A small plane crashed in a residential area of San Diego County, California on Monday (as per local time) evening. Authorities and local media said that the plane downed power lines and that there were no survivors. The location of the plane crash is 15 miles east of San Diego.

As per NBC, first responders were called at around 7 pm local time.

Firefighters were not able to locate any survivors, the department said in the news release without specifying how many victims were found on board.

No injuries on the ground were confirmed, the San Diego County Sheriff Department said on its official Twitter account.

NBC reported at least one home was damaged in the incident, with power lines also knocked down, affecting dozens of homes.

(More details awaited)

A small plane crashed in a residential area of San Diego County, California on Monday (as per local time) evening. Authorities and local media said that the plane downed power lines and that there were no survivors.

A small plane crashed in a residential area of San Diego County, California on Monday (as per local time) evening. Authorities and local media said that the plane downed power lines and that there were no survivors. The location of the plane crash is 15 miles east of San Diego. As per NBC, first responders were called at around 7 pm local time. Firefighters were not able to locate any survivors, the department said in the news release without specifying how many victims were found on board. No injuries on the ground were confirmed, the San Diego County Sheriff Department said on its official Twitter account. NBC reported at least one home was damaged in the incident, with power lines also knocked down, affecting dozens of homes. (More details awaited)

Plane crashes in California, no survivors

Russia will hold talks with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Brussels on security guarantees after US-Russia talks in Geneva, said Russian news agency TASS. The news agency quoted Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

"Following the meeting in Geneva, the event is likely to be organized in Brussels with NATO, the arrangements and other details are being worked out," he said, as quoted by TASS.

Tensions are high between Russia and the West over Russian military buildup along its border with Ukraine. Although Russia maintains that it does not plan to invade Ukraine, it maintains that Ukraine's manoeuvres pose a threat to Russia. This is being seen as a reason Russia can potentially use to invade Ukraine.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-says-its-jets-scrambled-hundreds-of-times-against-russia-in-2021-to-guard-allies-airspace-440595">NATO says its jets scrambled hundreds of times against Russia in 2021 to guard allies’ airspace</a>

Russia is dead against Ukraine's inclusion in NATO grouping. Russia perceives such an inclusion to be a move against its influence in the region. Ukraine was part of Soviet Russia. Russia President Vladimir Putin has already said that inclusion of Ukraine in NATO is unacceptable. He was speaking at a press conference last week.

NATO on Tuesday (December 28) said that it had to scramble fighter jets hundreds of times this year to defend member-states' airspace from Russia.

The West-led military alliance said that 290 of around 370 total missions were flown in 2021 in response to the activities of Russian aircraft.

Russia will hold talks with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Brussels on security guarantees after US-Russia talks in Geneva, said Russian news agency TASS.

Russia will hold talks with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Brussels on security guarantees after US-Russia talks in Geneva, said Russian news agency TASS. The news agency quoted Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. "Following the meeting in Geneva, the event is likely to be organized in Brussels with NATO, the arrangements and other details are being worked out," he said, as quoted by TASS. Tensions are high between Russia and the West over Russian military buildup along its border with Ukraine. Although Russia maintains that it does not plan to invade Ukraine, it maintains that Ukraine's manoeuvres pose a threat to Russia. This is being seen as a reason Russia can potentially use to invade Ukraine. Also Read | NATO says its jets scrambled hundreds of times against Russia in 2021 to guard allies’ airspace Russia is dead against Ukraine's inclusion in NATO grouping. Russia perceives such an inclusion to be a move against its influence in the region. Ukraine was part of Soviet Russia. Russia President Vladimir Putin has already said that inclusion of Ukraine in NATO is unacceptable. He was speaking at a press conference last week. NATO on Tuesday (December 28) said that it had to scramble fighter jets hundreds of times this year to defend member-states' airspace from Russia. The West-led military alliance said that 290 of around 370 total missions were flown in 2021 in response to the activities of Russian aircraft.

Russia-NATO talks to take place after Moscow-Washington huddle in Geneva: Report

Save the Children on Tuesday confirmed that two of its staff were killed in a Christmas Eve massacre which is being blamed on military junta troops. The massacre left charred bodies of more &nbsp;than 30 people on a highway located in eastern Myanmar.

Fighters opposing military junta said that they found 30 burnt bodies. Those dead included women and children. The highway where the bodies were found is in Kayah state where &nbsp;pro-democracy rebels have been fighting the military.

Save the Children later said two of its staff members had been caught up in the incident and were missing.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the February coup, with more than 1,300 people killed in a crackdown by security forces, according to a local monitoring group. 
Self-proclaimed "People's Defence Forces" have sprung up across the country to fight the junta, and drawn the military into a bloody stalemate of clashes and reprisals.

On Tuesday Save the Children confirmed in a statement that the two men were "among at least 35 people, including women and children, who were killed."

"The military forced people from their cars, arrested some, killed many and burnt the bodies," it said, adding the two men were both new fathers.

"This news is absolutely horrifying," said chief executive Inger Ashing.

"We are shaken by the violence carried out against civilians and our staff, who are dedicated humanitarians, supporting millions of children in need across Myanmar."

(With inputs from agencies)

Save the Children on Tuesday confirmed that two of its staff were killed in a Christmas Eve massacre which is being blamed on military junta troops. The massacre left charred bodies of more than 30 people on a highway located in eastern Myanmar.

Save the Children on Tuesday confirmed that two of its staff were killed in a Christmas Eve massacre which is being blamed on military junta troops. The massacre left charred bodies of more than 30 people on a highway located in eastern Myanmar. Fighters opposing military junta said that they found 30 burnt bodies. Those dead included women and children. The highway where the bodies were found is in Kayah state where pro-democracy rebels have been fighting the military. Save the Children later said two of its staff members had been caught up in the incident and were missing. Myanmar has been in chaos since the February coup, with more than 1,300 people killed in a crackdown by security forces, according to a local monitoring group. Self-proclaimed "People's Defence Forces" have sprung up across the country to fight the junta, and drawn the military into a bloody stalemate of clashes and reprisals. On Tuesday Save the Children confirmed in a statement that the two men were "among at least 35 people, including women and children, who were killed." "The military forced people from their cars, arrested some, killed many and burnt the bodies," it said, adding the two men were both new fathers. "This news is absolutely horrifying," said chief executive Inger Ashing. "We are shaken by the violence carried out against civilians and our staff, who are dedicated humanitarians, supporting millions of children in need across Myanmar." (With inputs from agencies)

Save the Children confirms death of two staffers in Myanmar massacre

A lone gunman killed four people in a shooting spree in Denver, USA. &nbsp;He also wounded three, including a police officer before being shot down by cops. It is not known what was the motive behind the shooting.

The shooting spree began around 5 pm (local time). Police Chief Paul Pazen said that at this time the shooter killed two women and wounded a man near downtown Denver.

The suspect then fled in a car and fatally shot a man in east Denver's Cheesman Park neighbourhood before opening fire again in a west Denver community where no one was hit, Pazen said. According to Pazen, the suspect twice exchanged gunfire from his vehicle with Denver officers pursuing him, disabling a police cruiser.

From there, the gunman drove into the neighbouring city of Lakewood, where he shot and killed a fourth person inside an unspecified business, according to Lakewood Police spokesman John Romero.

Romero said that the gunman fled from Lakewood police when they attempted to pull him over and engaged in a running gun battle with officers before fleeing on foot and entering a hotel, where he shot and wounded a clerk.

He then shot at police officers again, wounding one of them, before police shot him dead, Romero told reporters. Authorities did not publicly identify the suspect and said circumstances leading to the shooting remained under investigation.

The conditions of the wounded officer and civilians were not immediately known, Romero said.

(With inputs from agencies)

A lone gunman killed four people in a shooting spree in Denver, USA. He also wounded three, including a police officer before being shot down by cops. It is not known what was the motive behind the shooting.

A lone gunman killed four people in a shooting spree in Denver, USA. He also wounded three, including a police officer before being shot down by cops. It is not known what was the motive behind the shooting. The shooting spree began around 5 pm (local time). Police Chief Paul Pazen said that at this time the shooter killed two women and wounded a man near downtown Denver. The suspect then fled in a car and fatally shot a man in east Denver's Cheesman Park neighbourhood before opening fire again in a west Denver community where no one was hit, Pazen said. According to Pazen, the suspect twice exchanged gunfire from his vehicle with Denver officers pursuing him, disabling a police cruiser. From there, the gunman drove into the neighbouring city of Lakewood, where he shot and killed a fourth person inside an unspecified business, according to Lakewood Police spokesman John Romero. Romero said that the gunman fled from Lakewood police when they attempted to pull him over and engaged in a running gun battle with officers before fleeing on foot and entering a hotel, where he shot and wounded a clerk. He then shot at police officers again, wounding one of them, before police shot him dead, Romero told reporters. Authorities did not publicly identify the suspect and said circumstances leading to the shooting remained under investigation. The conditions of the wounded officer and civilians were not immediately known, Romero said. (With inputs from agencies)

Gunman kills four in Denver shooting before being shot dead by police

As rising inflation threatens his presidency, President Joe Biden is turning to the federal government’s antitrust authorities to try to tame red-hot price increases that his administration believes are partly driven by a lack of corporate competition.

Biden has prodded the Agriculture Department to investigate large meatpackers that control a significant share of poultry and pork markets, accusing them of raising prices, underpaying farmers — and tripling their profit margins during the pandemic. As gas prices surged, he publicly encouraged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate accusations that large oil companies had artificially inflated prices, behavior that the administration says continued even after global oil prices began to fall in recent weeks.

The push has extended to little-known agencies, such as the Federal Maritime Commission, which Biden has urged to search for price gouging by large shipping companies at the heart of the supply chain.

The turn to antitrust levers stems from Biden’s belief that rising levels of corporate concentration in the U.S. economy have empowered a few large players in each industry to raise prices higher than a more competitive market would allow.

Corporate culpability for rising prices remains unclear. Inflation is at a 40-year high because of pandemic-related factors such as broken supply chains and high demand for goods from consumers still flush with government-provided cash. But as the price increases have spread across sectors, including food and gasoline, the administration has come under increasing pressure to find ways to respond.

White House officials concede that their antitrust moves are unlikely to reduce costs for U.S. businesses or consumers immediately. The efforts, they say, will be more effective down the road. But the rise of inflation has given the White House an opportunity to take action that Democrats have long encouraged, and that Biden made an early focus of his tenure: using the power of government to break up monopolies and promote economic competition.

In July, before the recent run-up in prices, Biden issued an executive order that included 72 directives for Cabinet and independent agencies to more vigorously enforce antitrust laws and to pursue specific actions to promote competition, such as eliminating noncompete agreements for workers and forcing tech companies such as Apple to allow consumers to repair their own products.

He has also tapped antitrust crusaders for key roles, including Lina Khan to be chair of the FTC, and Jonathan Kanter, an adversary of Facebook and Google, to lead the antitrust division of the Justice Department. Tim Wu, a proponent of breaking up Facebook and other large companies, was brought on as a special White House adviser to Biden on competition issues.

White House officials say fighting inflation was not the initial motivation for Biden’s competition agenda. But, they say, the push has given him some of his most powerful tools to take action against rising prices, and it will play a central role in federal efforts to reduce costs for consumers over the long term.

That role could grow even more prominent if Democrats lose control of the House or Senate in next year’s midterm elections and Biden is forced to rely on executive actions to advance his economic agenda.

The administration’s focus on increasing competition “will spawn more innovation, more disruption, more startup businesses in the U.S.,” said Brian Deese, who heads the White House’s National Economic Council. And, he added, it “will deliver lower prices for Americans right away.”

Biden’s efforts to promote competition and potentially break up large players have rattled big companies and angered prominent industry groups in Washington at a time when businesses are already grappling with supply chain problems, higher input costs and labor shortages.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has accused the Biden administration of interfering with the work of independent agencies even as it threatened litigation against the FTC, an independent consumer protection agency.

Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer for the chamber, said in an interview that the measures would do little to blunt inflation.

“It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of inflation and frankly a poorly dressed-up political argument,” Bradley said, adding that inflation had been very low in the past decade during a period of corporate consolidation. “Did they get soft concentration all of a sudden and in nine months it produced rampant inflation? Of course not.”

Much of the business community concern is aimed at the FTC, which, empowered by Biden’s executive order, has targeted companies without looping in the White House.

An FTC official said the agency was pursuing its own agenda under Khan.

Late last month, the commission ordered nine large retailers, including Walmart, Amazon and Kroger, to turn over detailed information to help root out the sources of supply chain disruptions that were “harming competition in the U.S. economy.”

The demand for documents was news to the White House, which had arranged for Biden to meet that same day with a group of retailers to discuss the administration’s efforts to relieve backlogs at the nation’s ports and to highlight the companies’ promises that their shelves would be well stocked for the holiday season. Among the top executives attending the White House event were officials from Kroger and Walmart.

White House officials say they are pleased with the zeal that federal agencies have shown for Biden’s antitrust efforts. Administration officials say the biggest successes so far include blocking the merger of a large American railroad, Kansas City Southern, with a Canadian counterpart and the merger of two large insurance companies, Aon and Willis Towers Watson, which officials say could both have resulted in higher costs for consumers. They also cite a regulation allowing hearing aids to be sold without prescriptions and the auctioning of some gate slots at Newark Liberty International Airport to low-cost airlines.

More dramatic results could emerge from a Justice Department fight against consolidation in the sugar industry and new efforts by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to require that future federal regulations be evaluated, in part, based on how they might affect competition in regulated industries.

The Agriculture Department has distributed $500 million to help seed new entrants in the meatpacking industries to challenge the small group of corporate giants that dominate it.

The Federal Maritime Commission has investigated the handful of corporate shipping alliances that effectively control the flow of goods across the world’s oceans and that have raised prices as much as ninefold during the pandemic, according to data from freight-tracking firm Freightos. The commission’s analysis determined that market forces — particularly the rising demand for furniture and other items by consumers who have cut down on travel and dining out — are driving the increases, said Daniel Maffei, a former New York congressman who is chair of the commission.

But, Maffei said, the focus on antitrust has given the commission tools and confidence to investigate other abuses by shipping companies, now and in the future, when demand falls and companies might be tempted to try to keep their freight rates artificially high. “I think it has upped our credibility” with companies and discouraged anticompetitive behavior, he said.

Perhaps the administration’s most sustained focus, in the near term, has been on the meat industry. A report from the National Economic Council this month accused the largest meat-processing companies of price gouging to pad profits. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for meat were up 16% in November compared with the same month last year.

“We’re seeing the dominant meat processors use their market power to extract bigger and bigger profit margins for themselves,” the report said. “Businesses that face meaningful competition can’t do that, because they would lose business to a competitor that did not hike its margins.”

The North American Meat Institute, an industry lobbying group, denied the allegations and accused the Biden administration of cherry-picking economic data. It said that the White House was overlooking the record levels of demand for beef, pork and poultry.

“The White House Economic Council is again demonstrating its ignorance of agricultural economics and the fundamentals of supply and demand,” said Julie Anna Potts, president of the meat institute.

The clash between Biden and “Big Meat” has put the spotlight on Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who held the same position for the eight years of the Obama administration. Some agricultural groups criticized Vilsack’s nomination because he had failed to mount an antitrust effort during his previous tenure and instead oversaw an era of consolidation in the farm sector, including the merger of Monsanto and Bayer. After leaving the Obama administration, Vilsack became a dairy industry lobbyist.

Vilsack is now responsible for developing new rules to strengthen a law — the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 — that is intended to protect farmers from anti-competitive practices in the meat industry and to promote ways for consumers to buy directly from farmers. But the rules, which were assigned as part of Biden’s July executive order on competition, have yet to be announced. That has revived suggestions that Vilsack is beholden to big agricultural corporations.

“These markets have been concentrated for a long time,” said Austin Frerick, deputy director of the Thurman Arnold Project at Yale University, which researches competition policy and antitrust enforcement. “He didn’t fix it in his first eight years. Why do we think he’s going to fix it now?”

Kate Waters, a spokesperson for Vilsack, said the agency was working as quickly as possible through the rule-making process. She also noted that Vilsack had deployed economic relief money to bolster capacity at small meat-processing plants, pointing to the agency’s new Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program, which provides loan guarantees to help meat and poultry processors expand capacity.

Progressive groups have pushed the administration to target more industries, such as retail and grocery chains, which they say are also driving up prices and profit margins.

“The Biden administration understands this and knows this,” said Rakeen Mabud, managing director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, a liberal advocacy group in Washington. But, she said, “I would like to see more.”

As rising inflation threatens his presidency, President Joe Biden is turning to the federal government’s antitrust authorities to try to tame red-hot price increases that his administration believes are partly driven by a lack of corporate competition.

As rising inflation threatens his presidency, President Joe Biden is turning to the federal government’s antitrust authorities to try to tame red-hot price increases that his administration believes are partly driven by a lack of corporate competition. Biden has prodded the Agriculture Department to investigate large meatpackers that control a significant share of poultry and pork markets, accusing them of raising prices, underpaying farmers — and tripling their profit margins during the pandemic. As gas prices surged, he publicly encouraged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate accusations that large oil companies had artificially inflated prices, behavior that the administration says continued even after global oil prices began to fall in recent weeks. The push has extended to little-known agencies, such as the Federal Maritime Commission, which Biden has urged to search for price gouging by large shipping companies at the heart of the supply chain. The turn to antitrust levers stems from Biden’s belief that rising levels of corporate concentration in the U.S. economy have empowered a few large players in each industry to raise prices higher than a more competitive market would allow. Corporate culpability for rising prices remains unclear. Inflation is at a 40-year high because of pandemic-related factors such as broken supply chains and high demand for goods from consumers still flush with government-provided cash. But as the price increases have spread across sectors, including food and gasoline, the administration has come under increasing pressure to find ways to respond. White House officials concede that their antitrust moves are unlikely to reduce costs for U.S. businesses or consumers immediately. The efforts, they say, will be more effective down the road. But the rise of inflation has given the White House an opportunity to take action that Democrats have long encouraged, and that Biden made an early focus of his tenure: using the power of government to break up monopolies and promote economic competition. In July, before the recent run-up in prices, Biden issued an executive order that included 72 directives for Cabinet and independent agencies to more vigorously enforce antitrust laws and to pursue specific actions to promote competition, such as eliminating noncompete agreements for workers and forcing tech companies such as Apple to allow consumers to repair their own products. He has also tapped antitrust crusaders for key roles, including Lina Khan to be chair of the FTC, and Jonathan Kanter, an adversary of Facebook and Google, to lead the antitrust division of the Justice Department. Tim Wu, a proponent of breaking up Facebook and other large companies, was brought on as a special White House adviser to Biden on competition issues. White House officials say fighting inflation was not the initial motivation for Biden’s competition agenda. But, they say, the push has given him some of his most powerful tools to take action against rising prices, and it will play a central role in federal efforts to reduce costs for consumers over the long term. That role could grow even more prominent if Democrats lose control of the House or Senate in next year’s midterm elections and Biden is forced to rely on executive actions to advance his economic agenda. The administration’s focus on increasing competition “will spawn more innovation, more disruption, more startup businesses in the U.S.,” said Brian Deese, who heads the White House’s National Economic Council. And, he added, it “will deliver lower prices for Americans right away.” Biden’s efforts to promote competition and potentially break up large players have rattled big companies and angered prominent industry groups in Washington at a time when businesses are already grappling with supply chain problems, higher input costs and labor shortages. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has accused the Biden administration of interfering with the work of independent agencies even as it threatened litigation against the FTC, an independent consumer protection agency. Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer for the chamber, said in an interview that the measures would do little to blunt inflation. “It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of inflation and frankly a poorly dressed-up political argument,” Bradley said, adding that inflation had been very low in the past decade during a period of corporate consolidation. “Did they get soft concentration all of a sudden and in nine months it produced rampant inflation? Of course not.” Much of the business community concern is aimed at the FTC, which, empowered by Biden’s executive order, has targeted companies without looping in the White House. An FTC official said the agency was pursuing its own agenda under Khan. Late last month, the commission ordered nine large retailers, including Walmart, Amazon and Kroger, to turn over detailed information to help root out the sources of supply chain disruptions that were “harming competition in the U.S. economy.” The demand for documents was news to the White House, which had arranged for Biden to meet that same day with a group of retailers to discuss the administration’s efforts to relieve backlogs at the nation’s ports and to highlight the companies’ promises that their shelves would be well stocked for the holiday season. Among the top executives attending the White House event were officials from Kroger and Walmart. White House officials say they are pleased with the zeal that federal agencies have shown for Biden’s antitrust efforts. Administration officials say the biggest successes so far include blocking the merger of a large American railroad, Kansas City Southern, with a Canadian counterpart and the merger of two large insurance companies, Aon and Willis Towers Watson, which officials say could both have resulted in higher costs for consumers. They also cite a regulation allowing hearing aids to be sold without prescriptions and the auctioning of some gate slots at Newark Liberty International Airport to low-cost airlines. More dramatic results could emerge from a Justice Department fight against consolidation in the sugar industry and new efforts by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to require that future federal regulations be evaluated, in part, based on how they might affect competition in regulated industries. The Agriculture Department has distributed $500 million to help seed new entrants in the meatpacking industries to challenge the small group of corporate giants that dominate it. The Federal Maritime Commission has investigated the handful of corporate shipping alliances that effectively control the flow of goods across the world’s oceans and that have raised prices as much as ninefold during the pandemic, according to data from freight-tracking firm Freightos. The commission’s analysis determined that market forces — particularly the rising demand for furniture and other items by consumers who have cut down on travel and dining out — are driving the increases, said Daniel Maffei, a former New York congressman who is chair of the commission. But, Maffei said, the focus on antitrust has given the commission tools and confidence to investigate other abuses by shipping companies, now and in the future, when demand falls and companies might be tempted to try to keep their freight rates artificially high. “I think it has upped our credibility” with companies and discouraged anticompetitive behavior, he said. Perhaps the administration’s most sustained focus, in the near term, has been on the meat industry. A report from the National Economic Council this month accused the largest meat-processing companies of price gouging to pad profits. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for meat were up 16% in November compared with the same month last year. “We’re seeing the dominant meat processors use their market power to extract bigger and bigger profit margins for themselves,” the report said. “Businesses that face meaningful competition can’t do that, because they would lose business to a competitor that did not hike its margins.” The North American Meat Institute, an industry lobbying group, denied the allegations and accused the Biden administration of cherry-picking economic data. It said that the White House was overlooking the record levels of demand for beef, pork and poultry. “The White House Economic Council is again demonstrating its ignorance of agricultural economics and the fundamentals of supply and demand,” said Julie Anna Potts, president of the meat institute. The clash between Biden and “Big Meat” has put the spotlight on Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who held the same position for the eight years of the Obama administration. Some agricultural groups criticized Vilsack’s nomination because he had failed to mount an antitrust effort during his previous tenure and instead oversaw an era of consolidation in the farm sector, including the merger of Monsanto and Bayer. After leaving the Obama administration, Vilsack became a dairy industry lobbyist. Vilsack is now responsible for developing new rules to strengthen a law — the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 — that is intended to protect farmers from anti-competitive practices in the meat industry and to promote ways for consumers to buy directly from farmers. But the rules, which were assigned as part of Biden’s July executive order on competition, have yet to be announced. That has revived suggestions that Vilsack is beholden to big agricultural corporations. “These markets have been concentrated for a long time,” said Austin Frerick, deputy director of the Thurman Arnold Project at Yale University, which researches competition policy and antitrust enforcement. “He didn’t fix it in his first eight years. Why do we think he’s going to fix it now?” Kate Waters, a spokesperson for Vilsack, said the agency was working as quickly as possible through the rule-making process. She also noted that Vilsack had deployed economic relief money to bolster capacity at small meat-processing plants, pointing to the agency’s new Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program, which provides loan guarantees to help meat and poultry processors expand capacity. Progressive groups have pushed the administration to target more industries, such as retail and grocery chains, which they say are also driving up prices and profit margins. “The Biden administration understands this and knows this,” said Rakeen Mabud, managing director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, a liberal advocacy group in Washington. But, she said, “I would like to see more.”

As prices rise, Biden turns to antitrust enforcers

Iraqi top court ratified the countries parliamentary election results. The elections were held in October. The court rejected complaints of irregularities filed by pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi, former paramilitary alliance

The court ruling has now paved way for the parliament to meet and elect a president who will, in turn, appoint a prime minister. The prime minister will then form a new government.

Iraq is trying to recover from years of war and jihadist violence but remains hobbled by political divisions, corruption and poverty.

The ratification follows a delay of more than two months since the October 10 legislative polls won by Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, a political maverick and former anti-US militia leader who opposes all foreign interference.

Sadr's movement won more than a fifth of the seats -- 73 out of the assembly's total 329, well ahead of the 17 seats of the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance, the political arm of the pro-Iran Hashed.

That was sharply down from the Alliance's 48 seats in the outgoing assembly. Hashed leaders rejected the result as a "fraud".

They took their case to court seeking "to have the results annulled" because of "serious violations", their lawyer said earlier in December when the hearing began.

Judge Jassem Mohamed Aboud of the Federal Supreme Court on Monday said the tribunal "rejects the request of the plaintiffs... not to ratify the final results of the election".

He declared the judgment "binding on all authorities".

Later the court media officer announced that the body "has ratified the results of the legislative elections".

(With inputs from agencies)

Iraqi top court ratified the countries parliamentary election results. The elections were held in October. The court rejected complaints of irregularities filed by pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi, former paramilitary alliance The court ruling has now paved way for the parliament to meet and elect a president who will, in turn, appoint a prime minister.

Iraqi top court ratified the countries parliamentary election results. The elections were held in October. The court rejected complaints of irregularities filed by pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi, former paramilitary alliance The court ruling has now paved way for the parliament to meet and elect a president who will, in turn, appoint a prime minister. The prime minister will then form a new government. Iraq is trying to recover from years of war and jihadist violence but remains hobbled by political divisions, corruption and poverty. The ratification follows a delay of more than two months since the October 10 legislative polls won by Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, a political maverick and former anti-US militia leader who opposes all foreign interference. Sadr's movement won more than a fifth of the seats -- 73 out of the assembly's total 329, well ahead of the 17 seats of the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance, the political arm of the pro-Iran Hashed. That was sharply down from the Alliance's 48 seats in the outgoing assembly. Hashed leaders rejected the result as a "fraud". They took their case to court seeking "to have the results annulled" because of "serious violations", their lawyer said earlier in December when the hearing began. Judge Jassem Mohamed Aboud of the Federal Supreme Court on Monday said the tribunal "rejects the request of the plaintiffs... not to ratify the final results of the election". He declared the judgment "binding on all authorities". Later the court media officer announced that the body "has ratified the results of the legislative elections". (With inputs from agencies)

Iraqi top court ratifies election results, rejects fraud claims

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russian diplomats, along with military officials will take part in talks with the US next month. He said that talks will focus on list of security guarantees that Russia wants from the US. Lavrov made the comments in an interview. It was livestreamed on his ministry's website.

Lavrov said that the talks would take place immediately after Russia's new year holidays. January 10 is the first official day of working in new year in Russia.

West is alarmed over Russia's buildup of troops along Ukraine border. Though Russia says it will not invade Ukraine, it is constantly saying that it is facing threat from its neighbour. This is perceived by many as Russian attempts to create a pretext for inavsion.

Russia is fiercely opposed to Ukraine's inclusion in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated this stance in media interaction few days ago.

On Sunday, it was reported by Russia's Tass news agency that the country was considering a proposal for dialogue it received from NATO. This proposal is separate from any that may pertain to Russian talks with the US. As per the report, NATO proposal suggested that the talks begin on January 12.

Last week, Russia unveiled its wish list of security proposals. The list includes demand that NATO give up any military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine.

The United States, the European Union and the Group of Seven have all warned Putin that he will face "massive consequences" including tough economic sanctions in the event of any new Russian aggression.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russian diplomats, along with military officials will take part in talks with the US next month. He said that talks will focus on list of security guarantees that Russia wants from the US.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russian diplomats, along with military officials will take part in talks with the US next month. He said that talks will focus on list of security guarantees that Russia wants from the US. Lavrov made the comments in an interview. It was livestreamed on his ministry's website. Lavrov said that the talks would take place immediately after Russia's new year holidays. January 10 is the first official day of working in new year in Russia. West is alarmed over Russia's buildup of troops along Ukraine border. Though Russia says it will not invade Ukraine, it is constantly saying that it is facing threat from its neighbour. This is perceived by many as Russian attempts to create a pretext for inavsion. Russia is fiercely opposed to Ukraine's inclusion in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated this stance in media interaction few days ago. On Sunday, it was reported by Russia's Tass news agency that the country was considering a proposal for dialogue it received from NATO. This proposal is separate from any that may pertain to Russian talks with the US. As per the report, NATO proposal suggested that the talks begin on January 12. Last week, Russia unveiled its wish list of security proposals. The list includes demand that NATO give up any military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine. The United States, the European Union and the Group of Seven have all warned Putin that he will face "massive consequences" including tough economic sanctions in the event of any new Russian aggression. (With inputs from agencies)

US-Russia talks to begin next month: Lavrov

The National Space and Aeronautics Administration (NASA) is enlisting help of 24 theologians as part of its efforts to determine how different religions around the world would react to contact with aliens, reported Technotrendz. A reverend is already working with NASA.

Rev Dr Andrew Davison, a British priest and theologist at Cambridge University has a degree in Biochemistry. Next year, he is releasing his book on the subject. In his book he is going to raise questions that ask how will discovery of life affect beliefs of religious people across the world.

Search for alien life has been a matter of fascination for humankind for centuries. As tools of modern science became more and more available, scientists have cast an informed gaze at the universe in search of alien life.&nbsp;

There are several candidates in our solar system itself. Scientists think that Europa, the icy moon of planet Jupiter has liquid oceans under its surface that may support life. Scientists also think that microbes exist in clouds of Venus.

Humanity is soon to get fresh 'eyes' in the sky. James Webb space telescope was launched on December 26. This will be humanity's main space telescope over the ageing Hubble space telescope. We will soon be able to see corners of universe that were unobservable to us before this. Will we find an alien spaceship flying in deep space? Time will soon tell.

The National Space and Aeronautics Administration (NASA) is enlisting help of 24 theologians as part of its efforts to determine how different religions around the world would react to contact with aliens, reported Technotrendz.

The National Space and Aeronautics Administration (NASA) is enlisting help of 24 theologians as part of its efforts to determine how different religions around the world would react to contact with aliens, reported Technotrendz. A reverend is already working with NASA. Rev Dr Andrew Davison, a British priest and theologist at Cambridge University has a degree in Biochemistry. Next year, he is releasing his book on the subject. In his book he is going to raise questions that ask how will discovery of life affect beliefs of religious people across the world. Search for alien life has been a matter of fascination for humankind for centuries. As tools of modern science became more and more available, scientists have cast an informed gaze at the universe in search of alien life. There are several candidates in our solar system itself. Scientists think that Europa, the icy moon of planet Jupiter has liquid oceans under its surface that may support life. Scientists also think that microbes exist in clouds of Venus. Humanity is soon to get fresh 'eyes' in the sky. James Webb space telescope was launched on December 26. This will be humanity's main space telescope over the ageing Hubble space telescope. We will soon be able to see corners of universe that were unobservable to us before this. Will we find an alien spaceship flying in deep space? Time will soon tell.

NASA is hiring priests to prepare humans for contact with aliens

Iran on Monday said that focus of the talks to revive 2015 nuclear deal should be lifting sanctions on the Islamic republic and 'guarantees' that the US will re-enter the deal. The talks are set to resume.

The negotiations have been on to salvage the deal in late November after a five-month hiatus following the election of ultraconservative Iran President Ebrahim Raisi.

The historic nuclear deal with Iran and world powers was reached in 2015. But former US president Donald Trump who took office after Barack Obama, unilaterally took the US out of the deal putting in jeopardy its future. The withdrawal of US was followed by crippling sanctions on Iran.

Iran has reported progress in the talks, but European diplomats have warned they are "rapidly reaching the end of the road".

US negotiator Rob Malley has said there are only "weeks" left to revive the deal, if the Islamic republic continues its current pace of nuclear activities.

The talks are expected to get underway in the Austrian capital at 6:00 pm (1700 GMT), according to a source close to the negotiations.

Ahead of the resumption, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the agenda on Monday should be "the issue of guarantees and verification" on the lifting of US sanctions if it returns to the accord.

"The most important thing for us is to reach a point where we can verify that Iranian oil will be sold easily and without any limits, that the money for this oil will be transferred in foreign currency to Iranian bank accounts, and that we will be able to benefit from all the revenues," he said, quoted on Monday by state news agency IRNA.

The opening of the eighth round of the talks involves delegations from Iran and the other countries that remain party to the landmark accord -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

The multilateral nuclear deal reached in 2015 offered Iran a lifting of economic sanctions in return for strict curbs on its nuclear activities.

The goal was to make it practically impossible for Iran to build an atomic bomb, while allowing it to pursue a civilian nuclear programme.

US President Joe Biden has said he is willing to return to the deal as long as Iran also resumes the original terms.

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran on Monday said that focus of the talks to revive 2015 nuclear deal should be lifting sanctions on the Islamic republic and 'guarantees' that the US will re-enter the deal.

Iran on Monday said that focus of the talks to revive 2015 nuclear deal should be lifting sanctions on the Islamic republic and 'guarantees' that the US will re-enter the deal. The talks are set to resume. The negotiations have been on to salvage the deal in late November after a five-month hiatus following the election of ultraconservative Iran President Ebrahim Raisi. The historic nuclear deal with Iran and world powers was reached in 2015. But former US president Donald Trump who took office after Barack Obama, unilaterally took the US out of the deal putting in jeopardy its future. The withdrawal of US was followed by crippling sanctions on Iran. Iran has reported progress in the talks, but European diplomats have warned they are "rapidly reaching the end of the road". US negotiator Rob Malley has said there are only "weeks" left to revive the deal, if the Islamic republic continues its current pace of nuclear activities. The talks are expected to get underway in the Austrian capital at 6:00 pm (1700 GMT), according to a source close to the negotiations. Ahead of the resumption, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the agenda on Monday should be "the issue of guarantees and verification" on the lifting of US sanctions if it returns to the accord. "The most important thing for us is to reach a point where we can verify that Iranian oil will be sold easily and without any limits, that the money for this oil will be transferred in foreign currency to Iranian bank accounts, and that we will be able to benefit from all the revenues," he said, quoted on Monday by state news agency IRNA. The opening of the eighth round of the talks involves delegations from Iran and the other countries that remain party to the landmark accord -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. The multilateral nuclear deal reached in 2015 offered Iran a lifting of economic sanctions in return for strict curbs on its nuclear activities. The goal was to make it practically impossible for Iran to build an atomic bomb, while allowing it to pursue a civilian nuclear programme. US President Joe Biden has said he is willing to return to the deal as long as Iran also resumes the original terms. (With inputs from agencies)

As talks to salvage nuclear deal resume, Iran wants assurances

In latest tightening of rules, Chinese regulator National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said that domestic companies from sector off-limits to foreign direct investment (FDI) would have to seek permission before listing shares outside mainland. The new rules would apply to internet news companies and others in sectors in which FDI is restricted or prohibitted.

The NDRC announced the new rules on Monday in a statement. The statement also included an updated annual "Foreign Investment Negative List" that outlines business sectors where foreign direct investment is banned or restricted.

The new rules now apply that list to companies issuing shares overseas for the first time, and come as China is tightening scrutiny over offshore share sales.

Chinese companies in sectors prohibited for foreign investment "should get clearance from relevant Chinese regulatory bodies, if they seek share sales and list in overseas markets," the NDRC said, plugging a regulatory loophole.

In addition, "foreign investors must not participate in the operation and management of the companies" and their holdings are to be capped at 30%, in line with the rules regulating locally-listed companies.

The latest Negative List includes prohibited sectors such as compulsory education institutions, news organizations and rare earth minerals.

Additionally, overseas investment in industries ranging from publishing, nuclear power stations and telecom is restricted.

Many Chinese companies use a so-called variable interest entity (VIE) structure to float overseas, skirting the foreign investment restrictions in areas such as media and education. read more

The NDRC statement comes just days after China's securities regulator published draft rules requiring filings by companies seeking offshore listings to ensure they comply with Chinese laws and regulations. read more

Under the new filing system, VIE-structured companies will still be allowed to list as long as they are compliant.

"The NDRC statement goes hand in hand with the filing system," and will likely restrict the use of VIEs, said Zhan Kai, a lawyer at East &amp; Concord Partners. Kai was quoted by Reuters

However, China's Ministry of Commerce framed the new rules as a gesture of policy relaxation.

"China is exploring ways to allow companies in sectors off-limits to foreign investment to list overseas under certain conditions, expanding investment channels for foreign investors," the ministry said in a separate statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

In latest tightening of rules, Chinese regulator National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said that domestic companies from sector off-limits to foreign direct investment (FDI) would have to seek permission before listing shares outside mainland.

In latest tightening of rules, Chinese regulator National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said that domestic companies from sector off-limits to foreign direct investment (FDI) would have to seek permission before listing shares outside mainland. The new rules would apply to internet news companies and others in sectors in which FDI is restricted or prohibitted. The NDRC announced the new rules on Monday in a statement. The statement also included an updated annual "Foreign Investment Negative List" that outlines business sectors where foreign direct investment is banned or restricted. The new rules now apply that list to companies issuing shares overseas for the first time, and come as China is tightening scrutiny over offshore share sales. Chinese companies in sectors prohibited for foreign investment "should get clearance from relevant Chinese regulatory bodies, if they seek share sales and list in overseas markets," the NDRC said, plugging a regulatory loophole. In addition, "foreign investors must not participate in the operation and management of the companies" and their holdings are to be capped at 30%, in line with the rules regulating locally-listed companies. The latest Negative List includes prohibited sectors such as compulsory education institutions, news organizations and rare earth minerals. Additionally, overseas investment in industries ranging from publishing, nuclear power stations and telecom is restricted. Many Chinese companies use a so-called variable interest entity (VIE) structure to float overseas, skirting the foreign investment restrictions in areas such as media and education. read more The NDRC statement comes just days after China's securities regulator published draft rules requiring filings by companies seeking offshore listings to ensure they comply with Chinese laws and regulations. read more Under the new filing system, VIE-structured companies will still be allowed to list as long as they are compliant. "The NDRC statement goes hand in hand with the filing system," and will likely restrict the use of VIEs, said Zhan Kai, a lawyer at East & Concord Partners. Kai was quoted by Reuters However, China's Ministry of Commerce framed the new rules as a gesture of policy relaxation. "China is exploring ways to allow companies in sectors off-limits to foreign investment to list overseas under certain conditions, expanding investment channels for foreign investors," the ministry said in a separate statement. (With inputs from agencies)

China: Companies in certain sectors to need permission before offshore listing

The national capital on Monday reported 331 new cases of COVID-19, which is the highest single-day spike since the last six months.On June 6, the capital city reported 331 COVID-19 cases. Moreover, the positivity rate in the city moved up to 0.68 per cent which is the highest since the last six months.&nbsp;

On June 2, the positivity rate was 0.78 per cent. The total cases in Delhi increased to 14,43,683 with a cumulative positivity rate of 4.45 per cent. Active cases are 1,289 in the city. The total discharges from this virus stood at 14,17,288 including 144 fresh discharges.&nbsp;

However, the city reported one new fatality from this virus thereby increasing the death toll to 25106. Moreover, the case fatality rate is at 1.74 per cent. Further, 32,116 beneficiaries were vaccinated in the last 24 hours. With this, the cumulative COVID-19 vaccinations administered in the city are 2,55,89,731.&nbsp;

Moreover, to prevent the spread of the virus, there are as many as 310 total Containment Zones as on date.As Delhi continues to witness a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, a night curfew has been imposed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led government in the national capital from Monday.The curfew will be imposed from 11 pm to 5 am

The national capital on Monday reported 331 new cases of COVID-19, which is the highest single-day spike since the last six months.On June 6, the capital city reported 331 COVID-19 cases.

The national capital on Monday reported 331 new cases of COVID-19, which is the highest single-day spike since the last six months.On June 6, the capital city reported 331 COVID-19 cases. Moreover, the positivity rate in the city moved up to 0.68 per cent which is the highest since the last six months. On June 2, the positivity rate was 0.78 per cent. The total cases in Delhi increased to 14,43,683 with a cumulative positivity rate of 4.45 per cent. Active cases are 1,289 in the city. The total discharges from this virus stood at 14,17,288 including 144 fresh discharges. However, the city reported one new fatality from this virus thereby increasing the death toll to 25106. Moreover, the case fatality rate is at 1.74 per cent. Further, 32,116 beneficiaries were vaccinated in the last 24 hours. With this, the cumulative COVID-19 vaccinations administered in the city are 2,55,89,731. Moreover, to prevent the spread of the virus, there are as many as 310 total Containment Zones as on date.As Delhi continues to witness a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, a night curfew has been imposed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led government in the national capital from Monday.The curfew will be imposed from 11 pm to 5 am

Delhi reports 331 new COVID-19 cases, highest single day spike in last 6 months

Death toll in the Philippines due to powerful Typhoon Rai has increased to 389, a government disaster agency was quoted as saying on Monday. 64 people are missing.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that the typhoon, which made landfall in the Philippines on December 16, also injured 1,146 people, reports Xinhua news agency.

As per NDDRRMC, 4.2 million people in 11 Philippine regions had been affected due to the typhoon. Philippines' main Luzon island was affected as well. Typhoon Rai is 15th and most powerful typhoon to have hit the Philippines this year.

Xinhua said that nearly 315,000 of more than 570,000 displaced people are temporarily housed in 1,179 evacuation centres.

More than 500,000 houses were destroyed. Agricultural infrastructure of more than USD 440 million has been damaged so far.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told an online briefing that the typhoon damaged 141 health facilities, including hospitals, in five areas hit hard by the storm.

The Department of Health (DOH) has monitored food and water-borne diseases like diarrhoea and acute gastroenteritis in typhoon-hit areas.

Some patients were taken to hospitals.

Vergeire urged the evacuees to follow ways to avoid infections amid the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that it is imperative to watch for evacuees with coronavirus symptoms, and make separate rooms for the vulnerable such as the elderly.

She said that the typhoon has also affected 62 testing laboratories for Covid-19 and wasted thousands of doses of vaccines due to power outages.

The government continues to bring aid to the affected areas, including food, drinking water, while restoring damaged roads, telecommunications and houses.

(With inputs from agencies)

Death toll in the Philippines due to powerful Typhoon Rai has increased to 389, a government disaster agency was quoted as saying on Monday. 64 people are missing.

Death toll in the Philippines due to powerful Typhoon Rai has increased to 389, a government disaster agency was quoted as saying on Monday. 64 people are missing. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that the typhoon, which made landfall in the Philippines on December 16, also injured 1,146 people, reports Xinhua news agency. As per NDDRRMC, 4.2 million people in 11 Philippine regions had been affected due to the typhoon. Philippines' main Luzon island was affected as well. Typhoon Rai is 15th and most powerful typhoon to have hit the Philippines this year. Xinhua said that nearly 315,000 of more than 570,000 displaced people are temporarily housed in 1,179 evacuation centres. More than 500,000 houses were destroyed. Agricultural infrastructure of more than USD 440 million has been damaged so far. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told an online briefing that the typhoon damaged 141 health facilities, including hospitals, in five areas hit hard by the storm. The Department of Health (DOH) has monitored food and water-borne diseases like diarrhoea and acute gastroenteritis in typhoon-hit areas. Some patients were taken to hospitals. Vergeire urged the evacuees to follow ways to avoid infections amid the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that it is imperative to watch for evacuees with coronavirus symptoms, and make separate rooms for the vulnerable such as the elderly. She said that the typhoon has also affected 62 testing laboratories for Covid-19 and wasted thousands of doses of vaccines due to power outages. The government continues to bring aid to the affected areas, including food, drinking water, while restoring damaged roads, telecommunications and houses. (With inputs from agencies)

Philippines: Typhoon Rai death toll increases to 389

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