Dynamic asset allocation funds, also known as balanced advantage funds, are hybrid schemes. (AI image)

Markets were very volatile during 2025, with the Nifty falling below 22,000 in March before recovering and shooting past 26,000 in October. Analysts expect heightened volatility to continue in 2026 as well. Investors can cushion themselves by opting for dynamic asset allocation funds in the coming year.Dynamic asset allocation funds, also known as balanced advantage funds, are hybrid schemes that change their asset mix depending on market conditions. While equity funds delivered flat to negative returns during 2025, the dynamic asset allocation category has managed to give 4.57% average returns. ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund, the best performing fund in the category, delivered double digit returns (see table). This was possible because unlike balanced funds which maintain a 65% exposure to equity and the rest to debt, dynamic asset allocation funds can invest between zero and 100% in equities. Some funds depend on the fund manager’s ability to read the situation while others follow a rule-based approach. When the market valuation is high, these funds will reduce the exposure to equities and shift to the safety of debt. When markets decline, they will automatically ramp up the allocation to equities while slashing the exposure to debt.Best performing dynamic asset allocation funds

Data as on 18 Dec 2025. Source: Value ResearchNo doubt, this seems like a win-win situation for the investor. However, in reality the mandate of managing asset allocation dynamically can be difficult to follow. Investors can be disappointed if the fund does not time its asset-allocation shifts correctly. Besides, since there is no predefined limit on the minimum allocation requirement of each asset class, the decision of deciding the asset mix is left to the discretion of the fund manager. Therefore, the asset allocation in this category, as also the returns, vary from fund to fund.The choice of funds in this space is critical. In turbulent phases, an asset allocation fund truly serves its purpose if it lets you to keep your cool and gives you the comfort of staying invested even during the tough times. That’s why it is a good idea to look under the hood before you invest. Some funds are more aggressive than others, but experts say it is better to opt for funds that follow a moderate-to-conservative stance. Avoid chasing returns in this category. Funds that lay emphasis on controlling risk are better than those offering an edge in returns.There are also downsides to dynamic asset allocation funds. One, they tend to lose out if the markets continue rising when they have reduced the equity exposure. And two, given that they do not maintain a 65% exposure to equities, these funds do not qualify for the favourable tax treatment enjoyed by equity-oriented funds.

Indonesia and the United States have agreed on a new tariff deal after concluding negotiations on its finer details, with the agreement expected to be signed by the two countries’ presidents next month.The deal follows Washington’s decision in July to lower tariffs on Indonesian goods from 32% to 19%. While the reduced rate was announced earlier, talks over the scope and structure of the agreement continued.Indonesia’s coordinating minister for economic affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said the outstanding issues were resolved during his meeting with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington.“All of the substantive issues that have been regulated in the ART (Agreement on Reciprocal Tariff) document have been agreed by both parties, both the main and technical issues,” Airlangga said during a briefing from the US capital on Monday.According to Airlangga, negotiations focused on ensuring a “balance” in market access between the two economies. As part of the outcome, the United States has agreed to exempt several key Indonesian exports, including palm oil, coffee and tea, from the revised tariff framework.He further added that Washington was keen to expand its access to Indonesia’s critical minerals, noting that “the US is very much hopes to gain access to (Indonesia’s) critical minerals”.The framework agreement announced in July includes Indonesia’s commitment to significantly increase imports from the United States, with plans to spend billions of dollars across sectors such as energy, agriculture and aircraft purchases.Officials from both sides are scheduled to meet again next month to finalise legal aspects of the agreement. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and US President Donald Trump are expected to sign the deal before February.Trade data from the US Trade Representative’s office shows that Washington recorded a goods trade deficit of $17.9 billion with Indonesia in 2024, marking a 5.4% rise compared with the previous year.

Denmark and Greenlandic Prime Ministers rebukes Trump’s appointment of special envoy (Photo: AP)

The Prime Ministers of Denmark and Greenland, in a stance against US President Donald Trump‘s appointment of a special envoy, demanded respect for their territorial integrity. They insisted that the US won’t take over Greenland and that the sovereignty of the nation is rooted in international law.“We have said it before. Now, we say it again. National borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said in a joint statement. “They are fundamental principles. You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security.”Trump, on Sunday, announced the appointment of Louisiana governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland. This has added fuel to the ongoing tensions regarding Trump’s intention of the US annexation of the land. Denmark’s foreign minister, on Monday, told Danish broadcasters that he would summon the US ambassador to his ministry.Further in the statement, Frederiksen’s office stated, “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the US shall not take over Greenland. We expect respect for our joint territorial integrity.”

Who is Jeff Landry?

The governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, has been appointed as the special envoy to Greenland by Trump. While the exact scope of the role is yet unclear, Jeff shall still be holding the governor’s office. Landry is a conservative fighter who, before winning the governor’s race, was appointed as Louisiana’s attorney general in 2016. Throughout his time in office, he became a frequent legal adversary of Democratic leadership, launching numerous courtroom challenges against the agendas of both the Biden administration and his predecessor, John Bel Edwards, including pandemic vaccine mandates, environmental regulations, etc.Being a staunch Trump supporter, Landry had also applauded the deployment of border patrol agents in New Orleans. The mission, known as Operation Catahoula Crunch (or “Swamp Sweep”), set a target of 5,000 arrests of individuals without permanent legal status. Landry framed the move as a necessary strike against “criminal illegal aliens,” The operation sparked intense backlash for its heavy-handed approach and reports of aggressive tactics.In June 2025, Landry led a Louisiana delegation to the International Paris Air Show to boost the state’s aerospace industry and attract global investment.While Landry has little formal history with the Danish government, President Trump recently appointed him as the U.S. Special Envoy to Greenland. Landry described the volunteer role as a mission to “make Greenland a part of the U.S.,” sparking a diplomatic row with Denmark. This move follows Trump’s pattern of using personal loyalists to manage unconventional international priorities.Announcing the appointment of the envoy on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump went on to say that Jeff understands the importance of Greenland for the US’ national security and shall be extending the US’s interest.

Later on Monday, reiterating the security claims, Trump said the US needed Greenland “not for minerals” and claimed Russian and Chinese vessels were operating extensively in the region, and said Landry would “lead the charge.”“We need Greenland for national security,” Trump told reporters on Monday, “And if you take a look at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”

Trump Greenland claims

In the initial months of his second term, Trump had expressed a strong interest in taking over the largely self-governing island territory. In August, Danish officials summoned the top US diplomat in Copenhagen following a report that at least three people with connections to Trump had carried out covert influence operations in Greenland.As The Guardian reports, according to a poll in January, the vast majority of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants want to become independent from Denmark but have no wish to become part of the US. The territory has had the right to declare independence since 2009.

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday launched a broadside against Rahul Gandhi after he targeted the saffron party while addressing an event in Germany’s Berlin.BJP‘s national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that Rahul and Congress want “chaos and unrest in Indian Democracy” “From Fighting Indian state, to threatening Anarchy. Rahul Gandhi’s Congress with his ideological patron George Soros wants Chaos, Unrest in Indian Democracy. Rahul goes abroad for uniting such Anti India forces,” Bhandari wrote on a post on X.“Congress hates Indian Democracy. Congress hates Bharat’s progress. Rahul Gandhi’s Congress wants Anarchy!” he added.Earlier, while addressing an event at Hertie School in Berlin, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of “capturing the country’s institutional framework”, terming it an “attack” on the democratic system.Rahul alleged that the Centre has “weaponised” investigating agencies, suggesting a quid pro quo in which businessmen in India financially support the BJP rather than Opposition parties.“There is a wholesale capture of our instituteonal framework. Our intelligence agencies, ED and CBI, have been weaponised. ED and CBI have zero cases against the BJP, and most of the political cases are against the people who oppose them. If you are a businessman and try to support the Congress, you are threatened. BJP uses the institutional framework of India as a tool to build political power. Look at the money the BJP has and the opposition has,” he said.“There is an attack on the democratic system. We have to find ways to counter this. We will create a system of opposition resistance that will succeed. We are not fighting the BJP, but their capture of the Indian institutional structure,” he added.Further, the Congress leader claimed that India and the West have “handed over” the production of goods to China and said that Made in China goods have crippled job creation in democracies, fuelling political turbulence across India, the United States and Europe.“The West and to an extent India, have handed over production to the Chinese. China dominates production today, which means that it is difficult to give employment to a large number of people. Countries like India, the US and Germany cannot give their employment based on services. How do democracies produce in this transition? What are the models that are required, how do you think about production in a democratic environment, and what are the types of partnerships that India, the US and Europe can create for production? It will become very difficult for democracy to sustain itself if we are not able to produce,” he said.“A huge part of the turbulence that we are seeing in Europe, India and the US, polarisation of politics, is because we are not able to give our people jobs, which is because we said: China, you produce for the world,” he added.Rahul Gandhi is on a five-day visit to Germany.His remarks come after he had claimed that manufacturing in India is declining.During his visit to the BMW World museum in Munich, Germany, on December 17, he said, “Manufacturing is the backbone of strong economies. Sadly, in India, manufacturing is declining. For us to accelerate growth, we need to produce more – build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems, and create high-quality jobs at scale.”However, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari refuted the Lok Sabha LoP’s claim, calling it “fake news” against India’s growth story.The BJP Spokesperson, in an X post, claimed 495 per cent growth in total electronics manufacturing in the last 10 years, with exports growing by 760 per cent, and a 14 times increase in the automobile manufacturing since 1991.

Rohit Sharma. (Image: Agencies)

NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma‘s renewed focus on fitness has silenced lingering doubts about his place in India’s ODI set-up, with former spinner Amit Mishra strongly backing the Indian opener and challenging conventional perceptions around body type and athleticism.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Questions around Rohit’s conditioning had resurfaced despite his outstanding leadership and batting during India’s Champions Trophy triumph. With an eye on the next ODI World Cup in 2027, the former Indian skipper used his break time from cricket to take matters into his own hands, working closely with a former India assistant coach on his fitness. The effort resulted in Rohit shedding close to 10 kilograms, and he has looked visibly leaner and sharper recently.

However, Mishra believes the narrative around Rohit’s fitness has long been misplaced. Speaking on MensXP, the veteran leg-spinner said Rohit was always capable on the field, even when labelled “heavy” by critics.“Rohit Sharma has made a comeback and is fit. He was fit before as well. I have played with him. People called him heavy but I never felt that he was slow on the field or could not score runs. It was not like he would bat and go out, he would field as well and was active. Everyone have their opinion and perspective,” Mishra said.Mishra used Rohit’s example to broaden the debate on fitness, stressing that people often judge players by appearance rather than output or durability.

“Everybody’s body is not the same. There is a difference. The type is different. Fitness is judged more on looks these days — to look lean,” he said. “It is better to have a genuine body and maintain your fitness. Eat well, work hard, you will stay fit. Take care of your diet and do things naturally.”The former India spinner also warned against short-term transformations driven by optics rather than sustainability. “Don’t be fit to just look fit. There are many examples of those who made themselves look fit in a short time, I will not take names, but later they have faced many issues with their body,” Mishra noted, adding that good sleep, natural training, outdoor running and the right mindset were just as important as gym work.Rohit’s performances have matched his physical transformation. In the recently concluded ODI series against Australia, he was named Player of the Tournament after scoring 202 runs, including a century in Sydney. Against South Africa at home, he followed it up with 146 runs.

NEW DELHI: Three days after an Air India Express pilot allegedly assaulted a passenger at IGI Airport’s Terminal 1, Delhi Police received cross complaints from both. It registered a case based on the complaints of the flyer, Ankit Dewan, under sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 126 (wrongful restraint) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of BNS on Monday.The complaint of the pilot is under investigation, a senior police officer said.Dewan told TOI that he emailed his complaint on Monday. “The crux of the email is the same as what I wrote on X,” he said.On Dec 19, Dewan posted on the social media platform, “@AirIndiaX, today one of your pilots, Captain Virender Sejwal, assaulted me physically. My family and I were guided to use the security check that the staff use because we had a four-month-old baby in a stroller. The staff were cutting the queue ahead of me. On calling them out, Sejwal, who was doing the same, asked me if I was anpadh (uneducated) and couldn’t read the sign that said the entrance was meant for the staff.“A altercation broke out. Not able to exercise restraint, the pilot proceeded to physically assault me. The blood in the photograph (Dewan posted) on his shirt is mine,” said the flyer, who was to board a SpiceJet flight with his wife, daughter and the infant.Police said the captain, who was flying on IndiGo to Bengaluru as a passenger to join duty and was later grounded by AI Express pending an inquiry, filed the complaint on Sunday.Sejwal’s advocate claimed Dewan initiated the confrontation by verbally abusing him without provocation and continued using abusive, degrading and threatening language even after being asked to stop. “The situation escalated into a physical altercation in which Sejwal also sustained injuries. CISF personnel intervened, repeatedly told Dewan to calm down and stop abusing Sejwal, yet he refused to relent and continued his misconduct,” the advocate said.

Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova have joyfully welcomed their fourth child, a baby born on December 17th. The couple shared the heartwarming news on Instagram, revealing their newborn has joined their three older children. This expansion of their family brings immense happiness, with Iglesias reportedly prioritizing fatherhood over his demanding career.

International pop singer Enrique Iglesias and his partner, Anna Kournikova, have welcomed a baby once again. The couple has been blessed with a fourth child together. The duo announced the happy news on their social media with a heartfelt post. Let’s take a look at it.

Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova welcome their fourth child

Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova dropped a collaboration post on Instagram to announce the arrival of their baby on Monday, December 22. As per the post, their little bundle of joy was born on December 17. With that, the newborn has joined their other kids—twins Lucy and Nicholas, eight, and daughter Mary, five. The post featured the picture of a baby wrapped in a blanket with a small hospital cap on his head. The plush toy kept beside the baby will make you go aww. The caption of the post read, “My Sunshine 12.17.2025.” The duo avoided sharing the gender of their newborn in the post. Take a look.

More about the couple

In August, PEOPLE confirmed that Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova are expecting their fourth child together. The insider told the publication that the couple is extremely happy about expanding their family and welcoming their new kid.The source told the website, “Anna and Enrique are very happy to become parents again,” adding, “They have proven to be great parents to their three children, and both of them love the process. They enjoy the activities and all that goes along with raising children.”The insider of the publication also stated that the international singer has been keeping his work commitments less to prioritize family life. According to the report, even though performing for the audience is close to his heart, being there for his kids has now become a priority. The source said, “Being a dad is very important to him.”

More about Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova’s love story

Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova reportedly met each other for the first time in the year 2001 on the sets of the singer’s music video ‘Escape’. The duo then went on to make their debut appearance together at the MTV Video Music Awards the very next year. Even after the massive spotlight on them, they always kept their family life away from the limelight.Back in 2011, in an interview with Women’s Health, Anna had talked about wanting to be a mother as she shared her love for caring for others.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has stepped in to personally guarantee more than $40bn in financing for Paramount Skydance’s hostile $78bn bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. The move follows open scepticism from WBD’s board over whether the offer was fully funded and capable of closing. By putting his own wealth on the line, Ellison aims to remove those doubts while reinforcing the high-stakes family dynamic behind the takeover led by his son, David Ellison.

Larry Ellison steps in to silence Warner Bros’ funding doubts

WBD’s board has repeatedly argued that Paramount’s offer relied too heavily on external investors and lacked certainty of financing. In takeover situations, boards are legally required to assess not just the headline price but the likelihood that a deal will actually close. WBD described the original funding structure as unreliable, giving it grounds to favour a rival proposal with clearer financial backing.Larry Ellison’s guarantee covers $40.4bn of the equity financing, effectively backstopping the transaction if other investors fall short. Paramount has also agreed to greater transparency around the Ellison family trust and confirmed the Oracle shareholdings underpinning the financing. Together, these steps are intended to neutralise WBD’s claims that the bid’s funding was uncertain.

Paramount versus Netflix

Paramount is offering $30 per share for the entire company, including cable assets such as CNN. That contrasts with an $83bn agreement between WBD and Netflix, which offers a lower per-share price of about $27.75 but excludes WBD’s cable networks, which would be spun off. WBD maintains that the Netflix deal delivers greater overall value once those assets are separated.

A hostile bid raises the pressure

Because Paramount’s approach is hostile, it bypasses WBD management and appeals directly to shareholders. To further strengthen its hand, Paramount has increased its break-up fee to $5.8bn, matching the penalty Netflix would pay if its deal collapsed. The changes are designed to make it harder for WBD’s board to dismiss the bid on financing grounds alone.While family guarantees are common in private business, they are rare at this scale. Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest individuals, is effectively vouching for his son’s strategy by placing his personal fortune behind the deal. The move signals just how determined Paramount is to force serious engagement from WBD’s board and shareholders.

What happens next

WBD’s board is expected to formally respond to the revised offer. Even if directors remain opposed, the strengthened financing could encourage shareholders to challenge the board’s recommendation. Markets reacted positively to the escalation, with WBD shares rising as investors weighed the increased likelihood of a bidding showdown.Whether the personal guarantee is enough to overturn board resistance remains uncertain. What is clear is that Paramount has now gone all in, turning the takeover battle into a test of funding certainty, shareholder confidence and the power of a father’s guarantee.