Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2021

Notes:
Microblogging platform Twitter announced to shut down its Fleets feature from August 3. The reason for discontinuing is its failure to attract more users.
Twitter introduced the disappearing stories feature in November last year, similar to Instagram. Unlike normal Tweets, Fleets disappear after 24 hours and do not get Retweets, Likes, or public replies, and people can only react to the Fleets with Direct Messages.

Notes:
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH) have developed COVIHOME, an artificial intelligence-powered Covid-19 test kit for self-testing at home.
As per the team, the kit can produce Covid test results within 30 minutes at home, for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. This Artificial Intelligence-powered kit is affordable and is also approved by ICMR.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar has launched a digital portal named “Kisan Sarathi”. Using this platform, farmers can get the right information at the right time, in the language of their choice.
Using the portal, farmers can avail personalised advisories from respective scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs).

Notes:
Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) is located in the state of Telangana. The Telangana Forest Department have recently identified 14 tigers in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) during the 2020-2021 annual estimation and monitoring exercise.
During the previous survey conducted in 2019-2020, 12 tigers were identified. Of the 14 tigers, five are male, seven are female and two could not be classified. Also, there might be more big cats in the reserve that are yet to be identified. Spotted deer and wild boar are found most in the reserve.

Notes:
A rare case of monkeypox was detected in Texas, in the United States, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Monkeypox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox. It induces flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes and rashes. Scientists have discovered two distinct genetic groups of monkeypox virus—Central African and West African. The first case of monkeypox in humans was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Notes:
Tripura has initiated steps to promote commercial cultivation of Agar, by launching the ‘Tripura Agar Wood Policy 2021’. It aims to double agar wood plantation by 2025
The state has over 50 lakh Agar trees in the state and has a potential of agar trade of Rs 2000 crore. Agar is used in perfumeries and other industries. Agar Chips and Agar Oil have high demand in the market. Under the policy, testing labs and trade centres would be set up and new technology for artificial inoculation would be introduced.

Notes:
Russian aircraft makers unveiled a prototype of the stealth fighter dubbed “Checkmate”, as per the statement from Rostec, the state-owned military giant which is responsible for exporting Russian technology.
The sneak peek of the new fifth-generation lightweight single-engine fighter jet, was unveiled to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. With a combat radius of 1,500 kilometers and seven tons of combat load, this unique fighter prototype has not been developed before in Russia.

Notes:
The International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has announced that the Australian city of Brisbane has been selected to host the 2032 Summer Olympics.
The Games of the 35th Olympiad are awarded to Brisbane, Australia. With this, Australia has become the second country after the United States to host the Olympic Games in three different cities. Before this, Melbourne had hosted Olympics in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

Notes:
A pair of rare Chrysilla volupe spiders was recently spotted at Puttenahalli lake in Kerala. The Chrysilla volupe was believed to be extinct for 150 years, until it was discovered at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) in 2018.
The spider belongs to the family of jumping spiders (Salticidae). Male spiders are 5.44 mm long including stretched legs and 1.76 mm wide. They have a upper skin in reddish orange colour with two shining blue stripes. Females measure 2.61 mm long and 0.88 mm wide, and have a greyish upper skin with grey eyebrows with yellow legs.

Notes:
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has approved the The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2021, without any changes.
The Bill amends the term ‘major airport’ to include group of airports. It also increased the threshold of annual passenger traffic in a major airport to 35 lakh. Previously, an airport with annual traffic more than 15 lakh were called as major airports. AERA will regulate tariff and other charges for aeronautical services for major airports and also a group of airports.