US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) announced a one-time $1,776 “warrior dividend” for American military troops for Christmas, indicating that tariffs were funding the payments.

Flanked by two Christmas trees and a portrait of George Washington, Trump speaking at the White House said that around 1.45 million service members would receive the payment, with the money reaching them before the holidays, suggesting that the bonus would help ease financial pressures on military families.

Tariffs are paying US military $1,776 ‘warrior dividend’

Trump said, “Because of tariffs, along with the just-passed one ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ tonight, I am proud to announce that more than 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special ‘warrior dividend’ before Christmas.”“In honor of our nation’s founding in 1776, we are sending every soldier $1,776, and the checks are already on the way. We made a lot more money than anybody thought because of tariffs, and nobody deserves it more than our military…” he stated, referring to the GOP’s major tax cuts legislation passed earlier this year.“Nobody deserves it more than our military, and I say congratulations,” Trump added.

Who is eligible for the ‘warrior dividend’?

According to the announcement, the one-time payment will be given to:

The announcement comes at a time when many Americans are struggling with high costs of groceries, housing, utilities and holiday expenses. Inflation remains elevated and the labour market has weakened in recent months, trends that followed Trump’s tariff hikes and slower hiring.

Tariffs, websites & more: Key highlights from Trump’s address

Trump further promised an economic boom in 2026 but acknowledged concerns over inflation, while blaming his predecessor, former US President Joe Biden for current challenges. “Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” he said. “We’re poised for an economic boom, the likes of which the world has never seen,” he continued.Defending his trade policy, Trump insisted tariffs were delivering results. Calling tariffs his “favorite word,” he said the levies imposed on imports from China, Canada, Mexico and other trading partners were generating unexpected revenue.“Nobody can believe what’s going on here,” Trump said. “It’s not done yet, but boy are we making progress,” he added.Trump also pointed to his administration’s efforts to cut drug prices, saying tariffs were used as leverage in negotiations with pharmaceutical companies and foreign governments.“I negotiated directly with the drug companies and foreign nations, to which we’re taking advantage of our country for many decades, to slash prices on drugs and pharmaceuticals by as much as 400, 500, and even 600 percent,” he said.“In other words, your drug costs will be plummeting downward. And I used the threat of tariffs to get foreign countries who would never have done it to pay the cost of this giant dollar reduction. They stopped ripping us off. And it began as of four days ago,” Trump added.He said the first round of price reductions would be available starting in January through a new website, trumprx.gov. “And these big price cuts will greatly reduce the cost of health care. The money should go to the people,” he said.

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, right, at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Cricket fans poured their frustration onto the cold, foggy night outside the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday after the fourth T20I between India and South Africa was abandoned without a single ball being bowled, leaving thousands disappointed and empty-handed.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Scheduled for a 7:30 PM IST start, the match never got going as dense fog — officially termed “excessive fog” but widely acknowledged as smog — enveloped the ground. After six inspections, the final one at 9:25 PM, umpires called off the contest, prompting a slow, silent exodus of fans who had waited for over two hours in the stands.

For many, the disappointment ran deeper than just a lost evening of cricket. “I sold three sacks of wheat and came here to watch the match,” one fan told ANI, his voice shaking with emotion. “I want my money back.” Another supporter said refunds were beside the point. “Tickets and reimbursement don’t matter. We wanted to see our Indian team play.”“I am heartbroken,” said another fan as visibility continued to worsen and the stadium lights faded into the haze.Under the BCCI‘s refund policy, spectators are eligible for reimbursement (minus fees) if a match is abandoned before a ball is bowled. Yet the mood among fans suggested compensation could not make up for the experience they had missed.WATCH: Fans’ reactions after the match was abandonedInside the stadium, the signs of concern were evident early. Players cut short their warm-up by 7:30 PM and returned to their dressing rooms. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a surgical mask, while the Air Quality Index reportedly hovered above 400 — a hazardous level — raising fresh questions about player safety.By 9 PM, even the most patient spectators began to leave as the cold intensified and the smog thickened. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla briefly walked onto the field during one inspection, his body language reflecting the collective disappointment.The abandonment has reignited criticism of the BCCI’s scheduling during peak winter in north India, where pollution and poor visibility are recurring concerns. Fans questioned why the match wasn’t scheduled earlier in the day, a move that might have ensured play.With no reserve day, both teams now head to Ahmedabad for the fifth and final T20I on December 19, with India leading the series 2–1.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has once again cautioned that many artificial intelligence companies with very-high valuations will not survive in what he described as a “hyper competitive” industry. As reported by CNBC, speaking at the Abu Dhabi Finance Week in an interview with CNBC’s Tanya Bryer, Gates said that the investors should brace themselves for corrections as the fear of an AI bubble is intensifying day-by-day. Gates also highlighted that the hyper-competitive nature of AI means that only a fraction of companies will emerge as long-term winners. Gates said that “a reasonable percentage of those companies won’t be worth that much.”

Bill Gates on AI valuations

“AI is the most important thing going on,” Gates said, but stressed that inflated valuations do not guarantee success. “Does it mean all of these companies with high valuations will be winners? No, it’s going to be hyper competitive,” he explained. He added: “AI is only a bubble in the sense that not all of these valuations will end up going up. Some of them will go down… A reasonable percentage of those companies won’t be worth that much.”Companies like Tesla, Palantir presently trade at price-to-earnings ratios above 200 compared with an S&P 500 average of about 25. The disparity has fueled investor concerns, with global markets dipping in November amid fears of an AI bubble.

Bill Gates emphasised that AI remains a transformative force

“AI is a deeply profound technology that will reshape the world. There’s not the slightest doubt about that,” he said. He pointed to AI’s potential in healthcare, education, and agriculture, areas where his foundation is actively investing.Despite all these concerns, Gates has reaffirmed his belief in the transformative potential of AI. He also described it as “a deeply profound technology that will reshape the world,” with applications across health, education, and agriculture.“Is this profound and real and is going to provide all of these benefits? Absolutely, nobody should have any doubt about that,” Gates said. As 2026 approaches, Gates’ vision is clear: AI must be used not just to drive profits, but to deliver tangible benefits for humanity.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) delivered a live address from the White House, highlighting the financial and economic achievements he achieved in his second term. Much of the speech centred on inflation, trade policy, tariffs and household finances, alongside sharp criticism of the previous Democrat administration.Beginning his address, Trump highlighted that he took office at a time of severe economic strain, arguing that Americans were struggling with high prices and declining affordability.“America, 11 months ago, I inherited a mess and I’m fixing it. When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years, and some would say in the history of our country, which caused prices to be higher than ever before, making life unaffordable for millions and millions of Americans. This happened during a Democrat administration, and it’s when we first began hearing the word affordability,” he said.The president repeatedly targeted the Biden administration over inflation and public spending, accusing it of draining the US treasury and driving up everyday costs. He went on to criticise earlier trade deals, saying that the United States had lost economic standing on the global stage. However, after Trump began his second term as a president, the country was no longer being “laughed at” from all over the world.

Trump’s favourite word — Tariffs!

He highlighted what he described as record levels of investment flowing into the United States, linking this directly to his trade and tariff policies. “Already, I’ve secured a record-breaking $18 trillion of investment into the United States, which means jobs, wage increases, growth, factory openings, and far greater national security,” he said.He described tariffs as a central tool of his economic strategy, arguing that they had encouraged companies to relocate manufacturing back to the US.“Much of this success has been accomplished by tariffs, my favorite word, tariffs, which, for many decades, have been used successfully by other countries against us, but not anymore. Companies know that if they build in America, there are no tariffs, and that’s why they’re coming home to the USA in record numbers. They’re building factories and plants at levels we haven’t seen, AI, automobiles.”The US President claimed that the economic turnaround had been dramatic.“We’re doing what nobody thought was even possible, not even remotely possible. There has never, frankly, been anything like it. One year ago, our country was dead. We were absolutely dead. Our country was ready to fail. Totally failed.”Alongside foreign policy claims, the president said the domestic economy had been brought back “from the brink of ruin”, again blaming previous leadership for rising prices across key sectors.“The last administration and their allies in Congress looted our Treasury for trillions of dollars, driving up prices and everything at levels never seen before. I am bringing those high prices down and bringing them down very fast,” he said.

Fuels, food, wages — What changed in Trump’s term?

Trump listed a series of price increases he attributed to the Biden years, including cars, fuel, hotel rates and airfares, before claiming those costs were now falling.

“Under the Biden administration, car prices rose 22% and, in many states, 30% or more. Gasoline rose 30 to 50%. Hotel rates rose 37%. Airfares rose 31%. Now, under our leadership, they are all coming down and coming down fast.”He also referred to food prices, citing declines in the cost of groceries.“The price of a Thanksgiving turkey was down 33% compared to the Biden last year. The price of eggs is down 82 percent since March, and everything else is falling rapidly. And it’s not done yet, but, boy, are we making progress.”Energy costs featured prominently in the speech, with Trump saying households had borne heavy losses under the previous administration.“Electricity costs surged 30 to 100 percent under Biden. And the typical family lost $5,000 to $10,000 in higher energy costs,” he said, adding that he had declared a national energy emergency on his first day in office.He claimed fuel prices had since dropped sharply. “Gasoline is now under $2.50 a gallon in much of the country. In some states, it, by the way, just hit $1.99 a gallon.”Turning to wages and incomes, Trump said his policies were boosting take-home pay after years of decline.“After years of record-setting falling incomes, our policies are boosting take-home pay at a historic pace,” he said, adding that “under Biden, real wages plummeted by $3,000”.He said factory workers were now seeing wage increases of $1,300, while construction workers were gaining $1,800, stressing that “wages are going up much faster than inflation”.The president also highlighted a major tax package, describing it as “one beautiful bill”, which combined multiple measures including “no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors”.He said these changes would save many families between $11,000 and $20,000 a year and lead to what he described as the largest tax refund season on record.Linking tariffs to government revenue, Trump announced a special payment for military personnel.“Because of tariffs, along with the just-passed, one big, beautiful bill, tonight I am also proud to announce that more than 1,450,000 — think of this, 1,450,000 — military service members will receive a special we call warrior dividend before Christmas,” he said.“We are sending every soldier $1,776,” he added, stating that the payments were already being issued.Closing his address, Trump said the combination of falling prices, rising wages and trade-driven revenue had restored America’s economic position.“Wages are up. Prices are down. Our nation is strong. America is respected. And our country is back, stronger than ever before. We’re poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen.”

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad on Wednesday defended his controversial remark on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pulling down a woman’s hijab, saying his comment was “misunderstood” due to translation issues and carried no ill intent, even as opposition parties intensified their demand for an unconditional apology.As outrage mounted across political lines, the Nishad Party chief sought to play down the remark, describing it as a casual, light-hearted comment made in Hindi that lost its meaning when translated.

The comment, widely criticised as misogynistic and crude, was made during an interview with a private television channel and later circulated on social media.“My remark was tweaked and twisted, misinterpreted, its spirit lost in cacophony and translation,” the Uttar Pradesh fisheries minister told news agency PTI, responding to criticism from the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).“If someone has taken offence, I am willing to take back the words from my side,” he said.Nishad cites ‘linguistic differences’Nishad argued that linguistic and cultural differences played a role in the backlash, pointing to his roots in the Bhojpuri-speaking belt of eastern Uttar Pradesh.“I belong to Gorakhpur and the Bhojpuri-speaking belt and expressions and conversational styles differ from region to region,” he said, adding, “In Bhojpuri, this is a common way of urging people not to make too much of any issue and to counsel restraint. I chose to use the same style in Hindi and didn’t know it will become such an issue.”Drawing comparisons with other regions, he said, “Just as language and expressions vary in Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu, dialects in north India and eastern Uttar Pradesh also differ. That does not mean there was any intention to insult.”What’s the controversy?The controversy stems from a video showing Nitish Kumar pulling down a woman’s veil during a government programme in Patna on Monday. Nishad defended the Bihar chief minister’s action, claiming Kumar had “merely removed” the veil to confirm whether the actual beneficiary of a government scheme was present.

He further said the lapse lay with officials responsible for organising the event. “The responsibility lay with officials who should have ensured proper arrangements before the programme,” he said.Nishad insisted his comments were not directed against any woman, community or religion. “There was neither malice nor any intention of disrespect,” he said, while alleging that the issue was being deliberately amplified for political gains.The controversy snowballed after Nishad made the remark during the televised interview: “Woh (Kumar) bhi to aadmi hai, kisi ke itna peechhe nahin pad jaana chahiye. Choo diya naqaab to kya ho gaya, agar kahin aur chhoo dete to kya ho jaata (He is also a man; one should not go after someone so much. What happened if the veil was removed? What would have happened if he had touched somewhere else?”Opposition remains unsparingCongress’ Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Rai described Nishad’s statement as “outrageously anti-women” and said it reflected the mindset of the BJP and its allies. “We seek unconditional apology failing which we will seek minister’s dismissal,” Rai told PTI.Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider termed the remarks “condemnable and undignified”, adding, “I would also like to ask if this is the idea of the BJP led government in UP which the minister has reflected in his statements.” He too demanded “an immediate and unconditional apology.”The AAP’s Uttar Pradesh unit accused the minister of making “shameful” and “anti-women” comments, saying the statement exposed a “crude and misogynistic mindset”.Social media platforms were flooded with posts criticising Nishad for what many described as an unacceptable and sexist viewpoint.The video clip has since been widely shared, further fuelling the political storm around the minister’s comments.

IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi has locked in Mumbai Indians’ full 25-man squad, with the five-time champions exhausting almost their entire purse to assemble a blend of high-value stars and smart budget buys. Central to the narrative are headline earners like Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, alongside the headline-grabbing ₹1 crore return of South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock.​

IPL 2026 auction sets up season of high expectations for Mumbai Indians

The IPL 2026 mini auction, staged in mid-December in Abu Dhabi, was defined by record-breaking bids on marquee all-rounders and a strategic push by franchises to complete their squads within a ₹125 crore purse. While Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings dominated chatter with mega-signings, Mumbai Indians’ story was more about consolidation, having already invested heavily in a core of proven match-winners before entering the auction with a modest remaining balance.​

MI entered the auction with much of their budget already committed to retentions like Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar, leaving limited room for big-ticket gambles but ensuring stability in leadership and star power. By the end of proceedings, the franchise had spent ₹124.45 crore of a possible ₹125 crore, leaving just ₹0.55 crore in the kitty, and had filled all 25 slots, including the full quota of eight overseas players, underlining a clear intent to back a settled squad for a serious title tilt.​

A season of high hopes naturally follows for MI, given the experience and pedigree stacked through the line-up. Hardik continues as the captaincy fulcrum, supported by Rohit’s leadership experience, Suryakumar’s X-factor batting, and Bumrah’s unmatched impact with the ball, creating a spine that will carry both tactical responsibility and expectation in IPL 2026.​

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Full list of unsold players along with their base price

Salaries of MI players in IPL 2026

Mumbai Indians finalized their 25-player squad at the IPL 2026 auction, spending ₹124.45 crore and leaving ₹0.55 crore unspent, with exactly 8 overseas players acquired.​

The squad balances elite retained stars like Bumrah at ₹18 crore and high-value all-rounders with budget-friendly domestic depth, positioning MI strongly for the season.​

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Complete squads of all 10 teams after the bidding event

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