Zomato expects July net loss under $1mn as Covid-19 hits business

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Foodtech Unicorn Zomato expects its net loss in July to be under $1 million even as Covid-19 has set it back by about a year in terms of the size of the business, the company said in its annual report on Friday.

For June, it posted an EBITDA loss of $1.5 million, while revenue hit $17 million.

Zomato said its revenue in FY20 grew by 105 percent to reach $394 million as compared to $192 million in FY19 while the costs grew by only 47 percent in the corresponding period.

For FY19, Zomato posted an EBITDA loss of $277 million which increased to $293 million in FY 20.

In the first quarter of FY21, Zomato posted revenue of just $41 million, reflecting how Covid-19 impacted its business size. The company posted a $12 million EBITDA loss for the same period.

“Covid-19 has positively impacted the health of our business — we seem to have gained 2-3 years along this vector. In July 2020, we estimate our monthly burn rate to land under $1m, while our revenue should land at approximately 60 percent of pre-COVID peaks ($23m per month),” said Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal.

However, he said that the pandemic impacted the size of the business.

“We expect to make a complete recovery over the next 3-6 months while continuing to maintain tight control on costs/profitability,” Goyal said.

In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, 75 percent of Zomato employees volunteered for partial salary cuts.

“As of today, all the original salaries have been re-instated, and our net losses of under $1m for July reflect the increased payroll cost already,” the Zomato CEO said.

Zomato generally publishes its annual report in the first week of April. But this year it delayed the release of the report due to the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic.

Sushant Singh Rajput’s brilliant one-shot performance

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The title track of Dil Bechara perfectly describes the film’s title, courtesy Sushant Singh Rajput’s brilliant one-shot performance. Sushant’s Dil Bechara co-star Sanjana Sanghi dropped the Dil Bechara title track on Friday, making us fall in love with Sushant all over again. Dil Bechara stars Sanjana as Kizie Basu and Sushant as Manny, whose magical love story has a tragic end – Kizie has cancer.

The trailer reveals that Manny, with his adorable antics, lights up grumpy Kizie’s life, and the title track is a glimpse of Manny’s infectious energy. While sharing the Dil Bechara title track, Sanjana tweeted: “Manny knocked his way into Kizie’s life with all his heart and lively spirit… Listen, love, let the magic do its trick.”

The song begins with the spotlight on Manny at what appears to be a college performance. Manny, who appears to have been friend-zoned, dances to the tunes of his heart and sings out his emotions adorably. Kizie has just a tiny role to play during Manny’s performance as he randomly grooves with her in the audience. The song ends with Sushant’s million dollar smile, which will steal your hearts.

In an Instagram post, Farah Khan, who choreographed Sushant in the Dil Bechara song, revealed that the actor had filmed it in one shot: “This song is particularly close to me because it was the first time I was choreographing Sushant… we were friends for a long time but never worked together… I had also promised Mukesh Chhabra that when he makes his directorial debut I would do a song for him… I wanted the song to be done as a one shot song because I knew Sushant would be able to do it perfectly.”

Lionel Messi will finish his career at the Camp Nou

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Former Barcelona defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst told AFP that he hopes Lionel Messi will finish his career at the Camp Nou, as speculation swirls about the superstar’s future. Messi is reportedly frustrated with Barcelona’s failure to build a top-notch squad, and tired of purported leaks from the Spanish club which paint him in a bad light. Radio station Cadena Ser reported last week that the Argentine had broken off negotiations on extending his contract, which runs until 2021, and was thinking of leaving.

Dutchman van Bronckhorst, 45, who is now coaching Guangzhou R&F in China, told AFP: “I would love to see him be part of Barcelona for his whole career.”He’s one of the (few) players to stay his whole career at the same club.”I admire him as a person and a player and hopefully he will stay there. That’s what I’d love to see.”

Van Bronckhorst left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2003 and won the Champions League in 2006, when a young Messi was already building a fearsome reputation.

“I’ve known him since he was 16 and now he’s 33,” said Van Bronckhorst.”He’s developed into a great human being, he’s a family man and he’s more than capable of making his own decisions about where his future lies and whether he leaves.”He will decide himself, but I can’t imagine a Barcelona without him.”

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu this week responded to the storm of speculation by saying that the club had “an obligation” to keep Messi, calling him “the best player in history”.Messi, who said in February he did not believe Barcelona could win the Champions League on current form, has had regular disagreements with the club’s board.

He reacted publicly when sporting director Eric Abidal appeared to blame the players for the sacking of Ernesto Valverde in January.He also led the fightback from the Barcelona players over a dispute with the board in March regarding pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.

Area under kharif crops reaches over 580 lakh Ha as on July 10

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The area under Kharif crops reached over 580 lakh hectares as on July 10, as per the sowing coverage data released by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Friday. The acreage of pulses has increased unexpectedly compared to last year as the timely onset of monsoon this year favored early sowing in the rainfed areas. The total area under pulses rose to 64.25 lakh hectares, up 162.35 percent from the same period last year.

As per the Ministry’s latest sowing coverage, the acreage of tur is 26.18 lakh hectares, up 199.20 percent from the corresponding data a year ago while the area under urad reached 19.79 lakh hectares and moong 15.16 lakh hectares.

The acreage of paddy, the chief Kharif crop, was reported at 120.77 lakh hectares against 95.73 lakh hectares last year, an increase of 26.16 percent. The coverage for coarse cereals went up to 93.24 lakh hectares against 71.96 lakh hectares last year, an increase of 29.57 percent, oilseeds 139.37 lakh hectares against 75.27 lakh hectares last year i.e. area coverage increased by 85.16 percent.

Sugarcane at 50.89 lakh hectares against 50.59 lakh hectares last year, increased in area coverage by 0.59 percent while cotton area coverage reported at 104.82 lakh hectares against 77.71 lakh hectares last year, increased by 34.89 percent. The area under jute & mesta went up to 6.87 lakh hectares against 6.82 lakh hectares last year, an increase of 0.73 percent.

So there is no impact of COVID-19 on the progress of area coverage under Kharif crops as on date, said the Agriculture Ministry.

The Central government has taken vital steps in the agriculture sector after the forecast of a good southwest monsoon during 2020. The Ministry of Agriculture has arranged timely distribution of fertilizer in all States and Union Territories as per requirement, so that the progress of sowing of Kharif crops may be advanced during the pandemic situation, said the Ministry in a statement.

India received around 13 percent higher rain than normal as on July 9 after the monsoon hit the Kerala coast on June 1. The actual rainfall in the country was 275.4 mm against the normal of 243.6 mm in the corresponding year-ago period. As per the report of the CWC, the live water storage available in 123 reservoirs in the country is 167 percent of live storage of the corresponding period of last year and 146 percent of the storage of the average of the last ten years.

Most wanted Gangster Vikas Dubey has been killed in an encounter

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Exactly 24 hours after his arrest, most wanted gangster Vikas Dubey has been killed in an encounter. This incident took place while Vikas Dubey was being shifted from Ujjain to Kanpur via road.

The UP Special Task Force (STF) police started to Ujjain early in the morning in three vehicles. However, one of the three vehicles overturned on the highway. During that time Vikas Dubey is said to have tried to escape. Alerted by this the police have fired at him and in this Dubey sustained injuries and was unable to move.

Having noticed this the police have rushed Dubey to a nearest hospital. But then the doctors have declared him as dead.

This whole episode sounds very dramatic and certainly many will have their doubts. In fact for some this is not a surprise at all as Vikas Dubey’s mother and brother have appealed to the police to kill him for being the most dreadful gangster.

ATK Mohun Bagan holds international potential, says Nita Ambani

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Nita Ambani, Founder & Chairperson, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), welcomed legendary Indian football club Mohun Bagan into the Indian Super League family on Friday.

The 130-year old football club on Friday completed the formalities of merging with three-time ISL champions ATK FC, thus scripting a new essay in Indian football named as – ‘ATK Mohun Bagan’.

“We are delighted with the merger of ATK and Mohun Bagan, the two powerhouses of Indian football. I whole-heartedly welcome Mohun Bagan, one of India’s oldest and most renowned club, to the Indian Super League and congratulate Sanjiv Goenka for embracing the I-League champions with open arms,” said Ambani.

The FSDL chairperson believes that the combined power of ATK and MB will further enable India to establish its stronghold in AFC competitions.

“The coming together of these two heavyweights marks a momentous chapter in the history of Indian sports. The new entity, ‘ATK Mohun Bagan FC’, holds vast potential for not just West Bengal or Indian football but internationally too, as we endeavor to establish Indian clubs as strong players in AFC competitions.”

A firm believer in investing in youth development, Nita Ambani is of the opinion that ATK Mohun Bagan will lead the way towards a more competitive platform for young Indian players, benefitting the overall football ecosystem in the country.

“Talent can only be realized when budding youngsters get the opportunity and exposure to play competitive football at the highest levels. I am confident that this partnership will benefit football in our country and help us realize our dream of making India a football superpower.

“I wish the management of ATK Mohun Bagan FC, the players, and the staff all the very best for what promises to be an exciting journey ahead,” Ambani added.

The board of ATK-Mohun Bagan on Friday decided to retain the green and maroon jersey which has been synonymous with the legacy of iconic Mohun Bagan football club.

The name of the club will be changed to ATK Mohun Bagan while the logo will have the Mohun Bagan boat with the addition of ‘ATK’ to it, a statement said.

ATK-Mohun Bagan also said it has plans to build a world-class football academy in Bengal and to refurbish the existing Mohun Bagan facility so that ISL and AFC home games are held there.

Dubey killed to cover up his links: Kapil Sibal

Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Friday said that the encounter killing of gangster Vikas Dubey was predicted by many persons and questioned if it was done to cover up his alleged political links.

“Killed in an encounter. Predicted by many, wilful incompetence. Or, is it a conspiracy to destroy evidence linking Vikas to certain parties and individuals?”

“Commission to investigate politician-police-criminal nexus in UP,” the Supreme Court lawyer added.

Dubey was being transferred from Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain when he was killed by police after he tried to flee from their custody in the Bhauti area near Kanpur on Friday morning. He was wanted for the killing of eight police officials on July 3 in Bikru village in Kanpur district.

The former Indian captain turned 71

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Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian captain, turned 71 on Friday and wishes poured in for the legendary batsman. BCCI and ICC’s official Twitter handles tweeted their birthday greetings for Sunil Gavaskar, paying tribute to the first batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs.

“World Cup winner, first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs, Most numbers of runs in debut Test series. Happy Birthday to the former team India captain and batting legend, Sunil Gavaskar”, wrote BCCI. Sunil Gavaskar, who has held multiple batting records, is rated as one of the finest batsmen to have ever played the game.

“First Batsman to score 10,000 Test runs, First batsman to score centuries in both innings of a Test thrice, Held the record for most number of Test tons until 2005, First India fielder to claim 100 catches. Happy birthday to legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar”, ICC tweeted on Friday morning.

Mohammad Kaif also took Twitter to wish Sunil Gavaskar on his birthday and wrote, “Happy Birthday Sunny bhai. Grew up listening about his legendary tales of batting without a helmet. Now fortunate enough to know him & hear those stories from the man himself. The man is always at home in West Indies”.

Sunil Gavaskar made his Test debut back in 1971 against the West Indies. Sunil Gavaskar played 125 matches during his Test career and scored 10,122 runs at an average of 51.12 and smashed 34 Test centuries as well.

In ODIs, Sunil Gavaskar played 108 matches and scored 3,092 runs at an average of 35.13.Sunil Gavaskar was part of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team. The legendary batsman has also received the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan award for his contribution to Indian cricket.

ISL: ATK-Mohun Bagan to sport green & maroon jersey, Ganguly attends meet

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The board of ATK-Mohun Bagan on Friday decided to retain the green and maroon jersey which has been synonymous with the legacy of iconic Mohun Bagan football club.

The name of the club will be changed to ATK Mohun Bagan while the logo will have the Mohun Bagan boat with the addition of ‘ATK’ to it, a statement said.

“The culture and tradition which has made the brand a household name have been preserved. The logo retains its essence.

“The addition of ATK within the logo ensures that the fast-growing and passionate following built on a short but highly successful period is also being carried forward,” the merged entity said in the statement.

ATK-Mohun Bagan also said it has plans to build a world-class football academy in Bengal and to refurbish the existing Mohun Bagan facility so that ISL and AFC home games are held there.

“Mohun Bagan has been close to my heart since childhood. I have had the honor to watch the Green and Maroon play some of their best football,” principal owner Sanjiv Goenka, who acquired a majority stake of 80 percent in Mohun Bagan, said.

“We respect the legacy and have retained the same jersey which generations down the line have embraced, adored, and loved.

“My dream is to establish ATK Mohun Bagan as a world-class team that earns its place in the international circuit.”

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, who is a co-owner of ATK and a director of the board, also attended the virtual meeting.

“I salute the coming together of ATK and Mohun Bagan. Together the brand name ATK Mohun Bagan will create history,” the former India captain said.

ATK, who had announced the merger in January this year, won a record third ISL title this season beating Chennaiyin FC 3-1 in the final in March.

Mohun Bagan on the other hand won the I-League with four rounds to spare before it was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yes Bank sets floor price of Rs 12/share for FPO issue

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Yes Bank’s Capital Raising Committee (CRC) of the Board of Directors on Friday set a floor price of Rs 12 per share for its upcoming further public offering (FPO).

The board has fixed a cap price of Rs 13 per share, the bank said in a regulatory filing.

The bank’s board in its meeting on Friday also approved “a discount of Rs 1.00 per equity share for the eligible employees of the bank bidding in employee reservation portion” and “a minimum bid lot of 1,000 equity shares and in the multiples of 1,000 equity shares thereafter.”

The restructured private bank plans to raise up to Rs 15,000 through the upcoming FPO issue which opens on July 15 and closes on July 17.

On Thursday, Yes Bank said that it has filed a red herring prospectus for its FPO. It has reserved a portion of up to Rs 200 crore for its employees.

The CRC is scheduled to meet on July 14 for the purposes of allocation of equity shares to the successful anchor investors pursuant to the offer and for determination of the anchor investor allocation price.

Apple releases public Beta version of iOS 14, iPadOS 14

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Apple has released the public Beta version of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 updates that would be available in the fall.

The new iOS version is compatible with the iPhone as well as iPod touch models that are compatible with iOS 13 and for iPad users, the new release is specifically meant for models that are currently running on iPadOS 13.

The public beta version, which has already created waves among the developers for revealing that tech companies like TikTok and LinkedIn were copying content from Apple user’s clipboards, is generally full of bugs that the company fixes before the final release.

The most prominent change in iOS 14 is a redesigned screen.

In iOS 14, Apple users can pin widgets with updating information on the home screen, including calendar and maps mini-programs. Users can drag a widget onto the iPhone home screen, where it will remain.

Users can create a Smart Stack of widgets, which uses on-device intelligence to surface the right widget based on time, location, and activity said Apple.

At the end of the Home, Screen pages are the App Library, a new space that automatically organizes all of a user’s apps into one simple, easy-to-navigate view, and intelligently surfaces apps that may be helpful at the moment.

With Picture-in-Picture support, iPhone users can now watch a video or make a FaceTime call while using another app.

New Memoji options in Messages are even more inclusive and diverse with additional hairstyles, headwear, face coverings, and more.

In iOS 14, Apple Maps makes it easier than ever to navigate and explore with new cycling directions, electric vehicle routing, and curated Guides.

The on-device mode in iOS 14 allows users to experience the features of the app offline for private voice and text translation.

In the new operating system for iPhones, Siri expands its knowledge, helps find answers from across the internet, and can now send audio messages. Keyboard dictation runs on devices when dictating messages, notes, email, and more.

With iOS 14, incoming FaceTime and phone calls and Siri interactions take on an all-new compact design that enables users to stay in the context of what they are doing.

iPhone users will now be able to pin conversations to the top of their messages list.

As for iPadOS 14, it includes most of the new iOS 14 updates, minus the Home Screen redesign.

The biggest change is the new Scribble feature for the Apple Pencil to write on any text field, with the written text converted to typed text.

There are also compact designs for FaceTime and Siri.

At the ‘WWDC 2020’ last month, Apple announced updates for Messages, Apple Maps, and Safari that all are preloaded on the new iPadOS version.

7 Indian institutes introduce ‘AWS Educate’ Cloud computing curricula

To help develop the next generation of Cloud professionals, seven higher education institutions in India will adopt Cloud computing curricula from the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Educate global initiative into their mainstream college syllabus, the Cloud arm of e-commerce giant Amazon said on Friday.

The Cloud computing content will be offered as part of an undergraduate degree and postgraduate diploma programs starting in September this year.

Cloud computing is a top workforce skill sought by companies, as reported by a LinkedIn study conducted annually over the last five years.

This new effort is aimed at providing students with the knowledge and competency-based credentials in skills such as Cloud architecture, data analytics, cybersecurity, Machine Learning, and software development.

“Building a cloud-ready workforce is key to enabling technology-led growth in India that will drive innovation at speed and create impact at scale,” Rahul Sharma, President, India, and South Asia Public Sector, Amazon Internet Services Private Limited, said in a statement.

“Integrating cloud curricula as part of mainstream college education represents a shift in the way the industry and academia can come together to build the next generation of highly-skilled Cloud professionals.”

The education institutions offering the newly-designed Bachelor of Technology degree programs in Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science are — Chitkara University, Punjab; Galgotias University, Uttar Pradesh; Manav Rachna University, Delhi and NCR; Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, Uttar Pradesh; Sharda University, Delhi and NCR; and SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu.

The ASM Institute of Management and Computer Studies in Maharashtra will offer syllabus combined with the AWS Educate Cloud curricula for its Post Graduate Diploma in Management — Emerging Technology.

All students participating in the degree and diploma programs will be enrolled in AWS Educate, Amazon’s global initiative to provide students comprehensive resources for building skills in the Cloud, and provided with AWS Promotional Credits to gain real-world, hands-on experience using AWS Cloud technology.

Supporting this effort is IT industry body Nasscom which will facilitate greater industry participation by engaging key employers in information technology (IT) and information technology-enabled services (ITES) segments in India, to build a talent pipeline equipped with cloud skills.

ICT Academy, a not-for-profit society that collaborates with state governments and industry to train higher education teachers and industry-ready students, will also assist the educational institutions with faculty development and curriculum alignment, AWS said.

10 Lesser Unknown Facts about Sushant Singh Rajput

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Sushant Singh Rajput’s death brought his career to a sudden end and efforts are on to know more about Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Sushant Singh Manager had much to do with his career.

Sushant Singh Rajput began his illustrious career with the daily soap, ‘Pavitra Rishta’, and attained much popularity in no time. He was loved by his fans as a T.V. star actor. He attained much fame by acting in ‘Manav Deshmukh’. Yet, Sushant wanted more of his acting career and thus went into doing films and also proved his versatile talent. He won much praise for the movie ‘Kai Po Che’. This dimpled smile guy was ready to show his talents in the biopic ‘M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story’.

Sushant Singh Rajput’s death came as shock to the nation.

What more to know about Sushant Singh Rajput?

1. Sushant was born in Patna. His father happened to be a government official. He is the youngest and also the only son in his family. He has four elder sisters, and one of them is a state-level cricketer. His mother passed away when he was studying in 12th standard. The actor spent his early years in Delhi.

2. He was a fine student in school and stood at 7th Rank AIEEE in 2003. The actor then got admission in Delhi College of Engineering and even did Mechanical Engineering but later preferred the glam world overstudies.

3. ‘Pavitra Rishta’ was not the debut of Sushant in Indian T.V. He started with the role of Preet Juneja in the popular serial ‘Kis Desh Mein Hai Dil Mera’.

4. He was often touted as another SRK in Bollywood. As he had no family relation in the glamour industry and made it big after being part of Indian T.V. Sushant did confess he used to mimic King Khan during his school days to impress girls.

5. The actor does add on much reality into his physical appearance for the role that a unit member mistook him to be a helper on the set.

6. He was also a dancer under choreographer Shaiamak Davara and was a background dancer in many of the events such as Commonwealth Games 2006 and Filmfare the same year. Before entering the industry, he did move around with Ashley Lobo’s troupe. Sushant Singh Rajput manager also played an important role in his career.

7. Sushant went in for martial art lessons from Allan Ami.

8. This brilliant actor had also the National Olympiad Winner in Physics.

9. He assisted the director Mohit Suri with regard to film Raaz 2.

10. It is also rumored that the actor joined a theater group ‘Ekjute’ and was also a student at Bary John’s drama classes.

The popular Bollywood industry shocked the industry and the country by committing suicide on Sunday (June 14). He was 34. Based on initial reports, the actor was found hanging at his Bandra residence. His death was a shock indeed. A rising career came to an end.

The actor, who has done films like MS Dhoni, Kai Po Che, Chhichhore, Kedarnath to name a few started his career as a television actor.

The actor began his career in television serials. His debut show was in a romantic drama Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil, where he portrayed the role of Preet Juneja. It was Ekta Kapoor show Pavitra Rishta, which did earn Sushant much fame. He became famous instantly with his superb role as Manav Deshmukh. Here, he was paired opposite Ankita Lokhande.

The show created happened to be an emotional connection with the audience. Its characters Manav and Archana, played by Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande became very much appreciated couple by the fans.

Sushant Singh Rajput death cause is being investigated.

Bollywood celebs to reveal secrets on new show

Bollywood celebrities like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday, Taapsee Pannu, and Jacqueline Fernandez will reveal interesting bits of their lives in a new interactive quiz show titled “Super Fan”.

“I think all of us celebrities are known by our fans, and I strongly believe that. I have always said that I am what I am because of my fans. I am so happy that I have been able to connect with all my fans and it has been great that I got this opportunity to get to know each other better, through this show. I hope many people are able to get the answers to all my questions right, and I also hope that there is not just one, but many Super Fans of Bebo,” said Kareena.

The Flipkart Video show also presents an opportunity for select fans to win a chance to personally connect with their Bollywood idols.

Ananya hopes her fans have fun finding out more about her because “I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I want to thank them for all the love and affection I have received. To me, they are all my Super Fans and I love them. Sending a big virtual hug to all my fans out there”.

‘Trump’s softened tone towards Mexico to court Hispanic voters’

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US President Donald Trump’s softened stance towards Mexico during his meeting this week with his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was probably aimed at courting Hispanic voters, experts have said.

While welcoming the Mexican president to the White House on Wednesday, Trump said the US “is home to 36 million incredible Mexican American citizens”, adding that they “uplift our communities, and strengthen our churches and enrich every feature of national life”, reports Xinhua news agency.

Trump’s latest remarks contrasted with his earlier message. He once called Mexicans “rapists” who brought crimes to the US and has repeatedly criticized Mexican migrants and asylum seekers at the countries’ border since he took office.

“Trump doesn’t do anything that doesn’t benefit him politically. He knows that in the upcoming elections, the vote of the Hispanic community is going to be important,” said Reynaldo Ortega, a research professor at the International Studies Center of the prestigious El Colegio de Mexico.

The Hispanic vote is largely Democratic, said Ortega, adding that Trump has tried to at least retain the percentage of the Latino vote he received in 2016.

“There was a change in tone. At least he recognized — and that is a political point in favor of Lopez Obrador — that there are 36 million Mexicans who pay taxes, who contribute to the US economy,” said Ortega.

The meeting between Trump and Lopez Obrador was to celebrate the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which took effect on July 1, replacing the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement.

In a joint declaration, both heads of state said the USMCA signaled the start of a new era because it has strengthened the region’s competitiveness and provided economic certainty, a factor they said is fundamental to recovery in the wake of the pandemic.

Canada was not represented at the ceremony as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reportedly declined an invitation.

Mario Ojeda Revah, a research professor at the Latin American and Caribbean Research Center of Mexico’s National Autonomous University, said he was completely taken aback by Trump’s recent remarks, which he described as a complete about-face and a desperate attempt to woo the Latin voters as polls have shown him lagging behind his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

“Frankly, it’s unheard of coming from him. He has so often denigrated Latinos in general, Mexicans and Central Americans,” he said.

According to the Pew Research Center, around 32 million Hispanics are eligible to vote in November, a figure that represents 13 percent of potential voters, making the Hispanic population the largest racial minority of the electorate, ahead of African-Americans.

Adolfo Laborde, an expert on international relations at Mexico City’s Anahuac University, warned that Trump’s altered rhetoric does not change the reality for millions of migrants.

“What is reality? The reality is that there is a wall, the reality is that there are 6 million undocumented migrants that they refuse to document… Until there is immigration reform, this is just pure rhetoric, there is no other explanation,” said Laborde.

During his presidency, Trump has maintained a hardline stance on immigration and border security and pushed for a series of controversial measures, including erecting a border wall along the nation’s southern border with Mexico, in a bid to deter illegal immigrants.

Minor fire reported at I&B Ministry office room in Shastri Bhawan

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A minor fire broke out at one of the rooms in Shastri Bhawan here on Friday morning, which was put out by firefighters within a few minutes.

“The fire started in an AC stabilizer and electrical wires in an office room of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry,” said Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Service.

A fire call was made at 11.40 am, following which six fire tenders were sent to the spot. The fire was brought under control at 11.50 am.

It was the second fire reported in Shastri Bhawan in a week. A fire was reported at an office of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Tuesday.

One of the saddest days: Jadeja recalls India’s 2019 WC exit

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India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Friday recalled the team’s heart-wrenching loss in the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

Last year, on this day, the Men in Blue had crashed out of the World Cup as New Zealand defeated them by 18 runs at Old Trafford in Manchester.

“We try our best but still fall short sometimes. One of the saddest days!” tweeted Jadeja along with a picture of his from that game.

In the last-four clash which had to be played over two days because of rain, New Zealand posted 239/8 and then bowled out India for 221 runs to enter the summit clash where they lost to eventual champions England in a nail-biting encounter at the iconic Lord’s.

Former Australia cricketer-turned-coach Tom Moody recently said that India “sabotaged” their World Cup campaign by creating uncertainties within the team. The team had a dominant run in the round-robin stage and had lost just one match before the semi-finals.

“One of the huge challenges India has to face, they like it or not, is the expectation of their talent. There is no question India has got more talent by a long stretch than any country playing our game, but sometimes that can be a burden,” Moody told Cricbuzz.

“When you have got too many players to choose from, you can cloud your thinking and philosophy on how you want to plan, how you feel you need to play to win a particular tournament.

“It seems that India was ready to play the tournament 12 months ago but to the lead up to the actual start of the tournament did their very best to sabotage their hopes of winning that tournament by changing batting orders, changing personnel within the batting order, creating uncertainty amongst the whole playing group,” added the 54-year-old.

The semi-final loss to New Zealand also saw M.S. Dhoni’s last appearance on the cricket field as he has been on a sabbatical since then. He was expected to make his comeback in the national team with IPL 2020 but that also stands indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Muslim leaders threaten protest over razed mosques in Telangana secretariat

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, religious scholars and leaders of various Muslim organizations have condemned the demolition of two mosques in the premises of the old secretariat in Hyderabad and demanded their immediate reconstruction.

Hyderabad MP and other leaders of the United Muslim Forum (UMF), an umbrella organization of different Muslim groups, said the ‘tragic’ and ‘unconstitutional’ demolition of the two mosques caused pain and agony to the Muslims.

Owaisi, whose All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is a friendly party of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), and other leaders warned that if the government failed to take steps for reconstruction of the demolished mosques at the same place without any delay, Muslims would be forced to launch a strong protest.

They said Muslims were angry with the government over its action because according to the Islamic belief a mosque remains the property of Almighty Allah and its status can never be altered.

They stated in a joint statement that the demolition of two mosques shocked the confidence of the Muslim community in Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who has been projecting himself as a secular.

Demanding that the demolished mosques be rebuilt at the same place, they said Muslims could never accept their reconstruction at another place.

The joint statement was issued by Asaduddin Owaisi, his brother and AIMIM floor leader in Telangana Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi, Moulana Akbar Nizamuddin and Moulana Mufti Khaleel Ahmed of Jamia Nizamia, president of MUF Moulana Rahmeeuddin Ansari, Jamaat-Islami’s Telangana unit chief Moulana Hamid Mohammed Khan, Jamiatul Ulema Telangana and Andhra Pradesh unit president Moulana Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed, eminent religious scholars Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, Moulana Jaffer Pasha, and others.

The leaders pointed out that both the mosques (Masjid-e-Hashmi and Secretariat mosque) had their record in Waqf Board and official gazette notification.

Meanwhile, in a delayed move Waqf Board sent a letter to the secretary, minorities welfare, urging him to save both the mosques. Waqf Board Chief Executive Officer Abdul Hameed, along with the letter, also sent gazette notifications of the mosques. He wrote that demolition could anger Muslims leading to law and order problems.

As per the Waqf Board record, the Secretariat Mosque was spread over 677 square yards. Namaz used to be regularly offered there till recently. Even after shifting of the secretariat to nearby BRK Bhavan last year, prayers continued at the mosque and it was only after COVID-19 breakout and resultant lockdown that people had stopped offering prayers there.

In 2008, during the regime of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in undivided Andhra Pradesh, the minorities welfare department had released Rs 35 lakh for renovation of the mosque, and the work was completed in 2010.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir who was a minister in Rajasekhara Reddy’s cabinet said the TRS government hurt the sentiments of the Muslims and the Hindus by demolishing two mosques and a temple at the old secretariat complex. He recalled that in a letter to the chief minister on June 27, 2019, he had appealed to him to save the places of worship.

Shabbir said some ministers had assured that the places of worship would be protected. The Congress leader said the TRS government betrayed the people by demolishing the mosques and the temple.

States, districts affected by Covid-19 at all time high

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A steady increase in daily new cases and increasing geographical spread remain material risks to the country’s nascent economic recovery, according to Kotak Institutional Equities.

As per KIE’s Covid-19 Tracker, the road to recovery remains rocky with a rise in new COVID cases. The electricity consumption gap remains large for states with a high number of active cases. E-waybills and railway freight data were weaker in July in comparison to June. On the other hand, petrol and diesel consumption increased in June and was marginally above the March consumption level, it said.

However, the number of new cases continues to rise. Daily new Covid-19 cases continue to rise unabated. The change in the number of active cases, which had started trending downwards in the first half of June, has also been rising since the second half of June.

“We also show that the geographical spread of Covid-19, in terms of states and districts affected is at an all-time high,” the report said. On the positive side, the mortality rate from Covid-19 continues to decline.

The report said the high-frequency indicators continue to give mixed signals about the recovery of the economy.

Road traffic congestion levels were flat to down compared to the previous week. Bengaluru, where traffic congestion had rebounded the most, saw a decline in traffic congestion compared to the previous week. This is most likely on account of a large number of new cases in Bengaluru as well as the rest of Karnataka.

The electricity consumption gap, compared to 2019, narrowed further to 2 percent. States like UP, MP, and Telangana consumed more electricity than in a similar period in CY2019. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat had large electricity consumption gaps.

The daily payment data showed that daily average UPI and IMPS transaction value in July is at an all-time high. NETC FASTag transaction value in July is comparable to June, it said.

The Railway freight volume declined in July after increasing in May and June. The year-on-year decline in port volume was lower in June when compared to April and May. The daily average e-waybills generated in the first six days of July were lower than June daily average.

The daily average of property registrations in Maharashtra in July is higher than the daily average of March 2020 and is 87 percent of FY2019 daily average.

Most industries saw an increase in the number of new job postings in June when compared to May. Education, chemicals, and FMCG saw the most increase in the number of new job postings, as per the report.

NASA’s next Mars rover attached to rocket before July 30 launch

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NASA engineers have attached its Mars rover to the top of the rocket that will send it toward the Red Planet as the US space agency now targets July 30 for its launch.

Encased in the nose cone that will protect it during launch, the “Perseverance” rover and the rest of the Mars 2020 spacecraft — the aeroshell, cruise stage, and descent stage — were affixed to a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster on July 7, NASA said on Thursday.

“I have seen my fair share of spacecraft being lifted onto rockets,” said John McNamee, Project Manager for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

“But this one is special because there are so many people who contributed to this moment. To each one of them, I want to say, we got here together, and we’ll make it to Mars the same way.”

With the mating of spacecraft and booster complete, the final testing of the two — separately and as one unit– will be underway, NASA said.

The targeted launch date of the mission has been pushed back three times so far – first to July 20, then to July 22 and now to July 30.

NASA and United Launch Alliance recently also updated the mission’s launch period – the range of days the rocket can launch in order to reach Mars.

It now spans from July 30 to August 15.

The launch period opening changed from July 17 to 30 due to launch vehicle processing delays in preparation for spacecraft mate operations.

Four days were also added to the previously designated August 11 end of the launch period.

NASA and United Launch Alliance Flight Teams were able to provide those extra days after the final weights of both the spacecraft and launch vehicle became available, allowing them to more accurately calculate the propellant available to get Perseverance on its way.

No matter what day Perseverance lifts off during its July 30 to August 15 launch period, it will land in Mars’ Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021. NASA said.