President-elect Donald Trump has appointed David Sacks, former PayPal COO and prominent podcaster, as the White House czar for artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency. This newly created role will see Sacks guide the administration's policy on these crucial sectors, which are seen as vital for America's future competitiveness. However, the specifics of how this new role will function within the government remain unclear. Trump praised Sacks for his business acumen, intelligenc

On Friday, Catherine, Princess of Wales, will host a special Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, reflecting on "the most difficult times" as she makes her return to public life after undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. The service, which emphasizes love, empathy, and the need for support during challenging times, will feature an illustrated order of service by artist Charlie Mackesy. Guests will receive a reminder of the importance of being there for one another, with the

Rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have launched a major offensive against the Syrian government, pushing closer to Homs after capturing Aleppo and Hama in a swift military campaign. The rebels, aiming to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, are now just five kilometers from Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, which would sever the crucial connection between the capital, Damascus, and the Assad regime’s stronghold on the Mediterranean coast. This would rep

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, while receiving the 'India First' award at NDTV’s Indian of the Year ceremony, celebrated the crucial role of India's democracy in shaping the country's growth. He emphasized how democracy has brought forward voices from every part of the nation, not just metropolitan cities, giving equal representation to all sections of society. This inclusiveness, he argued, has been pivotal in driving India’s development. He also noted t

The Sanwaliya Seth Temple in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh recently witnessed an extraordinary wave of donations, making headlines for its record-breaking collection. Among the remarkable gifts were ₹23 crore in cash, a 1kg gold biscuit, and several smaller gold biscuits. Devotees also contributed unique silver items, including a silver pistol, silver handcuffs, and even a pure silver lock and key. Thes

In response to growing protests in Kolkata over attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, Bangladesh has called Shikder Mohammad Ashrafur Rahman, the Acting Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, back to Dhaka for urgent consultations. Rahman, who also serves as the Minister - Political Affairs, is expected to return to Kolkata by the middle of this month, after attending the foreign secretary-level talks scheduled between India and Bangladesh next week. Protests, primarily led by po

On Day 1 of the second day-night Test between India and Australia in Adelaide, Mitchell Starc delivered a stunning performance, claiming three crucial wickets, including one with the very first ball of the day. India, after captain Rohit Sharma won the toss, found themselves under pressure in the opening session, ending at 82-4 by the break. The visitors were still riding high from their commanding 295-run win in the first Test in Perth, but Adelaide has been a fortress for Australi

On Friday, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced it would keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.5% for the 11th consecutive time. This decision comes despite the GDP growth rate for the July-September quarter falling to a 7-quarter low of 5.4%, which was below the RBI's earlier projection of 7%. The RBI paused its rate hike cycle in April last year after raising rates by 250 basis points since May 2022. In the fifth bi-monthly monetary policy review for the current fiscal year,

An extraordinary series of events unfolded on Day 1 of the India vs Australia day-night Test in Adelaide, where KL Rahul was given two lifelines after seemingly being dismissed for a duck. The incident occurred when Rahul, who opened for India alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, appeared to have edged the ball into the hands of Australian wicket-keeper Alex Carey off pacer Scott Boland’s delivery. However, it was later revealed that Boland had overstepped, and the delivery was a no-ball, granti

As of 7:10 a.m. today, gold is priced at Rs 76,520 per 10 grams, according to the India Bullion Association. The commodity's price recently crossed the Rs 77,000 mark but has since fluctuated. On December 2, it had dipped to Rs 76,680, reflecting the volatility in gold prices over the past month. This decline follows a period of lower demand post-festivities, with prices peaking at Rs 81,500 in October due to festive demand, before slipping below Rs 74,390 in November. Global fa

 The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has received enough H-1B visa petitions to meet the annual cap. The cap includes 65,000 visas for regular applicants and an additional 20,000 for individuals holding US advanced degrees. With the lottery system in place for processing petitions once the cap is exceeded, many applicants will be notified if they were not selected. USCIS will send out non-selection notices through online accounts, with the

A major uproar occurred in the Rajya Sabha on December 5 after a bundle of cash was discovered in the seat of Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, informed the House that the cash was found by security officials during an anti-sabotage check after the House was adjourned the previous day. Mr. Dhankhar stated that the money was found in seat number 222, which is currently allocated to Singhvi, who represents Telangana. The incident has spa

On December 5, the Union Railway Minister shared an exciting update on India's high-speed transportation ambitions, announcing the completion of the country's first 410-meter Hyperloop test track. Located at IIT Madras' Discovery Campus in Thaiyur, this test track marks a significant milestone in the development of Hyperloop technology, a futuristic transportation system that promises to revolutionize travel. This project is the result of a collaborative effort between I

 After the passing of his mentor, the legendary Ratan Tata, Shantanu Naidu, the young manager and confidant of the billionaire philanthropist, has embarked on a new journey with his passion project, Bookies. This initiative, originally started in Mumbai, aims to reignite the joy of reading among people in today’s digital age. With successful editions already in Pune and Bengaluru, Mr. Naidu is now ready to bring Bookies to Jaipur. The launch event will be held on

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has finalized a hybrid model for next year's Champions Trophy, allowing India to play its matches in Dubai, while Pakistan will co-host the event in the UAE. The decision, reached after informal discussions between ICC President Jay Shah and the Board of Directors, including Pakistan's representatives, is a major step toward resolving venue concerns in international cricket. The 2025 Champions Trophy will be held in the UAE and Pakistan, with In

Myntra has launched a new feature called M-Now, which enables customers to receive fashion, beauty, accessories, and home products within 30 minutes of ordering. This quick commerce initiative is available across a selection of 10,000 styles and is expected to expand to over 1 lakh styles within the next few months. The service is currently available in Bengaluru, with plans to extend it to other cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune. M-Now aims to enhance the shopping experience by a

On Thursday, Syrian insurgents claimed to have entered parts of the central city of Hama after intense clashes with government forces that had lasted for three days on the city’s outskirts. While Syrian state media confirmed violent clashes in the eastern areas of Hama, they denied that insurgents had breached the city itself. The city of Hama has remained under full government control throughout the ongoing civil war, which began in March 2011. Its capture would be a significant blow t

On Thursday, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy invited former Chief Minister and BRS President K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) to join the ‘Praja Palana’ Vijayotsavalu celebrations, commemorating the first anniversary of the Congress government's rule in Telangana. The celebrations, planned at Hyderabad's Tank Bund, aim to be a grand success with active participation from citizens. The BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and other officials have been tasked with invit

In October 2024, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made a significant move by adding 27 tonnes of gold to its reserves, bringing its total gold purchases for the year to 78 tonnes. This marks the highest level of purchases since 2009, when India acquired 200 tonnes from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The RBI's total gold reserves now stand at 882 tonnes. In comparison, India had bought only 16 tonnes of gold in 2023. The RBI's gold purchase comes amid global economic i

Stock Market Opening and Index Performance: The U.S. stock market opened with little change on Thursday, following a strong performance the day before where all major indices hit record highs. The S&P 500 index, a broader market indicator, started flat at 6,089.03 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained a slight 24.4 points, reaching 45,038.44 points. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq C