Business
When will Americans receive $2,000 tariff dividends? Donald Trump speaks out – The Times of India
President Donald Trump has said Americans could see $2,000 tariff dividend checks in 2026, but no exact date has been set yet, although he hinted at the timeline.The payments are expected to come from revenue raised through tariffs.Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said the checks will not arrive in time for the Christmas shopping season. “It will be next year. The tariffs allow us to give a dividend. We’re going to do a dividend and we’re also going to be reducing debt,” he said.The MAGA chief first floated the idea of tariff dividends earlier this month, suggesting that high-income earners would be excluded, though he did not define a specific income threshold. Trump said his Truth Social platform, “A dividend of at $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone. Those against the tariffs are FOOLS!”
Rebate for families making less than $100,000
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained last week that the administration was still discussing income limits. “Well, there are a lot of options here that the president’s talking about a $2,000 rebate and those — that would be for families making less than, say, $100,000,” Bessent told Fox & Friends, later clarifying that no final decision had been made.The plan faces legal hurdles. The US Supreme Court has questioned the legality of Trump’s tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, raising the possibility that some could be struck down. Trump acknowledged that if the Court rejects the tariffs, “Then I’d have to do something else.” The payments would also require congressional approval, with some Republicans sceptical and urging a focus on reducing the federal deficit.Trump’s tariffs, including IEEPA tariffs, have raised around $90 billion since implementation, with all tariffs taking in $195.9 billion in fiscal 2025. Analysts estimate that if the $2,000 dividend were limited to individuals earning under $100,000, the cost would be about $300 billion, according to the New York Post. Trump has repeatedly argued that tariffs are a tool to rebalance trade and support American businesses. Treasury Secretary Bessent said the tariffs are intended to create a “perfect storm” for rebalancing trade rather than merely raising revenue.The GOP leader remains committed to the idea of sending checks to Americans. “We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 Trillion. Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place,” he posted on Truth Social.
New Delhi: Delhi-NCR recorded the highest yearly average residential price rise at 23 per cent in 2025 — from Rs 7,550 square feet in 2024 to about Rs 9,300 per sq ft in 2025, according to a new report.
On an annual basis, the collective average housing price rose by 8 per cent in the top seven cities – from Rs 8,590 per sq ft by Q4 2024-end to around Rs 9,260 per sq ft at Q4 2025-end, according to Anarock Research data.
The other major cities recorded single-digit price appreciation, ranging between 4-9 per cent in 2025 as against last year’s 13-27 per cent in 2024, the report mentioned.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi-NCR, together, accounted for 90 per cent of overall sales in 2025 across the top seven cities.
“MMR saw the highest sales with approx. 1,27,875 units sold in 2025; declining by 18 percent against 2024. Pune saw approx. 65,135 units sold in 2025 – a yearly decline of 20 percent over 2024. Bengaluru also saw just a marginal yearly decline of 5 percent in housing sales, with approx. 62,205 units sold in 2025,” the report mentioned.
The top seven cities saw about 4,19,170 new units launched in 2025, against 4,12,520 units in 2024 – a 2 per cent annual increase. The key cities contributing to new supply during the year were MMR, Pune, Bengaluru, and NCR, which together accounted for 79 per cent of the total new unit additions.
On an annual basis, unsold inventory in the top seven cities rose 4 per cent by 2025-end, largely because of tapered demand and increased new supply in the year. About 5.77 lakh units are currently on the primary sales market in these cities.
“Notably, thanks to restricted new supply in the city, Hyderabad saw a marginal decline of 2 per cent in unsold stock in 2025 – from approx. 97,765 units by 2024-end to approx. 96,140 units by 2025-end,” said the report.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) also witnessed a marginal 1 per cent decline in unsold stock. All other cities saw their unsold inventory rise over the year, with Bengaluru recording a significant 23 per cent increase.
Business
Union Budget 2026: Rice exporters seek support to boost sustainability, global competitiveness; relief sought on costs, logistics – The Times of India
The Indian Rice Exporters’ Federation (IREF) has called on the Union government to announce focused fiscal and policy measures in the Union Budget 2026 to strengthen India’s rice export ecosystem, covering both basmati and non-basmati varieties.In a representation to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the federation underlined the importance of rice exports for the economy, rural livelihoods and global food security, reported news agency ANI. It flagged multiple challenges facing the sector, including ecological stress, rising costs and market volatility, and said targeted budgetary support could improve competitiveness while ensuring sustainability and better returns for farmers.“The rice sector faces ecological stress, notably groundwater depletion in major paddy belts, high fiscal costs of procurement and storage, and market and compliance volatility,” the federation said in its letter. It added that the Union Budget 2026 could help address these issues through “targeted fiscal and enabling measures” that strengthen sustainability and farmer outcomes.IREF outlined a series of priority demands aimed at supporting the entire rice value chain. One key ask is the introduction of tax and investment incentives linked to verified water-saving and low-emission farming practices. These include Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), laser land levelling and the use of energy-efficient milling technologies. According to the federation, such measures would reduce environmental stress while improving long-term productivity.The exporters’ body also urged the government to encourage farmers to shift acreage towards premium basmati rice and GI-tagged, organic and speciality non-basmati varieties. This, it said, would help farmers earn higher realisation, promote market-led crop diversification and lower dependence on minimum support price-based procurement systems.To improve export competitiveness, IREF sought interest subvention on export credit to ease working capital pressures faced by exporters. It also called for targeted freight and port facilitation measures to reduce logistics costs, which remain a key concern for rice shipments.The federation further requested the continuation and appropriate calibration of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme for rice. Ensuring that embedded taxes are adequately refunded, it said, is crucial for maintaining India’s competitiveness in global markets.Another major concern raised was the need to strengthen export finance guarantees and upgrade compliance-related infrastructure. This includes better testing facilities, traceability systems and quality assurance mechanisms to protect India’s standing in premium international markets.“These measures will directly lower exporters’ costs, incentivise sustainability and encourage the scaling up of value-added shipments,” said Dr Prem Garg, national president of IREF, as per news agency ANI. He added that rice should be explicitly covered under budgetary initiatives related to export credit, logistics and trade facilitation.Citing industry data, the federation said India currently accounts for around 40 per cent of global rice trade, a level of dominance unmatched in any other commodity. Having met domestic food security needs, it said India is well-positioned to supply international markets at scale. In FY2024-25, the country exported about 20.1 million tonnes of rice to more than 170 countries, according to figures shared by IREF.
Getty ImagesEvery winter brings a drop in temperatures and rising concerns about heating costs. With the energy price cap set to increase in January, we have gathered together some practical advice to help you keep warm and cut costs over the colder months.
This month, millions of households will see a slight rise in their energy bills, as the energy regulator Ofgem increases the price cap by 0.2%.
The price cap is the maximum amount energy suppliers can charge customers for each unit of energy in England, Scotland and Wales.
Between 1 January and 31 March 2026, the energy price cap is set at £1,758 per year for a typical household which uses electricity and pays by direct debit.
Energy costs can hit people differently, for example, people living in older homes, renters and low-income households.
Low cost options
George Pearson, head of technical services at Retrofit West – which is funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and covers Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire – said that even small actions can help to reduce heat loss.
“Sealing gaps and draught proofing is the number one step because it’s so low cost,” he said.
Mr Pearson recommended sealing gaps around skirting boards, letter boxes and even light fittings.
He added that people can maximise boiler efficiency by reducing the flow temperature.
Most people have their temperature set to 60C (140F), but lowering it to 55C (131F) or 45C (113F) could save money, said Mr Pearson.
“Heating and hot water is the majority of the bill in the average household,” said Nick Trapp from the Centre of Sustainable Energy.
“So that’s what you spend more on than your lights or your computer or your oven.”
To save money on your heating bill, turn off radiators in rooms you do not use and use your central thermostat to control the overall temperature, he said.
Additionally, turning your heating down by one degree could help save up to £73 a year.
But it is advised not to go below 18C (64F) if you are elderly, ill, or have small children.
Having an annual boiler service can also keep heating systems running efficiently and prevent more costly issues with your boiler in the future.
And a thick insulating jacket for your boiler could save about £183 a year.
PA“Some other low-cost wins include reflective panels,” said Mr Pearson.
“You can put them behind radiators and they can bounce the heat back into the space, so you’re not losing some of that heat generated into the actual wall itself.”
Mr Pearson also suggests bleeding radiators to remove trapped air and maintain even distribution of heat.
Although there are lots of plug-in heaters on the market, Mr Trapp warned that these can often be more expensive than using central heating.
“People get tempted by them because they look like they’re smaller, so you expect them to use less energy, but they’re actually a lot less efficient,” he said.
Changing your energy tariff can save you money by switching to a cheaper fixed deal, a discounted variable tariff or a time-of-use tariff like economy, which offers cheaper electricity at night.
During the winter months where more people dry their clothes indoors, a dehumidifier can help save on the cost of using a tumble dryer, while helping to prevent damp and mould.
Mr Trapp recommends using a dehumidifier in the room where you dry laundry and close the door to prevent water vapour getting to the rest of the house.
If you can, and try and heat your home consistently to avoid issues with damp and mould.
Medium cost solutions
While there are lots of low-cost solutions, some people may want to consider some longer-term solutions to make sure their home is energy efficient.
One of these options is installing insulation, which can help protect your home from both hot and cold weather.
Mr Pearson also recommends insulating pipes, where possible, to reduce the heat loss of hot water travelling through pipe work.
When it comes to loft insulation, Mr Pearson recommends 15.7in (39.8cm) of insulation – which may sound like a lot – but it has a significant impact on the reduction of heat loss.
Getty ImagesAdditional support
If you are really struggling with your bills, you may be entitled to additional support.
The government offers a Warm Homes Discount, which is a one-off rebate on your energy bill. You will get the discount automatically if you are eligible.
A Winter Fuel Payment of between £100 and £300 is also available for eligible people born on or before 22 September 1959.
You may also get a Cold Weather Payment if you are on certain benefits.
Certain people may be eligible for the government’s Warm Homes Grant, which provides funding to make energy saving improvements to your home.
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