BIG NEWS: SBI Slashes Lending Rates! Cheaper Home Loans & Lower EMIs Starting December 15

Date: December 13, 2025 Category: Personal Finance / Banking News

If you have been waiting for some relief on your monthly loan payments, the wait is finally over.

In a major move following the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) recent policy updates, the country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), has announced a significant cut in its lending rates. Whether you are a new home buyer or an existing borrower, this news brings holiday cheer just in time for the New Year.

📉 The Headlines: What Changed?

Effective Monday, December 15, 2025, SBI is reducing interest rates across several benchmarks. Here is the breakdown of the cuts:

• External Benchmark Linked Rate (EBLR): Cut by 25 basis points (0.25%)

  • New Rate: 7.90% (down from 8.15%)

  • Impact: This is massive for borrowers with loans linked directly to the Repo Rate. You will see the fastest transmission of this benefit.

• MCLR (Marginal Cost of Funds-Based Lending Rate): Cut by 5 basis points

  • New 1-Year Rate: 8.70% (down from 8.75%)

  • Impact: If your loan is linked to MCLR (common for older loans or business loans), you will see a marginal dip in your interest burden upon your next reset date.

• Base Rate: Cut by 10 basis points

  • New Rate: 9.90% (down from 10.00%)

💰 What Does This Mean for Your Wallet?

The biggest winners here are those with EBLR/Repo-linked home loans.

A Quick Calculation: If you have a home loan of ₹50 Lakh for 20 years at 8.50%:

• A 0.25% drop could save you approximately ₹800 - ₹900 per month in EMIs.

• Over the full tenure of the loan, this adds up to savings of over ₹2 Lakhs in interest!

⚠️ The Flip Side: Deposit Rates

As is tradition, when loan rates go down, deposit rates often follow. SBI has also tweaked interest rates on select Fixed Deposits (FDs).

• "Amrit Vrishti" (444 Days): Rate reduced to 6.45% (from 6.60%).

• 2 to 3 Year FDs: Reduced by 5 basis points to 6.40%.

🛠️ What Should You Do Now?

1. Check Your Loan Regime: Log in to your SBI app or check your loan statement. If you are still on the old "Base Rate" or "MCLR" system, this might be the perfect time to request a switch to the EBLR (Repo-linked) regime to fully benefit from the 25 bps cut.

2. Wait for Monday: The new rates kick in on December 15. Expect to see the changes reflected in your account or EMI schedule shortly after.

3. Review Your FDs: If you were planning to book a specialized FD like Amrit Vrishti, you might want to lock it in before further cuts happen, or explore other investment avenues.

🗣️ The Bottom Line

SBI often sets the trend for the Indian banking sector. With this aggressive cut, expect other public and private banks to follow suit in the coming days. If you are shopping for a loan, the market just got a lot more buyer-friendly!

 

BREAKING: Is Apple TV Down? Thousands Report "Connection Failed" Errors in Global Outage Spike

Date: December 13, 2025 Category: Tech News / Streaming Updates

If you are settling in for a weekend movie marathon and finding yourself staring at a loading spinner or a "Connection Failed" error, you aren't alone.

Reports have flooded in over the last 24 hours indicating widely reported issues with Apple TV and Apple TV+, leaving thousands of users unable to stream their favorite shows. While some services are recovering, confusion remains as social media lights up with frustration.

📉 The Outage by the Numbers

According to outage tracking site Downdetector, reports began spiking late on December 12 and continued into the early hours of today.

• Peak Reports: Over 6,000+ users flagged issues simultaneously during the peak.

• Primary Issue: 78% of users reported "Server Connection" failures.

• Affected Regions: The outage appears to be hitting users globally, with significant spikes in the US, UK, and Canada.

🍎 What Does Apple Say?

As of right now, Apple’s official System Status Page is showing "Resolved" for most services, though they previously acknowledged "intermittent issues" affecting Apple TV Channels and Apple Music earlier this week.

However, the disconnect between the "All Green" official status and the thousands of user complaints suggests a lingering server-side instability that hasn't fully cleared for everyone.

🛠️ What Can You Do Right Now?

If your Apple TV is still acting up, try these quick fixes before you call your ISP:

1. The "Hard" Restart: Don't just put it to sleep. Unplug your Apple TV from the power source, wait 15 seconds, and plug it back in.

2. DNS Flush: Restart your Wi-Fi router to clear out any bad connection data.

3. Check Other Devices: Try opening the Apple TV app on your iPhone or iPad (disconnect from Wi-Fi and use cellular data if possible) to see if the issue is your home network or Apple's servers.

🔮 The Bottom Line

While the worst of the outage seems to be passing, stability is still rocky for many. If you are seeing errors, the best course of action is likely patience—these "ghost" outages usually resolve themselves within a few hours as Apple's engineers patch the backend.

Stay tuned for updates as we monitor the server status!

💔Chicago's Crisis vs. Golden State's Resilience: Why the Bulls-Warriors Matchup is a State of the NBA Snapshot

 

💔 Title: Chicago's Crisis vs. Golden State's Resilience: Why the Bulls-Warriors Matchup is a State of the NBA Snapshot

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The Scoreboard Speaks: Warriors 123, Bulls 91

When the Golden State Warriors rolled into the United Center on Sunday, they delivered more than just a win; they delivered a stark message about the current state of both franchises. Despite being depleted by injuries—playing without core stars like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green—the Warriors secured a decisive 123-91 victory over a struggling Chicago Bulls team now mired in a seven-game losing streak.

The matchup was less a clash of titans and more a snapshot of an NBA where one storied franchise finds unexpected strength in depth, while the other is caught in a full-blown crisis.

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The Golden State Blueprint: Resilient, Regardless of Roster

The Warriors, under the guidance of Coach Steve Kerr, demonstrated their signature "strength in numbers" mentality.

• The Rise of the Bench: Players like Brandin Podziemski (who dropped 21 points off the bench) and Quinten Post (19 points) stepped up magnificently, proving that the Warriors' development system is still bearing fruit.

• The Butler Factor: In his return, veteran Jimmy Butler was a stabilizing force with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. His veteran leadership and two-way impact were critical in anchoring the team and securing the road win.

• Shooting Barrage: Golden State buried 22 three-pointers, highlighting a fundamental flaw in the Bulls' perimeter defense and showcasing the Warriors' ability to generate offense even with their best shooters sidelined.

This Warriors team refuses to collapse. They find ways to win by leaning on their organizational culture and the next man up, a testament to the championship pedigree that lingers in the Bay Area.

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The Bulls' Bleeding: A Crisis in the Windy City

For the Chicago Bulls, this latest loss is deeply concerning. Losing to a shorthanded opponent at home, and being held to their season-low point total, has pushed the team into what some observers are calling "full-blown disaster territory."

The team's struggles stem from two major issues:

1. A Sputtering Offense: The Bulls shot a dismal 36% from the field. While Josh Giddey (18 points) and Matas Buzelis (16 points) showed flashes, the collective unit lacked rhythm and aggression, collapsing under the Warriors' disciplined defense.

2. Defensive Lapses: Allowing a severely depleted Warriors team to hit 22 threes points to systemic defensive problems that head coach Billy Donovan must address immediately. The lack of defensive effort and communication is palpable during this losing streak.

The Bulls organization now faces difficult questions: Is this roster built for success? And how much longer can they afford to ride out this severe slump?

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Looking Ahead: The Road to Redemption

For the Warriors, this win provides crucial breathing room as they await the return of their injured stars, maintaining their position in the Western Conference hunt.

For the Bulls, the schedule doesn't get easier. They must find an emotional spark and a tactical fix to stop the bleeding, or they risk the season spiraling completely out of control. Sunday night was a reminder that NBA success is built on more than just star power—it's built on depth, system, and sheer resilience.