Trump accepts Republican Party's re-nomination as presidential candidate
Washington: US President Donald Trump has officially accepted the re-nomination of the Republican Party as its presidential candidate for the November elections, telling his fellow Americans that at no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies or two agendas.
Trump, 74, in his acceptance speech from the South Lawns of the White House amidst cheers from his supporters on Thursday night, said: My fellow Americans, tonight, with a heart full of gratitude and boundless optimism, I proudly accept this nomination for President of the United States .
I stand before you tonight honoured by your support. Proud of the extraordinary progress we have made together over the last four incredible years, and brimming with confidence in the bright future, we will build for America over the next four years, Trump said.
In a new term as President, we will again build the greatest economy in history quickly returning to full employment, soaring incomes, and record prosperity! he said.
Party's delegates from across the country at Republican National Convention, which has been drastically scaled down at its original venue of Charlotte in North Carolina, on Monday re-nominated Trump and Vice President Mike Pence as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates respectively.
Pence delivered his acceptance speech from Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Wednesday. This is for the first time in recent memory that a presidential candidate has delivered his acceptance speech from the White House.
Addressing an audience of about 1,500 invited guests, Trump said that the Republican Party goes forward united, determined and ready to welcome millions of Democrats, independents and anyone who believes in the greatness of America and the righteous heart of the American people.
Trump and Pence are being challenged by Democratic presidential nominee and former vice president Joe Biden and his running mate, Indian-origin senator Kamala Harris.
Harris, 55, has scripted history by becoming the first African-American and Indian-origin person to be nominated as a vice presidential candidate by a major political party.
As per an average of major national polls tracked by Real Clear Politics, Biden leads Trump by 7.1 percentage points and in the battleground states it has come down to 3.7 percentage points, indicating that the presidential elections in less than 70 days from now is headed for an interesting finish.
Trump's acceptance speech concluded four days of star-studded convention of the Republican Party, which gathers once in four years in one of the American cities to nominate its presidential candidate.
This year it was scheduled to be held in Charlotte in North Carolina. Due to the restrictions on social gatherings as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the convention went into a virtual mode, with only essential official business being held in Charlotte.
Popular Indian-American politician Nikki Haley was the star speaker on Monday, the first day. First Lady Melania Trump addressed the convention from Rose Garden of the White House on Tuesday, while Pence delivered his acceptance speech on Wednesday.
Trump's daughter Ivanka, who is also his presidential advisor, addressed the convention before him on Thursday night.
He's our commander-in-chief, champion of the American worker, defender of common sense and our voice for the forgotten men and women of this country. He is our president, and my father, Donald J Trump, Ivanka said.
His son Donald Trump Jr addressed the convention on Monday, while daughter Tiffney and other son Eric addressed the convention on Tuesday and daughter-in-law Lara on Wednesday. A group of protesters had gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House in advance of Trump's speech.
Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, and his wife were among the special invitees on the South Lawns of the White House for Trump's acceptance speech. Al Mason said it was amazing spectacular and full of enthusiasm never seen in the Democratic convention last week.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
