Daily GK Updates - 12th October, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Telangana gets 21 new districts: Nearly two-and-half years after it came into existence as India's 29th state, Telangana's map was redrawn on 11 October 2016 with the creation of 21 new districts.With these, the total number of districts of the youngest state of India went up to 31.

2. 1^st BRICS Trade Fair and Exhibition begins in Delhi today: The first BRICS Trade Fair and Exhibition began in the national capital today, ahead of the BRICS political summit in Goa. The fair is a platform for respective BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to exhibit state-of-the-art technologies and advances made in industrial development.

3. India now the 12^th largest holder of US Government bonds: India’s holdings of the US government bonds touched a high of $123.7 billion in July, making it the 12th largest holder, US Treasury Department's latest data showed.

4. Kabaddi World Cup venue is India’s first convertible stadium: The Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad, venue of the ongoing Kabaddi World Cup, is India's first convertible stadium.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. First World Tsunami Awareness Day to be observed on November 5, 2016: The government of India will be observing the First World Tsunami Awareness Day on November 5.It will be observed during the upcoming Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016.The conference is slated to take place in Delhi from November 2 to November 5.

2. Global Hunger Index 2016: India ranked 97th out of 118 countries on the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI) Global Hunger Index (GHI) in 2016, behind Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, among others, but ahead of Pakistan and three other Asian countries. It was positioned at 80 out of 104 countries the previous year.

3. Morocco king reappoints Abdelilah Benkirane as PM: Abdelilah Benkirane, the leader of Morocco's Islamic Justice and Development Party, has been appointed for another term as the country's prime minister.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. R Ashwin regains no. 1 spot in Test rankings: Indian off-spinner RavichandranAshwin today reclaimed the number one spot in Test rankings for bowlers following a career-best match haul of 13 for 140 in the third Test against New Zealand in Indore.

AWARDS:

2. Sir Ian McKellen honoured at UK Theatre Awards: Veteran actor Ian McKellen was honoured at the UK Theatre Awards that took place on October 9 in London for his individual contributions to British theatre. McKellen was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre prize.

OBITUARIES:

3. Style Icon Parmeshwar Godrej passes away at 70: Parmeshwar Godrej, philanthropist and wife of Godrej group chairman Adi Godrej passed away in Mumbai on October 11, 2016.

4. Oscar-winning Polish film director Wajda dies aged 90: Oscar-winning Film director Andrzej Wajda, best known for chronicling Poland's struggle for democracy during half a century of communist rule, has died at the age of 90.