Daily Current Affairs Updates - 8th November 2013

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International Affairs

• The world's most powerful typhoon of the year gained strength on Thursday as it swirled towards the Philippines, forcing mass evacuations, flight cancellations and school suspensions across the disaster-weary nation.
• The US Senate approved legislation outlawing workplace discrimination against gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, demonstrating the nation's quickly evolving attitude toward gay rights nearly two decades after Congress rejected same-sex marriage.
• An Australian national Bryce will begin a six-month long cycling expedition from Anjuna beach in Goa on November 10, to Varanasi to raise funds for poverty stricken children in the country.
• Egypt to hold parl elections in February or March, two months after the country votes on a new constitution.
• US President Barack Obama has apologised to Americans whose health insurance plans have been cancelled as a result of his signature health law.
• Swiss Foreign Minister DidierBurkhalter to visit India next week to participate in the meeting of the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) grouping.
• The US economy saw a surprise addition of 2,04,000 new jobs in October despite a fortnight long government shutdown, latest government figures said today, reflecting an improvement in the condition of the world's largest economy.

National Affairs

• The West Bengal government has undertaken a special drive to enhance its rice procurement target to meet the growing need of rice in the state, state's Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick announced.
• Bihar government announced to provide electricity free of cost in public areas during 'Chhath Puja', the most important festival in the state.
• 11th ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting began in Gurgaon today; Foreign ministers of 49 countries will participate.
• The DMK today filed a petition before the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to remove "two leaves" painted on the recently launched small buses contending that it resembled the ruling AIADMK's symbol.
• Super 30, well-known for helping economically backward students crack the IIT entrance exam, petitioned Union HRD ministry, against JEE (joint entrance examination) going online from 2014 for the main exam and charging Rs 1000 more from those applying offline.
• The Odisha government today decided to increase the corpus of Odisha Contingency Fund (OCF) from Rs 400 crore to Rs 1900 crore.
• A high-powered delegation of an eminent American university will visit New Delhi and Mumbai this month to explore possibilities for collaborations with Indian academic institutions and to attract Indian students.
• A two-day North East festival started at the Indira Gandhi National Centre For the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi today.
• 6th International Congress ‘TRAUMA 2013’  to begin at Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre.
• Government to file appeal against Gauhati High Court order declaring CBI unconstitutional.
• Punjab Government has decided to build a new domestic airport at Adampur in the district to cater to people of the Doaba region, especially NRIs.
• The Jammu and Kashmir government has fixed a target of imparting skills to nine lakh youth during the 12th Plan period, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.
• Delhi Election Commission on Friday directed all mobile service providers to stop “political” bulk SMS services 48 hours before the Assembly election to ensure that parties do not influence voters during this period.
• Karnataka and Tamil Nadu today sparred over Cauvery water sharing issue with the former objecting to the latter's claim to release more water for the next two months.

Awards and Honors

• A polio worker from Bihar,  Martha Dodray has been honoured with a prestigious United Nations Foundation award for her work in protecting children from the disease.

Science and Technology

• India today successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile with a strike range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the Army.
• Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's official website was hacked by apparent members of activist group Anonymous after he vowed to hunt down anyone who attacks the city-state's technological network.

Business and Economy

• Taking cue from other lenders, state-run Canara Bank on Friday hiked interest rates on fixed deposits by up to 0.50 per cent.
• With new powers to crackdown on fraudsters, market regulator Sebi has so far issued 154 attachment notices for recovering more than Rs 1,545 crore from defaulters.
• Capital market watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has served a fresh show notice to financial services major HSBC on a complaint by actress and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi for alleged mismanagement of funds.

Deaths

• AbaniKumarBoral, noted academic and former CPI state secretary of Odisha dies at the age of 79.
• Telugu actor-comedian A.V. Subrahmanyam, who has been suffering from liver-related problems for the last few years, passed away in Hyderabad.

Sports

• India has been awarded the 2018 men's hockey World Cup, the second time in a span of eight years the country will be hosting the mega event having successfully organised the previous edition three years ago.
• WorldChessChampionship : Viswanathan Anand to face Norwegian MagnusCarlsen on Saturday in Chennai.
• Maharashtra government has decided to felicitate cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and set up a seven-member committee to work out the modalities.
• Defender SiddhantRao to lead 20-member Delhi team in AIFF Under-14 Boys National Football Championship to be held at Kalyani, West Bengal.
• India defeats WestIndies by one inning and 51 runs in the first Test; take 1-0 lead in two match series.

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