Daily GK Updates - 3rd September, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Vietnam sign 12 agreements to boost bilateral ties: India and Vietnam have signed 12 agreements for cooperation in areas, including defence and IT, to boost bilateral ties. PM Modi said New Delhi will provide $500 million credit line for Vietnam for defence cooperation. India also offered a grant of $5 million to set up a software park in Vietnam.

2. Maharashtra Governor sworn in as Tamil Nadu’s acting Governor: ChennamaneniVidyasagarRao, Governor of Maharashtra, was sworn in as the acting Governor of Tamil Nadu.

3. India and Egypt sign agreement in area of Maritime Transport: The agreemnt would help the two nations to step-up co-operation on the seas not only in terms of maritime commerce but also in transit of naval vessels.

4. K KAggarwal elected as the National President of Indian Medical Association (IMA).

5. BHEL commissions Unit-4 of Teesta Low Dam Hydropower project: State-run BHEL has commissioned the 4th and last unit of the 4x40 MW Teesta Low Dam Hydro Electric Project (HEP) Stage-IV in West Bengal.

6. CCI slaps Rs 6700 crore fine on 10 cement companies:The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed the penalty of over Rs 6,700 crore on 10 cement companies including ACC, Lafarge, Ultratech, Jayprakash Associates, Binani and their trade association the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) on charges of cartelisation in the sector.

7. PM announces Rs 200 crore for sports in J&K: With a view to engaging youth of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in constructive sporting activities, a special package of Rs. 200 crore has been announced by Prime Minister NarendraModi.

8. World’s first made-in-India leprosy vaccine out on pilot basis: The Indian Institute of Immunology in New Delhi has developed mycobacterium indicuspranii (MIP), an exclusive and completely domestic vaccine for leprosy.

9. Majuli names world’s largest river island: Majuli Island on the Brahmaputra in Assam was declared the largest river island in the world, toppling Marajo in Brazil, by Guinness World Records. The river island covers an area of around 880 sqkm.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China ratifies Paris global climate agreement: China and the US are expected to announce ratification jointly before or at the weekend's G20 Hangzhou Summit. China is the world's largest emitter of harmful carbon emissions causing climate change.

2. G-20 Summit 2016 start in Chinese city of Hangzhou tomorrow: Two-day G-20 Summit of the world's major economies will start in the Chinese city of Hangzhou tomorrow to discuss efforts to reform global economic governance. The theme of the summit is toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Bangladesh hire former Sri Lankan cricketer Thilan Samaraweera as batting coach.

2. Zaheer Khan gets MCC’s Honorary Life Membership.

OBITUARIES:

3. Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov died at the age of 78.

4. Actor Jon Politopasses away: on Polito, best known for his frequent presence in Coen Brothers films, died of cancer in Duarte, California. He was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010.iii .The actor had been in more than 100 films, TV shows and Broadway plays.