Important Daily Current Affairs Updates – 31st October 2017

Important Daily Current Affairs Updates – 31st October 2017 

Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Read Current Affairs Today here and stay updated with current news. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this and try Current Affairs Quiz to test your knowledge level.

NATIONAL

List of MoUs Signed During the Visit of Prime Minister of Italy to India

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni is on the 2-day visit to India. This is the first visit by an Italian premier in 10 years. Romano Prodi was the last Italian Prime Minister to visit India in February 2007.

Here is the complete list of MoUs/Agreements signed between India and Italy during the visit of Prime Minister of Italy to India:

1. Joint Declaration of Intent of Cooperation for Safety in the Railway sector
2. MoU on 70 years of diplomatic relations between Indian Council of Cultural Relations and Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Government of the Republic of Italy
3. MoU on cooperation In the field of Energy
4. Executive Protocol on Cultural Cooperation
5. MoU between the Training Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
6. MoU for promoting mutual investments between Italian Trade Agency and Invest India

Useful Info

Country – Italy

Capital – Rome

Currency – Euro

INTERNATIONAL

India Sends 1st Wheat Shipment to Afghanistan via Chabahar port

Iran’s key strategic port of Chabahar became operational with the maiden shipment of wheat from India to Afghanistan. It was flagged off from Kandla port in Gujarat. This is a major push for India’s Afghan outreach bypassing Pakistan for the first time under the 2016 Indo-Afghan-Iran trilateral pact. Chabahar port is strategically located in Sistan-Balochistan province on energy-rich Iran’s southern coast in Gulf of Oman near its border with Pakistan and can be easily accessed from India’s western coast.

Useful Info

Country – Afghanistan

Capital – Kabul

Currency – Afghan afghani

Present Prime Minister of Afganistan – Mohammad Ashraf Ghani

Saudi Arabia to Allow Women into Sports Stadiums from 2018

Turki Al-Asheikh, Chairman of the General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia has announced that Saudi women will now be able to attend sports events in stadiums starting from 2018. The move is aimed at empowering and engaging women in the society as an integral part of the development process. All these changes support Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” plan for economic and social reforms.

Useful Info

Country – Saudi Arabia

Capital – Riyadh

Currency – Saudi riyal

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia – Mohammed bin Salman

BANKING & ECONOMY

India and World Bank Signed $200 Million Loan Agreement for Assam

The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $200 million Loan Agreement for the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project. The Project will support Assam to facilitate agri-business investments, increase agricultural productivity and market access. The Project will be implemented in over 16 Districts of Assam. Over 500,000 farming households will directly benefit from the Project.

Useful Info

State – Assam

Capital – Dispur

CM – Sarbananda Sonowal

Governor – Jagdish Mukhi

World Bank headquarters – Washington, D.C., United States

President of World Bank – Jim Yong Kim

DEFENCE

India, Japan Begin Three-Day Anti-Submarine Drill

Navies of India and Japan began a three-day anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Indian Ocean region to deepen their operational coordination in the strategically important sea lanes around the two countries. Indian Navy’s two P-8 I long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare aircraft and two P-3C Orion jets of the Japanese Navy will be part of the exercise. The short duration exercise is taking place amid concerns in India and Japan over China’s growing presence in the Indo- Pacific region.

Useful Info

Country – Japan

Capital – Tokyo

Currency – Japanese Yen

Chief of Naval Staff (India) – Admiral Sunil Lanba

SPORT

All About FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017

The 17th edition of FIFA U-17 World Cup took place for the first time in India. It is a biennial international football tournament of men’s under-17 national teams organized by Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Quick Facts-

1. The official Mascot for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 was clouded leopard named ‘Kheleo’.
2. The official ball for Under-17 football World Cup is called ‘Krasava’.
3. The final match of the event was held in Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.

First in U-17 World Cup 2017-

1. This was the first time India hosted U-17 FIFA World Cup.
2. Switzerland’s Esther Staubli became the first female football referee to officiate a match.
3. Jeakson Singh creates history by scoring India’s first ever goal in FIFA World Cup.
4. FIFA U-17 WC in India becomes most attended in event’s history for the first time.
5. USA-Based Namit Deshpande becomes the First NRI to Play for India’s U17 World Cup Team.

Winners and Awards- 

1. England has won the FIFA U-17 World Cup by defeating Spain by 5-2.
2. Phil Foden of England has been adjudged tournament’s best player and has been awarded ‘Golden Ball’.
3. Rhian Brewster from England has scored the most goals in the tournament (8 goals) and has been awarded, ‘Golden Boot’.
4. Gabriel Brazao the goalkeeper of Brazil’s national football team has won the ‘Golden Glove’.
5. Brazilhas won the Fair Play Award.

Yonex French Open Badminton 2017: Complete List of Winners

Yonex French Open 2017 Badminton tournament was held in Paris. French Open Badminton Tournament is held annually since 1909 in France.

Important Highlights-

• Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth became the first Indian to win the men’s singles title at French Open badminton tournament.
• Srikanth defeated Kento Nishimoto of Japan by 21-14, 21-13.
• Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei has won women’s singles title at Yonex French Open Badminton 2017.
• She defeated Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.

Here is the complete list of all the winners with  their respective countries to which they belong:

	Category	Winner	Runner-up
1.	Men’s Singles	Kidambi Srikanth (India)	Kenta Nishimoto (Japan)
2.	Women’s Singles	Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei)	Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
3.	Men’s Doubles	Lee Jhe-Huei & Lee Yang (Chinese Taipei)	Mathias Boe & Carsten Mogensen (Denmark)
4.	Women’s Doubles	Apriyani Rahayu & Greysia Polii (Indonesia)	Lee So Hee & Shin Seung Chan (South Korea)
5.	Mixed Doubles	Tontowi Ahmad & Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia)	Zheng Siwei & Chen Quingchen (China)

Jasprit Bumrah Secures Top Spot in ICC T20 Rankings

Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah climbed to the number one spot in the latest ICC T20 rankings while his fifth-ranked team could go as high as second if it beats New Zealand in the three-match series beginning. Bumrah, who attained a career-best third position in the ODI rankings, has regained the T20 top spot after Pakistan spinner Imad Wasim slipped one place.

Useful Info

ICC Headquarters – Dubai

India captain Virat Kohli edged AB de Villiers to claim the top ranking in ODIs.

New Zealand are the top-ranked side in the shortest format with 125 points.

ISSF World Cup 2017- Highlights

Hosts India finished seventh overall with one gold, one silver, and a bronze, while Italy pipped China in the medals tally, as the ISSF World Cup Final, in New Delhi. Important wins from India side are as follows-

1. India won through Jitu Rai/Heena Sidhu (gold in mixed team 10m air pistol), 2.Sangram Dahiya (silver in men’s double trap)
2. Amanpreet Singh (bronze in men’s 50m pistol)

This was India’s best ever result in the annual ISSF shooting centerpiece. China’s Rio 2016 10m air pistol women’s champion, Mengxue Zhang and Gengcheng Sui, were crowned Champion of Champions in pistol and rifle respectively.

Useful Info

Some of the concluding points of the events-

1. India finish seventh on the medals tally overall with one Gold, one Silver and one Bronze medal.
2. 20 out of 45 participating nations win medals at annual ISSF season-ender.
3. Spain’s Alberto Fernandez Wins Men’s Trap.
4. Alexis Renauld of France Wins Men’s 50M Rifle 3 Positions.
5. Keith Sanderson of USA claims Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol Gold.

Federer Wins 8th Basel Title, 95th Overall

The Swiss superstar won his eighth Basel title, after defeating Juan Martin del Potro, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 to clinch his ATP World Tour-leading seventh title of the year. It was Federer’s first success against the Argentine in a Basel final, after the South American beat him in both 2012 and 2013. Federer moved ahead of Ivan Lendl into standalone second place on the Open Era titles list, only trailing Jimmy Connors, who owns 109 trophies. He now owns eight or more trophies at three different events: Halle (9), Wimbledon (8) and Basel (8).

Useful Info

Roger Federer – Swiss Professional Tennis Player

Country – Switzerland

Capital – Bern

Currency – Swiss Franc

Mithali Raj and Virat Kohli Tops ICC Ranking

India captain Mithali Raj moved up one place to occupy the number one spot in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batswomen. Ellyse Perry of Australia and Amy Satterthwaite of New Zealand also jumped one place each to be at second and third spots. Mithali has 753 points. Also, Indian captain, Virat Kohli returned to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen after logging career-high rating points, going past the iconic Sachin Tendulkar in the process. The 28-year-old Delhi batsman has reached 889 points, which is the best ever by an India batsman.

Useful Info

The previous highest points tally of 887 was managed by Sachin Tendulkar in 1998.

The list for bowlers continues to be led by Pakistan pace bowler Hasan Ali while India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has reached a career-best third.