Daily Current Affiars : 23rd November 2013

1. India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile from a naval ship off Odisha coast today. Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 to 1,000 kg and hit both land and sea-based targets.

2. Magnus Carlsen becomes Youngest World Chess Championship 2013. Five-time title holder Viswanathan Anand’s reign as the world champion came to a heart-breaking end today with Norway’s Magnus Carlsen taking the crown after a hard-fought draw in the 10th game of the World Chess Championship match. Magnus Carlsen defeated the previous world champion Viswanathan Anand of India by 6.5-3.5 in the match that was held from 7th November in Chennai, India.

3. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday declared that the dollar swap window would be closed on November 30; however, banks which will get firm commitment from international financial institutions will be able to continue availing the special incentive till December 31, 2013. The dollar swap window was introduced provide a boost to the country's forex (foreign exchange) buffer and strengthen the rupee.

4. Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans to set up an Asia Pacific Infrastructure Fund to cater to the infrastructure financing needs of countries in the region. India has expressed its keenness to be part of this fund that would have contributions from various Asia Pacific nations, besides the ADB, Rajat M. Nag, Managing Director-General of ADB, said.

5. The 9th North East Business summit began on 22 November 2013 at Dibrugarh in Assam. The summit is being jointly organized by the Indian Chambers of Commerce and the DoNER Ministry in Dibrugarh from 22 to 24 November 2013. Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Pawan Singh Ghatowar has inaugurated the two day summit. The other issues on focus include Energy, Power, Horticulture, Food Processing, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Tourism and Hospitality, Healthcare and Financial Services in sync with ‘Look East’ Policy of India.

6. The Cyclonic storm ‘Helen’ on 22 November 2013 struck Andhra Pradesh coast near Machilipatnam, triggering heavy rains and strong gales, killing eleven people and causing massive damage to the crops in the coastal region. Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari and Guntur districts and part of Krishna district were the worst affected due to the cyclone. The cyclone also brought heavy to very heavy rains in the Krishna district and its nearby districts.

7. World No. 1 women’s tennis player Serena Williams was named WTA Player of the Year. The 32-year-old won 78 out of her 82 matches, procuring 11 titles including the U.S. Open and the French Open in the 2013 season, reports Xinhua.

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