Latest news with #Ha
New York Post
12 hours ago
- General
- New York Post
Story of Vietnamese orphans who resettled here 50 years ago proves there are greater things than politics
Fifty years ago, near the end of the Vietnam War, as North Vietnamese troops headed south, the director of the Cam Ranh Christian Orphanage, Pastor Nguyen Xuan Ha — known to everyone as Mr. Ha —decided it was time to escape to somewhere safe. Mr. Ha put 85 children and staff on two buses and headed for Saigon where he hoped they could flee to safety. One of the buses was shot at by a North Vietnamese soldier and the buses separated. Somehow they re-united in Saigon. After renting a boat and getting some distance from shore, the engine quit. For five days they drifted before a Thailand tanker approached. The captain refused to help, but later changed his mind, turned around and towed them for a while. After cutting the tow line, a group of fishermen towed them toward Singapore. Soldiers refused to let them ashore. Mr. Ha wrote a name on a piece of paper and asked a soldier if he could locate a missionary named Ralph Neighbour to help. Dr. Neighbour (now 96), newly arrived in Singapore, was miraculously found. He picks up the story from there in an email to me: 'Singapore government kept them out on St. John's Island. Our missionary team took clothes and food out. USA embassy contacted Swiss United Nations Refugee Center. Special flight arrived. Children whisked thru Singapore on bus with windows covered. Government feared losing neutrality during war. No official record they were there.' I knew Dr. Neighbour from when he was a pastor in Houston where I worked at a local TV station. He called and asked if I could help get the orphans and staff to the United States and find temporary housing for them. I contacted some Washington officials I knew and permission for them to enter the country was granted. When they arrived in Houston, a church couple with a large ranch offered them shelter and food until the Buckner Children and Family Services in Dallas could assist with processing and adoptions. I interviewed the youngest, oldest and one in between who made the anniversary trip. Sam Schrade, who was a baby when he was rescued from the streets of Saigon, is 51 and owns a successful media business in Houston. How would his life have been different had he stayed in Vietnam? He says the fact that he is of 'mixed race' (American-Asian) would make it 'doubly hard' because native Vietnamese 'look down upon such people. I have been told by many people I would not have had a good life here because of the race issue and a government that didn't want me.' Kelli St. German, now 56, thinks she might have been growing coffee beans and doing hard labor had she not come to America. She also believes she would not have developed a strong faith because of the state's antipathy toward religion. 'I became a teacher for 30 years.' Thomas Ho, the oldest orphan, now 76, was 25 when he left Vietnam. He helped organize the evacuation and prepared small amounts of food for the children. In America he became a chef and then studied to become an engineer. He says if he had stayed in Vietnam, 'I might not have survived, especially at my age now. Life here is very difficult. A lot of the food is not very healthy.' Reuniting with these adults, many of whom I met when they were children, is a reminder that there are things far greater than politics, celebrities and the petty jealousies that are the focus of too many of us. There are few greater blessings than to have had a role in changing these lives for the better. These former orphans are blessed. So am I. Cal Thomas is a veteran political commentator, columnist and author.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Say 'kimchi': How photobooths have filled Korean streets
With tiny photos, Koreans turn moments into memories "Look at the camera and pose within 10 seconds after you hear the sound beep." After the countdown cue begins, put on your best smile, strike a pose, switch it up and let your best angle shine. And get ready for the next shot. After the minute-long shoot, flip through the snap photos, pick your favorites and print them out to take home. This is a scene at a self-service photo booth where anyone can snap fun shots and instantly print out bookmark-sized keepsakes that capture the moment. The photos are taken using automated cameras, lighting and backdrops. These unmanned photo "studios" are open 24 hours, meaning you can pop in whenever it strikes your fancy. Instructions are available in English, Japanese and Chinese as well. Walk through Seongsu-dong or Hongdae and you will be struck by how many of these unmanned photo studios there are, usually crowded with people casually stepping inside to snap memories as if it were a daily routine. Among the many studio booths, global selfie brand Life Four Cuts leads the pack. The name is a reference to its "four-cut" photo service — similar to traditional passport photos, with four snapshots framed in a vertical strip, with two printed copies costing 4,000 won ($2.91), 8,000 won for four copies and 12,000 won for six prints. Ha Yoo-ra, 20, a university student in Seoul, is among those who stepped into a four-cut photo booth with two friends for a fun memory. "(The three of us) have been friends since elementary school, but somehow never took a nice photo together, believe it or not, until now. So we decided to have a little makeover and dress nicely to mark our years of friendship. One day, I hope we will reminisce about the memories of the day we took the photo, what we ate and how we looked," Ha told The Korea Herald. "Also, the self-photo booths edit the pictures by making our skin look better and brighter, which is cost-friendly for college students," Ha added. To stand out in the fast-growing photo booth market, many brands are teaming up with K-pop stars, actors, popular cartoon characters and even sports figures. These time-limited designs add to the appeal by creating a one-of-a-kind experience. For example, Photoism opened an artist frame on May 26 that allows users to take photos with a frame featuring singer-songwriter IU to mark the release of her new EP "A Flower Bookmark, Pt. 3." The special edition frame will only be available until June 30. Yoshi from the K-pop group Treasure is another frame option available at Photoism. Released to mark his May 15 birthday, the frame will be available through June 15. Park Jun-seo, a college graduate who is an avid fan of boy band Enhypen, visited Photoism in November last year to to be in the same frame as her favorite idol. "Honestly, I think it is embarrassing to enter a self-studio photo booth to take a picture of yourself, but I wanted to be in the same picture with my idol. It wasn't about how pretty I looked in the picture but about the fact that I printed a photo of me standing next to my favorite singer, even if it was just a photo frame," Park explained. For sports fans, exclusive photo frames featuring baseball players from all 10 KBO teams are available through a partnership with the Korea Baseball Organization during the baseball season. During the baseball sesason fans can capture fun and personalized memories, posing "next" to their favorite player. The special edition frames are available through October. The photo-booth craze has also spread overseas. Korea's Life Four Cuts and Photomatic are now available in Singapore and London while local companies have jumped in on the market in Indonesia with homegrown brands like Photograms and Palette ID making big waves. "These pictures come with great quality at a budget-friendly price, which is why the MZ generation are preferring self-photo studios," a senior official overseeing marketing at Life Four Cuts told The Korea Herald. A total of 120 million visits have been made to Life Four Cuts since its launch in 2017 and the company runs around 410 stores in Korea, according to the company. Another reason driving the trend is that the pictures come out in formats that are easy to share on social media, according to the official. Also, limited-edition photo frames could trigger FOMO among people and lead to more repeat visits for photos with different celebrities in the frame. "The trend also aligns with the desire to capture and document everyday moments. With stylish frames and creative setups, these photo booths let anyone step in, take photos and express themselves comfortably and without feeling self-conscious," the official said.
Qatar Tribune
27-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Nvidia-backed startup CEO urges Japan to push defense AI development
Agencies The top executive of a leading Japanese artificial intelligence startup said the Japanese government should focus more on the development of its own AI technology for defense applications in an increasingly deglobalized world. David Ha, the chief executive of Sakana AI KK, backed by investors such as U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp, said his company sees growth potential in working with the Japanese government in the defense sector since the country's security environment is becoming severe with 'many adversaries around its neighbors.' 'Not many startups in Japan want to work in (the) defense side and (with) governments,' Ha said at a recent press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of presents 'an opportunity for our company to engage with the governments on developing defense-related solutions using AI,' said the CEO at the Tokyo-based startup known as a unicornan unlisted company valued at more than $1 billion. Technology plays a key role in bolstering information technology infrastructure, and AI is a core part of such technology to make information systems and cyber security more secured and efficient, the former researcher at Google LLC said. Since the United States has become more U.S.-centric, there is a potential for AI to become 'a bargaining chip for other countries,' if its services and models are so powerful, Ha said.
Kyodo News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Nvidia-backed startup CEO urges Japan to push Defense AI development
KYODO NEWS - 17 hours ago - 12:31 | All, Japan The top executive of a leading Japanese artificial intelligence startup said the Japanese government should focus more on the development of its own AI technology for defense applications in an increasingly deglobalized world. David Ha, the chief executive of Sakana AI K.K., backed by investors such as U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp., said his company sees growth potential in working with the Japanese government in the defense sector since the country's security environment is becoming severe with "many adversaries around its neighbors." "Not many startups in Japan want to work in (the) defense side and (with) governments," Ha said at a recent press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. It presents "an opportunity for our company to engage with the governments on developing defense-related solutions using AI," said the CEO at the Tokyo-based startup known as a unicorn -- an unlisted company valued at more than $1 billion. Technology plays a key role in bolstering information technology infrastructure, and AI is a core part of such technology to make information systems and cyber security more secured and efficient, the former researcher at Google LLC said. Since the United States has become more U.S.-centric, there is a potential for AI to become "a bargaining chip for other countries," if its services and models are so powerful, Ha said. Japan's Defense Ministry has been exploring greater use of AI in the defense sector, outlining its basic policy last year on fields such as detection and identification of military targets, command and control, and logistic support. But the policy stated there are limits to AI, particularly in situations without precedents, as AI learns from past data, and concerns over credibility and misuse remain as well. Sakana AI, established by Ha and two other co-founders in 2023, was awarded in March at a competition for defense innovation co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit and Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, by presenting a system to predict pandemics and a system to detect AI-generated images. The name "Sakana" means "fish" in Japanese. The company's logo reflects its concept of using collective intelligence made of many small intelligences for their AI development by drawing inspiration from nature, like how small fish form a huge group. Related coverage: Chinese startup shows off applications of race-winning humanoid robot China startup unveils AI-powered humanoid robot priced at $27,500 Japanese university unveils AI program for medical student training
The Mainichi
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Nvidia-backed startup CEO urges Japan to push Defense AI development
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The top executive of a leading Japanese artificial intelligence startup said the Japanese government should focus more on the development of its own AI technology for defense applications in an increasingly deglobalized world. David Ha, the chief executive of Sakana AI K.K., backed by investors such as U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp., said his company sees growth potential in working with the Japanese government in the defense sector since the country's security environment is becoming severe with "many adversaries around its neighbors." "Not many startups in Japan want to work in (the) defense side and (with) governments," Ha said at a recent press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. It presents "an opportunity for our company to engage with the governments on developing defense-related solutions using AI," said the CEO at the Tokyo-based startup known as a unicorn -- an unlisted company valued at more than $1 billion. Technology plays a key role in bolstering information technology infrastructure, and AI is a core part of such technology to make information systems and cyber security more secured and efficient, the former researcher at Google LLC said. Since the United States has become more U.S.-centric, there is a potential for AI to become "a bargaining chip for other countries," if its services and models are so powerful, Ha said. Japan's Defense Ministry has been exploring greater use of AI in the defense sector, outlining its basic policy last year on fields such as detection and identification of military targets, command and control, and logistic support. But the policy stated there are limits to AI, particularly in situations without precedents, as AI learns from past data, and concerns over credibility and misuse remain as well. Sakana AI, established by Ha and two other co-founders in 2023, was awarded in March at a competition for defense innovation co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit and Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, by presenting a system to predict pandemics and a system to detect AI-generated images. The name "Sakana" means "fish" in Japanese. The company's logo reflects its concept of using collective intelligence made of many small intelligences for their AI development by drawing inspiration from nature, like how small fish form a huge group.
