GK and Current Affairs Updates

According to the latest tourism statistics by the government, Jharkhand is the fastest growing tourist destination in India. 

•    The state recorded a 40% increase in tourism from 2012 to 2014, with Ranchi being the most popular destination among tourists. 
•    As per the statistics, Tamil Nadu emerged as the top destination for foreign tourists.
•    The state recorded a 40% increase in tourism from 2012 to 2014, with 33.5 million visitors in 2014, including 158,000 foreign tourists, up from a miniscule 3111 foreign visitors in 2001. 
•    The exact reasons for Jharkhand’s growing popularity are unclear, but one likely factor is the improving security situation since the centre approved the creation of the state from the southern part of Bihar to appease tribal separatists in 2000.

H.E. Saleumxay KOMMASITH, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR chaired the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, with participation of ASEAN Foreign Ministers, Secretary-General of ASEAN, ASEAN Senior Officials and delegates from ASEAN Member States on the afternoon of 24 July 2016 at the National Convention Centre.

•    The Meeting discussed progress of implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, in particular the implementation of the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025. 
•    The Meeting also agreed to the requests for the accession by Chile, Egypt, Iran, and Morocco to the TAC.
•    The ASEAN Foreign Ministers also discussed the promotion of ASEAN’s external relations and ASEAN’s centrality within ASEAN-led mechanisms. 
•    In addition, the Ministers had a candid and constructive exchange of views on regional and international issues such as terrorism, human trafficking, illicit drug, natural disasters, irregular migration as well as developments in the Middle East, Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea.

Scientists have developed a micro needle drug monitoring system in hopes of reducing pain during drug measurements and replace expensive blood draws.
•    Scientists at the University of British Columbia and the Paul Scherrer Institute(PSI) in Switzerland created a new system that consists of half-millimeter long needle-like projections that do not penetrate the patient's skin unlike the standard hypodermic needle.
•    During medical treatment, the small, thin patch is pressed against the patient's arm to painlessly measure the drugs in the bloodstream without the need for drawing blood.
•    Micro needles are generally painless as they are designed to pierce the outer layer of the skin and not the inner layers, such as the epidermis and the dermis, which contain nerves, blood vessels and active immune cells.
•    Ranamukhaarachchi and his team created the microneedle system to monitor the antibiotic vancomycin, which is used to treat serious infections and is administered via an intravenous line.

The temperature in Mitribah, Kuwait, surged on 21st July to a blistering 129.2 degrees (54 Celsius). 
•    And on 22nd July in Basra, Iraq, the mercury soared to 129.0 degrees (53.9 Celsius). 
•    If confirmed, these incredible measurements would represent the two hottest temperatures ever recorded in the Eastern Hemisphere, according to Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters and weather historian Christopher Burt, who broke the news.
•    It’s also possible that Mitribah’s 129.2-degree reading matches the hottest ever reliably measured anywhere in the world. 
•    Both Mitribah and Basra’s readings are likely the highest ever recorded outside of Death Valley, Calif.
•    Death Valley currently holds the record for the world’s hottest temperature of 134.1 degrees (56.7 Celsius), set July 10, 1913.
•    In March, the National Academy of Sciences published a report that stated worsening heat waves are among the weather events that can be most easily connected to human-caused climate change.

Indian Arabic calligrapher Muqtar Ahmed has won the second prize at the Cairo International Festival for Arabic Calligraphy in Egypt. 

•    Though Ahmed has been settled in Bengaluru for two decades, his calligraphic pieces are displayed in mosques and exhibitions around the world. 
•    A total of 115 calligraphers took part in the contest, which was won by Khalid Mohammad from Egypt.
•    The works that reflected the beauty of Arabic calligraphy were displayed at the Art Gallery of the Cairo Opera House, the venue of the eight-day festival which concluded on 24th July. 
•    Khalid Mohammad of Egypt bagged the first prize at the festival organized by the Egyptian government. Muqtar, whose art has been recognized at many international events, was elated over the honor.
•    His international works in collaboration with Mamoun Luthfi Sakkal of the US include calligraphic pieces for a private jet and a mosque in Canada.

The Madras Music Academy on 24 July 2016 announced that it has chosen versatile violinist A. Kanyakumari for its coveted Sangita Kalanidhi Award for the year 2016.
•    Kanyakumari was unanimously named for the award by the Executive Committee of the Academy.
•    Avasarala Kanyakumari is a violinist from South India who specializes in Carnatic music.
•    She is a native of Vijayanagaram, Andhra Pradesh.
•    She has been living in Chennai for more than 40 years.
•    She had her initial training under Ivaturi Vijayeswara Rao.
•    She created seven ragas under the title Saptadri, seven names of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati.
•    Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music Academy.
•     This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.
•     In 2015, vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan was awarded with the title.

Nepal's Prime Minister, Khadga Prasad Oli, on 24 July 2016 resigned from his office. He resigned ahead of a no-confidence vote.
•    Oli’s resignation, who was heading Nepal’s eighth government in past 10 years, threw the nation into a fresh political turmoil.
•    Oli, 64, who became prime minister of Nepal in October 2015, has been facing a no-trust motion after the Maoists withdrew support from the coalition government.
•    Oli tendered his resignation after two key ruling alliance partners -- Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic and Rastriya Prajatantra Party -- decided to support the no-confidence motion tabled against him by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-Maoist Centre led by Prachanda.
•    The allies of the multi-party coalition deserted his government by accusing him of not honouring the power sharing deals that helped install him as prime minister nine months ago.
•    The constitution was termed as a democratically-framed constitution because it was conceptualized, developed and adopted by a representative Constituent Assembly.

China has unveiled the world's largest amphibious aircraft which Beijing says will be useful in fighting forest fires and embarking on rescue missions. 
•    The massive seaplane, completed seven years after work on it started, is part of China's efforts in minimizing its dependence on foreign goods in crucial sectors.
•    The AG600, nearly the size of a Boeing 737, was rolled out by Aviation Industry Corporation of China in the southern city of Zhuhai on 23 July.
•    According to the Chinese manufacturers, the aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes and a flight range of up to 4,500kms. 
•    The agency's deputy general manager, Geng Rugang, hailed the aircraft as "the latest breakthrough in China's aviation industry". 
•    With a capacity to cruise at 500kms, the plane can pick up as much as 12 tonnes of water within 20 seconds.

Lewis Hamilton cruised to a comfortable victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix to take the championship lead for the first time this season.
•    Hamilton started from second on the grid but raced past his Mercedes teammate on the first corner to establish a lead he seldom looked like giving up.
•    Further back in the field, Fernando Alonso scored seventh position for McLaren.
•    Carlos Sainz Jr. of Toro Rosso, Valtteri Bottas of Williams and Force India's Nico Hulkenburg closed out the top 10.
•    Hamilton is now six points clear in the championship standings with 10 races remaining in the 2016 season.
•    Victory was also Hamilton's fifth at the Hungaroring circuit -- a record.
•    The Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungarian: Magyar Nagydíj) is a motor race held annually in Hungary. Since 1986, the race has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship.

Ryan Giggs has been celebrating another title after his team, the Mumbai 5s, won the Indian Premier Futsal League -- although he missed a penalty in the final.
•    Giggs decided to become a player for the Mumbai team, in a two-week tournament, after leaving Manchester United on July 2.
•    The final was held on Sunday with Mumbai defeating a Kochi side, which included former Real Madrid right-back Michel Salgado, 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
•    When the tournament was launched, Giggs was used as one of the "three legends" to promote the event, along with Ronaldinho and Hernan Crespo.
•    Former United midfielder Paul Scholes also went on to feature in the tournament, playing for the Bengaluru team.
•    Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper.