1. China launches first cyber court in e-commerce hub in Hangzhou.
China launched its first cyber (internet) court specialising in handling internet-related cases in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou, amid a spike in the number of online disputes.
China launched its first cyber (internet) court specialising in handling internet-related cases in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou, amid a spike in the number of online disputes.
According latest report of China Internet Network Information Center, China had about 751 million netizens and 724 million mobile Internet users as of the end of June 2017. With high internet penetration, Chinese people have increasingly turn to online shopping and payment.
The Hangzhou Internet Court will be located in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province. It will provide a judicial guarantee for maintaining cyber security, resolving online disputes and promoting the integration of the Internet with society and the economy.
Hangzhou municipal legislature appointed the president, vice presidents and judges of the court. The province is home to many Internet companies, including e-commerce giant Alibaba.
2. 12-year-old Indian-Origin Crowned Child Genius in United Kingdom.
A 12-year-old Indian-origin boy from north London has won the Child Genius show broadcast by UK’s Channel 4, the media reported on Sunday.
Rahul, who lives in Barnet, beat his nine-year-old opponent, Ronan, 10-4 in the programme’s finale on Saturday night, the BBC reported.
Rahul, who has an IQ high enough to be a member of Mensa, the world’s largest and oldest high IQ society, fought off competition from 19 children aged eight to 12 in the week-long show.
He clinched the title by answering a question on 19th Century artists William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais.
In the final, Rahul’s chosen subject was Edward Jenner’s medical innovation and methodology in 18th Century England. He and Ronan both scored 15 in their specialist fields.
Rahul said he was “extremely delighted to win” and congratulated Ronan and the other contestants, the BBC reported.
He had impressed audiences and quizmaster Richard Osman in the first round on Monday by answering every question he was asked correctly.
Rahul’s father, Minesh is an IT manager and mother Komal, a pharmacist. They entered him into the competition and called his success a “phenomenal achievement”.
3. China to relaunch one of the world`s fastest bullet trains.
China is relaunching one of the world`s fastest bullet trains, running at 350 kilometers (217 miles) per hour.
The trains will service the route from Beijing to Shanghai starting next month, making the 1,250-kilometer (777-mile) journey in just 4 hours, 30 minutes. Other routes are being added.
China first ran trains at 350 kilometers per hour in August 2008, but cut speeds back to 250-300 kilometers per hour in 2011 following a two-train collision near the city of Wenzhou that killed 40 people and injured 191.
China has laid more than 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) of high-speed rail, with a target of adding another 10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles) by 2020.
China has spent an estimated $360 billion on high-speed rail, building by far the largest network in the world.
4. USA and South Korea 10-day Annual Military Exercise Begins.
Washington, Aug 18 (PTI) The US and South Korea would begin a 10-day-long annual military exercise next week, the Pentagon said today amid the continued provocative behaviour from North Korea.
The Ulchi Freedom Guardian drill is a computer simulated defencive exercise designed to enhance readiness, protect the region and maintain stability on the Korean peninsula, the Pentagon said.
Out of the 17,500 US service members who are going to participate, about 3,000 coming from off-peninsula for the exercise that will start on August 21 and end on August 31.
In addition to South Korea and US forces, UN Command forces from seven sending states including Australia, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the UK will participate in this annual exercise.
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In addition, Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission observers will monitor the exercise to ensure it is in compliance with the Armistice Agreement for the Restoration of the South Korean State (1953), it said.
"These exercises also highlight the longstanding military partnership, commitment and enduring friendship between the two nations, and help to ensure peace and security on the peninsula, and reaffirm US commitment to the alliance," the Pentagon added.
5. TRAI sign Lol with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has inked an agreement with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to deepen bilateral cooperation in telecom and broadcasting regulation.
The two telecom regulators on Tuesday signed a letter of intent (LoI), under which they will exchange information and regulatory best practices.
Trai chairman RS Sharma and MCMC chairman Halim Shafie were signatories to the pact, which will enhance cooperation and bilateral ties between the two entities.
The telecom regulators of India and Malaysia will also undertake joint capacity building exercises in telecom and broadcasting regulation, the Trai said in a statement.
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It said the signing of this “historic agreement” is significant as both India and Malaysia can “learn from each other, and enhance mutual cooperation and bilateral relations”.
Collaboration is planned in various global fora “including but not limited to” the International Telecom Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity.
The pact came amid the ongoing Asia-Pacific regulators` roundtable jointly organised by the International Telecom Union and Trai.
6. Information and Broadcasting Ministry Constituted 40-Member Preview Panel for IFFI.
New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) The Information and Broadcasting Ministry today constituted a 40-member preview committee with filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri as its convenor to select movies for the international film festival at Goa.
Other members of the new committee include Agnihotris wife and actress Pallavi Joshi, author and Padma Shri-awardee Narendra Kohli and actress Hrishitaa Bhatt, an official statement said.
The move came after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry recently postponed a meeting of the previous preview committee comprising around 20 members who were nominated when M Venkaiah Naidu was the information and broadcasting minister.
Film editor Aarti Bajaj, film critic and screenwriter Khalid Mohamed, and film director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury are among the other members of the newly-constituted committee.
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28.
"The (dissolved) committee was cleared by M Venkaiah Naidu in second week of July. The process was already started and we have seen 150 films so far. We dont know whether they will be seen again or not," a member of the dissolved committee said.
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Film critic Saibal Chatterjee is the only member of the earlier committee who has been been retained in the new committee, the member, who wished not to be named, said. Vivek Agnihotri told PTI over phone, "I am very passionate about such film festivals.
"I and all the members will try and do a good job. I think what Smriti Irani ji is trying to do is bring in more professionals. All of us want one thing - the film industry should grow and these are small steps."
He said that he is currently in the US and was not aware that his wife Pallavi was also a part of the committee.
Other members of the committee include Padma Shri-awardee Naresh Chander Lal, actor Abhimanyu Singh, journalist Bhawana Somaaya, South film actress Jeevitha Rajasekhar and Gautami Tadimalla, Dangal film director Nitesh Tiwari, and Airlift director Raja Krishna Menon, documentary maker Siddharth Kak, and producer Sanjay Leela Bhansalis sister Bela Segal.
Paediatrician-cum-movie director Santwana Bordoloi, Noida-based filmmaker Bhaskar Hazarika, documentary filmmakers from the northeast Dominic Megam Sangma, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) Member Secretary Sachchidanand Joshi, Malayalam film actress Parvathi Menon, and film director Sangee Dorjee Thongdok are also selected in the new committee.
Those members who have been dropped included Rekha Gupta, a prominent BJP member and a member linked to Sanskar Bharti Praveen Arya, a former member said, on condition of anonymity.
Last week, the I and B Ministry had constituted the steering committee and the technical committee for the IFFI.
Filmmaker Jahnu Barua was appointed as the convener of the new 13-member steering committee, while filmmaker and screenwriter Nagesh Kukunoor was made the head of the 12- member technical comme.
7. 8th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress in New Delhi.
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal, addressed a distinguished gathering of delegates attending the 3-day 8th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress here today. The Minister also gave away Energy and Environment Foundation Global Excellence awards 2017 during the inaugural session of the conference.
The annual conference is visualized and planned in the backdrop of India`s vision on achieving "Energy Independence and Power for all by 2022". It focusses on new Green Technologies to ensure clean, reliable and affordable Renewable Energy supplies. It provides an opportunity and open forum to exchange information, share experiences and best practices by bringing together experts, investors and other multi stake holders of i.e. Public and Private Sector, Advisory Groups, Governments, NGOs, Non-Profit organizations Environmentalists and Academia.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Goyal noted that the last 10 to 15 years have seen a rapid decline in the quality of the atmosphere due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions globally and it has become probably the largest challenge before humanity today. Fortunately, post the
Paris agreement, the world as a whole has recognized that climate change is a serious issue and it needs to be addressed globally in a mission mode, the Minister added.
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Shri Goyal informed that India is spearheading a number of engagements on the global platform to address the challenge, which include the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Mission Innovation, global engagements on rapid de-carbonization of the energy space, the African Renewable Energy Initiative, the G20 Energy Ministers getting together to see what can be done to look at a better future for the world, inter alia.
Further, Shri Goyal talked about the 3Ds, which today`s global engagements need to focus their energy upon. These are - a common shared goal of De-carbonization of the energy space; to look at more Decentralization of energy space; and more and more Digitalization of the energy space. With each passing day we are running out of time and we need to accelerate our efforts in coordination to promote clean energy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If we do not address to these 3Ds, I am worried that the World might end up decelerating the global economy", the Minister said.
Talking about technological advancements in renewable energy sector, Shri Goyal said, I am sure this advent of Technology will make renewable energy more attractive particularly for emerging and growing economies like India, especially when renewable energy costs are down as compared to other forms of conventional energy sources".
Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri K.S. Popli, CMD, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA), Shri Upendra Tripathy, DG, ISA, along with other National and International stalwarts of the Renewable Energy sector.
8. Union Cabinet approves India and Nepal MoU on Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (23 August) has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Nepal on Drug Demand Reduction and Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and precursor chemicals and related matters.
The MoU indicates the mechanism of information exchange and the competent authorities in the two countries who are responsible for the implementation of the MoU and exchange of any information.
Cooperation on drug matters is expected to curb the illicit traffic of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals in the two countries.
The MoU provides that the parties shall endeavour to develop mutual cooperation with a view to resolve the issue of illicit traffic in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors.
It also aims to exchange information of operational, technical and general nature in drug matters, exchange literature on their existing laws, rules, procedures, best practices and methods of curbing illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors and any further amendments to the existing legislation.