DAILY GK UPDATE - 4th May

1.    Forex reserves rise by $500 mn: RBI

i. ndia's foreign exchange (forex) reserves rose by $499.8 million to $309.91 billion for the week ended April 25, led by a sharp jump in overseas currency assets, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data showed.

ii. According to the RBI's weekly statistical supplement, foreign currency assets, the biggest component of the forex reserves, jumped by $493.2 million to $282.03 billion.

iii. Foreign currency assets, expressed in US dollar terms, include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US currencies held in reserve such as the pound sterling, euro and yen.

India's reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) increased by $2 million to $1.84 billion.

iv. The value of special drawing rights (SDRs) rose by $4.6 million to $4.47 billion. However, the value of gold reserves remained unchanged at $21.56 billion.

2.    US jury orders Samsung to pay Apple $119.6 million

i. A US jury ordered Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to pay $119.6 million to Apple Inc, a big loss for the iPhone maker in the latest round of their globe-spanning mobile patent litigation.

ii. During the month-long trial in a San Jose, California, federal court, Apple accused Samsung of violating patents on smart phone features including universal search, while Samsung denied wrongdoing.

iii. The jury found the South Korean smart phone maker had infringed two Apple patents.

Apple and Samsung have been litigating around the world for three years. Jurors awarded the iPhone maker about $930 million after a 2012 trial in San Jose, but Apple failed to persuade U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh to issue a permanent injunction against the sale of Samsung phones.

iv. The current case involves five Apple patents that were not in the 2012 trial and that cover iPhone features like slide-to-unlock and search technology.

v. Apple is seeking to ban sales of several Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S III, and sought just over $2 billion in damages.

vi. Samsung also claims that Apple violated two patents on streaming video. It is seeking to ban the iPhone 5, and asserted a $6 million damages claim. On Friday, the jury ordered Apple to pay Samsung $158,400.

3.    US Government announced 1.2 million US dollar aid for Ukrainian Journalist

i. The United States announced 1.2 million US dollar aid package for Ukrainian Journalists. 
ii. US Agency for International Development (USAID) will fund the aid. The aid aimed to protect vulnerable journalists and domestic governance in Ukraine.
iii. As per the US Government, more than 500 journalists have been harassed, beaten or abducted since November 2013, and one reportedly has been killed. Members of the media in Ukraine have faced serious challenges and dangers over the past several months.

4.    Manavjit Sandhu ranked at third spot in ISSF World Ranking

i. Manavjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian veteran trap shooter jumped to the third spot in the world rankings.

ii. He achieved the rank after winning gold at the ISSF World Cup in Tucson, USA, in March 2014.

5.    Sania, Cara win WTA Portugal Open women's doubles title

i. The Indo-Zimbabwean tennis pair of Sania Mirza and Cara Black has won the WTA Portugal Open women's doubles title. ii. In the final at Oeiras today, the pair recorded a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 win over the Czech-Russian team of Eva Hrdinova and Valeria Solovyeva.
iii. This is the first title for the Indo-Zimbabwean pair. Before, this, Sania and Cara had ended runners-up at Indian Wells in March and at Stuttgart event, last week.

6.    Asian Snooker C�ship: Kamal Chawla settles for bronze medal

i. Indian cueist Kamal Chawla has settled for a bronze medal in the Asian Snooker Championship being held in the United Arab Emirates.
ii. At Al Fujairah, Chawla lost his semifinal match to Chuan Leong Thor of Malaysia with a scoreline of 2-6. This is Chawla's first medal in Asian Championships.

7.    Now read Amar Chitra Katha on mobile phones, tablets

i.  People can now read comics on personalities such as Akbar, Chanakya, Jawaharlal Nehru and JRD Tata on smartphones and tablets, as Amar Chitra Katha has made the digital debut.

ii. Amar Chitra Katha has launched ACK Comics, its official digital store app for across platforms � Windows 8, iOS and Android � giving users access to over 300 of its titles.

iii. Users will also get 10 comics to download for free including Chanakya, Ashoka, Akbar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Babasaheb Ambedkar, Birbal, JRD Tata, Subbulakshmi, Ganesha and the special title on DhyanChand.

iv. The books will be available for download at about 99 cents on the iOS platform and a similar rate on the Android platform.

8.    Kedarnath Temple re-opens a year after Uttarakhand floods

i. A year after the famous Kedarnath temple, which was marred by massive flash floods that had left hundreds of people dead and many others stranded, re-opened on Sunday.

ii. Last year, the famous Kedarnath shrine was virtually submerged in mud and slush where thousands of people had died in the flash floods.

iii. The shrine of Shiva, visited by Hindu pilgrims from across the world, however, was only partly damaged amid the death and destruction by flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides caused in various parts of Uttarakhand for the many consecutive days.

iv. The temple is an important part of the 'Char Dham' yatra. The annual pilgrimage had begun on Friday with the re-opening of the sacred portals of the Himalayan shrines of Gangotri and Yamunotri for devotees.

9.    Astra successfully test-fired from Sukhoi-30 MKI

i. Astra, India's first indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile was successfully test-fired from a Sukhoi-30 MKI at a naval range in the Western Sector, marking a major step in missile-aircraft integration.

ii. The test-firing met all the mission objectives and the air-launch was captured by side and forward looking high-speed cameras and the separation was exactly as per simulation, according to a press release from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

iii. Congratulating the team, Avinash Chander, Sceintific Advisor to the Defence Minister and DG, DRDO, observed that the launch was a major step in missile aircraft integration

10.  HAL hands over 'Nabhratna' to DRDO

i. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), transport division, handed over 'Nabhratna' flying test bird aircraft to DRDO in a simple ceremony.
ii. HAL chairman RK Tyagi handed over the aircraft to chief guest Avinash Chander, scientific advisor to defence minister.

iii. Joshi said that HAL had signed the contract for Nabhratna Flying test bird aircraft in May 2013 and completed the project in May 2014, six months before schedule time of November 2014. All the specifications are matching with the requirements laid down by DRDO.