Daily GK Updates - 13th November, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India and Bhutan signs agreement on trade for better bilateral relations: Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Bhutan's Economic Affairs Minister Tengye Lyonpo Lekey Dorji signed the agreement in New Delhi. The first agreement on trade and commerce between both countries was signed in 1972.

2. India to preside next edition of COP in Geneva in 2018: India will preside the eighth edition of the Conference of Parties (COP) to WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which will be held in Switzerland's Geneva in 2018. Health Secretary CK Mishra has been chosen as the President of the COP Bureau, for the next two years, after a unanimous decision by the COP7 Plenary session.

3. Pune to host India-China 'Hand-In-Hand 2016': The India-China Joint Training Exercise "Hand in Hand 2016" is scheduled to be held in Pune from November 15-27. 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Sydney to host Invictus Games in 2018: Britain's Prince Harry: Australia will host the 2018 Invictus Games for wounded military personnel, Britain's Prince Harry announced. More than 500 serving and former personnel from 17 nations will compete in the multi-sports competition in Sydney.

2.IMF approves largest-ever loan for a Middle East nation: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a three-year $12 billion loan program for Egypt, the largest such package to a Middle East nation. The loan will help in boosting Egypt’s foreign currency inflows, which have dwindled since the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, and revive the African nation's economy.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Batra 1^st Indian to be elected as International Hockey Federation Chief: NarinderBatra has become the first Indian to be elected the President of the International Hockey Federation. He was voted to the top post by an overwhelming margin during the penultimate day of the 45th FIH Congress in Dubai.

2. Vandana Kataria to captain Indian women’s hockey team in Australia series: Forward Vandana Katariya will captain Indian senior women's hockey team in the Test Series against Australia to be played at Melbourne from November 23 to November 30.