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household budgets, potentially worsening stressed urban demand. Starting this month, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Godrej Consumer, Dabur, Tata Consumer, Parle Products, Wipro Consumer, Marico, Nestle and Adani Wilmar are rolling out price hikes to offset higher commodity costs and increased customs duty, said executives at companies and FMCG distributors. The entire basket — from tea and edible oil to soap and skin cream-will be 5-20% more expensive, marking the biggest price hike in 12 months. Companies' production costs have swelled due to 22% increase in import duty on edible oil this September, and up to 40% in calendar year 2024. In 2023 too, the cost of key commodities such as sugar, wheat flour and coffee had surged.

zero-collateral housing loan scheme for low- and middle-income groups which will offer up to Rs 20 lakh with minimal documentation or third-party guarantee, said people familiar with the matter. Amendments to the Credit Risk Guarantee Fund Scheme for Low-Income Housing (CRGFTLIH) are being examined to pave the way for the scheme, they said, adding that the loan could have a tenure of 30 years. Under the existing provisions, housing loans up to Rs 8 lakh are eligible for guaranteed cover. «The idea is to make credit available for those homebuyers who do not have any documented income or minimal supporting documents,» a government official told ET.

Donald Trump administration, multiple people familiar with the matter told ET. “Ministries and departments are examining various scenarios, apprehending such a move by the US and possible remedies,” one of the persons said. President-elect Trump on Tuesday had said the US will impose reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods because New Delhi imposes high tariffs on American goods. Independent experts said India could relook at import duty on specific products and enhance market access for certain imports from the US to address Trump’s concerns.

Pope Francis' future at the Vatican is now in fate's hands, after poor donation levels are becoming a huge headache for the global headquarters of the Catholic Church, latest reports have found. Retired staffs and existing fraternity of the Vatican are now feeling the jolt of this fund crunch at the Catholic Church's supreme headquarters, which is even extending to a level where their livelihood now hangs in the balance.

Policymakers voted 11-to-1 to lower the central bank's key lending rate to between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent, the Fed announced in a statement. This is the final planned interest rate decision before outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden makes way for Republican Donald Trump, whose economic proposals include tariff hikes and the mass deportation of millions of undocumented workers.

Prime Video, Apple TV+, Peacock have line up for new shows. One can watch these shows throughout the week. A new docuseries on Apple TV+ reveals the habits and behaviors of animals in the wild. Filmmakers spent three years tracking 77 unique species in 24 countries, and capturing everything from jumping spider courtship dances to a killifish in Trinidad breathing through its tail when out of the water. Hugh Bonneville narrates “The Secret Lives of Animals, " debuting on Wednesday. Also Read: Who Did Lionel Messi Vote for in The Best FIFA Awards 2024? His Surprising Picks Revealed

Back then such festivities actually included feasting, dancing and various others forms of merriment. During the 4th century, the church leaders from all over the world actually sought to convert the pagans to Christianity by adopting the date December 25 as the very official date for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ while aligning it with existing winter solstice traditions. Also Read: Who Did Lionel Messi Vote for in The Best FIFA Awards 2024? His Surprising Picks Revealed

Here are some simple and festive ideas for every room in your house:

Amazon Prime Video has announced that its animated anthology series, Secret Level, will return for a second season. The series draws inspiration from popular video games.

The gift-bearing legend of Santa was introduced to the United States by immigrants, much like many other holiday customs. Our Santa is a cross between the Dutch Sinterklaas, England's Father Christmas, and the Green Saint Nicholas, as quoted in a report by Today. Many children in the United States go to Santa for pictures and to give him their Christmas wishes. They then wait patiently or not for the big day, which is December 25, to see if their wishes are fulfilled.

Lapland which is located in Finland can be a winter wonderland which eventually offers an unforgettable experience. In this location, the travelers can embark on reindeer sleigh rides, visit Santa Claus Village and then witness the breathtaking Northern Lights in a truly magical setting. Vienna located in Austria is another must-visit destination during the Christmas. The city is famous for its enchanting Christmas markets, classical concerts and festive lights.

The timing is not shocking; Ashwin is 38 years old. The space is not unusual; Ashwin misses more Tests than he plays in countries such as Australia. But time and space taken together as one construct, the basis for Einstein’s Theory of Relativity – which Ashwin the engineer will only be too familiar with – ensure that there will be more questions than answers, in this case. The conspiracy theorists will insist that it was the insult of being repeatedly left out of the Test team that pushed Ashwin over the edge. The pragmatists will point to the fact that Washington Sundar’s emergence has ensured that his senior colleague isn’t even an automatic second choice spinner when playing in Australia, England, South Africa or New Zealand. The inner circle in cricket will remind the world that only a player truly knows when he or she is finally done.

Hyderabad police have issued specific guidelines for New Year’s Eve celebrations, requiring event organizers to secure permissions in advance. The instructions, outlined in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Rachakonda Commissionerate, aim to ensure safety and compliance during the events. Mandatory permissions and safety measures According to the statement, all events, whether ticketed or non-ticketed and held indoors or outdoors, must obtain police permission at least 12 days in advance. The statement emphasized, “All the events must and should obtain permission from the police regardless of whether the event is held indoors or outdoors.”

Trump ally Elon Musk said on Wednesday that U.S. lawmakers who vote for a stopgap measure to fund the government past Saturday should be voted out of office, a move that could complicate the U.S. Congress' efforts to avert a partial government shutdown. «Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!» the Tesla chief executive and world's richest person wrote on his X social media platform. The federal government will run out of money to fund operations on Saturday unless Congress acts. Negotiators on Tuesday agreed on a deal to extend funding through March 14.

ICICI Bank and Times Internet on Wednesday launched a super-premium credit card targeted at ultra high-net-worth individuals. The card, the inaugural edition of which has been crafted from a metal alloy derived from the historic printing plates of The Times of India, is powered by Visa. Cardholders will receive exclusive benefits, including doorstep visa services, exclusive invite-only events by The Times of India Group, access to elite clubs, unlimited lounge access at more than 1,300 global airports, attractive reward points, and helicopter rides, among others. The 'Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card' provides curated privileges designed to cater to the refined tastes of these individuals with significant spending power. Annual fee for the card is ₹20,000, but the fees will be waived on yearly expenditures of ₹25 lakh through these cards.

industrial real estate manager Welspun One aims to raise more than Rs 4,000 crore as a new fund to support the platform’s growth strategy even as global investors are exploring financial and strategic general partnerships with the fund. This will be among the first instances of a General Partner (GP) level alliance in the Indian private equity industry. The platform, backed by Welspun Group, is looking to double its portfolio to more than 32 million sq ft by 2028, and has already identified a robust pipeline of over 8 million sq ft across multiple assets in the country.

Bidhanchandra and Hena Biswas. This couple from Garfa near Kolkata paid the ultimate price — humiliation at their daughter's wedding reception. Like all happy parents, last month, the Biswases had booked a catering service to throw a lavish dinner for the occasion. For the 550-odd guests, khana at the reception was a veritable vegetarian feast: buffet comprising lip-smackers like peas kachori, chana daal, dum aloo, paneer, green peas pulao, chutney, mithai… the works.

Bain Capital said on Wednesday it plans to launch a tender offer for Fuji Soft shares even without the backing of the Japanese firm's board should a second-round bid from rival suitor KKR fail. The estimated $2 billion bid for just under half of the Japanese IT firm's shares likely portends a rare hostile tussle between the two global private equity giants. Bain last week offered 9,600 yen per share, 1.6% more than KKR has done. KKR, which has the backing of the Fuji Soft board, secured 33.9% in a first-round tender that managed to dodge an earlier bid from Bain that was at the time higher than its own.