Strike backs

Foden, who scored the winner in their 2-1 first-leg victory, fired in off the post in the 76th minute after Mahrez had converted a 55th-minute penalty to secure a 4-2 aggregate triumph and send City into the last four for the second time. * Real Madrid moved into the semi-finals of the Champions League after their makeshift defence held on for 0-0 second-leg draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday (Apr 14) to complete a 3-1 aggregate win. * Rome’s Stadio Olimpico was confirmed as a Euro 2020 host venue on Wednesday after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) told UEFA that fans would be allowed to attend matches. A FIGC statement on Tuesday said that at least 25% of the 72,698-seater Olimpico would be filled after receiving government approval. * Novak Djokovic swept past promising Italian teenager Jannik Sinner in two sets in Monte Carlo on Wednesday (Apr 14) on the Serbian world number one's first appearance since claiming the Australian Open in February. It proved a one-sided contest at the Monte Carlo Country Club, with Djokovic sweeping into the next round 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 34 minutes. * Veteran Iranian defender Seyed Jalal Hosseini struck the only goal as last year's beaten finalists Persepolis made a winning start to their Asian Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Al Wahda in Goa on Wednesday. * Boualem Khoukhi's deflected strike earned Xavi Hernandez's Al Sadd a 1-1 draw with Foolad from Iran on Wednesday as the Qatari club launched their Asian Champions League campaign in Riyadh. * Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela has been banned for 10 matches for "racist behaviour" in their Europa League last-16 match against Scottish side Rangers last month, UEFA said on Wednesday. * Eight-time Japanese champions Kashima Antlers have fired head coach Antonio Carlos Zago, the club said on Wednesday. The Brazilian has been replaced by former Kashima full back Naoki Soma, after a disappointing start to the season in which Antlers …

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Semiconductor crisis forces top-level action. Source: freepik.com The world’s semiconductor industry sales hit $40 billion for the month of January – a rise of 13.2 per cent on-year, revealed the Semiconductor Industry Association. Now, consumers are having to deal with price hikes and a lack of products from automobiles and videogames to TVs and smartphones as a global shortage in semiconductors grows. The shortage in chips, the so-called “brain” within every electronic device, has been slowly getting worse since last year, according to The Guardian. Temporary delays in supplies as factories shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic caused initial issues. However, although production is somewhat back to normal, surges in the demand driven by new habits stemming from the pandemic is causing the situation to worsen. Mainly, a boom in sales of TVs and computers, the launch of brand new videogame consoles, and arrival of 5G-enabled mobile phones have all driven the demand. The crisis has even affected Apple, the biggest buyer of semiconductors at $58 billion annually. It was forced to delay the launch of the iPhone 12 by two months last year as a result of the shortage. “Chips are everything,” said Neil Campling, media and tech analyst at Mirabaud. “There is a perfect storm of supply and demand factors going on here. But there is a new level of demand that can’t be caught – everyone is in crisis and it is getting worse.” In possibly the most shocking development, Samsung – the world’s second-largest buyer of chips – last month said it might have to postpone the launch of a high-end smartphone, despite also being the world’s second-largest producer of chips. “It is incredible that Samsung sells $56 billion of semiconductors to others, and consumes $36 billion of them itself, finds it may have to delay the launch of one of its own products,” said Campling. Ford meanwhile recently cancelled shifts at two car plants and said profits could be hit by up …

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Thanh Nien Street, located between West Lake and Truc Bach Lake , is brightly lit at dusk. The street is renowned for its beauty, with the blackboard trees that line it providing ample shade and its ancient temples adding a sense of spiritual tranquility. Tran Quoc Pagoda is seen at 7 p.m. Located on a small peninsula on the east side of West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda, at nearly 1,500 years, is known as the oldest pagoda in the capital. Adding to the architectural beauty and historical significance of the pagoda is a Bodhi tree said to be the "offspring" of the original tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment in India. Long Bien Bridge, a symbolic Red River crossing, was designed and built by French firm Daydé-Pillié in September 1898. It opened to traffic in 1902, running more than 1,691 meters, with a rail track in the middle and road transportation on either side. During the Vietnam War (1955-1975), the bridge had some of its parts damaged and even destroyed by enemy bombing. The Vietnamese government fixed the damage, building the spans still in use today. Octagon House, built in 1901, used to host the French army's trumpet shows. The structure lies inside the Ly Thai To flower garden area, encompassing the streets of Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Lai, Le Thach and Ngo Quyen. Turtle Tower, an iconic symbol of Hanoi in the middle of Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake, shines at night. Hoan Kiem Lake, which spreads across 12 hectares (30 acres), is named for the legend of a golden turtle god showing up at the lake to take back a sword it had given King Le Loi in the 15th century to help fight Chinese invaders. Hanoi’s St. Joseph Cathedral is located at 40 Nha Chung Street. Built between 1884 and 1888, it has been a place of worship for Catholics in the capital for more than a century. The Chuong Duong Bridge interchange at night. Connecting Hoan Kiem District …

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