Daily GK Update: 11th October, 2016

Virat Kohli presented with ICC Test Championship mace

Indian captain Virat Kohli was presented with the ICC Test Championship mace for leading his team to the top of the Test Team Rankings.

The mace was presented by former India captain and ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Sunil Gavaskar at a ceremony following the conclusion of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Indore after the home team completed a 3-0 whitewash.

GST lends more weight to India’s 8% growth projection: S&P

Calling GST as the most important structural reform till date by the Modi government, S&P Global Ratings said on 11th October 2016 the passage of the indirect tax law gives it additional conviction of India clocking 8 per cent growth in the next few years.

“India’s GST passage gives us additional conviction around our 8%-ish GDP growth forecast over the next few years,” it said in a report titled ‘Asia-Pacific steadies while China goes silent’.

International Day of the Girl Child :11 October

International Day of the Girl is observed annually on 11 October; it is also called the Day of the Girl. The theme for this year's International Day of the Girl (11 October) is "Girls' Progress = Goals' Progress: What Counts for Girls". On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.

The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

Russia & Turkey agree to intensify military, intelligence contacts

The Russian and Turkish leaders have agreed to intensify military and intelligence contacts after a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. After his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, they have agreed on the need for aid to get to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

The two countries have also signed a deal to construct two pipelines to send Russian gas under the Black Sea to Turkey. Ties were strained after Turkish forces downed a Russian war plane in November 2015. Speaking at a joint news conference with Mr Putin, Mr Erdogan said he was confident that the normalisation of relations would take place rapidly.

Standard Chartered Bank forms tie-up with Uber

Foreign lender Standard Chartered Bank has announced a tie-up with Uber under which its credit cardholders, across six countries, will get a cash-back of up to 25 per cent for hailing cabs from the app. 

In India, the cardholders will get a 20 per cent cash-back on all Uber rides, subject to a cash—back cap of Rs. 600 per month. Additionally, first-time Uber users will get a discount of Rs.50 for the first three rides. Apart from India, the partnership has been activated in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and UAE.