Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2019

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com December 1-15, 2019

America’s ‘Founding Fathers’ star in Trump impeachment hearing

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2019

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NACA Chinese New Year & Fundraising Banquet Date: Saturday, Feb 1, 2020 Time: 6:30 pm Venue: Canton House For more info: www.naca-atlanta. org 2019 New American Hero Award Organized by American Korean Friendship Society Date: Friday, March 6, 2020 time: 6:00 pm Venue: TBA Event is by invitation only.

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS for success in next year’s elections, as Republicans battle to maintain control of the Senate and White House.

Gov. Kemp appoints businesswoman for U.S. Senate

Loeffler’s supporters believe she can widen the Republican tent and appeal to women and suburban Atlanta voters, who have fled the party since Trump’s election. Her critics counter that an experienced campaigner with conservative credentials is needed to bring out the Republican base.

Atlanta, December 5, 2019 — Georgia’s Republican governor has chosen a wealthy businesswoman and political newcomer to fill an upcoming vacancy in the U.S. Senate, flouting President Donald Trump’s preferred candidate in a play for moderate suburban voters.

The seat will be up for grabs again in a November 2020 special election for the final two years of Isakson’s term, and then again in 2022. Also on next year’s ballot will be Republican Sen. David Perdue, who is running for a second full term.

Democrats, meanwhile, hope to capitalize on dissatisfaction with Washington and break the GOP’s hold on the Deep South. They’re spending big in Georgia, where demographic changes making the state less rural and more diverse could create opportunities for an upset.

Gov. Brian Kemp formally announced his selection of Kelly Loeffler on Wednesday, pushing aside intense criticism from hard-core Trump advocates who wanted Kemp to appoint Rep. Doug Collins, one of Trump’s staunchest defenders in Congress.

With both of Georgia’s GOP-held Senate seats on the ballot alongside Trump in 2020, the race is raising the state’s profile as a political battleground where Republicans still dominate but Democrats have made substantial inroads in recent elections.

Democrat Matt Lieberman, the son of former U.S. senator and vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, is campaigning for the seat, and several other Democrats are mulling potential bids.

Kemp and Loeffler moved quickly to extinguish the rebellion from the right, pitching the little-known candidate as a Trump supporter and emphasizing her rural roots.

Loeffler is the co-owner of the Atlanta Dream professional woman’s basketball franchise and CEO of financial services company Bakkt, which offers a regulated market for bitcoin. She was previously an executive at Intercontinental Exchange, a behemoth founded by her husband that owns the New York Stock Exchange. Bakkt is a subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange.

“I’m a lifelong conservative, pro-Second Amendment, pro-Trump, pro-military and pro-wall,” Loeffler said. “I make no apologies for my conservative values and I look forward to supporting President Trump’s conservative judges.”

And Loeffler has been quickly embraced by Senate GOP leadership and prominent members of the state party, which could make any top-tier Republican candidate rethink plans to challenge her for the seat. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called her “a terrific appointment.”

Loeffler will succeed three-term Sen. Johnny Isakson, who is stepping down at the end of the month because of health issues. She will be only the second woman in history to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate.

Collins has publicly left open the door to challenging Loeffler for the seat, but McConnell said she has his backing as well as that of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

“She will be an incumbent Republican senator,” McConnell said.

Trump made clear that he preferred Collins to Loeffler, but has resigned himself to the pick, according to a person familiar with his thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to describe the private discussions.

At the center of the debate over Loeffler’s appointment is a question of who can best help the GOP position itself

In September, Kemp took the unusual step of opening an online application process for Isakson’s Senate seat and asked everyone from congressmen to ordinary Georgians to apply.

The governor’s office was soon flooded with hundreds of applications.

Many were sincere. Others, like one submitted for Kermit the Frog, were not.

Loeffler submitted her application just hours before the online portal was closed, prompting speculation that she may have done so at Kemp’s urging.

Other top Republicans who applied include Collins, former congressman Jack Kingston, state House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones and former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. – AP

Major setback as developer backed out of Gwinnett’s $900 million development project Duluth, December 4, 2019 – The Gwinnett County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which oversees the Duluth-area development announced that North American Properties, has officially pulled out of $900 million mix-used “Revel” entertainment, office and residential development.

The 118-acre project was announced with much fanfare three years ago.

“Revel” would bring 850,000 sf of office space, 300,000 sf of retail space, and 900 housing apartments to the Infinite Energy area.

County officials are confident about seeking a replacement developer to build on the concept.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re gonna circle back and start fo-

cusing again on some form of entertainment district, mixed-use development there,” said GCVB CEO Preston Williams.

“Gwinnett County has been a great partner and the future redevelopment around the Infinite Energy Center will be a wonderful addition for the residents of Gwinnett and the greater region,” said North American’s Mark Toro mentioned in a press release.

North American Property said the exit was due to a change in their business strategy. Lately, NAP has been focusing on reviving mixed-use projects such as Colony Square and Atlantic Station in mid-town. They also backed out of a highly visible project named High Street in Dunwoody.

Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2019

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NATION

U.S. homeland security proposes face scans for citizens Washington DC, December 3, 2019 - The Trump administration intends to propose a regulation next year that would require all travelers - including U.S. citizens - to be photographed when entering or leaving the United States, according to the administration’s regulatory agenda.

blasted the idea in a written statement on Monday.

The proposed regulation, slated to be issued in July by the Homeland Security Department, would be part of a broader system to track travelers as they enter and exit the United States.

The Trump administration contends in its regulatory agenda that the face scan requirement will combat the fraudulent use of U.S. travel documents and aid the identification of criminals and suspected terrorists.

The plan has already drawn opposition from some privacy advocates. Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union,

“Travelers, including U.S. citizens, should not have to submit to invasive biometric scans simply as a condition of exercising their constitutional right to travel,� he said.

The public typically has 30 to 60 days to comment on a proposed U.S. regulation. The federal agency then

needs to review and respond to comments, a process that can be time-consuming for major regulations.

The Trump administration also said in its regulatory agenda that it plans to issue a separate fast-track regulation this month that would allow the entry-exit project to move beyond a pilot status.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is part of DHS, has already conducted pilot programs that collect photographs and fingerprints from foreign travelers.

A 2018 internal audit found technical and operational problems during

a pilot program at nine U.S. airports.

The problems raised questions about whether DHS would meet a self-imposed deadline to confirm all foreign departures at the top 20 U.S. airports by fiscal year 2021.

The non-partisan Pew Research Center estimated in 2006 that 45 percent of immigrants in the United States without legal status entered on a valid visa but did not depart when it expired.

- Reuters

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

NATION

America’s ‘Founding Fathers’ star in Trump impeachment hearing Washington DC, December 5, 2019 - The framers of the 232-year-old U.S. Constitution played a central role in Wednesday’s impeachment hearing as constitutional law professors outlined the case for, and against, ousting Republican President Donald Trump.

The Founding Fathers, the American leaders who declared independence from Britain and created the democratic framework for the United States, were invoked by constitutional experts and lawmakers alike, as they argued over impeachable bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors, and obstruction of justice.

Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman said he believed the framers of the Constitution “would identify President Trump’s conduct as exactly the kind of abuse of office, high crimes and misdemeanors, that they were worried about.

“And they would want the House of Representatives to take appropriate action and to impeach.”

That drew a blistering response from Representative Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.

“I think we just put in the jury pool the Founding Fathers - and said, ‘What would they think?’ snapped Collins. “I don’t think we have any idea what they would think with all due respect.”

Republicans, including Collins, have previously praised Trump’s efforts to install “originalist” judges on top U.S. courts, meaning those who embrace what they believe is the original meaning of the Constitution’s drafters.

The Judiciary Committee proceedings will examine whether Trump’s actions qualify as “high crimes and misdemeanors” punishable by impeachment under the Constitution. The Democratic-led inquiry focuses on Trump’s request to Ukraine to conduct investigations that could harm Democratic political rival Joe Biden, a contender to run against Trump in the November 2020 election.

Collins’ exasperation showed after three hours of academic testimony from Feldman and two other constitutional law professors called by Democrats, and one called by Republicans.

“To in some way insinuate on live mic with a lot of people listening that the Founding Fathers would have found President Trump guilty is just simply malpractice with these facts before us,” he said forcefully.

The Republicans’ witness, professor Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University Law School, said the “Founding Fathers” wanted impeachment used sparingly. He argued against moving ahead without additional evidence to prove a criminal act by Trump.

Turley’s opening statement outlined the framers’ care in choosing words. On the definition of bribery put forward by Democrats, Turley said, “I don’t think that dog will hunt in the 18th century and I don’t think it will hunt today.”

Feldman, on the other hand, envisioned meeting the ghosts of founders James Madison and Alexander Hamilton in “the good place or the other place.”

“We may meet there Madison and Hamilton and they will ask us, ‘When the president of the United States acted to corrupt the structure of the Republic, what did you do?” - Reuters

Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2019

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BUSINESS

Trump says China trade deal might have to wait for 2020 election London, December 3, 2019 – President Donald Trump said a trade agreement with China might have to wait until after the U.S. presidential election in November 2020, denting hopes of a resolution soon to a dispute that has weighed on the world economy.

“I have no deadline, no,” Trump told reporters in London, where he was due to attend a meeting of NATO leaders.

“In some ways, I like the idea of waiting until after the election for the China deal. But they want to make a deal now, and we’ll see whether or not the deal’s going to be right; it’s got to be right.”

European share prices and U.S. stock futures fell, while the Chinese yuan currency sank to a five-week low on the comments by Trump, who has sought to increase trade pressure on other countries in the past 24 hours.

On Monday, he said he would hit Brazil and Argentina with trade tariffs for “massive devaluation of their currencies”.

The United States then threatened duties of up to 100% on French goods, from champagne

to handbags, because of a digital services tax that Washington says harms U.S. tech companies.

Investors have been hoping that the United States and China can defuse their trade tensions, which have strained ties between the world’s biggest and second-biggest economies since 2017, the first year of Trump’s presidency.

MARKET JITTERS U.S. officials have previously said a deal could happen this year, depending on China.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index turned negative as Trump spoke, weighed down by export-heavy mining stocks.

“Each step back and each step forward is just part of a slow trend toward increased barriers to international trade,” said Jonathan Bell, chief investment officer of Stanhope Capital.

“The market has taken an optimistic view so far this year on the likelihood of a successful outcome to trade negotiations. We worry that next year the market may turn back to looking more concerned.”

But Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors, said Trump could not afford a repeat of the stock market’s sharp falls in late 2018, when he raised the temperature of the trade stand-off.

“The Chinese government believes that President Trump is desperate for a deal before the end of the year, when the race for the presidential election will really heat up,” Shah said.

“Trump’s latest comments are a ploy to regain the upper hand in these negotiations.”

“FLICK OF A PEN” Washington and Beijing have yet to ink a so-called “phase one” agreement announced in October, which had raised hopes of a de-escalation.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had planned to meet and sign the preliminary trade deal at an Asia-Pacific leaders’ summit in Chile in mid-November, but the summit was canceled because of violent anti-government protests in Santiago.

Trump, who had said in September that he did not need a deal

before the 2020 election, sought on Tuesday to put pressure on Beijing.

“The China trade deal is dependent on one thing – do I want to make it, because we are doing very well with China right now, and we can do even better with a flick of a pen,” he said. “And China is paying for it, and China is having by far the worst year that they have had in 57 years. So we’ll see what happens.”

China reported its slowest economic growth in 27 years in October as the trade tensions with the United States hit its manufacturing sector.

On Monday, before traveling to London, Trump said U.S. legislation backing protesters in Hong Kong was not making trade negotiations with China easier, but he believed Beijing still wanted a deal with the United States.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has said that Dec. 15, when a further 15% U.S. tariff on about $156 billion worth of Chinese imports is set to take effect, is a natural deadline for an agreement.

– Reuters

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

BUSINESS

Cyber Monday sales poised to top $9.4 billion Cyber Monday sales were on course to bring in a record $9.4 billion, according to early estimates, building on a bumper Black Friday weekend for U.S. retailers driven by earlier-than-usual promotions and free shipping.

Shoppers have already had nearly a month of offers and deals as retailers look to draw out their vital holiday season, which is six days shorter this year due to a late Thanksgiving.

Adobe Analytics on Monday predicted that $72.1 billion has been spent online in the past month, with Cyber Monday – now traditionally the U.S. economy’s biggest internet shopping day – logging $473 million as of 9 a.m. ET. Amazon.com Inc and rivals such as Target Corp and

Walmart have beefed up delivery services to fulfill online orders more quickly.

“At the end of the day, Cyber Monday is just Black Friday revisited so the momentum, and the deals, really started last week,” said Carol Spieckerman, president at consultancy Spieckerman Retail.

“Retailers’ click and collect capabilities are running more efficiently, online shopping is more intuitive… Amazon isn’t the only one wearing the convenience crown this year.”

It may not all be smooth sailing for the world’s biggest online retailer. Protesters, who have described poor treatment of workers at its warehouses and rising climate emissions from the company’s push for speedier deliveries, marched outside

company chief Jeff Bezos’ Fifth Avenue penthouse in New York City on Monday. “We’re humans, not robots,” read one sign.

Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish said that unions and groups funded by competitors were “conjuring misinformation” about Amazon, which had industry-leading pay and benefits, including a $15 minimum starting wage. The company aims to be carbon neutral by 2040.

Reuters has found its use of planes is on the rise.

Activists also tried to blockade a shopping mall in Paris, denouncing the spread of Black Friday to European shores.

The National Retail Federation estimates nearly 69 million

Americans will scour the web on Monday for deals on everything from mobile phones to kitchenware, with Adobe estimating the biggest discounts on televisions and computers.

Topping Adobe’s list of most popular products were Frozen 2 and Paw Patrol toys, L.O.L surprise dolls and Nintendo’s Switch mobile console. “#CyberMonday2019 The day of the year 85% of the U.S. population pretends to actually be working,” tweeted Erika Mayor, a user in Miami. – Reuters

Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2019

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ART

Four artists join forces to share 2019 Turner Prize London, Dec 4 — This year’s prestigious Turner Prize will be shared by all four shortlisted artists after they formed a collective to show solidarity at a time of global “political crisis”, in a shock win announced yesterday.

Oscar Murillo, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Helen Cammock and Tai Shani were all named winners yesterday evening at a ceremony at the Turner Contemporary gallery in the seaside town of Margate, in southeast England.

The four — who had not met each other before being shortlisted — will split the £40,000 prize money for one of the world’s most prestigious awards for visual and contemporary art.

Rare Gauguin fetches €9.5m at Paris auction PARIS, Dec 4 — A rare canvas by French artist Paul Gauguin from his time in Tahiti fetched €9.5 million in Paris yesterday, nearly twice its estimated value, the auction house said.

The bidding had drawn keen interest amid growing controversy over Gauguin’s relationships with young girls on the Polynesian island and his depictions of them.

The 1897 painting, “Te Bourao II” or “tree” in the local Tahitian language, had been expected to go for around €5 to €7 million.

The buyer is an “international collector”, the Artcurial auction house said, adding the artwork depicting an evocative Tahiti landscape would remain in France.

It is one of the few paintings from the post-impressionist’s Tahiti period still in private hands.

According to Artcurial, the last sale in France of a Gauguin from this period was 22 years ago.

Recent years have seen increasing attention on Gauguin’s attitudes to the young women who feature in the paintings of this period.

An exhibition of the painter currently at the National Gallery in London said “that it aims to consider Gauguin’s relationships and the impact of colonialism through the prisms of contemporary debate.”

British Vogue magazine editor Edward Enninful, who announced the prize, called the decision “incredible”.

Ahead of the announcement, the four had sent a plea to the judges explaining their reasons for forming the collective.

“At this time of political crisis in Britain and much of the world, when there is already so much that divides and isolates people and communities, we feel strongly motivated to use the occasion of the Prize to make a collective statement in the name of commonality, multiplicity and solidarity — in art as in society,” they wrote.

More than 60,000 people have already seen the works by the four shortlisted artists since they went on display at the gallery in Margate in September.

“We each work with specific issues, but it doesn’t mean that we see those things in separation from each other,” said Abu Hamdan.

“The condition of a competition would actually turn the messages away from each other.”

Turner Contemporary director Victoria Pomery has described their work as “fantastic exhibitions”.

Murillo had been the favourite to win. His work draws on his experiences of growing up in Colombia, before moving to London aged 11.

He combines his roots in Latin America with Western art, to create sculptures, models and vividly painted abstract canvasses for multimedia installations.

After the announcement, he said: “We have very strong individual voices, but somehow the prize needed to be concluded in this way.”

Controversy Abu Hamdan, who is based in Beirut, bills himself a “private ear”, rather than a “private eye” investigating and trying to analyse sounds and how they contribute to identity.

Part of his submission for the coveted prize involved recreating the acoustic memories of former inmates of a Syrian prison, where they were held shackled and blindfolded.

Cammock, who is based in London, is a multimedia artist working in film, photography and text, who uses social history to examine power structures.

Her film The Long Note examines the different roles and involvement of women in the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland in 1968.

She said the idea of forming a collective “literally came out of the first meeting with each other”.

London-based Shani described her submission as an “expanded psychodelic” adaptation of Christine de Pizan’s 15th work The Book of the City of Ladies.

Her work, which was nearly five years in the making, features 12 imagined characters on film and live performance to explore feminism and power structures.

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

LIFESTYLE

‘Marriage Story’ leads Golden Globe nods, De Niro snubbed

Japanese magazine ridiculed for ‘Socrates’ dating advice TOKYO, Dec 5 — A Japanese magazine that advised women to compliment men on their intelligence by saying “You sound like Socrates” has been ridiculed in the country ranked one of the world’s worst for gender parity.

JJ, a major fashion magazine targeted at young women, encouraged readers to compare men to the classical Greek philosopher when they say something complicated.

A picture of the page sparked mirth when it was shared on Twitter — with some users noting that Socrates did not live happily ever after, as he was sentenced to death by drinking poison.

Users of both genders poured scorn on the technique to attract men, with one saying: “If a woman told me I sound like Socrates, I would wonder if she’s sane.”

Magazine shares tips to flatter men in order to become popular. Neatly ordered in an easy

and portable acrostic fashion (sa, si, su, se, so) so you don’t forget them, the true gem is hidden in the “So”: “You sound like Socrates” The tips were based on a comic book by a female manga artist, the magazine said, playing on a popular trope where women compliment men and feign stupidity.

In 2018, Japan ranked 110th out of 149 countries in the World Economic Forum’s gender gap report, up from 114th the previous year.

The country remains low in the ranking despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledging to promote women’s empowerment — his so-called “Womenomics” strategy.

Socrates is also credited with the famous remark: “By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you will be happy. If you get a bad one, you will be a philosopher.”

Los Angeles, December 9, 2019 – The Netflix divorce drama “Marriage Story” led nominations on Monday for the Golden Globes with six nods, followed by Martin Scorsese’s gangster movie “The Irishman,” also on Netflix, with five.

The two movies will also compete in the best drama category with First World War drama “1917,” comic book villain film “Joker,” and papal story “The Two Popes.”

The films nominated for best comedy or musical were Eddie Murphy’s comeback “Dolemite is My Name,” Nazi-era satire “Jojo Rabbit,” murder mystery “Knives Out,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and Elton John biopic “Rocketman.”

Apple Inc’s streaming service landed its first major award nominations for “The Morning Show,” along with its stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

The Golden Globes ceremony, hosted by British comedian Ricky Gervais, will take place in Beverly Hills on Jan. 5 Netflix dominated the nominations across both television

and movies, scoring a leading 17 nods in movie fields and 17 in television.

Major snubs included Robert De Niro, the star of “The Irishman,” although co-stars Al Pacino and Joe Pesci won nods for supporting actors and Scorsese will compete for best director.

Instead, Golden Globe organizers nominated “Marriage Story” separated dad Adam Driver, Joaquin Phoenix for “Joker,” Christian Bale for race car drama “Ford v Ferrari,” Jonathan Pryce for playing Pope Francis in “Two Popes” and Antonio Banderas for “Pain and Glory” as movie drama lead actors.

“Marriage Story” also won nods for actress Scarlett Johansson, supporting actress Laura Dern, and for best screenplay.

HBO’s medieval fantasy “Game of Thrones” failed to make it into the best TV drama series race, and upcoming movie musical “Cats” scored just one nod, for Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original song “Beautiful Ghosts.” – Reuters

Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2019

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ENTERTAINMENT

Funeral of Taiwanese-Canadian model actor Godfrey Gao to be held on December 15

Donnie Yen is back for ‘Ip Man 4: The Finale’ LOS ANGELES, Dec 4 — Well Go USA Entertainment has released a full trailer for Ip Man 4: The Finale that sees Donnie Yen return as the legendary Yip Man. This time, the Kung Fu master travels to America where one of his students has upset the local martial arts community by opening a Wing Chun school.

The film also stars Wu Yue, Van Ness, Scott Adkins, Kent Cheng, Chan Kwok Kwan Danny, Kanin Ngo, Chris Collins and Vanda Margraf.

The synopsis of the film reads: “Ip Man’s life remains unchanged after his wife’s death, but he and his son are slowly drifting apart. To seek a better future for his son, Ip Man decides to travel to the US only to find the stable, peaceful life abroad is only skin deep. Underneath lies a deep rooted racial discrimination that is far worse than he has expected. Ip Man re-examines his position and ponders on the reason he took up martial arts in the beginning.”

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — The funeral of Taiwanese-Canadian model actor Godfrey Gao will be held on December 15.

The body of the 35-year-old arrived at Taiwan yesterday via Shanghai, accompanied by his girlfriend Bella Su and brother Charles, reported Hong Kong daily Ming Pao. Fans cried out that Godfrey had returned home as Godfrey’s crystal coffin was leaving Taoyuan Airport with many calling the slight drizzle, a sign of the heavens crying.

Meanwhile, the daily reported that Godfrey’s mother had chosen a photo that was taken for a Thailand magazine cover as the image that will be used during the funeral.

The family, however, has yet to announce whether Godfrey will be buried or cremated.

Local Chinese daily, Sin Chew Daily reported that fans would be allowed to pay their last respects to Godfrey.

Quoting a statement by Godfrey’s management company Jetstar Entertainment, is said fans who are expected to show up in droves, could also make origami cranes to leave for their idol as they bid their farewell.

It also said the funeral parlour will be opened on December 6 from 10am to 5pm to allow fans and friends to pay their last respects, and photos are not allowed to be taken and wreaths will also be disallowed.

Friends who are unable to be present at the funeral parlour can write down their messages on a piece of paper measuring 15cm by 15cm to send to the management which will be made be made into origami creations to accompany Godfrey on his final journey.

Godfrey, who was the first Asian to be the face of Louis Vuitton, died while filming a TV show in in the eastern city of Ningbo, China, after collapsing while on the set of Chase Me, a competitive sports reality show on China’s Zhejiang Television.

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

FASHION

Bottega Veneta’s Lee big winner at British Fashion Awards

Kim Jones combines fashion art and sport in new Dior Homme collection MIAMI, Dec 5 — Just as Christian Dior did in the late 1940s, Dior Homme creative director Kim Jones has crossed borders to cultivate links between France and the United States with a 2020 pre-fall runway show in Miami, just before the opening of Art Basel Miami Beach.

On display were looks that combined the luxurious and the casual as well as the traditional and the modern, with numerous references gleaned from the Dior archives and reinterpreted with strong motifs and elements, which were often boldly colourful and optimistic.

With this latest show, organised in the grounds of the Rubell Museum, due to be inaugurated Wednesday, Kim Jones presented a celebration of youth, liberty, movement, and multiple influences that emanate from French and American cultures.

Art also took pride of place in this new Dior Homme collection. This was not only reflected in the choice of venue for the runway show, but also in the partnership that has been launched with the streetwear pioneer Shawn Stussy.

The founder of the accessories and clothing brand Stüssy offered his graffiti-style interpretation of the Dior logo and bee on new prints.

Kim Jones is also likely to cause a stir with a second collaboration with Jordan Brand. There is no doubt that sneaker fans will be delighted with the limited edition version of the Air Jordan I unveiled by the Dior Homme creative director Tuesday.

LONDON, Dec 3 — Bottega Veneta creative director Daniel Lee was the big winner at the British Fashion Awards yesterday, picking up the top prizes at the glitzy ceremony where industry veterans Giorgio Armani and Naomi Campbell were also honoured.

Briton Lee, who joined the Italian luxury goods maker last year and has received buzzing reviews for his modern twists on the label’s classic looks, was named Designer of the Year, British Designer of the Year — Womenswear and Accessories Designer of the Year.

Known for its woven leather bags, Bottega Veneta, a unit of the luxury group Kering SA, was also named Brand of the Year.

Italian designer Armani, who founded his label in 1975 and went on to become one of the biggest names in fashion, regularly dressing celebrities and royals, received the Outstanding Achievement award.

The prize recognised the 85-year-old Armani’s “outstanding contribution to the global fashion industry, his creativity and vision of timeless style and care for detail, that have provided such inspiration to so many in the industry”.

Campbell, one of the catwalk’s most recognisable faces and one of the five major supermodels of the early 1990s, was handed the Fashion Icon prize, recognising her industry and charitable work.

At the event held at London’s Royal Albert Hall, singer Rihanna’s Fenty label picked up the Urban Luxe award, Adut Akech won Model of the Year and Dior’s Kim Jones was named British Designer of the Year — Menswear.

Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton, who designed Kate Middleton’s wedding dress for her 2011 nuptials to Britain’s Prince William, took the Trailblazer Award, while Moncler chief executive Remo Ruffini was named Business Leader.

Guests at the awards, a fundraiser for British Fashion Council charities, included Hollywood stars Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett and singer Kylie Minogue. — Reuters

Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2019

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SPORTS

South Korea to use radiation detectors, food from home at Tokyo Games SEOUL, Dec 4 — South Korea’s Olympic committee plans to buy radiation detectors and ship homegrown ingredients to Japan for its athletes at the Tokyo Games because of worries local food may be contaminated by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Japan has posted data to show the country is safe from Fukushima radiation and many countries have lifted Fukushima-related food restrictions.

The Korea Sports & Olympic Committee (KSOC) plans to ship red pepper paste, a key ingredient in Korean dishes, and other foods, and check for radiation in meat and vegetables that can only be sourced locally due to stringent quarantine rules, a KSOC meals plan report shows.

“Apparently, ingredients and food will be transported from South Korea as much as possible, possibly including canned food,” Shin Dong-keun, a ruling Democratic Party member of the parliamentary sports committee who was recently briefed by KSOC, told Reuters in an interview.

“For this Olympic games, food is our team’s main focus so they can provide safe meals for the athletes to erase radiation worries, as opposed to in the

past, food was meant to play the supplementary role of helping with their morale.”

KSOC plans to arrange local Korean restaurants to prepare meals for baseball and softball players competing in Fukushima, as shipping boxed lunches from Tokyo is not feasible, it said in the “2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics Meals Support Centre Plan”.

“These Korean restaurants should only handle food confirmed as radiation free,” The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station, located about 220 km (130 miles) northeast of Tokyo, was rocked by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in March 2011, sparking three reactor meltdowns.

More than 160,000 residents fled nearby towns in the aftermath as radiation from the reactors contaminated water, food and air.

Radiation hot spots Greenpeace said on Wednesday that radiation hot spots have been found at the J-Village sports facility in Fukushima where the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay will begin.

South Korea has stepped up demands for a Japanese response to concerns food produced in the Fukushima area and nearby sea could be contaminated by radiation from the Fukushima plant.

Japan is having trouble removing more than 1 million tonnes of contaminated water from the crippled plant.

When it finalises menus around April, the KSOC will consider asking Tokyo to ease its stringent quarantine ban on South Korean produce, an official at the committee said.

The official said South Korea was preparing a separate meals plan due to concerns from the public and politicians over food safety, unlike the United States and Australia whose athletes will mainly eat food provided by the host country, Japan.

The official requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

South Korea’s concerns about possible contamination from the nuclear disaster has become a thorn in already contentious ties with Japan.

Seoul has banned imports of seafood

from Japan’s Fukushima region since the nuclear disaster, prompting Tokyo to launch a World Trade Organisation complaint. Japan has said many nations such as the United States and Australia had lifted or eased Fukushima-related restrictions.

Japanese officials use international events to promote the recovery of areas hit by the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster to show produce from Fukushima prefecture is safe.

Mineral water from Fukushima was served on tables at the last month’s G20 foreign ministers meeting it hosted in Nagoya.

The South Korean Olympic committee plan to purchase radiation detecting equipment by February and station an inspector at its own cafeteria in Tokyo during the games to check contamination levels, according to the KSOC report.

The budget for the Tokyo Olympics meals service is earmarked at 1.7 billion won (US$1.44 million), which includes twice the amount of money for buying and shipping ingredients than previous games, according to the committee. — Reuters

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS

Messi claims record sixth Ballon d’Or, Rapinoe wins women’s award Paris, December 2, 2019 - Lionel Messi claimed a record sixth Ballon d’Or award on Monday, beating Liverpool’s leading nominees and Cristiano Ronaldo to lift soccer’s most prestigious individual trophy.

The Argentine, who won the Liga title with Barcelona but only managed third place in the Copa America with his country, added to his 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015 trophies.

He finished above Dutchman Virgil van Dijk and Portugal’s thirdplaced Ronaldo, who has won the award five times.

“I am very lucky, I am blessed.

I hope I will continue for a long time,” Messi told reporters. “I realize that I’m lucky even if one day it will be time to retire,” added the 32-year-old.

“It will be tough but I still have some years ahead of me. Time

flies so I will enjoy football and my family.”

Senegal’s Sadio Mane, who along with runner-up Van Dijk and fellow Liverpool nominees Alisson Becker of Brazil and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, helped the Merseyside club win the Champions League, came fourth in the poll of international journalists.

“It was amazing,” said Van Dijk.

“There are a couple of players like him (Messi) who are fantastic. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved with Liverpool and Holland. It’s going to be tough (to win the award) when these guys are around.”

Messi, whose stellar career was rewarded with another trophy, and Ronaldo, had between them won 10 consecutive Ballon d’Or awards until Croatia’s Luka Modric prevailed in 2018.

INCREDIBLE YEAR Megan Rapinoe earlier won the women’s Ballon d’Or after leading the United States to a record-extending fourth World Cup title in France this year as they retained the trophy.

The 34-year-old midfielder, the standout player at the June-July tournament, succeeded Norway’s Ada Hegerberg who did not take part in the World Cup. Rapinoe was not present at the ceremony in the Theatre du Chatelet, where the show ‘An American In Paris’ is on.

“I’m so sad I can’t make it tonight. It’s absolutely incredible congrats to the other nominees. I can’t believe I’m the one winning in this field, it’s been an incredible year,” Rapinoe said in a recorded message.

“I want to thank my team mates and the U.S. federation.”

Dutchman Matthijs de Ligt, a key player in Ajax Amsterdam’s thrilling run to the Champions League semi-finals and now at Juventus, won the Kopa trophy for the best Under-21 male player.

Alisson, one of the four Liverpool players in the top seven for the men’s Ballon d’Or, was awarded the new Yashin trophy for the best male goalkeeper of the year.

There was, however, no trophy for the best female Under-21 player or keeper. - Reuters

Georgia Asian Times December 15-31, 2018

Page 15

HEALTH

To what extent does good oral hygiene protect your heart?

Seoul, Dec 3, 2019 — A vast South Korean observational study has added weight to the theory that good oral hygiene reduces risks of cardiovascular disease. According to the latest research, brushing your teeth three or more times per day lowers the risk of heart failure by 12 per cent.

In recent years, several studies have indicated that brushing your teeth regularly and correctly helps to prevent heart disease. To verify this theory, doctors at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, conducted a vast study on 161,286 South Koreans aged between 40 and 79, who had no history of heart disease.

The study, which has been published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology focused on data from the South Korean nation-

al health system and in particular on routine medical examinations that took place between 2003 and 2004.

Using these sources, the researchers benefited from information on the height, weight, laboratory test results, possible diseases, lifestyle and oral health of the patients participating in the study.

The authors of the study then analyzed the volunteers’ medical data over a median period of 10.5 years to measure the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (arrhythmic heart disorder) or heart failure.

12pc lower risk of heart failure if you brush your teeth three times a day The results showed that over a little more than 10 years, 4,911

participants (3 per cent) developed atrial fibrillation and 7,971 (4.9 per cent) heart failure. Participants who brushed their teeth three or more times a day benefited from a 10 per cent reduction in atrial fibrillation and a 12 per cent reduction in heart failure.

The incidence of these diseases was measured independently of a number of factors such as age, gender, socio-economic status, regular exercise, alcohol consumption or body mass index.

Although the study did not determine the exact mechanism underlying the relationship between frequent tooth brushing and potentially mitigated negative effects on arteries, the findings suggest that frequent teeth brushing could reduce oral bacteria between the teeth and the gums, and prevent

their translocation into systemic circulation.

“While the role of inflammation in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease is becoming more and more evident, intervention studies are needed to define strategies of public health importance,” points out an accompanying editorial in the journal.

Senior author Dr Tae-Jin Song also argues that more research in several countries will be necessary to validate this theory. - Reuters

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia From armchairs to iPhones, India’s millennials rent it all Mumbai, Dec 1 — At 29, Spandan Sharma doesn’t own a flat, a car, or even a chair — one of a growing number of Indian millennials bucking traditional norms and instead opting to rent everything from furniture to iPhones.

“Millennials in my age bracket want freedom and earlier what was seen as stability is now seen as a sign of being tied down,” said Sharma.

Thin skin: Japan firm develops ultra-fine spray-on facemask TOKYO, Dec 4 — A Japanese cosmetics company today unveiled what it said was the world’s first spray-on skin, a moisturising facemask made of fibres one-100th the thickness of a human hair.

After applying an absorbent lotion, users spray the fibres onto their face and a thin translucent sheet is quickly formed, acting as a “greenhouse” for the real skin below to soak up the moisture and still be able to breathe.

The “second skin” can be worn overnight or peeled off after about a minute.

“This is the world’s first cosmetic product using such technology,” according to Masayuki Uchiyama, skincare researcher at Kao, the firm behind the innovation.

The hand-held diffuser was 10 years in the making, said Uchiyama, who admitted: “We struggled to make the device small.”

Kao researchers did not initially think of using the technology of ultra-thin fibres to create a layer on the skin, he said, adding that the precise

material from which they were made was a secret.

“But we learned that the skin can still breathe under the thin fibres for many hours” in an environment akin to a greenhouse.

Such cutting-edge tech does not come cheap though, with each diffuser costing ¥50,000.

Nevertheless, Kao predicts cosmetic sales could reach ¥100 billion if the technology is applied to the medical field.

In the future, Uchiyama said it could be used to cover scars or to create an invisible medical patch.

Similar technologies already exist, including those using cells or polymer, but Uchiyama said Kao’s technology is different.

“Ours is focused on fibres. They’re more flexible and hard to break even if you move.”

“My parents don’t understand the concept of renting furniture at all. They have never been completely on-board with the idea,” he said.

“They said it would be much better to buy rather than rent furniture in the long term.”

For 4,247 rupees a month, the Mumbai-based executive furnished his entire home, sourcing furniture for his bedroom, living room and dining area as well as a refrigerator and microwave.

Sharma isn’t alone. Tens of thousands of young Indians are switching from buying to renting so they can live life with few strings attached.

Even businesses are renting their office furnishings, said budding entrepreneur Vandita Morarka.

When Morarka set up her feminist non-profit One Future

Collective in 2017, she rented nearly everything she needed and funnelled the savings from not having a one-off outlay into paying salaries to her staff of 25.

“From study tables and chairs to even a laptop, I have rented them all as the prices are reasonable,” said the 25-year-old.

“This system allows me to take more risks... And in case things go south, we can wrap up without losing a large tranche of investments and begin elsewhere.”

‘Investing in experiences’ From ride-hailing apps to communal office spaces, the sharing economy is a global phenomenon that is expected to generate annual revenues of US$335 billion by 2025, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

In the US, websites such as Rent the Runway and Nuuly offer fashion-conscious customers the option to try rather than buy clothing, while in China, consumers can rent BMWs via a tap on their smartphone.

In India, the boom has fuelled the rise of new furniture and appliance-renting businesses such as Furlenco, RentoMojo and GrabOnRent — and even jewellery rental apps — in recent years.

Georgia Asian Times December 1-15, 2019

Page 17

Misc Asia In advising young Asia Pacific leaders, Michelle Obama channels famous phrase ‘going high’ Kuala Lumpur, Dec 12 — Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama called on young leaders to “stay high” in living out their lives.

“Stay high, going low never works. But you know that,” she told a plenary session at the Obama Foundation Leaders: Asia-Pacific Programme with Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts.

It was moderated by former Miss Malaysia World and Fugee School co-founder Deborah Henry.

The programme is a one-year leadership development programme that seeks to inspire, empower and connect emerging leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region.

Obama is famous for her phrase, “When they go low, we go high” which she used in her speech during the Democratic National Convention in 2016 where Hillary Clinton was running to be United States’ first woman president.

Last year, she was reported in the New York Times as saying that the meaning behind “going high” did not mean not feeling hurt or not entitled to an emotion.

“It means that your response has to reflect the solution. It shouldn’t come from a place of anger or vengefulness. Barack and I had to figure that out,” she said.

“Anger may feel good in the moment, but it’s not going to move the ball forward.”

Obama was today answering a question on the kind of leadership that the world needs in current times.

“Most people get up in the morning and they want to do the right thing. People are fundamentally good,” she said.

She also advised those present to live by the values taught to them by their parents, to be honest and tell the truth.

“Know history and understand it in the context of the world.”

Obama said to always give people, even those one was at odds with, the benefit of the doubt and to “put ourselves in those shoes”.

“Be compassionate. Trust your gut. And don’t get discouraged.”

Traditional Thai massage gets Unesco heritage status Bangkok, Dec 13 ― At Bangkok’s Reclining Buddha temple, Krairath Chantrasri says he is a proud custodian of an ancient skill ― the body-folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage, which was added yesterday to Unesco’s prestigious heritage list.

Originating in India and practiced in Thailand for centuries, the massage was popularised when a specialty school opened in the 1960s to train massage therapists from around the world.

Nuad Thai’s addition to Unesco’s list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage” practices “is historic,” said the Thai delegate at the United Nations Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organization meeting in Bogota, Colombia.

“It helps promote the practice of Nuad Thai locally and internationally,” he said.

From upscale Bangkok spas and Phuket beach fronts to modest streetside shophouses, “nuad Thai” is ubiquitous across the kingdom, where an hour of the back-straightening discipline can cost as little as US$5 Krairath, who teaches at the Reclining Buddha School inside the famed Wat Pho temple, helps thousands of Thai and foreign students who flock to the centre each year.

The son of a masseuse, he takes great pride in his role sharing the ancient discipline at a temple whose certification is a proud banner for any massage shop.

“I’m a continuation of our collective knowledge,” the 40-year-old told AFP. At Wat Pho’s complex, trainees run through a catalogue of moves targeting the body’s acupressure points with thumbs, elbows, knees and feet while also incorporating deep stretches and contortions.

Doctors and monks were said to have brought these methods 2,500 years ago to Thailand, passing its secrets from master to disciple in temples and later within families.

Under Thailand’s King Rama III in the nineteenth century, scholars engraved their knowledge of the field onto the stones of Wat Pho. The nuad Thai school, which has trained more than 200,000 massage therapists who practice in 145 countries, first opened in 1962.

Turning the tables Massage employs tens of thousands of Thais.

The school’s director Preeda Tangtrongchitr says they usually see an uptick in interest from Thais when the economy is bad.

“For many people who are disabled or in debt, this job is an opportunity because it requires no material ― only their hands and knowledge,” he said.

Today, a therapist at a top-end spa can charge around US$100 an hour in Thailand, and two or three times more in London, New York or Hong Kong where the Thai massage brand is booming.

But the training is “demanding”, says Chilean Sari, a professional masseuse who travelled to Bangkok to learn the discipline.

“The technique is very precise; there are so many things to be aware of,” the 34-year-old told AFP, as she made rotations with her palm on a fellow student’s skull.

The teachings focus on directing blood circulation around problem areas to solve muscle aches ― sometimes drawing winces from clients unaccustomed to the force applied.

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December 1-15, 2019 Georgia Asian Times

TRAVEL

Bustling Tokyo: Home to beautiful gardens and Pokémon The older generation might not really understand Pokémon, except that the characters seem to spend a lot of time battling and evolving.

Still, judging by the crowd at the Pokémon Centre in Shiodome Shibarikyu Building in Tokyo, Pokémon seems to remain very popular in Japan.

But if you thought the Pokémon Centre might be some kind of theme park, you’re wrong. It’s really just a shop selling stacks of plastic and plush toys and other Pokémon collectables.

Hamarikyu Garden has been a public park since 1946.

The Hamarikyu Garden on the other hand, is a very attractive park located across the road from the Shiodome.

The very first stone-built western style building in Japan once stood here in the early Meiji era. It was used to entertain visiting foreign guests, among them General Ulysses S Grant.

This building was demolished in 1889 and its replacement was reduced to ashes in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. The garden was further

damaged by bombing during World War II. Hamarikyu Garden looks resplendent all year round.

Hamarikyu has been a public park since 1946. Today it is overlooked by towering glass office blocks but it serves as a momentary escape from the hustle and bustle of modern Tokyo.

In traditional Japanese fashion it is planted to look splendid all year round with maples

and gingkos providing autumn foliage, and cherry and plum blossoms to give colour in the spring.