Daily Current Affairs: 22 November 2013

Daily Current Affairs: 22 November 2013

1) Magnus Carlsen dethrones Anand, becomes new World Champion:  Five-time title holder Viswanathan Anand’s reign as the world champion came to a heart-breaking end on 21 Nov 2013 with Norway’s Magnus Carlsen taking the crown after a hard-fought draw in the 10th game of the World Chess Championship match, which ended in Chennai on Friday. Carlsen, who will be 23 years on 30th November, closed the championship with two games to spare by taking his tally to required 6.5 points out of a possible ten, winning three and drawing seven games.

2) CNR Rao became first Indian scientist elected to Chinese academy: Eminent Scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee Prof CNR Rao has become the first Indian scientist to be elected as honorary foreign member of Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). “Prof Rao is the first Indian Scientist to be elected to this prestigious academy, which consists of several Nobel laureates and eminent scientists of the world,” Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, of which Rao is a founder and honorary President, said.

3) Cyprus university world’s first to accept bitcoin: Cyprus’ largest private university said it has become the first in the world to accept increasingly popular digital currency bitcoin for the payment of tuition and other fees.

Bitcoin>> Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency that functions without the intermediation of a central authority. The concept was introduced in a 2008 paper by a pseudonymous developer known as "Satoshi Nakamoto".

4)  Milkman of India to feature in Amar Chitra Katha: The Milkman of India will now be part of Indian mythology! The late Dr Verghese Kurien, who piloted the White Revolution during the 1960s-1980s period, and unveiled Amul, “The Taste of India”, will now be immortalised by Amar Chitra Katha (ACK), well-known publishers of children’s illustrated books on India’s rich cultural heritage and mythology. ACK Media will launch the new title, “Verghese Kurien-the Man with the ‘Billion Litre’ Idea” at a function on November 23, the 92nd birth anniversary of the legend, at the Institute of Rural Management-Anand (IRMA).

5) Three Indian writers shortlisted for $50,000 DSC Lit Prize: Three Indians are among the six authors who have been shortlisted for the $50,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2014. The shortlisted works include "The Book of Destruction" by Anand and "Goat Days" by Benyamin both fiction translated from Malayalam by Chetana Sachidanandan and Joseph Koyippalli respectively. The third is "Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer" by Cyrus Mistry. The final winner of the Prize is scheduled to be announced at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival in January 2014.

6) Goa police filed FIR against Tarun Tejpal:  Goa police on Friday filed an FIR against Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal, who has been accused by a woman journalist colleague of sexual assault during an event in Goa about 10 days ago.

7) Indo-American Arts Council honoured Salman Rushdie, Mira Nair: Prominent Indian-Americans — author Salman Rushdie and filmmaker Mira Nair — have been honoured here for their commitment and contributions to the global artistic community. The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) honoured the two along with renowned Indian-American pathologist Majula Bansal as it commemorates its 15th anniversary this year to celebrate its contributions of Indian performing, visual and literary arts to New York City’s diverse cultural scene.

8) Cyclone Helen crossed near Machilipatnam coast: Cyclone Helen crossed the coast near Machilipatnam, popularly known as Bandar, the port town which is the headquarters of Krishna district on Friday afternoon and there was widespread rainfall coupled with gales in the coastal districts, with Krishna and the two Godavari districts bearing the brunt.

9)  T.V. Ramachandran of Vodafone awarded IET honorary fellowship: In recognition of his contribution to mobile telephony in India, T.V. Ramachandran, Resident Director Regulatory Affairs at Vodafone India has been bestowed an honorary fellowship of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

10) Sarfaesi Act most effective tool to recover bad loans: Report- Amidst rising non-performing loans, the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (Sarfaesi Act) was the most potent tool in the hands of banks for recovering bad loans. The Sarfaesi Act empowers banks and financial institutions to recover their non-performing assets without the intervention of courts.

11) Citibank’s old headquarters in Mumbai put up for sale: Citibank has decided to put its old headquarters in Mumbai on the block and has appointed the CBRE group as its consultant. Citi Centre, an 84,000-sq-ft space in Mumbai’s prime business district Bandra-Kurla Complex, was Citi India’s headquarters until April last year. The bank had shifted to its new location First International Finance Centre about six months ago.

12) LIC to discontinue 14 policies: Country’s insurance giant Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has decided to stop selling as many as 14 policies, including Jeevan Mitra and Anmol Jeevan. Of this 14 products, LIC has already withdrawn seven policies, including Convertible Term Assurance, Children Deferred Endowment Assurance, with effect from November 16. Many of these policies are being discontinued as part of regulatory compliance, a senior official of LIC said.

13) Serena Williams earns 5th WTA player of the year award: Serena Williams  was named WTA player of the year for the second year running and the fifth time overall. Since February, she's been the oldest No. 1 in WTA history. She's now 32.