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Rio de Janeiro, Jul 4: Lionel Messi scored his 76th international goal and is now only one shy of Pele for the South American record as Argentina beat Ecuador 3-0 to progress to the semifinals of the Copa America.

Messi scored from a late freekick on Saturday and earlier laid on two assists as Argentina eventually subdued Ecuador and kept the superstar's dream of winning his first major international title alive.

Argentina's rival at the Man Garrincha Stadium on Tuesday will be Colombia, which earlier overcame Uruguay on penalties. The other semifinal will feature defending champions Brazil and Peru.

Rodrigo de Paul opened the scoring at the Olimpico Stadium in Goiania in the 39th minute, tapping into an empty goal before Lautaro Martinez added the second in the 84th with a blast from close range. Messi, in his first match since his contract with Barcelona expired, assisted both of them.

In the dying moments of the match Messi scored Argentina's third from a free kick from the edge of the box. It was his fourth goal in the tournament.

Heavily favoured Argentina wasted several opportunities at 1-0 to cruise to a comfortable victory. Ecuador then hit the post in the second half before Martinez doubled Argentina's lead. But Messi became more influential after 71 minutes when ngel di Maria stepped in replacing Giovani lo Celso.

Ecuador also lost defender Piero Hincapi to a red card near the end of the match after a foul on Di Maria that gave Argentina the free kick scored by Messi.

Messi said being in the semifinals was one of Argentina's objectives for the tournament.

"Now we have to rest and think of Colombia. They defend well, they have quick counters," the striker said.

Asked about his performance, he was brief: "Individual awards are secondary.

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Dubai: The Kannadigas Helpline team organised a virtual meeting to review the current situation in the UAE and gather information about stranded Kannadigas to share with the Karnataka government.

The meeting was led by non-resident businessman and advocate for non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs), Dr. Ronald Colaco. Addressing participants, Dr. Colaco said the UAE remains safe and expressed confidence that normalcy would return soon. He urged Kannadigas to follow guidelines issued by UAE authorities and cooperate with local officials.

Dr. Colaco also announced his readiness to bear the expenses required to maintain an emergency support system for tourists facing distress. He appealed to the Karnataka government to announce an emergency relief grant to assist affected individuals.

Legislative Council member S.L. Bojegowda, who is currently in Dubai, said clarity on the evolving situation is expected shortly. He stated that Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has been requested to sanction an emergency relief fund of Rs 2 crore to support distressed Kannadigas. According to him, the Minister has assured that the matter would be discussed with the Chief Minister.

Dr. Aarthi Krishna, Vice President of the Non-Resident Indian Committee and MLC, said she remains in constant contact with Gulf embassies and non-resident Kannadigas in the region. She added that updates are being regularly shared with the Karnataka government and that she is extending full cooperation to the Kannadigas Helpline team.

Karnataka NRI Forum President Praveen Shetty said non-resident Kannadigas in the UAE are safe and that local authorities have implemented necessary safety measures. He urged people not to panic or circulate unverified information on social media.

Hidayat Addur, Coordinator of the Kannadigas Helpline and BCCI UAE President, said the team is working round-the-clock to assist stranded individuals, including facilitating access to medical services when required.

Karnataka Sangha Dubai President Shashidhar Nagarajappa assured that helpline volunteers are available across Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ajman to support Kannadigas in need.

Several community leaders and representatives participated in the meeting, including Daya Kirodian, Chandru Lingadalli, Mallikarjuna Gowda, Imran Khan, Shweta Jadhav, Manohar Hegde, Nagaraja Rao, Samad Birali, Salim Moodubidire, Samshuddin Piligudu, Rock Karnataka Sangh President Ramesh Rangappa and Kannada Pathashale Dubai representative Girish Worate. 

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