Author: Supriya Jena

  • Travis Head Sets Record for Fastest Century in Day-Night Test Match

    Travis Head Sets Record for Fastest Century in Day-Night Test Match

    Travis Head set a new record by scoring the fastest century in a day-night Test match, achieving this in just 111 balls! This amazing feat happened on Day 2 of the second Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 at the Adelaide Oval, where Australia faced off against India.

    Before this, Travis Head already held the record for the fastest pink-ball Test century, having scored 100 runs in 112 balls against England in Hobart in 2022. Now, he holds three records for the fastest centuries in pink-ball Tests! His other record is a 125-ball century against the West Indies in a day-night Test, also in Adelaide.

    Coming to bat after Steve Smith got out, Head played aggressively and made the Indian bowlers nervous. While he was careful against Jasprit Bumrah, who is a strong bowler, he scored freely against others, especially a young bowler named Harshit Rana.

    Fastest Centuries in Day-Night Tests:
    – Travis Head (Australia) – 111 balls vs India, Adelaide 2024
    – Travis Head (Australia) – 112 balls vs England, Hobart 2022
    – Travis Head (Australia) – 125 balls vs West Indies, Adelaide 2022
    – Joe Root (England) – 139 balls vs West Indies, Edgbaston 2017
    – Asad Shafiq (Pakistan) – 140 balls vs Australia, Brisbane 2016

    Stay tuned for more exciting updates!

  • Income Tax Raids in Andaman: Over 120 Officials Investigate Business Owners”

    Income Tax Raids in Andaman: Over 120 Officials Investigate Business Owners”

    Over 120 Income Tax officials are searching many places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These searches started on December 4 because they think some local business owners might have done something wrong when filing their tax returns. The tax team from Kolkata is checking different offices in areas like Church Road, Phoenix Bay, Marine Hills, Aberdeen Bazaar, and Dilanipur in Port Blair.

    They are also searching places on Babu Lane and Junglighat, as well as on MG Road and Gurdwara Lane. The officials say this is a well-planned operation, and they promise to share what they find soon. They are mainly looking into possible mistakes with tax returns and issues related to GST.

    When the tax team arrived at Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair on December 4, they made sure to inform airport staff to stop any business owners whose offices were being searched from leaving the island.

  • Gold Prices Drop as U.S. Jobs Rise: What’s Next

    Gold Prices Drop as U.S. Jobs Rise: What’s Next

    Last Friday, spot gold gained $1 and closed at $2633. However, gold prices were down about 0.40% for the week, marking the second week in a row of losses. The price of gold varied, reaching as low as $2613 on December 6 and as high as $2657 on December 4.

    U.S. Job Market Gains

    In the U.S., employers added 227,000 jobs, which was better than the expected 220,000. The numbers from October were also revised up, adding a total of 56,000 jobs over the two months. Average hourly pay increased by 0.4% compared to last month and was up 4.2% from last year, beating expectations of 0.3% and 3.9% respectively. However, fewer people were participating in the workforce, dropping to 62.5%. The unemployment rate went slightly higher to 4.2% from 4.1% last month. Despite these numbers looking somewhat positive, another survey showed a loss of 355,000 jobs, compared to a loss of 368,000 in October.

    Consumer Sentiment and Economic Indicators

    Consumer sentiment improved slightly, surpassing expectations, while one-year inflation expectations rose to 2.9%, which was higher than the predicted 2.7%. Earlier this week, the ISM services index, which tracks service sector growth, came in at 52.1, failing to meet forecasts of 55.7.

    Trends in Gold ETFs and Geopolitical Situation

    Global gold ETFs saw slight increases, but overall, there was a net outflow this month. Tensions remain high in geopolitics, with Russia planning to deploy nuclear-capable missiles and protests in Georgia against the government ramping up.

    Dollar and Yields Movements

    U.S. bond yields went down after the job report, leading to expectations that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates further in their next meeting on December 18. The ten-year bond yield closed at 4.15%, showing a small decrease. The U.S. Dollar Index ended with a gain of about 0.25%.

    Looking Ahead

    Next week, everyone will be watching U.S. inflation data closely, as well as China’s economic figures. The European Central Bank is expected to lower interest rates on December 12. Without any significant changes in geopolitics, gold might dip initially due to positive job reports and market confidence. Still, risks from global tensions and inflation data could influence prices. Currently, support for gold is seen at $2613, $2595, and $2575, while it needs to break the resistance level of $2675 to see any upward movement.

  • Government Takes Action on 73 Complaints About TV Ads”

    Government Takes Action on 73 Complaints About TV Ads”

    The government has reported that, over the past three years, they’ve received 73 complaints about inappropriate and rude advertisements on private TV channels. L Murugan, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, shared this information in the Rajya Sabha. He explained that there’s a three-step system in place to deal with these complaints.

    This system includes:
    1. Self-regulation by TV broadcasters – They manage their own content.
    2. Self-regulation by groups created by broadcasters – These groups help ensure standards are met.
    3. Oversight from the central government – The government checks if everything is okay.

    When advertisements break the rules, the government takes actions like issuing warnings, asking for apologies, and even taking ads off-air.

    In another response, Murugan mentioned that streaming platforms (OTT) must follow specific rules in the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These rules are meant to keep content safe and appropriate. They require OTT platforms to sort their content into five age-based categories and to make sure they don’t show anything illegal. The guidelines also remind them to consider the time and culture of the content they’re sharing. Additionally, the rules encourage platforms to keep kids safe by restricting content that isn’t suitable for them

  • Tragic Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Shakes Corporate America”

    Tragic Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Shakes Corporate America”

    A gunman killed the CEO of the largest health insurance company in the U.S., UnitedHealthcare, in New York City. The shooting has shocked many people and companies. After the attack, the shooter quickly escaped on a bus, but he accidentally left behind a backpack in Central Park.

    Almost four days later, police still don’t know who he is or why he did it. They think he might be unhappy with the insurance company and are looking into that possibility. The FBI is offering a reward of $50,000 for any information that can help catch him.

    The gunman was seen riding a bike into Central Park and then taking a taxi to a bus station, which goes to New Jersey and other cities, but police don’t have footage of him leaving the station. They think he may have used a fake ID and paid in cash when he checked into a hostel near Columbia University.

    The police found some items linked to him, like a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper, and they are checking for his DNA. Security cameras captured a picture of him smiling in the hostel lobby, but he kept his mask on most of the time, making it hard to identify him.

    Witnesses say he was quiet and didn’t talk to anyone at the hostel. The police searched his hotel room but didn’t find anything useful. They have to gather a lot of information before they can make an arrest.

    The shooter attacked Thompson from behind, using a quiet gun to avoid drawing attention. Some words were found on the bullets, which may connect to the idea of insurance companies delaying payments and denying claims.

    Thompson, a father of two boys, had worked for UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and had been the CEO for over three years. After the tragic event, UnitedHealth Group paused its annual meeting and focused on helping Thompson’s family and workers.

    The shooting has made other health insurance companies rethink their security, with some even telling their employees to work from home.

  • Pushpa 2 Breaks Box Office Records: Earns Rs 274 Crore in 3 Days!”

    Pushpa 2 Breaks Box Office Records: Earns Rs 274 Crore in 3 Days!”

    Pushpa 2,” the new movie starring Allu Arjun, is taking the box office by storm! In just three days since its release, it has earned a jaw-dropping Rs 274 crore in India.

    On its opening day alone, “Pushpa 2” made an incredible Rs 175 crore across all languages. The second day was just as great, with Rs 90.1 crore added to its total, making Rs 265 crore in two days!

    The movie’s success comes from a mix of languages—on day two, the Telugu version earned Rs 27.1 crore, while the Hindi version brought in a massive Rs 55 crore. Even the Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada versions contributed to the total. Interestingly, the Hindi version has now made more money than the Telugu version, with Rs 125.3 crore compared to Rs 118.05 crore.

    Globally, “Pushpa 2” is breaking records too! Trade expert Manobala Vijayabalan reported that it has made Rs 417.5 crore worldwide in just two days. It became the first Indian film to cross Rs 400 crore globally in its opening weekend.

    Directed by Sukumar, “Pushpa 2: The Rule” continues the story of Pushpa Raj, a red sandalwood smuggler facing new challenges and dangers. The film has a fantastic cast, including Fahadh Faasil as the tough policeman, Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli, and Jagapathi Babu bringing a fresh twist to the story.

    The success of “Pushpa 2” is even more impressive when you look at how well the first movie, “Pushpa: The Rise,” did in 2021, earning Rs 393.50 crore worldwide and giving Allu Arjun his first National Award.

  • Delhi’s Coldest Morning Yet: AQI Drops to Poor!”

    Delhi’s Coldest Morning Yet: AQI Drops to Poor!”

    On Saturday, Delhi experienced its coldest morning this season, with the temperature dropping to 7.1 degrees Celsius, which is three degrees lower than normal for this time of year, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

    After enjoying three days of ‘moderate’ air quality, the city’s air has turned ‘poor’ again. The Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 222 around 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Here’s how the AQI categories work:

    – 0 to 50: Good
    – 51 to 100: Satisfactory
    – 101 to 200: Moderate
    – 201 to 300: Poor
    – 301 to 400: Very Poor
    – 401 to 500: Severe

    At 8:30 am, the humidity in Delhi was a high 89 per cent. The weather department predicts mostly clear skies for the day, with the temperature expected to rise to around 25 degrees Celsius later.

  • RBI Lowers CRR: What Banks and Savers Need to Know”

    RBI Lowers CRR: What Banks and Savers Need to Know”

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made a big change by lowering the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) for the first time since March 2020. This means banks will now have more money to lend to people and businesses. Specifically, the RBI reduced the CRR from 4.5% to 4%, which will add about ₹1.16 lakh crore (that’s a huge amount!) into the banking system.

    With this extra money, banks can relax their high deposit rates, which makes borrowing cheaper for everyone. However, interest rates on loans might stay the same for now. Rajiv Anand from Axis Bank explained that this action will help banks improve their earnings by 3 to 5 basis points. A basis point is a way to measure interest rates, and it works like this: 1 basis point is just 0.01%.

    RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das mentioned that although they expect money to get tighter in the future due to tax payments and other reasons, this CRR change is still an important step to keep the banks healthy. While it will help with immediate cash flow, bankers believe that faster growth and lower inflation could lead the RBI to change interest rates down the road.

    Although this update is good news for banks, deposit rates for regular savers are unlikely to go up, so people shouldn’t expect higher returns on their savings. Even though inflation is rising, Santosh Kumar from Punjab National Bank said the CRR cut was the best choice for the RBI right now.

  • SSC GD Final Result 2024: Check Your Results and Next Steps!”

    SSC GD Final Result 2024: Check Your Results and Next Steps!”

    Good news for all the candidates who took the SSC Constable (General Duty) exam! The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) will soon announce the final results for this important test. You will be able to check your results and see if you made it to the merit list on the official SSC website at ssc.gov.in.

    The exact date and time for the announcement haven’t been shared yet, so stay tuned! The SSC GD recruitment exam took place from February 20 to March 7, 2024. After that, the provisional answer key was released on April 3, and candidates had until April 10 to raise any objections.

    The results were announced on July 11, and those who did well were called for further tests, including Physical Efficiency Test (PET), Physical Standard Test (PST), Document Verification (DV), and Medical Exam (DME). These rounds started on September 23.

    Now that all the stages of the selection process are completed, the final results are just around the corner! The final merit list will show the roll numbers of the candidates who have been selected and explain the next steps for them. This recruitment drive aims to fill a total of 46,617 Constable vacancies across different forces:
    – 12,076 for BSF
    – 13,632 for CISF
    – 9,410 for CRPF
    – 1,926 for SSB
    – 6,287 for ITBP
    – 2,990 for AR
    – 296 for SSF

    Be sure to check for updates on the final results and the merit list so you can plan your next move!

  • Palantir and Anduril Collaborate to Train AI for National Security

    Palantir and Anduril Collaborate to Train AI for National Security

    Palantir Technologies, a company that analyzes data, has teamed up with Anduril Industries, a defense technology company. They announced their partnership on Friday and will work together to use defense data for training artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

    Palantir will use its special AI platform to organize and label the defense data. This data will help train AI models, which can then be used in systems that protect national security. Meanwhile, Anduril will help store and share this important government defense data.

    Many companies are now focusing on AI to make their work easier and faster. But using AI in defense is still new and tricky because the data can be sensitive. Even though U.S. companies are creating top-notch AI models, they often find it hard to work with the government to use them in defense.

    This partnership comes shortly after Anduril said it would work with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. That project aims to create advanced AI tools for national security tasks.

    Anduril, which started in 2017, makes smart machines for various defense operations and has experience in automating robots for challenging situations. Palantir has also been thriving recently due to the rising interest in AI, especially from government agencies and businesses wanting to adopt this new technology