TikTok files lawsuit against Trump administration’s executive order

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TikTok files lawsuit against Trump administration’s executive order

Video-sharing social networking company TikTok filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over an executive order banning any US transactions with its parent company ByteDance.

In the 39-page indictment, US President Donald Trump, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, and US Department of Commerce were listed as defendants, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the document, TikTok accused the US authorities of stripping the rights of the company without any evidence to justify the extreme action and issuing the order without any due process as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment while banning the company with no notice or opportunity to be heard.

Meanwhile, the document cited remarks from Trump about this issue, such as proclaiming in a campaign-style news conference that TikTok had “no rights” and that he would ban the popular software if the company did not pay money to the government to secure its approval for any sale. Those words are unconstitutional.

“By demanding that Plaintiffs make a payment to the US Treasury as a condition for the sale of TikTok, the President has taken Plaintiffs’ property without compensation in violation of the Fifth Amendment,” the document said.

Moreover, the indictment said, by preventing TikTok from operating in the United States, the executive order violates the company’s First Amendment rights in its code and expressive means of communication.

The Los Angeles-based tech firm argued that the executive order is a misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), authorizing the prohibition of activities that have not been found to be “an unusual and extraordinary threat” in this case.

TikTok argued that former presidents used power authorized by IEEPA to protect the country from threats from abroad, including terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, but this executive order seeks to use IEEPA against a US company with hundreds of employees across the country and to destroy an online community sharing video content by millions of Americans.

According to the company, as of June 2020, the total number of monthly active users in the country soared to 91,937,040, and based on quarterly usage, 100 million Americans used the application to express themselves and connect with each other.

The executive order was issued “for political reasons rather than because of an ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ to the United States, which is a condition for the President to exercise his authority” under the IEEPA, TikTok noted.

The plaintiffs, TikTok Inc. and ByteDance Ltd. seek a declaratory judgment and order invalidating and enjoining the executive order and any implementing regulations issued by the Department of Commerce later.

“The President’s executive order is unconstitutional and ultra vires, and must be enjoined,” the document read.

Google Pixel 5 may feature 90hz punch-hole display

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Google Pixel 5 may feature 90hz punch-hole display

Google is expected to launch Pixel 5 on September 30 and a new report has suggested that the smartphone will feature a 6-inch, 90Hz refresh rate punch-hole display similar to the Pixel 4a.

The smartphone is also expected to have slimmer bezels compared to the Pixel 4a, but possibly the same footprint.

The Pixel 5 will have 8GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage powered by the Snapdragon 765G SoC which is “hardly a surprise since the smartphone was previously spotted on a benchmark database with this chipset”, reports Android Central.

The presence of the SD765G inside the device reveals that it will debut as the first 5G-ready Pixel phone.

The device will be the first Pixel phone to come with 8GB RAM. However, the AI Benchmark has no information on the other specs of the device.

It will also be the first Pixel phone to come with 8GB RAM.

Petrol prices increase for 5th consecutive day

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Petrol prices increase for 5th consecutive day

Petrol prices across the four metros increased for the fifth consecutive day on Monday, with the fuel being priced over Rs 88 per liter in Mumbai.

In the country’s financial capital, petrol was sold for Rs 88.28 per liter on Monday, higher by 12 paise from its previous level of Rs 88.16 per liter.

At the current rate, petrol prices could soon be touching unprecedented levels of Rs 100 a liter.

Similarly in Delhi, the price of the fuel increased by 13 paise to Rs 81.62 a liter from the previous day price of Rs 81.49 a liter.

In Kolkata, petrol was priced at Rs 83.13, higher by 12 paise from its previous level of Rs 83.01 per liter.

The price of the transportation fuel in Chennai was at Rs 84.64 per liter, higher by 12 paise from Rs 84.52 per liter on Sunday.

Diesel prices are, however, the same across the metros.

In the national capital, diesel prices have remained stable since the Delhi government announced a 13.25 percent reduction in the Value Added Tax on July 30, which had caused the price to fall by Rs 8.36 per liter.

Diesel is priced at Rs 73.56 a liter in the national capital. The price of the fuel in Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata was at Rs 80.11, Rs 78.86, and Rs 77.06 per liter respectively.

Rhea, family have not received CBI summons: Lawyer

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Rhea, family have not received CBI summons: Lawyer

Actress Rhea Chakraborty and her family have not received a summons from the CBI, her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said on Monday.

Earlier in the day, several reports claimed that Rhea and her father Indrajit Chakraborty have been summoned by the CBI as part of investigations into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Following this, her legal team sent out an official statement, refuting the claims.

“Dear Friends, Rhea Chakraborty & Fly (Family) have not received any summons from CBI so far to attend. No sooner she receives it, she & fly will attend as they did before Mumbai Police and ED as law-abiding citizens. No speculations are necessary,” said her lawyer Satish Maneshinde in the statement.

Sushant was found dead in his Bandra flat in Mumbai on June 14. Now, the CBI has taken over the case.

The CBI team on Sunday took the late actor’s personal staff back to his flat in Bandra for further questioning and recreating the crime scene.

The team also visited the Waterstone resort where the late actor had spent two months. The CBI team was there for over two hours, trying to determine how Sushant behaved during his stay at the place.

Rahul questions timing of dissenters’ letter seeking leadership change

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Rahul questions timing of dissenters’ letter seeking leadership change

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday targeted the party dissenters and questioned the timing of the letter which was sent to interim chief Sonia Gandhi seeking leadership change, even as Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Chief Ministers Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel requested him to take over as party chief.

Congress sources said that while addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision making body of the party, Rahul Gandhi questioned the timing of the letter and said, “What was the reason to write a letter when Sonia Gandhi was admitted in hospital and when the party was fighting the political crisis in Rajasthan.”

Sonia Gandhi was admitted in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on July 30 for a routine checkup and was discharged on August 2. While the Rajasthan political crisis began on July 11 when former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot rebelled against the party leadership. The Rajasthan crisis was finally taken care of by the top leadership on August 11.

As the CWC meeting took off earlier, Sonia Gandhi offered to step down from the party’s top post but it was rejected by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he asked her to continue. The letter of Sonia Gandhi to the people who wrote to her demanding a change in the leadership said that she wanted to be relieved.

In her letter, she also asked the party to begin deliberation to start a process of transition to relieve her from the duty.

Sonia Gandhi’s letter was read out loud by party General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal at the meeting, wherein she offered to quit and said the process should be initiated to elect a new Congress President.

She also referred to a letter written to her by senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony questioned that letter in which several party leaders urged her for sweeping reforms, and ‘a full-time, visible leadership’.

Haryana Congress leader Kumari Selja also targeted the dissenters for writing the letter seeking leadership change and called the leaders who wrote the letter “agents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)”.

With many Congress leaders openly demanding Rahul Gandhi to be brought back as the party chief without any further delay, the party made it clear that the CWC meeting will discuss the issue.

The meeting comes weeks after the Congress saw a stormy meeting of its Rajya Sabha MPs wherein certain leaders sought introspection on the 2019 poll debacle. It was thereafter, a bunch of leaders wrote the letter to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on the issue of leadership change and elections in the CWC.

Trump campaign announces 2nd-term priorities ahead of RNC

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Trump campaign announces 2nd-term priorities ahead of RNC

US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has announced a set of core priorities for his second term ahead of the four-day 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC) set to begin from Monday.

The priorities, under the banner of “Fighting for You”, will focus on jobs, eradicating Covid-19, healthcare, education, immigration, innovation, foreign policy, and other areas, Xinhua news agency quoted the campaign as saying on Sunday night.

If re-elected, Trump has vowed to create 10 million new jobs in 10 months, develop a vaccine against the coronavirus by the end of this year, establish a permanent manned presence on the Moon, and send the first manned mission to Mars, among others.

The campaign also said Trump will continue to pursue his “America First” foreign policy.

The President “will further illuminate these plans during his acceptance speech Thursday”, it said.

“Over the coming weeks, the President will be sharing additional details about his plans through policy-focused speeches on the campaign trail.”

Trump’s speech to accept the 2020 Republican presidential nomination will be delivered on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday night despite criticism that he should not use a federal property as the backdrop for a campaign event.

This year’s RNC will kick off on Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Over 300 delegates, a small portion of the total, will meet in person there to formally nominate Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for the 2020 Republican ticket.

The Republican National Committee said on Sunday that it “has unanimously voted to forego the Convention Committee on Platform, in appreciation of the fact that it did not want a small contingent of delegates formulating a new platform”.

The committee “enthusiastically supports President Trump and continues to reject the policy positions of the Obama-Biden administration”, said a statement.

“The 2020 Republican National Convention will adjourn without adopting a new platform until the 2024 Republican National Convention.”

Party platforms are traditionally used to layout the party and candidate’s ideas, beliefs, and goals.

In 2016, the Republican platform was 54 pages long.

This year’s Democratic platform is 91 pages long.

Former Vice President Joe Biden formally accepted the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nominee on the final night of this year’s Democratic National Convention last week.

Presently, Biden leads Trump by 7.6 percentage points nationally, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Trump, however, has repeatedly dismissed polls showing him falling behind.

Dream of again playing for India ‘very much alive’, says Uthappa

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Dream of again playing for India ‘very much alive’, says Uthappa

Veteran batsman Robin Uthappa has stated that his dream of again playing for Team India is “very much alive”, adding that a good season in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) could pave way for his return to the national team.

Uthappa, who last played for India in an ODI against Zimbabwe in 2015, will be playing for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 13 slated to be played across three venues in the UAE from September 19.

“I certainly believe that if we have a great season in the IPL, wonderful things could happen to me and even bring me back into the reckoning for the Indian team,” Uthappa said while answering a question from a fan in a video uploaded on the franchise’s official Twitter handle.

“I am someone who is always positive as a human being and I look for silver linings even in negative situations. So my conviction is really strong that God willing, that I will be able to represent my country again and bring laurels to it. I hope that happens.

“Anyone who plays competitive cricket hopes to play for the country and bring laurels to the country. So the dream is very much alive,” he added.

The 34-year-old had made his India debut in 2006 against England and has till now played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is. In IPL, he has so far played 177 matches, scoring in excess of 4000 runs.

Mark Zuckerberg incited fears about TikTok in US: Report

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Mark Zuckerberg incited fears about TikTok in US: Report

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg raised concerns about TikTok with lawmakers in the US months before the Donald Trump administration started portraying the short video-sharing platform as a threat to national security, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Zuckerberg argued that TikTok, owned by Chinese unicorn ByteDance, is not committed to freedom of expression and represents a threat to the technological supremacy of the US, the report said on Sunday.

In late October last year, Zuckerberg even took the opportunity to make a case against the rising Chinese Internet companies when the US President hosted a private dinner with the Facebook CEO at the White House, the WSJ report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Facebook CEO apparently argued that Washington should be more concerned about the Chinese Internet companies than reining in Facebook.

Similar arguments were also made during his meeting with several senators following which the concerns were shared with other authorities and the government eventually started a national security review of the company.

Earlier this month, Trump issued an executive order that gives ByteDance an option to divest its TikTok business in the US within 90 days.

Facebook recently launched the Reels feature in Instagram which offers TikTok-like functionalities.

Meanwhile, media reports said that TikTok is prepared to legally challenge the first executive order signed by Trump to prohibit its China-based owner ByteDance to do any business in the US.

The executive order “directed the Secretary of Commerce to come up with a list of transactions involving ByteDance and its holdings that should be banned after 45 days”.

Trump issued another executive order on August 14, giving ByteDance an option to divest its TikTok business in the US within 90 days.

The order came after Microsoft revealed its intentions to buy TikTok business in the US.

Several other names of tech giants are floating around in the public domain, including Twitter, Oracle, and now Alphabet, who may buy the US operations of TikTok.

Soha Ali Khan has healthy feast ideas for festival season

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Soha Ali Khan has healthy feast ideas for festival season

Actress Soha Ali Khan is opting for healthy food alternatives during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, to fully enjoy the festival.

The first thing she is doing is replacing sugar with jaggery.

“As everyone knows, sugar is the refined product of sugarcane whereas jaggery is a more natural and less processed sweetener. As a child, my mom was particular to instill a sense of consciousness in my brother and me, and seeing her I have imbibed some of the same qualities,” she said.

She added: “I am very conscious about what my family and I eat, and its health quotient. Hence, during festivals, one thing that I do is replace sugar with jaggery for all sweets that are prepared at home, and even as the sweetener we use for drinks consumed at home. Adding jaggery to the diet may help boost the body’s metabolism and gradually helps burn fat, which is an added benefit. Besides this, I also prefer jaggery over white sugar as it helps cleanse the body by flushing out toxins.”

Soha feels it is easy to get carried away, during festivals.

“The best way to avoid that is by making sure your spread includes healthy foods like almonds, which are a great snack to munch on any time of the day and they have health benefits across weight and diabetes management, heart and skin health. And with all the festivities abuzz, it’s important to also keep energy levels up,” she said.

The actress also suggests alternatives like exotic fruits.

“Another good way of avoiding sweets during the festivities is replacing conventional sweet dishes with fresh fruit or berries like mulberries. I personally make sure I keep a plate of mulberries, as the dessert course because they are a healthier choice. Consuming berries or fruits after a meal will satiate your sugar craving without adding many unwanted calories,” said the mother of one.

Delhi HC extends interim orders till October 31

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Delhi HC extends interim orders till October 31

The Delhi High Court on Monday extended all the interim orders passed by it and its subordinate courts till October 31 in both criminal and civil matters pending before it.

The directions were passed by a three-judge bench of the High Court presided by Chief Justice D. N. Patel and Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh. The orders were passed keeping in view the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We will extend it till the end of October,” the three-judge bench said.

The interim orders include interim bail, parole, etc. While hearing the matter, Chief Justice D. N. Patel said, “We will be slowly starting the physical hearing with the consent of all.”

On March 25, the High Court had extended till May 15 the interim orders in all matters pending before it and all district courts in the national capital in the wake of the nationwide lockdown imposed amid the outbreak of the pandemic.

While the limited functioning of the courts continued, the interim orders were given three extensions. The latest extension was set to expire on August 31.

SPSN acquires global media rights for Sri Lanka Cricket

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SPSN acquires global media rights for Sri Lanka Cricket

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired exclusive global media rights for Sri Lanka Cricket, with the exception of terrestrial, digital, and radio rights for the territory of Sri Lanka which has been retained by the SLC, for a period of three years starting July 1, 2020.

The agreement provides SPN exclusive TV and digital rights to air all 92 days of live cricket comprising 10 Tests, 24 ODIs and 18 T20Is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council and conducted by SLC between the senior men’s national cricket team of Sri Lanka and visiting ICC member national cricket teams along with access to Sri Lanka Cricket’s archival content.

The deal also includes rights to broadcast India touring Sri Lanka to play six T20Is and three ODIs with one of the series scheduled for July 2021 that will feature three T20Is while the date for the other series is yet to be announced.

Shammi Silva, President, SLC said: “Sri Lanka Cricket is delighted to partner with Sony Pictures Networks India and continue the long-standing relationship, which has given immense benefits to both parties. Sri Lanka Cricket is truly excited and looking forward to continuing to work with Sony Pictures Networks India on the future tour program.”

Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India, said: “Sony Pictures Networks India is the premier destination for the best of international cricket, and we are excited about continuing our partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket.”

“The acquisition of the exclusive global TV and digital rights of Sri Lanka Cricket strengthens our cricket portfolio. Our extended partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket adds 92 days of live cricket, including two India tours to Sri Lanka, to our robust cricket calendar.”

BP medication may improve Covid-19 survival rates: Study

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BP medication may improve Covid-19 survival rates: Study

In a fight against the novel coronavirus, researchers have found that medication for high blood pressure could improve Covid-19 survival rates and reduce the severity of the infection.

For the study, published in the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports, the research team studied 28,000 patients taking antihypertensives — a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).

They found that the risk of severe Covid-19 illness and death was reduced for patients with high blood pressure who were taking Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB).

“At the start of the pandemic, there was concern that specific medications for high blood pressure could be linked with worse outcomes for Covid-19 patients,” said study lead author Vassilios Vassiliou from the University of East Anglia in the UK.

“We wanted to find out what the impact of these medications is for people with Covid-19,” Vassiliou added. Therefore, the research team studied the outcomes for patients taking antihypertensives — looking particularly at what they call ‘critical’ outcomes such as being admitted to intensive care or being put on a ventilator, and death.

The team analyzed data from 19 studies related to Covid-19 and ACEi and ARB medications. The meta-analysis involved more than 28,000 patients and is the largest and most detailed such study to date.

They compared data from Covid-19 patients who were taking ACEi or ARB medications with those who were not — focusing on whether they experienced ‘critical’ events (admission to intensive care and invasive or non-invasive ventilation) and death.

“We found that a third of Covid-19 patients with high blood pressure and a quarter of patients overall were taking an ACEi/ARBs,” Vassiliou said. This is likely due to the increased risk of infection in patients with co-morbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes.

“But the really important thing that we showed was that there is no evidence that these medications might increase the severity of Covid-19 or risk of death,” the study authors wrote.

“On the contrary, we found that there was a significantly lower risk of death and critical outcomes, so they might, in fact, have a protective role — particularly in patients with hypertension. Covid-19 patients with high blood pressure who were taking ACEi/ARB medications were 0.67 times less likely to have a critical or fatal outcome than those not taking these medications. Our research provides substantial evidence to recommend continued use of these medications if the patients were taking them already,” the study authors noted.

Moto G9 with triple camera setup, 5000mAh battery launched

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Moto G9 with triple camera setup, 5000mAh battery launched

Lenovo-owned smartphone brand Motorola on Monday launched a new budget smartphone Moto G9 featuring a triple camera system along with a massive 5000mAh battery for Rs 11,499 in India.

The device will be available in two colors – deep sapphire blue and natural forest green – on Flipkart starting August 31.

“Moto G9 is a powerful leap in performance, camera, battery, and more. Designed to deliver power across the board, the new Moto G9 takes the user experience to the next level by combining all they wanted in one product,” the company said in a statement.

In terms of specifications, the smartphone features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a 20:9 aspect ratio.

It is powered by e Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 64 GB built-in storage. One can even add up to 512GB more using the microSD card slot.

The smartphone houses a 48MP main camera, along with 2MP Micro and 2MP depth camera at the back. The 48MP main camera sensor comes complete with Quad Pixel technology with 4x light sensitivity, Night Vision mode, and a large f/1.7 aperture.

For selfies, there is an 8MP camera sensor at the front.

The smartphone houses a massive 5000mAh battery and comes with a 20W TurboPower charger.

The device runs Android 10 and it also comes with a promise of one minimum OS upgrade and two years of security updates, said the company.

Microsoft to skill 900 academicians in quantum computing in India

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Microsoft to skill 900 academicians in quantum computing in India

Microsoft on Monday announced a new program to build quantum computing skills and capabilities in the academic community in India. The program will train 900 academicians from top institutes in the country.

Quantum computers will enable new discoveries in the areas of healthcare, energy, environmental systems, smart materials, and beyond. Microsoft is bringing the capabilities to develop for this quantum future to the Cloud with “Azure Quantum”.

As part of this initiative, Microsoft Garage is organizing a virtual ‘Train the Trainer’ program from August 24-29 in collaboration with Electronics and ICT Academies at Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur and National Institute of Technology, Patna, the company said in a statement.

The program will train 900 academicians from across the country through Electronics & ICT Academies at IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, MNIT Jaipur, NIT Patna, IIIT-D Jabalpur, and NIT Warangal.

“Through this initiative in India, we aim to develop skills in quantum at scale, which has the potential to trigger the new frontier of innovation, shaping the future of the IT industry in this part of the world,” said Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director, Microsoft India Development Center, and Corporate Vice President, Enterprise+Devices India.

The quantum training program supports an initiative by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) to enhance the skills of the academicians in imparting next level technological skills for future generations.

Key themes would include an introduction to quantum information, quantum concepts such as superposition and entanglement, processing of information using qubits and quantum gates, as well as an introduction to quantum machine learning and quantum programming, Microsoft said.

“Through this, we aim to equip academia in India with the requisite knowledge to develop a comprehensive Quantum learning curriculum in their institutions and help develop these skills among some of the brightest minds in the country,” said Reena Dayal, Director, Microsoft Garage India & Chair for IEEE Quantum SIG.

Azure Quantum is an open cloud ecosystem enabling developers to access diverse quantum software, hardware, and solutions from Microsoft and its partners.

New iPhone SE now assembled in India, arriving soon for Apple fans

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New iPhone SE now assembled in India, arriving soon for Apple fans

Apple has started assembling its affordable second-generation iPhone SE (2020) in India that will reach authorized retail stores and online channels very soon, the company said on Monday.

Targeting Android mid-segment users as well as aspirational iPhone seekers, Apple brought the new iPhone SE to India, which looks like Apple iPhone 8 with the power of iPhone 11, to the India market for just Rs 42,500.

“New iPhone SE packs our most powerful chip into our most popular size at our most affordable price and we’re excited to be making it in India for our local customers,” Apple said in a statement.

The new iPhone SE is being assembled by Apple supplier Wistron at its Bengaluru facility.

With this, the Cupertino-based tech giant that became the first US company to cross the $2-trillion mark last week is now assembling four high-selling iPhones in India: iPhone 11, iPhone XR, iPhone 7 and new iPhone SE.

According to Navkendar Singh, Research Director, Client Devices, and IPDS, IDC India, the new iPhone SE is finding good traction in the Indian market, primarily because it is a new iPhone from Apple at an attractive price point.

“Given its attractive price point and expected price aggression by brands and channels (online platforms) during the next few festive months, we should see the new iPhone SE to further find good traction in the next few months,” Singh told IANS.

Also, a small set of consumers still prefer a smaller pocket-sized phone, and “there are not many such options in the market where phones are getting bigger in size”.

The HDFC Bank has a cashback offer which brings the price of new iPhone SE further down to Rs 38,900.

Apple started assembling iPhones in India in 2017. Currently, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are being assembled by Foxconn at its Chennai plant and iPhone 7 and new iPhone SE by Wistron in Bengaluru.

Original iPhone SE and iPhone 6s were assembled by Wistron but those were discontinued in 2019.

According to Prabhu Ram, Head- Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, with the iPhone SE 2020, Apple has added a new chapter to its rather impressive India growth story.

“The iPhone SE 2020 has been doing exceptionally well, capturing 8 percent market share of the total premium smartphones shipped during Q2 (second quarter),” Ram told IANS.

With a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, Touch ID, A13 Bionic chip that enables great battery life, and the best single-camera system, the new iPhone SE is a powerful and compact new smartphone.

In the latest earnings call with analysts, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that iPhone revenue grew 2 percent in the June quarter and the company witnessed a strong iPhone SE launch amid great customer response.

“The combination of the smaller form factor and an incredibly affordable price made the iPhone SE very popular. iPhone 11 is still the most popular smartphone, but iPhone SE definitely helped our results,” Cook said.

Messi is Mr Barcelona, says PSG boss

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Messi is Mr Barcelona, says PSG boss

Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) head coach Thomas Tuchel has said that Lionel Messi is “very welcome” at the club, however adding that he expects the talismanic striker to remain at Barcelona.

PSG lost 0-1 to Bayern Munich in a tightly-contested Champions League final on Sunday.

“What coach says no to Messi?” Tuchel was quoted as telling to BT Sport by BBC Sport. “I think Messi finishes his career in Barcelona. He is Mr. Barcelona,” he added.

Barcelona’s season had ended in a humiliating 2-8 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich. Following which, questions have been raised over Messi’s future at Camp Nou.

PSG are among the few football clubs in the world with the financial capacity to meet his buyout clause of 700million euros.

Speaking on PSG’s plans for the summer transfer window, Tuchel said: “We decided not to talk about transfers in this period.

“We will sit together in the next days. We have many things to do to keep the level of the squad.

“We need to use the transfer window now to make the squad wider. The campaign will be very demanding without any breaks. We need to build a strong, strong squad,” he added.

PSG will play their first game of the new Ligue 1 season against Lens on Saturday after the French top-flight made its return last Friday after the 2019-20 campaign ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I miss my friend a lot: Modi on Jaitley’s death anniversary

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I miss my friend a lot: Modi on Jaitley’s death anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an emotional tweet on Monday remembered his “friend” and former Union Minister Arun Jaitley on his death anniversary.

He tweeted, “On this day, last year, we lost Shri Arun Jaitleyji. I miss my friend a lot. Anji diligently served India. His wit, intellect, legal acumen, and warm personality were legendary.”

Modi posted an old video saying, “Here is what I had said during a prayer meeting in his memory.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah too remembered “friend of friends” Jaitley.

“Remembering Arun Jaitleyji, an outstanding politician, prolific orator, and a great human being who had no parallels in Indian polity. He was multifaceted and a friend of friends, who will always be remembered for his towering legacy, transformative vision and devotion to the nation,” he tweeted.

The former Union Finance Minister breathed his last at the age of 66 years on this day in 2019.

CWC meet begins amid chorus to bring Rahul back as Cong chief

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CWC meet begins amid chorus to bring Rahul back as Cong chief

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met here on Monday amid huge controversy over a letter by more than a score of key party leaders urging for sweeping reforms, and ‘a full-time, visible leadership’, even as the chorus to bring back Rahul Gandhi as chief has gained momentum in some quarters.

Party workers are expecting an imminent change in leadership at this juncture, and tweets and letters flying all over the place since last evening have shown a bend towards Rahul Gandhi to be brought back to the hot seat. Many Congress leaders have openly demanded to bring back Rahul Gandhi as the party President without any further delay.

The party though said only the CWC, which is the highest decision-making body in the Congress, will discuss and decide on the issue.

The CWC meeting comes weeks after the Congress saw a stormy meeting of its Rajya Sabha MPs wherein certain leaders sought introspection on the 2019 poll debacle. Thereafter, a bunch of leaders wrote the letter to Congress interim chief on the issue of leadership change and elections in the CWC.

Sacked Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha earlier said that 100 party leaders have written the letter to Sonia Gandhi for making “sweeping changes” in the party. This has, however, been denied by the Congress and its chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Sources said that the letter, about which IANS had reported on July 29, said: “There should be full-time party leadership which should be effective and active in the field. It should work for the revival of the Congress, elections in the CWC, and urgent establishment of a suitable mechanism.”

The letter has been signed by a number of senior leaders, including former Chief Ministers, from the party.

Sonia Gandhi took over as interim party chief in August last year after Rahul Gandhi resigned following the party debacle in the 2019 general elections.

The party leaders are said to be unhappy with “directionless and adrift” Congress affairs.

Now, there is a strong chorus within the party to again make Rahul Gandhi the party president, especially from young leaders close to him.

However, a section of the party is also critical of Rahul Gandhi’s team and alleged that they are “political greenhorns” who have weakened the party electorally.

Brothers drown while fishing in UP district

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Brothers drown while fishing in UP district

Two minor boys drowned while fishing in the swollen Gagan river in Moradabad.

Their bodies were taken out on Sunday. According to the police, three siblings — Shivam, 18, Gaurav, 17, and Aman, 12 — along with a friend, Vansh, had gone for fishing in the river near Kanha Gaushala in Transport Nagar on Saturday afternoon.

Shivam lost his balance and fell into the river. As Gaurav tried to save him, he too lost his balance and fell into the river.

Seeing the duo being swept away in the river, Aman and Vansh ran towards the village to inform their families, who alerted the police.

A police team rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of divers. The boy could not be saved.

The victims were the son of a laborer, Ravindra. They were students of a private school in Moradabad.

Majola police station SHO Rakesh Kumar Singh said professional divers were called in to rescue the children. “The rescue operation lasted till late Saturday night, but the divers could not find the brothers. We resumed the operation on Sunday and finally recovered the bodies which have been sent for post mortem,” he said.

Verma writes to BCCI, expresses concern over Patna stadium

TB Team
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Verma writes to BCCI, expresses concern over Patna stadium

Aditya Verma, Secretary of Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB), has written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) raising concerns over the present condition of the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna.

The multi-purpose stadium in the state capital has so far hosted three ODI matches, including one from the 1996 ICC World Cup.

In the letter accessed by IANS, Verma wrote to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and other board officials: “I am writing this letter with a lot of pain, especially to our legendary cricketer of the country, who is currently the respected President of the Indian cricket board.

“Once a witness of the 1996 World Cup match between Kenya and Zimbabwe, the stadium has hosted a lot of Ranji Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, Duleep Trophy matches as well.

“The current president of the BCCI had also played at the stadium…,” he added.

Verma further said that before leaving the BCCI office, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had granted a sum of Rs 10.80 crore to the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), an affiliated body of the BCCI, for the development of infrastructure in Bihar.

“After getting huge money from the BCCI, the newly elected body of BCA started making illegal expenses in the name of cricket,” he said, alleging that the BCA has not been using the money allotted to them for development of infrastructure and other cricket activities in the state.

The CAB Secretary concluded the letter saying: “Players have failed to get their match fees, TA and DA by the BCA. Look at the current status of Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna. I want to know from respected officials of the BCCI, when will you people give justice to the talented cricketers of Bihar?”

Along with the letter, he also attached some recent photos of the stadium.

Verma had earlier written to the BCCI, asking them to look into the affairs of BCA so that the “future of the game is not harmed” in the state. In the letter, he had thrown light on the “fractious state of affairs” in the BCA.

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