorporating local produce grown from on-site gardens and Harvest Green’s neighborhood farm. “Our community partner in this project, Harvest Green, is an agriculture-based farm community that aligns with our passions in farm-to-table foods paired with great local wine,” said Paul Bonarrigo, Messina Hof’s owner and operator. “We look forward to growing and connecting our large

family of customers in Houston and South East Texas.” The winery will be Messina Hof’s second largest production facility, harvesting grapes, processing and aging wine, bottling and shipping bottles. Visitors can taste wines in the winery’s production and barrel room, which will feature wooden foudres and oak barrels. Melissa Hof plans to host several events, including wine classes and seasonal tastings from the farm, and add a large indoor event space and lodging in the future. The winery, which will feature a sustainable design with water recapturing technology, will break ground later this year. Crain Group is the general contractor, and Ted Trout Architect & Associates is the designer. Since opening in 1977, Messina Hof Winery has won nearly 1,300 national and international wine competition awards, including six Gold medals from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Uncorked International Wine Competition. Messina Hof, which owns and operates wineries in Bryan, Fredericksburg and Grapevine, has more than 70 Texas wines available for distribution and to ship to 40 states.

Bills to raise smoking age to 21 filed in Texas Legislature by FB representative

Mayor Yolanda Ford (at microphone) was joined by local officials including Houston Mayor Sylvestor Turner and FB County Judge K.P. George for International Mother Language Day. (Photo: City of Missouri City/Facebook)

ISSOURI CITY - Recently, City Council partnered in several area events/meetings strengthening community partnerships, including a celebration of diversity in our county and city. Mayor Yolanda Ford joined dignitaries and members of more than 10 different nationalities for International Mother Language Day at the Bangladesh American Center.

Mayor Pro Tem Chris Preston, District A Councilmember Reginald Pearson and District D Councilmember Floyd Emery traveled to Austin for Fort Bend Day at the Capitol. AtLarge Position #1 Councilmember Vashaundra Edwards supported the First Annual Heart Disease Awareness Walk-A-Thon at Hunters Glen Park. District B Councilmember Jeffrey Boney introduced staff to two invest-

ment groups interested in exploring opportunities in the Texas Parkway/ Cartwright Road Corridors. District C Councilmember Anthony Maroulis and Councilmember Emery joined George Micheaux at a grand opening marking the expansion of his family’s soul food restaurant, Michaeux’s. - City of Missouri City

USTIN, Texas — A pair of bills to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 have been filed in the Texas Legislature.

if current trends continue, according to Texas 21, a coalition of 75 public health groups; physicians; and youth and military representatives.

SB 21 was filed in the Texas Senate by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), and HB 749 was filed in the Texas House by Rep. John Zerwas, MD, (RRichmond), the latter of which will be heard Wednesday in the House Public Affairs Committee.

This is not the panacea when it comes to eliminating smoking, but it is an incredibly powerful thing to move tobacco products and e-cigarettes away from these young people and adolescence,” said Rep. Zerwas.

In Texas, 7.4 percent of high school students smoke and over 10 percent use e-cigarettes, while 10,400 kids become daily smokers every year. “Most smokers, smokers today, those addicted to cigarettes, 95 percent started smoking before the age of 21,” said Dr. John Carlo, Chairman of the Texas Public Health Coalition. Nearly half a million--498,000-Texas children alive now will ultimately die prematurely from smoking

Texas 21 also plans to release polling data showing Texans’ overwhelming, bipartisan support for raising the tobacco sale age. “It will be a little difficult. There will be some that tell us that we shouldn’t be telling young people what they can do or not do. I think sometimes you have to take a stand,” said Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston. Seven states have raised the minimum tobacco sale age to 21. - CBS Austin

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2

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Romeo Akbar Walter trailer: John Abraham’s new patriotic film is a lot like Alia Bhatt’s Raazi Romeo Akbar Walter trailer: John Abraham’s streak of patriotic films continues with a new spy-thriller, which will remind you of Alia Bhatt’s Raazi and Ben Affleck’s Argo. 5th April,” John wrote in a tweet. The trailer opens with Jackie Shroff declaring, “We are on the verge of a war with Pakistan’. While the statement might seem topical, the film is in fact a period piece, set against the backdrop of the India-Pakistan war of 1971 and is said to be inspired by true events. Apart from John, the film also stars Mouni Roy and Sikander Kher. Jackie’s character recruits John’s character, whom he trains to undertake a special mission ‘that could change the course of history for India’. We see shots of John undergoing spy training, which looks very similar to the scenes Raazi put Alia Bhatt’s Sehmat through. “You will have to proceed with the knowledge that you are always being watched,” he is told by Jackie, who plays his handler.

Luke Perry starred in the hit 1990s television series “Beverly Hills, 90210. (Photo © AFP Photo / Valery Hache)

‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ actor Luke Perry dead at 52

ctor Luke Perry, who starred in the hit 1990s television series “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died on Monday at the age of 52 after suffering a massive stroke, his agent said.

Perry, who was hospitalized in the Los Angeles area last week, died surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, his fiancee and ex-wife, his parents, siblings and other close family While the first half of the trailer fo- and friends, his agent Arnold Robincusses on the espionage elements, the son told AFP. second half is more action-heavy, with “The family appreciates the outpourshades of Argo and Zero Dark Thirty. ing of support and prayers that have John had earlier said that he will been extended to Luke from around sport eight different looks in the film the world, and respectfully request as per the demand of the script. “I privacy in this time of great mournwill play everything from a 85-year- ing,” Robinson added, in a statement. old man to a 26-year-old and this is Perry had been in Los Angeles the most challenging role of my life. I working on the television series get a good nervous energy when I am “Riverdale,” an adaptation of the Arprepping for a difficult film and RAW chie comic books in which he plays is in that space,” John had said before Archie’s father Fred Andrews, when he started shooting for the film. Being directed by Robbie Grewal, this is John Abraham’s second collaboration with producer Ajay Kapoor after Parmanu. Earlier actor Sushant Singh Rajput was roped in for the title role in the film, but the makers of the movie mutually parted ways with the actor due to “unavoidable circumstances”.

he suffered the stroke last Wednesday. He was hospitalized the same day Fox announced it was rebooting “90210,” featuring six of the original stars including Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling -- though there was no confirmation Perry, who played Dylan McKay on the longrunning show, would be part of the reboot. News of Perry’s hospitalization had triggered an outpouring of support from celebrities including his former co-stars on the long-running teen drama. “My friend. Holding you tight and giving you my strength. You got this,” Shannen Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh in the series that ran from 1990 to 2000, said on Instagram. In her post, Doherty shared an old cast photo of the two actors locked in an embrace -- their characters were one of the show’s supercouples. - AFP

Riz Ahmed to star in, produce Pulse Films’ ‘Mughal Mowgli’

Indian Bollywood actors John Abraham (L), Mouni Roy (C) and Sikandar Kher John has been starring in a streak (R) poses during the trailer launch. (Credit: Varinder Chawla/IBT) of patriotic-themed films such as Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran and Satyameva Jayate lately. He will next be seen in the fact-based Batla House. he first trailer for Romeo Ak- day. “His dharma was to protect his RAW is scheduled for an April 5 rebar Walter, the latest thriller nation against all evils and enemies. lease. starring John Abraham, was Here’s presenting the trailer of Roreleased online by the actor on Mon- meo. Akbar. Walter. In cinemas on - Hindustan Times

Sonali Bendre reveals how she felt when she was diagnosed with cancer!

Last year, she was diagnosed with high-grade cancer and the actress has been nothing but positive about it. But that’s not how she felt when she got to know about it. Recently, at an event, Sonali opened up about how she blamed herself for being diagnosed with this dreaded disease.

Emmy-winning actor and rapper Riz Ahmed (The Night Of, Venom, Rogue One) is set to play the lead in the drama Mughal Mowgli, a story which Ahmed co-wrote and will produce alongside Pulse Films.

She said, “I actually thought that it was me doing something wrong and that I have caused it. I went to a psychiatrist in New York”.

The project marks the feature directorial debut of documentary filmmaker Bassam Tariq, whose recent effort Ghosts of Sugar Land recently won the non-fiction short film award at Sundance and was acquired by Netflix. His first doc, 2013’s These Birds Walk, premiered at SXSW was recently named one of the 50 best foreign films of the 21st century by The New Yorker.

She further spoke that the psychaitrist then helped her to deal with such feelings. The actress spent five months gettig treated in New York and returned to India in December last year. The actress had announced about her illness on social media, leaving fans, friends and family in a state of shock. (Pic Courtesy: Yogen Shah)

Production on Mughal Mowgli is set to begin this month in association with Silvertown Films, with BBC Films, Cinereach, SFFILM Invest, Vice Studios and RYOT Films having boarded as financiers.

- Times of India

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OLLYWOOD - The drama — about a British Pakistani rapper — marks the feature directorial debut of documentary filmmaker Bassam Tariq, with Ahmed producing through his Left Handed Films banner.

UMBAI - Mar 5, 2019 Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre has inspired many with her fight against cancer.

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A spiritual drama about a British Pakistani rapper who, on the cusp of his first world tour, is struck down by an epigenetic illness that threatens to derail his big break, Mughal Mowgli was co-written by Tariq and Ahmed and will be produced by Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski and Bennett McGhee, Left Handed Films’ Ahmed and Michael Peay. Ahmed, who is currently prepping the TV drama Englistan for the BBC, has plenty of experience as a rapper, having emerged in the London music scene and performing both as a solo artist and with his band Swet Shop Boys. His provocative solo release Post 9/11 Blues was banned before a viral groundswell forced it onto radio, while the Swet Shop Boys album Cashmere landed the group major festival gigs including Coachella and Glastonbury. “I’m excited to be finally be working on a feature with my friends at Pulse Films and my co-conspirator Bassam Tariq,” Ahmed said in a statement. “We are setting out to do something different, and do it in a bold way.” - Hollywood Reporter

FASHION & LIFESTYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 15

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Procter & Gamble backs the eradication of animal testing

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FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

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K-beauty meets K-pop with Kaja’s new collaboration

P&G has joined the Humane Society International #BeCrueltyFree campaign to ban animal testing for cosmetics in all major global beauty markets by 2023. © Procter & Gamble

Personal care giant Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is taking a bold stance against animal testing. The conglomerate, which counts Olay, Pantene and SK-II among its brands, has teamed up with the animal protection organization the Humane Society International (HSI) to back its #BeCrueltyFree campaign fighting to ban animal testing for cosmetics in all major global beauty markets by the year 2023. P&G will lend its support to the campaign -- which has been running since 2012 -- via joint education and capacity-building programs for non-animal alternatives as well as by continuing to explore animal-free approaches to safety assessment, and advocating for legislative change in key markets. The campaign will also focus on getting new methods accepted by regulators, and enrolling businesses and governments to adopt cruelty-free public policies and practices. “I’m proud of the passion and expertise our researchers have contributed already to this goal,” said Kathy Fish, Chief Research, Development and Innovation Officer, Procter & Gamble, in a statement. “I know they will continue to be a force for good, providing leadership and advocacy to help achieve our shared vision.” P&G -- which does not use animal testing unless in countries where it is required by law -- has been working

with the HSI for more than two decades on the development of animalfree cosmetics testing methods, with Kitty Block, President of Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, commenting “This partnership represents an important milestone in our efforts to end animal testing for cosmetics worldwide through our #BeCrueltyFree campaign. By working together with forward-looking companies like Procter & Gamble, we can make this ambitious goal a reality.” Dr. Harald Schlatter, P&G Corporate Communications and Animal Welfare Advocacy outlined that the company’s “researchers have led or co-designed at least 25 cruelty-free methods that have replaced animal testing of cosmetic products. HSI and the HSUS have been powerful partners in advancing these methods globally.” Animal testing has become a hot topic in the beauty industry lately, with multiple brands publicly shunning the practice. The Unilever-owned skincare and haircare giant Dove was awarded cruelty-free status by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) last year, as was the spa brand Bliss. Coty’s Covergirl brand received the same status from Cruelty Free International, an organization that also joined forces with The Body Shop to protest against cosmetic animal testing. Relaxnews

The sister lines set to disrupt the beauty industry this year Cult beauty brands are building on their popularity this year -- not by adding product ranges to their portfolios, but rather by adding new brands to their bows. We take a look at the sister lines taking over this year.

Tarte Cruelty-free brand Tarte Cosmetics stepped up its game this month with the launch of ‘Sugar Rush’, a vegan-friendly line aimed at makeuploving Gen Z shoppers on a budget. The 17-piece series spans color cosmetics for eyes, lips and face, as well as skincare and bodycare products, makeup brushes, a face cleansing brush and two different makeup bags. Highlights include a vegan lip oil that comes in three different shades, a

Cosmetics brand Kaja is consolidating its K-beauty credentials by teaming up with the K-pop girl band (G)I-DLE. The US K-beauty label, a color cosmetics collaboration between retail giant Sephora and Memebox, has partnered up with the six-member group to reach out to beauty buffs and fans of the music genre alike. The move makes Kaja (which means ‘Let’s go’ in Korean and incorporates Korean technology and formulations with playful, stackable packaging) the first American beauty brand to collaborate with a leading K-pop group. “This is K-beauty 2.0 and embodies what we love so much about trends in pop-culture coupled with innovation in beauty,” said Hyungseok Dino Ha, Chief Executive Officer and Founder

of the brand’s parent company Memebox, in a statement. “(G)I-DLE was chosen because each member brings Kaja to life through her unique style and personality. These girls represent K-beauty in a fun and exciting way.” Kaja was launched back in September, with a 47-piece collection designed to suit a range of skin tones. As part of the collaboration, (G)IDLE’s new “Senorita” music video sees its six members -- Miyeon, Minnie, Soojin, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua -- sporting beauty looks created using the brand. The brand also features in the group’s “To Neverland” reality TV series, which sees the girls stop by Sephora to pick out products for an upcoming video shoot.

Since releasing their debut minialbum “I Am” in May 2018, which reached number one on iTunes in 11 countries, (G)I-DLE has won multiple accolades from the Melon Music Awards, MGA (MBC Plus X Genie Music Awards), and KPMA (Korea Popular Music Awards). The move is indicative of the everincreasing popularity of the K-beauty trend, which shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Last year saw the Italian fashion house Moschino team up with South Korean beauty brand Tonymoly on a makeup collaboration, while Peach & Lily, a go-to destination for US-based fans of Korean beauty products, launched its own beauty line back in July. - Relaxnews

‘Beauty boot camps’ key to Philippine pageant dominance

odgil Flores casts a stern taskmaster’s glance as grimacing young women in bikinis stride across one of the mirror-walled studios that is central to making the Philippines a beauty pageant juggernaut. In 17-centimetre (seven-inch) stiletto heels, the students sway their hips between long slow strides, a brutal drill that Flores requires them to repeat in order to make the act of sashaying second nature come pageant time. “For crown. For country”, is the slogan of the Kagandahang Flores (Flores Beauty) studio he set up in 1996, the first of a handful of Philippine beauty boot camps that have helped transform the nation’s pageant fortunes.

Glossier The cult millennial-friendly beauty brand Glossier has a secretive new project up its sleeve. The company has been teasing ‘Glossier Play’ -- a new brand set to launch in March -on its social media accounts for days now, via a series of disco-inspired posts that appear to hint at glittery fun things to come. Details of the launch are being kept strictly under wraps for now, with Glossier simply saying: “After two years in the making, we can’t wait for you to see, touch, hear, swatch, and play with what’s to come.” Whatever it is, it’s sure to be disruptive.

(G)I-DLE ‘Senorita’ music video featuring Kaja beauty products © Kaja

With the naming of Catriona Gray as Miss Universe 2018, the Philippines took home its fourth title in what is considered the summit of the beauty contest world.

sugar rush™ cake butter whipped body butter © Courtesy of Tarte Cosmetics whipped body butter designed to resemble frosting and smell like cake, and an eye and cheek palette that comes presented in recyclable watermelon-shaped casing made from soy ink. The entire collection is packaged in candy pink and lilac hues, with pastel blue accents. Glow Recipe K-beauty favorite Glow Recipe unveiled ‘Sweet Chef’ at Target this year, focusing on vitamin-loaded, vegetable-based skincare solutions that come packaged as serum shots and sheet masks. Key ingredients include antioxidant-rich ginger, superfood kale and vitamin-rich beet.

Both Gray and 2015 winner Pia Wurtzbach trained in the Philippines’ beauty studios before securing their wins. Success in the pageant world can open doors to commercial, film, and modelling work. “The rise of the camps turned the Philippines into a beauty pageant powerhouse. What they did was to raise the level of pageant training,” Flores told AFP. “Our pageant Filipina prolong added.

evolution (into) a beauty superpower compels every competing internationally to this streak,” the 50-year-old

Manila’s beauty boot camps effectively create a production line of contenders for the Miss Universe crown. Their students come up from the country’s circuit of local beauty competitions and then hone their skills in a bid

Rodgil Flores talking to aspiring beauty queens at a beauty boot camp in Manila © Noel CELIS / AFP

to reach the next level. Miss Philippines 2019 hopeful Melba Ann Macasaet, 25, took extended leave from her job as a government pharmacist to join Flores’ beauty studio. It took her two weeks and several miscues to master his signature stride, called the “duck walk”. “I have been joining pageants since I was 15 years old. I believe that every pageant girl has dreams of being able to try and do this,” she said. It will be about another month before she knows if she has made the cut for the pageant, which organisers expect to be held in June. - Patriotism and pageantry The beauty boot camp runs six days a week and sessions often stretch on till midnight. Some 200 hopefuls a year take part in the training at Flores’ studio, which

include gym workouts, make-up lessons, and duck walk drills. There are also formal classes where the students take part in mock pageant situations, learning to deliver concise responses to tricky questions on world peace and equality usually asked of contestants. Training is free for Filipinas, who camp organisers usually recruit from provincial contests. Beauty industry benefactors pitch in to cover costs and many people donate their time to help shape what they hope are future champions. “We don’t earn anything, but we do this out of our passion for beauty pageants,” said Arnold Mercado, the manager and personality development coach of Aces & Queens, the other main Philippine pageant camp. Mercado, 51, quit his job as an engineer for an oil company after 28 years to focus full time on pageant coaching. He counts Wurtzbach and Gray among those he mentored.

Young Life

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OS ANGELES: Kylie Jenner on Tuesday was named the youngest self-made billionaire of all time by Forbes magazine, thanks to the booming cosmetics company she founded three years ago.

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Keeping up with Kylie: Jenner is world’s youngest billionaire

Twenty two students advance to national Scholastic Art & Writing contest

Kylie Jenner. Photo credit: Arab News

rtists from Dawson High School, Pearland High School, Robert Turner College & Career High School, Berry Miller Junior High and Pearland Junior High West, along with writers/poets from DHS will compete for national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards this spring.

Jenner, 21, the half-sister of reality television stars Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, made it onto the annual Forbes list of billionaires after debuting her Kylie Cosmetics online in 2015 with $29 lip kits containing matching lipstick and lip liner. Forbes said she was both the world’s youngest billionaire and also the youngest selfmade billionaire ever. On their billionaires list, Forbes distinguishes between those who inherited much of their wealth and those who made their fortunes on their own. Kylie would be in 2,057th place whether she was self-made or inherited. Last year, Kylie Cosmetics did an estimated $360 million in sales, according to Forbes. Jenner, who has a one year-old daughter, owns 100 percent of the company. She also makes money from endorsements and appearances on cable TV’s “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” and was ranked at number 2,057 on the Forbes 2019 list. Kylie Cosmetics last year signed a deal with Ulta Beauty

Inc. to put her products in all of the retailer’s 1,163 US stores. Forbes put 2,153 billionaires on its 2019 list, down from 2,208 in 2018, and said their total combined net worth was $8.7 trillion, down from $9.1 trillion in 2018. The richest person in the

world remained Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos, whose net worth increased to $131 billion from $112 billion in 2018, according to Forbes. Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates remained in the No. 2 position with an estimated

Exclusive look into CHR Solutions

fortune of $96.5 billion, up from $90 billion last year. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg three places to No. fortune fell by $8.7 $62.3 billion.

and CEO dropped 8, as his billion to

The full list can be seen at Forbes.com/billionaires.

Teen who defied parents to get vaccinated heads to Congress

HICAGO | AFP - A US high school student who had himself vaccinated despite his parents’ objections is set to testify Tuesday before the US Congress about a surge in outbreaks of preventable diseases. Ethan Lindenberger says he grew up in an “anti-vax household,” but decided to go against his parents’ wishes to get vaccinated once he turned 18 and was able to legally make the decision for himself.

Dr. Arun Pasrija, CEO CHR Solutions during a lecture session with YLDP students at his office.

uring the sixth YLDP session, many individuals came together to listen to Dr. Arun Pasrija talk about the obstacles he has faced in his career as well as the company we all know as CHR Solutions. The lecture was held on February 16th at the company base of CHR Solutions. They are the leading provider of BSS/OSS Software solutions, Engineering, and Managed IT and NOC services that address the operational and marketplace challenges faced by today’s Communications Service Providers. Their team of experts in industry help companies grow revenue and improve operations. Dr. Arun Pasrija started off with a big company (AT&T Bell Labs/AT&T/

Lucent/Nokia) in which he was included in the robotics and software development, systems engineering, international assignment, product development management and general management. Later, he moved on to a pseudo start up in which he was the head of operations. Lastly, he was part of a true startup company that he was in partnership with the cofounder. The first thing Dr. Pasrija talked about was the meaning of a true business. He explained that a business is an organization involved in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers, or to other businesses. He also explained the difference between a small and large business (small business- fewer then 500 employ-

ees). Next, we learned a couple of small business statistics. One stat that attracted my attention was that 52% of small businesses are homebased. Who knew there were that many people working from home? In addition, Dr. Pasrija described the bases and complex meaning of entrepreneurship as well as what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. He taught me that entrepreneurship improves productivity, spurs innovation and creates job for many people. There were many lessons to take away from this lecture, but the main one he emphasized was to always stay persistent and to always work hard.

The teen’s decision generated international headlines at a time when health experts are warning of a global surge in measles cases -- preventable by vaccine -- brought on by conflict, complacency and the anti-vaccine movement. Lindenberger, who lives in Norwalk, Ohio, announced over the weekend that he was invited to testify at a Tuesday hearing in the US Senate over preventable disease outbreaks. He is scheduled to address the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, along with several health experts. There have been 159 measles cases so far this year in 10 US states, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). There were 372 cases in all of 2018. Parents in 17 states are allowed to opt out of vaccinations for their children because of their personal beliefs. Medical and religious reasons also can be cited to forego vaccinations. Disinformation spread on social media has helped fuel an anti-vaccine movement in the United States, with many so-called “anti-vaxxers” believing medically baseless claims that the innoculations can cause autism and other negative health effects. Experts insist vaccines are safe and necessary to protect the larger community from highly infectious diseases like measles.

YLDP students: Batch of 2019.

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“My mom didn’t believe that vaccines were beneficial to the health and safety of society, and believes that they cause autism, brain damage and other complications,” Lindenberger said in a YouTube video posted over the weekend. Ninety-eight countries reported more cases of measles in 2018 compared with 2017. The World Health Organization said cases worldwide soared nearly 50 percent, kill-

The Scholastic awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. The competition’s mission is to bring outstanding visual art and writing created by teens to a national audience by showcasing the work and encouraging creative and career development. Each fall, schools submit students’ best art and writing and entries are judged by a professional panel. Only Gold Key winners advance to the national level for a chance to win one of approximately 1,500 national awards. Gold and Silver Medals will be announced March 12 and awarded on June 6 through a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Regional awards for art include. . . . Berry Miller Junior High Gracin Nguyen: Gold Key Mya Geren: Two Silver Keys Avery Gilman: Silver Key Bao-Chau Ho: Silver Key An Truong: Silver Key Their art teachers are Sara Mendoza and Audra Byerly. Dawson High School Julia Bennett: Gold Key Alexandra Konstantinov: Gold Key and Silver Key Michael Nguyen: Two Gold Keys Helen Wang: Gold Key and Four Silver Keys Wendy Xie: Gold Key Their art teacher is Teri Zuteck. Pearland High School Jeffery Sosa: Gold Key David Santos: Silver Key Their art teacher is Robert Stiles. Pearland Junior High West Sophia Fu: Gold Key Angela Haskin: Two Silver Keys

ing around 136,000 people. The US outbreaks “are linked to travelers who brought measles back from other countries such as Israel and Ukraine,

Their art teacher is Christa George. Robert Turner College & Career High School John Tansey: Gold Key The art teacher is Mark Villapando. Regional awards for writing include these DHS students. . . . Julia Bennett: Silver Key Jabari Bowen: Mention

Honorable

Yupu Cai: Gold Key Ethan Huang Chen: Silver Key Jacqueline Clogan: Key

Silver

Audrey Dial: Gold Key Lauren Hale: Gold Key Danny Hamed: Silver Key Julie Henry: Silver Key Harrison Huang: Gold Key Sabah Jamal: Silver Key Vanshika Jhonsa: Silver Key Aarav Kumar: Gold Key Yuji Lee: Gold Key Kathy Liang: Gold Key Aditya Namjoshi: Two Silver Keys Aroob Sheikh: Silver Key Catherine Tang: Silver Key Amy Thyne: Gold Key Divjot Walia: Gold Key Helen Wang: Two Gold Keys Jessica Williams: Silver Key and Honorable Mention Derek Xie: Three Gold Keys, Five Silver Keys and Honorable Mention Katherine Xie: Gold Key Raina Zhang: Gold Key The Harris County Department of Education serves as the regional sponsor of this prestigious national program and hosts yearly judging and awards ceremonies for thousands of writing and art entries submitted by students. Famous past winners include Stephen King, Dan Fogelberg, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Joyce Carol Oates, Marc Brown and Jaida Jones. For more about the Scholastic awards, visit http://www. artandwriting.org/.

where large measles outbreaks are occurring,” the CDC said. It then propagates among unvaccinated people, who tend to live close to each other.

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VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

March is Women’s History Month Section 2 Tel: 713-774-5140

Second HIV remission patient rekindles cure hope CMS Improving Nursing Home by Marlowe HOOD and Patrick GALEY

aris, France | AFP | 3/5/2019 For just the second time ever an HIV patient is in sustained remission from the virus in what was hailed by experts Tuesday as proof that the AIDS-causing condition could one day be curable. Ten years almost to the day since the first confirmed case of an HIVinfected person being rid of the deadly disease, a man known only as the “London patient” has shown no sign of the virus for nearly 19 months, doctors reported in the journal Nature. Both patients underwent bone marrow transplants to treat blood cancers, receiving stem cells from donors with a genetic mutation present in less than one percent of Europeans that prevents HIV from taking hold. “It is a landmark. After 10 years of

not being able to replicate (the first case), people were wondering if this was a fluke,” said lead author Ravindra Gupta, a professor at the University of Cambridge. “I think it is important to reaffirm that this is real and it can be done,” Gupta told AFP. The findings will be presented later Tuesday at a medical conference in Seattle, Washington. Millions of people infected with HIV around the globe keep the disease in check with so-called antiretroviral therapy (ARV), but the treatment does not rid patients of the virus. Close to 37 million people are living with HIV worldwide, but only 59 percent are receiving ARV. Nearly one million people die every year from HIV-related causes. A new drug-resistant form of HIV is also a growing concern.

The first sustained remission survivor, announced in 2009 as “the Berlin patient” and later named as American Timothy Brown, was given two transplants and underwent total body irradiation to treat leukaemia -- a process that nearly killed him. Gupta said that while a second successful transplant did not constitute a generalised cure, it showed that even milder forms of treatment can achieve full remission. “There are a number of learning points here,” he said. “Radiation has a lot of side-effects and leads to a delayed recovery of the bone marrow, so it’s really good that we’ve shown you don’t need radiation. “The Berlin patient also had two rounds of chemotherapy because the first one didn’t work. We’ve done ours just once, and it was also a milder form, which is important,” he added.

Mini miracle: ‘Record-breaking’ preemie leaves Tokyo hospital

baby born in Tokyo weighing the same as a large onion has gone home healthy, becoming the smallest newborn boy in the world to leave hospital safely. The tiny tot weighed just 268 grams -- under 10 ounces -- when he was delivered at 24 weeks, reportedly after he stopped growing in the womb.

But after five months of treatment, he now weighs 3.238 kilos, is feeding normally, and has been discharged, Keio University Hospital said.

Doctor Takeshi Arimitsu, who treated the infant, said he wanted to tell people that “there is a possibility that babies will be able to leave the hospital in good health even though they are born small”. Keio University Hospital said the boy was believed to now hold the record for the smallest newborn boy to be discharged from a hospital in good health.

he Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced updates coming next month to Nursing Home Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System to strengthen this tool for consumers to compare quality between nursing homes. The April 2019 updates to Nursing Home Compare are part of a broad range of updates that have been under development for the last several years. The Nursing Home Compare website and Five-Star Quality Rating System were created to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes and identify areas they may want to ask about when looking at nursing home care. The updates further advance CMS’s goals to improve the accuracy and value of the information found on the site and promote quality improvement in nursing home care with the result of better health outcomes for residents.

Nursing Home Compare has a quality rating system that gives each nursing home a rating between 1 and 5 stars. Nursing homes with 5 stars are considered to have above average quality and nursing homes with 1 star are considered to have quality below average. There is one Overall 5-star rating for each nursing home, and a separate rating for each of the following three factors: Health Inspections: Inspections include the findings on compliance to Medicare and Medicaid health and safety requirements from onsite surveys conducted by state survey agencies at nursing homes.

He was so small he fit in an adult’s cupped hands.

“I can only say I’m happy that he has grown this big because honestly, I wasn’t sure he could survive,” the boy’s mother said.

Compare in April 2019

Staffing Levels: The staffing levels are the numbers of nurses available to care for patients in a nursing home at any given time. A baby born in Tokyo weighing the same as a large onion has gone home healthy, becoming the smallest newborn boy in the world to leave hospital safely. © PaulBroben / IStock.com stantially lower for boys compared with girls. Experts are still not entirely sure why, though there have been suggestions it could be partly related to the slower development of lungs in male babies, Keio hospital said.

The baby was discharged last week, two months after his initial due date, local media said. Japan has one of the world’s lowest rates of infant mortality, according to UNICEF. - AFP

The record was previously held by a boy born in Germany in 2009 weighing just 274 grams, the hospital said, citing a registry put together by University of Iowa for the world’s tiniest surviving babies.

Quality Measures: The quality of resident care measures are based on resident assessment and Medicare claims data. CMS has periodically made improvements to the website and ratings system. Each update has been part of CMS’s ongoing effort to increase the accuracy of information available to consumers and to drive quality improvement at nursing homes across the country. The April 2019 changes include revisions to the inspection process, enhancement of new staffing information, and implementation of new quality measures. This includes a lifting of the ‘freeze’ on the health inspection ratings instituted in February 2018. CMS ‘froze’ the health inspection star ratings category after implementing a new survey process for Long-Term Care facilities. Because facilities receive surveys at different times, some facilities would have been surveyed under the old process and others under

The smallest surviving girl was born in Germany in 2015 weighing 252 grams, according to the registry. The survival rate of the smallest babies is sub-

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900

the new process. Without placing a ‘freeze’ on health inspection star ratings, the facilities would have been scored using two different evaluation processes making the outcomes misaligned and the data inaccurate. CMS ‘froze’ the health inspection star rating score until all nursing homes were surveyed at least once under the new survey process for Long Term Care facilities. Ending the freeze is critical for consumers. In April, they will be able to see the most up to date status of a facility’s compliance, which is a very strong reflection of a facility’s ability to improve and protect each resident’s health and safety. Additionally, CMS is setting higher thresholds and evidencebased standards for nursing homes’ staffing levels. Nurse staffing has the greatest impact on the quality of care nursing homes deliver, which is why CMS analyzed the relationship between staffing levels and outcomes. CMS found that as staffing levels increase, quality increases and is therefore assigning an automatic one-star rating when a Nursing Home facility reports “no registered nurse is onsite.” Currently, facilities that report seven or more days in a quarter with no registered nurse onsite are automatically assigned a one-star staffing rating. In April 2019, the threshold for the number of days without an RN onsite in a quarter that triggers an automatic downgrade to one-star will be reduced from seven days to four days. CMS is also making changes to the quality component on Nursing Home Compare that would improve identifying differences in quality among nursing homes, raise expectations for quality, and incentivize continuous quality improvement. For Long Term Care and Medicare Plans contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900.

New poll finds many US adults feel lonely, especially those in poor health

new US poll has revealed that as many as a quarter of US adults feel isolated at least some of the time, with those who have health issues feeling even lonelier than those who rate their wellbeing more highly.

Specifically, 26 percent of respondents who said they lacked companionship also reported being in fair or poor physical health, compared to 13 percent of those who said they hardly ever lacked companionship. 17 percent of those who felt isolated had fair or poor mental health, compared to just 2 percent of those who hardly ever felt isolated.

The National Poll on Healthy Aging, carried out by researchers at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, and sponsored by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center, was administered to 2,051 American adults aged 50 to 80 years. Participants were asked about their overall physical and mental health, their feelings of loneliness, isolation, and contact with friends and family, as well more specific questions about health such as diet, exercise, and whether they wear a hearing aid. The findings showed that one in four felt isolated from others at some point, with a third reporting that they lack regular companionship. Moreover, those who reported poor

In addition, one in five of those who reported feeling isolated said they had fair or poor hearing, compared to around one in 10 of those who said they hardly ever feel isolated.

A new poll has found that many American adults report feeling lonely and lacking companionship. © Dmitry Berkut / Istock.com or fair physical or mental health, had an unhealthier lifestyle, and who wore a hearing aid were more likely to report being lonely or lacking com-

panions than those who said they ate healthy diets, exercised, got enough sleep or didn’t smoke.

Those who were unemployed, lived in lower-income households, lived alone and/or had one or more children living with them were also more likely to say they lacked companionship, while 60 percent of those living alone reported feeling a lack of companionship, and 41 percent felt isolated. “More than a quarter of poll respondents said they only had social contact once a week, or less, with family members they don’t live with, or with

friends and neighbors,” said Erica Solway, PhD, co-director of the poll. “These results indicate the importance of proactively reaching out to those in your community who may be at risk of feeling isolated and disconnected, especially those with or at risk of health issues.” Poll director Preeti Malani, MD, noted that there is growing evidence to suggest that health and loneliness are connected, and that reducing loneliness through volunteering, taking part in religious or community groups, and other activities can positively impact health. “As we grow older, and mobility or hearing becomes more of a barrier, the poll data show the importance of maintaining and strengthening our ties to other people,” said Malani. “It also suggests that caregivers, spouses and partners, adult children and others involved in older adults’ lives have a role to play in encouraging and facilitating these connections.” - Relaxnews

DIET & EXERCISE

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

Nutrition Month 2019: comparing Having red hair and many the claims of 4 dietary trends

moles increases the risk of melanoma, finds study

March marks National Nutrition Month in the USA, sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to help both adults and children set healthy eating habits in order to achieve optimal nutrition and health.

New Australian research has found that individuals with a combination of red hair and more than 20 large moles have a significantly increased risk of developing melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, compared to those who have just one of these physical traits.

A traditional Mediterranean diet - which focuses on plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats - still appears to be one of the most popular and healthiest. © MarianVejcik / Istock.com

n contrast to recent years, no theme has been set for 2019, and instead National Nutrition Month will be honored as its own theme to give people the flexibility to discover more about health and nutrition in their own way. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the diet trends that are currently generating buzz and their health claims. The save the world diet Those who are concerned about the environment as well as their own health may be interested in the “save the world diet,” created by a team of experts as a sustainable eating plan to feel a global population of 10 billion -- which the earth is expected to reach by 2050 -- while also helping to control climate change and prevent millions of premature deaths each year from eating an unhealthy diet. Omnivores will be relieved to know that meat is not off the menu, although if you embark on the diet you will be expected to cut down to just 14 grams of red meat a day and 29 grams of chicken, or have 28 grams per day of fish, with the emphasis instead on beans, pulses, and legumes, fruit and vegetables, and carbs, along with 50 grams a day of nuts, dairy equivalent to one glass of milk a day, and around one egg a week. Insects

This isn’t a diet as such, but many experts have suggested recently that adding insects into our diet could be a more sustainable source of protein, helping to replace meat, as well as being a good source of vitamins, minerals and fats. A small US study found that eating a breakfast of muffins or shakes made with cricket flour could increase a metabolic enzyme associated with gut health, and decrease an inflammatory protein linked to depression and cancer. However, a recent study also found that only 26 percent of Britons surveyed in the study reported they would consume edible insects, despite researchers noting that insects are also good for the environment, requiring less land and emitting 99 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than livestock such as cows. The Mediterranean diet If you’re feeling less brave but still want to boost your health, then opt for the traditional Mediterranean Diet. Although it’s been around for years, due to being the staple diet of many living in Greece, Southern Italy and Spain, the diet shows no signs of slowing down in popularity as one of the healthiest to follow. Recent studies have linked the diet, which is rich in fish, fruits, nuts, vegetables, beans, and olive oil and lower in meat, dairy,

and processed foods, to a lower risk of stroke, a longer life, and a lower risk of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Vegan diet As concerns about the environment, climate change, and animal welfare grow, so does the number of people giving up not only meat but all animal-based products, making the vegan diet one of the most popular at the moment. But although it’s better for animals, how healthy is it for humans? There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that going plant-based at least can have a positive effect on health, helping to control type 2 diabetes, and lower the risk of obesity and cancer, and lower cholesterol, while a recent study also showed that a vegan diet could be more effective at boosting beneficial gut hormones, regulating blood sugar, feelings of fullness, and weight than a diet that includes meat and cheese. However, cutting animal products out all together can in some cases lead to deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals, such as omegas -3 and -6, zinc, and iron, so make sure you are getting all you need from other sources. - Relaxnews

A high number of moles is the highest risk factor for melanoma, said the researchers. Those who have red hair, freckling and pale skin that burns easily are also at a greater risk of melanoma. © zoranm / Istock.Com

arried out by researchers at the University of Queensland, the new study looked at 1,267 patients taking part in the Brisbane Nevis Morphology Study, 50 percent of whom have had melanoma. The researchers examined the participants’ pigmentation characteristics, total amount of moles above 5mm, and their hair genotype, including the MC1R gene for red hair. The findings, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, showed that those with both red hair and more than 20 large moles have a one in four chance of developing melanoma in their lifetime. In addition, people who do not have red hair but carry the variant gene for it also have an increased melanoma risk if they have a high number of moles. A high number of moles is the highest risk factor for melanoma, said the researchers. Those who have red hair, freckling and pale skin that burns easily are also at a greater risk of melanoma.

l l l

1. US 2. Russia 3. China 4. Germany 5. France 6. United Kingdom 7. Australia 8. Japan 9. Spain 10. Italy - Relaxnews

Not surprisingly, the US tops Live Football Tickets’ International Sporting Index, thanks to the sheer number of sports stadiums (367), stellar performances at both summer and winter Olympic Games and its global sports ranking. Rounding out the podium are Russia and China. It’s not just size that makes these countries the top-ranked countries

on the list. Citing the World Health Organisation, the report points out that residents in Russia and China are among the most active in the world, with 83 and 86 percent of the populations respectively achieving, on average, more than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. Both countries are also among the most competitive at every Olympic Games. To compile the index, analysts looked at six criteria: national exercise levels; global sports recognition; elite sport success; prevalence of sports stadiums; Olympic medal success; and FIFA World ranking.

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Dr. Sturm advised those with a high numbers of moles to have regular physician-based skin checks, especially as they may be unaware that they also carry the gene for red hair. “It’s estimated that 25 per cent of the general population carry the gene for red hair,” explained Dr. Sturm. “So there’s a need to boost awareness of the increased risk of developing melanoma for those who also have lots of moles. By keeping a closer eye on any skin changes in these high risk individuals, we can improve the chances of early detection of melanoma.” - Relaxnews

Healthcare For All Ages

Here are the top 10 sportiest countries in the world:

new index has been released ranking the “sportiest countries in the world” based on a set of factors that includes everything from national exercise levels, elite sporting success to a country’s FIFA World ranking.

“But put the two risk factors together and the risk of developing melanoma isn’t simply added, it’s multiplied.”

Greater Heights Family Medical Clinic

US tops list of world’s sportiest countries

“Independently, having red hair and lots of large moles over 5 millimetres in diameter are both known risk factors for developing melanoma,” said Associate Professor Rick Sturm. “People with red hair have a risk two to four times higher, while those with many large moles are five times more likely to develop melanoma than the general population.”

Shital Patel M.D. Trained in Family Medicine and sees all age groups – newborns to elderly

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Study links resistance training three times a week to lower risk of type 2 diabetes

ew Chinese research has found that adding resistance training to an aerobic workout could be more effective in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than doing either exercise alone.

Carried out by a team of Chinese and US researchers, led by The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, the new study looked at 137 Chinese participants between 55 to 75 years old who all had prediabetes. Participants were split into four groups, including an aerobic training group, a resistance training group, an aerobic training plus resistance training group, and a control group. The groups who exercised were

asked to follow a supervised exercise program for 60 minutes per day, three non-consecutive days per week, for 24 months.

The researchers said that the findings help show the benefits of exercise, especially resistance training, for preventing type 2 diabetes.

The findings, published in the journal Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, showed that the rate of type 2 diabetes decreased by 74 percent for those who did both aerobic training and resistance training, by 65 percent for those who did resistance training, and by 72 percent for those did aerobic training, compared with the control group.

“This study showed that resistance training and resistance training plus aerobic training were as effective as isolated AT in preventing overt type 2 diabetes in patients with prediabetes,” the authors wrote. “We showed that RT is a viable option for patients seeking to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. This finding further expands established paradigms of lifestyle change for preventing type 2 diabetes and can inform clinician-patient discussions about delaying disease onset.”

Blood glucose and lipid profiles, including total cholesterol levels, also improved more for the participants in the three exercise groups than in the control group.

- Relaxnews

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

VOICE OF ASIA 19

New tech taking telemedicine to the next level

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

SpaceX Dragon capsule successfully docks on ISS

ASHINGTON | AFP | Sunday 3/3/2019 SpaceX’s new Dragon capsule successfully docked on the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA and SpaceX confirmed during a live broadcast of the mission. “We can confirm hard capture is complete,” NASA said. The announcement was met with applause at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The docking began at 1051 GMT, more than 248 miles (400 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface, north of New Zealand -- and 27 hours after the capsule’s launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Doctor Antonio Lacy delivers a speech about the first 5G tele-mentored live surgery at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on February 27, 2019. © Pau Barrena / AFP

elemedicine has gone way beyond conference calls: new technologies allow doctors to monitor blood pressure and other vital signs -- take xrays even -- and assist with operations from miles away. Wireless technology is moving “healthcare outside of clinics and hospitals”, said Pamela Spence, health sciences market leader at Ernst & Young, at the Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona. And that is making it easier to provide in remote areas, she added. Participants at the mobile industry’s biggest annual global event discussed how telemedicine is doing more than just connecting doctors and patients over a video or voice call. A telemedicine cabin developed by French firm Health for Humanity (H4D) allows a doctor hundreds of miles away from a patient measure their pulse rate, temperature and blood oxygen level. The cabin -- dubbed the Consult Station -- is also equipped with tools that allow a doctor to carry out X-rays and hearing tests. Dozens of Consult Stations have so far been installed in France, Italy and Portugal and H4D is carrying out pilot projects in Canada, the United States, the Philippines and Dubai. But training doctors on how to carry out a clinical exam remotely is “crucial” to the success of the service, said HD4 founder and president Franck Baudino. They have to learn how guide the patient through the process.

Doctors were initially wary of the idea of telemedicine cabins when the company was founded in 2008 but have since warmed to them, he added. “Ten years ago people looked at me as if I were an alien,” said Baudino, a French doctor who worked in remote African communities. “Today people still think we are avant-garde but the big difference is that 10 years ago we were talking about the future, today it is systems that are already being used.” - ‘Proven itself ‘ Market research firm Forrester predicts there will be more virtual visits to healthcare providers in the United States than in-person visits by the end of 2020. “Up until this point there has been relatively slow growth in the telemedicine market,” said Jeff Becker, a health care IT expert at Forrester. “We do think it has proven itself in these early years and that we are going to see broad adoption.” The arrival of blazing fast 5G wireless networks, which telecoms operators are starting to roll out, opens up new possibilities for telemedicine -- such as surgeries performed by remotely controlled robots. Spanish doctor Antonio de Lacy carried out the world’s first 5G-power telemonitored operation on Wednesday from the Barcelona trade fair grounds. He provided real-time guidance via a 5G video link to a surgical team operating on a patient with an intestinal tumour about five kilometres

(three miles) away at the Hospital Clinic. “This is a first step to achieve our dream, which is to make remote operations in the near future,” said de Lacy. Doctors have performed surgeries in the past using wireless networks. What 5G does is increase image quality and definition, crucial for medical teams to take decisions with as much information as possible and reduce the risk of mistakes. This next-level cellular networks also greatly reduces latency -- the time it takes to get a response to information sent -- of wireless networks. That means images and data are relayed almost instantly. - ‘Room to grow’ Telemedicine could be especially important in developing nations. Gifted Mom, a text-messaging service and app, gives women in out-of-the way rural communities across Cameroon free health advice from doctors. By 2020, it expects to reduce the number of women who die during childbirth in the African country by at least 70 percent. Even if many patients are still more comfortable being treated face-to-face, the use of telemedicine will “definitely” continue, said Michael Barnett, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston who has studied the new techniques. “The question is where it will plateau,” he added. “Use is still pretty uncommon, so it still has plenty of room to grow.” - AFP

Wireless sensors could allow parents of preemies more cuddle time

Although the contact appeared slow, the ISS and the capsule were moving at a speed of over 27,000 kilometers per hour in orbit around the Earth. On board the ISS, the crew -- American Anne McClain, Russian Oleg Kononenko, and Canadian David Saint-Jacques -- were scheduled to open the airlock at 1330 GMT. The mission is a test launch with only a dummy on board the capsule ahead of a manned flight scheduled for later this year. The Dragon capsule will remain on the ISS until Friday before detaching to splash down in the Atlantic. It will be slowed by four parachutes, in what is the one of the mission’s riskiest stages. The launch is a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break. SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has made the trip to the ISS a dozen times before since 2012, but only to refuel the station. Transporting

An innovation in sensor technology by a team of US engineers and doctors could make it far easier for parents to cuddle their babies in the NICU -- a simple gesture with major health benefits for the children. The researchers who developed new ultra-light silicone sensors that are flexible and wireless have unveiled their invention in Friday’s edition of the journal Science. In a traditional set-up, five electrodes and sensors are placed on a baby to monitor heartbeats, breathing, temperature and oxygen in the blood. But here, the researchers created sensors just two and 0.8 inches (five and two centimeters) long for the chest and the foot that operate without batteries and use a waterbased adhesive gel that is 10 times lighter than the standard fare.

Researchers created sensors just two and 0.8 inches (five and two centimeters) long for the chest and the foot that operate without batteries. (Photo: Getty Images) A minuscule antenna sends data to a transmitter under the incubator and transfers power. The sensors used in today’s incubators are basically the same those used in the 1960s, said John Rogers, professor and director of the Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics at Northwestern University. Around 2016, his team -which specializes in integrating electronic components in the human body -- started working with pediatricians in the neonatal service at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. “We were drawn to the neonatal health monitoring area, because we felt like our devices would add maximum

value in that context,” Rogers told AFP. “Premature babies are at a fragile health status, they require a lot of monitoring, and at the same time, their skin is underdeveloped -- it’s very sensitive, it’s easily damaged and disrupted.” The researchers compared the quality of the data transmitted by their system to the data yielded by the traditional one for 80 babies so far -- and results showed the technology was just as precise. Now, they need to secure approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, which likely won’t come until next year, according to Rogers.

- ‘NASA ‘rocking’ again’ After its shuttle program was shut down in July 2011 following a 30-year run, NASA began outsourcing the logistics of its space missions. It pays Russia to get its people up to the ISS orbiting research facility at a cost of $82 million per head for a round trip. In 2014, the US space agency awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing for them to take over this task. In SpaceX’s case, NASA has agreed to pay $2.6 billion for six round trips to the ISS. The switch from NASA owning spacecraft to paying private firms for a service was initiated under former president Barack Obama -- but due to development delays, has come to fruition under US President Donald Trump. “We’ve got NASA “rocking” again. Great activity and success. Congrats to SPACEX and all!” Trump tweeted Saturday evening. - Return to the Moon Since 2017, NASA’s official mission has been to return to

the Moon -- a project awarded $21.5 billion by Congress in the 2019 budget. Jim Bridenstine, head of the US space agency, has explained NASA wants to reduce costs in low orbit to devote resources to getting back to the Moon and constructing a small space station in lunar orbit in the 2020s. “As a country, we’re looking forward to being one customer of many customers, in a robust commercial marketplace in low Earth orbit, so that we can drive down costs and increase access in ways that historically have not been possible,” he said Saturday following Dragon’s launch. But Musk has admitted that marketing travel in the Dragon capsule is not a priority -- and he is more interested in distant exploration of the solar system. At the post-launch press conference on Saturday, he reiterated his dream for a permanent Moon base -- and sending people to Mars. Musk has already locked in his first private customer to fly to the Moon: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. But it won’t happen before 2023 -- with the rocket, far more powerful than that used for the Dragon mission, still in development.

by Marlowe Hood

ARIS, France | AFP | Thursday 2/28/2019 - Neolithic communities clustered near present-day Barcelona some 6,000 years ago were really keen on dogs, in this life and the next. Archeological evidence from at least four sites showed prehistoric humans and their fourlegged friends living in close quarters, working together, and sharing a common diet of mostly grains and veggies. “These animals were fully integrated into the Neolithic communities,” lead author Silvia Albizuri, a researcher at the University of Barcelona, told AFP. And the special status ac-

“This is a phenomenal breakthrough,” said Kelli Kelley, who had two premature children, including a boy who weighed only about 1.5 pounds (700 grams) at birth and stayed in intensive care for four months.

ASHINGTON | AFP - Parents of premature babies who spent time in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) remember all too well the burdensome vital sign sensors stuck on the infants’ tiny bodies -- linking them through a mess of wires to monitoring equipment.

people is a more complex task, requiring seats, a pressurized cabin with breathable air, temperature regulation and emergency infrastructure.

Prehistoric humans loved their dogs to death

- Skin-to-skin by Ivan Couronne

An illustration of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon vehicle, a spaceship designed to fly NASA astronauts, docking with the International Space Station. (Graphic: SpaceX)

“It is very very difficult to feed your baby so tiny and small and hooked up to so many machines. It causes a barrier in being able to hold and bond with a medically fragile child,” said Kelley, who founded the family support group Hand to Hold. Her son is now 18. But she said one of his nipples was damaged so severely by the sensors’ adhesives that a portion had to be removed. A premature baby born after a 24-week gestation period has skin 40 percent thinner than a full-term child. Many premature babies grow up with scars from the sensors. Current adhesives need to be resistant to the powerful tension exerted on the wires that are pulled as soon as the baby moves, is held or changed. Wireless sensors avoid that problem entirely. They can even adhere to the skin naturally without an adhesive, even though a hydrogel 10 times weaker than conventional ones was used in the study.

Dogs were first used by humans for hunting and probably transport, scientists speculate. Companionship was a side benefit for a lonely hunter. (Photo from the film ‘Alpha’) corded to canines even extended to the grave, Albizuri and her team reported recently in the Journal of Archaeological

Science: Reports.

In American hospitals, doctors strongly recommend skinto-skin contact between parents and their children, but with all the wires in conventional incubators, it is challenging to sit comfortably with the baby in your arms, and movements are confined to the immediate proximity of the incubator.

But the dogs chosen to spend eternity with their masters paid a stiff price for the privilege: they were sacrificed at the time of burial, the study concluded.

“We know that skin-to-skin contact is so important for newborns -- especially those who are sick or premature,” Amy Paller, a pediatric dermatologist at Lurie Children’s, said in a statement. “It’s been shown to decrease the risk of pulmonary complications, liver issues and infections.” The new sensors are still being tested in Chicago. They will be distributed in a pilot program in Zambia starting in April, followed by similar initiatives in India and Pakistan thanks to support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Save the Children. The sensors will even include an accelerometer to track the baby’s movements. “You can study how the baby’s vital signs change when it’s being held, and you can really quantify all of those things, how the heart rate is modulated by mother-child interaction,” said Rogers.

In more than two dozen circular burial plots, the partial or complete remains of pooches were carefully laid out next to individual men, women and children.

The animals ranged in age between one and six years, with a quarter estimated at 12 and 18 months-old. “The selection of puppies and one-year old animals suggests the intention to sacrifice,” said Albizuri. The Pit Grave people, in other words, loved their dogs to death. - Dogs not eaten The preference for young dogs may also have stemmed from a reluctance to lose older ones already trained up in their guarding or herding duties. A lack of cut-marks on the dog bones also suggests their flesh was not cut away and consumed before burial. Canines and humans laid to rest side-by-side have been found at other Middle Neolithic sites in northern Italy and southern France, but the Bobila Madurell tomb -- just north of Barcelona -- has more dogs than any other, the study said. The remains of all but nine of the 26 dogs examined were excavated there. Dogs were first used by humans for hunting and probably transport, scientists speculate.

TRAVEL & LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 20

The happiest and healthiest beach towns in America

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

Escapes: Seoul as a starter course opens up the feast that is Asia by Catharine Hamm

Seoul for beginners It was Christopher Reynolds’ first trip to South Korea. “I won’t argue that K-pop, Korean soap operas and Korean barbecue are saving the world, but the growing global popularity of those things is a sign that as consumers of culture, we’re getting more comfortable grazing globally,” he said in an email. And graze he did, giving first-timers a road map to a city he found “inviting, humbling and tranquilizing.”

2.5 million people (by Encyclopedia Britannica’s estimate) and separated Russian-backed North Korea (officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) from U.S.-backed South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea).

a tourism-driven tradition because there is no Korean royal family left to protect. Enjoy it and grab a selfie or two with an unsmiling guardsman. But also remember that South Korea has a very real, very busy military at work along the Demilita-

ews flash: Being near the beach is good for you (says science!). But, according to a report, some beach towns might actually be better for your health than others. Gallup-Sharecare polled more than 337,000 people across the country on their life satisfaction—from physical well-being to the amount of time they spend worrying— and it seems saltwater therapy might actually pay off (plus a margarita every now and then—that helps, too!). Of the top 25 cities with the highest well-being, 10 of them are on the coast. See which beach towns made the cut:

Photo: City of Santa Barbara

“liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals.” On the other hand, residents surprisingly reported lower levels of social satisfaction; so, who’s up for moving to Oahu and making friends? 6. Portland-South Portland, Maine Maine’s trendiest city is known for its funky vibes and serious craft brew scene, which we can only imagine contributes to the high sociability reported by its residents. In addition to having high levels of social well-being, Portlanders reported having a great sense of pride in their community.

cial well-being. 3. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California This laid-back West Coast town has gorgeous year-round weather, dramatic beauty, and a surf-centric lifestyle, so it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that the community ranked especially high in physical wellbeing. (Who wouldn’t want to be outdoors all the time?) Santa Cruz residents also reported especially high levels of life purpose and a deep sense of community. 2. Barnstable Town, Massachusetts

10. Crestview-Fort Walton Beach Destin, Florida This slice of paradise on the Florida panhandle might have come in at 25 in the overall rankings, but in measures of financial stability and social wellness (meaning there’s lots of love in your life…aww) the area performed exceptionally well.

‘Tug of War’ from a vintage beach postcard. (Credit: Google)

9. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida

5. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California

Cruising along down the Gulf coast, this quiet and blissful community is rife with sugar-white sand beaches, unspoiled wildlife refuges, and people who report being totally satisfied with basically every aspect of their life.

There isn’t much not to love about this jewel of a city on California’s central coast. The charming downtown, the mesmerizing landscape, and the laid-back culture undoubtedly all contribute to residents’ well-being. The community ranked highest in measures of physical well-being, which translates to having generally good health and enough energy to get things done daily.

8. San Diego-Carlsbad, California Warm beaches, palm trees, fish tacos—what’s not to love if you live in this hip SoCal community? The region rounded out the top 20 in the overall well-being rankings, scoring the highest in measures of physical well-being. 7. Urban Honolulu, Hawaii The idea of living on an island itself brings happy thoughts to mind, so it’s no wonder the capital city of our tropical island state made the list. Hawaiians scored exceptionally well in self-reported feelings of life purpose—

4. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida In case you’re not yet convinced that the Florida Gulf coast is basically Disneyland for happy grown-ups, here’s another Sunshine State community with exceptionally high levels of health and well-being. The area south of Tampa is the first beach region to crack into the top 10, landing at #7 in overall rankings of well-being, and #3 in measures specifically focused on finan-

New England charm, a storied history, an All-American summer baseball league, and some of the prettiest beaches around are all draws for the hordes of tourists that flock to this Cape Cod city each summer. If life seems fabulous here, that’s because it is: Residents reported higher levels of community pride than any other place in the country, and measures of social and financial well-being are also topnotch. 1. Naples-Immokaee-Marco Island, Florida There’s a reason this adorable Gulf coast community consistently ranks high in measures of pretty much everything. According to the survey, residents here have the lowest levels of worry, depression, and stress, and the highest of life enjoyment. Naples locals also rank highest for making time for regular vacations or trips with family and friends. Sounds like a dream! - Travel + Leisure

Toyota ups Corolla’s game in play for broader appeal

Yet Seoul soothed me. In five January days as a rookie among Seoul’s palaces, parks and marketplaces, I gained 4 pounds despite walking countless miles down alleys full of people but empty of graffiti and litter. For two of those days, I relied on translator/guides for help. Otherwise I trusted Seoul’s multilingualism, which includes subway signs and museum labels in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. That worked fine. In fact, for anyone accustomed to Greater Los Angeles (population about 13 million), the hospitality, cosmopolitanism, technological acumen, influential popular culture and relentless tidiness of South Korea’s capital (population about 26 million) are likely to feel inviting, humbling and tranquilizing. Here are a few things a firsttimer learns in Seoul: - Start with a palace One of the astonishing things about Seoul is that nearly all of it has been built in the last 65 years. South Korea since 1953 has gone from scorched earth to one of the world’s strongest economies, cranking out Samsung and LG phones and Hyundai and Kia cars, along with pop music and TV dramas that entertain millions of people beyond its boundaries.

AVANNAH, Ga. — Americans may be falling out of love with the traditional sedan, but Toyota, the company behind the world’s top-selling car of all time, is tuning into Seventies on 7 and cranking up Frankie Valli’s “Let’s Hang On.”

2020 Corolla: More style, safety and connectivity. (Photo: Toyota)

It makes sense to start with a tour of the reconstructed Gyeongbokgung Palace, where the first Joseon king presided. There are stately tiled roofs. Elaborately painted ceilings. Expansive grounds. And if you can be here at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., you’ll see a ceremonial changing of the guard at the palace’s Gwanghwamun Gate. - Check the mustaches Twice daily, crowds gather for the changing of the guard at Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. (The guards are actors with fake mustaches.) You’ll know the 20-minute ceremony is starting when you hear the slow beat of a booming bass drum and see sumunjang (guardsmen) in bright colors bearing flags through the Gyeongbokgung courtyard. Notice the scimitars, the spears and the fake mustaches — a clue that these are re-enactors, not soldiers. The changing of the guard is

rized Zone 35 miles north and beyond. - Sample the action in Myeong-dong This is one of the city’s foremost shopping districts, packed with hotels, restaurants, food stalls and visitor favorites such as the Nanta Theater, which offers a wordless, kid-friendly musical comedy about a kitchen crew preparing a wedding feast. A network of narrow alleys between the skyscrapers compresses people, bright lights and food smells in a dramatic way. In the restaurants, you’ll find kimchi (salted and fermented vegetables), gochujang (fermented bean paste), bulgogi (marinated beef and pork) and bibimbap (rice dishes). Out among the stalls, you’ll glimpse corn, sausage, seafood, fruit, churros, lobster, chocolate and more, sometimes in startling combinations. - Los Angeles Times

A baseball trip through Japan is just what a jaded MLB fan needed » In those five centuries, the Joseon kings, their civil servants and soldiers created a writing system, spread Confucian philosophy and built a culture that endured a seven-year Japanese invasion in the 1590s; a Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945; and the Korean War of 1950-53, which killed at least

as attract more diverse, younger buyers who want more style, safety, connectivity and performance without trading away Corolla hallmarks — value, fuel economy and reliability.

But even with one of the highest loyalty rates in the segment, Toyota recognized it needed to raise its game.

In redesigning the steadfast compact for 2020, Toyota is showing its commitment to the segment, offering more content and trim levels, including the first Corolla hybrid.

Twice daily, crowds gather for the changing of the guard at Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. (The guards are actors with fake mustaches.) (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

But the city does have five restored palaces, all traceable to the Joseon Dynasty that ruled Korea from the 1390s to the 1890s.

The Corolla, along with the Camry, remains a cornerstone for Toyota: Some 65 percent of Corolla owners return to the brand when they buy a new vehicle.

by David Phillips

By adding more choices, Toyota aims to offer a Corolla for even more people, as well

he flight from LAX took about 13 hours. The alphabet had 24 letters, none familiar from my youth. Lunch squirmed on my plate. And an unpredictable enemy waited 35 miles to the north.

The 2020 Corolla is the latest retooled Toyota to come off the company’s new global architecture to cut costs and weight while enhancing safety, driving dynamics and fuel economy.

The platform allows for a lower center of gravity, a Corolla body that is 60 percent more rigid, and the addition of a multilink rear suspension, replacing a torsion beam, and active cornering assist to deter understeer. The Corolla hybrid is being added to serve as another entry point for Toyota’s family of gasoline-electric cars, slotting between the Prius and the Camry hybrid. The sedan is expected to account for 90 percent of Corolla sales, with the hatchback introduced last year representing the rest. Toyota forecasts the hybrid could account for up to 6 percent of sedan sales. But Toyota is setting modest expectations for the 12thgeneration Corolla, even as it hatches plans to produce the car at two North American as-

sembly plants. Ed Laukes, head of marketing for the Toyota division, said the company sees U.S. sales of the Corolla totaling about 250,000 this year, a drop of about 18 percent from 303,732 in 2018. Since U.S. compact car sales reached 2.22 million units in 2015, they have declined three straight years, including a 14 percent drop in 2018. But Laukes says the decline in car sales has not been as severe in several key regions — notably Southern California, Northern California, Florida and other markets in the Southeast — where Toyota’s lineup still fares well. “It’s still good business for us,” Laukes said of the car market. “And we’re happy to grab share as others leave the segment.” - Automotive news

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

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VOICE OF ASIA 22

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This week is about importing and exporting, if you do this kind of work, or how to sell your goods and services to overseas markets. Since the planet of sudden change and insight is lurking around you, a brilliant idea for how to get this off the ground could come to you.

21 June to 22 July Emotional wounds are emphasized now, which means that this isn’t the time to push aside your feelings. If you feel inner pain, as though an issue has been reawakened, don’t ignore it. Talk it over with someone you trust.

23 July to 22 August Things are looking good, Leo. You might feel a shift in energy when unpredictable Uranus enters conservative Taurus in the middle of the week – or you might not notice anything at all. Subtle changes are going on behind the scenes. You’ll notice them soon.

23 August to 22 Sept Take control, Virgo. The unpredictability of quirky Uranus moving into stable Taurus in the middle of the week gives you an uncomfortable feeling, but it isn’t necessarily negative. Don’t be afraid to change things up with an eye toward the long term. Later in the week, you will have the nerve to step up and ask a bold question.

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STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: 20th CENTURY

23 September to 22 Oct

YMake financial considerations a priority. Don’t let any natural reserve stop you from being your most magnetic and appealing. People who feel your sincere interest are more likely to support your goals. This weekend be very clear who’s in charge at work.

YYou’re feeling a lot more talkative than usual this week. You usually can’t wait to get stories from others, but this week you’re happy to share your experiences, too. As all this communication happens around you, make sure to spend some time and money on yourself.

TACLA 72152E

astrology.com

You can be disturbed by people who keep changing things for no good reason. Be patient. It’s possible you may be overreacting. Midweek will bring support for a more methodical and detail-oriented approach. Don’t be afraid to compromise a little.

21 May to 20 June

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Keep romantic goals loosely in mind now. The friendly Aquarius moon helps your social game in the beginning of the week. Networking can lead to romantic leads, but don’t break any rules mixing business with pleasure. A sun-Saturn sextile later in the week gives you the patience you need to wait out a romantic situation.

21 April to 20 May

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23 October to 21 Nov

22 November to 21 Dec Partnership issues could lie at the heart of some of your health problems. It might be possible to catch a minor infection - nothing too serious, but certainly inconvenient. You’re still racing full steam ahead, so watch for any signs that you’re getting burned out.

22 December to 20 Jan Your determination is admirable, but not everything should be a struggle. The conflicting energy of unpredictable Uranus moving into solid Taurus could throw everything off in the middle of the week. Patience will be necessary to shift the focus to long-term romantic goals.

21 January to 19 Feb You may be influenced by other people’s attitudes early this week. Unsettled or hidden problems could cause you unnecessary worry. This may demand more patience than usual, especially when it comes to jumping to conclusions. Things may not be what they seem.

20 February to 20 Mar A lot is going on in your work sector. No doubt your work has recently come to the attention of your superiors, If not, take some strong but subtle steps to make sure that what you do is taken into account. You may want to keep a record of your accomplishments.

ACROSS 1. Nibble away 5. *Information space 8. School support org. 11. Royal Indian 12. Short for Dorothea 13. Oak nut 15. And others, for short 16. Seat of intellect 17. Branch of philosophy 18. *War to end all wars? 20. Lump of stuff 21. Type of examination, pl. 22. Owned 23. Downer 26. Wiggle room 29. *___-Wan of “Star Wars,” a 20th Century Fox film 30. Tends to fire 33. Affirm 35. Grabbing tool 37. Blade drops 38. ____ ballerina or ____ donna 39. *Village People song 40. Verse with repeating lines 42. Bartender’s Triple ____ 43. Panhandler 45. *”Cheers” owner 47. Any high mountain 48. Like yellow polka dot bikini 50. Tropical edible root 52. *First on the moon 56. Holy See’s administering body 57. Focuses 58. *____ Lady, a.k.a. Margaret Thatcher 59. Newspapers and such 60. December 24 and 31, e.g. 61. Vena ____ 62. Common conjunction 63. Itty-bitty 64. Fence piece

DOWN 1. Increased in size 2. *North Atlantic Alliance, acr. 3. Slightly open 4. Whack 5. Mark from a lash 6. Is dressed in 7. Dry riverbed 8. *Walt Kelly’s comic strip (1948-1975) 9. *Aldous Huxley’s journey 10. *Mandela’s org. 12. Foil 13. Aquarium scum 14. *Conflict without active fire 19. One step to success? 22. “For ____ a jolly...” 23. Half-rotten 24. *Manhattan Project invention 25. Don’t do this to words! 26. Raunchy 27. Dispatch boat 28. *Aden Emergency locale 31. Skunk’s defense 32. *”The Century Trilogy” author Follett 34. *Space ____ 36. *First in space 38. Manufacturing site 40. *Tupac’s genre 41. Vomiting 44. Triumph maliciously 46. Song words 48. Treasure collection 49. Event host 50. U, on the road 51. Like Mojave 52. “____ ____Good Men” 53. Singular of #21 Across 54. Most luminous star 55. Buzzing pest 56. Number cruncher

SOLUTION: 20th CENTURY page 23

VOICE OF ASIA 23

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When you find some time, READ!

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

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Theme: 20th CENTURY from Page 22

VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, March 8, 2019

Home&Real Estate Buying a home for the first time? Avoid these mistakes by Lorie Konish

sons.

f you’ve bought your first home in the past five years, you’ve probably learned some tough les-

And that learning curve could cost you. A new survey from personal finance website NerdWallet takes a look at homebuyer trends. And the research finds that first-time homebuyers more often face disadvantages at the negotiating table. Individuals shopping for their first home put in 3.8 offers on average before their offers were accepted. That’s higher than the 2.5 offers that more experienced homebuyers made. What’s more, 56 percent of firsttime buyers offered more than the asking price before successfully sealing a deal. In comparison, just 35 percent of other homebuyers put up more than the asking price. In the end, more first-time buyers — 34 percent — were left feeling financially insecure after their purchase versus 17 percent of buyers who had done it before. First-time buyers are typically about 30 to 36 years old, according to NerdWallet. In 2017, there were 2.07 million first-time homebuyers, a 7 percent increase from the previous year, according to Genworth Mortgage Insurance. “It shows that things are tough out there for first-time homebuyers,” Holden Lewis, home expert at NerdWallet, said of the survey results. First-time buyers might be more prone to making mistakes such as lowballing offers, Lewis said. That hurts them, particularly when there’s less inventory on the market for entry-level priced homes. “There’s just more competition for those homes,” Lewis said. “There’s not a whole lot of them out there in a lot of markets, and there’s a lot of buyers who are competing for those homes.” - Shop around One area that half of all homebuyers tend to neglect: shopping around for a mortgage. Fifty percent of buyers applied to just one lender, according to NerdWallet’s research. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate is 4.52 percent, according to Bankrate.com. The average 15-year fixed rate is 3.93 percent. Shopping around can save you about $430 in interest in the first year if you have a fixed-rate $260,000 mortgage, according to NerdWallet.

“That savings would accumulate and compound for every year that they had the loan,” Lewis said. And if all Americans comparison shopped, they would save a whopping $776 million in one year, according to NerdWallet. - Put less down Another mistake homebuyers commonly make: Thinking they have to put 20 percent down when purchasing a home. It is possible to close a deal with a smaller down payment, particularly if you have good credit. In markets were home prices are going up fast, it can make sense to buy now rather than wait until you have saved up that 20 percent down payment, Lewis said. Just remember: Your mortgage payments will be higher. If you put less than 20 percent down, you generally will also have to pay mortgage insurance. In some markets, though, home values might be rising faster than what you’re paying for mortgage insurance, Lewis pointed out.

But when you’re browsing for potential agents, how do you decipher the differences between a licensed agent, a Realtor and a broker? Does one guarantee you an unmatched level of service, and should you take the title into account when deciding who to work with? If you have trouble understanding the differences between an agent, Realtor or broker, don’t worry – you’re not alone. “Everybody calls us all brokers,” says Allen Brewington, a licensed associate broker with Triplemint, a full-service real estate firm in New York. To help you tell them apart, we’ve broken down the types of licensed real estate professionals based on their role and experience, as well as other factors to consider as you vet potential representatives. Every person who is licensed to represent buyers and sellers in a real estate transaction is a real estate agent – or a licensed real estate sales associate or salesperson, as it’s more commonly known in some parts of the U.S. The license is required to legally work on behalf of buyers and sellers in real estate transactions. It is issued by the state the agent works in, with variations on a minimum number of instructional hours, and a test is required to receive certification.

ifty miles north of New York City, a private island with a controversial home and guesthouse built from Frank Lloyd Wright’s drawings seeks a new buyer. Originally listed for $20 million, the Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired Massaro House on the 11-acre Petra Island in Lake Mahopac, New York, has The 28-foot-long section cantilevered over the lake is believed to be the longest that Wright ever recently lowered its asking price to envisioned. It’s nearly double the length of the 15-foot cantilevers in Fallingwater. $12,900,000. The multimillion-dollar price tag not only includes an expansive 5,000-square-foot residence, but also the heart-shaped pri-

House, the blueprints for the dwelling are based on the original sketches he had created in 1950 for Ahmed Chahroudi, the former Petra Island

In order to make your homebuying process more smooth, there are several things you can do to avoid costly mistakes.

Be willing to compromise. You’re likely not going to find everything you want in a home. Identify your top priorities — such as square footage, commute, quality of local schools — and be willing to give up other priorities. “It really helps to know going into that it that you’re just simply not going to get everything you want,” Lewis said. Realize it will be an emotional process. This tip goes for first-time homebuyers especially, Lewis said. Your emotions in the process can range from the excitement of finding a home, the anxiety tied to making an offer or the disappointment of not getting that house. “When you go into the process knowing that you’re going to have these huge emotional ups and downs, you can weather them more easily,” Lewis said. - Banknote

Massive stones have also been embedded into the guest bathroom. vate island, a helipad—the home is a 15-minute helicopter ride from Manhattan—a guesthouse, and a teahouse. The property also comes with a controversial Frank Lloyd Wright connection. Although Frank Lloyd Wright did not have a direct hand in the final design and construction of the Massaro

owner who, due to prohibitive building costs, ended up turning down Wright’s proposal. Instead, Chahroudi asked Wright to blueprint a smaller 1,200-square-foot cottage, now used as a guesthouse.

Many real estate agents practice successfully without ever seeking certification beyond the required state license. While a salesperson could have decades of experience and simply not wish to pursue a different title, she still carries the same title as another agent who just received his license. But in an industry where success is often based on reputation, the professional’s title doesn’t always carry much weight. Broker Many states offer an additional level of licensing: broker. In this role, occasionally specified as a principal broker or responsible broker, the individual is the head of a real estate firm, and fellow real estate agents work or him or her. Realtor Any agent or broker who is a member of the National Association of Realtors can be identified as a Realtor – and that accounts for a lot of professionals, as the NAR is the largest trade association in the U.S., with more than 1.3 million members as of February. Buyer’s Agent In a real estate purchase, the agent representing the buyer, regardless of whether he is a licensed agent, associate broker or otherwise, is known as the buyer’s agent. While many agents represent both buyers and sellers, depending on the deal, others may choose to only represent buyers. - US News and World Report

Despite Massaro’s painstaking efforts to stay true to the original designs, Wright purists have taken issue with the property and lobbied criticisms that range from asserting all posthumous Wright projects are inauthentic to attacking deviations from the architect’s style, such as the use of domed skylights rather than the flat skylights Wright designed. According to Massaro, changes were typically made due to necessity—flat skylights tend to leak—or to meet modern comforts and building codes.

Without certification from the Foundation, the Massaro House isn’t officially a Frank Lloyd Wright home. However, the seven-bedroom, 3.5-bath property is undeniably unique and fully embraces Wright’s dramatic REALTORS style of bringing the outdoors in.

In 1996, retired contractor Joseph Massaro purchased Petra Island, which included the sale of the sketch-

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Most states additionally require a background check and fingerprinting, as Wyoming does, according to B.J. Jibben, licensing specialist for the Wyoming Real Estate Commission.

es: one floor plan, three elevations, and a perspective drawing. With the help of architect and Wright historian Thomas A. Heinz and 3D modeling software, Massaro spent four years of construction time and an untold sum to bring to life Frank Lloyd Wright’s unrealized design—a project Wright had reportedly hoped would surpass Fallingwater in size and grandeur. Yet the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has refused to recognize the Massaro House and even sued Massaro, who is only allowed to use the phrase “inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright” with regards to the home. Previously, Massaro reportedly turned down the Foundation’s $450k offer to supervise construction.

Use an online calculator. NerdWallet and other sites offer home affordability calculators. This can help you understand how your salary and monthly debt payments affect how much you can realistically afford to pay.

How to decipher a real estate pro’s title – and decide whether it makes a difference when hiring one.

by Lucy Wang

- Steps to take -

What’s the difference between a real estate agent, realtor and broker? he process of choosing a real estate agent should be a careful one. You want to work with a professional who will not only act in your best interest, but will also effectively guide you every step of the way so you feel confident about your home sale or purchase.

Own a private island with a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house for $12.9M

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1 Petra Island, Carmel, NY is now being listed by Margaret Harrington of Douglas Elliman Real Estate for $12,900.000. - Dwell.com

You should save 4% of your new home’s cost for repairs by Alicia Adamczyk

surprisingly large number of new homeowners are feeling regret after their purchase, largely because of unexpected costs associated with the purchase, reports a new survey of 1,500 homeowners from personal finance website Bankrate. In fact, 63 percent of millennial homeowners (and 44 percent of all homeowners) have at least one regret about buying their home. What comes in at #1? Not taking maintenance and repair costs into consideration, Bankrate found. “Paying for these expenses can be a shock to new homeowners’ wallets after making a sizable down payment and shelling out cash for closing costs,” reports Bankrate. That finding isn’t without precedent: A 2018 survey from NerdWallet found that found that 44 percent of new homeowners incurred an unexpected repair cost within one year of closing. In total, NW reports that Americans spent nearly $450 billion on home improvements between 2015 and 2017. If you’re in the market for a new home, John Bodrozic, the co-founder of digital home-management firm Home Zada, offered this rule of thumb to Marketwatch: Save between one and four percent of the purchase price of the home for those unexpected costs, in addition to your emergency fund:

“If the home is less than five years old, then one percent is the better number because the home’s equipment, appliance, and building materials are still relatively new,” [Bodrozic] explains. “But if a home is 20 years or older, then the four percent number is more realistic because many of the home’s equipment, appliance and building materials have reached the end of the their useful life, and you will need to replace them.” With the median home value in the

United States currently at $225,300, according to Zillow, that means you’ll need to stash away between $2,253 and $9,012. Additionally, a different Bankrate survey from 2018 found that homeowners spend an average of $2,000 a year on maintenance costs, meaning that’s another expenditure to take into account when you’re saving, buying and budgeting in the years to come. - Lifehacker

More millennials own a home than rent in these 8 US cities

t’s not exactly a new observation that millennials haven’t been very aggressive when it comes to buying homes.

It turns out that only eight housing markets out of the top 200 in America had more than 50 percent of people under 35 owning their homes.

Millennials may no longer be living with their parents, but home-ownership trends remain weak for people under 35 years old. SmartAsset has analyzed the homeownership rates among adults under age 35 in the 200 largest U.S. cities.

Here are the eight U.S. cities where more than 50 percent of millennials own their homes.

Of the top 200 cities analyzed, only 42 of those cities saw millennial homeownership rise. Overall, their homeownership rate is down 4.4 percent. While millennial homeownership is lower on average, there is another side of this trend.

8. Gilbert, Arizona 7. Joliet, Illinois 6. Port Saint Lucie, Florida 5. Olathe, Kansas 4. Chesapeake, Virginia 3. Peoria, Arizona 2. Thornton, Colorado 1. Elk Grove, California