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WhatsApp blocks 2 million Indian accounts in battle against spam messages

Zarbab Ayesha Malik.

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WhatsApp blocked 2 million accounts of Indian users in a month to prevent harmful behavior, the company said in its first-ever compliance report published under the country’s strict new information technology rules.

India implemented new rules in May to regulate social media companies, forcing them to disclose each month their efforts to police their platforms. “We maintain advanced capabilities to identify these accounts sending a high or abnormal rate of messages and banned two million accounts in India alone from May 15 to June 15 attempting this kind of abuse,” WhatsApp said in its report released late Thursday.

The company said its top focus remains on preventing the spread of harmful and unwanted messages.  WhatsApp has more than 400m users in India, one of its top markets has often found itself facing criticism over the spread of misinformation. Dozens of people were lynched in India in 2018 following rumors spread on WhatsApp about gangs stealing children.

The Facebook-owned messaging App said that more than 95% of the two (2) million accounts blocked between May 15 and June 15 were banned “due to unauthorized use of automated or bulk-messaging”. “These numbers have increased significantly since 2019 because our systems have increased in sophistication,” the company said in a statement Thursday. “Keep in mind, we ban the vast majority of these accounts proactively, without relying on any user reports.”

In 2018, the servicebegan restricting the ability of users worldwide to forward messages after viral hoaxes on its platform were blamed for a spate of mob violence in India. The company blocks 8 million accounts globally per month on average, it is said in a statement.

WhatsApp and some Indian media firms have sought to challenge the new social media rules in court. Critics say the government is seeking to crush dissent but the government says it is attempting to make social media safer.

Under the rules, social media platforms have to share details of the ‘first originator’ of posts deemed to undermine India’s sovereignty, state security, and public order.

WhatsApp says the rules violate India’s privacy laws.  

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The Pioneer of Optics; Al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham

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The contribution of Muslim Scientists.

The era which we are praising today is the product of the intellects of many millennium. Those are the gems of intellect that worked out at that time when there were no scientific resources. Those people have observed their surroundings and have produced resources for humanity. The intellectual Muslims have contributed to every field and their contributions are most valuable. Today all the advancements are based on the discoveries and inventions of ancient scientists both Muslims and Non-Muslims. Modern scientists are working and producing technological items that are also based on the ideas of ancient ones.

Al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham of Basra is known to be the pioneer of Optics. He was the product of the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation that was a creative time period and brought out many far-reaching advancements in the field of science, mathematics, and medicine. He was the greatest Muslim physicist and one of the greatest students of optics of all time. He was inspired by the works of other great philosophers and scientists who were before him such as Aristotle, Euclid, Al-Kindi, Banu Musa, Ibrahim Ibn Sinan, and Ibn Sahl. Ibna al-Haytham based his theories on the work of Greek physician Galen. He is the one who introduced the methods of verification, testing, and experimentation for the exploration of truth. He has written books as well and in one of his books he says: “If learning the truth is the scientist’s goal . . . then he must make himself the enemy of all that he reads.”

He was the person who has given the concept of how vision works. And he has written a book about the “Book of Optics” in which he has illustrated the eyes and optic nerves. He has drawn images of eyes which have been used by the modern scientist to understand and to produce lenses and other optics items. Al-Haytham used a dark chamber to explore the nature of light and vision. Through this experiment, he observed that light entering through a small hole would travel straight and would project an image onto the opposite wall. From this concept, modern cameras have been designed.

Today, if we can have different lenses and glasses to replace or improve our vision artificially and can capture our every moment, is all because of Al-Haytham. The world is grateful for all his contributions.


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Pakistan, China hold meeting to promote agri-forestry economy

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The third Science and Technology Exchange Conference on China-Pakistan Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest is being held both online and offline from November 26 to 28 in Zhengzhou, China, and Gwadar, Pakistan simultaneously.

The exchange conference aims to showcase achievements and research progress of both nations in the field of economic forestry. It also seeks to facilitate academic exchanges of woody medicinal herbs and active substances between China and Pakistan.

The event, co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Forestry (CSF) and Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT), drew over 220 officials, scholars, students and business representatives from both countries, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.

In 2021, to enhance the economic and ecological development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), CSUFT, China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), and Yulin Holdings collaborated to establish an Engineering Research Center for Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest.

The center aims to showcase a green and sustainable development approach, focusing on the non-wood forest industry and its compatibility with ecological, economic, and social benefits in Gwadar.

During the review and discussion of the progress made over the past years, Zhang Baozhong, chairman of COPHC, introduced the impact of eco-economic forest construction on the business environment in Gwadar.

Focusing on the collection and utilization of germplasm resources of arid- and salt-tolerant and non-wood barren forests, the organizer invited experts to make special presentations on the research progress and development prospects of different plants, including Eucommia ulmoides, Elaeis guineensis, Moringa oleifera, and Hippophae rhamnoides.

The event is organized by Henan Agricultural University, Henan Forestry Society, Economic Forest Branch of CSF, COPHC and Yulin Holdings.

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China Unveils World’s Fastest Internet Backbone Network at 1.2 Terabits per Second

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China has stunned the world with its latest technological leap—unveiling the fastest internet service globally, clocking in at an astounding 1.2 terabits per second. This groundbreaking achievement emerged from China’s Future Internet Technology Infrastructure (FITI) project, a collaborative endeavor involving Tsinghua University, China Mobile, Huawei Technologies, and CERNET.com Corporation.

This cutting-edge “backbone network,” activated in July, spans a 3,000-kilometer fiber-optic network connecting Beijing, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. Surpassing predictions, this ultra-high-speed network defies industry standards, outpacing existing internet backbone networks globally, including the United States’ fifth-generation Internet2, which boasts a minimum speed of 400 gigabits per second.

Wu Jianping, the lead of the FITI project, emphasized the monumental impact of this accomplishment, positioning China to pioneer even faster internet technologies. Wang Lei, Vice President of Huawei Technologies, added a practical dimension, highlighting the network’s capability to transfer data equivalent to “150 high-definition films in just one second.”

This ambitious initiative extends beyond domestic realms, promising faster information transfers and potential national security enhancements, potentially reshaping industries and offering strategic advantages, including stock trading.

President Xi Jinping perceives this milestone as strategic, solidifying China’s stance as a “cyber power,” catalyzing the advancement of core internet technologies. While not posing a direct threat to the U.S., it could lay the groundwork for bandwidth-intensive Chinese enterprises.

Launched domestically on July 31, this network, powered by IPv6-only technology, aims to create an open research and test platform spanning 40 universities across 35 cities.

China’s unveiling of the world’s fastest internet backbone network elevates the nation to the forefront of internet technology, signaling wide-reaching implications far beyond national connectivity.

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