RAI Financial News

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the ICICI Prudential Rural Opportunities Fund, an open-ended equity scheme focused on rural and allied sectors.

Rakesh Mohan recalled how former prime minister Manmohan Singh used to encourage young technocratic talent to join the government and play a role in policy-making. Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, died here at the age of 92 late on Thursday. He served as prime minister for two terms from 2004 to 2014.

Wamiqa Gabbi has been making waves recently, not only for her stellar performance in Baby John but also for her undeniable beauty, particularly her captivating eyes. Her graceful appearance and charm have drawn comparisons to none other than Aishwarya Rai, the former Miss World of 1994 and a global icon of beauty.

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das on Wednesday said the BJP would decide about his future role. Das visited Jagannath temple in Puri this morning to offer prayers before the deities.

Mahila Samman Yojana would be increased to Rs 2,100 if his party returns to power in the assembly elections, which are due in February next year.

Donald Trump, said on Saturday that she is removing herself from consideration to be a Florida senator — ending speculation that she could replace Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who has been tapped to be the incoming administration's secretary of state. «After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,» Lara Trump posted on X. Instead, she promised a «big announcement to share in January». The announcement comes weeks after Trump announced that she was stepping down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, a move which raised questions about whether she might be vying for a Senate seat.

Dhirubhai Ambani School's annual day celebrations saw a star-studded turnout as Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai attended to support their daughter, Aaradhya. The couple, who have recently been at the centre of marital speculation, made a joint appearance at the event, accompanied by Abhishek’s father and Aaradhya's grandfather, the legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan. At the celebration, Abhishek and Aishwarya coordinated in matching black outfits, while Amitabh opted for a more formal look with a blazer and white shirt. The actress was spotted holding her father-in-law’s hand as they walked into the venue together. The school staff and attendees warmly greeted the veteran actor as he arrived with his family. One heartwarming moment captured on camera showed Abhishek lovingly tending to Aishwarya’s dupatta, ensuring she didn’t step on it, while Aishwarya stood close to Amitabh, likely offering support.

Rahul Gandhi of «pushing and shoving» its MPs on the Parliament premises, the BJP on Thursday said he does not deserve to be the Leader of Opposition after such «indecent and shameful» conduct. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters hours after unprecedented scenes of unruliness unfolded during protests by the ruling and opposition parties, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan squarely put the blame on Gandhi for the fracas which left two MPs injured. «Rahul Gandhi does not deserve to hold the post of the Leader of Opposition,» Chouhan said as he slammed the Congress leader's behaviour and alleged it is against India's cultural ethos. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, has rejected the BJP's charge that he pushed its lawmakers and alleged that the ruling party MPs «stopped, threatened and intimidated» him.

Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi hosted a deck reception onboard Indian Navy's indigenous guided missile destroyer, INS Mysore in Jakarta during his four-day official visit to Indonesia. The details of the event were shared on X by the Spokesperson of the Indian Navy. «Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, #CNS, hosted a deck reception onboard #IndianNavy's indigenous guided missile destroyer #INSMysore at Jakarta, fostering cultural exchange, friendship & camaraderie between #India & #Indonesia.»

Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, with its UP unit chief Ajay Rai claiming that he died due to «police brutality». Police said 28-year-old Prabhat Pandey, a native of Gorakhpur, was brought dead to the hospital from Congress office. «Prabhat Pandey was brought to the Civil Hospital in Hazratganj in an unconscious condition from the Congress office. The doctors declared him brought dead,» DCP (Central Lucknow) Raveena Tyagi said. «Prima facie, according to doctors, there was no visible injury mark on his body. Apart from this, a post-mortem would be done by a panel and the process would be videographed. Accordingly further legal proceedings would be carried out,» Tyagi added.

India Budget: As India prepares for Budget 2025, retailers are calling for measures that could transform the sector, including low-interest financing, tax relief, and a faster rollout of the National Retail Policy. The Retailers Association of India (RAI), in its pre-budget memorandum, urged the government to use the Union Budget for FY25-26 as a platform to address structural gaps, boost consumption, and improve ease of doing business. These changes, the RAI stated, would bolster consumer sentiment and support growth in the retail sector. A key demand from retailers is affordable financing. RAI highlighted the need for the government to announce lower interest rates specifically for retail businesses in the budget. “There is a need to provide lower interest rates to the retailers through the special announcement in the budget to assure easier financing for the retail businesses,” RAI stated. The association proposed the creation of a special fund, facilitated by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), to help independent retailers across the nation. This scheme could provide low-cost loans and relaxed regulatory guidelines to millions of small businesses, addressing a critical gap in financing options.

The project is part of the “Brand Bengaluru” campaign to improve the city’s infrastructure. The underground corridor will house optical fiber cables for telecommunications and power lines. The city already has about 15,000 kilometers of ducts, which will be used for the new corridor. “The ambitious project aims to establish an extensive underground utility corridor across Bengaluru, replacing the existing overhead OFCs with a robust, city-wide optical fibre network that will integrate both telecommunications and electrical infrastructure. A significant portion of the ducts—approximately 3,400km long — has been allocated to electricity utilities such as Bescom, and Smart City projects,” said BBMP chief engineer BS Prahalad.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Lok Sabha, where he emphasized zero tolerance towards corruption. Raut questioned PM Modi's sincerity, pointing out the presence of allegedly corrupt leaders within the BJP, such as Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde. Raut's criticism also extended to PM Modi's relationship with business magnate Gautam Adani, implying that the Prime Minister's tolerance of Adundermines his claims of zero tolerance towards corruption.

UFC Fight Night will start at 7 pm (ET). UFC Fight Night main card is likely to start at 10 pm (ET) on December 14. UFC Fight Night MMA event will be live streamed on ESPN+.

Here’s what Coach JJ Redick has shared about the situation and what lies ahead for the Lakers.

The home loan interest rate is the amount charged by the lender on the borrower's principal sum. You repay a loan in Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs) comprising principal and interest. Repayment by way of EMI commences from the month following the month in which you take the full disbursement. One of the most crucial things a lender considers when disbursing a home loan is the CIBIL score. Your CIBIL score indicates your ability to repay any debt. TransUnion CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau India Limited) monitors credit scores for individuals based on their credit history.

Replying to a question, Pandher said 17-18 farmers have sustained injuries during the Haryana security personnel action. Farmer leader Manjit Singh Rai alleged that rubber bullets were also used by security personnel and one farmer was seriously injured.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim affirmed that he had no doubts about taking over at Old Trafford ahead of the upcoming Manchester derby in the Premier League, reported Sky Sports. Before signing a contract with Manchester United, Amorim was rumoured to be linked with the Red Devils' bitter rival Manchester City. Amorim was considered to be a potential candidate to replace current head coach Pep Guardiola. Since then, Guardiola committed his future to Manchester City, and recently, Amorim underlined that he was only focused on becoming United's new head coach.

Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA). «My understanding is that with Switzerland, because of EFTA, the double taxation treaty that we have; it's going to be renegotiated. That is one aspect of it,» MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He was responding to a question on the issue at his weekly media briefing.

Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill to strengthen the efficient working of the national and state disaster management authorities with the government emphasising that the legislation will help states in handling all disasters in a better way. The House cleared the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to amend the Disaster Management Act by a voice vote. Several amendments moved by opposition members were negated by the House. The government said states faced difficulties in implementing the Disaster Management Act of 2005. The proposed amendment is based on overcoming the difficulties flagged by states.

Defence Dialogue held in New Delhi. A key member of the 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) grouping, Thailand is seen by India as a crucial strategic partner in the Southeast Asian region. «Both sides agreed for early establishment of joint working group to effectively steer and monitor the cooperation in the areas of defence industry,» the defence ministry said.