- China approves wide-ranging counter terrorism law
- China’s governing body has passed its first-ever counter-terrorism bill, which it says will help address rising terror threats at home and boost international security.
- An Weixing, an official with the public security ministry, told journalists Sunday that terror attacks were a rising issue in China.
- However, some analysts feel that the purpose of the bill is aimed at control of the Chinese population, rather than curbing domestic and international terrorism.
- ‘Logan’s Run’ co-author George Clayton Johnson dead at 86
- George Clayton Johnson, the legendary science-fiction writer who authored the first “Star Trek” television episode and several classic stories for the popular 1960s TV show “The Twilight Zone,” died on Christmas Day. He was 86.
- Johnson, who also co-wrote the dark futuristic tale “Logan’s Run,” died of cancer in Los Angeles on Friday, his son, Paul B. Johnson, told The Associated Press
- Johnson was revered among fans of the genre for his work, which also included collaborating with Ray Bradbury on the 1962, Oscar-nominated, animated short film “Icarus Montgolfier Wright.”
- Shiva Keshavan wins silver at Asian Luge Championship
- Indian winter sports athlete Shiva Keshavan clinched the silver medal in the 18th Asian Luge Championship that concluded in Nagano.
- The race, which comprised of two heats, was closely contested by the Asian athletes. In the first heat, two-time continental champion Shiva was a mere 2/10th of a second behind, but minor technical snags cost him the gold medal in the second heat.
- The first place was claimed by defending champion Hidenari Kanayama of Japan, and third by South Korea’s Kim Dong-hyeon.
- Astra missile proves anti-jamming capability
- A crucial capability of the air-to-air Astra missile —its resistance to jamming — was successfully validated in recent trials conducted by missile scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which indigenously developed the compact missile.
- After carrying out some more trials, including air launch trial with a warhead, the Beyond-Visual Range missile is set to be inducted into the Air Force
- The missile could be launched at different altitudes from sea level to 20 km for engaging aerial targets at various ranges.
- China officially ends three-decade-old one child policy
- China on Sunday officially junked its controversial one child policy, allowing couples to have a second child amid deepening demographic crisis of shrinking workforce and ageing population in the world’s second largest economy.
- Chinese lawmakers passed a historic decision allowing all couples to have two children from January 1, ending its over three and half decade old policy that prevented over 400 million births in the country.
- According to the latest figures, the number of people aged 60 or over in China has reached 212 million at the end of 2014, accounting for 15.5 per cent of the country’s population, with the number of disabled elderly people approaching 40 million.
- By 2050, China is expected to have nearly 500 million people over 60, exceeding the population of the US
Read previous: « Daily GK Potion – 25th and 26th December 2015
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