La Liga schedule announced, Barca face Real Madrid on Oct 27
Defending champions Barcelona will face Athletic Bilbao in their La Liga 2019-20 opener on August 18, while runners-up Atletico Madrid will face Getafe in their opener. Real Madrid, who finished third last season will face Celta Vigo. La Liga season’s first El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona will take place at Camp Nou on October 27.
HP, Google plan to move some production out of China: Report
Multiple technology firms are reportedly planning to shift production outside of China spurred by US-China trade war. HP and Dell Technologies are reportedly planning to reallocate up to 30% of their notebook production out of China. Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Sony and Nintendo are also reportedly looking to move some of their gaming console and smart speaker manufacturing out of China.
Apple may change keyboard design in MacBooks: Report
Apple is switching to a scissor switch-based keyboard design, purportedly featuring glass fibre to reinforce the keys, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s report said. The keyboards will reportedly appear in MacBook Air expected later this year and MacBook Pro in 2020. Apple will reportedly drop butterfly design-based MacBook keyboards that have repeatedly received user complaints over faulty mechanism.
Sensex reclaims 40,000 mark ahead of Sitharaman’s maiden budget
The Sensex hit the 40,000-mark in early trade ahead of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s maiden Budget on Friday, the first time since June 11. The Nifty opened at 11,964.75, edging closer to 12,000. Globally, Asian shares hovered near two-month highs on Friday, holding recent gains as investors awaited US employment data.
World Bank’s IFC to lead ₹3,770 cr investment round in L&T Finance
L&T Finance Holdings has announced its wholly-owned subsidiary L&T Finance will raise $550 million (nearly ₹3,770 crore) in an investment round led by World Bank Group member International Finance Corporation (IFC). BNP Paribas, Citibank and DNB Bank will also anchor the external commercial borrowing (ECB) round. In the first tranche of $275 million, IFC will bring in $125 million.
ICJ to deliver verdict on Kulbhushan Jadhav case on July 17
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver its verdict on retired Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case on July 17. Jadhav, who is currently lodged in a Pakistani jail, was sentenced to death in 2017 by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism. India has urged the ICJ to annul Jadhav’s death sentence and sought his release.
Afghanistan’s Ikram Ali Khil 3rd youngest batsman to hit a WC fifty
Afghanistan’s Ikram Ali Khil on Thursday became the third youngest batsman to score a fifty in the World Cup, achieving the feat aged 18 years and 278 days against West Indies in the 2019 World Cup. Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful are the youngest and second youngest players to score a fifty in World Cup, respectively.
Bernard Tomic fined ₹39 lakh for playing below standards at Wimbledon
Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic has been fined £45,000 (₹39 lakh) for not playing up to the required standards at Wimbledon in his first-round defeat to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The 26-year-old world number 96 lost the match 2-6 1-6 4-6 in just 58 minutes. The £45,000 is the amount first-round losers receive at Wimbledon.
Federer reaches third round of a Grand Slam for the 70th time
Eight-time champion Roger Federer defeated world number 169 British tennis player Jay Clarke 6-1, 7-6(7-3), 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon third round for the 17th time, equalling Jimmy Connors’ Open Era record. Federer has now reached the third round of a major for the 70th time in his career. Federer has now won 97 matches at Wimbledon.
Cult.Fit denies charges after cheating case filed against Hrithik
Fitness chain Cult.Fit has denied cheating charges levelled by a gym user after a case was registered by Hyderabad Police against its brand ambassador Hrithik Roshan and three Cult.Fit officials. Cult.Fit alleged the complainant had behaved violently and inappropriately with its staff, which constrained them to take action against him. They said Hrithik was wrongly dragged into the case.
99th-min goal helps Netherlands reach 1st women’s WC final
Netherlands on Wednesday beat Sweden 1-0 after a 99th-minute goal by Manchester United Women midfielder Jackie Groenen, to reach their first ever Women’s World Cup final. The match marked the first time a women’s World Cup semi-final had gone to extra time. The European champions will now face defending champions, the United States, in Lyon on Sunday.
Ministry of Environment gets electric cars for official use
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) tweeted that it has acquired electric cars for official use. MOEF&CC added it will be utilising in-house charging facilities and setting an example in pollution-free commutes. Recently, government think tank NITI Aayog reportedly proposed that only electric vehicles be sold in the country after 2030.
100 civilians killed in South Sudan violence after peace deal: UN
Over 100 civilians have been killed in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria region after a peace deal was signed last year to end the civil war, a UN report said. Armed groups also committed sexual violence, including rape, against around 100 women and girls. South Sudan descended into civil war two years after its independence from Sudan in 2011.
Amazon can be held liable for 3rd-party sales, rules US appeals court
A US appeals court ruled Amazon can be held liable for consumer injuries caused by third-party sellers’ defective goods sold on Amazon under Pennsylvania law. In 2016, a woman sued Amazon claiming she was blinded in one eye when a retractable dog leash, purchased via third-party seller, snapped and recoiled. The ruling reversed a lower court decision on the case.
Brookfield to buy prime Mumbai real estate for ₹750 cr: Report
Canada-based Brookfield has reportedly agreed to buy a prime real estate asset in Mumbai’s Andheri East from Sanjay Narang-owned Mars Enterprises and Hospitality for ₹750 crore. The asset comprising the 100-room five-star Waterstones Hotel, a club and some vacant land, spans nearly 9.67 acres, reports said. The company has also reportedly “paid a token amount” as part of the transaction.
West Bengal CM Mamata attends TMC MP Nusrat Jahan’s wedding reception
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday attended TMC’s Lok Sabha MP and actress Nusrat Jahan’s wedding reception along with TMC Lok Sabha MP Mimi Chakraborty and TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee. Earlier today, Mamata Banerjee and Nusrat Jahan flagged off the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Kolkata. Nusrat Jahan got married to Kolkata-based businessman Nikhil Jain in Turkey last month.
Eco Survey cites Hinduism, Islam, Christianity to stop loan defaults
The Economic Survey, authored by Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian, cited Hindu scriptures, quoted Prophet Muhammad and the Bible to note that wilful defaults and tax evasion lead to bad fortune. In Hinduism, non-payment of debts is a sin and also a crime, and under Islam, “a person cannot enter Paradise until his debt was paid off”, the Survey said.
180 IndiGo passengers asked to deplane after pilot fails to turn up
Around 180 passengers were left stranded at Chandigarh International Airport as IndiGo cancelled its 7:55 AM flight to Delhi on July 3 after the pilot failed to turn up, according to Hindustan Times. Passengers had already boarded the plane when they were asked to deplane after waiting for 45 minutes. The airline refunded the booking amount to all passengers.
Keep your hands off Hong Kong: China warns UK
China has told the UK to keep its hands off Hong Kong amid violence in the former British colony. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt had asked China to grant basic freedoms to Hong Kong. Hong Kong has witnessed violent protests against a now-suspended bill that would allow the extradition of criminal suspects to mainland China.
