A judge has ruled that a near-total ban on abortion dating from 1864 must be enforced in Arizona. The judge lifted an injunction and barred enforcement of a law that allows abortion to save the life of the mother. This US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and determined there was a constitutional right to abortion. 

US states have been deciding if or when to allow the procedure. The law predates the state’s funding and includes a two to five-year prison sentence for anyone who helps someone with an abortion. At first, it was blocked in 1973, but after the supreme court’s historic Roe v Wade ruling, and Judge Kellie Johnson of Pima County Superior Court lifted the injunction on Friday. 

The President of Planned Parenthood Arizona, Brittany Forteno, said that she could not overstate how cruel the decision was. No archaic law should dictate our reproductive freedom, a lady added. And Roe v. Wade was overturned in June and did not automatically make abortion illegal. But it gave individual states the power to impose their own bans. 

Complicating the situation, Arizona, the Republic-led state, passed legislation banning abortion 15 weeks earlier this year. It could be brought into effect that Roe v Wade was overturned. Now it is unclear whether the 15-week ban or the near-total ban will take precedence. 

FAQ

• After how many weeks, abortion be banned?

Ans. 15 weeks

• Who is the president of Planned Parenthood Arizona?

Ans. Brittany Fonteno 

• When was the Supreme Court’s historic Roe v. Wade ruling?

Ans. 1973

As a spin-off of space technology, the Indian Space Research Organisation said on Friday that it has developed very smart and intelligent artificial limbs. They will be commercialized very soon and are expected to be cheaper by about 10 times. They will also benefit above-knee amputees by walking with a very comfortable gait, ISRO said. 

These microprocessor knees offer more extended capabilities for the amputee than the rest offered by the passive limbs, which do not use microprocessors. Thus, for about 1.6 kg, MPK enabled an amputee to walk about 100 meters in the corridor for minimum support. Efforts to improvise the performance are already underway. 

Let us tell you that these smart MPKs are developed by the ISRO Vikram Sarabhai Centre (VSSC) and under an MOU with NILD, Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Personals with Physical Disabilities and Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation of India. 

The MPK consists of a microprocessor, hydraulic damper, load and knee angle sensors, composite knee-case, Li-ion battery, electrical harness, and a lot more. This microprocessor detects the state of gait based on the sensor data and controls the software to estimate the real-time damping needed to attain the desired gait. All this is achieved by changing the stiffness of the system as achieved by a hydraulic damper operated by a DC motor. 

Walking parameters specific to amputees can be set using PC-based software to improve one’s comfort, and the interface plots the parameters in real-time during walking. 

FAQ

• What is the new invention of the ISRO?

Ans. Microprocessor-controlled smart limbs

• What is the other name of the smart microprocessor-controlled smart limbs?

Ans. MPKs

• What is the weight of the MPKs?

Ans. 1.6 kg

On Thursday, Japan announced that it would lift tough COVID restrictions on foreign tourists and reopen its borders after two and a half years. Speaking at the New York Stock Exchange, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the pandemic had interrupted the free flow of people, capital, and goods that helped the nation to flourish. 

From October 11 to 11, Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US and will resume visa-free travel and individual travel. These are the words of Kishida as he is in the city for the United Nations General Assembly. Japan, like China, has been a holdout in continuing tough restrictions on visitors. But Japan and China never imposed a strict lockdown during the crisis. 

Visitors who come to Japan will enjoy a week yet it has plummeted so low against the dollar that the finance ministry intervened in the currency market. For the first time since 1998, all of this happened on Thursday. The return visa-waiver program was suspended in March 2020 to restore the ease of access that saw a record of 31.9 million foreign visitors to the country in 2019. Since June, Japan has allowed tourists to visit in groups accompanied by guides, a requirement that was further relaxed to include self-guided package tours as well.

FAQ

• When was the return of the visa-waiver program suspended?

Ans. March 2020

• When did the currency market intervene?

Ans. Thursday since 1998

• When will Japan relax border control measures?

Ans. October 11

On Thursday, RBI Executive Director Ajay Choudhary said there is a surefire way to regulate fintech players. They made it clear that the responsibility lies with these institutions to operate all of these balanced. He also said companies in the industry should have the right intent while coming up with proffered and robust governance for the orderly growth of the industry.

Words from Choudhary at Global Fintech Fest:

There is no surefire way to regulate fintech in a way that maximizes its positive impact while protecting the financial system and customers from the risks. When it comes to protecting and promoting the interests of customers and orderly development of the financial system, the actor in the great balancing act must be the fintech industry.

He added that he believes in life or business as balance comes from focusing on what is right. It cannot just come from the regulation as it can only be a supporting ingredient. But the fintech has to do the balancing act themselves. He also prescribes that fintech players focus on customer orientation and governance.

If the RBI has increased its focus on the fintech sector, the comments will come gradually. It also recently released guidelines on digital lending apps, which has caused a stir with some companies that have raised concerns.

FAQ

• Who is the CEO of RBI?

Ans. Ajay Choudhary

• What is the goal of future fintech companies?

Ans. Orderly development of the financial system and technology

• According to the RBI governor, how does the deal come about?

Ans.Regulation

Former Justice Minister Fu Zhenghua has led several anti-corruption campaigns and has been jailed for bribery. He pleaded guilty in July to accepting gifts and money totaling 117 million yuan. Chinese media also reported that he has received a suspended death sentence for the past two years, which is set to be commuted to life imprisonment.

The conviction also comes amid a sudden crackdown on officials ahead of the Communist Party’s main congress next month. The Chinese ruling party holds the event every five years. This time, President Xi Jinping is expected to sit a historic third exam that will also consolidate his power. The failed Fu served as China’s Minister of Justice from 2018 to 2020 and, after a career, worked his way up from police officer to deputy head of China’s Ministry of Public Security.

He also led numerous high-profile investigations into corrupt politicians. All of this includes an investigation that saw Zhou Yongkang convicted of bribery as one of the most powerful officials in recent years.

Last October, one party, an internal surveillance agency, announced that it would investigate Fu for serious violations of national laws and disciplinary measures. He was dismissed from public office and expelled from the Communist Party in March of this year. A month later he was also arrested on corruption charges.

FAQ

• Who is the former Minister of Justice of China?

Ans. to Fu Zhenghua

• How high is the corruption?

Ans. to 117 million yuan

• Who is China’s Farsighted?

Ans. to Xi Jinping