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After the Iowa Hawkeyes upset the UConn Huskies 71-69 in the Final Four on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Caitlin Clark’s incredible college basketball career will advance to the women’s NCAA championship game for the second straight year.

Clark finished with nine rebounds, seven assists, and twenty-one points. For the national title, the Hawkeyes play South Carolina, the overall top seed, on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. The first semifinal was won by the Gamecocks (37-0) over NC State 78-59 on Friday.

Hannah Stuelke, a sophomore post player, led the Hawkeyes (33-4) in scoring with 23 points on 9 of 12 shots. This season, Clark has only trailed Iowa in scoring twice; on both occasions, Stuelke has taken the lead.

Iowa prevailed in the rebounding battle 38-30 thanks to the 11 points and 8 rebounds of senior guard Kate Martin.

After going 0-for-6 from long range in the first half, Clark’s hallmark 3-point shooting was off, and Iowa trailed 32-26 at the intermission. Clark finished with just 6 points on 3-of-11 shooting overall.

The Huskies’ strong defense was demonstrated in the first half, when the Hawkeyes committed 12 turnovers compared to 11 field goals. Iowa defeated West Virginia in the second round with a first-half point total of 26, which tied the team’s season low.

However, Iowa’s offense improved significantly in the second half; the Hawkeyes knotted the game at 51 points in the fourth quarter after scoring 25 points in that quarter. Iowa defeated UConn 20–18 in the fourth quarter, and Hawkeyes guard Gabbie Marshall’s crucial late offensive foul against Aaliyah Edwards sealed the win.

On April 15, the Indiana Fever are anticipated to select Clark with the first overall pick in the WNBA draft. The Fever, who have a strong youthful core but haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2016, meet Connecticut on May 14.

But first, Clark will take against South Carolina, who is vying for its third NCAA title, the team that Iowa defeated in the previous year’s Final Four. Iowa is vying for their first national championship after losing to LSU 102-85 in the previous year’s championship game.

After winning 11 titles, UConn was trying to make it to its 13th NCAA final. They lost to South Carolina in their most recent appearance in the NCAA championship game, which took place in 2022.

Hawkeyes Aim To Break With History

After placing second the previous season, Iowa is the ninth team in the history of the women’s NCAA tournament to return to the national championship game. Out of the previous eight, just two have triumphed, while the last four have suffered losses.

Paige Bueckers, a guard for UConn who entered the university in the same class as Clark but missed the previous year due to a knee injury, plans to return the following year to try and win her first national championship. UConn was paced by Edwards and Bueckers, both with 17 points on Friday.

With his current stats, Clark has 3,921 points, 1,139 assists, and 982 rebounds throughout his career. She became the first player in women’s basketball history to have more than 3,000 points and 1,000 assists during her senior year, and she also became Division I’s all-time top scorer for both men’s and women’s teams. With 1,204 points, she also owns the record for the most points in a season.

However, Clark’s influence on broadcast ratings and game attendance has also been used to gauge her career. In 2023–24, Iowa sold out every home game—as well as a number of away games—after drawing 55,646 spectators to the football team’s preseason game at Kinnick Stadium.

9.9 million people watched the 2023 national championship game on ABC, which included Clark. Then, in a rematch with LSU this past Monday, in the Elite Eight, Clark scored 41 points.

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Business

  • Blu edition is also available for the eC3.
  • In India, Citroen is commemorating its third birthday.

Without indicating a price adjustment, Citroen introduced the C3 Blu Edition in India. You may get the Feel and Shine hatchback versions of this special edition. In honour of the automaker’s third anniversary in India, the same is also offered with the eC3, the hatchback’s electric variant.

1. Special Cosmo Blue colour

A brand-new Cosmo Blue hue is available with either the Steel Grey or Polar White external body colour. The fog lamp surrounds, roof, ORVMs, side cladding, and rear fog lamp surrounds are all painted in this unique blue tint.

2. Customised interior

Custom features including neck rests, seatbelt cushions, and new seat covers are included with the special version. The goal of all these adjustments is to give the client a distinctive experience.

3. Additional equipment

The C3 Blue Edition will come equipped with illuminated cup holders, sill plates, and an air purifier to further increase the happiness of potential buyers.

Options for the Citroen C3 Blu Edition’s engine and transmission

Two petrol engine options are available for the basic C3 hatchback and will remain available for the Blu edition. One variant boasts a 1.2-liter turbocharged engine that produces 109 horsepower and is paired with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. The other is a 1.2-liter naturally aspirated engine with 81 horsepower that is solely connected to a five-speed manual gearbox.

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Business

The Maruti Fronx, rebranded as the Urban Cruiser Taisor, was unveiled by Toyota earlier this week. Starting at Rs. 7.73 lakh (ex-showroom), the coupe-SUV comes in five configurations, eight colours, and two engine options.

In contrast to the Fronx, the Taisor retains the majority of its design components. Nevertheless, other features set it apart from its distant sibling, such the redesigned front grille.

Additionally, the LED DRLs have been updated to match the Urban Cruiser Hyryder’s two-strip configuration.

The primary headlight configuration remains a three-pod assembly featuring LED reflectors.

A new set of 16-inch dual-spoke alloy wheels are added to the side profile.

The ORVMs are equipped with a blind spot monitor and an integrated turn indication.

New LED taillights, an LED light bar, a faux skid plate, a rear wiper and washer, an integrated spoiler and vertically stacked reflectors are added to the back.

The dashboard and seats of the Taisor are covered in a dual-tone pattern inside.

A nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility dominates the dashboard.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel has integrated controls for multiple features, including cruise control and music control buttons.

Paddle shifters are also included with the automatic version (six-speed AT only).

There’s also a heads-up display for sale.

A wireless charger is also located in the central console.

Second row passengers get access to USB Type-A and Type-C chargers as well as their own set of AC vents.

The vehicle comes with a 1.0-liter turbo-petrol engine and a 1.2-liter NA petrol engine under the hood. Additionally, buyers of the standard variant have the option to select a CNG version.

AMT, a six-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, and a five-speed manual are the available gearbox options.

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Technology

As semiconductor prices rise, Samsung Electronics stated that it anticipates reporting a 931% increase in operational profit for the first quarter.

According to a preliminary announcement, operating profit for the January–March quarter likely increased to 6.6 trillion Korean won ($4.89 billion), up 931% over the same period last year. The first quarter of 2023 saw a profit of 0.64 trillion won.

The first quarter 2024 profit expectation surpasses LSEG’s forecast of 5.24 trillion won.

According to SK Kim, executive director and analyst at Daiwa Securities, “we forecast Samsung Electronics will post solid earnings for 1Q24 driven by memory price hikes and robust S24 sales, beating market estimates” in a research dated March 27.

According to Kim, “We expect the strong AI-driven memory upturn cycle will drive earnings in 2024-25E,” Daiwa raised the price target for Samsung Electronics to 110,000 won while keeping its “buy” rating.

According to the company’s preliminary earnings release, first quarter revenue of 71 trillion won likely increased 11.4% from the same period last year. 71.8 trillion won in revenue is anticipated by LSEG analysts.

When it comes to manufacturing dynamic random-access memory chips, which are used in computers and cellphones, Samsung is the biggest manufacturer in the world.

Due to excess inventory following the Covid pandemic and a decline in demand for final goods like laptops and cellphones, memory chip prices dropped significantly last year.

Following production reduction, both Samsung and SK Hynix, the second-largest DRAM chip manufacturer in the world, indicated during their third-quarter conference calls that the decline in memory chip demand had finally bottomed out.

Foundry Services at Counterpoint Research indicates that the worldwide foundry industry saw a 10% sequential increase in revenue during the fourth quarter. But over the course of the three months, income decreased 3.5% year over year.

“Despite lingering macroeconomic uncertainties, the industry started bottoming out in H2 2023, driven by supply chain inventory restocking demand in the smartphone and PC sectors,” Counterpoint Research stated on April 2.

Later this month, Samsung Electronics is anticipated to release comprehensive financial results.

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Business


As the U.S. tech darling continues its push into Southeast Asia, Nvidia plans to construct a $200 million artificial intelligence center in Indonesia in collaboration with the country’s largest telecom company, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison.

The new facility will support local human resources, digital talent, and telecommunications infrastructure. It will be headquartered in Surakarta, in the province of Central Java, according to Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Budi Arie Setiadi.

Both Nvidia and Indosat declined to comment when asked for their thoughts on the situation.

Nvidia’s Blackwell next-generation chip architecture would be integrated into Indosat’s infrastructure, the company said last month, with the aim of “propelling Indonesia into a new era of sovereign AI and technological advancement.”

Following the merger of Ooredoo from Qatar and CK Hutchison from Hong Kong in 2022, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison became the second-largest mobile telecom in Indonesia.

Due to the region’s booming data demand brought on by the expanding digital economy, Nvidia is making a bigger push into Southeast Asia this year, as seen by its increased presence in Indonesia.

Singtel, a Singaporean telco company, announced in January that it would be partnering with Nvidia to implement artificial intelligence capabilities in its data centers located throughout Southeast Asia.

Singtel stated in March that by this year, companies in the area will have access to Nvidia’s state-of-the-art AI computing capability through the program, negating the need for clients to finance and maintain their own pricey data center equipment.

For Nvidia, Southeast Asia has proven to be a significant source of revenue. Singapore accounted for almost 15%, or $2.7 billion, of the company’s sales for the quarter that ended in October, according to a filing made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last year.

In terms of sales that quarter, Singapore lagged behind the U.S., which brought in 34.77% of Nvidia revenue, Taiwan (23.91%), China (22.24%), and Hong Kong.

The tiny nation-state’s sales for the quarter increased by 404.1% over the $562 million it brought in during the same period last year, surpassing Nvidia’s overall revenue growth and positioning it as the company’s fourth largest market.

Nvidia’s most recent spectacular quarterly earnings report revealed that the company made $18.40 billion mostly from data centers thanks to the worldwide AI frenzy.

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Business

The world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, BYD Co. of China, intends to challenge Ford Motor Co.’s Ranger, Isuzu Motors Ltd.’s D-Max, and Toyota Motor Corp.’s well-liked Hilux with the introduction of its first electrified pickup truck later this year.

A boxy dual-cab truck covered in orange and blue camouflage paint is being road tested in an undisclosed area, according to photos made public by BYD.

The corporation declared that the mid-to full-size vehicle will be its first “new energy” pickup, but it withheld information about the engine, performance specs, and price.

Although BYD cars aren’t sold in the US, the manufacturer has been making inroads into pickup-heavy regions in South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

For example, the top three selling cars in Australia are pickup trucks made by Ford, Isuzu, and Toyota, called Hilux and Ranger, respectively. Isuzu debuted the D-Max electrified variant last month.

The Hilux and Ranger were likewise the best-selling models in South Africa in February 2024, with the D-Max coming in fifth.

The truck will expand BYD’s extensive range of electric vehicles, which already includes the well-liked Seagull hatchback, which retails for 69,800 yuan (R180,164), and the Yangwang supercar, which is priced at 1.68 million yuan (R4.34 million).

With a 33% market share in the world’s largest EV market, China has become a BYD juggernaut thanks to its range and a relentless wave of price reductions.

Starting at R768,000, BYD introduced its first electric vehicle (EV) in South Africa in mid-2023 with the Atto 3 SUV.

Throughout the year, it also intends to introduce the more reasonably priced Dolphin hatchback, which is anticipated to retail for R550,000.

Although it is still unknown, BYD’s most affordable model, the Seagull, may also make its local premiere.

The business has filed for “Dolphin Mini” trademark registration in South Africa. In markets outside of China, the Seagull is marketed under this name.

Considering how common bakkies are in South Africa and BYD’s ambitious intentions for the market, it could make sense to include an electric bakkie in the mix.

The Maxus T90 electric bakkie, which costs R1.1 million, is now available in South Africa from at least one Chinese manufacturer, SAIC.

Additionally, JAC intends to offer its T9 bakkie electric in the nation; an anticipated launch date is the second part of 2024.

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Sports

Jalen Johnson recorded his first career triple-double with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, and the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Detroit Pistons 121-113 on Wednesday night to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference play-in round. Malachi Flynn scored 50 points in the game.

“It is always good to have an opportunity to play in the postseason,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “If we’re ninth, 10th, sixth, whatever it is. Hopefully we can continue to get better and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

The Hawks, who have won six of their past seven games, were led by De’Andre Hunter, who finished with 26 points, and Dejounte Murray, who finished with 24 points and 11 assists.

Flynn was 9 for 12 at the line and 18 for 25 from the field, matching his career high of 27 points. For a reserve, the 50 points set a franchise record.

In 34 minutes, he added a season-high six rebounds, five assists, and five steals.

In the past 11 games, the Pistons have suffered 10 losses.

“Right now, its tough because at the end of the day you want to win,” Flynn said. “But it does feel good to kind of take in the moment. I’m sure a couple of days from now, it will feel really good.”

For the Pistons, Jalen Duren and Marcus Sasser each scored eleven points.

Johnson set a career high with his 11 assists. His biggest play was an alley-oop to Murray in the second quarter that finished a fast break and forced a Pistons timeout.

“He’s a basketball player,” Snyder said. “He can shoot, pass, handle. He doesn’t predetermine what he is going to do. … He played a really, really impressive game.”

A left knee ailment forced Cade Cunningham, who scores 22.7 points a night, to be a late scratch from Detroit’s starting lineup.

Despite starting the game 1 for 11 from 3-point range, the Hawks managed to take a 59–50 advantage into halftime.

Flynn helped the Pistons answer with points from all over the floor whenever the Hawks began to pull away.

“He was making contested shots and he got to the foul line, which got him going,” Snyder said. “We tried to get more aggressive on him and impact him, and he still made plays. He played great.”

Late in the fourth quarter, the Pistons closed the gap to five points, but they were unable to go any closer.

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Science

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, a spacecraft that is traveling far nearer to the sun than any other mission, has observed enormous “vortex-like structures” in the corona, the outermost layer of our star. Below is an unparalleled view captured by the Wide-field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR) camera on board the probe, which was recently made available online.

Scientists believe that a coronal mass ejection (CME), which occurs when the sun expels a large amount of extremely hot gas (plasma) into space, interacting with the solar wind, is what produced the phenomenon. Our medium-sized star continuously releases charged particles into space, which is why the sun’s solar wind remains constant.

According to recent study related to the video that was published in The Astrophysical Journal, this discovery in previously unexplored solar regions has opened up new avenues for understanding and forecasting coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which are outbursts that have the potential to seriously disrupt Earth’s electrical and communications networks. These uncommon vortices are known as “Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities,” or KHI, in technical parlance.

“The direct imaging of extraordinary ephemeral phenomena like KHI with WISPR/PSP is a discovery that opens a new window to better understand CME propagation and their interaction with the ambient solar wind,”  according to a statement from Evangelos Paouris, a space weather researcher and member of the WISPR team at George Mason University.

Coronal magnetic fields “can endanger satellites, disrupt communications and navigation technologies, and even knock out power grids on Earth,” according to NASA. Famously, millions of people in Québec, Canada, lost electricity in 1989 because to a strong CME.

On March 12 of that year, the CME struck Earth’s magnetic field. Following that, NASA astronomer Sten Odenwald noted, “Just after 2:44 a.m. on March 13, the currents found a weakness in the electrical power grid of Québec. In less than two minutes, the entire Québec power grid lost power. During the 12-hour blackout that followed, millions of people suddenly found themselves in dark office buildings and underground pedestrian tunnels, and in stalled elevators.”

Parker Solar Probe, a space agency project, will keep plunging faster and faster into the solar corona. It is strengthened with a 4.5-inch-thick carbon heat shield facing the sun in order to endure the heat. Even if the shield itself warms up to about 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, the surroundings are pleasantly mild a few feet beyond the shield.

The spaceship will reach an incredible 430,000 kilometers per hour later this year.

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Lifestyle

There are several advantages to having green areas in your neighborhood, such as increased chances for outdoor activity, greater mental health, and cleaner air.

However, scientists have discovered another benefit that ought to concern parents.

According to research presented by the JAMA Network and published in the Environmental Health journal, children between the ages of four and six who live near green areas have higher bone density.

“These findings highlight the importance of early-life exposure to residential green space on bone health during critical periods of growth and development, with long-term implications,” the study’s conclusion stated.

Approximately 327 children in the age range, who were all residents of different parts of Flanders, Belgium, were followed up on from birth until 2021. The average height of the vegetation and the distance from the participants’ residential addresses determined the categories of green space.

After an ultrasound scan, those who were in total green and high green spaces (within 500 meters, or roughly 547 yards) showed increased bone density.

Better bone density lowers the chance of osteoporosis, a disorder that weakens and increases the likelihood of bone fractures, later in life, according to the Better Health Channel. Green places where children can play and run would undoubtedly assist with osteoporosis, as the condition can be caused by a variety of reasons, including poor diet and lack of activity.

The urban heat island effect is lessened in part by the presence of green spaces. Heat is absorbed by concrete structures and released back into the atmosphere through asphalt roads. This can lead to poor living conditions, health issues, or even death.

On the other hand, heat is absorbed and trapped by grasses, trees, and other vegetation, keeping the surrounding area cooler.

Parents should be aware of this as well, since colder environments will lessen the need for air conditioning units, which increase energy costs due to their high power consumption. Air or heat pumps, on the other hand, require significantly less energy, are less expensive to operate, and are better for the environment.

Additionally, hazardous pollutants from the air, such as those emitted by cars running on unclean gasoline, are absorbed by green areas. Children whose lungs are still maturing will be less likely to experience respiratory issues if there is cleaner air.

For instance, using an electric bus instead of one that operates on diesel or harmful gas to get to school lowers the chance of being sick and missing class, according to a research.

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Business

There will soon be a new sixth-generation Toyota 4Runner available.

The 2025 Toyota 4Runner was given another Instagram teaser on Thursday, and the carmaker announced that the SUV will make its premiere on April 9.

The most recent teaser confirms that the sixth-generation SUV would retain the popular drop-down rear window found on the 4Runner’s tailboard. Longer objects can hang out of the back window and fresh air can enter the cabin while driving thanks to the drop-down glass, which is powered by either the dashboard or the tailboard (which is controlled by two buttons that are shown in the teaser).

Within the cabin, the 4Runner will include pushbutton start, a volume knob, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen as standard. An optional 14.0-inch touchscreen will be mounted on the dashboard.

The SUV’s lower tailboard and rear bumper were visible in the last teaser, which was unveiled a week ago. Similar to the current 4Runner, the tailboard is recessed into the bumper, which should allow for a reduced lift-over height and facilitate the loading of bulky objects.

Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, which is shared by the Tacoma mid-size truck, the SUV’s pickup sister, the Land Cruiser, and the Lexus GX, is what the new 4Runner will be built on. Large cars like the Sequoia SUV and full-size Tundra pickup also share it.

The normally aspirated V-6 engine found in the current 4Runner is anticipated to be replaced with a variety of power-rated turbo-4 engines in the future model. Top trims are anticipated to come with an 8-speed automatic gearbox and a hybrid powertrain option. The nameplate may once again use a manual gearbox if it has a 6-speed manual.

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