13th Feb Daily Updates

Apple Inc. becomes first company worth over $700 bn in global corporate history

US technology giant Apple Inc. became the first company to reach a market value of $700 billion.

It was able to hit this milestone after its shares rose 1.9 per cent and closing at $122.02, which in turn increased company’s market value to $710 billion.

Earlier in January 2015, Apple Inc had recorded highest quarterly profit of 18 billion US dollar in corporate history worldwide after the company sold 74.5 million iPhones in quarter ending December 2014.

With its $710 billion market value Apple is far ahead from the number two company, oil giant Exxon Mobil, which is worth around $382 billion in terms of market value.

About Apple Inc

• Apple Inc. is California based technology giant that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, online services, and personal computers.
• It is best-known for its niche hardware products which includes Mac line of computers, the iPod media player, the iPhone smartphone, and the iPad tablet computer.
• Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976 to develop and sell personal computers. Later in 1977, it was incorporated as Apple Computer.
• It was renamed as Apple Inc. in 2007, to reflect its shifted focus towards consumer electronics.
• At present, Apple is the world’s second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics, and the world’s third-largest mobile phone maker.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from Florida
Unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has been successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on its third attempt.

It was carrying unmanned Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite. This satellite will be used by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to monitor the Sun.

It will particularly monitor changes in solar wind and provide warnings on hazardous outbursts from our star to warn forecasters. In turn it will help forecasters to predict changes which affect satellites, power grids and communication systems.

About SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

• Falcon 9 rocket is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)- a private space transport services company.
• It is basically used for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. It is powered by liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellants.
• In 2008, the Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule combination had won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract from NASA to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

Cipla wins Rs 1170 cr tender from Global Fund to supply HIV drugs

Indian pharmaceutical giant, Cipla has been awarded $188.95 million (around Rs. 1,172 crore) Contract by Global Fund to supply ARV (anti-retroviral) drugs.

Cipla has been selected as a Panel Supplier for a supplier partnership agreement. This contract is effective from 1 January 2015 and will run for a period of three years i.e. till 2018.

ARV drugs will be made at Cipla’s manufacturing facilities in India which has been approved by various international regulatory agencies.

Earlier, Cipla had played a pioneering role in supplying cheaper HIV/AIDS treatment. In 2001, Cipla was first pharmaceutical company to offer ARV drugs at a fraction of the cost in Africa. Since then, it had offered a triple combination ARV at less than a dollar a day and has treated several million patients.

Cipla has been associated with Global Fund since 2002. It also one of the suppliers of Global Fund awarded with a long-term contract to supply anti-malarial drugs.

Union Home Ministry forms three-member SIT to probe 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases mainly in Delhi and other States.

• Members: Three-member SIT will be headed by Pramod Asthana, an IPS officer of 1986 batch. It will have retired district and sessions judge Rakesh Kapoor and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police in Delhi Police Kumar Gyanesh as its members.
• Function: Newly-constituted SIT has been empowered to examine afresh evidence in cases which had even been closed. It will also look into all serious criminal cases relating to the riots, examine evidence and even re-open cases and file charge sheets in the courts concerned.

Three-member SIT has been given six months to complete its work, including filing of charge sheets in nearly three-decade old cases.

Background

• The SIT is constituted for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases on the recommendation of government-appointed committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice G.P. Mathur.
• G.P. Mathur committee was constituted in December 2014 to look into the possibility of re-investigation of the 1984 riots and had submitted report to Union Government in January 2015.

    India ranks 136 in World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) 2015

In recently released World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), India was placed at 136th rank out of 180 nations surveyed worldwide in terms of press freedom in 2015.

In WPFI 2015, India has shown improvement from its rank of 140 in 2014. However, India’s absolute score has declined from 40.34 to 40.49.

Top 10 countries: Finland (1st), Norway (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Netherlands (4th), Sweden (5th), New Zealand (6th), Austria (7th), Canada (8th), Jamaica (9th), Estonia (10th).

India’s Neighbours: Sri Lanka (165th), Pakistan (159th), Afghanistan (122th), China (176th), Bangladesh (146th).

About World Press Freedom Index (WPFI)

• World Press Freedom Index is produced by France-based international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders (RWB), or Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF).
• The WPFI ranks the performance of countries according to index calculated based upon various parameters.
• These parameters include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media operate.
• WPFI aims to promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press.