1) 20th October: World Statistics Day
•At its 41st Session in February 2010, the United Nations Statistical Commission proposed celebrating 20th October 2010 as World Statistics Day.
•Acknowledging that the production of reliable, timely statistics and indicators of countries’ progress is indispensable for informed policy decisions and monitoring implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the General Assembly adopted on 03rd June 2010, which officially designated 20 October 2010 as the first-ever World Statistics Day.
2) Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates 1st phase of PNG Supply System in Bhubaneswar
•Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated the first phase of Piped Natural Gas supply system in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In the first phase, 255 houses in Nalco Nagar in Chandrasekharpur of Bhubaneswar were supplied with environment-friendly PNG.
•As part of the City Gas Distribution project, around 25 thousand households in twin-city Bhubaneswar and Cuttack would get PNG connection by end of next year. The overall capital expenditure for the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack gas distribution projects will cost around Rs. 1700 crore.
3) India, Russia to Participate in first-ever Tri-services Military Exercise
•The first-ever Tri Services Joint Exercise between Indian and Russian Armed Forces, INDRA-2017 began near Vladivostok in Russia. Two indigenously built Indian Naval ships INS Satpura and INS Kadmatt reached Vladivostok Port and were given a traditional ceremonial welcome.
•The Indian contingent for the Exercise is led by the Task Force Commander Major General ND Prasad. The ExerciseINDRA in its previous nine editions has been conducted as a single service exercise alternately between the two countries.
4) NASA approves 2nd extension of Dawn mission at Ceres
•NASA has approved a second extension of the Dawn mission at Ceres, allowing the spacecraft to get a closer look at the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
•During this extension, the spacecraft will descend to lower altitudes than ever before at the dwarf planet, which it has been orbiting since March 2015.
•The spacecraft will continue at Ceres for the remainder of its science investigation and will remain in a stable orbit indefinitely after its fuel runs out.
5) Jacinda Ardern will become the next New Zealand PM
•New Zealand is to get its youngest-ever female Prime Minister after a minority party threw its support behind Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, who took over the left-wing party only three months ago.
•Winston Peters, the leader of the anti-immigration NZ First party, announced in a live TV broadcast that he would support Ardern in a coalition government, after September's election returned a hung parliament.
•Ardern, 37, will become New Zealand's third female leader. Speaking after the announcement she said it was an "absolute honor and a privilege ... to form a government for all New Zealanders."
•Ardern said Labour had found "true allies in parliament" -- NZ First and the Greens -- with whom a coalition could be formed to deliver the party's vision for the country.
6) South Africa displace India from top of ODI rankings
•India on 19 October 2017 lost their number one rank in ICC ODI rankings to South Africa.
•According to the newly updated ODI rankings list, South Africa jumped to the top spot after their 104-run win over Bangladesh in the second ODI at Paarl. While India and South Africa both currently share the same number of points-120, India is placed second on the basis of decimal points.
•India, however, have a chance to reclaim their top spot as they host New Zealand in a three-match ODI series, which is scheduled to begin in Mumbai on 22 October 2017.
