Tag: the llv

  • Amnesty International Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza War

    Amnesty International Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza War

    THE HAGUE: Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians during the ongoing Gaza war, according to a report released on Thursday. This serious claim has been denied by Israeli leaders. Amnesty stated that after months of examining events and statements from Israeli officials, they believe the actions taken meet the requirements for genocide.

    The 1948 Genocide Convention defines genocide as actions aimed at destroying, either fully or partly, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Israel has rejected these genocide claims, asserting it is acting within international law to defend itself following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages. Since then, Israel has launched a military campaign in Gaza resulting in the deaths of more than 44,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

    Amnesty argues that most people in Gaza, which has 2.3 million residents, are now displaced, many multiple times. At hearings earlier this year at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where South Africa accused Israel of genocide, Israeli lawyers denied any such intentions. They claim their goal is to eliminate Hamas, not to harm Palestinians as a group.

    Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, emphasized that their findings were not made lightly. After reviewing over 100 statements from Israeli officials, she strongly believes genocide is occurring. Callamard pointed out that Israel’s claim that its war only targets Hamas does not hold up under examination.

    Amnesty has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate these genocide claims. The ICC is already looking into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories

  • Aditi Rao Hydari Shines as a Freedom Fighter in Heeramandi!

    Aditi Rao Hydari Shines as a Freedom Fighter in Heeramandi!

    Aditi Rao Hydari stole everyone’s heart with her role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s new series, Heeramandi. She plays a courtesan named Bibbojaan who becomes a brave fighter for freedom. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Aditi talked about her exciting experience filming the series.

    When asked about any challenging scenes, Aditi shared, “I was really worried about my two mujras. Even though I’ve danced since I was a kid and learned Bharatnatyam, mujra was something completely new. It’s a dance style that requires a lot of skill, especially when taught by someone as detailed as Sanjay Leela Bhansali.”

    She also mentioned that for the important scenes where she delivers powerful speeches, Bhansali asked her to skip meals for a day. “Being a little hungry actually helped me perform better. He joked that when I eat, my speeches might seem more like romantic scenes,” she laughed.

    The series is set during the time of the Indian independence movement and shows the struggle between the courtesans in Heeramandi, Lahore, and British officials. It features a talented cast including Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, and Fardeen Khan. Excitingly, a second season is already in the planning stages!

  • Vaughan Supports Cummins’ Comeback in Pink-Ball Test vs. India

    Vaughan Supports Cummins’ Comeback in Pink-Ball Test vs. India

    Michael Vaughan believes that Pat Cummins, the captain of Australia, can regain his form in the upcoming pink-ball Test against India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the first Test in Perth, Cummins didn’t perform well, taking only three wickets and leading his team to a tough 295-run loss.

    Vaughan pointed out that Cummins seemed a bit out of practice because he hadn’t played a Test since March. “He’s an excellent bowler and captain, but he looked a bit rusty in Perth,” Vaughan said on The Follow On. “I think this week in Adelaide, he will be faster and more in control after playing last week.”

    In the first innings at Perth, Australia was able to bowl out India for just 150 runs. However, their top three bowlers—Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood—struggled in the second innings, allowing India to score 487 runs before declaring.

    Vaughan believes that playing in the first Test is good for Cummins. “It helps him get used to the longer format again, so he should be better this time,” he added.

    Cummins has also seen a drop in pace this year, which made it harder for him to trouble the Indian batsmen. Vaughan explained, “If his speed is down, it gives batters more time to adjust. We saw this during the Ashes when England was able to score easily against him.”

  • Key Stock Market Updates: Vodafone, Torrent Pharma, and More!

    Key Stock Market Updates: Vodafone, Torrent Pharma, and More!

    The stock market had a rollercoaster day and ended almost unchanged, taking a short break after rising for three days. Today, we should watch out for shares of Vodafone Idea, Indus Towers, Torrent Pharma, Bharat Forge, and Indraprastha Gas because of several important news updates.

    PG Electroplast: This company started a plan to raise up to ₹1,500 crore by selling shares, aiming for a price between ₹690 and ₹699 each.

    Bondada Engineering: They got an order worth ₹108.9 crore from the Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency.

    Force Motors: Their sales grew by just 0.05%, totaling 1,885 units in November, up from 1,884 units last year.

    Torrent Pharma: They made a deal with Boehringer Ingelheim to buy 3 brands that help manage diabetes.

    Bharat Forge: This company also plans to raise money by selling shares, setting a starting price of ₹1,323.54 each.

    Technopack Polymers: Their board approved a plan to give bonus shares to current shareholders, meaning each shareholder will receive one extra share for every share they already own.

    Indraprastha Gas: This gas company will suggest giving out bonus shares to its shareholders at a board meeting on December 10.

    Vodafone Idea and Indus Towers: Keep an eye on these two companies because Indus Towers announced that they have released a 3% pledge of shares by Vodafone’s Promoters to ensure Vodafone Idea pays its debts.

  • Shastri Supports Rohit Sharma’s Move to Bat at No. 5 in Adelaide Test

    Shastri Supports Rohit Sharma’s Move to Bat at No. 5 in Adelaide Test

    Ravi Shastri, the former coach of the Indian cricket team, shared his thoughts on where Rohit Sharma should bat in the upcoming second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This Test will take place in Adelaide and start on Friday. Rohit missed the first Test in Perth because he was busy welcoming his second child.

    Now that he’s back, there’s a debate on what his batting order should be. Normally, Rohit would open the batting, but KL Rahul did a great job in the first Test, scoring 77 runs as an opener. Because of this, Shastri believes Rohit should bat at No. 5 to maintain the strong opening partnership with Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

    Shastri suggested that Rohit is smart enough to figure out where he can be most dangerous against Australia. He reminded everyone that Rohit started his career batting lower down the order and has plenty of experience. In Test matches, he scored 1,474 runs batting at No. 5 or lower, with nine half-centuries and three hundreds.

    Shastri also praised Rahul’s performance and mentioned that it makes sense to keep him in the opening position while Rohit bats in the middle order. Additionally, Shubman Gill is back from an injury and will likely bat at No. 3, which strengthens India’s batting lineup.

    Shastri feels this is one of the strongest batting teams India has ever taken to Australia. He suggests keeping the same bowlers who played in the first Test to maintain good momentum.

  • California School Shooting: Two Children Injured, Shooter Dead

    California School Shooting: Two Children Injured, Shooter Dead

    On Wednesday afternoon, a shooting happened at a small religious school in Northern California, leaving two kids hurt. The shooter died after what looks like a self-inflicted gunshot, according to local sheriff officials. The exact condition of the injured children hasn’t been shared yet.

    This sad event took place at Feather River School of Seventh Day Adventists in Palermo, a small town with about 5,500 people, located around 65 miles north of Sacramento. Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea shared that they received 911 calls about someone who was firing shots at students. They also mentioned that the shooter didn’t have any connection to the school. The reason behind the shooting is still unknown.

    One of the injured kids was flown to a nearby hospital for treatment. After the incident, other students were quickly taken to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene to reunite with their families, as reported by the sheriff’s office. Feather River School has been in operation since 1965 and typically serves fewer than 40 students, according to its website.

  • Mutual Funds Boost NBFCs’ Growth: A Shift in Lending Dynamics

    Mutual Funds Boost NBFCs’ Growth: A Shift in Lending Dynamics

    In October 2024, money from Mutual Funds (MFs) to Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) jumped by 47%. In contrast, banks only increased their lending to NBFCs by a small 6%. This rise shows that MFs stepped up to help NBFCs because banks are being more cautious due to new rules.

    The total money MFs have lent to NBFCs is now around Rs 2.33 lakh crore, which is a 47.1% increase from last year. Although we don’t have details about the exact amounts for each type of loan, experts believe that NBFCs have been borrowing more through bonds than through commercial papers (CPs).

    NBFCs have been more careful with their borrowing because they worry about keeping up their rapid growth in loans. Meanwhile, banks, which have traditionally been a big source of money for NBFCs, reported only a 6.4% increase in lending over the past year—the slowest growth in almost a year. Since November 2023, bank loans to NBFCs have been steady at around Rs 14-15 lakh crore. This slowdown is partly because the Reserve Bank of India has raised risk rules for banks when lending to NBFCs.

    To find new sources of money, NBFCs are now looking beyond banks. They are exploring options like non-convertible debentures (NCDs), commercial papers, and foreign currency loans. According to Crisil ratings, the share of NCDs in NBFC borrowing grew by 0.30% in the April to June quarter, reaching 28.5%. Even NBFCs with lower ratings are trying to get into the market for NCDs.

    Crisil notes that while banks will still be a major source of funds for NBFCs, the bond market is expected to gain popularity soon, especially as people predict a cut in repo rates.

    Despite these changes, growth in assets for NBFCs is expected to slow down to about 15-17% over the next year. This is down from the 23% seen last year. This predicted slowdown, while still better than the average growth of 14% over the past ten years, is influenced by worries about household debt and the quality of loans. Strict rules from regulators focused on customer protection are also causing NBFCs to readjust their operations. The ability of each NBFC to tap into different funding sources will be crucial, especially given the slowdown in bank loans.

  • NASA’s $20,000 Challenge: Create a Lunar Rescue System

    NASA’s $20,000 Challenge: Create a Lunar Rescue System

    NASA is on a mission to find creative people who can help design a rescue system for astronauts in case they get stuck on the Moon. They are offering up to $20,000 for the best idea that will safely carry an astronaut, who is already in a spacesuit, over the Moon’s tough landscape.

    As part of NASA’s Artemis mission, they plan to send astronauts to the Moon by September 2026. The agency knows that there could be emergencies where an astronaut might get hurt or need urgent help. In those situations, another astronaut would need a good way to get them back safely to their landing spot.

    Sarah Duglas from NASA explained that the Moon is a challenging place. There are many rocks and deep craters, and getting around is hard, especially if someone is in trouble. NASA is specifically asking for designs that can transport a fully suited astronaut at least 2 kilometers up a slope of 20 degrees without using a rover.

    Because the astronaut’s spacesuit is heavy, it won’t be easy for another astronaut to carry them. So, they need a smart, technical solution that can work in the Moon’s tough South Pole conditions while not depending on a rover.

    The competition is open until January 23, 2025, and you can submit your ideas on the HeroX portal. A panel of NASA experts will judge the ideas based on factors like weight and ease of use. For more information, you can check out their official website.

  • Ben Stokes’ Stand Against Slow Over-Rate Penalties in Cricket

    Ben Stokes’ Stand Against Slow Over-Rate Penalties in Cricket

    England’s Test cricket captain, Ben Stokes, is making waves again! He is still refusing to sign the charge sheet from the International Cricket Council (ICC) about slow over rates. This happened after England and New Zealand were both penalized for taking too long during their first Test in Christchurch.

    Both teams lost points in the World Test Championship (WTC) and faced a 15% cut in their match fee. This penalty has hurt their chances of competing in the WTC final next year at Lord’s. New Zealand dropped from fourth to sixth place in the points table, while England has lost 22 points so far in this WTC cycle, including 19 points from the recent Ashes series.

    Stokes expressed his frustration, pointing out that even though the match ended quickly with a result, the slow over-rate issue seems unfair. He mentioned that the issue of over rates seems to depend on where the matches take place. For example, games in Asia don’t usually have this problem because spin bowling slows down the game.

    While discussing why he has not signed the over-rate sheet since last year’s Ashes, Stokes said, “I’ve had good talks with the match referees. They understand where we, as players, are coming from. However, it’s been a year, and we haven’t heard back from the ICC regarding my concerns.”

    Jacob Oram, a former New Zealand bowler and now an assistant coach for the team, agrees with Stokes. He believes that both teams need to improve their energy and ability to stay ready. He said, “Today’s Test matches are exciting with lots of runs and wickets. We need to strike a good balance and learn from these lessons.”

  • Pete Hegseth’s Personal Scandals Raise Questions as Defense Secretary Nominee

    Pete Hegseth’s Personal Scandals Raise Questions as Defense Secretary Nominee

    President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Pete Hegseth as his nominee for Defense Secretary, but Hegseth is facing serious questions about his personal life. He has openly admitted to having five affairs during his first marriage to Meredith Schwarz, which ended in divorce in 2008, largely due to his cheating.

    During that divorce, he was dating Samantha Deering, who became his second wife. Unfortunately, that marriage also ended in 2017 because Hegseth had a child with Jennifer Rauchet, a producer at Fox News. They married in 2019 at a Trump golf course in New Jersey. This history of infidelity has raised doubts about Hegseth’s character and whether he is fit to manage a massive defense budget of $900 billion and lead 1.3 million active-duty military personnel.

    Additionally, there were claims of inappropriate behavior at a Republican women’s conference in 2017. Although Hegseth says the issue was looked into and cleared, it still leaves many wondering about his integrity. He is known for his conservative views, supporting Christian missions in the military and being critical of feminism and LGBT+ rights.

    Due to these controversies, some lawmakers and critics are unsure about his nomination. Trump’s team was reportedly surprised by these details, including Hegseth’s earlier admission of personal mistakes during a family call in 2008.

    As this situation unfolds, it could significantly impact the final decision on Hegseth’s role as Defense Secretary.