Stock Markets ^{As of 9/13 4:52 PM CST}

Top News

Gold skyrockets as stars align for Fed rate cuts

Gold prices surged to record highs on Friday, with spot gold trading at $2,582.04 per ounce and U.S. gold futures closing at $2,610.70. The bullish momentum is being driven by optimism that the U.S. Federal Reserve is set to cut interest rates soon, combined with fund inflows and a weakening dollar. Market analysts suggest a potential 50 to 100 basis point rate cut by the end of the year, fueling further optimism for gold prices, which may reach $3,000 per ounce. In other precious metals, palladium, silver, and platinum also saw gains.

Oracle’s Larry Ellison briefly tops Jeff Bezos to become world’s second-richest person

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison briefly surpassed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to become the world's second-richest person, reaching a net worth of $208.4 billion before settling at $197 billion. This surge was driven by Oracle's strong stock performance, which rose after the company increased its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance and issued an optimistic forecast through fiscal 2029 at its CloudWorld conference. Oracle shares have jumped 54% this year, bolstered by the company's growing cloud infrastructure and cloud database adoption. Ellison, owning 40% of Oracle's stock, has been the primary beneficiary of this growth, while the company's recent partnerships with Amazon, Microsoft, and Google strengthen its position in the cloud market.

Apple AirPods Pro granted FDA approval to serve as hearing aids

At Apple's "It's Glowtime" event, while the iPhone 16 was the main attraction, a significant software update for the AirPods Pro 2 stood out. Apple announced that, pending FDA approval, the AirPods Pro 2 will soon double as over-the-counter hearing aids through a software update. The FDA has now granted authorization for this feature, allowing adults with mild to moderate hearing loss to use their AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids. The update will be accessible via iOS 18 settings, adjusting frequency levels to amplify key sounds like human voices.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. 15 Pro vs. 14 Pro vs. 13 Pro: Should You Upgrade This Year?

The iPhone 16 Pro series introduces larger displays, a 5x optical zoom on both Pro models, and new AI features like Visual Intelligence, enhancing user experience. It retains key elements from the iPhone 15 Pro, such as the titanium finish, USB-C port, and spatial video recording, while offering an upgraded A18 Pro chip for better performance. Despite these updates, the improvements are more noticeable for users upgrading from earlier models like the iPhone 13 Pro, while year-to-year upgrades may see only minor changes.

2 Soldiers Killed In Action In J&K, 2 Terrorists Shot Dead In Another Op

Two soldiers were killed in action during a fierce gunbattle with terrorists in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, according to a senior army officer. In a separate encounter in Kathua, troops from the Rising Star Corps shot dead two terrorists. The Kishtwar encounter, which is ongoing, is linked to terrorists involved in a July incident in Doda, where four soldiers were killed, and comes just days before assembly elections in the region.

Telangana suffered Rs10,320 cr damages due to floods

Telangana has incurred a loss of Rs 10,320.72 crore due to heavy rains and floods that affected several districts earlier this month. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy provided updated figures to a Central team, which assessed the damages, noting that road infrastructure suffered the most, with losses amounting to Rs 7,693.53 crore. The Chief Minister urged the Centre to provide immediate financial assistance, relax NDRF norms, and fund a retaining wall in Khammam to prevent future floods. He also proposed training police personnel for disaster response with support from the National Disaster Response Force.

Movie News

Mrunal Thakur’s Hindi biggie gets a crazy title

Mrunal Thakur, who is making a mark in multiple languages, has signed a new Hindi film produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film, a love story, stars Siddhanth Chaturvedi as her love interest and is directed by Ravi Udyawar. Titled Tum Hi Ho, the film has been in production since May 2023, with ongoing shooting in Uttarakhand.

Actor Buys Rs 3.50 Cr Porsche Car

Ajith Kumar, renowned for his love of luxury cars and superbikes, has added another high-performance vehicle to his collection. The Tamil superstar recently purchased a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a road-legal sports car priced at ₹3.5 crore. His wife, Shalini Ajith Kumar, shared a photo of Ajith posing with the sleek white and grey car on Instagram, captioning it, "He’s got the Car, the STyle and my HEART." Ajith, who has participated in Formula championships, continues to indulge in his passion for speed and luxury.

IIFA Utsavam Awards: Samantha Ruth Prabhu Is Set To Be Honoured With The Prestigious ‘Woman Of The Year’

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards will return to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, for a third time from September 27th to 29th, 2024. Under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, this event, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi and Miral, will honor Indian cinema’s best. At the NEXA IIFA Utsavam Awards on September 27th, Samantha Ruth Prabhu will be awarded the prestigious 'Woman of the Year in Indian Cinema' for her outstanding contributions to Tamil and Telugu cinema. Samantha expressed her gratitude for the honor and shared her excitement about joining the global celebration of South Indian cinema.

Theatre Releases

Source: Filmibeat