Latest news with #698
Barnama
26-05-2025
- General
- Barnama
PETRA,TNB To Install Solar PV Systems In Mosques, Promoting Energy Transition
PASIR PUTEH, May 26 (Bernama) -- The Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (PETRA), through Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) corporate social responsibility initiative, will install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at two mosques with an allocation of RM130,698. PETRA secretary-general Datuk Mad Zaidi Mohd Karli said the mosques, Masjid Al-Hijrah at the Fishermen Resettlement Area (PSN) in Tok Bali, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, and Masjid Al Huda in Kampung Rantau Abang, Dungun, Terengganu, received allocations of RM41,999 and RM88,699 respectively. He said the installations would reduce monthly electricity bills, promote environmental sustainability, raise community awareness, and help lower carbon emissions by replacing conventional energy sources with solar power. "These CSR projects are crucial in our efforts to bring the energy transition closer to the people, and solar power is one of the key initiatives under PETRA. "We call on other companies to follow TNB's example and take part in this energy transition efforts," he said when met at Masjid Al-Hijrah recently. He said the solar PV systems will be installed under the Net Energy Metering (NEM) GoMen scheme, whereby solar energy generated during the day will be used for electricity, and any excess energy will be exported to the TNB grid. "The exported excess will be recorded and reimported for use at night," he said. Meanwhile, the imam of Masjid Al-Hijrah PSN Tok Bali, Amirul Mukminin Mohd Roslan, said the solar project would benefit more than 1,200 residents. "InsyaAllah, there will be more programmes and activities at the mosque, especially at night, once the solar system is installed. It will also help reduce the monthly electricity bill," he said.
Gulf Today
22-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Bayt Al Khair spent Dhs10,504,184 on humanitarian initiatives last month
Bayt Al Khair revealed that its total expenditure for April 2025 amounted to Dhs10,504,184, bringing the cumulative spending for the first four months of 2025 to Dhs85,954,842. Humanitarian support programmes topped the list, with expenditures totaling Dhs39,698,079 during the same period. These programmes aim to alleviate the hardships faced by individuals struggling with their livelihoods, addressing deficiencies beyond their financial capabilities. This expenditure is in addition to the monthly cash assistance projects targeting low-income Emirati families, which amounted to Dhs5,569,620 during the same period. The emergency assistance project falls under the "Fazaa" community solidarity programme, dedicated to relieving the burdens of modest families and those facing sudden crises or disabilities, enabling them to overcome their challenges and resume their normal lives. Through this initiative, "Bayt Al Khair" also provides humanitarian support to patients, both citizens and residents, via the "Treatment" project, which spent Dhs13,192,508 by the end of April. Additionally, the programme assists individuals burdened by debts they cannot repay through "Al Gharimin" project, which has expended Dhs3,118,087 so far.
Mint
05-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Treasury gains save SBI's day, but couldn't avert earnings downgrades
State Bank of India 's March quarter (Q4FY25) results would have been a flop show had it not been for one-off and treasury gains. The public sector lender benefited from a revaluation of security receipts issued by National Asset Reconstruction Co. Ltd, which included Rs3,850 crore from a big account, mainly booked in treasury income. Given its largest treasury operations in the country, SBI 's pinning hopes on further easing of bond yields, which would enable the bank to make more capital gains in the portfolio. Bond prices have been gaining since the Reserve Bank of India began its rate cutting cycle in February. Bond prices have an inverse relationship with bond yields. SBI is banking on treasury gains to maintain return on average assets of 1% for FY26 as its net interest margin (NIM) continues to be under pressure. Net profit fell 10% year-on-year to Rs18,642 crore in Q4FY25. Net interest income (NII) grew a mere 2.7% year-on-year as NIM for the whole bank (including foreign offices) fell steeply by 30 basis points (bps) year-on-year to 3%. Though NIM stabilized sequentially, the full impact of the two repo rate cuts of 25 bps each in February and April is yet to reflect. SBI's management anticipates another 50-bps rate cut. But for now, SBI is relatively better placed than its private sector peers in terms of a likely incremental hit to NIM. This is because SBI's share of MCLR-linked loans at 42% is higher than that of its private sector rivals. Repo rate-linked loans are at around 29% with the remaining book on fixed rate. Indian banks use MCLR, or the marginal cost of funds based lending rate, to determine the lending rates for various loans. Higher MCLR loans will be incrementally positive for SBI, but note that its NIM is already much lower than that of India's top three private sector banks. Fee income saw a robust 13% growth to Rs9,896 crore in Q4FY25. Operating expenses surged 18% year-on-year to Rs35,698 crore. SBI reiterated that it would look to improve its cost-to-income ratio by increasing income rather than by decreasing cost. However, this would be easier said than done as the current growth rate of expenses is much higher than that of income. Asset quality was decent with gross non-performing assets (GNPA) and net NPA declining sequentially by 25 bps and 6 bps, respectively. Still, NPA provisions jumped 72% sequentially to Rs3,964 crore. The management attributed higher provisions to the ageing of NPAs. For e.g., when a single loan account remains doubtful for one year, 25% of the secured loan amount has to be kept aside as provision, which goes up to 40% in the next year. Thus, the provision keeps on increasing for the same NPA. Moreover, SBI has lowered its loan growth guidance for FY26 to 12-13% from 14-16% even as it had a strong corporate lending pipeline of ₹ 3.4 trillion at the end of FY25. Loans and deposit growth for the bank stood at 12% and 9.5% year-on-year in FY25. An uncertain global trade environment amid ongoing tariff war was cited as the reason for this downward revision. The deposit growth estimate for FY26 is at 9-10%. Given this, many brokerages have trimmed their FY26 and FY27 earnings estimates for SBI. The bank has approved an enabling resolution to raise equity up to Rs25,000 crore, but this may not be the best time to raise money given expected margin pressures. While the SBI stock has declined from ₹ 912 on 3 June to ₹ 789, this correction is in-line with the halving of growth rate in NII to about 5% in FY25 from FY24.
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Mets' Clay Holmes grinds out six solid innings after rocky start
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free ST. LOUIS — Clay Holmes' chances of finishing six innings appeared slim early on, but then he got rolling Friday. The right-hander was dented in the early innings — surrendering three earned runs — before retiring 10 of 11 batters to complete his night in the Mets' 9-3 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Advertisement 'It's a team that puts the ball in play a lot,' Holmes said. 'I am a contact guy, so it really just helped me trust the defense and let them work.' It marked the second time this season the former reliever managed to work through six innings (also previously against the Cardinals). Only compounding the task, Holmes was struck in the ankle by an Alec Burleson line drive in the second inning. Holmes had a rough third inning, in which he surrendered four singles that allowed the Cardinals to go ahead 3-2. Advertisement But only Willson Contreras' single in the sixth stood between Holmes and perfection for the remainder of his outing. 'I think the offense took the pressure off me,' Holmes said, referring to the Mets' four-run fifth inning. 'Them responding the way they did.' Clay Holmes, who allowed three runs in six innings, picked up his fourth win of the season in the Mets' 9-3 victory over the Cardinals on May 2, 2025. AP Advertisement It was a rare double play for the Mets in the National League's monthly awards voting. Pete Alonso, who went 2-for-5 with a two run homer in Friday's win, was named NL Player of the Month on Friday for March/April, with Luisangel Acuña selected as the NL Rookie of the Month for the same time frame. Pete Alonso (right) accepts congratulations from Brandon Nimmo after belting a two-run homer in the Mets' 9-3 win over the Cardinals on May 2, 2025. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Alonso earned his recognition after posting a 1.131 OPS over 31 games that included seven homers and 28 RBIs. Advertisement Eduardo Escobar (September/October 2022) was the last Mets player before Alonso recognized with the monthly honor. Acuña became the first Mets player recognized as Rookie of the Month since Francisco Alvarez (July 2023) after posting a .698 OPS in his first 27 games that included a .342 on-base percentage and seven stolen bases. With Blade Tidwell scheduled for Sunday's start — it will be his major league debut — manager Carlos Mendoza was asked about top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat's progress at Triple-A Syracuse. Delivering insights on all things Amazin's Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters 'A little inconsistent — maybe an inning gets away from him,' Mendoza said of Sproat, who has pitched to a 5.48 ERA in six starts for Syracuse. 'But the stuff is still there. That's part of the development — finding a way to get through starts, maybe it's the second time through the lineup or the third time through.' Advertisement A.J. Minter is nearing a decision, according to Mendoza, on which path he will take for the lat strain that landed him on the injured list this week. The lefty reliever's options include season-ending surgery. Danny Young is seeking a second opinion on his left elbow, which was diagnosed with a strain this week. Young is facing possible Tommy John surgery.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Covered California pushes for better healthcare as federal spending cuts loom
Faced with potential federal spending cuts that threaten health coverage and falling childhood vaccination rates, Monica Soni, the chief medical officer of Covered California, has a lot on her plate — and on her mind. California's Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange covers nearly 2 million residents and 89% of them receive federal subsidies that reduce their premiums. Many middle-income households got subsidies for the first time after Congress expanded them in 2021, which helped generate a boom in enrollment in ACA exchanges nationwide. From the original and enhanced subsidies, Covered California enrollees currently get $563 a month onaverage, lowering the average monthly out-of-pocket premium from $698 to $135, according to data from Covered California. The 2021 subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress renews them. If they lapse, enrollees would be on the hook to pay an average of $101 a month more for health insurance — not counting any premium hikes in 2026 and beyond. And those middle-income earners who did not qualify for subsidies before would lose all financial assistance — $384 a month, on average — which Soni fears could prompt them to drop out. At the same time, vaccination rates for children 2 and under declined among 7 of the 10 Covered California health plans subject to its new quality-of-care requirements. Soni, a Los Angeles native who came to Covered California in May 2023, oversees that program, in which health plans must meet performance targets on blood pressure control, diabetes management, colorectal cancer screening and childhood vaccinations — or pay a financial penalty. Lack of access to such key aspects of care disproportionately affects underserved communities, making Covered California's effort one of health equity as well. Soni, a Harvard-trained primary care doctor who sees patients one day a week at an urgent care clinic in Los Angeles County's public safety net health system, is familiar with the challenges those communities face. Covered California reported last November that its health plans improved on three of the four measures in the first year of the program. But childhood immunizations for those under 2 declined by 4%. The decline is in line with a national trend, which Soni attributed to postpandemic mistrust of vaccines and 'more skepticism of the entire medical industry.' Most parents have heard at least one untrue statement about measles or the vaccine for it, and many don't know what to believe, according to an April KFF poll. Health plans improved on the other three measures, but not enough to avoid penalties, which yielded $15 million. The exchange is using that money to fund another effort Soni manages, which helps 6,900 Covered California households buy groceries and contributes to more than 250 savings accounts for children who get routine checkups and vaccines. Some of the penalty money will also be used to support primary care practices around California. In addition to her bifurcated professional duties, Soni is the mother of two children, ages 4 and 7. KFF Health News senior correspondent Bernard J. Wolfson spoke with Soni about the impact of possible federal cuts and the exchange's initiative to improve care for its enrollees. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: Covered California has record enrollment of nearly 2 million, boosted by the expanded federal subsidies passed under the Biden administration, which end after this year. What if Congress does not renew them? A: Our estimates are that it will approach 400,000 Californians who would drop coverage hear every day from our folks that they're really living on the margins. Until they got some of those subsidies, they could not afford coverage. As a primary care doctor, I am the one to treat folks who show up with preventable cancers because they were too afraid to think about what their out-of-pocket costs would be. I don't want to go back to those days. Q: Congress is considering billions in cuts to Medicaid. How would that affect Covered California and the state's population more broadly, given that more than 1 in 3 Californians are on Medi-Cal, the state's version of Medicaid? A: Those are our neighbors, our friends. Those are the people working in the restaurants we eat at. Earlier cancer screenings, better chronic disease control, lower maternal mortality, more substance use disorder treatment: We know that Medicaid saves lives. We know it helps people live longer and better. As a physician, I would be hard-pressed to argue for rolling back anything that saves lives. It would be very distressing to watch that come to California. Q: Why did Covered California undertake the Quality Transformation Initiative? A: We were incredibly successful at covering nearly 2 million, but frankly we didn't see improvements in quality, and we continue to see gaps for certain populations in terms of outcomes. So, I think the question became much more imperative: Are we getting our money's worth out of this coverage? Are we making sure people are living longer and better, and if not, how do we up the ante to make sure they are? Q: There's a penalty for not meeting the targets, but no bonuses for meeting them: You meet the goals or else, right? A: We don't say it like that, but that is true. And we didn't make it complicated. It's only four measures. It's things that as a primary care doctor I know are important, that I take care of when I see people in mypractice. We said get to the 66th percentile on these four measures, and there's no dollars that you have to pay. If you don't, then we collect those funds. Q: And you use the penalty money to fund the grocery assistance and child savings accounts. A: That's exactly right. We had this opportunity to think about what would we use these dollars for and how we actually make a difference in people's lives. So, we cold-called hundreds of people, we sent surveys out to thousands of folks, and what we heard overwhelmingly was how expensive it is to live in California; that folks are making trade-offs between food and transportation, between child care and food — just impossible decisions. Q: You will put up to $1,000 a child into those savings accounts, right? A: That's right. It's tied to doing those healthy behaviors, going to child well visits and getting recommended vaccines. We looked at the literature, and once you get to even just $500 in an account, the likelihood of a kid going to a two- or four-year school increases significantly. It's actually because they're hopeful about their future, and it changes their path of upward mobility, which we know changes their health outcome. Q: Given the rise in vaccine skepticism, are you worried that the recent measles outbreak could grow? A: I am very concerned about it. I was actually reading some posts from a physician colleague who trained decades earlier and was talking about all the diseases that my generation of physicians have never seen. We don't actually know how to diagnose and take care of a number of infectious diseases because they mostly have been eradicated or outbreaks have been really contained. So, I feel worried. I've been brushing off my old textbooks. Wolfson writes for KFF Health News, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
