Current Affairs 22nd June 2017

Current Affairs 22nd June 2017

• Profile pictures protection using new tools is possible now on - Facebook
• Label Rheson from Sonam Kapoor's fashion wins - PETA Award 2017
• 1st India-Russia Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation held on - 21st June 2017
• Italian fashion legend Carla Fendi passed away in - the third week of June 2017
• World’s First train that runs on Virtual Tracks unveiled by - China
• Next US Ambassador to India - Kenneth I Juster
• NASA tests ROSA on Space Station for first time on - 17th June 2017
• Who has been appointed as Under-Secretary-General of UN Counter-Terrorism Office ? - Vladimir Voronkov

Current Affairs 22nd June 2017

Profile pictures protection using new tools is possible now on - Facebook

Social Media giant Facebook introduced some new tools in India that will allow users especially women to protect their profile pictures from being downloaded and shared on 21st June 2017.
This move is targeted to prevent the images misuse on the social networking site.

Facebook developed new tools in partnership with safety organisations including Delhi's Centre for Social Research and Learning Links Foundation.
Gradually, the other countries will also take these tools. Followinh are the new tools -
Photo Guard: Photoguard prevents the downloading, sharing, or sending of the photo in a Facebook message.

No screen-shots of profile picture: On android devices , the latest version of the Facebook app will also prohibit users from taking the screenshot of the guarded photo.

A visual protection cue with blue border: Profile pictures with the added security will be displayed with a blue border and shield forming a visual cue so
that people understand that the picture is protected. When this extra design layer is added to profile pictures, other users are 75 percent less likely to copy that picture.

Design Overlay: There are several different designs that users can add to their profile picture to protect it.
Facebook partnered with illustrator Jessica Singh, who created traditional designs for people from traditional Indian textile designs such as kantha and bandhani. If someone thinks that a picture marked with one of these designs is being misused, they can report it to Facebook.

Label Rheson from Sonam Kapoor's fashion wins - PETA Award 2017

Fashion label Rheson, owned by actress Sonam Kapoor and her producer-sister Rhea Kapoor won the Compassionate Business Award 2017 on 22nd June 2017 from PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India for a line of bags made of vegan materials exclusively.

As per PETA, the demand for cruelty-free fashion is on the rise and at such point of time, companies like Rheson are setting trends by providing great quality accessories and fashion wear made of vegan materials without harming animals.

Do you know?
PETA's Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2016 crown was given to Sonam Kapoor.

1st India-Russia Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation held on - 21st June 2017

 To bolster the cooperation in the science and technology sector, India and Russia identified key areas of cooperation in the sector on 21st June 2017.
Key Highlights

• The identified areas include IT, deep ocean Engineering, space and marine technologies.
• These areas were chosen during the first meeting of India-Russia Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk  co-chaired by the Russian Deputy
• Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and the Defense Minister Arun Jaitley.
• This meeting was held on the sidelines of the Technoprom Exhibition in the city of Novosibirsk.
• Technoprom is one of the biggest annual science, technology and innovation exhibition of Russia.
• Describing Russia as a partner of choice for India in the high technology sector, Jaitley said the new mechanism will further energize the partnership on both the sides.
• He also added that it will be helping to open up advanced areas of cooperation which will benefit the future generations.

Italian fashion legend Carla Fendi passed away in - the third week of June 2017

Italian fashion legend Carla Fendi passed away in Rome in the third week of June 2017. Her death was announced on 20th June 2017 by her family. She was one of the five Italian sisters at the helm of the iconic Italian label and the public face of the company's famous colourful 'baguette' bags.

More about Fendi

• Fendi is an Italian luxury fashion house whose specialties include fragrances, accessories, fur, shoes and leather goods etc.
• Adele and Edoardo Fendi launched The house of Fendi in 1925 as a fur and leather shop in Rome.
• The five second generation sisters entered in the company and brought a new wave of business enthusiasm since 1946.
• Over the time their logo of two F's, one of them upside-down and backwards, has become an  internationally recognized symbol of luxury.
• Fendi started making plans to use drones to show its catwalk fashions in 2014.

World’s First train that runs on Virtual Tracks unveiled by - China

China has unveiled the world's first ‘railless train’ that runs on a virtual track making use of a sensor technology instead of metallic rails. China's CRRC Zhuzhou Institute has developed this Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) under the part of China's attempts to develop an ‘intelligent rail express system’. The same company also makes key parts for high-speed railways.
Key points

• The 30-meter long train at present can carry around 300 passengers and has three carriages.
• There is a possibility to increase the number of carriages in the future making the total capacity of 500 passengers.
• Sensors fitted in the train allow it to detect the road dimensions and plan its own route without the need of metal railway tracks.
• In addition to that, it has rubber wheels, which can be automatically guided without rails.
• This battery powered train is non-polluting and environment friendly.
• With just 10 minutes charging it can travel the distance of 25 km and if fully charged then maximum distance up-to 40km at a maximum speed of 70 km/hr.
• It will be launched out for public use in the Chinese city of Zhuzhou in 2018 to help deal with the traffic in the area.

Next US Ambassador to India - Kenneth I Juster

Senior White House official Kenneth I Juster, a top aide of US President Donald Trump, is set to become America's next Ambassador to India.  White House made this announcement regarding the appointment on 21st June 2017. Juster will be succeeding Richard Verma after nomination and confirmation from the US Senate.

More about Kenneth I Juster

• Juster is serving as the Deputy Assistant to the US President for International Economic Affairs presently and as Deputy Director of the National Economic Council in the White House.
• He also served as Deputy Secretary of Commerce in President George W Bush’s administration.
• As a Commerce Secretary, he launched the High Technology Cooperation Group to promote trade in technology and sensitive dual-use goods.
• He has law degree from the Harvard Law School, a master’s degree in Public Policy from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and a bachelor’s degree in Government from Harvard College.

 NASA tests ROSA on Space Station for first time on - 17th June 2017

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tested the effectiveness of the Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) on the Space Station for the very first time on 17th June 2017. Its an advanced flexible solar array that rolls out like a tape measure.

NASA engineers remotely attached the ROSA to the International Space Station’s robotic Canadarm2. ROSA will remain be attached to the Canadarm2 over seven days. NASA had tested earlier the ROSA technology in vacuum chambers on Earth many years ago.

More about Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA)

• It was developed as a part of the Solar Electric Propulsion project sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
• This solar array technology was developed to power large spacecraft using highly-efficient electric propulsion on missions to deep space including Mars and the moon.
• It is very much flexible so that it can be adapted to different sizes including very large arrays.
• It will be an asset for television, satellite radio, weather forecasting, GPS and other services used on the Earth.
• It is comparatively smaller and lighter than the traditional panels and also has a center wing build of a flexible material containing photo voltaic cells to convert light into electricity.
• Its narrow arm extends on both the sides of the wing to give support called as a High Strain Composite Boom which are like split tubes made of a stiff composite material.

Who has been appointed as Under-Secretary-General of UN Counter-Terrorism Office ? - Vladimir Voronkov

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov of the Russian Federation as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office on 21st June 2017.
The Under-Secretary-General will be providing strategic leadership to United Nations counter-terrorism efforts, participating in the decision-making process of the UN and ensure that
impact of terrorism and the cross-cutting origins are reflected in the work of the United Nations.

More about Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov

• Vladimir Voronkov is serving as the Russian Federation’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna.
• Before his appointment, he served as the Director of the Department of European Cooperation at the Ministry of Affairs in Moscow from 2008 to 2011.
• It was under his leadership that the Permanent Mission launched several flagship projects with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).
• He also served on the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• He holds more than 30 years of working primarily on the United Nations and foreign service experience, as well as responsibilities ranging from social and economic development issues, public diplomacy and intergovernmental affairs.
• He holds a PhD degree from Moscow State University, and also authored various scientific publications on international issues.
• The General Assembly had approved the establishment of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office on 15th June 2017.
• General Assembly resolution established 71/291.
• It was created to help Member of the States to implement the Organization's global counter-terrorism strategy.