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United News of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Civil society organisations urge Sri Lankan govt to enact critical reforms
Colombo, May 15 (UNI) Civil society groups such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), together with its affiliates the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) and the Free Media Movement (FMM), has urged the new government to heed civil society calls to bring the country forward on critical reforms. Issuing a statement, the IFJ raised concerns over the Sri Lankan government's apparent reluctance to engage with civil society, warning that the administration under newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is falling short of its promises on transparency and inclusive governance, News Wire reports. Despite repeated efforts by civil society organisations, the government has so far remained unresponsive to calls for renewed commitment to the Open Government Partnership (OGP)—a global initiative aimed at promoting transparency, empowering citizens, combating corruption and improving governance. Critics argue that this silence undermines public trust and raises questions about the administration's willingness to foster meaningful citizen participation in decision-making. Under the mandate of the OGP, members are required to create a two-year National Action Plan through a multi-stakeholder process to implement governance reforms in collaboration with civil society. Organisations such as Transparency International Sri Lanka and the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, as co-conveners of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) involved in Sri Lanka's OGP process, urged the government to recommit to the OGP or potentially be expelled from the multilateral initiative. In a statement, the groups said the continued silence underscored a broader pattern of weak consultative governance and emphasised that restoring trust in public institutions required a firm commitment to open, inclusive and participatory governance that reflects the voices and needs of the people. The current frustration from Sri Lankan civil society groups, while targeted at the new administration, is also underpinned by a long pattern of neglect by previous governments. From 2021 to 2023, successive governments failed to submit a National Action Plan under the OGP, prompting the global OGP Steering Committee to designate Sri Lanka as 'inactive' in a resolution passed on May 10, 2024. To restore its active status, Sri Lanka was due to submit a new Action Plan by May 10, 2025, but the current administration has yet to comply. The FMM said: 'The government's inaction – while retaining draconian legislation – exposes its indifference to constitutional freedoms. FMM demands immediate recommitment to OGP with civil society to repeal anti-media laws; embed press freedom in the National Action Plan and guarantee transparent policymaking. Media freedom cannot survive without institutional checks. The OGP is our last firewall against authoritarian regression.' The SLWJA said: 'We believe it's crucial to re-engage the current Sri Lankan government in a participatory governance model that includes civil society organisations. In the past, the Sri Lankan government has had positive experiences working with such civil organisations to implement 'Good Governance.' Reviving this approach could lead to more effective and accountable governance.' The IFJ said: 'Press freedom can only thrive within a functioning democracy, and the continued neglect of participatory governance and civil society engagement raises serious questions about the administration's commitment to legislative reform. It is urgent that press freedom is front and centre of such a discussion.' UNI ANV SS
New Paper
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Paper
Experimental camera-based ERP system being trialled till October 2025
An experimental project using street-mounted cameras and vehicle licence plate recognition technology to compute Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges is being put to the test. The trial of the technology started in November 2024 and will run until October. There are no plans to roll out the technology, which is still in the exploratory stage. Called ERP X, the experiment by Open Government Products (OGP), an independent division of the Government Technology Agency that builds technology for the public good, was one of 35 projects from OGP's Hack for Public Good 2024, a yearly hackathon. Under the ERP X trial, nine cameras have been installed at different locations in the Bras Basah area. These cameras automatically recognise vehicle licence plate numbers, and toll payments are handled automatically through a smartphone app. In contrast, ERP charges are processed through hardware installed in vehicles under the current system. The Straits Times observed that in the Bras Basah area, the cameras are mounted on lamp posts and positioned to detect a vehicle's rear licence plate. An OGP spokeswoman told ST that the trial is intended to gather feedback that will help the team understand the technology better, and it is working with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on the trial. The spokeswoman said: "We are still in the early stages of figuring out how this technology can be used effectively to improve road and vehicle usage operations, including enforcement." She added: "There is a lot more development, testing and validation needed before we consider any large-scale application." While OGP sees potential in this technology, the spokeswoman said the team is looking for ways to test different ideas and situations in which it can be used across the Government. "We will have many such explorations." A spokesperson for LTA said the study was at an "exploratory stage" and it had no further information to provide. Other than charging a user when a vehicle passes through a location, as with the current ERP system, ERP X could also open the way for distance-based charges. "With enough cameras in place, we can track a vehicle's route and charge based on the distance travelled," the ERP X website said. Under the ERP X trial, cameras mounted overhead automatically recognise vehicle licence plate numbers, and toll payments are handled automatically through a smartphone app. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN ERP X was started amid "practical challenges" with the next-generation satellite-based ERP 2.0 system, which will replace the existing gantry-based system, the team said on its website. Some drivers felt ERP 2.0 was "somewhat obtrusive and inconvenient to use", the team added. There had been concerns about the bulkiness of the new system's three-piece on-board unit, comprising a processing unit, an antenna and a touchscreen display. In the latest quarterly update on the ERP X trial, for the first quarter of 2025, OGP said an "offences dashboard" has been set up for operations officers to review potential violations detected by the system. These include off-peak vehicles spotted during restricted hours and lorries being driven with inadequate safety measures. Twenty-six more cameras have also been installed, but the update did not state the locations, and they are not yet in operation. As at the end of March, there were 162 participants in the trial, and the accuracy of the cameras in identifying vehicle licence plates was 95.4 per cent. The trial incurred $362,773 in costs in the first three months of 2025. ST signed up for the trial in March using the publicly available web link. To be considered for the test, participants have to submit information such as the type of vehicle used, which may be a car, motorcycle or commercial vehicle, and whether the user has an iOS or Android mobile device. Other than charging a user when a vehicle passes through a location, as with the current ERP system, ERP X could also open the way for distance-based charges. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Successful applicants will receive a WhatsApp text message with instructions on how to download the ERP X test app, which is accessible by invitation only. Multiple vehicle registration numbers can be added to the app, which has an interface showing a summary of transactions. The app also shows the route and distance covered by the vehicles. Meanwhile, the islandwide transition to ERP 2.0 is under way. For now, around 430,000 vehicles out of Singapore's total vehicle population of just over one million have been fitted with the new on-board unit, said LTA. The installation of the hardware in Singapore-registered vehicles is targeted to be completed by 2026.
Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Experimental camera-based ERP system being trialled till October 2025
The artificial intelligence-powered camera-based system is able to read vehicle registration numbers to handle ERP charges. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN SINGAPORE - An experimental project using street-mounted cameras and vehicle licence plate recognition technology to compute Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges is being put to the test. The trial of the technology started in November 2024 and will run until October. There are no plans to roll out the technology, which is still in the exploratory stage. Called ERP X, the experiment by Open Government Products (OGP), an independent division of the Government Technology Agency that builds technology for the public good, was one of 35 projects from OGP's Hack for Public Good 2024, a yearly hackathon. Under the ERP X trial, nine cameras have been installed at different locations in the Bras Basah area. These cameras automatically recognise vehicle licence plate numbers, and toll payments are handled automatically through a smartphone app. In contrast, ERP charges are processed through hardware installed in vehicles under the current system. The Straits Times observed that in the Bras Basah area, the cameras are mounted on lamp posts and positioned to detect a vehicle's rear licence plate. An OGP spokeswoman told ST that the trial is intended to gather feedback that will help the team understand the technology better, and it is working with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on the trial. The spokeswoman said: 'We are still in the early stages of figuring out how this technology can be used effectively to improve road and vehicle usage operations, including enforcement.' She added: 'There is a lot more development, testing and validation needed before we consider any large-scale application.' While OGP sees potential in this technology, the spokeswoman said the team is looking for ways to test different ideas and situations in which it can be used across the Government. 'We will have many such explorations.' A spokesperson for LTA said the study was at an 'exploratory stage' and it had no further information to provide. Other than charging a user when a vehicle passes through a location, as with the current ERP system, ERP X could also open the way for distance-based charges. 'With enough cameras in place, we can track a vehicle's route and charge based on the distance travelled,' the ERP X website said. Under the ERP X trial, cameras mounted overhead automatically recognise vehicle licence plate numbers, and toll payments are handled automatically through a smartphone app. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN ERP X was started amid 'practical challenges' with the next-generation satellite-based ERP 2.0 system, which will replace the existing gantry-based system, the team said on its website. Some drivers felt ERP 2.0 was 'somewhat obtrusive and inconvenient to use', the team added. There had been concerns about the bulkiness of the new system's three-piece on-board unit, comprising a processing unit, an antenna and a touchscreen display. In the latest quarterly update on the ERP X trial, for the first quarter of 2025, OGP said an 'offences dashboard' has been set up for operations officers to review potential violations detected by the system. These include off-peak vehicles spotted during restricted hours and lorries being driven with inadequate safety measures. Twenty-six more cameras have also been installed, but the update did not state the locations, and they are not yet in operation. As at the end of March, there were 162 participants in the trial, and the accuracy of the cameras in identifying vehicle licence plates was 95.4 per cent. The trial incurred $362,773 in costs in the first three months of 2025. ST signed up for the trial in March using the publicly available web link. To be considered for the test, participants have to submit information such as the type of vehicle used, which may be a car, motorcycle or commercial vehicle, and whether the user has an iOS or Android mobile device. Other than charging a user when a vehicle passes through a location, as with the current ERP system, ERP X could also open the way for distance-based charges. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Successful applicants will receive a WhatsApp text message with instructions on how to download the ERP X test app, which is accessible by invitation only. Multiple vehicle registration numbers can be added to the app, which has an interface showing a summary of transactions. The app also shows the route and distance covered by the vehicles. Meanwhile, the islandwide transition to ERP 2.0 is under way. For now, around 430,000 vehicles out of Singapore's total vehicle population of just over one million have been fitted with the new on-board unit, said LTA. The installation of the hardware in Singapore-registered vehicles is targeted to be completed by 2026. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
News.com.au
06-05-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
Truth about female orgasms finally revealed in new study
If this was a newspaper and not a nice shiny website plugged into the wall with a few blue cables coming out the back, then there is only one headline we would use on this story: Come again? Today we have new research out of the US where some academics have dedicated themselves to the burning question: Why aren't women having more orgasms? Sadly, big tech, big pharma and big porn, despite being industries worth a combined $21 trillion, have failed to solve this. Enter a new study that has some answers. Published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, this research has identified what is really going wrong in the bedroom - we are suffering from an Orgasm Pursuit Gap (OGP). That is, how much perceived effort, both partners, put into a woman orgasming. The study found that, essentially, straight men and women both prioritise the bloke getting there (sly wink) and that far less effort, on everyone's part, went into the woman achieving similar results. Sigh. Great. Just great. We (writing as a cis gender woman) are, statistically, paid less, do more housework and childcare, report higher rates of feeling rushed and pressed for time, and are more likely to die of stroke. And now, it turns out that we are being even further short-changed in the bedroom. Who do we ask for a refund? The study was led by Carly Wolfer, a doctoral candidate in social psychology at City University of New York, who asked 127 people in heterosexual relationships aged 18-40-years-old to keep sex diaries for three weeks, a span which ultimately tracked 566 sexual events. Ms Wolfer found that men orgasmed during 90 percent of their sexual encounters while women only got to the same place just over half the time, at 54 percent. It gets worse. Not only are men 15 times more likely to orgasm than women but when they do they have more satisfying orgasms. (Programming note: I vehemently refuse to use the word 'climax'. We are not trapped in the early aughties badlands of mags doing stories like '15 ways to blow his mind'.) That's 'not because it's 'just naturally harder' for women to orgasm - a common myth,' Wilder told the HuffPost, 'but because we put less effort into the sexual practices that support women's pleasure, like clitoral stimulation.' Or to put it another way, heterosexual couples have a general tendency to do the things, positions, and upside-down, back-to-front, standing-on-your-head gymnastics that help men orgasm over what works for women. Moreover, while this is going on, the research showed that both him and her are more focused on the guy orgasming, rather than the gal equally. Et voila, the orgasm pursuit gap. As Wolfer explained to the HuffPost, the OGP is about 'how much someone wants an orgasm to happen - whether it's their own or their partner's - and how much effort they put into making it happen.' From a feminist standpoint this all makes me want to grind my teeth and start emitting the sort of noises better suited to a pitbull chained up to a fence who is having a very bad day. When it comes to female sexual enjoyment, the figures are a real turn off. Last year the sex toy company Womanizer's We-Vibe sex and relationships study found that barely 40 per cent of women across all age brackets are actually satisfied with the amount of sex they are having. Meanwhile, an Australian study has previously found that only one in four women regularly masturbate, dealing a devastating blow to double AA battery sales. Overall, researchers found that in the past year, nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of men had masturbated but only just a bit more than one in three women (42 per cent). According to Womanizer's numbers, overall, 62 per cent of women don't own a single sex toy. So women of Australia it's time to unite: We are being shortchanged, and short changing ourselves, in the bedroom. Forget budget deficits, we are massively stuck in a far more pressing orgasm deficit, strangely an issue that has not come up during this election cycle. (Imagining Prime Minister Athony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton even spluttering their way through saying the word 'orgams' as they turned various shades of puce and became increasingly flustered is the best fun you can have with your pants on today. No one should ever lie back and think of Canberra.) The moral of all this: When it comes to your next sexual event, everyone needs to try. Everyone needs to come to the party.
Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
S'poreans come together to build apps for caregivers and isolated seniors
(From left) Mr Joshua Gei and Mr Isaiah Tan, who are part of the team behind the CareCompass app, with Mr Royce Hoe and Mr Chen Zhihan, who are from the team behind the Heartbeat app. PHOTO: SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE S'poreans come together to build apps for caregivers and isolated seniors As Singapore turns 60, it is also a time to celebrate the care that Singaporeans show for one another, connecting and contributing ideas towards a better society. SINGAPORE – Product manager Joshua Gei, 28, knows first-hand the panic and stress people face when a family member falls gravely ill. After a major stroke left his 88-year-old grandfather bed-bound about five years ago, the family was thrust into a maze of unfamiliar caregiving responsibilities. There was so much to do and figure out, and information on care services and subsidies was scattered across different websites, said Mr Gei. Recognising this gap, he and four teammates – tech professionals and a student – created CareCompass, a free app to help caregivers of dementia patients find the information they need. The idea was born in 2024 at the Build for Good Hackathon, organised by Open Government Products (OGP), a tech team in the Government that builds technology for public good. The hackathon was organised by OGP in partnership with the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO), which was set up to strengthen the Government's partnerships and engagements with Singaporeans. CareCompass was one of five winning teams from the 2024 Hackathon that were given the chance to be part of the Build for Good Accelerator programme to develop, pilot and launch their solutions with $20,000 in funding provided by OGP. With CareCompass, users can tap information on care services, maid agencies, subsidies and support systems. Users can find the nearest centre that provides daycare for seniors near their homes by keying in their postal code. Search results will show the subsidies at each centre, and users can post reviews of the centre. The app, which went live in November, aims to ease the burden on caregivers, especially those who are just beginning their journey. One unique feature of the 2024 hackathon is that SGPO facilitated consultations between participants and subject-matter experts across the Government to help teams better understand and tackle the issues they aimed to solve. The team behind CareCompass consulted staff from the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and social service agencies like Dementia Singapore, and met about 30 caregivers to help them refine and improve their app. Mr Isaiah Tan, a 36-year-old graphic designer who is part of the team, said: 'Users said our app saved them a lot of time when it comes to looking for information.' Those interested can find out more at CareCompass will soon include another function from an app called Heartbeat to monitor the well-being of seniors who live alone. The Heartbeat app – to be launched in end-May or June – is the product of another team of tech professionals at the 2024 hackathon. They were given $5,000 from the Build for Good Starter Fund that supports teams keen to continue pursuing their solutions for public good. All seniors have to do is to check in via the Heartbeat app every day to let their caregiver know they are okay. The caregiver is alerted through a WhatsApp message if the senior fails to do so. Seniors also indicate if they are feeling 'OK', 'happy' or 'sad' when they check in, and their caregiver is alerted if they tap on the 'sad' button over a few days in a row. Data scientist Chen Zhihan, 40, who is part of the Heartbeat team, has first-hand experience of the challenges of being a primary caregiver. His mother, who has Parkinson's disease and dementia, is unable to walk after a fall, and his father became very ill after a heart attack, although he is now better. 'I want to use my technology skills for public good,' he said. His teammate Royce Hoe, a 30-year-old senior software engineer, said he was sad to learn from AIC about the problem of seniors who die alone, and his team wanted to tackle this issue. The Heartbeat team is working with Braddell Heights grassroots organisations, the People's Association and active ageing centres to get seniors and their caregivers to use the app. When volunteering is a family affair For property agent Elsa Yeo, 49, and her family, volunteering has become a way to help where they can. Ms Yeo, her husband Epson Ng, 49, and their only child Edus, 19, all volunteer as Silver Generation Ambassadors – visiting seniors in their homes to check on their health and encourage them to stay healthy and active. They help to connect the elderly with government agencies and schemes that they require. The Silver Generation Ambassador is an initiative of the Silver Generation Office, the outreach arm of AIC. There are now more than 7,000 such ambassadors. (From left) Nanyang Polytechnic student Edus Ng, property agent Elsa Yeo and husband Epson Ng at Serangoon Community Club on April 21. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG It started about two years ago when Ms Yeo heard from a friend about the work of such ambassadors. 'I want to volunteer as I have free time and flexibility in my job,' she said. 'I have also worked part-time as a clinic assistant for many years, so I'm quite familiar with healthcare matters.' She usually volunteers one or two days a week, adding that many seniors have taught her valuable life lessons. She recounted how a big-hearted man in his 70s, who lives alone in a rental flat and uses a wheelchair, would use his income from his job t o cook for or share food with neighbours. She also met a cleaner who would rush home to prepare lunch for his frail wife. The senior's love, dedication and resilience touched her deeply. She added: 'Many of the seniors are simple and content, and I feel I should also be more contented with what I already have. And some of them are very positive, even if they are going through difficulties (in life).' Mr Epson Ng said he was inspired by his wife's recounting of the seniors she met, and decided to join her as a volunteer as he is currently taking a 'career break'. 'I'm able-bodied, yet I spent my time after work watching TV or swiping away on my phone,' added Mr Ng, who used to be in the IT industry. 'I feel I can make better use of my time. And since I'm taking a career break now, I have time to volunteer. ' The Silver Generation Ambassadors usually go about in pairs, and he would pair up with his wife. He usually volunteers once a week. Their giving spirit has rubbed off on their son, who was already volunteering with the Serangoon Youth Network to plan activities for youth. Mr Edus Ng, a Nanyang Polytechnic student, has finished five training sessions to be a Silver Generation Ambassador, and hopes to start volunteering in May. He has put his new-found knowledge to use. A senior who needed help to navigate digital platforms approached him, after she spotted him in a Silver Generation Ambassador T-shirt at a foodcourt. He pointed her to the nearest library, where the SG Digital Office's digital ambassadors help seniors pick up skills like making online payments and using social media. 'Seeing my parents do such meaningful work, I thought, 'why not?'' he said. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
