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The World Is Watching As Tokyo Hosts the Olympics Amid Covid-19
Wada Koji, Professor in the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, and Director of International Medical Cooperation at the International University of Health and Welfare, in The Japan Times (July 9, 2021)
Summary by Alejandro Reyes (Photo credit: Hamano Hideya)
As the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics near, athletes, coaches and staff are arriving amid still strong concerns about the risk of Covid-19 infections. Measures put in place by organizers may look good on paper. But they are bound to be hard to implement in practice. For one, infections could occur among athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers and spectators. The degree of punishment the International Olympic Committee (IOC) hands down to violators could trigger diplomatic issues. It would be unfortunate for athletes to lose their chance at winning a gold medal because they infected someone or became infected.
Hosting the games at a time when people are being asked to stay indoors, avoid large gatherings and remain vigilant may impact their willingness to comply with voluntary restrictions, and therefore lessen the impact of the country's coronavirus measures. With the spectator ban, the risks of infection have been reduced. But it is also important to make sure that infections will not spread outside the venues such as bars and restaurants where people may gather around to watch the games together.
The world is now paying attention to Japan and we need to act responsibly. This is an opportunity, but at the same time, it can be a risk. We need to imagine how people in other countries will react to the Olympics and help prevent the further spread of the virus. The Japanese public and the rest of the world need to know that Japan remains in a difficult situation and that, while steps are being taken to hold the Games safely, the pandemic is still ongoing. The country must set a good example and make sure that our children and grandchildren are respected by the rest of the world. We can do that by making the Olympic and Paralympic Games a success.
Stakeholder Capitalism As A Governance Model
Goh Choon Kang, former journalist and member of the Singapore Parliament from 1984 to 1997, in Lianhe Zaobao (February 17, 2021)
Summary by Alan Yang Gregory (Photo credit: Pascal Bitz/World Economic Forum)
Stakeholder capitalism was a concept advocated by Klaus Schwab when he founded the World Economic Forum in 1971. Shareholder capitalism emphasizes that companies should serve the interests of shareholders, while stakeholder capitalism believes that companies have an obligation to all stakeholders. Shareholder capitalism has been proven extremely harmful, particularly in the US, which has seen widening inequality, intensification of social conflicts, and the control of political parties by powerful interests.
There are still a few countries in the world such as the Nordic countries, New Zealand and Singapore, which are worthy of recognition. Among these countries, Schwab has highlighted Singapore as model of stakeholder government. Schwab's praise for Singapore spans its public housing construction, education, health and digitalization initiatives.
He has, however, also emphasized that Singapore's model may be difficult to replicate in other countries with larger or poorer populations. Yet, pragmatic and stakeholder-driven policy making, common in New Zealand and Denmark, are still worthy of recognition. Ultimately, the government should take care of the interests and welfare of all stakeholders.
Schwab may also feel that in this globalized world, Singapore's commitment to multilateralism is beneficial. This commitment is illustrated through Singapore's active promotion of the economic integration of the ASEAN region and the country's participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) trade agreements. Furthermore. the Covid-19 pandemic has illustrated the crucial role this region will play in the global economic recovery.
Why The Government Should Label Patrol Boats
Chiang Huang-chih, Professor in the College of Law of National Taiwan University, in Liberty Times (February 22, 2021)
Summary by Alan Yang Gregory (Photo credit: Wang Yu-ching/Taiwan Presidential Office)
Chinese military ships and planes are entering Taiwan's sea and airspace. In response, President Tsai Ing-wen has stated that "TAIWAN' should be painted on patrol vessels to increase international visibility at sea. Some have opposed this decision, viewing it as propaganda that will not only be unhelpful but may even provoke Beijing and increase the risk of conflict. But there are a number of reasons why this may be a good move.
First, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that the exercise of maritime law enforcement powers must be duly authorized and clearly marked. This helps ensure that any ship that violates the law can be held responsible.
Second, there is no denying that the situation in the waters surrounding Taiwan is becoming more tense, and there are many countries involved such as China, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and even the United States and South Korea. Taiwan's missions in these waters would benefit from clearer labels so as to increase recognition of our maritime patrol work, avoid misunderstandings or disputes and improve the safety of maritime personnel.
Third, China's Coastguard Law was formally passed in February 2021. Japan and the Philippines have protested, claiming that the legislation violates international law. To counter these threats and express Taipei's commitment to complying with international law and maintaining regional peace, Taiwan should distinguish itself from the Chinese side through a clear external label.
Finally, regardless of whether this label is displayed, China's intimidation towards Taiwan is unlikely to disappear. Taiwan should therefore choose to display positive images and strengths as determined by those in power and the intentions of citizens.
Making the label "TAIWAN" visible should lead to increased security and international recognition. The more steps Taiwan can take to highlight its own characteristics the better.
The Covid-19 Tragedy Has Exposed How Broken Politics Is
Ary Hermawan, editor-at-large and PhD student at the Asia Institute of the University of Melbourne, in The Jakarta Post (July 7, 2021)
Summary by Alejandro Reyes (Photo credit: Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia)
As the Covid-19 second wave engulfs the nation's most populous island, we can no longer ignore how the ongoing health crisis has exposed the structural problems underpinning our democracy, how the state has failed us in one of the most challenging times in history.
The pandemic is a disease that exacerbates the ills of society. It is a test case for every political regime in the world. Indonesia is sadly among the worst performers. After all the pandemic carnage, we cannot afford to sustain the social and political comorbidities that have brought us to where we are today. We should no longer let state power lie in the hands of a select few who are elected to office through either corruption or patronage.
These are real problems that have severely compromised our democracy. Our elections have become just another means of accumulating wealth and power for those already endowed with both. Our democracy is far from inclusive; only those with strong financial backing can successfully run for office.
When Joko "Jokowi" Widodo became president in 2014, we thought the people had won in the struggle against the elite. How wrong we were. He was forced to appease the political bigwigs and oligarchic powers just to stay in office and do his job. With political-business elites having such sway, we should not be surprised that policies seem to favor those elites and that during these challenging times, the government seems to be part of the problem rather than the solution.
Corruption and rent-seeking remain rampant during the pandemic, which may have even provided a bigger opportunity for the elite to get richer and more powerful. There is no quick fix. But if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that a structural transformation of our body politic is past due.
Can Peace Still Be Won In Afghanistan?
Maleeha Lodhi, former ambassador of Pakistan to the US, UK and UN, in Dawn (July 12, 2021)
Summary by Alejandro Reyes (Photo credit: US Institute of Peace)
Fears are growing in the region and beyond about what lies ahead for war-torn Afghanistan. A throwback to the past with armed power struggles between militias? A protracted civil war? An ascendant Taliban flushed with victory eventually setting up a government with nominal inclusion of minorities? Or will the Taliban reach out to other Afghan parties for negotiations to forge agreement on their country's political arrangements and future?
The American military withdrawal is nearing completion in what President Joe Biden described in his end-of-mission address as a speedier drawdown driven by safety concerns. It has been orderly and so far, casualty-free. This means that the US-Taliban Doha agreement is holding with the Taliban ensuring a peaceful exit. Pakistan has played a supportive role in facilitating a smooth US pullout.
But as the US drawdown entered its final phase, fighting escalated between the Taliban and Afghan government forces. The Taliban have stepped up their offensive and in a series of military assaults overrun and captured many districts. Taliban representatives have sought to reassure anxious neighbors that they pose no threat to the region. Although President Biden has said a Taliban takeover is not inevitable, a much-cited US intelligence assessment concluded it could be as early as six months. Pakistan's assessment is that Kabul could hold out beyond six months.
The US has warned the Taliban against any military takeover. The key question now is whether the international community can still act to encourage the Taliban and other parties to pursue a negotiated settlement. Pakistan should encourage an early meeting of representatives of the Troika countries – US, China and Russia. Let it not be said that diplomacy failed the people of Afghanistan who have already suffered so much through decades of war, turmoil and strife.
Tackling The Pandemic Requires A Strategy To Coordinate Resources
Tee Beng Lee, board member, Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies, in Oriental Daily News (February 6, 2021)
Summary by Alan Yang Gregory (Photo credit: UNIMAS)
There continues to be a large number of new cases of Covid-19 in Malaysia. If the government had acted decisively from the beginning, it is likely the spread of the virus would have been controlled
The more decisions that have to be made, the greater the need for a systematic strategy. The government should encourage private-sector investment and integrate available resources in the government's decision-making system so that the people and the government can stand on the same front to fight the virus.
The medical resources available to the whole country should be calculated by the Ministry of Health. Similar to China, the government should determine how many halls, auditoriums and activity centers could be employed as quarantine facilities or emergency hospitals. It would be reasonable to call for support from private hospitals. Military and police vehicles can provide transport for patients to hospitals and quarantine centers. When the country is in a crisis, extraordinary measures are required.
The government's laws and regulations are too strict, resulting in many companies worrying about their employees testing positive and being forced to suspend production. This reduces their willingness to test employees. If the government is unable to afford the cost of national testing, it should encourage the business community to take the initiative to test its employees to ensure uninterrupted operations.
The government should be responsible for accommodating infected persons in pre-expropriated isolation facilities, while the business sector only needs to perform disinfection in accordance with the regulations and allow uninfected employees to continue working. This will minimize economic losses and inevitably increase the willingness of the businesses to cooperate with government policies.
With the right strategy, controlling Covid-19 is not a difficult task. However, if there are too many private interests involved, things can become challenging.
The Rule Of Law Is The Basic Core Value
Simon Hoey Lee, member of the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, in HK01 (March 26, 2021)
Summary by Alan Yang Gregory (Photo credit: Samuel Wong)
In 2004, a group of citizens drafted a declaration of Hong Kong's core values, which they stated were "freedom and democracy, the rule of human rights and the rule of law, fairness and justice, peace and love, integrity and transparency, diversity and tolerance, respect for individuals, and professionalism". These must be upheld for Hong Kong's continued development, they asserted.
This stirred up some controversy then as these values were based on those of Western democratic societies and failed to take into account many of the unique elements of Hong Kong. In particular, the focus on individualism meant that the importance of the hard work of past generations of Hong Kong citizens were overlooked. The "Lion Rock Spirit", for example, which embodies hard work and solidarity, was a factor behind Hong Kong's rise.
It goes without saying that the rule of law is the basic core value of Hong Kong. It covers human rights, justice, peace, benevolence, honesty and tolerance. Democracy, however, never existed in Hong Kong under colonial rule, and only part of a democratic system was introduced two years before the handover. As such, democracy cannot be regarded as a core value.
Democracy is not a panacea. It cannot guarantee the prosperity of society. The rule of law, however, can bring security and social stability, through which wealth can accumulate and the economy can develop. Singapore and Hong Kong do not figure very highly in assessments of democracy, yet they have good judicial systems and are at the top of the global prosperity rankings. By contrast, India and the Philippines rank higher in democracy, yet their levels of rule of law and prosperity lag far behind.
Democracy is inherently good. But without an in-depth understanding, the pursuit of "Western democracy" undermines Hong Kong's established rule of law traditions.
Vaccine Sovereignty Is Needed To Secure Our Future
Ahn Jong-joo, chief of Social Safety Communications Center at the Korea Social Policy Institute, in Pressian (May 25, 2021)
Summary by Soomi Hong (Photo credit: Marco Verch)
The recent US-Republic of Korea summit was highly anticipated for a reason—hope for more vaccines. Eventually the meeting resulted in a donation of 550,000 doses of vaccine for soldiers and a consignment vaccine production agreement between two companies: Moderna and Samsung Biologics. Despite the government touting the achievement as a step forward in Korea becoming the next vaccine hub, this by itself was not a breakthrough and the dissatisfactory outcome reminds us once more of the critical need to produce our own vaccines as soon as possible.
The agreement entails the US entity shipping the vaccine concentrate to the Korean side which will repackage it into vaccine containers. This will not result in any knowledge transfer or a guaranteed domestic vaccine supply. But our goal as a nation must be to secure sovereignty over production of vaccines, not to become a hub for them. The benefits of securing vaccine sovereignty are many: it will work as an immediate boost to building domestic herd immunity, and it will also give a significant political leverage where we will be able to donate and allocate surplus vaccine supplies, especially to developing countries.
Many experts are predicting that Covid-19 and other coronaviruses will persist for the foreseeable future. Given what we know of the rapid mutation and the clear risk from the global spread, securing vaccine sovereignty is a matter of national security. As a country, we will never be secure without solid control over our vaccine supply and our government has the responsibility to encourage this development by supporting home-grown technology and working with the private sector to share the burden of R&D expenses. Only by securing the present and the future supply of critical vaccines will we be able to truly own our future.
To Preserve Liberal Democracy, Young People Should Become True Citizens
Jun Sang-in, Professor in the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Seoul National University, in Chosun Ilbo (May 22, 2021)
Summary by Soomi Hong (Photo credit: Alexey Matveichev)
The recent reversal of the votes in the Seoul and Busan elections have put national focus on the 20-30-year-old age group. Generation MZ, as they are called, account for 33 percent of the population. The millennials, the M, include those born between the mid-80s and the mid-90s, while Generation Z includes those born after who have grown embracing the digital world.
These generations are the first in the country's history who have been "gifted" citizenship in a democratic country. Since the liberation from Japanese occupation, liberal democracy struggled to bloom in the country. It took decades of fight and sacrifice to achieve what we now take for granted. In contrast, the Generation MZ have no experience in participating in the struggle and are "accidental citizens" in an already established system, for which previous generations fought hard.
American social activist Peter Palmer once confessed to be part of a generation that did not know about civic duty. Born in 1939, his generation was born into a country already lush with wealth and freedom, where the hardship of being a first-generation immigrant was but a legend and the suffering during the Great Depression and the Great Wars were but history. It was only when he started to notice the degradation of American democracy and a series of social crises that he realized that democracy is not something we "have" but something that we as citizens must "do".
Similarly, because they did not have to fight for it, Generation MZ may take the current system for granted. The success and preservation of our democracy will depend on this new generation to progress from being "accidental" to becoming true citizens who continue the act of nurturing and protecting our hard-earned liberal democratic system.
Lending A Hand To The Myanmar Military And Their Injustices
Summary by Alejandro Reyes (Photo credit: Brian Kelley)
Since Myanmar military coup in February, over 800 people have been killed in crackdowns and hundreds have gone missing. Security forces have been arbitrarily detaining and torturing people. Their reckless actions are inexcusable and unjustifiable.
Japan has been weak to show its diplomatic presence against what is going on there and even worse, seems to be lending a hand to the military. The situation is nearly identical to its response to the Tiananmen Square incident that occurred more than 30 years ago in Beijing. The Japanese government then systematically supported China's Communist-Party ruled government, which was responsible for the massacre of its own people, and later lifted sanctions ahead of others.
The Japanese government boasts of its "own channel of communication" with the Myanmar military, but it is not willing to stop atrocities. Japan, as one of the leading donor countries to the Southeast Asian nation, is supposed to exercise its influence through actions such as a total suspension of aid. But Japan is anxious about pushing Myanmar closer to China and ruining its positive bilateral relations if it imposes sanctions together with the US and European nations.
The military regime appears to take advantage of Japan's concern. Japanese taxpayers lack awareness over how their tax money is spent. Japan has provided over 100 billion yen ($900 million) a year in assistance to military-ruled Myanmar, while their loans are often written off. Although new loans have been suspended, projects which are already under way are continuing. We should list companies which maintain relations with the brutal Myanmar regime and put them under surveillance.
Authoritarianism is rampant across the globe. What is happening in Myanmar will serve as a touchstone for Japan, a country seeking to maintain freedom and democracy, with respect to how the country can progress.
Never Again Should We Have An Oligarchs' President
Rigoberto Tiglao, columnist and former presidential spokesman, press secretary and chief of staff, in The Manila Times (June 30, 2021)
Summary by Alejandro Reyes (Photo credit: International Rice Research Institute)
The death of former president Benigno Aquino III is an occasion for us to learn from history. There were four attributes of his administration that were seriously detrimental to us as a nation.
First, Aquino had a tight hold on media, whose influence on people's minds was even stronger than during Ferdinand Marcos's strongman rule because of its expertise in clothing lies as truths. This was not because this media believed in Aquino, but because they not only were owned by oligarchs who saw Aquino as their own but were managed by Yellow cultists who saw him as the son of their saint.
Second, the Philippine Catholic Church had been Aquino's prime defender and supporter. Never again should we have a president that the Catholic Church fanatically supports. This is the only country in the world where the Catholic Church insists on being a kingmaker that meddles in politics. That should be ended if we are to usher in a modern state.
Third, the US solidly backed the Aquino presidency. US strategists after all love unquestioning puppets, as they are most easily fooled. The big reason the US supported Aquino so much is that exactly at the start of his presidency in 2010, the Obama administration launched its so-called "Pivot to Asia" program, a thinly veiled campaign to reassert its hegemony in Asia, contain the rise of its adversary China, and drive a wedge between it and Southeast Asia.
And fourth, Aquino was the quintessential oligarchs' president. Aquino was even so much the elite's puppet that he adopted a belligerent stance against China to force it to give up its claims so the enterprise of three of the biggest oligarchs could continue its extraction of hydrocarbons there. Never again should we have an oligarchs' president.
Improving The Electoral System And Quality Of Governance
Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, Legislative Councillor and barrister, in Ming Pao (March 18, 2021)
Summary by Alan Yang Gregory (Photo credit: Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China)
The National People's Congress (NPC) has adopted the decision to improve Hong Kong's electoral system by eliminating radical pro-independence political forces. This will ensure that only capable patriots, including those who are not in the pro-establishment camp, can participate in Hong Kong's governance. One of the expected consequences of this decision is that moderate and rational voices of the opposition will no longer be bullied and refuted by the radical forces. The diverse voices among the patriotic camps can resume cooperation and Hong Kong's political landscape can finally return to normal.
Radicalism and violence have spread like a virus among the opposition camp over the past decade. Due to the proportional representation system of Legislative Council (Legco) elections, increasing numbers of radical voices have gained seats with just a low percentage of the vote. Over the last two years, all opposition parties have become radical, and parliament has seen increased friction. As a result, the ability of the government to improve people's livelihoods has almost become paralyzed.
Because of the NPC decision, the number of parliamentarians will increase and there will be greater room for cooperation. Legco will also have more seats and operate a new channel to join the Council. Candidates must be social leaders who have expertise, ability and willingness to serve the public before they can be approved by the election committee to join. This will ensure the election of patriots and improve the overall quality of governance in Hong Kong.
It is hoped that a healthy and functioning Legco can return to serve Hong Kong. If people's livelihoods can be improved, the public will come to understand that the decision to improve the electoral system will have helped establish a solid foundation for the future development of Hong Kong.
Because Of The Pandemic, People Have Tough Decisions To Make
Tay Boon Suat, consultant and member of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, in Lianhe Zaobao (January 29, 2021)
The Covid-19 pandemic has not only created the biggest economic crisis Singapore has ever faced, but it has also severely affected the lives of all Singaporeans. Under this new normal, citizens have several decisions to make.
First, businesses. The government has allocated nearly funds to rescue companies, restructure bank loans, and provide additional credit financing. This is only a short-term fix and companies must ultimately rely on their own abilities to survive. If the situation deteriorates, more than half of local retail companies may collapse within six months. The lack of foreign tourists, high rent and operating expenses are additional pressures. In this era of the Internet of Things, business owners will need to decide how to adapt and transform to survive. The pressure created by the pandemic can be seen as a good opportunity for business owners to change their way of operating.
Second, family financial planning. According to a recent survey, Singaporeans' basic financial planning performance worsened in 2020 from the previous year. Passive income fell while the amount of borrowing from relatives and friends has risen. The number of people having difficulties in repaying their mortgages has also increased. Restrictions on international travel, however, mean that households are spending less on expensive habits such as taking holidays abroad.
Educating children on the nature of money and making wise financial decisions should be the main goal of Singaporeans today particularly as young people are facing adversity. College students may be unemployed after graduation, and those currently working could be laid off. Everyone will need to be prepared be ready to enter new fields of work at any time.
How the government, companies and citizens make these decisions amid the challenges of the pandemic will ultimately determine Singapore's future.
The Flood Season Begins – And The Budget for Drainage Is Insufficient
Misheel Lkhasuren, columnist, in The UB Post (June 14, 2021)
Summary by Alejandro Reyes (Photo credit: Michael Eisenriegler)
After heavy rain in Ulaanbaatar, roads and road tunnels are flooded every summer, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and drivers. Due to insufficient of storm drainage system, residents have no choice but to jump over and tread the puddles and pools that form after rain. In some cases, floods make it impossible for people or even cars to travel.
This shows that the surface drainage system is not well developed in Ulaanbaatar. Moreover, there are not enough drainage and drainage wells. An estimated 180 billion MNT (US$63.2 million) is needed to rehabilitate 1,100 km of roads in Ulaanbaatar and install drainage lines and wells. With such a budget, the city's roads will not have water-related problems.
This year, however, only 1 billion MNT (US$351,000) was budgeted. In other words, as the budget was halved, it is clear that the construction of drainage pipes this year will be less than last year. Furthermore, it is unclear when the city will get rid of flood issues.
Roads are being repaired every year, and new roads are being built, but no drainages are being built with them. In any case, roads with drainage pipes are very rare in Ulaanbaatar. This summer has once again reminded us of the need to build more drainage. If it is not possible to build additional drainage on existing roads, it is important not to repeat the previous mistakes when building new roads.


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Film review: Begin Again
Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is a has-been record producer who hasn't managed to sign a successful artist in years. His career has fallen apart and so has his marriage, and just when he's about to give up all hope he wanders into a bar where he hears Greta (Keira Knightley) sing a charming song she wrote about being alone in the city, which hits all the right spots for him.
Greta's long-time boyfriend and writing partner Dave (Adam Levine) recently broke up with her, and she is about to take the first available flight from New York City that will bring her back to her home country of England. But Dave convinces her to stay just a little while longer and give him the chance to produce her album. Together they embark on a tour of New York City, creating beautiful, soulful music with an eclectic mixture of fellow musicians.
While the summary may make this sound like a cheesy romantic comedy film, don't be fooled into thinking that this is a run of the mill chick flick. Anything but cliché, the romantic elements are subtle and almost disappear into the background, while the love for the beautiful music these people create and the feelings they express through the songs being a much more prominent feature.
From the first moment Knightley takes a reluctant step onto the stage with just a guitar to accompany her performance, she commands presence with a gentle singing voice. This was a lovely surprise as I hadn't expected her to be quite this believable as a singer-songwriter. Ruffalo's jaded Dan balances out Greta's sweetness well, with an appealing backstory involving his wife of eighteen years and a rebelling teenager daughter (an excellent performance by Hailee Steinfeld).
This is a cinematic charmer and with songs that capture the joie de vivre of summer in the city, a surprising musical turn by Keira Knightley and a real feel-good vibe, this is one of our top films of the year thus far.
Begin Again opens in cinemas across the UK on 11th July 2014.
Labels: category: film, entry: film review
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Table of Contents - Current issue
Online since Friday, August 30, 2019
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Harnessing the potential of digital health in the WHO South-East Asia Region: sustaining what works, accelerating scale-up and innovating frontier technologies p. 67
Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Mark Landry
Bangladesh's digital health journey: reflections on a decade of quiet revolution p. 71
Muhammad Abdul Hannan Khan, Valeria de Oliveira Cruz, Abul Kalam Azad
Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in digital health in recent years. Through one of the world's largest deployments to date of the open-source District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), the country now has a national public sector health data warehouse. Information from previously fragmented data systems is now unified in a common data repository, enabling data exchange for health information systems and decision-making. Work is ongoing to create lifetime electronic health records for all citizens that can be transferred between health facilities. Extensive customization of open-source software has laid the foundations for a national digital networking system. Initiatives have focused on producing digital solutions to aid priorities such as strengthening the health system as a whole as well as supporting specific technical interventions, for example improving the civil registration and vital statistics system. Digital solutions have also supported the Bangladesh health workforce strategy through a set of registries that electronically captures and maintains human resource information for the entire public health sector, including monitoring staff attendance through the use of low-cost biometric fingerprint time-attendance machines. Citizens are encouraged to engage in shaping health services via a web-based complaints and suggestions system, and a new system to raise health awareness via public digital displays has started in Dhaka. Strong support at the highest political level has been critical to the success of efforts to introduce these innovations. The endeavour has also generated a cadre of enthusiastic eHealth proponents, who are focused on further strengthening and expanding the existing systems and on harnessing the vast amount of information amassed at the central data repository through big data analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Transforming health care through Bhutan's digital health strategy: progress to date p. 77
Mongal Singh Gurung, Garab Dorji, Sonalini Khetrapal, Sungsup Ra, Giridhara R Babu, Ramesh S Krishnamurthy
Bhutan, a landlocked country in the eastern Himalayas with some of the most rugged and mountainous terrain in the world, is actively engaged in digital health strategy reforms aimed at improving the efficiency of the health information system. Aligned with Bhutan's e-Government master plan, the National eHealth strategy and action plan aims to improve health by empowering health-care providers and citizens through technology and by enabling data exchange for service delivery. The strategy has four primary areas of focus: (i) ensuring digital health governance arrangements; (ii) concentrating on strong foundations in terms of infrastructure and standards; (iii) prioritizing improvements in the current health system in a phased, selective manner; and (iv) building the digital skills and knowledge of health workers. With support from the Asian Development Bank and the World Health Organization, phase 1 of the strategy has been completed and the blueprint for the digital health information system is in development. Phase 2 of the strategy will be implemented during 2020–2023 and will include work on (i) identity management for the health workforce; (ii) the implementation of a master patient index and a secure longitudinal patient information system; and (iii) enabling all health facilities to access the systems. Bhutan's eHealth strategy has the potential to fundamentally transform the delivery of health services, strengthen primary health care and enable the development of a "One Health" public health surveillance system.
Working towards a master patient index and unique identifiers to improve health systems: the example of Myanmar p. 83
Lori Thorell, Joseph Dal Molin, Justin Fyfe, San Hone, Su Myat Lwin
In the health systems of many countries, there is neither a requirement to collect a minimum set of demographic information during patient registration nor a standard way of identifying patients. This impedes the provision of integrated, good-quality care for individual patients and, at the system level, prevents generation of the high-quality data necessary for effective management and continuous improvement. Assigning each patient a unique identifier (UID) to create a master patient index (MPI) is therefore essential to ensure data interoperability across all the points of patient care within a health system. Although advances in technology are shifting the boundary between civil registration and personal identification, the additional value of an MPI/UID system lies in the technical and operational capacity to ensure that clinical data are safely and securely managed. Moreover, operationalization of MPI/UID data enables the establishment of an evidence-based, constantly improving "learning health system" with feedback loops that allow measurement, evaluation and visualization of performance over time. The Ministry of Health and Sports of Myanmar is actively engaged in a multistakeholder collaborative process working towards a nationwide MPI/UID system. Demonstration pilots are planned for both online and offline modes of operation for HIV/AIDS, mother and child health (including eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis) and hospital settings, which are expected to open up the potential for expansion to all health interventions and facilities. With the implementation of the MPI/UID system under way in Myanmar, the Ministry of Health and Sports is laying the foundation to put individuals at the centre of care and deliver a lifelong service for all.
Strengthening health systems through informatics capacity development among doctors in low-resource contexts: the Sri Lankan experience p. 87
Pandula Siribaddana, Roshan Hewapathirana, Achala U Jayatilleke, Sundeep Sahay, Vajira HW Dissanayake
In the process of strengthening health systems, a lack of health-informatics capacity within low- and middle-income country settings is a considerable challenge. Many capacity-development initiatives on health informatics exist, most of which focus on the adoption of eHealth tools by front-line health-care workers. By contrast, there are only a few programmes that focus on empowering medical doctors in low- and middle-income countries to become champions of digital health innovation and adoption. Sri Lanka has a dynamic eHealth ecosystem, resulting largely from the country's community of medical doctors who are also health informaticians. They are the result of a decade-long programme centred on a Master of Science degree course in biomedical informatics, which has trained over 150 medical doctors to date, and has now been extended to a specialist training programme. This paper evaluates this unique capacity-development effort from the perspective of strengthening health systems and how those in other low- and middle-income country contexts may learn from the Sri Lankan experience when implementing capacity-development programmes in health informatics.
Digital possibilities in the prevention and early detection of oral cancer in the WHO South-East Asia Region p. 95
Om Prakash Kharbanda, Anupama Ivaturi, Harsh Priya, Gampo Dorji, Shalini Gupta
Cancers of the lip and oral cavity are the most common cancers among men in the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region. Most cancers of the oral cavity are attributable to tobacco smoking, smokeless tobacco use and areca-nut product use, alone or in combination, and excessive consumption of alcohol. These risk factors are highly prevalent in parts of the region. This paper outlines an integrated framework for oral cancer prevention, which includes a strengthened primary health-care workforce, enhanced community engagement and a positive policy environment. Operationalizing this framework could be greatly facilitated by the application of digital technologies. Robust evidence exists for the effectiveness of using appropriately trained primary health-care workers to screen for oral cancer by oral visual examination; this can be combined with counselling for risk-behaviour modification as part of an overall strategy on noncommunicable diseases. This needs to be supported by greater overall community engagement, for example to tackle low levels of awareness of the harmful effects of smokeless tobacco and areca-nut products. A strong policy environment that supports and promotes these efforts is essential, along with the enforcement of the measures required by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Despite the burden of disease, oral cancer has been a neglected area of public health. This paper considers how the positively disruptive effects of digital technology may enable much-needed acceleration in prevention and control efforts.
BehavioR: a digital platform for prevention and management of behavioural addictions p. 101
Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, Nazneen Anwar
Behavioural addictions have been identified as an emerging public health problem. The unprecedented pace of the digital revolution, resulting in an ever-increasing use of internet-based technologies, provides the opportunity to create a unique resource to assist in offering public health interventions in the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region. The ability to deliver evidence-based treatment and preventive programmes that can be accessed by mobile phones, for example, increases access to a wide range of populations, including hidden or hard-to-reach populations. BehavioR (the Behavioral addictions Resource hub) has been established with the aim of offering a one-stop resource centre for behavioural addictions. The expected end-users of this digital platform include patients, caregivers, the general public, health-care providers, academics, researchers and policy-makers. The platform can be used to offer digital health interventions to patients; strengthen the capacity of health-care providers for early detection of, screening for, intervention in and management of behavioural addictions; and serve as an online repository for reliable information on behavioural addictions for the general public.
Gendered perceptions of physical activity and diabetes in rural Bangladesh: a qualitative study to inform mHealth and community mobilization interventions p. 104
Joanna Morrison, Hannah Jennings, Kohenour Akter, Abdul Kuddus, Jenevieve Mannell, Tasmin Nahar, Sanjit Kumer Shaha, Naveed Ahmed, Hassan Haghparast-Bidgoli, Anthony Costello, A K Azad Khan, Kishwar Azad, Edward Fottrell
Background Diabetes prevalence is increasing rapidly in Bangladesh, and there is an urgent need to promote preventive behaviours for type 2 diabetes, such as maintaining a healthy body weight, eating healthily, avoiding tobacco and being active for 150 minutes per week. Methods We used a qualitative methodology informed by the capability, opportunity, motivation theory of behaviour change to explore the factors affecting physical activity among men and women in rural Bangladesh. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 64 purposively sampled participants with and without diabetes, and five health workers. From the results of descriptive content analysis, we identified key capabilities, opportunities and motivations to engage with in our mHealth and community mobilization interventions. Results Men and women without diabetes lacked awareness about the need to remain physically active to prevent diabetes, and most felt that their activity levels were sufficient. Housework was not commonly perceived as physical activity among all respondents. These knowledge and capability gaps could be addressed through mHealth messaging and community mobilization providing information on sufficiency and types of physical activity to prevent and control diabetes. Men were physically active while working outside the home, whereas women felt unsafe and conspicuous, and were constrained by family commitments and social expectations of appropriate behaviour. Women engaged in strategies to protect their own and their family's reputations. These opportunity factors affecting physical activity indicated the need for strategies developed through participatory processes to challenge unhealthy gender norms and increase women's safety. Conclusion Formative research data can enable the development of contextually relevant interventions. Data show that mHealth interventions should consider gendered barriers to physical activity, tailoring information to meet men's and women's needs, and that community mobilization interventions should enable unhealthy, gendered community norms to be challenged. Participatory interventions can enable communities to push the boundaries of socially acceptable behaviours to increase physical activity, helping to prevent and control diabetes.
Measuring outcomes of hypertension treatment in primary care in resource-limited settings p. 112
Ayush Lohiya, Roy Arokiam Daniel, Sitanshu Sekhar Kar, Swaroop Kumar Sahu, Baridalyne Nongkynrih, Cherian Varghese
Follow-up data on patent expiry and atorvastatin price: experiences in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand p. 115
Anna Kemp-Casey, Joyce Ceria-Pereña, Anna Melissa Guerrero, Netnapis Suchonwanich, Salbiah Mohd Salleh, Elizabeth E Roughead
© WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health | Published by Wolters Kluwer Health - Medknow


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Officials declare heat advisories as Southern…
Officials declare heat advisories as Southern California temps hit triple digits
Andrew Ramirez, 8-years old, and sister Ashley Ramirez, 8-years old, cool off at the San Fernando Regional Pool in San Fernando, July 11, 2019. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
By City News Service, Hans Gutknecht | hgutknecht@scng.com, Sarah Reingewirtz | SReingewirtz@scng.com and Kevin Sullivan | ksullivan@scng.com |
PUBLISHED: July 12, 2019 at 10:00 am | UPDATED: July 12, 2019 at 7:08 pm
LOS ANGELES — The Southland will bake Friday under sweltering temperatures on the second day of the region's latest heat wave, prompting warnings to area residents to guard against heat-related illnesses.
High temperatures of 95 to 102 degrees are expected across most of the Los Angeles County valleys Friday through Sunday, with the warmest expected Friday and Saturday across the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, according to a National Weather Service statement. Minimum temperatures will be in the mid-60s to lower 70s.
The NWS blamed the above-normal temperatures on a strong area of high pressure across the Four Corners region and extending over Southern California.
Ashar Baker, 10-years old, cools off at the San Fernando Regional Pool in San Fernando, July 11, 2019. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
People cool off at the San Fernando Regional Pool in San Fernando, July 11, 2019. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
"It's hotter than fish grease," says Uncle Elroy as he hangs out with family and friends in La Pintoresca Park in Pasadena to stay cool on Thursday, July 11, 2019 as temperatures hit the 90s. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
"It's hotter than a nanny goat in a pepper patch," says Floyd Gans, of Pasadena, as he hangs out with family and friends in La Pintoresca Park in Pasadena to stay cool on Thursday, July 11, 2019 as temperatures hit the 90s. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dasani Lutton, 7, of Pasadena, swings in La Pintoresca Park on Thursday, July 11, 2019 where her family hangs out to keep cool as temperatures hit the 90s. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Landiss Whitener, 9, of Los Angeles, plays in La Pintoresca Park's Splash Zone in Pasadena on Thursday, July 11, 2019 as temperatures hit the 90s. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Landiss Whitener, 9, of Los Angeles, and his cousin Hunter Ferguson, 8, of Pasadena, play in La Pintoresca Park's Splash Zone in Pasadena on Thursday, July 11, 2019 as temperatures hit the 90s. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dasani Lutton, 7, of Pasadena, plays in La Pintoresca Park's Splash Zone in Pasadena on Thursday, July 11, 2019 as temperatures hit the 90s. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Sophia Lopez, 5, of Pasadena, plays in La Pintoresca Park's Splash Zone in Pasadena on Thursday, July 11, 2019 as temperatures hit the 90s. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Hunter Ferguson, 8, of Pasadena, plays in La Pintoresca Park's Splash Zone in Pasadena on Thursday, July 11, 2019 as temperatures hit the 90s. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Ashley Ramirez, 8-years old, cools off at the San Fernando Regional Pool in San Fernando, July 11, 2019. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Brody Morels, 9-years old, left, and cousin Rubin Morles, 10-years old, cool off at the San Fernando Regional Pool in San Fernando, July 11, 2019. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rubin Morles, 10-years old, cools off at the San Fernando Regional Pool in San Fernando, July 11, 2019. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A small group of children keep cool by playing with the water park features in Wilmington Waterfront Park on Thursday, July 11, 2019. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
Nathan Cervantes, 2, of Santa Ana, lower right, plays in the water features at Pioneer Road Park in Tustin on Thursday, July 11, 2019. A coming heat wave will finally bring 'real' summer to Southern California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kids play in the water features at Pioneer Road Park in Tustin on Thursday, July 11, 2019. A coming heat wave will finally bring 'real' summer to Southern California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Nathan Cervantes, 2, of Santa Ana, plays in the water features at Pioneer Road Park in Tustin on Thursday, July 11, 2019. A coming heat wave will finally bring 'real' summer to Southern California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Maxen Clark, 5, of Yorba Linda, plays with a water cannon at Pioneer Road Park in Tustin on Thursday, July 11, 2019. A coming heat wave will finally bring 'real' summer to Southern California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Clementine Turner, 3, of Orange, tries to fill her bucket without getting wet as she plays in the water features at Pioneer Road Park in Tustin on Thursday, July 11, 2019. A coming heat wave will finally bring 'real' summer to Southern California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Maxen Clark, 5, of Yorba Linda, at left, plays in the water features at Pioneer Road Park in Tustin on Thursday, July 11, 2019. A coming heat wave will finally bring 'real' summer to Southern California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Finn Turner, 6, of Orange, plays in the water features at Pioneer Road Park in Tustin on Thursday, July 11, 2019. A coming heat wave will finally bring 'real' summer to Southern California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Maxen Clark, 5, left, and his little brother Radley, 3, both of Yorba Linda, play with a horse-shaped water cannon at Pioneer Road Park in Tustin on Thursday, July 11, 2019. A coming heat wave will finally bring 'real' summer to Southern California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
"The peak of the heat will be on Saturday before the high pressure weakens early next week and temperatures lower a few degrees," according to the NWS. "The main weather stories through the weekend will be heat and elevated fire danger."
A heat advisory will be in effect from 10 a.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Sunday in the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and San Gabriel valleys.
"The extended period of hot temperatures creates a dangerous situation in which heat illnesses are possible, especially for the elderly and people outdoors that do not remain hydrated," warned the NWS statement. "Temperatures inside vehicles, even if the windows are partially open, can quickly rise to life-threatening levels."
The weather service advised area residents to "Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors."
Heat wave fizzles, but another's on the way to Southern California
Southern California heat wave is loosening its grip
Meteorologists: Ocean breeze will dampen Southern California heat wave beginning Tuesday
Expect another 100-degree day in many Southern California communities with slight cooling on the way
Heat advisory continues in Riverside, San Bernardino counties; ozone advisory affects Inland, OC and LA County areas
The NWS forecast a mixture of sunny and partly cloudy skies in L.A. County Friday and highs of 75 in Torrance; 76 in San Pedro and at LAX; 77 in Avalon; 87 in Downtown L.A. and Long Beach; 92 in Whittier; 93 in San Gabriel; 95 in Burbank; 96 in North Hollywood; 97 in Pasadena; 98 in Studio City and Sherman Oaks; 99 in Van Nuys and West Covina; 100 in Northridge, Reseda and Santa Clarita; 102 in Woodland Hills; and 105 in Palmdale and Lancaster.
Sunny skies and far more comfortable temperatures were forecast in Orange County, with highs of 74 in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 75 in Newport Beach; 83 on Santiago Peak; 85 in Santa Ana; 86 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 88 in Fullerton and Irvine; 89 in Mission Viejo; 90 in Anaheim; 91 in Fremont Canyon and Trabuco Canyon.
City News Service
Hans Gutknecht
Hans Gutknecht has been a photojournalist at the Los Angeles Daily News since 1992.
Follow Hans Gutknecht	@HansGutknecht
Sarah Reingewirtz
Kevin Sullivan
Born in Orange County but raised in Washington State, Kevin Sullivan began his career at The Orange County Register in 2000, having recently graduated from San Jose State University. He has primarily photographed sports for the news organization, including the Angels' only World Series title, several Stanley Cup Finals, countless local high school games and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He prides himself on always trying to show the reader something new as well as deliver a close-to-perfect caption.
Follow Kevin Sullivan	@sullikevphoto
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Why North Carolina Won't Evacuate Its Beloved Wild Horses During the Hurricane
The state's famous herd animals know how to take care of themselves.
Hilary Hanson
John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
This story was originally published by HuffPost. It appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
As Hurricane Florence approaches the North Carolina coastline, many people have wondered about the fate of the state's beloved wild horses.
But the horses are savvier than many people realize, and should be able to take care of themselves.
"They're smarter than us," Meg Puckett, herd manager for the Corolla Wild Horses of the Currituck Outer Banks, told HuffPost.
On Monday, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund posted on Facebook that the horses, which number between 90 and 100, would be remaining on the barrier island when the storm hits.
"They have really good instincts," Puckett said. "These horses have lived in this area for 500 years. We can already see now, they're starting to group together. They know where the high ground is. They know where to go."
There are other groups of wild horses in the state as well, but Puckett said it's extremely unlikely that anyone will try to round up and move them, either.
"They're wild. They're like deer," she said. "It would be like herding deer up."
A spokesperson for the Foundation for Shackleford Horses—a group dedicated to wild horses on North Carolina's Shackleford Banks—told HuffPost those animals will also remain in place.
"They are wild, and they have survived on Shackleford Banks for generations," the rep said in a Facebook message. "They seek refuge in the dense maritime forest."
Puckett noted that people who work to protect the horses will still worry about how they'll fare during Hurricane Florence—currently projected to hit the Carolinas as a Category 4 storm—but they believe the best plan is to let them stay where they are.
"We're concerned, too," she said. "We also have a lot of faith in their instincts."
Hurricane Florence Could Be the Most Powerful Storm to Hit the East Coast in 14 Years
Dan Spinelli
2021 Was Planet's Sixth Hottest Year on Record, NOAA Says
Oliver Milman


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View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2018/05/30/284910.htm
Deadly Uber Crash Highlights Self-Driving Blind Spot – Night Vision
A few weeks after a woman was struck and killed by an Uber self-driving SUV in Arizona, the crash was recreated using heat seeking, thermal-imaging sensors. With that night vision technology—used by the military and luxury cars for decades—the pedestrian is clearly identified more than five seconds before impact, which would have given the car time to stop or swerve.
Since the Uber accident in March, autonomous car researchers' eyes have been opening to the need to teach robots how to drive in the dark and avoid people who wander into the road. After all, pedestrian deaths are up 46 percent since 2009, and three-quarters of them happen at night, according to federal data. One fairly obvious solution has been in some cars for almost 20 years: night vision that can detect the heat of a human body.
"If you have a sensor that could recognize something living, that information would be extremely useful to a computer," said Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. "But I have not heard much about using thermal imaging to detect objects and know which ones to avoid."
The technology's obscurity may not last long. Companies such as Seek Thermal, which recreated the Uber crash, and headlight makers such as Osram have been pushing thermal and infrared sensors as the missing link in autonomous driving. And since the Uber crash—where a woman walking her bicycle wasn't recognized as a pedestrian in time to avoid a collision—the creators of robot rides are starting to take notice.
credit: Nissan
"The Uber accident really does reflect one of the areas in which we have the greatest number of pedestrian fatalities, which we're hoping self-driving cars can fix," said Matthew Johnson-Roberson, an engineering professor at the University of Michigan who works with Ford Motor Co. and others on autonomous cars. "Until now, a lot of the research has been focused on using daytime vision driving as the benchmark. This accident highlighted how maybe we need to expand how we think about that."
Night driving poses the same challenges for autonomous cars that it does for human drivers. The darkness shrouds objects and people because there's not enough contrast to observe the scene clearly. That is particularly vexing for cameras—one of three key sensors, along with radar and lidar—that allow autonomous cars to "see" their surroundings. At night, cameras' field of vision is limited by headlights that project only about 80 meters (262 feet) ahead, giving drivers—robots or humans—only a couple of seconds to react.
"Human vision is already atrocious at night and we're trying to at least do as well as that and hopefully better," said Richard Wallace, an automated vehicles specialist at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "Better should include night vision. Headlights are only so good and thermal infrared is a very powerful tool that the military uses."
Night vision can more than double an autonomous vehicle's range of vision at night, according to advocates for the technology, but it has a reputation for being costly, with thermal sensing units going for $5,000 each. That's a reason auto and tech companies creating robot rides are taking a pass on the tech.
"We've looked at it and a lot of our customers have looked at it and it's too expensive for a very minimal benefit," said Dan Galves, a senior vice president at Intel Corp.'s Mobileye, which supplies camera technology to scores of automakers and is active in driverless development. "It's not something that's really necessary because optical cameras actually do pretty well at night and you have a radar system as backup that is not affected by light."
Lidar and radar are impervious to the dark because they bounce laser light and radio waves off objects to assess shape, size and location. But they can't detect heat to determine if those objects are living things. That's why pedestrian detection could remain a challenge for self-driving cars.
"For lidar, the question is, 'Is it a fire hydrant or is it a 4-year-old?'" said Tim LeBeau, vice president of Seek Thermal, who's trying to get automakers to buy his company's infrared sensors that are now used by law enforcement, firefighters and hunters. "With fire hydrants, you can predict what's going to happen. Four-year-olds, you cannot."
Since the Uber accident, LeBeau said he's getting more calls returned, but his product remains a hard sell. "I've been in front of the largest car companies in the world who have engineers who never even thought about using thermal," LeBeau said.
Part of LeBeau's pitch is that the cost of thermal sensors is dropping about 20 percent a year as they become more widely used. The National Transportation Safety Board's report on the Uber crash also provided more fodder. The agency's preliminary findings released last week bolstered the case for using redundant sensors that can better differentiate between inanimate objects and human beings, he said.
It's not as if night vision is a foreign concept to automakers. General Motors Co. was first to offer it as a pricey option on the 2000 Cadillac DeVille. Others followed and it can now be found on models from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Toyota and Honda. They're just not yet sold on the technology for self-driving cars.
"Night vision cameras—like all pieces of hardware in automated driving—have their benefits as well as their drawbacks," said Ellen Carey, a spokeswoman for Volkswagen AG's Audi. "This specific technology will need to overcome challenges of cost, field of view and increased durability to meet the stringent criteria for automation-grade sensors."
Advocates of the technology are hoping automakers can see night vision as more than a tech toy for moneyed motorists to recognize stags bounding onto a gloomy roadway. They contend it's an essential element of machine vision, enabling self-driving cars to brake and steer in the dark better than any human driver.
"We see a gap in the camera sensors right now and we are pushing the camera guys to bring it up to where it needs to be," said Rajeev Thakur, regional marketing manager with Osram, which is rolling out a new line of LED headlights that pulse bursts of infrared light to extend the field of vision. "If you're not able to see too far out, you're driving blind—literally."
Thakur would love to know exactly what went wrong in the Uber crash, but he said the industry is too busy fighting to be first with driverless cars to collaborate on solutions.
"Everyone is left on their own to figure out how to solve this problem," he said. "No one wants to be behind, so everyone says, 'Hey, I can do autonomous.' And all they need to show is that they can drive a stretch of road in daytime."
But after the sun goes down, autonomous cars reveal their limitations. And the consequences of not seeing clearly in the dark can be deadly: Nearly 6,000 pedestrians died on U.S. roads in 2016, and most were killed at night while jaywalking in urban areas, just like the woman hit by Uber's self-driving Volvo.
"Self-driving cars are supposed to reduce human deaths, so we have to ask, 'Where are the places that we are actually killing people?'" said Michigan's Johnson-Roberson. "Night driving is one of those scenarios. So it's worth thinking about adding night vision to the quiver of tools we have."
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Home / Military History / World War II / Secret Allies in the Pacific
Secret Allies in the Pacific
Covert Intelligence and Code Breaking Cooperation Between the United States, Great Britain, and Other Nations Prior to the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Secret Allies in the Pacific quantity
SKU: 9780786411368 Categories: Espionage, Military History, World War II Tag: cry
Even though the United States was still officially at peace prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it was secretly devising a chain of intelligence-sharing alliances with future allies in the impending war in the Pacific. This work is divided into four sections, which bring together bits and pieces of often isolated details about the intelligence alliance, allowing readers to gain a sense of how it came to exist, how it functioned and what were its limitations, often severe. Section One discusses the efforts of the Washington, Hawaii and Philippines units in breaking all cryptographic systems used by foreign powers. Section Two covers the roles of Canada and Australia, the secondary powers of the British commonwealth, the Dutch East Indies and China, the secondary independent powers, and other players in the Allied effort. Section Three concentrates on other covert intelligence sharing in London, Hawaii and the Philippines. Section Four ends the text with a discussion of the suppression and their revelation of the role of Great Britain.
Roland H. Worth, Jr., is the author of many books. He lives in Richmond, Virginia.
Roland H. Worth, Jr.
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
"a highly useful addition"—Communication Booknotes Quarterly
"few studies…have ranged so widely and probed so deeply into prewar intelligence gathering…comprehensive examination"—Proceedings
"a concise summary of prewar allied intelligence gathering and sharing"—The Journal of America's Military Past
"a particularly valuable contribution to the literature of the Pacific War…a useful book"—The New York Military Affairs Symposium
"brings together pieces of often isolated details, allowing you to gain a sense of how the chain of alliances came to exist, how they functioned and what were their limitations"—Cryptologia
"very readable…quite interesting…cover[s] a wide range of pre-war Sigint and covert intelligence activities"—Intelligence and National Security
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She was wearing a black and green harness with a green dog bone ID tag. She is very shy. If you see her, and have a treat or.
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Come behind the scenes with NHMLA scientists who reveal the latest curiosities up close, from ant-decapitating flies to the little-known lizards of L.A.
You shared your museum-inspired videos with us on Instagram with #HowDoYouMuseum! And here are the results—so far!
Tune into our YouTube channel and watch nature in the city from a new angle. For starters, see our herpetology curator making frog calls at the Nature Gardens Pond!
Want to see a bathing hawk or a raccoon on the prowl? Check out the footage from our motion-capture surveillance cameras and see which animals have stopped by the Museum.
Get involved in our new nature experiences!


Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Sunday a raft of new tax and loan benefits for families as part of efforts by his government to increase the birth rate while holding a hard line against immigration.
Orban, one of the most outspoken critics of mass immigration to Europe from the Middle East and Asia, also said that his government aimed to keep economic growth 2 percent above the European Union average in the coming years despite an expected global slowdown.
"There are fewer and fewer children born in Europe. For the West, the answer (to that challenge) is immigration. For every missing child there should be one coming in and then the numbers will be fine," he said in his annual state of the nation speech.
"But we do not need numbers. We need Hungarian children," Orban said, announcing a seven-point program of benefits for families and newly-weds.
Women below 40 who marry for the first time will be eligible for a 10 million forint (27,816.41 pounds) subsidized loan, Orban said. A third of the debt will be forgiven when a second child is born and the entire loan waived after the third child.
"This is the answer for Hungarians, not immigration," Orban said.


Frequent readers know that Marilyn and I are avid collectors of old cookbooks. Here is a recipe I found in The New Orleans Cookbook by Rima and Richard Collin. Yes, I admit I was first attracted to the book because of one of the author's first names and its connection with the great novel, Green Mansions, but the cookbook's wonderful recipes go far beyond one of my favorite characters of all time.
The book is subtitled Creole, Cajun, and Louisiana French Recipes, Past and Present. It is an eighth printing from Alfred A. Knopf, published in 1980. Not only are the recipes good, the pictures and illustrations alone are worth the price of the book. I highly recommend it. If you can find a copy, buy it. Here is one of my favorite recipes from The New Orleans Cookbook.
The richest sauce in Creole cuisine, made with Madeira wine, currant jelly, green grapes, beef stock, and truffles. When green seedless grapes are in season, we buy them in quantity and freeze them, for this sauce and for Trout Veronique. The truffles are a grand touch but do not change the flavor of the sauce, so if you have none on hand, do not be deterred. We like Sauce Paradis on squab, quail, duck and chicken.
In a heavy 2 to 3 quart saucepan melt the butter over low heat then add the flour stirring to keep the mixture smooth. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes, and then slowly add the beef stock, stirring as you pour.
Cook over low heat until sauce thickens slightly (about 6 minutes), then add the wine, currant jelly and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Cook until the jelly has melted and then add the grapes and truffles.
Continue cooking for about 3 minutes more, just long enough to heat the grapes and truffles through. Remove the pan from the heat. Right before serving stir gently to mix.
It's late fall, the nights growing longer. Earlier, my barking dogs alerted me that something was at the front door. It was dark outside as I got out of my Lazy Boy to look, but the porch light was on. Through the glass door, I saw a large gray fox, and he did not seem to care that I was looking at him as he gobbled what was left of the food in my cat's bowls.
I live near the east edge of Edmond and have seen every manner of wildlife in my front yard. My vet told me the animals live in the many creeks that crisscross the area. There is a nip in the air and I understood why the fox already has his winter coat as a chill wind blew through the open door, into the house.
I thought about the abundant wildlife in the area as I put on my robe and padded into the backyard to my hot tub. Once up to my neck in hot water, I closed my eyes, letting wisps of steam rise up around my ears and disappear into the darkness around me. The solitude reminded me of a chapter in my first published book Ghost of a Chance, that also has a bucolic setting.
Buck McDivit, ex-cop and petroleum landman, has inherited an island in a mysterious lake in east Texas. There, he encounters southern racists and the ghost of a girl that died a hundred years before. He also meets the beautiful Lila Richardson, local antiquities expert and heiress to the Richardson Plantation. Part of his own inheritance is the marina and lodge on the island. He and Wiley Johnson, the son of the caretakers, decide to take a late night swim following an interesting barbeque.
Wiley interrupted their conversation. "Anybody up for a swim? The lodge has a great indoor pool."
"Better pass," Brice said. "Sally will come after me if I don't join her." He waved and hurried up the stairs.
"What about you, Buck?" Wiley asked.
"Sure. Maybe it'll sober me up."
"Girls?" Wiley called. "Anyone for a swim?"
Wiley's toddies had caught up with Lila and Sara, and both giggled uncontrollably on the couch.
"Let's do it, Sara," Lila said. "You know you're dying to show off your new bikini."
"And we're dying to see it," Wiley said.
Sara continued to giggle but Lila stumbled to her feet, her face awash in a silly grin. When she squeezed Buck's hand an electrical surge raced up his arm, momentarily clearing the cobwebs from his head. Heat lightning flashed over the lake.
"You and Wiley go ahead," she said. "If Sara and I don't pass out before we get to our rooms, maybe we'll join you."
Lila grabbed Sara's hand, pulling her to her feet. Arm-in-arm they made their way upstairs, still giggling like two pre-teens on their way to a slumber party.
"Suit up and I'll meet you in the solarium," Wiley said. "It's on the other side of the dining room."
After changing into his bathing suit, Buck joined Wiley in what turned out to be a magnificent solarium. Shadows danced on the walls of the dimly lit room as he eased down the short flight of stairs to the Mexican tiles. Two beams of light glimmered up from the bottom of the turquoise pool, melding with lightning flashing through the skylights. Amid massive palms, hanging baskets and aromatic tropical flowers, Buck felt as if he'd suddenly entered the Garden of Eden. Wiley waited by the pool, his feet dangling in the water.
"Wow," Buck said, gawking around. "Why didn't you tell me about this place sooner?"
Aunt Emma's solarium was like an indoor tropical rain forest. Dreamy music, piped in from hidden speakers, blended effortlessly with the delicate scents of orchid, hibiscus and magnolia. Several slow moving ceiling fans generated a gentle breeze that dimpled the pool. It created the tropical feel of a south sea island.
Wiley grinned. "Miss Emma used to call this her own private Eden."
"I see why," Buck said, glancing at the redwood hot tub beside the pool.
Light from the submerged beam in the pool danced up through the water and gentle ripples further distorted the beam. Water trickled from a fountain at the far end of the pool, and soft light, lush vegetation and moving water slowly began to work on Buck's nerves. Diving into the pool, he leisurely stroked to the opposite end.
"The pool is a dream. Let's swim a few laps, then sit in the hot tub and talk."
"Help yourself with the laps," Wiley said, dipping his fingers into the steaming water of the hot tub. "You can join me when you finish."
Wiley gingerly submerged his toe, then his whole foot into the tub. He slipped into the hot water up to his neck, lounging in silence, a relaxed smile on his face. After completing ten fast laps, Buck joined him. Steam, leaving him limp and relaxed, welled up in moist clouds from the surface of the water.
"This is really the ticket," he said.
Wiley's attention suddenly turned to the door and he held up his palm for silence.
Someone's in the dining room. Maybe the cross burners are back for more mischief."
Wiley slipped out of the hot tub and followed the shadows toward the front door of the solarium, grabbing a loose brick from the fountain. Buck held his breath and watched. The handle turned and the door slowly opened. When the first head appeared through the crack, Wiley raised the brick to strike. The resultant female scream came from neither Humpback nor Deacon John. It was Lila and Sara, scantily clad in their bathing suits, and still giggling.
Caddo Lake is the largest natural lake in Texas. The lake's history is as diverse as pearls and steamboats, and Caddo remains one of the most beautiful and mysterious lakes in the entire United States.
My Dad was born in Trees City, once a boomtown a few miles from Vivian. Jeems Bayou separates Vivian and Trees. During heavy rains in the area, it will result in water rising over the highway, leaving a boat the only way to get to Trees City from Vivian.
I remember, as a kid, fishing from the side of the road. My parents, Grandmother and I were not the only ones, hundreds of others joining in to reap the harvest of fish from the fabled lake.
There were always fishing camps both on the Texas and Louisiana sides of the lake. These camps would have a ramp for launching boats, and would rent boats, and sell bait, fishing gear and pop. Each camp usually had a restaurant where the locals went for catfish, hushpuppies and Cole slaw.
Kool Point, near Oil City, no longer has a restaurant but Pelican Lodge, not far from Trees City is still open. I always love eating at Pelican Lodge when I visit Vivian. It is far off the beaten path and only the locals really know where it is. One condiment all of these restaurants served is green tomato relish. It is probably best prepared in large batches, and then canned (bottled) but here is a recipe for a single batch, suitable for one dinner.
In a small pot, bring the sugar, salt and vinegar to a boil, and then add vegetables. Return contents of the pot to a boil for two minutes. Chill and enjoy.