What is the name of the world’s largest cruise ship that made its maiden entry into water in France on 19 June 2015?: Harmony of the Seas
Explanation: “Harmony of the Seas” is the name of the world’s largest cruise ship of Royal Caribbean that is being constructed since 2013. Harmony of the Seas cruise ship weighs about 227,000 tons and measures 1,187 feet, which is 50 meters longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. The ship will carry 6,360 passengers along with 2,100 staff. The test run is expected from mid February 2016 however the first voyage could take place in May 2016 from the United Kingdom to Spain. The second biggest cruise ships are also owned by Royal Caribbean and are named “Allure of the Seas” and “Oasis of the Seas.” Both weigh 225,000 tonnes.
What is the name of the top Bahraini opposition leader was released on 19 June 2015 after more than four years in prison for his role in protests calling for reform in the Gulf kingdom?: Ibrahim Sharif
Explanation: Sharif was one of 20 prominent pro-democracy activists calling for political reforms who were convicted by a military-led tribunal after the government cracked down on them. He was leading WAAD (National Democratic Action Society) at the time of his arrest in March 2011. Bahrain's majority Shias, inspired by Arab Spring protests elsewhere, launched an uprising seeking to limit the wide-ranging powers of the ruling Sunni dynasty. The strategic island nation is home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.
What is the name of a tiny Scottish island that has been rocked by its first crime in about five decades on 19 June 2015?: Canna
Explanation: Canna, a tiny Hebridean island off Scotland's coast with the total population just 26; people live very peacefully here. Therefore no special constable and even police station is situated in this island. The crime happened in only store island of Canna wher ethe thives steal all the products from the shelves and even stole six hand-knitted wool hats made by shop manager Julie McCabe but not the cash. The last time a crime was committed on Canna was in the 1960s, when a carved wooden plate was stolen from the Rhu Church. It was never recovered and the case was never solved.
Which International aid agency has closed the last remaining shelter for Palestinians displaced in last summer's war in Gaza?: UN's Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA
Explanation: The July-August conflict between Israel and Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, left 100,000 Gazans homeless and forced many to seek refuge in schools belonging to the UN's Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA. It was the final UN building being used as a shelter for those displaced in the war. UNRWA gave between USD 800 and USD 1000 to each family to be spent on temporary accommodation for several months. The international community has called for an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza, now in its ninth year, which puts tight restrictions on the entry of building material through the goods crossing the Jewish state controls.
The first yoga college in China has been established at which University in Kunming?: The Yunnan University of Nationalities
Explanation: The college, which has been established as part of a cooperation agreement between YUN and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, will start enrolling students after August, according to Fan Jing, director of international affairs at YUN. The establishment of a college is expected to help standardize the teaching and practice of yoga in China. Students would be able to obtain a proper graduation certificate before some of them opt for advance training to become teachers themselves. At present, many of the yoga teachers in China have had limited training.
The world's tallest peak, Mount Everest, moved how many centimetres to the southwest because of the Nepal earthquake that devastated the country in April 2015?: Three centimetres (1.2 inches)
Explanation: Before the quake, Everest had moved 40 centimetres to the northeast over the past decade at a speed of four centimetres a year, as per the report. The mountain also rose three centimetres over the same time period. But Mount Everest has moved 3 centimetres to the southwest because of the Nepal earthquake that devastated the country in April 2015. Two earthquakes, on April 25 and May 12, killed more than 8,700 people in Nepal, triggered landslides and destroyed half a million homes, leaving thousands without shelter just weeks ahead of monsoon rains.
Which Asian country on 17 June 2015 officially lowered its voting age from 20 to 18 years?: Japan
Explanation: In 1945, Japan had last changed its voting age and in that year Japanese women gained the right to vote. The change of age was from 25 to 20. With lowering of voting age to 18 years around 2.4 million new voters will be added to the country’s existing pool of 104 million eligible voters. 90% of nations have a voting age of 18.
Legendary tycoon, who built iconic Las Vegas resorts - MGM Resorts International and was a major investor in automakers and film studios, died late 15 June 2015?: Kirk Kerkorian
Explanation: Kerkorian, 98, passed away at 11 pm (0600 GMT) local time in Los Angeles. An eighth grade dropout from an Armenian-American family, Kerkorian built the foundation of his empire in Las Vegas, constructing the iconic MGM International in 1969 and MGM Grand in 1973. Kerkorian was also a major auto investor, sparring for control of Chrysler in the 1990s before pushing a deal to sell the US giant to Germany's Daimler-Benz. In the 2000s he also took stakes in General Motors and then Ford.
An Egyptian court on 16 June 2015 sentenced deposed president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme guide Mohamed Badie and 100 other Islamists to death for which activity?: A mass jail break during the country's 2011 revolution that toppled long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak
Explanation: Morsi was Egypt's first democratically-elected president before he was ousted by the army in a coup in July, 2013 following widespread protests against his divisive rule. Last month, Morsi, Badie, and a 100 others had been sentenced to death in the two cases - espionage and the jail break - before both were referred to the Grand Mufti. The verdict came after the court consulted the Grand Mufti, who according to Egyptian law must review all the death sentences though his decision is not binding. Morsi is among a total of 36 defendants who were charged with conspiring with foreign organisations, including Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, to destabilise Egypt's security by executing terrorist operations in the country.
In a US drone strike in Yemen, Al-Qaida on 15 June 2015 has confirmed that the leader of its offshoot in the Arabian Peninsula, has been killed. What was his name?: Nasser al-Wuhayshi
Explanation: Nasser al-Wuhayshi was a major global figure among jihadists and second-in-command and was a former personal assistant to Osama Bin Laden . Even supporters of al-Qaeda’s rival Islamic State viewed him with respect. Wuhayshi also played a major role in forming the al-Qaida Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) off-shoot, Ansar al-Sharia, in 2011, to appeal to disaffected youth in Yemen at the time of the Arab Spring. His death was announced by the AQAP group in an online video.
