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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. THE BOSSES of America’s trillion-dollar technology giants represent two CEO archetypes. First, the eccentric visionary founder: Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia are obsessed with their products; wield untrammelled power thanks to the strength of their will, the size of their shareholding, or both; and make questionable sartorial choices.

Palantir Technologies and defense tech company Anduril Industries are in talks with about a dozen competitors to form a consortium that will jointly bid for U.S. government work, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The consortium, which could announce agreements with other tech groups as early as January, is expected to include SpaceX, OpenAI, autonomous shipbuilder Saronic and artificial intelligence data group Scale AI, the newspaper said, citing several people with knowledge of the matter. «We are working together to provide a new generation of defence contractors,» a person involved in developing the group told the newspaper.

Assam STF in Murshidabad, West Bengal, BJP leader Arjun Singh alleged that 90 per cent of the civic volunteers in the state are Jamaat supporters. «You will find a Jamaat terrorist in every police station. 90 per cent of the civic volunteers who check our passports are Jamaat supporters… It's unfortunate that the Assam police are capturing terrorists in West Bengal. They work for the country while the West Bengal police only work for the state and the party,» Arjun Singh told ANI. Notably, in a joint operation, the Assam STF and West Bengal STF arrested two suspected terrorists — Abbas Sheikh and Minarul Sheikh — in Murshidabad's Hariharpara on December 19.

National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). A surface low-pressure system extending from the Southeast will interact with an upper air low-pressure system, accompanied by a cold air mass and strong upper-air winds from the West. This combination is likely to lead to the development of clouds in various parts of the country, with the potential for convective activity at times. Partly cloudy to cloudy conditions are anticipated, with a chance of rainfall at intervals over some coastal areas, islands, and the Northern and Eastern regions.

Governor-General’s XI gears up to take on England in a 50-over match at North Sydney Oval on January 9, 2025. The match, a long-standing tradition, will feature a mix of Australian stars and rising talents, showcasing the depth of women’s cricket in the country. The squad, named by Cricket Australia's National Selection Panel in collaboration with Governor-General Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, includes Sydney Sixers legend Alyssa Healy, who is making her return from a knee injury.

Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. The strikes that started Thursday and Friday followed other recent standoffs between corporate America and organized labor. Large and established labor unions secured meaningful employer concessions this year following strikes by Boeing factory workers, dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports, video game performers, and hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip. But workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands still are fighting for their first contracts. Amazon refuses to acknowledge the organizing efforts of drivers and warehouse workers — many of whom have voted to unionize — even though the powerful Teamsters union says it represents them. Starbucks long resisted the unionization of its stores, but had agreed to negotiate a contract by the end of the year. Why are the strikes happening now?

Miller, wife of Trump's designated homeland security adviser Stephen Miller, will join Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an informal advisory body that Trump has said will enable his administration to «slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.» «Katie Miller will soon be joining DOGE! She has been a loyal supporter of mine for many years, and will bring her professional experience to Government Efficiency,» Trump posted in a message on his social media platform Truth Social.

BJP leader and Delhi Assembly LoP Vijender Gupta slammed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and claimed that he has done nothing for women in the last ten years of tenure. Gupta also cited the example of Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal's alleged assault case and further said that many of AAP MLAs have not even been nice to their wives. «Arvind Kejriwal is rattled. He didn't do anything for women in the last 10 years. He got Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal assaulted in his home. His MLAs have not even been nice to their wives. Now they are lying and playing with the emotions of women… He had 10 years if he truly wanted to do something for women, why is he cheating on women now… Delhi's only problem is Arvind Kejriwal..,» Vijender Gupta told ANI.

The National Department of Transport Infrastructure said the central span of the 533-meter (0.3-mile) bridge, linking the cities of Estreito in Maranhao state and Aguiarnopolis in Tocantins state, gave way in the afternoon. A tanker truck carrying the acid plunged into the water, officials said. According to the fire department, one person has been confirmed dead and another was rescued alive.

Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States «foolishly» ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged «ridiculous» fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Panama's conservative president Jose Raul Mulino, who was elected in May on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty. The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also basked in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill, where some GOP lawmakers openly defied their leader's demands.

investment decisions. This obsession with price movements reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about what stock prices mean and how they should influence investment decisions. The problem isn’t just the unhealthy fixation with short-term fluctuations; it’s the flawed mental model many investors have about stock prices. Many investors believe that a stock with a low price is somehow ‘cheaper’ and, therefore, a better buy than the one with a high price.

“I wish my wife understood that debt is ruining us,” lamented a husband elsewhere. She was insistent that borrowing was about using other peoples’ money smartly. Their savings were locked in several residential properties, mostly small and distantly located. She told him that delays were part of the process and that they would be rich soon. Did he tell her that there was no money for the upcoming college admission of their son? Recognise financial abuse in whatever form it presents itself. If someone controls your money matters because your abdication was interpreted as approval, check yourself for resentment. Speak up if you don’t like how your money is being used. If someone restricts your ability to earn, spend, save, invest, or give, they may be using money to control you. Money decisions in a household require transparency, discussion, approval and understanding, if they must remain fair and equitable. Set that standard and do what it takes to get there.

cash management company reported a decent performance in the September 2024 quarter, with 15% year-on-year revenue growth. The performance was supported by significant growth in the managed services segment (36% year-on-year) and moderate growth (8% year-on-year) in the cash management services segment. However, margins (both EBITDA and PAT) contracted quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year amid lower realisations in the cash management segment, execution delays, and lower transactions in Brown Label ATMs (BLA). Analysts believe that such margin compression is temporary and expect performance acceleration in the second half of the current financial year. The company provides cash logistics services, including ATM and retail cash management and cash in transit. It is expanding into managed services like banking automation, ATM software, and remote monitoring. As a key partner for banks, NBFCs, retailers, and e-commerce firms, CMS Info leverages its network, technology, and solution-focused approach to tackle complex challenges.

Covid killed their artificial jewellery business in 2020, Deepika Jain and Anup N. Mehta found another way to make a comeback. The Bengaluru-based entrepreneurs took the business online in 2021, christening it ‘Just Lil Things’. The dream that started with Rs.1.5 lakh generates an eight-figure annual revenue today, riding on unique designs and well-structured processes. It all started with Mehta’s decision to bring back jewellery for his wife from his overseas trade trips. When this jewellery began to find favour with Jain’s friends and family, the couple decided to convert it into a business, starting only as a pop-up model. “In Bengaluru, an exhibition called ‘Sunday Soul Sante’ attracts 10,000-15,000 people, comprising mostly Gen Z, and the rent at the time was Rs.15,000-25,000. We thought selling modern jewellery here would be a good idea,” says Jain. She was right. In their first such display, they sold out, earning Rs.1.5 lakh in barely 4-5 hours. However, Covid-19 jettisoned their well-laid plans. So, in August 2021, they launched a website, which proved to be a turning point. By March 2022, the business had generated around Rs.5 lakh in revenue, garnering over 6,000 orders. The couple used their home and Mehta’s existing warehouse as storage, gradually scaling the operations as the orders increased. “Covid was good for our business as we are getting over 1,200 orders daily now and have reached an eight-figure yearly revenue,” says Jain.

Union Budget 2025, anticipation is building across sectors. Personal finance enthusiasts and taxpayers alike are curious about what the Budget proposals will mean for their pockets. For this week’s cover story, we reached out to industry experts, tax professionals and financial advisers to know what they want to see in the Finance Bill 2025. Some of these expectations, such as a separate deduction for life insurance, lower tax on annuities and higher tax exemption for senior citizens, are longstanding demands and are unlikely to be fulfilled. However, North Block may find some other suggestions worth considering. For instance, one expert has suggested that taxpayers be rewarded with a group life insurance linked to the taxes they pay. As little as 1% of the tax paid by an individual can go into paying the premium of a group insurance cover equal to five times the tax paid. Another expert has suggested steps that could make the NPS more attractive to investors. The ultra low-cost scheme has everything that one looks for in a pension plan, but it is still not the preferred investment vehicle for retirement planning. Perhaps more tax benefits are needed to push people towards a scheme that can help them retire in comfort.

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) weighed down the performance of corporate India in the September quarter. The weak performance of the refining segment, inventory losses and significant LPG under-recoveries contributed to the poor show. The three OMCs—Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum (HP) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)—reported a combined consolidated net profit of Rs.1,991.1 crore, falling by 92.8% year on year. The impact of OMCs on India Inc.’s overall performance can be assessed by comparing the aggregate PAT growth of all companies in the BSE 500 index and the index’s aggregate PAT growth (excluding OMCs). The data from Reuters-Refinitiv for 498 companies in the BSE 500 index shows a 1.7% y-o-y decline in the aggregate consolidated net profits (not adjusted for extraordinary items). After excluding OMCs, the aggregate net profit growth improves to 5.6% y-o-y. However, after the poor September quarter, the performance is set to improve in the second half of 2024-25. Recent reports from multiple brokerage houses, such as ICICI Securities, Prabhudas Lilladher, Antique Stock Broking, Motilal Oswal, and YES Securities, have been positive on the performance of OMCs.

Value Research to analyse top mutual funds. We examine the key fundamentals of the Franklin India Prima Fund, its portfolio and performance to help you make an informed investment decision.

financial goals and aspirations. We detest not being in command of our journey. Like an anxious mother, we fuss over the math.

Do you believe the market has borrowed returns from the near future or is there enough left on the table? Markets always tend to price themselves based on the expectations of future growth. When we evaluate the current valuations through the lens of anticipated economic growth, small- and mid-cap stocks appear to be trading at stretched levels compared to their historical averages. On the brighter side, large-cap stocks seem more resilient, backed by stronger growth metrics and better return on equity.

Christmas tree, why not create a biblically accurate angel? The result was a pink, blue and gold-feathered creature with six wings and dozens of eyes that went a little bit viral. There are a number of different kinds of angels that show up in the Bible, said Austin-Young, associate rector of the Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin in San Francisco. For the most part, we don't get a lot of description of them, but both Revelations at the end of the Bible and some of the books of the prophets in the Old Testament describe strange creatures around the throne of God.