The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage in the US edged slightly lower this week but continued to hover within a narrow range that has prevailed for nearly two months, offering only modest relief to homebuyers.The benchmark long-term mortgage rate slipped to 6.18% from 6.21% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said on Wednesday. A year ago, the average rate stood at 6.85%, according to data cited by the AP.Borrowing costs moved the other way for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, which are commonly used by homeowners refinancing their loans. The average rate rose to 5.50% from 5.47% a week earlier, compared with 6% a year ago, Freddie Mac said.Mortgage rates are influenced by a range of factors, including the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decisions and investor expectations around inflation and economic growth. They typically track the 10-year US Treasury yield, which lenders use as a benchmark when pricing home loans.The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.15% by midday Wednesday, slightly higher than last week’s 4.12%.Freddie Mac data show that the 30-year mortgage rate has remained largely stable since October 30, when it dipped to 6.17%, its lowest level in more than a year. Rates began easing in July amid expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts, which started in September and continued this month.While the Fed does not directly set mortgage rates, cuts to short-term rates can signal easing inflation or slower growth, prompting investors to buy US government bonds. That can push down long-term Treasury yields and, in turn, mortgage rates. However, rate cuts do not always lead to lower mortgage borrowing costs.Housing market conditions have improved slightly compared with a year ago. Home listings have risen sharply, and many sellers have lowered asking prices as properties take longer to sell, according to Realtor.com data. Buyers who can pay cash or manage current mortgage rates are in a stronger position than last year.Even so, affordability remains a major hurdle, particularly for first-time buyers without home equity. Economic uncertainty and concerns about the job market are also keeping many prospective buyers on the sidelines.Sales of previously owned US homes rose in November from the previous month, but slowed compared with a year earlier for the first time since May, despite mortgage rates hovering near their lowest levels of the year. Over the first 11 months of the year, home sales were down 0.5% from the same period last year.

Five US lawmakers expressed concern amid the crisis in Bangladesh and wrote to Mohammed Yunus to reconsider the decision to fully suspend the activity of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. “It is vital that the interim government work with parties across the political spectrum to create the conditions for free and fair elections that allow the voice of the Bangladeshi people to be expressed peacefully through the ballot box, as well as reforms that restore confidence in the integrity and nonpartisanship of state institutions. We are concerned that this cannot happen if the government suspends activities of political parties or again restarts the flawed International Crimes Tribunal,” the letter by Gregory W Meeks, Bill Huizenga, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Julie Johnson and Thomas R Suozzi said. Stating the findings of the Department of State that the 2018 and 2024 elections in Bangladesh were not free and fair, the lawmakers said that if one party gets banned, the next election will also not be free. “The Department of State and many other international observers noted that the 2018 and 2024 General Elections were not free or fair. And in a February fact-finding report, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated that security services killed 1400 people during protests in July and August 2024. Genuine accountability for these acts and others should model the values of Bangladesh’s democracy, rather than continue a cycle of retaliation. Freedom of association, as well as the principle of individual rather than collective criminal responsibility, are fundamental human rights. We are concerned that the decision to fully suspend the activity of any one political party, rather than focus on persons determined to have committed crimes or gross violations of human rights through the due process of law, is inconsistent with those principles,” the letter read.

“We hope your government or an elected successor will revisit this decision. Ultimately, the Bangladeshi people deserve to be able to choose an elected government in a free and fair election in which all political parties can participate so that their voices are represented,” it said. “Bangladesh is a critical partner for the United States, and we stand ready to work with you and your government to support both our bilateral relationship and Bangladesh’s democratic transition in the months ahead,” the lawmakers added.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old batting sensation from Bihar, delivered a performance for the ages on the opening day of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, smashing an unbeaten 190 off just 84 balls against Arunachal Pradesh at the JSCA Oval Ground in Ranchi on December 23, 2025. Featuring 16 fours and a whopping 15 sixes, his knock propelled Bihar to a staggering total exceeding 500 runs, all at a blistering strike rate of 226.19, leaving bowlers in tatters and cricketing world in awe.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-shattering knock takes him past AB de Villiers

In a single outing, the prodigy eclipsed AB de Villiers‘ world record for the fastest 150 in List A cricket, reaching the landmark in a mere 59 balls five balls quicker than the South African legend’s 64-ball effort against West Indies in 2015. Jos Buttler, with his 65-ball 150 against Netherlands in 2022, now ranks third on this elite list, underscoring Suryavanshi’s meteoric rise.​

Suryavanshi’s innings wasn’t just about pace; it redefined milestones across age and format barriers. At 14 years and 272 days old, he became the youngest ever to score a century in men’s List A cricket, toppling Dutch batter Zahoor Elahi‘s 1986 record of 15 years and 209 days, with Afghanistan‘s Riaz Hassan third at 16 years and 9 days. His century erupted in just 36 balls—featuring nine sixes and a barrage of fours—marking the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in List A history, trailing only Punjab’s Anmolpreet Singh‘s explosive 35-ball ton against Arunachal Pradesh in the previous season.

Globally, this feat slots in as joint-fourth fastest, ahead of Yusuf Pathan‘s 40-ball effort for Baroda in 2010 and Urvil Patel‘s 41-ball stunner for Gujarat in 2023. Dismissing dreams of a double ton by 10 runs in the 27th over, Suryavanshi had already scripted history, his aggressive strokeplay—dominating both sides of the wicket—turning the Ranchi pitch into a personal fiefdom. Bihar’s innings, boosted by three centurions including captain Sakibul Gani‘s 128* off 40 balls, shattered List A team totals, highlighting the Plate Group’s fireworks.​

Also READ: Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: Schedule, Broadcast and Live Streaming details

Explosive recent form of Suryavanshi

Suryavanshi’s Ranchi rampage came mere days after India’s heartbreaking U19 Asia Cup final loss to Pakistan in Dubai, where he fell for a brisk 26 off 10 balls. Undeterred, he forged a 158-run opening stand with Mangal Mahrour in 14.3 overs and added 103 for the second wicket with Piyush Singh, dismantling Arunachal’s attack from ball one.

His form traces a golden 2025: In the U19 Asia Cup opener against UAE, he bludgeoned 171 off 95 balls (9×4, 14×6), his second Youth ODI ton. Earlier, his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals yielded 252 runs at a 206.55 strike rate, including a 38-ball hundred—the youngest ever in the tournament. Domestic exploits include a 57-ball ton in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Ranji Trophy knocks at age 12, plus a joint-third fastest T20 century by an Indian. Experts hail his maturity, power-hitting, and temperament, positioning him as India’s next big thing amid calls for senior team fast-tracking.

Also READ: Monty Panesar predicts the semifinalists of T20 World Cup 2026

NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday slammed the Centre’s directions to states to impose a ban on granting new mining leases in the Aravalli range, calling it a “bogus attempt at damage control that will not fool anybody”Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that despite the fresh directive, “the Aravallis are not being saved, but are being sold out,” he said in a post on X.On Wednesday, the Union environment ministry directed states to impose a complete ban on new mining leases in the Aravallis and expand protected zones, describing it as a major step toward the “conservation and protection.” The directive aims to safeguard the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge extending from Gujarat to the NCR and to end unregulated mining across the region.

The Centre’s order came after a public row over its new definition of the Aravallis, which classifies an “Aravalli Hill” as a landform with an elevation of at least 100 metres above its surrounding terrain, and an “Aravalli Range” as a cluster of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other. However, the former Union environment minister dismissed the move as insufficient, arguing that the core issue remains unaddressed. “These are pious proclamations but the dangerous 100m+ redefinition of the Aravallis — rejected by the Forest Survey of India, the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee, and the Supreme Court’s amicus curiae — remains unchanged,” said Ramesh.He has repeatedly said that the redefinition being adopted by the Centre has been opposed by the Forest Survey of India, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court, and the apex court’s amicus curiae.The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre rejected the charge that the new definition weakens environmental safeguards, maintaining that more than 90 per cent of the Aravalli region remains protected and that the revised definition does not relax mining controls, reported PTI.In an earlier post, Ramesh had accused the government of misleading the public on the issue. “It is by now abundantly clear that the Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change is being economical with the truth on the Aravallis issue and is misleading the public,” he said.He also questioned why the PM Modi-led government is pushing through what he described as a “fatally flawed” redefinition of the Aravallis despite widespread expert opposition.

You don’t have permission to access “http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/bangladesh-blast-mogbazar-blast-1-killed-in-explosion-in-dhaka-as-bangladesh-crisis-deepens-9935209” on this server.

Reference #18.6fdd417.1766598367.208c9259

https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.6fdd417.1766598367.208c9259

England captain Ben Stokes during a nets session. (Getty Images)

England captain Ben Stokes struck an emotional and defiant tone on Wednesday, placing player welfare above all else as allegations of excessive drinking during a mid-Ashes beach break continue to swirl around his side. Without directly addressing the claims, Stokes made it clear that his priority was protecting his players from what he described as an intense and unforgiving spotlight.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Stokes faced a barrage of questions ahead of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne following British media reports about England’s stay in Noosa between the second and third Tests. Unverified footage circulating on social media appeared to show opener Ben Duckett intoxicated, fuelling comparisons in parts of the press to a “stag-do”. England cricket chief Rob Key has since promised an investigation, while the England and Wales Cricket Board said it was intent on establishing the facts.

“I’m obviously aware of the reports and everything circulating around right now,” Stokes said, choosing his words carefully. “My main concern right now is my players, and how I handle this moment right now is the most important thing to me.”Emphasising his role as captain, Stokes repeatedly returned to the issue of mental wellbeing. “The welfare of everyone in there, and probably some certain individuals as well, is the most important thing to me right now as England captain,” he said. “It’s never a nice place to be in when not only the media world, but also the social media world, is piling on top of you.”Stokes spoke of the value of internal backing during difficult moments. “It’s a very tough place to be in as an individual. When you know you’ve got the support of the people who are sort of leaders, in a sense, it’s very good to know that you’ve got that support,” he added. Asked directly whether players had done anything wrong in Noosa, Stokes shut down the line of questioning: “I’ve just answered everything there.”

England’s Queensland retreat followed heavy defeats in Perth and Brisbane, and preceded another loss in Adelaide that confirmed Australia had retained the Ashes. Reports suggested several players drank heavily over multiple days, even while noting that “nothing outrageous” occurred.Stokes conceded scrutiny was inevitable given the results. “When you are 3-0 down you don’t really have a leg to stand on, but we’ve got two games of cricket to play. That’s what we have to focus on,” he said. “We haven’t won a game in Australia for a long, long time.”England have now gone 18 Tests without a win in Australia, their latest collapse seeing the Ashes decided in just 11 days of play — a stark backdrop as Stokes seeks to steady his players amid mounting pressure.

The holiday period presents an excellent time to incorporate some creativity into family memories. The latest trend that has swept through this holiday season has taken the spotlight on social media, and this involves making common family pictures into vibrant, personalized holiday cartoons. Thanks to AI technology, making such holiday pictures within minutes has been quite easy, as all one needs are their own family pictures. The introduction of bright colors, the presence of snowy backgrounds, and holiday clothing to common family pictures raises their level of animation, thus making them vibrant holiday scenes. Personalised holiday cartoons are perfect for family holiday cards, personal profiles, and sending holiday messages to friends.

Personalised AI animation turns family photos into Christmas cartoon scenes

Advances in the field of AI image generation and animation have made personalisation has never been easier. Nano Banana Pro and Sora 2 are at the head of the pack. Users upload a family photo with a couple of descriptive prompts, and the AI returns a set of cartoon scenes ready to be stitched together into a video. The process is intuitive, requires no technical expertise, and produces results that look professionally crafted.This is a trend that has the appeal of its simplicity and creativity. Families can watch their photos come to life with animated gestures, facial expressions, and holiday-themed details. Children and pets are shown interacting with presents, Christmas trees, and all forms of festive decorations to bring out the warmth of the season in play.

How to create your Christmas cartoon: Step-by-step guide

Identify the picture that you would like to be cartooned. For better results, you should select an image that is clear and well-lit. Even better would be to pick an image that has all members of your family in it.

The AI assistant helps to ready your picture for cartooning, interpreting everything just right to ensure a perfect result.

Once you have completed your photo, go ahead and upload it into Sora 2. Begin creating your first group of scenes by typing: “A family gathers for a warm Christmas photo.” This allows you to have a happy and festive image that may be nothing more than a family opening their Christmas gifts or taking their place in front of a Christmas tree.

For the next set of pictures, you can use the following action-oriented prompt:“A family prepares to take a warm Christmas photo. The boy says ‘cheese,’ the dog bounces around, and the photo is snapped.”You can consider letting the AI create action scenes like the preparation of cookies, decorating the Christmas tree with ornaments, or even unboxing gifts related to the story in your cartoon.

You can pick your favourite scenes, scenes you do not want, or modify prompts for some extras. This is to ensure your cartoon at the end contains the characteristics of your family’s personality.

Finally, all the selected scenes shall be combined to create an animated video. The final output shall be a custom-made heartwarming Christmas cartoon video to be enjoyed among family and friends.Customised Christmas cartoon images are not just about fun; in fact, they are able to capture the richness of family unity, a way of preserving family fun during special occasions in a very innovative manner, and most creatively, entertaining the family during the festive season. Contrary to regular photos, these cartoon images also include a fun-filled manner of storytelling, where small moments, such as a child savouring a cookie or a pet playing in a corner near the tree, are what make them special mementoes. Adding on to that, incorporating this technology does not require any special level of expertise; in fact, anyone can jump on this bandwagon. One image can become a complete cartoon story.