ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Inc. announced Tuesday a new phase in their joint algae biofuel research program that could lead to the technical ability to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day by 2025.

The new phase of research includes an outdoor field study that will grow naturally occurring algae in several contained ponds in California. The research will enable ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics to better understand fundamental engineering parameters including viscosity and flow, which cannot easily be replicated in a lab. The results of this work are important to understand how to scale the technology for potential commercial deployment.

Additional work will be required to advance larger-scale production. Both companies are continuing with fundamental research on algae biology in their laboratories as the field study advances. ExxonMobil anticipates that 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day could be produced by 2025 based on research conducted to date and emerging technical capability.

“Our work with Synthetic Genomics on algae biofuels continues to be an important part of our broader research into lower-emission technologies to help reduce the risk of climate change,” said Vijay Swarup, vice president for research and development at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. “The new outdoor phase is a critical next step in determining a path toward large-scale, commercial production.”

This outdoor research follows the companies’ years of fundamental biological research into understanding and improving algae oil production.

“We are excited to take this next significant step as we journey together toward a renewable, scalable, and low-carbon biofuel,” said Oliver Fetzer, Ph.D., chief executive officer at Synthetic Genomics. “The progress we are making in the lab toward engineering highly efficient algae strains that convert sunlight and CO2 into renewable high energy density biofuel is exciting and warrants continued research about how our technology will scale. Our outdoor algal facility creates a perfect stepping stone from our labs to the greenhouse and to the outdoors to lay the foundation for a large scale commercial deployment of our technology in the future.”

Since 2009, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have been partners in researching and developing oil from algae to be used as a renewable, lower-emission alternative to traditional transportation fuels.

ExxonMobil is engaged in a wide range of research on advanced biofuels, partnering with universities, government laboratories, and other companies.

In 2017, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics announced breakthrough research published in Nature Biotechnology that resulted in a modified algae strain that more than doubled oil content without significantly inhibiting growth, a key challenge along the path to commercial scalability.

Global demand for transportation-related energy is projected to increase by about 25 percent through 2040, and accelerating the reduction in emissions from the transportation sector will play a critical role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

Man is the wonderful creation of God with an inherent sense of metaphysical and worldly belongings. The savage societies of the pre-historic times without any order and hierarchy of social organisation subsequently in the long timeframe paved way for the foundations of nation states and social organisations with a proper moral and a social order.

Although, the onslaught of the forces of globalisation after post-modernism have added a new colour to the contours of social dynamics and set in motion a new wave of societal organisations in the world, the case of Kashmir portrays a different tale of ever evolving,unaltered communal harmony. The only narrative that can ensue an atmosphere of peace and prosperity is that of the peaceful coexistence in the society in order to avert the crisis that makes inroads within a society from time to time.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only northern state of India with the longest tag of amity and brotherhood that has survived the currents of time and remains so in the contemporary times. Kashmir called as the land of rishis, saints, seers and sadhus is known for its communal harmony not only at the local level, but also the world over since times immemorial.

The sort of mysticism that the Sufi and Bhakti movements have lent to the cultural ethos of Kashmir is found much nowhere in the world besides Kashmir. The vale of Kashmir is full of various religious faiths who have survived the onslaught of the forces of Globalisation with the changing signs of time. Muslims form the majority of the vale along with the religious people of Hindus, sikhs, Buddhists, Christians; etc.Over the period of time, a sort of communal harmony has permeated the socio-cultural space of the society creating a congenial atmosphere of communitarian responsibility and social bond among the people of Kashmir surpassing religious lines of thought. This has not only added to the peace horizon of the land, but also created a sense of mutual trust and unified bond among the various communities of the land.

In Kashmir, the communal harmony is deep rooted in the historical narratives. The ethos of the Kashmir culture has time and again withstood the travails and tribulations of the time despite the currents of odds and challenges through the changing times. On a miniscule scale, there has been disturbance to the communal harmony of the state following the partition of the sub-continent into India and Pakistan.

The exodus of the Hindus in nineties ascribed to the circumstances was a gory chapter in the chronicles of Jammu and Kashmir history. However, the return of the same has added a new threshold to the scene. The separatist leadership has time and again been vocal for their return as being part and parcel of our composite Kashmiri culture .However, the time has served as the best healer of the same wounds and paved renewed ways for the cherishment of the communal harmony. The social harmony vindicates the notions of love and affection among different religions and is a blessing in disguise for the times.

Status

The state of Jammu and Kashmir reflects the true plural ethos of the secular India where people of different communities strive for the love and harmony, complementing the lives of each other on a day-to-day basis. The festivals of one community are celebrated with gaiety and fervour by the other religious community, solidifying the ethos of multiculturalism and pluralism.

Kashmir represents the thread of the confluence of communal harmony and brotherhood. The communal harmony of the state is neither instant nor accidental, but is a legacy of the past times till date that has permeated the psyche of the people and created a bond of unity in the socio-cultural milieu of the valley.

The recent installation of a church bell in a church at Srinagar after a span of 50 years by the Christian community with the support of the Sikh, Muslim and Hindu communities is a reminder of communal harmony that is deep rooted in the cultural milieu of the state.

The annual Hindu pilgrimage of the Amarnath yatra is the biggest and ever glaring example of the amity where old and young, men and women, etc all are hospitably treated with care and concern by the native Muslims and even carried on their shoulders towards the sacred place of cave through the difficult terrains and ways enroute to the cave.

In our neighbourhood of Seer Hamdan, Anantnag, the legal heir of a deceased hindu Pandit namely Arzan Nath is a Muslim man namely Nissar Ahmad Wagay.Long ago, through the oral history of the people, have heard of him serving the former during ups and downs of life. Arzan Nath was a govt employee with no one to look after. Nissar Ahmad served him through the turbulent times and offered heart-catching services, which even a true descendent, could not offer.

Nissar used to accompany Arzan Nath through thick and thin times of life. Having personally observed, both of them used to pay the dusk obeisance at the shrine of Hazrat Shahi Hamdan (R.A.). At the time of his death, it was none other than Nissar who performed the last services to the deceased.

Another Hindu Pandit Shadi Lal in our hometown is a hope for the hopeless patients who turn up in large numbers at his Ayurvedic shop. The most important trait of the said person is that he cares and heals the patients of the whole South Kashmir. In other words, he has turned out to be a saviour of the whole community. Come dawn, the people could be seen in large flocks outside his shop. People respect him out of reverence and reciprocate in great regard.

Challenges

The biggest obstacle and roadblock for the cherishment of the ideal of communal harmony in India is the fanaticism and extremism. Since, all religions preach the message of peace and harmony, there can be no way to justify the claims of the demeaning and demoralising of whatsoever religious community a society carries on. The biggest issue of the current and contemporary times is to contain the fringe elements of the society and let the people live in whatsoever capacity they live to carry on the cog in the wheel of the life.

The few reasons in the path of communal harmony are: Egoism, Lack of vision in Education, Lack of discipline, Lack of Cooperation, Social disorder, Casteism, Violence, Immorality, Lack of faith in true religious values,deficit of good leadership, etc. Education can be exploited as a powerful tool against these threats in the path of Communal Harmony.

On his return from South Africa, Gandhiji envisioned for a unity among different communities of India and did his best in capacity for the realization of the same.

The recent rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua area in the state of Jammu and Kashmir has unfortunately turned into a gory chapter of the contemporary times, which has not only demeaned the plurality of the state, but also set into motion a wrong precedent for the times, putting a hallmark of challenge for the vale of amity and brotherhood.

Although, there has been a strong criticism of the same from every quarter of the society, particularly the mainstream and the separatist chambers of the body politic,but,the major challenge blots on the face of the law which guarantees justice and equality for one and all under the provisions of the law. The recent rally in favour of the demon in Kathua has created ire in the society. This has shaken the order and equilibrium of the state.

The philosophical current of ethics of care can be a best antidote to the current problem. A human being just yearns for the sake of justice. Law must take its own course of action to provide justice. The recent statement of Chief Minister Mrs. Mehbooba Mufti about the incident in Kathua going awry towards shattering of communal harmony and brotherhood and addition of communal colour by some elements of the society is a million dollar question to ponder upon. Tears start to outpour at the mere gaze of minor Aasifa’s photos that have hogged limelight in the media circles.This has given renewed impetus to the parochial and sectarian tendencies in Jammu and Kashmir.

Way Forward

In order to realise the goal of communal harmony, peace is the main pre-requisite and a necessary condition. Disharmony creates the forces of disarray and disruption, rendering harmony handicapped and ultimately towards a state of paralysis.

To promote the ethic of communal harmony, it is imperative for all the stakeholders of the society to play a part in particular and work in sync for the realization of the same in general. Youth as a main driving force and an asset of a nation can be the best ambassadors of peace and communal harmony. The only way to achieve that goal is the proper education of the youth across the spectrum of education spanning the whole level of education. This way youth can learn to make communal harmony as a way of living, rather than ethic in simpler terms. Besides, the govt of the state as well as the centre have a shared responsibility to promote communal harmony further.

Although, some ground work has been done, but, there are still miles to go before we sleep. The need of the hour is the further promotion of the communal harmony in the society.

Social media and the yellow journalism of the mainland India should try to cherish the instances of communitarian love and amity in Jammu and Kashmir. Instead of fomenting trouble to earn TRP’s and portrayal of the news which creates wedge in the bond of the society, the main urge should be to plead the cases of injustices and show a solidarity for the same. The problem of binary has to do away with.

Today, when the world is envisioning for the state of annihilation of crisis, the crisis in Kashmir takes a major sway with each passing day. The gory tales of widows, half-widows and orphans who have been rendered so after the loss of their dear ones has permeated the society deeply and created a multidimensional layer of unwithering pain and sorrow and a state of unabated alienation of the masses. The question is not of the otherness of the other, but, of oneself in tandem with the other. Not a single day is devoid of pain, agony, and other tragedies.

The question is the question of order. The major onus lies on the representatives of the people who represent the masses which have been rendered heart-broken and empty hoped. Let the seers of politics take on.

The answer to all the problems can be cherished in unity and peace can return to a treacherous path within the domain of the whole society. Government in J&K should understand and circumvent in toto and try to dive from the static deficit of governance to good governance. After all, time in consonance with care serves as the best cosset.

*Abid Ahmad Shah works in the Govt. Education Dept. J&K, views are personal.

The Philippines had chaired the ASEAN four times since its inception with 2017 being its latest assumption, while Singapore had chaired three times before this year. The chairmanship of the ASEAN is based on a rotating basis with one year allocated for each chairman. With Singapore’s fourth time as ASEAN chairperson this year, what is in store for a regional grouping with big accomplishments but with even bigger aspirations?

The ASEAN Chair: A Glorified Event Organizer?

At the onset, the fundamental question that must be asked however is: what of a chairpersonship position for a regional block that makes all decisions in consultation and consensually with one another, and that values non-interference above all? Hierarchical structures and legalistic punitive mechanisms similar to the European Union (EU) barely exist at least formally. In other words, what is the role of the ASEAN Chair aside from a glorified event organizer?

The chairpersonship of the ASEAN actually comes with no small power. First, the Chair has to be spokesperson in behalf of the nine other states comprising the grouping. If we had learned anything in theory and in practice of international politics, words and ideas have enormous power in sociopolitical outcomes. Second, the chair has to put in new items in the agenda which may serve the interest of the group. Finally, it has to serve as the facilitator of consensus which usually lends the chairperson a large agenda-setting role. This latter point requires that the chairperson has to mute its own national interest and prioritize the region’s. As such it has to ensure an effective response to the ASEAN’s most pressing issues, and to preserve the idea of ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture. It would seem that for this year, as with many other years before, ASEAN centrality is the most pressing issue: China has undue influence over the outcome of the South China Sea debacle, particularly towards the creation of the Code of Conduct.

Duterte’s Populism and its Discontents

Under the Philippine chairpersonship, the ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has not achieved substantial progress while the Trans-Transpacific Partnership (now CPTPP), has moved past the withdrawal of the United States under Trump to have the document signed next month. The Philippine chairmanship had promised the “substantial conclusion” of the RCEP in 2017 as one of its priorities. Aside from the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the RCEP is another trade deal but is different because it involves external partners. Because of this profile, the RCEP may thus help re-assert ASEAN Centrality despite being a vehicle for China to rival the CPTPP. While talks have begun for the long-delayed Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, the ASEAN as a collective has not moved beyond its tightlipped treatment on the disputed islands. On top of this, the issue of the persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar was almost ignored.

Crucial domestic variables are a window towards how countries and their leaders will approach global and regional politics. The outcomes or non-outcomes during the Philippines’ chairmanship make sense in view the populism the Duterte administration.

While populism is a rhetorical style that manufactures a good-evil dichotomy, it does translate to actual policy and programs. The policy and programmatic manifestations of populism can be made sense better if disaggregated into the socio-political and the economic. Economic populism can be further divided into two: those who are for or against economic globalization defined as support or non-support for unfettered markets.

Duterte’s populism has largely been political. Both the narrative of the developmental evils of drug use, as well as the anti-western foreign policy rhetoric is policy manifestations of political populism. In chairing the ASEAN, Myanmar’s Rohingya issue was virtually ignored and there were negligible step towards the principled resolution of the South China Sea disputes, consistent with the Chinese stance.

Duterte’s economic populist profile however is less clear. The economic management portfolio was relegated to liberal technocrats while the social development portfolio was given to some members of the left-leaning groups, at least at the beginning of his administration. A tax reform program which lowers income taxes but increasing taxes on several goods including fuel and sugar sweetened beverages has recently been enacted. In the meantime, the campaign promise to end labor contractualization has not yet been fulfilled.

To shore up political support, “output legitimacy” is a popular strategy for autocratic regimes. Like authoritarian Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos, Duterte’s “output” has been the creation of physical economic goods such as roads and bridges. The implementation of infrastructure projects is framed as economic development. Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” which promises to usher the “golden age of Philippine infrastructure” rivals the oft-cited infrastructure achievements of the Marcos regime. What is clear however is that foreign aid and investments, used to fund these projects, has been selective preferring those which come from China, Japan and Russia instead of the traditional sources such as EU and the United States: a manifestation that his political populism has rubbed off on his economics.

Duterte’s uninspiring leadership over the economic initiatives of the ASEAN including the AEC and the RCEP is thus reflective of his de-prioritization of multilateral economic partnerships in favor of what may be called non-western selective bilateralism.

Singapore’s Turn

The Philippines’ largely uninspiring chairmanship of the ASEAN gives plenty of room for Singapore to move ASEAN forward. Over the 50 years of ASEAN’s existence, Singapore has become a regional mediator and a neutral player in big power competition. Importantly, it also champions economic internationalism through greater trade liberalization being an export-oriented economy. As such, a case for an optimistic outlook for the ASEAN in 2018 is not unfounded, especially in the area of regional economic institutional reforms in the region.

While Singapore is China’s largest foreign investor and China remains to be Singapore’s largest trading partner, it affirmed the United States position on the South China Sea: that the disputes must be resolved in under the ambit of international legal norms. Further, it has more room to maneuver towards great progress in creating a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea disputes because it is not a claimant state. While Kishore Mahbubani, the diplomat-turned-public intellectual, had been under fire late last year for arguing that the country should act like a “small state” and be cautious about not irking China, the comment was not well taken by high ranking politicians and diplomats in the country. This signals that the current epistemic orientation of Singapore’s foreign policy position is one which is aligned towards a legal resolution.

More importantly, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is projected to increase Singapore’s GDP alone by 9.5%, according to HSBC. It has thus an interest in ensuring the achievement of several short term goals on deck for the AEC. Perhaps this economic outlook may carry-over to the conclusion of the RCEP: ASEAN’s ticket to get onboard one of the largest, if not the largest, and the fastest speeding commercial train in the whole world.

If Singapore concludes the RCEP under its watch, it would compensate for its non-alignment with China in the security front. RCEP is a trade deal which would benefit China because it is not included in the rival mega-trade deal: the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) that will be concluded next month in Chile. If this is Singapore’s intention, it would have handled China-ASEAN relations astutely as it chairs China-ASEAN dialogue.

Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Singapore’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, has expressed their aspirations for setting “high standards to inspire the world’s economic system to reach that level of an open trading system where everybody can benefit” by [closely] working with Beijing, along with the other ASEAN states as well as its external partners. This is economic idea prevails among elites tasked to continue Singaporean legacy of export orientation that made it one of the “Four Little Tigers” in the East Asian economic miracle.

Prime Minister Lee’s recent remarks unmistakably expresses this trade-security balance: “To keep ASEAN a central force that can deal with the challenges and opportunities, Singapore’s Chairmanship focuses on the themes of ‘resilience’ and ‘innovation’. In order to promote and uphold a rules-based regional order so that we can better deal with emerging security challenges such as cyber security, transnational crime and terrorism. With innovation we can press on with regional economic integration and enhance regional connectivity so that ASEAN can remain competitive and prosperous and we can [make] new ways to manage and harness digital technologies, and equip our citizens with skills and capabilities.”

Under Singapore’s chairmanship, economic and trade relations within the region, and across Asia–Pacific region is expected to be prioritized while also dealing with the security challenges. Perhaps, Singapore is what we need in ASEAN’s troubled times.

*About the authors:
Dr. Robin Michael Garcia is founder and chief executive officer of Warwick & Roger, a political risk management advisory firm with offices in Yangon, Brisbane, Ulaanbaatar and Manila. He holds a PhD in international politics at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA) at Fudan University in Shanghai.

Enkhzul Orgodol is founder and president of Doing Business in Asia Alliance (DbiAA), and Managing Partner of Warwick & Roger in Ulaanbaatar. She holds a Master in Public Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore.

Indra is topping its year-on-year turnover high-water marks in the civilian radar and air traffic surveillance system markets, thus confirming its position as world leader in this business segment.

Indra said its success is based not only on the elevated capabilities and reliability of its radars but also additional factors that the company has relied upon to increase sales such as: supply of 3D radars (L-band) for reinforcing airport security and high-traffic areas; system digitization to provide enhanced capabilities and simplify maintenance; and improvements incorporated into the company’s systems to mitigate interferences caused by wind fields. The company has likewise broken out in the ADS-B surveillance systems market, benefiting from the rapid growth in demand for this type of systems in recent years. These systems supplement radar surveillance and help cover less busy routes where radar are not needed. In recent years, the company has implemented over 250 primary and secondary radars worldwide.

Indra said it has buttressed its position throughout all the areas in which it operates one region at a time. In Europe, the company signed a framework agreement last year with the navigation service provider Swedish LFV, which has become the preferred supplier of primary and secondary radars throughout the country.

In Denmark, Indra is deploying surveillance stations equipped with primary and secondary radars at the Billund and Roskilde airports.

These two contracts reinforce the company’s position in Europe, where it has supplied radars and surveillance systems to ENAIRE (Spain), Skyguide (Switzerland), Cyta (Cyprus), Croatiacontrol (Croatia), AustroControl (Austria), PANSA (Polonia), Oro Navigacija (Lithuania), DHMI (Turkey), London Luton Airport Operations (UK) or EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation

In Latin America, Indra is the continent’s leading company for air traffic management systems. In the specific field of surveillance, Indra is modernizing the COCESNA radar network to equip it with latest technologies and advances, incorporating ADS-B capability and fully digital technology with control and monitoring through a web platform interface. This radar network is distributed across different sites in Honduras, the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

In addition, the Central American corporation has recently commissioned Indra for the acquisition of new systems that will be implemented in San Jose, Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua and Guatemala. And in parallel, the company was also awarded new contracts in Panama and Chile.

Algeria, the latest major contract

In North Africa, the company signed a contract last February with the Algerian air navigation service provider (ENNA) to comprehensively modernize the country’s air traffic management. The work to be carried out includes the refurbishment of the entire air surveillance network: Indra will implement eleven stations equipped with four primary and secondary S-mode radars, and thirteen ADS-B stations.

Also in Africa, the company is making progress in its work for the ASECNA, deploying what will become the world’s largest ADS-B system network: it will cover the surveillance of 17 countries and several French overseas departments in the Indian ocean.

Already in Asia, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) commissioned Indra last year to deploy a secondary radar at the Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport, which services Shijiazhuang, capital of the province of Hebei in northern China. With this system, Indra now has over thirty radars deployed in China covering the surveillance of 60% of the country’s airspace and even the major Shanghai Airport.

Indra’s projects in Asia also include modernizing the air traffic management at Seoul’s three airports, including Incheon, the largest in South Korea. The company is implementing new radars. In previous years, the company implemented the MSSR mode-S secondary radar in this country to cover Jeju-Seoul, the world’s busiest route flown by over ten million passengers yearly.

In the Pacific region, last year Indra implemented systems to reinforce Thai airspace surveillance and is presently deploying ADS-B systems in Australia, where the company has already installed nine secondary radars. Some years ago, Indra also deployed radars in the Asia-Pacific area for monitoring 70% of the airspace in Indonesia and Vietnam and the entire area of Mongolia.

Indra is the world’s leader in developing technologies oriented to air traffic management. The company has equipped over 4,000 facilities in 160 countries. The air controllers who manage the world’s most complex and busiest airspaces use Indra’s systems. Indra is also the main global provider of ATM civilian radars. With over 1,000 million euros invested in Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) in the past six years, Indra also spearheads the construction of the Single European Sky initiative and the development of technologies that will shape the future of the industry.

Prisons – known also as correctional services – complement law enforcement agencies in protecting the public by channeling criminals and security perpetrators such as terrorists into the processes of retribution, rehabilitation and reintegration. Megatrends such as transnational criminals and terrorists exploiting globalisation, new technologies reshaping the economy and jobs, and ageing population shifting the workforce can have long-term impact on the effectiveness of these processes.

More prisons around the world are hence exploring smart technologies – which utilise sensors, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) – to support these processes and meet the challenges that emanate from the megatrends. These challenges include diverse and large inmate population, workforce constraints, greater focus on rehabilitation, and threats from within and outside the walls. By embracing smart technologies, prisons ride the wave of technological advances that are transforming how governments, industries and societies organise.

The benefits of smart technologies to prisons are manifold but like smart cities outside the walls, so are the associated practical issues. There are two overarching practical issues: the first is transforming operational practices and skills to harness the technology well for safe incarceration; the second is the need for checks and balances to support second chances.

Enabling Safe Incarceration

Prisons have to keep the prison community (inmates, families and prison officers) safe from illicit activities including violence, criminal groups’ recruitment and prison radicalisation. These activities if not contained will impede efforts to reform inmates and ultimately threaten the public. Smart technologies that analyse video and audio data can help enhance the security of prisons.

Smart CCTVs – which see and think – can function as robotic guards that regulate the movement of inmates, analyse data on physical features and behavioural patterns to gather better intelligence on suspicious activities. For example, the Altcourse Prison in United Kingdom is exploring this technology to detect contraband – brought in by either persons or drones – that will harm inmates and enable illicit activities. Audio surveillance systems – which hear and think – can analyse the inmates’ telephone conversations. For example, a prison in Midwest, United States (US) uses the technology to uncover clues of inmates’ involvement in illicit activities on the outside. Singapore, in keeping up with the Smart Nation goals, envisions a “prison without guards” where such technology enables prison officers to focus more time and effort on rehabilitating inmates.

Operational practices and skills are essential for harnessing smart technologies well and should keep pace with changes that technology may create in the prison environment. First, prisons have to anticipate both the positive and negative effects of technology on inmates’ behaviour, which may shift criminal tactics or attenuate the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes. Second, prisons should share the intelligence gathered – on inmate behaviour and evolving criminal links – with law enforcement agencies to better preempt future crime and security threats to the public. Third, prisons have to monitor how technology affects the way their officers engage inmates during regular interactions. This is key to maintaining cooperation in the prison community for security and the human touch in rehabilitation.

Enabling Second Chances

Prisons have to maintain a humane environment that enables inmates to reform, learn life and work skills. Smart technologies can support the environment – within and outside the walls – that is key to inmates reintegrating successfully into the society hence reducing their likelihood of re-offending – recidivism.

Within the walls, data analytics systems that process inmates’ information more efficiently can serve two purposes: to assess their likelihood of re-offending and prescribe appropriate rehabilitation programmes, and to reduce exposure to negative influences by allocating inmates to the right cells and cellmates. For example, Singapore uses this technology to support rehabilitation given the focus on reintegration. Surveillance systems that monitor the inmates’ use of computers for learning purposes can help prison officers (and psychologists) assess inmates by understanding their developmental needs better and preempt threats by detecting clues of possible computer misuse.

Outside the walls, surveillance systems such as the experimental “Technological Incarceration Project” by Swinburne University can support home detention programmes for inmates of lower risk and for reducing prison congestion. The AI-enabled technology uses an electronic bracelet that can monitor an inmate’s movements and deliver an electrical shock if it assessed that a violation is imminent. This technology may be useful for regulating the activities of released terrorists.

Checks and balances by prison officers are essential for accuracy in AI-driven assessments of inmates, as the outcomes that follow have impact on their lives, their families and the society. For example, there were media reports of Compas – an AI system used in the US to inform parole decisions – assessing an inmate inaccurately hence resulting in him being incarcerated longer than necessary. An erosion of the public’s confidence in the criminal justice system and ultimately the State may result. The Compas example demonstrates how the AI in smart technologies is not foolproof in understanding humans and how its users may not fully understand how it works.

Better Security but Keep the Human Touch

Smart technologies can potentially transform how prisons function and how society perceives incarceration in the future. The downstream effects on public security are likely to be positive. The public would experience lower crime rates with former inmates less likely to re-offend, or escalate to worse offences.

The effectiveness of smart prisons however goes beyond technology implementation and requires a strategy that incorporates continual research and response to address the associated practical issues. Prisons around the world – in embracing smart technologies – can learn from each other through existing platforms for regional and international cooperation. For example, Singapore’s current professional exchanges and cooperation with prisons from the Southeast Asian (ASEAN) states may benefit from the proposed ASEAN Smart Cities Network.

Most importantly, incarceration centers on changing human behaviour hence smart prisons should undergird and not undermine the human touch.

*V S Suguna is an Associate Research Fellow and Faizal A. Rahman is a Research Fellow with the Homeland Defence Programme at the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), a unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Countering Islamist radicalism has been the main focus of global counter-terrorism efforts today. These largely operational strategies have yielded some success. But violent radicals have displayed a high level of resilience and adjusted their strategies accordingly. Though operational capabilities have been weakened, groups such as the Islamic State (IS) have shifted to “franchising” their violent ideologies to like-minded individuals, with the internet as their main platform for dissemination. As a result, we are witnessing a significant increase in the number of Muslims being radicalised online with IS narratives.

Globalisation and Islamic Resurgence

The first question we need to ask is: What drives the heart of Islamist radicalism?

Radicalism is defined as internalisation of a set of beliefs, including a militant mindset that embraces violent activities as the paramount test of one’s conviction. Many Islamists whom I have interviewed considered religion as their top-most priority – more crucial than developing themselves socially or economically. What they were saying was that in an increasingly secularised world, their search for excellence went beyond material concerns. It was, in fact, equated to a search for spiritual meaning. And it was to fill this spiritual void that they sought to deepen their knowledge and practice of Islam.

Radicalism is part of a global phenomenon of Islamic resurgence today. With globalization, some individuals increasingly find it difficult to cope with rapid changes without losing their inner sense of security and identity. This happens across many societies, not just among Muslims. Yet, one of the options that many Muslims take to preserve their identity and values is choosing to uphold selected values and identity they deem most significant to Islam.

Unfortunately, the process of choosing and selecting values is a very personal, non-objective and may run counter-current to the context and need of their communities. The sad fact is that while many Muslims possess the zeal and fervor to be better Muslims, they are patient or thorough enough to pursue Islamic scholarship through the proper, more arduous paths the scholars before them had. Some are not willing to partake the knowledge of the scholars before them, condemning them as astray or corrupt. As a result, many Muslims today are not equipped with a more holistic view of Islamic scholarship needed to successfully adapt Islamic teachings to the demands of a rapidly changing world.

This is a manifestation of a deepening intellectual and moral crisis in the Muslim leadership across many Muslim societies. The crisis has led to a serious depletion of scholars who are able to provide intelligent guidance to lead the Muslims through the challenges arising from the forces of globalisation. The incapacitation or marginalization of creative Muslim thinkers from both the professional and educational fields further add to the general failure to respond effectively to the challenges of globalisation.

One of the consequences of this are Muslims who are unable to embrace these changes and at the same time still hold fast to the obligations of their religion. This has resulted in many problems in the Muslim world, one of which is the emergence of Muslims who adopt rigid, radical views with violent tendencies in a bid to withstand the pressures of globalisation.

A Need for Propagation of an Authentic Islam

The problem of radicalism is foremost a distortion of the true teachings and spirit of Islam – a religion which promotes generosity, forbearance and gentleness. Efforts must be spared to uphold the proper teachings of Islam, and put right concepts that are misunderstood. Muslim scholars and thinkers have a responsibility to correct perceptions of Islam held by radicals and by the public – through publications, speeches and the Internet. It is imperative that Muslim scholars and thinkers come forward to propagate the authentic Islam.

There must also be a parallel effort to revive the Islamic intellectual traditions in which knowledge is pursued in accordance with the correct code of conduct or adab prescribed by Islam. One of the more important criteria is that it must be sought from a credible teacher, who is chosen not only because of his knowledge, but also for his good moral conduct, which his students should aim to emulate. For this, the students must be in direct physical contact with their teacher.

Role of Muslim Organisations

Religious organisations and mosques need to set aside time and find opportunities to cater to the different needs of the community. It is important to catch young Muslims while they are still in school so they will have a good understanding of the underlying principles of the religion.

The emphasis should not be about religious content per se but rather the values that the religion offer as a mercy to humanity. The building of good character, of social and moral responsibility to their community should be strongly tied in to personal obligations of praying, reading the Quran, fasting and so on. What is clear is that a large number of radicals have low EQ and social responsibilities, hence their ability to conduct anti-social, heinous acts of violence to humanity.

On the intellectual level, the Muslim community must also be encouraged to actively participate in discourses and debates that involve critical thinking. They must be weaned off from a diet of talks and activities that have high entertainment or propagandic value but low knowledge content. Serious efforts must be made to equip Muslims with creative and critical thinking skills. This is important in the face of religious impostors operating in the real and virtual world. Muslims must have the means to be able to contribute to resolving important issues inherited from the past as well as the future challenges that the modern world brings to bear on them.

The crisis of governance and of intellectual and moral leadership in the Muslim world has been aggravated by a failure to resolve long-standing conflicts that involve the large scale the victimisation of Muslims. In the short term, platforms should be considered for Muslims to air their grievances or channel their energies and other forms of help to their Muslim brethen who are in difficulties abroad, in a legitimate and peaceful manner. At the same time, dialogues should not be confined to those among different faiths. There must also be dialogues that provide an ear to the voices of dissent within Islam.

A Robust Islamic Intellectual and Moral Leadership

The root of the problem lies in the lack of intellectual and moral leadership in the Muslim world. In particular, there is great concern with regards to what can be termed as the anti-intellectual movement within certain Islamic circles, which rejects critical methods of analysis and contextual thinking. Thus, this would undermine the legitimate authority of Islam’s intellectual and moral-spiritual heritage and the required flexibility and space to providing guidance to Muslims through the challenges in a dynamic and ever-changing world.

It thereby impoverishes current Muslims by stripping them of a powerful weapon for combating the values of secular materialism and worldview of globalizing culture. In addition, a more dangerous effect of this trend is the legitimization and ideological empowerment that the group provides to the most radically inclined minority in their midst, namely the violent Islamists. This is best reflected in the myopic Islamists’ goal of a political Islamic system which is devoid of its intellectual-rational-spiritual dimension.

As this trend involves a subtle internal challenge to the legitimacy and relevance of the Islamic legacy, efforts to recast the direction of Muslim thought and action can only arise from within Islam itself.

*Dr Mohamed Bin Ali is Assistant Professor with the Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University. He is also a counsellor with the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) in Singapore.

Visit of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to India came at a time when momentum of bilateral ties, predominated by defence and ASEAN leader’s penchant for closer ties with India, reflected by their visits in Republic Day celebration in January, hogged the limelight.

Close on the visit of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan in Republic Day celebration, along with other nine leaders of ASEAN, the visit of Vietnam’s President Tran Dai Quang to India in March (4-6) should be viewed not merely from the angle of bilateral economic engagement, but also should be seen both countries’ assertiveness to dismantle China’s aggressiveness in South China sea and South East Asia. This visit, back-to-back with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vietnam in September 2016, will mark a milestone for a strong diplomatic relation between the two countries, particularly when China is flexing its political and military clout in South China sea, after losing arbitration in UNCLOS.

Incidentally, both Vietnam and India are the victims of Chinese aggression in South China Sea. The bilateral partnership ejects a far-reaching importance of India’s role in South East Asia under the umbrella of Modi’s Act Asia policy.

The paradox behind the Vietnam’s stronger defence ties with India is that an inverse relation is underplaying between the two countries in terms of political and economic relation. Vietnam is ruled by Communist regime and China is the second biggest trading partner of Vietnam. Against these, India is the largest democratic country in the world and the tenth biggest trading partner of Vietnam. The fact of the matter is that despite these, Vietnam is closer to India in terms of people-to-people relation. India is much above China in the Vietnamese choices.

According to Pew Research Center, of its Global Attitude survey , 66 percent of Vietnamese have favorable opinion about India against 19 percent for China. Further, 56 percent of Vietnamese have confidence in Modi’s leadership for driving the world affairs in right direction, compared to 20 percent in favour of Chinese President Xi Jinping
The survey also found that a higher proportion of Vietnamese, 60 percent, were much concerned about territorial disputes with China.

The turning point for closer ties was noted when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vietnam in September 2016 – the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister after 15 years. Incidentally, this was also the same year Vietnam elected its new President Tran Dai Quang and China defied the arbitration ruling. The visit proved a path breaking achievement to refurbish the relation when India – once known as global leader for its non-alignment stand — offered defence cooperation and elevated the relation from strategic partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

India committed US $ 500 million line of credit for procurement of defence equipment during Modi’s visit to Vietnam in 2016. Apart this, India has been training Vietnamese military in operating its Russian-built Kilo-class submarine and SU-30 fighter jets. The two sides signed MOU for Coast Guard – Guard collaboration. The sale of Brahmos missiles to Vietnam are part of ongoing negotiations to strengthen defence cooperation.

Why is India the victim of South China Sea stir? Half of India’s international trade passes through South China sea water. Besides, China’s defiance, which haunts maritime right of Vietnam in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the sea, negated India’s crude oil exploration. In 2006, ONGC of India was awarded two oil blocks in Vietnam territorial water. One of them was relinquished by ONGC. The remaining Block 128 got entangled with the dispute , when Chinese company, China Off-shore National Company ( CNOOC) invited global bids for nine blocks, which are located in the Vietnam EEZ. Of these, two oil blocks overlap half of ONGC’s BLOCK 128.

In 2014, dispute aroused when Chinese oil rig company conducted oil drilling inside the Vietnam‘s EEZ. At this stage, India was at loggerheads with its off-shore oil drilling operation in Vietnam territorial water. Country-wide anti-China protest raged Vietnamese , resulting 21 deaths in the country. Since then a bitter relation erupted between Hanoi and Beijing.

Modi’s visit to Vietnam after the UN arbitration ruling was a shot in the arm for Vietnam. It gave a mental boost for the Vietnamese to make their voices stronger against Chinese bully in South China sea. It sent signal of its concerns through mustering the support of powerful countries and India was one of them. To this end, India’s commitment for line of credit for procurement of defence equipment and implementation of India- Vietnam Defence Relations of May 2015, underpinned India’s bigger role in South East Asia, including South China sea.

The upgrading of the ten year old strategic partnership between India and Vietnam into Comprehensive Strategic partnership unleashed deeper meaning of all round cooperation between the two countries. The Joint Statement during the visit of Modi , which was assertive to built Plan for Action of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and give reality in all areas of cooperation, caught the attentions of global strategists
India is among the ten trading partners of Vietnam.

Currently, the total trade between the two countries is about US $8 Billion. In terms of India’s global trade it is insignificant. It accounts for 2 percent only. Modi’s visit enhanced the target to US $ 15 Billion by 2020
In summing up, back to back visits of two important Vietnam politburo members to India within a period of two months will rejig the relationship between the two countries for culminating Act Asia policy and open a new chapter for joint counterweight against Chinese hegemony in South China sea.

(Views are personal)

By Peggy Chang

U.S. President Donald Trump says “possible progress” is being made with North Korea but also cautions that positive signs from Pyongyang may be leading to “false hope.”

Trump’s statement comes after South Korea said Tuesday the North is willing to start talks with the United States about giving up its nuclear weapons.

In a tweet Tuesday morning, Trump said, “For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned.” But he also expressed suspicion of North Korea’s intentions and added, “The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!”

South Korea’s top security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, told reporters on Tuesday that Pyongyang signaled there was no need to keep its nuclear program if military threats against the country are eliminated. Chung added North Korea was receptive to discussing denuclearization and normalizing relations with the U.S.

Chung was part of a South Korean delegation that just returned from a two-day visit to North Korea, where the group held an unprecedented meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Seoul’s statement has not been confirmed by North Korea. If true, the new stance would mark a significant shift for Kim Jong Un. Just last week, North Korea said it is willing to begin dialogue with the U.S. but rejected any preconditions for such talks. The U.S. has insisted North Korea must first commit to ending its nuclear programs before entering into talks with Pyongyang.

In the last two years, North Korea has launched numerous medium and long-range ballistic missiles and conducted two nuclear tests, in large part to develop an operational capability to target U.S. mainland cities with a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Trump administration has led international efforts to pressure Pyongyang to halt its nuclear program by imposing tough sanctions that ban billions of dollars worth of North Korean coal, iron ore, clothing products and seafood exports. The Trump administration has also said that, if necessary, it is prepared to use military force as well to eliminate the nuclear threat.

A top U.S. intelligence official expressed skepticism about North Korea’s intentions during a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington.

Kim Jong Un “shows no interest in walking away from his nuclear or ballistic missile programs,” testified Lt. General Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.” Additional missile launches are a near certainty and further nuclear tests are possible,” he warned.

VOA’s Jeff Seldin contributed to this report from the Pentagon.

By Cornelia Meyer*

The US may well be oil’s “new kid on the block,” according to the International Energy Agency’s six-year oil outlook — but that doesn’t mean the importance of Russia and Saudi Arabia, in particular, as the dominant exporters will diminish.

The forecast, released on March 5, largely followed on from the IEA’s monthly oil reports. The agency acknowledged that oil markets were generally in a good place and more balanced than for some time. This was attributed to two things: Growing demand for oil, and production cuts resulting from an alliance between OPEC and 10 non-OPEC nations, which reduced their production by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd).

The report was bullish on US shale production, saying that America would become the world’s largest oil producer by the end of this year. US export capacity (ports, pipelines, etc.) would more than double from the 2 million bpd today to 4.9 million bpd by 2023. This was hardly surprising, as the agency’s past few monthly reports talked about “explosive growth” in the shale space.

However, the IEA failed to address the controversial question of how much more the shale basins had to give geologically. The global consultancy Wood Mackenzie predicts production will start to taper off by 2024. These are hard calls to make, and shale producers have surprised analysts many times in the past decade, particularly by withstanding periods of ultra-low oil prices by increasing their productivity.

The IEA has also predicted that OPEC production growth would be meagre — about 700,000 million bpd. The bulk of growth would come from the US, Norway, Brazil and Mexico — all members of the IEA family, as Fatih Birol, the agency’s executive director, is quick to point out.

Demand growth is strong for 2018-2019, and the IEA expects markets to be adequately supplied until then. The agency is, however, far from oblivious to production constraints.

The report voices concerns about the cancelation of investment by international oil companies in 2015-2017 when oil prices were low. Many analysts worry about supply after 2020, particularly as declining fields are expected to take production worth “one North Sea” out of the market every year. If shale fails to deliver on its promise, shortages could be severe, given the lack of investment in the pipeline, and internal strife in Venezuela, Libya and Nigeria, and possible geopolitical tension elsewhere. (Venezuela is of particular concern: It has the world’s largest reserves, yet its production has fallen more than 50 percent since 1999 and now stands at 1.6 million bpd.)

The report highlighted the ramifications of rising US production and exports. That does not mean, however, that the incumbents are any less important. Saudi Arabia and Russia have kept oil markets well supplied over many decades, and both are here to stay as the major exporters. The Kingdom, in particular, will maintain its importance as the swing producer. By 2023, the world will have spare capacity of only 2.2 percent, the bulk of which, 2 million bpd, is located in Saudi Arabia. If the going gets tough after 2020-23, all eyes will be on the Kingdom.

Shale is often hailed as the new swing producer — but it is not. Its production ebbs and flows with the oil price, and shale producers are too entrepreneurial and dispersed to share the burden of ensuring markets are well supplied and edge toward balance. That is not in their DNA.

Adequate supply of markets is the very mission of OPEC, whose de facto leader is Saudi Arabia. OPEC has upped the game with the agreement of cooperation between the organization and 10 non -OPEC countries led by Russia. The agreement will hold until the end of this year and its leaders are working hard to craft a framework ensuring cooperation beyond 2018. Given the new entrant on the global scene, cooperation is more important than ever.

The new world order will not displace either Saudi Arabia or Russia. It will, however, redirect trade flows. The first shale boom routed African and Middle East crude eastwards. The new boom will result in a further redirection of crude shipments. Expect the Asian markets to be hotly contested. They can accommodate lots of crude as global refining capacity is forecasted to grow 7. 7 million bpd until 2023, most of it in Asia and the Middle East. China and India will make up around 50 percent of global demand growth until then.

The IEA has given us the tools and numbers to analyze and forecast more adequately — and it is objective. However, we have to bear in mind that it is written from the vantage point of an organization that is part of the OECD.

*Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macroeconomist and energy expert. Twitter: @MeyerResources

By Ramona Wadi*

The outcome of the UN Security Council meeting does not bode well for the people of Palestine. Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas gave a lengthy speech during which opportunities for hammering out the truth of the matter were reduced to statements showing that little has changed in terms of how the PA interprets history and timeframes.

Abbas declared that Israel “has transformed the occupation from a temporary situation as per international law into a situation of permanent settlement colonization.” He also described the PA as having become “an Authority without authority.” The inaccuracy of these statements is the suggestion that their claims have just become obvious, highlighting the refusal to recognize that the facts of the matter have been very clear since the start of the occupation — Zionism is an expansionist ideology forever seeking “Greater Israel” — and the creation of the PA, whose sole role is to serve Israeli interests.

Having allocated enough space in order to portray the alleged deterioration of the situation as opposed to current circumstances being the result of a premeditated plan of colonization and collaboration, Abbas is entrenching a poor bargaining position for Palestinians.

This deficiency has been recognized by the US. The response to Abbas by America’s Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, emphasized that the only option considered by the US is “compromise”. In Haley’s words: “You can choose to put aside your anger about the location of our embassy and move forward with us towards a negotiated compromise that holds great potential for improving the lives of the Palestinian people.”

In other words, forget about a state; you can have the crumbs off the table, which is better than no crumbs at all.

Haley’s response cannot be read solely within the context of a diatribe against Abbas. It is a direct attack on Palestinians rights and aspirations for liberation. Indeed, this exchange portrays the consequences which Palestinians suffer as a result of political isolation.

The rhetoric within international institutions takes place in such a detached manner that it is possible to discern a narrative for UN forums that only skims the surface of what is deemed acceptable to discuss. The choice of discourse has been determined away from Palestinian reality.

The diverging narratives are imbued with recognition and repudiation, with the latter reserved for Palestinians. Haley is emphasizing this discrepancy and exploiting it at a time when Israel and the US are working overtly to accelerate the colonization process so that “Greater Israel” becomes more of a reality day by day.

Recognizing the colonial narrative at an international level is aided by the fact that Abbas is not speaking for all Palestinians. His calculated discourse, which should generate outrage at the way decades of Israeli violations are being recognized by himself and the PA so belatedly — particularly after US President Donald Trump’s unilateral declaration on Jerusalem — is a blatant example of pandering to colonial complicity.

Haley’s statement on Palestinians’ limitations unfortunately rings true. Whether or not the US is involved in negotiations, the damage to the Palestinians and their cause is immense. Turning to international organisations with weak leadership for solutions will ultimately result in the diminished power of the people. \

The fact that Abbas continues to engage with the international community without acknowledging its role in isolating Palestinian voices can only mean an extension of the current situation, with long-term benefits for Israel. Engaging with the US after the measures it has taken to hinder the legitimate claims of Palestinians on their territory to the point of elimination should not be an option.

Whatever Abbas chooses, and recent history has shown many examples of how the PA fluctuates from one degenerative option to another, it is important to remember that the decisions are not Palestinian choices. The people of Palestine have been experimented upon from all sides — even militarily — and options offered by parties across the political spectrum ignore the fact that the genuine possibilities for Palestinians can only be generated from within; Abbas knows this only too well.

It is with calculated intent that the entire world has been allowed to impose anything and everything upon the Palestinians apart from their legitimate rights. The added indignity is having these same impositions articulated in the name of the Palestinian people by someone like Mahmoud Abbas.

*Ramona Wadi is a staff writer for Middle East Monitor, where this article was originally published. She contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can infinitely self-renew and develop into all major cell types in the body, making them important for organ repair and replacement. But culturing them in large quantities can be expensive. Now, scientists at Japan’s Kyoto University, with colleagues in India and Iran, have developed a more cost-effective culture by using a new combination of chemical compounds.

Current culture systems need to contain components that can sustain hPSC self-renewal while preventing them from differentiating into other cell types. Of these components, genetically engineered growth factors produced in bacteria or animal cells, are particularly expensive.

The new culture was able to support and maintain the long-term renewal of hPSCs without the need for expensive growth factors.

Kouichi Hasegawa of Kyoto University’s Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) and his team developed their ‘AKIT’ culture using three chemical compounds: 1-azakenpaullone (AK), ID-8 (I), and tacrolimus (T).

1-azakenpaullone supported hPSC self-renewal, but also induced their differentiation into other cells. To turn off the differentiation, the team added ID-8. This compound, however, also leads to partial cell growth arrest, so a third compound, tacrolimus, was finally added to counter this effect.

The survival and growth rates of some hPSC cell lines were slightly lower in the AKIT medium than in other culture media. But its key advantage lies in the simplicity and low cost of its preparation, which is five to ten times cheaper than any currently available hPSC culture medium.

“This improved method of culturing may thus facilitate the large-scale, quality-controlled and cost-effective translation of hPSC culture practices to clinical and drug-screening applications,” say the researchers in their study published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Atomspheric physicists have found that the way wildfire smoke from Africa interacts with clouds over the Atlantic Ocean results in a net cooling effect, which is contrary to previous understanding and has implications for global climate models.

Clouds play a prominent role in moderating Earth’s climate, but their role is still poorly understood. Generally, clouds cool the Earth by reflecting incoming sunlight back out into space. Reducing the clouds’ reflectivity–with a layer of pollution, for example–reduces the cooling effect. However, new research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by physicists at UMBC and collaborators adds a surprising twist to this model.

Every fall, fires race across central and southern Africa, creating so much smoke that it’s clearly visible from space. Wind sweeps the smoke westward over the Atlantic Ocean, where it rises above the largest semi-permanent gathering of clouds in the world. For years, scientists believed that overall, the smoke diminishes the clouds’ cooling effect by absorbing light that the clouds beneath otherwise would reflect. The new study by Zhang and colleagues doesn’t dispute this effect, but introduces a new mechanism that counteracts it by making the clouds more reflective.

“The purpose of this paper is to look at these competing processes. Which one is more important?” asked Zhang. Using data from a LiDAR system on the International Space Station, recent UMBC research found that the smoke and cloud layers are much closer to each other than previously observed. That means the smoke, which is in the form of tiny particles known as aerosols, can physically interact with the clouds, affecting how they form at the microscopic level. Previous studies usually overlooked these microphysical changes due to aerosols’ interactions with the clouds.

Clouds need “seeds” to grow. A seed can be any tiny particle around which cloud droplets condense. Aerosols are perfect for seeding clouds, and with more seeds, many small cloud droplets replace fewer large droplets, which then collectively reflect more light and increase the cooling effect.

The team found that in smoky conditions, there are almost twice as many “seeds” per cubic centimeter. By running computer simulations under different conditions, they determined that overall, “The seeding effect is winning,” Zhang said. So, contrary to long-held understanding, the overall effect of the hovering smoke on the clouds near Africa appears to be a cooling one.

Zhang is quick to point out that this result is not an argument in favor of fires. “Aerosols are a very local phenomenon, and they are also short-lived,” he said, so their cooling effects are short-lived, too. “The lifetime of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases,” which are released in abundance when plant material burns, “is hundreds of years.”

The team’s ultimate goal is to refine global climate models by improving how they account for clouds. Zhang’s other Ph.D. student and another co-author, Zhifeng Yang, has contributed to that effort by analyzing data collected by a satellite that stays put in the sky (rather than orbiting Earth) to get a more accurate sense of how cloud cover changes in daily cycles.

The next step is to evaluate existing climate models against the team’s new finding. “Now that we know there are two competing mechanisms, and the seeding effect is winning, we can see whether climate models consider these processes properly when they predict the weather and climate in this area,” explained Zhang.

A new NASA mission called PACE expected to launch in 2020 will aid their efforts. It will be able to detect polarized light, in addition to everything LiDAR can do. “With the new satellite you can look at things from different perspectives,” said Zhang, and develop three-dimensional models of the interactions between aerosols and clouds. “Hopefully we can look at this phenomenon even better.”

Beyond the upcoming NASA mission, what really excites Zhang and his team is the opportunity to play a role in making sure communities around the world have the best information available as they prepare for the effects of climate change.

The simple story says that during the last ice age, temperatures were colder and ice sheets expanded around the planet. That may hold true for most of Europe and North America, but new research from the University of Washington tells a different story in the high-altitude, desert climates of Mongolia.

The recent paper in Quaternary Science Reviews is the first to date ancient glaciers in the high mountains of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. It compares them with glacial records from nearby mountains to reveal how glaciers behave in extreme climates.

On some of the Gobi mountain ranges included in the study, glaciers started growing thousands of years after the last ice age ended. In contrast, in slightly wetter parts of Mongolia the largest glaciers did date from the ice age but reached their maximum lengths tens of thousands of years earlier in the glacial period rather than at its culmination, around 20,000 years ago, when glaciers around most of the planet peaked.

Both trends differ from the typical chronology of glacier growth during an ice age.

“In some of the Gobi mountains, the largest glaciers didn’t happen during the last ice age,” said first author Jigjidsurengiin Batbaatar, a UW doctoral student in Earth and Space Sciences. “Some of these glaciers were starving for precipitation then. Our measurements show that they actually shrank as cold, dry conditions of the ice age became more intense. Then they grew when the warming climate of the Holocene brought more moist air, feeding the glaciers with more snow.”

Batbaatar and co-author Alan Gillespie, a UW research professor emeritus in Earth and Space Sciences, collected samples from moraines, which are long ridges of rocky debris dropped at a glacier’s edge. They used a dating technique perfected in the last 20 years that measures elemental changes in the rock that occur when the rock gets bombarded by cosmic rays after the glacier’s retreat.

“We were expecting to find rocks exposed for 20,000 years, the date of the peak of the last ice age, but these moraines were much younger. That means that these glaciers were smaller when the climate was the coldest,” Batbaatar said. “The results were so surprising that we went back to double check.”

The study was possible both because of advances in the cosmic-ray dating method, and political changes that allow more access to Central Asia.

“After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia opened up, China opened up, and Mongolia opened up to Western researchers with these novel dating techniques. And we see a very different pattern of glacial advances compared to North America and Europe,” Batbaatar said.

The data collected in 2007 and 2010 confirm a theoretical study by Summer Rupper, a former UW doctoral student now at the University of Utah, and UW faculty member Gerard Roe. In very cold and dry environments, where rain and snow are scarce, it predicted that temperature would not always be the main factor driving a glacier’s growth.

“Because the melting is so dominant a process, and the melting is mostly controlled by temperature, people think of glaciers as thermometers. But we all know that precipitation plays a role,” Batbaatar said.

The new study confirms that so-called “starving glaciers” in dry, high-altitude environments are indeed controlled by precipitation. They grow so slowly that they seldom reach the lower altitudes where melting is possible. Instead, they shrink when sunlight hits the surface and transforms ice into water vapor, a process called sublimation. These glaciers are thus less sensitive to temperature shifts, but very sensitive to precipitation amounts.

“Generally, people have assumed from well-documented North American and European records that the largest glaciers should have come in the peak of the last ice age,” Batbaatar said. “But in Mongolia, our results show that this was not the case. Glacier behavior there was different from the better-studied areas of the Alps or the Sierra Nevada in the U.S. Even within Mongolia we observe very different behavior from range to range.”

The conditions at the Gobi-Altai mountain range are extreme, with precipitation at the five research sites Batbaatar established there ranging from roughly 50 to 300 millimeters (2 inches to 1 foot) per year. Nearby mountains in Mongolia with more precipitation have more typically behaving glaciers. But other extreme climates, for example the driest parts of Tibet or the Andes, can produce glaciers with similar paradoxical trends.

“Even in this current warming climate, some mountains are so high that the temperatures are still below freezing, and the warming ocean may provide more precipitation to drive some of the glaciers to advance,” Batbaatar said.

He is now working to interpret more measurements collected from a wider geographic area in Central Asia.

“Batbaatar has shown that glaciers growing in cold, arid, desert mountains may be out of sync with those in wetter, warmer environments such as the Alps,” Gillespie said. “His findings move us toward a more complete understanding of how glaciers advance and retreat in response to climatic fluctuations.”

Exposing preschoolers to an hour of bright light before bedtime almost completely shuts down their production of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin and keeps it suppressed for at least 50 minutes after lights out, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research.

The study, published in the journal Physiological Reports, is the first to assess the hormonal impact nighttime light exposure can have on young children.

The study comes at a time when use of electronics is rapidly expanding among this age group and adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that-because of structural differences in their eyes-children may be more vulnerable to the impact light has on sleep and the body clock.

“Although the effects of light are well studied in adults, virtually nothing is known about how evening light exposure affects the physiology, health and development of preschool-aged children,” said lead author Lameese Akacem, a CU Boulder instructor and researcher in the Sleep and Development Lab. “In this study we found that these kids were extremely sensitive to light.”

For the study, the researchers enrolled 10 healthy children ages 3 to 5 years in a seven-day protocol. On days one through five, the children followed a strict bedtime schedule to normalize their body clocks and settle into a pattern in which their melatonin levels began to go up at about the same time each evening.

On day six, Akacem’s team came into the children’s homes and created a dim-light environment, covering windows with black plastic and swapping out existing lights with low-wattage bulbs. This ensured that all the children were exposed to the same amount of light-which can influence melatonin timing and levels-before samples were taken.

That afternoon, the researchers took periodic saliva samples to assess melatonin levels at various times. The following evening, after spending the day in what they playfully referred to as “the cave,” the children were invited to color or play with magnetic tiles on top of a light table emitting 1,000 lux of light (about the brightness of a bright room) for one hour.

Then the researchers took samples again, comparing them to those taken the night before.

Melatonin levels were 88 percent lower after bright light exposure. Levels remained suppressed at least 50 minutes after the light was shut off.

Direct comparisons between this study and studies in adults must be made with caution because of differing research protocols, the researchers stress. However, they note that in one study, a one-hour light stimulus of 10,000 lux (10 times that of the current study) suppressed melatonin by only 39 percent in adults.

“Light is our brain clock’s primary timekeeper,” explains senior author Monique LeBourgeois, an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology. “We know younger individuals have larger pupils, and their lenses are more transparent. This heightened sensitivity to light may make them even more susceptible to dysregulation of sleep and the circadian clock.”

She explains that when light hits the retina in the eye in the evening, it produces a cascade of signals to the circadian system to suppress melatonin and push back the body’s entrance into its “biological night.” For preschoolers, this may not only lead to trouble falling asleep one night, but to chronic problems feeling sleepy at bedtime.

Melatonin also plays a role in other bodily processes, regulating temperature, blood pressure and glucose metabolism.

“The effects of light at night exposure can definitely go beyond sleep,” Akacem said.

The study sample size was small and it used only one intensity of light, 1,000 lux, which is far greater than the intensity of a typical handheld electronic device, she notes.

With a new $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, LeBourgeois recently launched a study in which she will expose 90 children to light of different intensities to determine how much it takes to impact the circadian clock.

“The preschool years are a very sensitive time of development during which use of digital media is growing more and more pervasive,” Le Bourgeois said. Use of electronic media among young children has tripled since 2011. “We hope this research can help parents and clinicians make informed decisions on children’s light exposure.”

The takeaway for parents today: Dim the lights in the hours before bedtime.

The RAD, an audio-based interface that can easily be integrated into existing video games, enables people who are visually impaired to play video games with the same speed and control as sighted players, with full 3D graphics and complex, challenging racetracks

Brian A. Smith, a PhD candidate in Computer Science at Columbia Engineering, has developed the RAD–a racing auditory display– to enable gamers who are visually impaired to play the same types of racing games that sighted players can play with the same speed, control, and excitement that sighted players experience. The audio-based interface, which a player can listen to using a standard pair of headphones, can be integrated by developers into almost any racing video game, making a popular genre of games equally accessible to people who are blind.

“The RAD is the first system to make it possible for people who are blind to play a ‘real’ 3D racing game–with full 3D graphics, realistic vehicle physics, complex racetracks, and a standard PlayStation 4 controller,” said Smith, who worked on the project with Shree Nayar, T.C. Chang Professor of Computer Science. “It’s not a dumbed-down version of a racing game tailored specifically to people who are blind.”

While there are a number of games on the market suitable for the blind, many are loaded with competing sources of information that players must sift through, slowing down the fun of playing the game. Others are versions of popular games so simplified that a blind gamer does nothing more than follow orders. There has been a fundamental tradeoff between preserving a game’s full complexity and its pace when making it blind-accessible.

“Our challenge,” said Smith, “was to give visually impaired players enough information about the game so that they could have the same sense of control and thrill that sighted players have, but not so much information that they would get overwhelmed by audio overload or bogged down in just figuring out how to interpret the sounds.”

Smith’s work builds on two distinct areas of research: building audio navigation systems and developing blind-accessible racing games and driver assistance systems. The RAD comprises two novel sonification techniques: a sound slider for understanding a car’s speed and trajectory on a racetrack, and a turn indicator system for alerting players about upcoming turns well in advance of the actual turns. Together, these approaches enable players to understand aspects about the race and perform a wide variety of actions in a way that is not possible in current blind-accessible racing games. Smith’s aim was to design an interface that would give players enough relevant information to form a plan of action.

“The RAD’s sound slider and turn indicator system work together to help players know the car’s current speed; align the car with the track’s heading; learn the track’s layout; profile the direction, sharpness, timing, and length of upcoming turns; cut corners; choose an early or late apex; position the car for optimal turning paths; and know when to brake to complete a turn,” said Smith. He will present his paper at ACM CHI 2018’s Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems April 21-26 in Montreal, the leading international conference for Human-Computer Interaction.

Smith designed the RAD and then built a prototype car racing game in Unity, the most popular game engines in the world, and integrated the RAD into that prototype. He ran two studies with 15 participants he recruited through the Brooklyn-based Helen Keller Services for the Blind and volunteers at Columbia.

The players preferred the RAD’s interface over that of Mach 1, a popular blind-accessible racing game. One player commented that at times he felt like he had as much information as if he could actually see the track. Another gamer, Edis Adilovic, had played Top Speed, a blind-friendly racing game before, but the RAD was the first time he played a video game with realistic vehicle physics. He was able to race on a complex racetrack as well as casual sighted players could.

“With the RAD, Edis could not only play our prototype racing game, but do so with the same lap times and driving paths as sighted players,” Smith noted.

Adilovic liked the fact that, unlike other blind-friendly racing games, the RAD did not constantly tell him to “do this, do that,” and added that, “After the training was done, I had the possibility of doing whatever I wanted to.”

Smith is planning his next steps, which include incorporating more racing game elements such as rival vehicles. He also hopes to create similar systems for other genres of games, including adventure games, role-playing games, and first-person shooters. “My hope,” he added, “is that game designers will soon be able to build game systems from a suite of tools that are similarly intuitive and functional to the RAD, and make their video games equally accessible to people who are blind. We think the RAD marks the beginning of a whole new suite of such tools.”

The Iranian Navy’s 50th flotilla of warships docked at India’s port of Mumbai on Tuesday as part of efforts to boost military ties between the navies of the two countries.

According to the Navy’s public relations office, the operational-training naval fleet, comprising Shahid Naghdi and Bayandor destroyers and Tonb logistic-military warship, has traveled to Mumbai to convey the message of peace and friendship and enhance the relations between Iran and India.

During their four-day stay in India, the commanders of the flotilla are planned to meet with senior Indian military officials.

There will also be visits to a number of training centers of the Indian Navy as well as cultural and historical sites of the South Asian country.

In recent years, Iran’s naval forces have increased their presence in international waters to secure naval routes and protect merchant vessels and oil tankers against pirates.

By Richel V. Umel and Froilan Gallardo

The Philippine military has gathered intelligence information that a little-known planner of last year’s deadly Marawi siege is the new regional leader of the Islamic State, replacing Isnilon Hapilon, officials said Tuesday.

Humam Abdul Najib (alias Abu Dar) and several of his men escaped from Marawi in October, when troops launched a final assault that ended the five-month siege and left Hapilon and several of his lieutenants dead.

Military intelligence sources told BenarNews that Najib and his men managed to cart with them up to 500 million pesos (about US$10 million) they stole from banks and businesses as the city fell into chaos.

Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Task Force Ranao that has jurisdiction over Marawi, confirmed that the military has received information about Najib’s ascension to the enemy leadership.

“The matter is subject for verification that Abu Dar is the new IS leader after Hapilon was killed in Marawi,” Brawner said.

Najib was born in Mindanao but studied at an Islamic school in the northern Philippines, according to studies made by security analyst Rommel Banlaoi of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.

Najib was reported to have undergone explosives training in Afghanistan in 2005, before returning to Mindanao in 2012, when he founded the militant group Khilafa Islamiyyah Mindanao (KIM), which operated in areas near Marawi.

His group later linked up with Abdullah Macapaar, a commander of the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in areas covering the Lanao provinces in the south, including Marawi.

But the MILF leadership two years later signed a peace deal with Manila, dropping its independence fight for expanded autonomy. Banlaoi said it was around this time that a faction of the MILF splintered to continue the fight, attracting more militant fighters, including Najib.

Najib would later facilitate the entry of foreign fighters in Mindanao, putting them up in areas near Marawi and laying the groundwork for the eventual siege of the only Islamic city in the predominantly Catholic nation last year.

“In May last year he was among the leaders who planned the (Marawi) attack,” Banlaoi said, adding that a classified military video seized from Marawi showed Najib seating beside Hapilon during the planning stage, indicating that he was part of the militants’ inner circle.

The Marawi siege took the Philippines by surprise, and embarrassed President Rodrigo Duterte and his top security officials who were in Moscow as the country’s most serious security crisis unfolded.

The gunmen carried out attacks across Marawi, forced residents to flee, destroyed the city’s Catholic Church, killed Christians and held dozens of hostages, including the city’s priest, women and children.

Hapilon was backed by Filipino fighters from the Maute group, led by Omarkhayam and Abdullah Maute, local radicals who are believed to be the cousins of Najib, military sources told BenarNews. Fighters from Southeast Asia and the Middle East who had earlier managed to sneak into Marawi also enlarged the enemy strength.

Duterte, who had admitted that the militants’ force overwhelmed the local military, was forced to seek assistance from longtime military allies the United States and Australia.

Marawi’s estimated 200,000 residents fled, and much of the once picturesque city was flattened by successive air raids. Five months after the battle ended in October, many of the residents have remained in evacuation sites as a large parts of Marawi remained in ruins.

The fighting, the worst in recent memory, left at least 1,200 people dead, most of them militants.

The entire south however remains under extended martial law, with President Duterte saying up to 200 militants who escaped from Marawi remained at large in Mindanao.

Felipe Villamor in Manila contributed to this report.

Sri Lanka’s government has declared a state of emergency for 10 days to maintain law and order after an outbreak of religious violence.

It has also imposed a police curfew after Buddhist mobs attacked a mosque, Muslim businesses and houses. One person was reported to have died.

The attacks came just a week after similar anti-Muslim violence erupted in the east of the country.

Police fired tear gas to disperse a mob including Buddhist monks on March 5. A police curfew was put in force in the Theldeniya and Pallekele areas of the central town of Kandy on March 6.

Ashoka Samarakoon, a resident of Theldeniya, said a Buddhist Sinhalese lorry driver died from injuries after an attack by Muslim youths last week.

“On his funeral day, mobs set fire to Muslim-owned businesses, shops and a mosque. The police have arrested 24 suspects in connection with this incident and hundreds of police and army personnel have been deployed,” Samarakoon told ucanews.com.

“There was a protest led by Buddhist monks and residents who demanded the release of the 24 suspects who were in police custody. They said these suspects were innocent and not connected with the incident.”

Rights activists urged the government to take action to counter religious violence and tension in Sri Lanka.

Millathwe Dammarathna Thero, the chief Buddhist monk of Theldeniya Godamunna Temple, said he condemned the attacks but the arrested suspects were innocent.

“Police should release them and this act is not against Muslims,” he told ucanews.com.

Police spokesperson Ruwan Gunesekara said four Muslim suspects arrested in connection with the death of the lorry driver have been remanded until March 7.

President Maithripala Sirisena has promised to conduct an impartial and independent investigation.

Father Nandana Manathunga, chairman of the human rights office in Kandy, said a group of people came to Theldeniya and attacked shops and houses.

“Many came from outside the village and demonstrated,” said Father Manathunga.

Rights activists blamed hard-line groups including Bodu Bala Sena for the violence.

A mosque and Muslim businesses were attacked in Ampara district in the southeast last week following a rumor that Muslim eateries were adding a chemical pill that would make Sinhalese Buddhist customers impotent.

Bishop Joseph Ponnaiah of Batticaloa said violence based on religion and ethnicity should stop.

“I see this incident as well planned and the government should investigate quickly. During the earlier regime, we also saw this type of incident,” the bishop told ucanews.com.

“This should be stopped, otherwise it will damage good governance in the country.”

Several incidents in recent years have reflected communal schisms. Hard-line Buddhist groups have accused Muslims of vandalizing Buddhist sites and forcing Buddhists to convert to Islam.

Businesses, houses and vehicles were damaged on Nov. 17, 2017, during unrest in Gintota in the far south of the country.

Buddhist groups attacked Muslim-owned shops and houses in 2014, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to 80.

Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist nation with a diverse group of communities comprising Tamils, Muslims and Burghers. The country’s 21 million people are approximately 70 percent Buddhist, 15 percent Hindu, 8 percent Christian and 9 percent Muslim.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has declared a State of Emergency for one week with effect from mid-night Monday, to redress the unsatisfactory security situation prevailing over certain parts of the country.

The State of Emergency had been declared, while empowering Section Two of the Public Security Ordinance within a limited scope. The President’s Media Unit (PMD) confirmed that the Police and Armed Forces have been suitably empowered to deal with criminal elements in society and urgently restore normalcy.

Sirisena’s pronouncement came within hours after a Police curfew was re-imposed in Digana and extended to the Pallekele Police division yesterday, following the tense situation on Monday. Sirisena explained that a State of Emergency had to be declared as a result of riotous and unruly acts of violence which had occurred over the last two weeks, causing damage to life and property. These incidents have caused various tensions and conflicts between religious and ethnic groups with attacks on religious places and vehicles being carried out, they observed further.

Sirisena noted that these acts have not subsided and while some of these incidents had taken place as a result of the ongoing commotion, some had been well planned.

As a measure to control this situation, it has been deemed necessary to bring to effect Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance. The PMD stated that this would bring back the situation to normalcy, security and ensure the supply of essential services to these areas. The Police and Army have now been given authority to stabilize the situation within the legal frameworks of the Ordinance.

Sirisena has also directed the Security Forces to take action against any persons creating conflict, regardless of their ethnicity, religious background or party affiliation.

Sirisena has also informed them that they should enforce the law in the interest of the people, with least disruption to public life and without violating human rights.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised Jordan’s contributions to regional and international security during an official visit to Amman on Tuesday.

Meeting with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, the Secretary General stressed that NATO remains committed to the international fight against terrorism, and to working with Jordan to make the region more secure.

“We have been working together for over 20 years,” said Stoltenberg. He thanked Jordan for hosting NATO training for Iraqi forces, noting that the Alliance has agreed to scale up its training mission in Iraq. “Our work together in the Coalition – NATO, our Allies and Jordan – make the region more secure, and NATO more secure,” he said.

In Amman, the Secretary General also met with His Majesty King Abdullah II.

Stoltenberg underscored NATO’s commitment to strengthening Jordan’s defence capabilities, including in crisis management, exercises, border security, cyber security and countering improvised explosive devices.

Accompanied by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt-Gen. Mahmoud Freihat, the Secretary General also visited the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center.