Month: January 2021

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Africa News

Africa’s Covid-19 cases top 2.8mn

The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that the death toll from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has reached 66,631 as of Sunday afternoon..reports Asian Lite News

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the African continent has reached 28,07,864 on Sunday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that the death toll from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has reached 66,631 as of Sunday afternoon, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The Africa CDC, a specialised healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) Commission, also said that a total of 23,32,063 people infected with Covid-19 had recovered from the infectious virus across the continent so far.

The most affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Ethiopia, respectively, figures from the Africa CDC showed.

South Africa has the highest number of confirmed positive Covid-19 cases, at 10,88,889. The country also has the highest Covid-19-inflicted deaths at 29,175 according to the Africa CDC.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Friday called on the African continent to ensure economic recovery from the brunt of Covid-19 pandemic as the New Year begins.

“As we mark the end of the year 2020, we also mark the end of one of the most extraordinary and challenging years in living memory,” the chairperson of the 55-member pan-African bloc said in a statement.

Mahamat warned that “the challenging task of protecting our health and livelihoods, while ensuring recovery of our economies, still lies ahead as we begin a new year.”

Also read:S.Africa imposes stringent curbs

Categories
Asia News

Philippines reports 891 new Covid cases

The DOH said in the bulletin that the death toll climbed to 9,257 after four more patients died from the viral disease…reports Asian Lite News

The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported 891 new confirmed Covid-19 cases on Sunday, increasing the overall infection tally in the country to 477,807.

In a statement, the DOH said the low daily tally of cases is “due to a decrease in the number of patients seen in Covid-19 laboratories during the New Year”, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The DOH reminds the public to be cautious in interpreting these numbers as an increase in cases in the coming weeks is still possible,” the statement said.

The DOH said in the bulletin that the death toll climbed to 9,257 after four more patients died from the viral disease.

It added 8,316 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 448,258.

The DOH added that it continues to assess the extent of the effects of the holiday season on Covid-19 transmission.

“The DOH asks all stakeholders to be vigilant in guarding against complacency in the fight against COVID-19,” it added said.

The Philippines has tested over 6.39 million people since the outbreak so far.

The Philippines has a population of about 110 million.

Also read:Tropical depression kills 8 in Philippines

Categories
Fashion Lite Blogs

Fashion Trends For 2021

While this year was all about comfort and meaningful design which works well for work from home, loungewear and intimate gatherings, 2021 is expected to a glamourous update of the same forecast the experts. ­­IANSlife spoke to industry veterans to shed light on trends that may rule 2021…writes Puja Gupta.

Designer Kunal Rawal

Trends to opt for 2021

Military tones are going to be huge in the coming year.

Personally I’ve always been fond of a good tonal grey look, so ‘Ultimate Gray’ is a colour I highly recommend.

The new year will see a rise in de-constructed utilitarian silhouettes, especially in chic neutral shades.

Pantone colours will dominate virtual runways. Both “Ultimate Gray” and “Illuminating” are colours that work well together as the sensibilities behind them are relatable.

Fashion Winners of 2020 were definitely silhouettes that were easy to lounge in. Comfort took charge over style, and as restrictions started easing up, menswear was championed by multi-utilitarian clothing that could easily transition from day to night.

Monica Shah of Jade by Monica & Karishma

I think comfort is going to be high on every bride’s list of priorities when it comes to her bridal ensemble. We’re going to see lighter fabrics and breezy silhouettes that not only facilitate movement but also make the bride feel completely at ease on her big day.

Another trend I see is that of experimentalism. Brides are going to be much keener to either deviate from what’s seen as traditional or they’re going to find ways to give their own unique touch to a traditional number.

Heirloom value. Ensembles, even the modern ones, are going to have a distinct heirloom element to them. Techniques like Ek Taar and Kasab can be effortlessly woven to craft contemporary pieces that still carry that heirloom appeal. These are the kind of pieces that score high on comfort, personal significance and artisanal excellence.

Rina Singh, Designer and Founder of Eka and Eka Core

The idea this year has been to wear clothes to suit oneself and I strongly believe this trend will carry on in 2021 as well. I don’t think there were any trends as such in 2020 honestly speaking as most of our time was spent at home. If at all, we could capture a trend for this year it would definitely be comfortable, wearable and meaningful design options in good textiles. Sustainable, functional and easy to wear clothing has taken precedence over impressing people through what you wear.

Dhruv Bogra, Country Manager India, Forever New

2020 saw comfort clothing and lounge wear as most preferred styles. Everyone wanted to be comfortable at home during the pandemic, however, with work from home and gradual opening up of social gatherings, high fashion prevailed with some key trends for 2020. These would be puff sleeves which is flattering for all body types, elegant satin dresses and high slits, playful cut out dresses and leather pants – are versatile and can be dressed up and down.

2021 is about comfort clothing translating through boyfriend jackets and khaki colours on the one hand, and on the it is going to be about glamour accentuated by waist cinching silhouettes. I see a lot of sorbet pastel tones and delicate florals, which are perfect for summer with ruffles, voluminous sleeves or polka dots. These timeless styles will be the front runners in 2021 styles with vibrant scarves.

Avinash Mane, Commercial Head, South Asia, Lenzing Group

The sustainable fashion trends of the future are heavily influenced by the events of today, which could never have been predicted. As we look towards 2021, we believe that the changing consumer attitude will continue to encourage the industry to embrace sustainability at all levels.

2020 has impacted every aspect of our lives. As we continue to battle the pandemic, the textiles and apparel industry world-over experienced unprecedented disruptions. The pandemic has thrown light upon the urgent need for consumers as well as organisations to focus on sustainable choices, products and processes. And to that effect, sustainable fashion has accelerated to centre stage within the industry. The global ethical fashion market was earlier also estimated to grow at 6.8 per cent CAGR, from US$6.35 billion in 2019 to $8.25 billion in 2023.

Also Read-Fast Fashion :Out dated trend?

Categories
-Top News Arab News

Iraqi leaders call for expulsion of foreign forces

“The stability of the region depends on the stability of Iraq, and the latter can only be stabilised with the departure of all foreign forces from its lands,” said Al-Ameri…reports Asian Lite News

Iraqi militia leaders on Sunday called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq on the first anniversary of a US drone strike that killed two senior commanders of Shiite militias.

During a rally of thousands of supporters of Hashd Shaabi forces at al-Tahrir Square in downtown Baghdad, Hadi al-Ameri, head of Iran-backed Badr Organization, told the demonstrators “the government must abide by its pledges to remove all foreign forces, especially the US forces, according to a timetable.”

“The stability of the region depends on the stability of Iraq, and the latter can only be stabilised with the departure of all foreign forces from its lands,” al-Ameri said during the rally to mourn the death of the Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and deputy chief of Iraq’s paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Falih al-Fayadh, head of the Hashd Shaabi forces, told the rally that the retaliation for the killing of the two Shiite leaders will be through “implementation of the decision of the Iraqi Council of Representatives (parliament) to remove the US forces.”

Iraq’s full sovereignty and withdrawal of the U.S. forces are “a matter that cannot be compromised,” said al-Fayadh during the rally of Hashd Shaabi supporters, who chanted “revenge” and “no to America.”

Many demonstrators raised Iraqi flags, posters of Soleimani and al-Muhandis, and held banners saying “the will of free peoples is stronger than the US aggression.”

The rally was held under tight security measures, as the security forces deployed throughout the capital in the past few days blocked many main roads in the city, which was expected to witness demonstrations condemning the assassination.

The US drone strike on January 3, 2020 caused an escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States in the region.

The airstrike prompted the Iraqi parliament to pass a resolution requesting the government to end the presence of foreign forces in the country.

Also read:Iran to resume full gas flows to Iraq

Categories
-Top News Politics USA

Pelosi re-elected as US House Speaker

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

On Sunday, Pelosi, 80, received support from 216 Democrats, with two of her colleagues voting for someone else and three others voting present…reports Asian Lite News

Veteran Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has been re-elected as Speaker of the US House of Representatives for a fourth time, but she has vowed that this will be her last term.

On Sunday, Pelosi, 80, received support from 216 Democrats, with two of her colleagues voting for someone else and three others voting present, reports Xinhua news agency.

Senator Kevin McCarthy, also from California, received all votes from the 209 Republicans present, allowing him to continue serving as Minority Leader.

A veteran legislator who has served in the US Congress since 1987, Pelosi was elected the first woman to serve as House Speaker in 2007.

She returned to the role in 2019 after the Democratic Party regained control of the chamber.

The Sspeaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the US House.

During the last two years, the White House and the Pelosi-led House had a strained relationship.

The chamber impeached President Donald Trump in late 2019 after an inquiry triggered by a whistleblower complaint that raised concerns about the White House’s interactions with Ukraine.

The Republican-led Senate later acquitted the President.

Pelosi’s election as House speaker came as the 117th US Congress was sworn in on Sunday.

In a letter to her colleagues on Sunday morning, Pelosi said the new Congress convenes “during a time of extraordinary difficulty”.

“Each of our communities has been drastically affected by the pandemic and economic crisis: 350,000 tragic deaths, over 20 million infections, millions without jobs — a toll almost beyond comprehension,” she said.

The balance of power in the 100-seat Senate will not be clear until after next week’s runoffs in the south-eastern state of Georgia.

The new Congress will convene in a joint session on Wednesday to formally count the votes cast by the Electoral College in the 2020 presidential race – 306 for President-elect Joe Biden and 232 for Trump.

Over the weekend, a group of Republicans have announced that they will contest the Electoral College results but their planned moves were unlikely to overturn Biden’s victory over Trump, who hasn’t conceded and is still pushing for claims of massive election fraud.

Also read:Pelosi Wins reelection as House speaker

Categories
Australia Cricket India News Sport

‘Follow Rules Or Don’t Come’: Queensland Govt To Indian Team

Indian coach Ravi Shastri

With reports emerging about Team India’s reluctance to play the fourth and final Test of the ongoing series against Australia in Brisbane due to harsher bio-security protocols, members of the Queensland government have stated that the visiting team should not enter the state if they are unwilling to coordinate with the protocols that have been laid out.

Reports have emerged that the Indian team isn’t keen on travelling to Brisbane if the players are forced to undergo quarantine.

However, members of the Queensland government have stated that not abiding by the rules is not an option for the visitors. “If the Indians don’t want to play by the rules, don’t come,” Queensland’s Health Shadow Minister Ros Bates was quoted as saying by Fox Sports.

Tim Mander, Queensland’s Shadow Sports Minister, said there’s no room for ignoring the protocols and that every individual would have to go through the same drill.

“If the Indian cricket team wants to spit the dummy and disregard quarantine guidelines in Brisbane for the fourth Test, then they shouldn’t come. The same rules must apply for everyone. Simple,” Mander said.

Australia batsman Matthew Wade has also said that the hosts are looking forward to the Gabba Test and willing to make sacrifices to follow the schedule.

“We’d love to be running outside in Australia like everybody is doing right now…but we understand that we need to make some sacrifices to get this tour done,” Wade told the media before adding none of the players are aware of any threat of India pulling out.

Asked if he would like to play back-to-back Tests in Sydney due to harsher quarantine in Brisbane, Wade said, “No. Obviously we would prefer not to. The schedule has been rolled out, we stick to that. There was speculation about staying in Melbourne. Cricket Australia was firm that we will stick to the schedule that we rolled out at the start of the summer.”

“So I expect us to go to Gabba regardless of the fact that it is a quarantine-based hotel and we only go to the ground, play and come back to hotel. We fully expect to go to Brisbane to play the Gabba Test,” he added.

The left-handed batsman further said that there is going to be no uncertainty from Australia’s side.

“(There’s) No uncertainty from our side…we understand that us as a group we will go to SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) and then we’ll go to Brisbane and play at the Gabba until powers that be knock on our doors and tell us that it is going to change. We will roll into the next game expecting if that’s what is going to be. It is out of our control,” Wade said before adding that they have already been told about stricter protocols in Brisbane to which they are willing to adhere.

“Brisbane will be a harder quarantine and bio-security bubble than what we have had here, that is for sure. That has been relayed to us. No one knows the finer details of it yet. But yes, it would be strict protocol than here.”

The ongoing four-match series is currently tied at 1-1 with Australia winning the first Test in Adelaide while India registering a win in the second in Melbourne. The third Test of the series will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from Thursday.

Also Read: One Of The Biggest Comebacks In Test History: Ravi Shastri

Categories
India News Sport

India Women Leaves For Argentina Tour

Indian hockey players pose for a photo as they leave for the Argentina Tourt

The India women’s hockey team on Sunday left for Argentina where they are scheduled to play eight matches between January 17 to 31.

The Indian team is scheduled to play two matches against Argentina (Junior Women) on January 17 and 19, two matches against Argentina B on January 22 and 24 and four matches against Argentina on January 26, 28, 30 and 31.

This tour will be the national side’s first tour after almost a year. India’s last international assignment was a tour of New Zealand in January 2020. India faced New Zealand and Great Britain in the five-match series and were victorious in three games that they played during the tour.

“It feels amazing to be touring again. We have worked very hard on our game in the last few months and the time has come for us to execute our skills in an international match. Playing in international matches is going to be a bit different this time, since we will be in a bio bubble, however, the team is excited to be back on the field in the best possible manner at the moment,” said Rani who will be leading the side.

Indian hockey players pose for a photo as they leave for the Argentina Tourt


Hockey India on Sunday named the 25-member squad for the tour. The team, which has goalkeeper Savita serving as the vice captain, consists of goalkeepers Rajani Etimarpu and Bichu Devi Kharibam, Defenders Gurjit Kaur, Deep Grace Ekka, Rashmita Minz, Manpreet Kaur, Reena Khokhar, Salima Tete and Nisha, Midfielders Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lilima Minz, Neha Goyal, Namita Toppo, Monika and Nikki Pradhan and Forwards Vandana Katariya, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Jyoti, Udita, Rajwinder Kaur, Lalremsiami and Sharmila Devi.

“We desperately needed to get back into competitive mode as there’s not much time left to go for the Olympics. We have been doing well in practice sessions, but an international match is always the real test for any sportsperson. Therefore, we would like to thank Hockey India and SAI for the efforts they have put in to arrange a tour for us. We are really looking forward to a great tour and hopefully, we start playing to our full potential right from the first match,” said Savita.

Hockey India and the host national association have created a bio bubble in Argentina for both the Argentine women’s team and the Indian women’s team, informed Hockey India.

Categories
Business World News

Q4 2020: Samsung To Post $9 Bn Operating Income

Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chip maker, is expected to report a smaller-than-earlier operating income estimate due to the weakness of the US dollar, industry sources said on Sunday.

Samsung, also the world’s largest smartphone vendor, is likely to report an operating income of 9.74 trillion won ($8.95 billion) during the fourth quarter of last year, up 36.8 per cent from a year earlier.

But the latest estimate is slightly lower than the 10.16 trillion won projected a month earlier, reports Yonhap news agency.

Samsung reported an operating income of 12.35 trillion won during the third quarter of last year, the highest in over two years, driven by rising chip demand and a recovery in smartphone demand.

But during the October-December period, the global resurgence in virus cases and the weaker dollar may hurt the tech giant’s profitability.

Samsung.(File Photo: IANS)

“Samsung may have racked up 4.3 trillion won in operating income during the last quarter, smaller than the third quarter’s 5.5 trillion won because of the weak dollar,” said Lee Seung-woo, an analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities.

The analyst said lockdowns in Europe had reduced demand for smartphones.

Going forward, Samsung may rack up decent profit this year on the back of a continued boom in the semiconductor sector and a recovery in the smartphone segment.

Shinhan Investment Corp projected this year’s operating income for Samsung at 47.51 trillion won, up 31.7 per cent from last year.

Aided by rosy earnings estimates, a slew of brokerages raised their target prices for Samsung Electronics to a 90,000 won range.

Samsung has opened pre-order reserve bookings for its upcoming Galaxy S21 lineup of phones in the US and people can book a slot when the devices become available, which is usually after the launch event ends on January 14.

Those who pre-book can get up to $700 of instant trade-in credit toward the purchase of a Galaxy S21 “if you trade an iPhone 12 series phone, or one of Samsung’s own Note 20 and S20 phones”.

Also Read: Samsung To Retain Global TV Sales Lead: Report

Also Read: Samsung, IBM Join Hands To Provide 5G Solutions

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Business Tech Lite

Apps Spending Touched $407 Mn On Christmas

Consumers around the globe spent an estimated $407.6 million across Apple’s App Store and Google Play on Christmas, a year-over-year growth of nearly 35 per cent per cent from approximately $303 million in 2019, according to a new report by data analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Between the two platforms, Apple’s App Store captured the bulk of the spending at $278.6 million, while Google Play saw $129 million in revenue, said the report.

This is in line with the massive growth in worldwide spending on mobile apps and games in 2020 which passed $100 billion in a single year for the first time ever in November.

The majority of the holiday spending was on mobile games, which climbed 27 per cent from $232.4 million on Christmas 2019 to $295.6 million this year, said the report.

Tencent’s Honor of Kings was the category leader with approximately $10.7 million in consumer spending, up 205.7 per cent year-over-year from $3.5 million on the same day in 2019.

Consumers spent $112 million on non-game apps this Christmas, up 59 per cent from $70.5 million in the previous year, Stephanie Chan, Mobile Insights Strategist at Sensor Tower, wrote in a blog post.

Compared to last Christmas, non-game apps saw 4.2 percentage points more total spending.

The category that generated the most revenue outside of games on both Apple’s App Store and Google’s platform was entertainment.

While on the App Store, entertainment apps reached $19.3 million, on Google Play, the category generated $4.3 million.

Outside of mobile games, TikTok was the top app in terms of consumer spending, generating $4.7 million globally in revenue on Christmas, Sensor Tower said.

Also Read: Australia sees record-breaking online shopping boom

Also Read: Online smartphone sales surge globally

Categories
-Top News USA

US Covid death toll reaches 350,000

New York State reported 38,273 fatalities, the highest in the country….reports Asian Lite News

The US has hit another grim milestone as the country’s overall coronavirus deaths have surpassed the 350,000 mark, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Sunday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the country’s overall death toll currently stood at 349,933, while the cases have increased to 20,396,243.

New York State reported 38,273 fatalities, the highest in the country.

Texas recorded the second highest deaths of 28,338, followed by California with 26,542 and Florida with 21,890, the CSSE tally showed.

States with more than 10,000 fatalities also include New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts and Georgia.

The US remains the nation worst hit by the pandemic, with the world’s highest caseload and death toll, accounting for more than 24 per cent of the global cases and over 19 per cent of the global deaths.

US Covid-19 deaths increased by over 50,000 in 19 days after it hit 300,000 on December 14, 2020.

An updated model forecast by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington projected a total of 567,195 Covid-19 deaths in the US by April 1, 2021, based on the current projection scenario.
Also read:‘US vaccine rollout falls short’