Tag: thellv

  • U.S. Consumer Spending Rises: Economic Growth and Fed’s Rate Plans

    U.S. Consumer Spending Rises: Economic Growth and Fed’s Rate Plans

    Consumer spending in the U.S. went up by 0.4% in November, showing that the economy is still doing well. This increase led the Federal Reserve (the U.S. central bank) to expect fewer cuts to interest rates in 2025 compared to previous predictions. Spending makes up more than two-thirds of the economy, and even with a small slowdown expected in the coming months, the overall economy is staying strong.

    In the third quarter of the year, the economy grew at a rate of 3.1%, following a 3.0% growth from April to June. The Atlanta Federal Reserve predicts a 3.2% increase in the fourth quarter. Fed Chair Jerome Powell praised the economy, saying it’s performing exceptionally well.

    This week, the Federal Reserve lowered its key interest rate by 0.25% to the 4.25%-4.50% range. They now expect only two cuts to interest rates in 2025, instead of the four cuts they expected in September. This change is due to the economy remaining strong and inflation still being high.

    The job market is also doing well, with low layoffs and rising wages, which helps people spend more. Many families have healthy finances because of high stock market and home prices, leading to more spending. However, some lower-income families are still struggling.

    In November, monthly inflation cooled down slightly. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, which measures what people spend, rose by just 0.1% last month, following a 0.2% gain in October. Over the last year, prices rose by 2.4%, slightly up from 2.3% in October. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, also went up by 2.8%.

    The Federal Reserve pays close attention to these price changes as they aim for a 2% inflation target. They had raised interest rates by a total of 5.25 percentage points from March 2022 to July 2023

  • Family Celebrates Grandmother’s Life with Joyful Funeral in Madurai

    Family Celebrates Grandmother’s Life with Joyful Funeral in Madurai

    In a touching story from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, a family honored the last wish of their beloved 96-year-old mother and grandmother, Nagammal, during her funeral. Nagammal, who was the wife of a temple priest, wanted her farewell to be a joyful celebration filled with songs and dances, not sadness.

    Before she passed away due to age-related health issues, Nagammal told her family that she wanted to be remembered with happiness. She had two sons, four daughters, and a large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren—78 in total!

    To celebrate her life, the family organized a lively ceremony with music and dance performances. Younger family members and local kids showcased their talents, performing folk dances like Kummi, a traditional dance from Tamil Nadu.

    What began as a funeral quickly transformed into a joyous gathering that felt like a village fair. The family joyfully said goodbye to Nagammal, just as she wished, while some traditional mourning songs were played at the end to honor her.

    The community loved how the family turned a typically sad event into a celebration of life. It became a powerful reminder that death is a natural part of life that can be celebrated instead of mourned. Photos and videos of the celebration have gone viral on social media, sparking conversations around celebrating life during natural deaths.

  • 11 Dead in Jaipur-Ajmer Highway LPG Tanker Fire: Eyewitness Horror Stories

    11 Dead in Jaipur-Ajmer Highway LPG Tanker Fire: Eyewitness Horror Stories

    On Friday, the death toll from a serious accident involving an LPG tanker on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway rose to 11. Many of the injured people are in critical condition. The crash caused a massive fire, destroying 37 vehicles and nearby buildings.

    Dr. Deepak Maheshwari, the head of SMS Medical College, reported that 11 people lost their lives. Five were dead when they reached the hospital, five others died during treatment, and one person died at Jaipuria hospital.

    Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph explained that the fire started when the LPG tanker’s nozzle was damaged during an accident, causing a dangerous gas leak. The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. near a school, and flames quickly spread to vehicles behind the tanker and coming traffic.

    In total, 43 people were taken to hospitals, with seven of them needing ventilators. Rajasthan’s health minister, Gajendra Singh Khimsar, said many of the injured were in “very critical” condition.

    Eyewitnesses shared shocking stories. A passenger from a burning bus reported hearing a loud blast just before flames enveloped the bus. “We broke the window and jumped out as the fire raged around us,” they said.

    The driver of a school van described seeing flames from a distance and the panic that followed as people ran for safety. “I saw a man on fire. It was terrifying,” he said.

    Another eyewitness recalled how the fire spread quickly, engulfing a whole lane of 100-200 meters. Those who managed to escape survived while others suffered severe burns.

    In response, the Rajasthan government has promised ₹5 lakh (about $6,000) to the families of those who died and ₹1 lakh ($1,200) for the injured.

  • Nitish Kumar to Lead NDA in Bihar Assembly Elections 2025!

    Nitish Kumar to Lead NDA in Bihar Assembly Elections 2025!

    On Friday, the ruling party alliance in Bihar, known as NDA, put to rest rumors about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar not being their leader for the upcoming assembly elections next year. After a meeting aimed at improving teamwork, leaders from the NDA, including the BJP and Nitish Kumar’s party (JD(U)), dismissed doubts raised by a recent statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

    State BJP President Dilip Jaiswal explained that Amit Shah was just emphasizing that big decisions are made by the party’s parliamentary board, not that they are changing leadership. Kumar has been a steady leader for many years, and there’s no plan to change that, Jaiswal assured everyone.

    This clarification came after Amit Shah suggested in an interview that the NDA might decide differently about projecting a chief ministerial candidate for the 2025 polls, similar to what happened in Maharashtra. Shah responded to the question about whether they could go into the polls without announcing a candidate, saying they would discuss things together before making any announcements.

    State leaders quickly jumped in to say that there would be no doubt: the NDA would contest the elections under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. Raju Tiwari, from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), shared this view, stating that BJP President Shah confirmed this leadership.

    JD(U) leader Umesh Singh Kushwaha was thrilled with this support for Kumar, expressing optimism about their plans for 2025 and saying they are focused on improving teamwork across the state.

  • Suruchi Shines at Nationals, Inspired by Manu Bhaker’s Success

    Suruchi Shines at Nationals, Inspired by Manu Bhaker’s Success

    New Delhi: Young shooter Suruchi, just 18 years old, is making waves in the shooting world! Inspired by Manu Bhaker, the Olympic star from the same town, Suruchi just won the national air pistol title at the National Shooting Championships.

    Even though Manu, who earned two Olympic bronze medals in Paris, didn’t compete this time as she is training for the upcoming selection trials, Suruchi stood out among tough competitors. She impressed everyone by scoring very high in the qualification round with a score of 585. In the final round, she didn’t just compete but dominated, finishing with an amazing score of 243.6 points, leaving behind the defending champion, Rhythm Sangwan, who scored 237.9, and Krushnali J from Maharashtra, who won bronze with 216.5 points.

    Suruchi remained cool under pressure, hitting high scores consistently. She also won the junior national title with a score of 245.1 points.

    “I’m so happy to be a national champion for the first time! My goal is to join the national team this year,” Suruchi said.

    Suruchi and Manu live close to each other, and Suruchi started shooting at the same range where Manu trained. Suruchi added, “It’s amazing to think someone from my town has become an Olympic medalist. It inspires me so much!”

    After changing her coach two years ago, Suruchi now trains in Bhiwani and feels more focused. Her coach, Suresh Singh, praises her confidence and strong performance under pressure. “This national title is a big step for her as she moves into senior-level competitions,” he noted.

  • Tesla Recalls: Fixing Tire Pressure Warning Light Issues!”

    Tesla Recalls: Fixing Tire Pressure Warning Light Issues!”

    Tesla is fixing an important problem with some of its cars, including the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck. The tire pressure warning light may not always stay on, so drivers might not know when their tires are low on air. This is serious because driving on under-inflated tires can lead to accidents.

    To solve this issue, Tesla will send an over-the-air software update to fix the warning system. In the first three quarters of the year, Tesla’s cars made up 21% of all recalls in the U.S., according to BizzyCar, a company that helps manage recalls. Thankfully, most of these problems can be fixed with software updates instead of going to a repair shop.

    In the third quarter alone, Tesla recalled 1,858,774 vehicles, which is the most in the U.S. this year, but all these issues can be resolved with software updates. Plus, in November, Tesla recalled 2,400 Cybertruck units because a faulty part could cause power loss, which is dangerous. This was the sixth recall for the Cybertruck this year!

  • Telangana Court Halts KTR’s Arrest in Formula-E Investigation”

    Telangana Court Halts KTR’s Arrest in Formula-E Investigation”

    Recently, the Telangana High Court has given some good news to KTR (KT Rama Rao), a leader of the BRS party. The court has told the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) not to arrest him until December 30 in a case related to the Formula-E race in Hyderabad.

    While listening to KTR’s request to drop the case against him, Judge Shravan Kumar Venkat of the High Court said KTR needs to help with the investigation. The case will be looked into again next week. The court also asked the government to respond to KTR’s claims.

    The ACB filed a case against KTR after the governor allowed it, claiming he made some money transfers (some in foreign currency) without proper approval to host the Formula-E race while in office. KTR is named as the main person in this case, with two others, senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy, also being accused.

    KTR defended himself by saying, “We paid Rs 55 crore for this, and Formula-E accepted the payment. This is all clear and accounted for.” Earlier this year, the government wanted to know why Arvind Kumar signed a deal about the race without proper approval and how Rs 55 crore was paid.

    Also, there was a problem when Formula-E announced that it was canceling the Hyderabad race, saying the new Telangana government broke the contract. This race was supposed to happen on February 10

  • Bombay High Court Backs Adani Group in Dharavi Project Dispute

    Bombay High Court Backs Adani Group in Dharavi Project Dispute

    The Bombay High Court has rejected a challenge from a Dubai-based company, Seclink Technologies Corp, against the Maharashtra government’s decision to give the big Dharavi redevelopment project to the Adani Group. This project, which aims to improve one of Mumbai’s most crowded areas, is known as Asia’s largest urban renewal effort.

    The court’s judges, Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, explained that their role isn’t to second-guess the decisions made by the authorities about who should get the project. They stated that the government, which issued the bids, knows what it needs best, so the court should interfere only a little bit.

    Seclink Technologies argued that their original bid was higher than the one made by the Adani Group. They claimed they deserved the contract because they were the “rightful highest bidder” from a tender process that began in 2018. However, in November 2022, Adani Properties, part of the Adani Group led by Gautam Adani, won the bidding.

    In this partnership, Adani Group has 80% ownership in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd, while the Maharashtra government holds the remaining 20%. Most of the redevelopment will happen on 296 acres, excluding areas like parks and fishing villages.

    Dharavi has over 850,000 residents, and with the temporary population included, that number goes over 1 million. It has an extremely high density of people, making it the most crowded zone in Mumbai, which is itself the sixth most crowded city in the world.

    Seclink also accused the government of making the new tender in October 2022 in a way that purposely kept them out. However, the state’s lawyer, Milind Sathe, explained that things changed because railway land was added to the project, which adjusted the business plan enough to cancel the previous tender.

    Sathe pointed out that Seclink was just one out of eight groups that bid before. He noted that Seclink cannot challenge the tender alone without the other members of its group joining in. If they had concerns about the new bid conditions, they should have raised them earlier. Thus, the High Court dismissed their petition.

    The project is located close to the Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai’s main financial area, which houses important banks, stock exchanges, and corporate offices.

  • Smart Tips to Excel in JEE Mains 2025!”

    Smart Tips to Excel in JEE Mains 2025!”

    Getting ready for the JEE Mains is a lot like running a long race. You have to be steady, smart, and keep your eyes on the prize. With more students competing every year, it’s important to find special ways to stand out. Here are some easy tips to help you prepare for JEE Mains Session 1 in 2025:

    1. Know the Exam and Topics: First things first, understand the test format and the subjects you’ll be tested on—Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Focus on the most important topics so you’re not wasting time.

    2. Learn the Concepts: Don’t just memorize formulas; try to understand the ideas behind them. For Chemistry, start with NCERT books and then move on to more challenging problems to really get to know each topic.

    3. Set Mini-Goals: Instead of making big, vague plans, set small targets each week. For example, finish learning about Thermodynamics in Physics or solve 50 Math problems on Integration. Small goals help you stay motivated and track your progress.

    4. Create an Error Book: Keep a special notebook just for mistakes. After each test, write down every wrong answer and why you got it wrong. Look at this book often to avoid making the same errors again.

    5. Revise Smart: Use a three-step revision method: First, do a Quick Recap with notes or flashcards. Next, dive deeper by solving mixed problems. Finally, do Test Revision by taking timed quizzes to feel what the exam will be like. This helps you remember things better!

    6. Speed and Accuracy Matter: While you need to be quick for JEE Mains, don’t forget to be accurate. Practice solving problems in a set time each day. If a question takes too long, mark it and review it later.

    7. Take Mock Tests: Practice taking exams at the same time you’ll be taking the real one. Find a quiet spot without distractions to simulate exam day. This helps you feel less nervous and more prepared.

    8. Stay Positive: Keeping a positive attitude is key to handling stress. Surround yourself with supportive friends, read motivating books, or talk to encouraging mentors.

    By following these simple tips, you can improve your preparation and face JEE Mains 2025 Session 1 confidently! Consistency, smart planning, and believing in yourself are the keys to success!

  • Supreme Court Questions Balaji’s Minister Role After Bail in Corruption Case

    Supreme Court Questions Balaji’s Minister Role After Bail in Corruption Case

    On Friday, the Supreme Court spoke out against the recent appointment of V Senthil Balaji, a leader from the DMK party, as a minister in Tamil Nadu. This came just days after he was released on bail for being involved in a money laundering case related to a “cash-for-jobs” scam.

    Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said it was very wrong to make someone a minister right after their release. They emphasized that many witnesses in the case are public workers, and they wanted to hear from the Tamil Nadu government about the ongoing cases against Balaji.

    The court pointed out that just because someone gets out of jail doesn’t mean they should automatically be a government minister. The judges stressed that there are often various reasons a person might be in trouble with the law, including the possibility of being falsely accused.

    The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, argued that Balaji has significant influence in the state and had been acting like a minister even from prison. In defense, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Balaji, mentioned that many people hold power without being ministers.

    Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who represented the person who filed the complaint, warned that most of the witnesses against Balaji are working for the government. The court set the next hearing for January 15, 2025.

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which investigates financial crimes, accused Balaji of trying to slow down the case while he was out on bail. Balaji had just been sworn in again as minister on September 29, taking back his old roles related to electricity and public drinking regulations.

    The ED claimed that since Balaji’s release, important witness testimonies have been postponed because he is trying to change lawyers and ask for extra documents during the trial.

    Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023, while serving as the transport minister before the last election. He was also found to be involved in serious corruption, misusing his role to gain money unfairly.