17 October 2014 Current Affairs Updates

1) Supreme Court granted bail to Jayalalithaa in DA case: The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, who was sentenced to four years in jail in a high-profile corruption case that has lasted nearly two decades. Alongwith Jayalalithaa, her aide Sasikala and two others have also been granted bail. Jayalalithaa was granted bail of grounds of ill health.

2) India test-fired nuclear-capable Nirbhay cruise missile: India's indigenously developed nuclear capable sub-sonic cruise missile 'Nirbhay', which can strike targets more than 700 kms away, was test-fired from a test range at Chandipur. "The missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher positioned at launch pad 3 of the Integrated Test Range at about 10.03 hours," said an official soon after the flight took off from the launch ground. It is the second test of the sub-sonic long range cruise missile 'Nirbhay' from the ITR.

3) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed: The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is celebrated every year on October 17 throughout the world. It was officially recognised by the United Nations. Theme for 2014 is: Leave no one behind: think, decide and act together against extreme poverty. The annual day, in observance since 1993, is celebrated to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries.

4) West Indies cricket team pulled out of India tour: The West Indies tour to India has come to an abrupt end, with the BCCI saying it had been called off by the WICB and announcing a replacement tour. The WICB initially released a statement saying it had not called off the tour, but following a meeting after the fourth ODI in Dharamsala, it clarified that it was "left no option" by the West Indies players. The developments followed a protracted payment structure dispute between the players, the WICB and West Indies Players' Association. At the end of the game, the official broadcaster Star Sports displayed India as the winners of the ODI series by a 2-1 margin, though no trophy was given to MS Dhoni at the presentation ceremony.

5) Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela elected as non-permanent members of UNSC: Venezuela, Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand and Spain on 16 October 2014 were elected as non-permanent members of United Nations Security Council (UNSC). They were elected after member states voted in support of these five nations after three rounds of voting. All these five new members received over two-thirds of the votes cast in a secret ballot. The new members of the Security Council will begin their two-year appointment on 1 January 2015 and will serve on the Council until 31 December 2016.

6) India-born scientist Sanjaya Rajaram awarded World Food Prize:  India-born Mexican scientist Sanjaya Rajaram has been presented with the prestigious World Food Prize 2014 for his agricultural research that led to a remarkable increase in world wheat production building on the successes of the Green Revolution.