Daily GK Updates - 5th October,2015

NATIONAL UPDATES:
I.GAIL to take 10% stake in TAPI natural gas pipeline project: Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project was in news as the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is expected to take 10% stake in the project. The objective of this project is to transport Caspian Sea natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan then to India.
II.Flipkart appointed Sriram Venkataraman as Chief Financial Officer.
III.Ashish Bahuguna given additional charge of chief Executive Officer of FSSAI:  The decision was taken following the shift of Yudhvir Singh Malik to NITI Ayog as an Additional Secretary.
IV.DRDO inaugurated world’s highest Research Centre in Ladakh: It inaugurated an Extreme Altitude Research Centre at Chang La. Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir at 17600 feet above mean sea level. It is the world’s highest terrestrial research and development centre.
V.National Anti-Drug Addiction Day was observed on 2 October: It was observed to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who condemned the use of drugs.
VI.India and Germany signed 18 MoUs: India and Germany signed a deal to fast track business approvals, an arrangement to make it easier for German companies to operate in Asia’s third largest economy that was announced as Chancellor Angela Merkel visited New Delhi
VII.Mahindra Inter-trade appoints Sumit Issar as MD

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
I.Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone opened to public for the 1st time in 12 years: Iraq’s PM Haider-al-Abadi declared Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone open to the public for the 1st time in 12 years.
II.26th edition of CORPAT between India and Indonesia began in Andaman Sea: 26th edition of the Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between India and Indonesia began in Andaman Sea. The expanded version of the 18-day long CORPAT that will conclude on 21st October will also see the 1st ever bilateral exercise between the two nations.
III.Ruling Social Democratic Party led coalition won Portuguese general elections: Out of the total votes polled, the PSD and the CDS-People’s Party coalition secured 37% votes out of which the share of the PSD is just over 32%. With this win, incumbent PM Pedro Passos Coelho is set to hold the post for the next four years.
IV.Malaysia ordered shut down of schools due to choking smog: The schools were closed for two days because of possible health risks posed by the thick haze from Indonesian forest fires.
V.Israel banned Palestinians from entering Jerusalem’s Old City: The unprecedented action was taken after two Israelis were stabbed to death by Palestinians.
OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:
I.The World Bank raised the International Poverty Line to 1.90 USD per day from existing 1.25 USD.

SPORTS:
II.Portugal’s Pinto won Asia’s premier Mountain Bike Racing: Luis Leao Pinto of Portugal won Asia’s premier mountain bike race and got the crown of ‘King of the Himalaya’ for the second time.
III.China won 2015 FIBA Asian Basketball Championship: China defeated Philippines by 78-67 in the final and the victory has won the nation a direct qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

AWARDS:
I.Tiruchirapalli City Municipal Corporation won Skoch Award for Effective Solid Waste Management using Information and Communication Technology based solutions.
II.Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015 announced: It was given to jointly to William C Campbell (Ireland) and Satoshi Omura (Japan) for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites. China’s Youyou Tu got the other half of the prize, who used traditional herbal medicine to find a new kind of antimalarial agent.

OBITUARIES:
I.Noted Telugu film producer Edida Nageswara Rao died at the age of 81.