IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF OCTOBER 27th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF OCTOBER 27th, 2017

1. World Day for Audiovisual Heritage: 27 October

i. World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed globally on 27 October. "Discover, remember and share" is the theme of this year's celebration of the WDAH.

ii. The General Conference of UNESCO approved the commemoration of a World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in 2005 as a mechanism to raise general awareness of the need to preserve and safeguard important audiovisual material for future generations. 

2. Chile Named Best Country to Visit in 2018

i. The travel guide company Lonely Planet has ranked Chile as the number one country to visit in 2018 in its Best in Travel 2018 list.

ii. The guide has published the 13th edition of its annual list of the top 10 countries every traveler should have on their bucket list for 2018.

Top 5 Countries in the list are:

1. Chile

2. South Korea

3. Portugal

4. Djibouti 

5.  New Zealand

3. Qatar Introduces Minimum Wage for First Time

i. Qatar has committed that it will introduce a minimum wage for workers in the country. The announcement was made by labour and social affairs minister Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi. The announcement came a day before a meeting of the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO).

ii. Other reforms to labour laws include stopping employers from preventing workers from leaving the country, a new central authority to ensure that work contracts are being adhered to and bilateral agreements with 36 countries to protect the legal rights of those who head to the Gulf for work.

4. GMR Hyderabad Airport, Malaysia Tourism, MAHB Sign Pact to Promote Tourism

i. GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) and Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) have come together to promote the growth of tourism traffic.

ii. An MoU was inked to promote tourism from the catchment area of Hyderabad to Malaysia and also explore new locations for connectivity.

5. Saudi Arabia, First Country to Grant Citizenship to a Robot

i. Saudi Arabia has become the first country to give a robot citizenship. The move is an attempt to promote Saudi Arabia as a place to develop artificial intelligence and, presumably, allow it to become a full citizen. The Robot is named as 'Sophia'.

ii. Sophia was confirmed as a Saudi citizen during a business event named Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. It is historic to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with citizenship.

6. Puducherry Becomes an Associate Member of BCCI

i. The Cricket Association of Puducherry (CAP) was chosen by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) as an associate member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 

ii. This means Puducherry will be allowed to play the Ranji Trophy in 2018. 

7. EDII Bags AICTE Award for Supporting Start-Ups

i. Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) has received an award from All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for supporting start-ups. The premier Institute received the award for its contribution towards promoting and mentoring technology start-ups.

ii. The award was given during the International Science Festival’s Start-up Summit 2017 at Chennai. 

8. India and ADB Signed $65.5 Million Loan to Support Coastal Protection

i. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $65.5 million loan agreement in New Delhi to continue interventions to check coastal erosion on the Western Coast in Karnataka.

ii. The loan is the Second Tranche of a $250 million financing facility under the Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Investment Program.

9. Gokul Natesan, Second Indian-Origin Player to be Signed by NBA G-League Side

i. Gokul Natesan is the 97th pick in the NBA draft to became only the second Indian-origin player to be signed by an NBA G-League side.

ii. Natesan, 23, was picked by Canton Charge, a minor league affiliate team of Cleveland Cavaliers, completing a remarkable journey from the computer science graduate.

10. Malayalam Writer Punathil Kunjabdulla Passes Away

i. Renowned Malayalam writer Punathil Kunjabdulla passed away in Kozhikode following a prolonged illness. He was 77.

ii. Kunjabdulla is regarded as one of the major figures of modernism in Malayalam literature. He won the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Smarakasilakal in 1980 and the Kerala Sahithya Akademi award twice for the same novel in 1978 and for Malamukalile Abdulla in 1980.