Current affairs 30 November 2023

Saudi Arabia wins bid for Expo 2030 world fair.

• The Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh won the right to host the Expo 2030 world fair.
• Riyadh won 119 votes, Busan 29 and Rome 17, results from 182 members of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) showed.
• South Korea's port city of Busan and Rome in Italy were also in the running to host the five-yearly event that attracts millions of visitors and billions of dollars in investment.

Bengaluru to get India's largest circular railway.

• Bengaluru will get a 287-km circular railway that will link all important towns around it in the largest-of-its-kind network in India.
• The network will be built in keeping with the city's requirements for the next 40-50 years, providing it complete connectivity over seven railway paths.
• While the project to build a circular railway has been talked about for a long time, this was the first time that it was confirmed by the highest levels of the government.

Michael Douglas awarded Satyajit Ray Lifetime achievement Award.

• Hollywood star Michael Douglas received the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
• The 10-day film gala concluded with Germany's Endless Borders winning the coveted Golden Peacock Award for the best film.
• Deepak Kumar Mishra-directed show Panchayat season two bagged the best OTT series award, which was introduced for the first time.

Odisha Pavilion Wins Gold Medal at IITF-2023.

• The Odisha pavilion has bagged a gold medal in the 42nd India International Trade Fair (IITF) in New Delhi.
• The pavilion, with 24 stalls including handloom outlets and government departments, promoted the rich cultural heritage, handicrafts and handloom of Odisha.
• As many as 28 states and 8 UT participated along with corporations from India and outside countries with their products and services in diverse fields.

Asia’s largest open-air annual trade fair Bali Jatra inaugurated in Cuttack.

• Asia’s largest open-air annual trade fair, the Bali Jatra, commemorating the glorious ancient maritime legacy of Odisha, was inaugurated on the banks of the Mahanadi River in Cuttack.
• This year the festival started on the occasion of Kartika Purnima and will continue till December 4 next month.
• Cultural troupes from across Odisha and other states will perform Odissi, Chhau, Bihu, Mahari, Gotipua, Sambalpuri, Santali folk dance in the evenings on the fairgrounds.