Tag: thellv.news

  • 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.

  • Pete Hegseth: Shocking Allegations of Misconduct and Drunkenness

    Pete Hegseth: Shocking Allegations of Misconduct and Drunkenness

    Pete Hegseth, who was chosen by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, has been accused of some serious things. According to a report from The New Yorker, during a night out at a bar in 2015, he drunkenly yelled, “Kill all Muslims!” while he was the president of a veterans’ group.

    Hegseth has had a troubled history. He lost his job at two veterans’ organizations, Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America, due to claims about his bad behavior and how he managed things. There are recordings that suggest he did not handle money well and behaved inappropriately with female staff members.

    A whistleblower report revealed that Hegseth often showed up to work events drunk and sometimes had to be taken out of events because he was so intoxicated. At one incident, he even had to be stopped from dancing at a strip club. Some female employees said they felt unsafe because Hegseth and some of his team treated them poorly, labeling them into groups like “party girls” and “not party girls.”

    He’s also faced past allegations of sexual assault from 2017, which he denies. He claimed that incident was consensual, but because of pressure during the Me Too movement, he had to pay off the woman involved.

    Many who worked with him were alarmed when they heard he might be chosen to lead the Department of Defense. One whistleblower said, “Having him at the Pentagon would be scary,” showing that his past actions left a bad impression on many.

    Hegseth resigned from Concerned Veterans for America in early 2016, and while he said it was for personal reasons, sources say it was because of his drinking and how he managed the group poorly.

  • Travis Head Discusses His Batting Role: Team Comes First!

    Travis Head Discusses His Batting Role: Team Comes First!

    Australia’s star batsman, Travis Head, says he doesn’t want to make headlines by discussing where he should bat in Test cricket. With David Warner retired, Australia is looking for a good player to open the batting. They tried Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja together, but it didn’t work well. Recently, Nathan McSweeney had his first Test match against India, but he only scored 10 runs and then got out for zero.

    Travis Head was ready to open the batting but was not chosen, as they went with McSweeney. He doesn’t want to keep talking about his batting position because it has led to misunderstandings in the past. He told The Sydney Morning Herald, “I think it just causes a lot of unnecessary drama.”

    In the past, when he supported his teammates who open the batting, he said he wanted to open, and that became a big news story. When he said he didn’t want to open, it got twisted, making people think he never wanted it. “I want to do what’s best for the team,” he said.

    Travis, who bats at number five in Tests but opens in white-ball games, said he doesn’t mind where he bats. “I’m happy to bat wherever the team thinks I fit best,” he mentioned, adding that he likes playing his natural way without pressure from the management.

  • Pushpa 2: Teaser for Jaat Starring Sunny Deol to Premiere Worldwide!

    Pushpa 2: Teaser for Jaat Starring Sunny Deol to Premiere Worldwide!

    The excitement is all about the upcoming movie Pushpa 2: The Rule! It will hit theaters on December 5, with special paid previews on December 4. To add to the fun, the teaser for another movie called Jaat, starring Sunny Deol, will be shown before Pushpa 2.

    Randeep Hooda, who is also in Jaat, shared a cool poster of Sunny Deol on X (formerly Twitter). He announced that the teaser for Jaat will be shown in over 12,500 movie theaters worldwide, alongside Pushpa 2. He encouraged fans to get ready for a big treat on the big screen!

    Jaat is directed by Gopichand Malineni and features Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda, Vineet Kumar Singh, Saiyami Kher, and Regina Cassandra. The movie’s music is by Thaman S, the cinematography is by Rishi Punjabi, and it’s edited by Navin Nooli. Just like Pushpa 2, Jaat is produced by Mythri Movie Makers.

    In Pushpa 2: The Rule, Allu Arjun returns as Pushpa Raj, a guy who starts off as a daily wage worker and becomes a red sanders smuggler. Rashmika Mandanna plays his wife, Srivalli, and Fahadh Faasil is the police officer trying to catch him. This sequel follows the massive success of the first movie, Pushpa: The Rise, which left fans wanting more.

    Exciting news: Pushpa 2 has already made over ₹100 crore in ticket bookings worldwide before its release. It will be available in many languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and Hindi. Fans are eager to see how much it earns on its first day

  • Supreme Court Questions Bail for Corrupt Ex-Minister Partha Chatterjee

    Supreme Court Questions Bail for Corrupt Ex-Minister Partha Chatterjee

    The Supreme Court has told former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee that, “On the face of it, you look like a corrupt person.” This comes after a large amount of money, over crores of rupees, was found in his home during an investigation into a scam related to job recruitments in West Bengal.

    While Chatterjee is asking for bail, the court is worried about what message it would send if he is released. They said, “What should we tell society? That corrupt people can get bail easily?” Chatterjee’s lawyer, Mukul Rohatgi, pointed out that many other people accused in the same case have gotten bail, but the judges reminded him, “You were a minister. You can’t compare yourself to them.”

    The lawyer for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), S.V. Raju, said that even if Chatterjee is granted bail, he won’t be released because he has other cases to answer. Rohatgi argued that he has already been held for over two and a half years.

    The judges asked how long the ED needs to finish their investigation. They want to make sure releasing Chatterjee doesn’t interfere with the investigation. Rohatgi also mentioned that the cash was not found directly from Chatterjee but from a company related to him.

    The court noted that Chatterjee controlled this company and that the investigation began only after a judge requested it. They are worried about the serious charges against Chatterjee, saying that the police found a massive sum of Rs 28 crore.

    Chatterjee’s lawyer requested the court consider his age and health, explaining that he is in his seventies and has collapsed during hearings. The judges are considering setting special conditions for his release if they decide to grant bail.

    The court will announce its decision after hearing from both sides about these issues. Meanwhile, the courts are concerned about how many people accused of money laundering are found guilty. Chatterjee was arrested because of claims of wrongdoing in hiring teachers in West Bengal schools. He was removed from his role and party positions after his arrest.

  • Asteroid C0WEPC5 Creates Spectacular Fireball Over Siberia!

    Asteroid C0WEPC5 Creates Spectacular Fireball Over Siberia!

    A small asteroid zoomed toward Earth and entered the atmosphere over northeastern Siberia on Tuesday, creating a bright fireball in the sky. This asteroid, called C0WEPC5, was first spotted by the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

    On December 3, the European Space Agency (ESA) gave a heads up about the asteroid coming our way. They explained that it would not be dangerous. The asteroid was about 70 centimeters (27 inches) wide and was expected to light up the sky over northern Siberia around 16:15 UTC (17:15 CET), about seven hours after the alert.

    Later that day, ESA confirmed that the asteroid did enter the atmosphere right on time, creating a spectacular fireball that was seen by many people in Yakutia. Astronomers had discovered the asteroid just 12 hours earlier, and their careful tracking helped predict the impact time very closely—within about 10 seconds!

    This event marked the fourth detected asteroid strike on Earth this year, making it a notable event in space news. Also, another asteroid named 2020 XR is set to safely fly by Earth on Wednesday at 12:27 a.m. ET. It is much bigger at 1,200 feet wide but will pass by at a safe distance of 1.37 million miles from our planet. NASA considers any object that comes within 4.6 million miles of Earth to be potentially hazardous. Asteroid flybys happen a lot; NASA reports over 36,000 of these events, and since October 2023, 132 asteroids have passed closer than the Moon.

  • Reliance’s Yousta Challenges Tata’s Zudio in Affordable Fashion Battle!

    Reliance’s Yousta Challenges Tata’s Zudio in Affordable Fashion Battle!

    Once again, two big Indian companies, Reliance and Tata, are competing, and it’s great news for shoppers in India! Reliance has launched a brand called ‘Yousta,’ aiming to give Tata’s Zudio a run for its money. Zudio is popular because it offers stylish clothes at low prices, making it a favorite among shoppers.

    Launched in August 2023, Yousta opened 50 stores in just its first year! All of Yousta’s products cost less than Rs 999, with most items priced below Rs 499, similar to Zudio.

    The Success of Zudio

    Zudio started as a store in 2018 by Trent, which is part of the Tata Group. It quickly became very popular and is now one of the biggest clothing brands in India. Since it began in 2017, Zudio has opened many stores and has become a significant part of Trent’s earnings, growing from just 8% of revenue to over a third!

    Tata’s Trent reported a 50% increase in sales for 2023-24, reaching Rs 12,375 crore, with Zudio making a big contribution. In fact, Zudio earned more than Rs 7,000 crore in 2024.

    Why is Zudio Winning?

    Zudio has been successful because it understands the changing tastes of shoppers, especially in smaller towns. More people have disposable income and are becoming more aware of fashion. Zudio combines style with affordable prices, a formula that works well for them.

    The company keeps its costs low with smart designs and a strong sales approach, making it twice as effective in generating revenue compared to many competitors.

    What is Reliance Doing?

    Reliance Retail saw a slight drop in revenue recently but is determined to succeed with Yousta. The company invested Rs 14,839 crore to support Reliance Retail’s growth. With Yousta, they plan to offer new styles every week and cater to popular trends, just like Zudio does.