Saturday, February 14, 2015

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 12 February 2015

1) Union Government constituted SIT to reinvestigate 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases:
--> Union government on 12 February 2015 constituted a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to re-open and re-investigate serious criminal cases relating to 1984 anti-Sikh riots, accepting a recommendation made by the Justice (retd) G P Mathur panel set up in December 2014 to examine the possibility.
--> The SIT will be headed by Pramod Asthana, a 1986 batch IPS officer of the Manipur-Tripura cadre who is currently serving in the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D).
--> It will comprise retired district & sessions judge Rakesh Kapoor and additional DCP in Delhi police Kumar Gyanesh as its members.
--> The team has been given a term of six months to complete the reprobe and file chargesheets against the accused in the proper courts where after investigation, sufficient evidence is found available.

2) Indian-origin scientist won $500,000 research award:
--> An Indian-origin scientist has received a $500,000 award to develop ultrathin metal sheets that can help produce better rechargeable batteries.
--> The prestigious $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award was won by Gurpreet Singh, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering at Kansas State University.
--> The award will help with more than research — Mr. Singh will also organise educational activities. He is planning nanotechnology-oriented summer workshops for high school science teachers and female high school students. 

3) McCullum named NZ sportsman of the year:
--> New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum was named the country's Sportsman of the Year award on 11 February 2015.
--> The 33-year-old McCullum won the Sportsman of the Year and was a finalist for the supreme prize, the Halberg Award, but was beaten by Olympic and world rowing champions Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, who had also won the Sports Team of the Year.
--> McCullum was the first cricketer to win New Zealand's Sportsman of the Year award since former captain Martin Crowe in 1991.
--> He was recognised for a superb 2014 when he became the first New Zealand player to score more than 1,000 test runs in a calendar year and also notched the country's first test triple century.

4) Mads Nissen won World Press Photo of the year 2014:
--> Danish photographer Mads Nissen wins World Press Photo of the year 2014 for his image depicting gay couple during an intimate moment in St Petersburg, Russia.
--> The annual prize, into its 58th edition, carries a cash prize of 10,000 euros.
--> The photo also won first prize in the Contemporary Issues category.

5) Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs is new heir of Mysuru Royal Family:
--> The Mysuru royal family has a new heir in Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs to continue the Dasara traditions of the Wadiyar dynasty and carry forward the protracted legal battle over the acquisition of palace with the State Government.
--> He is the grandson of Princess Gayatri Devi (the eldest daughter of the last Maharaja Jayachamarendra Wadiyar and the eldest sister of late Srikantadutta Narasimharaja Wadiyar) and son of Tripurasundari Devi and Swarup Gopal Raj Urs.

6) Microsoft acquired popular calendar apps maker 'Sunrise':
--> Microsoft announced Feb. 11 that it has acquired Sunrise Atelier, the New York City-based maker of the popular and well-regarded Sunrise calendar app for iOS and Android.
--> The deal's financial terms were not disclosed, but earlier reports peg the transaction's value at around $100 million.

7) Apple became first company worth over $700 billion in market value:
--> Apple recently became the first company to reach a market value of $700 billion as shares vaulted amid upbeat news on the US tech giant's gains in the smartphone market and soon-to-arrive smartwatch.
--> Shares rose 1.9 per cent to close at $122.02, lifting Apple's market value to $710 billion, and making it the first company to hit the $700 billion milestone.

8) 11th Edition of Cricket World Cup opened:
--> The 11th Edition of Cricket World Cup officially known as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, opened on 12 February 2015 with a vibrant opening ceremony at Christchurch, New Zealand.

--> Thousands of fans filled the leafy Hagley Park to witness the launch of the first World Cup in New Zealand and Australia in 23 years.

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