A major avenue for global money laundering and tax evasion in the United States has been closed off, courtesy a new law requiring disclosure of owners of shell companies used to hide billions of dollars.

The Corporate Transparency Act was included in the US defence appropriations bill passed into law by Congress late Friday, overriding President Donald Trump's veto.

The law forces "beneficial owners" behind shell companies to report their identities to the US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN.

This is being considered as a huge step against kleptocrats, organised crime and rich tax evaders who have been able to anonymously wash their suspect wealth through the world's largest economy.

The United Nations estimates that $800 billion to $2 trillion is laundered through the global financial system every years.

While much of the attention on has focussed on tax havens like Panama and the Cayman Islands, experts say that the size of the US economy, and its ability to absorb billions of dollars without notice, has made it crucial for converting illicit funds into legitimate assets.

In early 2020, the Tax Justice Network ranked the Cayman Islands and the United States as the global leaders in helping people conceal their finances from law and tax enforcement.&nbsp;

To this end, Gary Kalman, the US director of Transparency International, said money has flowed into the United States from China and Russia because it was the easiest place to launder it, through properties, corporate assets, securities and art.

By forcing company owners to divulge their identities, he said, the US is establishing a "global norm" for the world's financial system.

The legislation sets penalties for not reporting a company's beneficial owners of up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

FACT said the law could result in a sharp drop in all-cash business transactions, especially in real estate, a favoured way for outsiders to move large sums into the US economy.

FACT also says that anonymous companies underpin trade in counterfeit luxury goods, pharmaceuticals and industrial equipment.

(with inputs)

A major avenue for global money laundering and tax evasion in the United States has been closed off, courtesy a new law requiring disclosure of owners of shell companies used to hide billions of dollars.

A major avenue for global money laundering and tax evasion in the United States has been closed off, courtesy a new law requiring disclosure of owners of shell companies used to hide billions of dollars. The Corporate Transparency Act was included in the US defence appropriations bill passed into law by Congress late Friday, overriding President Donald Trump's veto. The law forces "beneficial owners" behind shell companies to report their identities to the US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN. This is being considered as a huge step against kleptocrats, organised crime and rich tax evaders who have been able to anonymously wash their suspect wealth through the world's largest economy. The United Nations estimates that $800 billion to $2 trillion is laundered through the global financial system every years. While much of the attention on has focussed on tax havens like Panama and the Cayman Islands, experts say that the size of the US economy, and its ability to absorb billions of dollars without notice, has made it crucial for converting illicit funds into legitimate assets. In early 2020, the Tax Justice Network ranked the Cayman Islands and the United States as the global leaders in helping people conceal their finances from law and tax enforcement. To this end, Gary Kalman, the US director of Transparency International, said money has flowed into the United States from China and Russia because it was the easiest place to launder it, through properties, corporate assets, securities and art. By forcing company owners to divulge their identities, he said, the US is establishing a "global norm" for the world's financial system. The legislation sets penalties for not reporting a company's beneficial owners of up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine. FACT said the law could result in a sharp drop in all-cash business transactions, especially in real estate, a favoured way for outsiders to move large sums into the US economy. FACT also says that anonymous companies underpin trade in counterfeit luxury goods, pharmaceuticals and industrial equipment. (with inputs)

Key money-laundering channel in US shut down by new law

A boat carrying 20 people has disappeared between the Bahamas and Florida.

The US Coast Guard had been searching for the missing boat for three days before finally announcing it was missing on Saturday.

The boat, which left the island of Bimini on Monday, was due to dock at Lake Worth in the southern US state, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) away.

On Tuesday, the Coast Guard was alerted that the boat never arrived at port, according to a statement.

For the next three days, teams from both countries conducted a joint aerial and maritime search over about 17,000 square miles (44,000 square kilometers), but efforts were suspended on Friday.

A boat carrying 20 people has disappeared between the Bahamas and Florida. The US Coast Guard had been searching for the missing boat for three days before finally announcing it was missing on Saturday.

A boat carrying 20 people has disappeared between the Bahamas and Florida. The US Coast Guard had been searching for the missing boat for three days before finally announcing it was missing on Saturday. The boat, which left the island of Bimini on Monday, was due to dock at Lake Worth in the southern US state, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) away. On Tuesday, the Coast Guard was alerted that the boat never arrived at port, according to a statement. For the next three days, teams from both countries conducted a joint aerial and maritime search over about 17,000 square miles (44,000 square kilometers), but efforts were suspended on Friday.

Boat with 20 aboard disappears between the US and Bahamas

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Saturday accused Israel of trying to provoke a war. He said that &nbsp;Israel may try to do so by planning attacks on US forces in Iraq.

"New intelligence from Iraq indicate that Israeli agent-provocateurs are plotting attacks against Americans — putting an outgoing (President Donald) Trump in a bind with a fake casus belli (act justifying war)," tweeted Zarif.

"Be careful of a trap, @realDonaldTrump. Any fireworks will backfire badly," Zarif wrote.

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New intelligence from Iraq indicate that Israeli agent-provocateurs are plotting attacks against Americans—putting an outgoing Trump in a bind with a fake casus belli. 
 
Be careful of a trap, <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>. Any fireworks will backfire badly, particularly against your same BFFs.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) <a href="https://twitter.com/JZarif/status/1345370089063915523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

A lot of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-iran-beef-up-military-activity-in-gulf-ahead-of-soleimanis-first-death-anniversary-354027">muscle-flexing was observed from Iran</a> on January 2, 2021, just a day before completion of one year to assassination of&nbsp;top Iran commander Qassem Soleimani. On January 3, 2020 Soleimani was killed in US drone attack in Baghdad.

On Saturday, Iran Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami vowed to respond any "action the enemy takes". He was visiting a strategic gulf island.

"We are here today to evaluate and be assured of our powerful capabilities at sea and against enemies who sometimes boast... and threaten," Salami said, according to the Guards' official website Sepahnews.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-plans-to-enrich-uranium-to-up-to-20-per-cent-conveys-iaea-354043">Iran plans to enrich uranium to up to 20 per cent, conveys IAEA</a>

Salami inspected troops stationed on Abu Musa island, accompanied by the Revolutionary Guard Corps navy commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri.

"We would respond with a reciprocal, decisive and strong blow to whatever action the enemy would take against us," Salami warned.

Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands are located in the Gulf near the entrance to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes.&nbsp;

(With AFP inputs)

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Saturday accused Israel of trying to provoke a war. He said that Israel may try to do so by planning attacks on US forces in Iraq.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Saturday accused Israel of trying to provoke a war. He said that Israel may try to do so by planning attacks on US forces in Iraq. "New intelligence from Iraq indicate that Israeli agent-provocateurs are plotting attacks against Americans — putting an outgoing (President Donald) Trump in a bind with a fake casus belli (act justifying war)," tweeted Zarif. "Be careful of a trap, @realDonaldTrump. Any fireworks will backfire badly," Zarif wrote. New intelligence from Iraq indicate that Israeli agent-provocateurs are plotting attacks against Americans—putting an outgoing Trump in a bind with a fake casus belli. Be careful of a trap, @realDonaldTrump. Any fireworks will backfire badly, particularly against your same BFFs. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 2, 2021 × A lot of muscle-flexing was observed from Iran on January 2, 2021, just a day before completion of one year to assassination of top Iran commander Qassem Soleimani. On January 3, 2020 Soleimani was killed in US drone attack in Baghdad. On Saturday, Iran Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami vowed to respond any "action the enemy takes". He was visiting a strategic gulf island. "We are here today to evaluate and be assured of our powerful capabilities at sea and against enemies who sometimes boast... and threaten," Salami said, according to the Guards' official website Sepahnews. Also Read | Iran plans to enrich uranium to up to 20 per cent, conveys IAEA Salami inspected troops stationed on Abu Musa island, accompanied by the Revolutionary Guard Corps navy commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri. "We would respond with a reciprocal, decisive and strong blow to whatever action the enemy would take against us," Salami warned. Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands are located in the Gulf near the entrance to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes. (With AFP inputs)

Be careful of trap, Israel may provoke war with attacks on US forces: Iran to Trump

The United States and Iran have ratcheted up military activity in the Middle-East ahead of the first death anniversary of slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.&nbsp;

According to a report in CNN, Iran has increased its maritime presence in the Persian Gulf in the last two days and is also moving short-range ballistic missiles into neighbouring Iraq.

This comes a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused the Trump administration of fabricating a reason to start a war with Iran -- and less than three weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

The US has repeatedly blamed rocket attacks on its embassy in Iraq's highly fortified Green Zone on Iranian proxies.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump, who reportedly asked for military options to deal with Iran in November, tweeted last week that he would "hold Iran responsible" should any Americans be killed.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, to this end, charged Thursday that Trump is creating a pretext for war.

All this is playing out as Biden prepares to enact his own policies after his January 20 inauguration.&nbsp;

The President-elect, he said, wants to ease Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, resume engagement and return to the Iran nuclear deal.

The relations between the two countries soured after the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018. The US killing Qassem Solaimani in a drone strike last year in January added fuel to the fire.

Tehran then attacked two American bases in Iraq a few days later.

Iran on December 31 had appealed to the United Nations Security Council to stop the US from conducting military activities in the Middle-East after reports emerged that Washington had sent bombers and aircraft carriers to the Gulf.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Soleimani's successor on Friday marked the death of the former Quds Force commander's death by pledging that "those who took part in this assassination and crime will not be safe on earth."

The United States and Iran have ratcheted up military activity in the Middle-East ahead of the first death anniversary of slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

The United States and Iran have ratcheted up military activity in the Middle-East ahead of the first death anniversary of slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. According to a report in CNN, Iran has increased its maritime presence in the Persian Gulf in the last two days and is also moving short-range ballistic missiles into neighbouring Iraq. This comes a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused the Trump administration of fabricating a reason to start a war with Iran -- and less than three weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. The US has repeatedly blamed rocket attacks on its embassy in Iraq's highly fortified Green Zone on Iranian proxies. US President Donald Trump, who reportedly asked for military options to deal with Iran in November, tweeted last week that he would "hold Iran responsible" should any Americans be killed. Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, to this end, charged Thursday that Trump is creating a pretext for war. All this is playing out as Biden prepares to enact his own policies after his January 20 inauguration. The President-elect, he said, wants to ease Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, resume engagement and return to the Iran nuclear deal. The relations between the two countries soured after the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018. The US killing Qassem Solaimani in a drone strike last year in January added fuel to the fire. Tehran then attacked two American bases in Iraq a few days later. Iran on December 31 had appealed to the United Nations Security Council to stop the US from conducting military activities in the Middle-East after reports emerged that Washington had sent bombers and aircraft carriers to the Gulf. Meanwhile, Soleimani's successor on Friday marked the death of the former Quds Force commander's death by pledging that "those who took part in this assassination and crime will not be safe on earth."

US, Iran beef up military activity in Gulf ahead of Soleimani's first death anniversary

China's relationship with the United States has reached a "new crossroads" and could get back on the right track following a period of "unprecedented difficulty", senior diplomat Wang Yi said in official comments published on Saturday.

Relations between the world's two biggest economies have come under increasing strain amid a series of disputes over trade, human rights and the origins of COVID-19. In its latest move, the United States blacklisted dozens of Chinese companies it said had ties to the military.

Wang, China's state councillor and foreign minister, said in a joint interview with Xinhua news agency and other state media outlets that recent U.S. policies towards China had harmed the interests of both countries and brought huge dangers to the world.

But there was now an opportunity for the two sides to "open a new window of hope" and begin a new round of dialogue, he said.

The election of Joe Biden as U.S. President has been widely expected to improve relations between Washington and Beijing after four years of escalating tensions under the administration of Donald Trump.

Last month, Wang said he hoped the election of Biden would allow U.S. China policy to "return to objectivity and rationality".

However, President-elect Biden, who will take office on Jan. 20, has continued to criticise China for its "abuses" on trade and other issues.

Wang did not mention Trump or Biden by name, but he urged the United States to "respect the social system and development path" chosen by China, adding that if Washington "learns lessons", the conflicts between the two sides could be resolved.

"We know some people in the United States are apprehensive about China's rapid development, but the most sustainable leadership is to constantly move forward yourself, rather than block the development of other countries," he said.

Politicians in the United States have accused China of covering up the outbreak of COVID-19 during its early stages, delaying its response and allowing the disease to spread much further and faster.

But Wang said China had done its utmost to combat the virus's spread, "sounding the alarm" for the rest of the world.

"We raced against time, and were the earliest to report the epidemic to the world," he said.&nbsp;

"More and more studies show that the epidemic very probably emerged in many places throughout the world."

China's relationship with the United States has reached a "new crossroads" and could get back on the right track following a period of "unprecedented difficulty", senior diplomat Wang Yi said in official comments published on Saturday.

China's relationship with the United States has reached a "new crossroads" and could get back on the right track following a period of "unprecedented difficulty", senior diplomat Wang Yi said in official comments published on Saturday. Relations between the world's two biggest economies have come under increasing strain amid a series of disputes over trade, human rights and the origins of COVID-19. In its latest move, the United States blacklisted dozens of Chinese companies it said had ties to the military. Wang, China's state councillor and foreign minister, said in a joint interview with Xinhua news agency and other state media outlets that recent U.S. policies towards China had harmed the interests of both countries and brought huge dangers to the world. But there was now an opportunity for the two sides to "open a new window of hope" and begin a new round of dialogue, he said. The election of Joe Biden as U.S. President has been widely expected to improve relations between Washington and Beijing after four years of escalating tensions under the administration of Donald Trump. Last month, Wang said he hoped the election of Biden would allow U.S. China policy to "return to objectivity and rationality". However, President-elect Biden, who will take office on Jan. 20, has continued to criticise China for its "abuses" on trade and other issues. Wang did not mention Trump or Biden by name, but he urged the United States to "respect the social system and development path" chosen by China, adding that if Washington "learns lessons", the conflicts between the two sides could be resolved. "We know some people in the United States are apprehensive about China's rapid development, but the most sustainable leadership is to constantly move forward yourself, rather than block the development of other countries," he said. Politicians in the United States have accused China of covering up the outbreak of COVID-19 during its early stages, delaying its response and allowing the disease to spread much further and faster. But Wang said China had done its utmost to combat the virus's spread, "sounding the alarm" for the rest of the world. "We raced against time, and were the earliest to report the epidemic to the world," he said. "More and more studies show that the epidemic very probably emerged in many places throughout the world."

China senior diplomat says US relations at 'new crossroads'

The European Union on Thursday made its displeasure clear as it said that it regretted US decision to impose tariffs as part of a dispute over aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. US trade representative said on Thursday that the country was imposing tariffs on "aircraft manufacturing parts from France and Germany, certain non-sparkling wine from France and Germany, and certain cognac and other grape brandies from France and Germany,"

Airbus is a European company while Boeing is an American company.

The European Commission said it, "regrets that the United States has chosen to add further EU products to its retaliation list in the WTO Airbus case on aircraft subsidies."

Brussels complained that Washington had "unilaterally" disrupted ongoing talks and said it would seek a solution to the row with the incoming Biden administration.

US maintains that its latest move was a retaliatory measure taken in response to a tariff imposed by the EU which it says is unfair.

US and EU have been&nbsp;squabbling over aircraft subsidies for last 16 years. The battle has turned increasingly sour under protectionist policies of current US President Donald Trump.

Also Read &nbsp;| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-imposes-new-tariffs-on-french-german-products-in-airbus-boeing-spat-353514">US imposes new tariffs on French, German products in Airbus-Boeing spat</a>

The EU was authorized this year by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to levy additional customs duties on American products.&nbsp;

But Washington believes it has been penalized by the method of calculation chosen, which, according to the Trump administration, has led to an excessive amount of customs duties levied on American products.&nbsp;

(With AFP inputs)

The European Union on Thursday made its displeasure clear as it said that it regretted US decision to impose tariffs as part of a dispute over aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing.

The European Union on Thursday made its displeasure clear as it said that it regretted US decision to impose tariffs as part of a dispute over aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. US trade representative said on Thursday that the country was imposing tariffs on "aircraft manufacturing parts from France and Germany, certain non-sparkling wine from France and Germany, and certain cognac and other grape brandies from France and Germany," Airbus is a European company while Boeing is an American company. The European Commission said it, "regrets that the United States has chosen to add further EU products to its retaliation list in the WTO Airbus case on aircraft subsidies." Brussels complained that Washington had "unilaterally" disrupted ongoing talks and said it would seek a solution to the row with the incoming Biden administration. US maintains that its latest move was a retaliatory measure taken in response to a tariff imposed by the EU which it says is unfair. US and EU have been squabbling over aircraft subsidies for last 16 years. The battle has turned increasingly sour under protectionist policies of current US President Donald Trump. Also Read | US imposes new tariffs on French, German products in Airbus-Boeing spat The EU was authorized this year by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to levy additional customs duties on American products. But Washington believes it has been penalized by the method of calculation chosen, which, according to the Trump administration, has led to an excessive amount of customs duties levied on American products. (With AFP inputs)

EU says it 'regrets' American tariffs over Airbus-Boeing spat

President-elect Joe Biden said on Monday many of America`s security agencies had been "hollowed out" under President Donald Trump and the lack of information being provided to his transition team by the outgoing administration was an "irresponsibility." 
 
"We`ve encountered roadblocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget," Biden said after a meeting with his foreign policy team. 
 
"Right now we just aren`t getting all of the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It`s nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility," he added. 
 
After Biden beat Trump in the Nov. 3 election, the Democrat’s team only began meeting with administration officials in late November to coordinate the handover. 
 
Trump, a Republican, has refused to concede defeat and his administration only authorized cooperation with Biden on Nov. 23. Biden takes office on Jan. 20. 
 
Earlier this month, Biden`s team said they had met resistance to requests for information from some Pentagon officials. 
 
The Pentagon pushed back. 
 
In a statement, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said the Pentagon had conducted 164 interviews with over 400 officials and provided more than 5,000 pages of documents. 
 
"Our (Department of Defense) political and career officials have been working with the utmost professionalism to support transition activities in a compressed time schedule and they will continue to do so in a transparent and collegial manner that upholds the finest traditions of the department," Miller said. 
 
But Biden reiterated his team`s concerns on Monday. When he takes office, he will inherit a wide range of foreign policy and national security challenges, including China, Iran and North Korea, as well as the coronavirus pandemic raging across the globe. 
 
One of his toughest tasks will be rebuilding U.S. alliances that have frayed under four years of Trump`s "America First" agenda. 
 
"My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter our enemies," Biden said. "We need full visibility to the budget planning under way at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch up that our adversaries may try to exploit." 
 
But Biden said his team, while securing cooperation from some federal agencies, had "encountered obstruction from the political leadership" at the Pentagon. 
 
"And the truth is that many of the agencies that are crucial to our security have incurred enormous damage. Many of them have been hollowed out – in personnel, capacity and in morale," he said. "There’s policy processes that have atrophied or have been sidelined to the despair of our alliances."

President-elect Joe Biden said on Monday many of America`s security agencies had been "hollowed out" under President Donald Trump and the lack of information being provided to his transition team by the outgoing administration was an "irresponsibility.

President-elect Joe Biden said on Monday many of America`s security agencies had been "hollowed out" under President Donald Trump and the lack of information being provided to his transition team by the outgoing administration was an "irresponsibility." "We`ve encountered roadblocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget," Biden said after a meeting with his foreign policy team. "Right now we just aren`t getting all of the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It`s nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility," he added. After Biden beat Trump in the Nov. 3 election, the Democrat’s team only began meeting with administration officials in late November to coordinate the handover. Trump, a Republican, has refused to concede defeat and his administration only authorized cooperation with Biden on Nov. 23. Biden takes office on Jan. 20. Earlier this month, Biden`s team said they had met resistance to requests for information from some Pentagon officials. The Pentagon pushed back. In a statement, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said the Pentagon had conducted 164 interviews with over 400 officials and provided more than 5,000 pages of documents. "Our (Department of Defense) political and career officials have been working with the utmost professionalism to support transition activities in a compressed time schedule and they will continue to do so in a transparent and collegial manner that upholds the finest traditions of the department," Miller said. But Biden reiterated his team`s concerns on Monday. When he takes office, he will inherit a wide range of foreign policy and national security challenges, including China, Iran and North Korea, as well as the coronavirus pandemic raging across the globe. One of his toughest tasks will be rebuilding U.S. alliances that have frayed under four years of Trump`s "America First" agenda. "My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter our enemies," Biden said. "We need full visibility to the budget planning under way at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch up that our adversaries may try to exploit." But Biden said his team, while securing cooperation from some federal agencies, had "encountered obstruction from the political leadership" at the Pentagon. "And the truth is that many of the agencies that are crucial to our security have incurred enormous damage. Many of them have been hollowed out – in personnel, capacity and in morale," he said. "There’s policy processes that have atrophied or have been sidelined to the despair of our alliances."

Biden says Trump aides setting 'roadblocks' for his transition team

US House of Representatives which is led by Democrats on Monday voted 275-134 to meet Donald Trump's demand for $2,000 coronavirus relief cheques. The measure will now be sent to the Republican-controlled Senate.&nbsp; 
 
Even though Democrats pushed forward to approve Republican stimulus payments, just earlier they vetoed a separate $740 billion defense policy bill. This marks the first veto of his policy if the Senate approves it later this week. 
&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-signs-covid-19-relief-and-spending-bill-352807/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Last week, Trump had threatened to block a pandemic aid stimulus package, while asking Congress to boost payments from $600 to $2,000 and to cut other spending.&nbsp;

As another government shutdown loomed, Trump backed down and signed the aid relief. 
 
In this rare agreement with Trump, Democrats approved the proposal in the House, hoping to bring larger relief cheques to Americans. Trump is leaving office in less than a month from now when President-elect Joe Biden will officially take over presidential duties.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-security-agencies-incurred-enormous-damage-during-trump-administration-biden-353040" hreflang="en">US security agencies incurred 'enormous damage' during Trump administration: Biden</a>

130 Republicans, two independents, and two Democrats opposed increasing the stimulus relief for people.

Even though Trump has signed the $2.3 trillion relief package into law on Sunday, he continued to demand $2,000 cheques. The $2.3 trillion fund includes $1.4 trillion for government agencies and $892 billion for coronavirus relief.

Republican lawmakers have said how a higher amount would add hundreds of billions to the relief bill, and as per the Joint Committee on Taxation, the increase would cost $464 billion.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/in-blow-to-trump-house-votes-to-override-veto-of-defense-bill-353039" hreflang="en">In blow to Trump, house votes to override veto of defense bill</a>

It is not clear how the measure to increase aid checks will fare in the Senate, where some Republican lawmakers have complained that the higher amount would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the latest relief bill.

On Tuesday, the Senate will convene to approve or reject the suggested increase in the stimulus. Donald Trump has continued to demand more money for Americans, attacking Democrats for approving the current bill.

US House of Representatives which is led by Democrats on Monday voted 275-134 to meet Donald Trump's demand for $2,000 coronavirus relief cheques. The measure will now be sent to the Republican-controlled Senate.

US House of Representatives which is led by Democrats on Monday voted 275-134 to meet Donald Trump's demand for $2,000 coronavirus relief cheques. The measure will now be sent to the Republican-controlled Senate. Even though Democrats pushed forward to approve Republican stimulus payments, just earlier they vetoed a separate $740 billion defense policy bill. This marks the first veto of his policy if the Senate approves it later this week. Last week, Trump had threatened to block a pandemic aid stimulus package, while asking Congress to boost payments from $600 to $2,000 and to cut other spending. As another government shutdown loomed, Trump backed down and signed the aid relief. In this rare agreement with Trump, Democrats approved the proposal in the House, hoping to bring larger relief cheques to Americans. Trump is leaving office in less than a month from now when President-elect Joe Biden will officially take over presidential duties. Also read: US security agencies incurred 'enormous damage' during Trump administration: Biden 130 Republicans, two independents, and two Democrats opposed increasing the stimulus relief for people. Even though Trump has signed the $2.3 trillion relief package into law on Sunday, he continued to demand $2,000 cheques. The $2.3 trillion fund includes $1.4 trillion for government agencies and $892 billion for coronavirus relief. Republican lawmakers have said how a higher amount would add hundreds of billions to the relief bill, and as per the Joint Committee on Taxation, the increase would cost $464 billion. Also read: In blow to Trump, house votes to override veto of defense bill It is not clear how the measure to increase aid checks will fare in the Senate, where some Republican lawmakers have complained that the higher amount would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the latest relief bill. On Tuesday, the Senate will convene to approve or reject the suggested increase in the stimulus. Donald Trump has continued to demand more money for Americans, attacking Democrats for approving the current bill.

In rare agreement with Trump, Democrat-led US House approves demand for increasing coronavirus relief amount

United States President-elect Joe Biden on Sunday claimed that the US is facing "four historic crises at once". The soon to be elected leader of the US claimed that his team is attempting to tackle the challenges ahead before he takes charge of the office of the president later in January.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/joe-biden-promises-to-reverse-trumps-immigration-policies-352419/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Biden was referring to the crisis of COVID-19 along with climate change, racial injustice, and the economic condition of the country. 
 
"From COVID-19 and the economy to climate change and racial justice -- our nation is facing four historic crises at once. And come January, there will be no time to waste. That`s why my team and I are hard at work preparing to take action on day one," Biden tweeted.

A few hours after Biden's tweet, incumbent President Donald Trump signed the coronavirus relief bill, which will ensure that Americans receive government aid.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump signed a $1.4 trillion spending bill and accompanying $900 billion economic stimulus package into law on Sunday evening, averting a Tuesday government shutdown and clearing the way for $600 stimulus checks and $300 weekly enhanced unemployment benefits after nearly a week's delay and under pressure from all sides.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-900-billion-covid-relief-bill-days-after-he-suggested-he-would-block-it-352808" hreflang="en">Trump signs $900 billion Covid relief bill days after he suggested he would block it</a>

On Saturday, Biden had called out Trump for "abdicating responsibility", and urged Trump to immediately sign the coronavirus relief bill which was cleared by the US house earlier, and required Trump's signature. 
 
"It is the day after Christmas, and millions of families don`t know if they`ll be able to make ends meet because of President Donald Trump`s refusal to sign an economic relief bill approved by Congress with an overwhelming and bipartisan majority," Biden said in a statement.

The $2.3 trillion package was passed with bipartisan support in the US Congress, and members of both the parties had urged Trump to sign the historic bill.

Earlier, on Sunday, Dr Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert in the US warned that the US was headed for the worst of COVID-19 in the coming few weeks, with Americans travel during the holiday season.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-situation-in-us-may-worsen-after-holidays-dr-fauci-352793" hreflang="en">COVID-19 situation in US may worsen after holidays: Dr Fauci</a> 
 
"The reason I`m concerned and my colleagues in public health are concerned also is that we very well might see a post-seasonal, in the sense of Christmas, New Year`s, surge," CNN quoted Fauci as saying.

US President-elect Joe Biden last week said that the "darkest days'' against COVID-19 are still making inlays in the US, claiming the worst is ''ahead of us, not behind us''.

On Sunday, the US had surpassed the 19-million mark for the number of cases, the highest ever in the world.

The country`s current death toll stands at 333,069.

United States President-elect Joe Biden on Sunday claimed that the US is facing "four historic crises at once". The soon to be elected leader of the US claimed that his team is attempting to tackle the challenges ahead before he takes charge of the office of the president later in January.

United States President-elect Joe Biden on Sunday claimed that the US is facing "four historic crises at once". The soon to be elected leader of the US claimed that his team is attempting to tackle the challenges ahead before he takes charge of the office of the president later in January. Biden was referring to the crisis of COVID-19 along with climate change, racial injustice, and the economic condition of the country. "From COVID-19 and the economy to climate change and racial justice -- our nation is facing four historic crises at once. And come January, there will be no time to waste. That`s why my team and I are hard at work preparing to take action on day one," Biden tweeted. A few hours after Biden's tweet, incumbent President Donald Trump signed the coronavirus relief bill, which will ensure that Americans receive government aid. President Donald Trump signed a $1.4 trillion spending bill and accompanying $900 billion economic stimulus package into law on Sunday evening, averting a Tuesday government shutdown and clearing the way for $600 stimulus checks and $300 weekly enhanced unemployment benefits after nearly a week's delay and under pressure from all sides. Also read: Trump signs $900 billion Covid relief bill days after he suggested he would block it On Saturday, Biden had called out Trump for "abdicating responsibility", and urged Trump to immediately sign the coronavirus relief bill which was cleared by the US house earlier, and required Trump's signature. "It is the day after Christmas, and millions of families don`t know if they`ll be able to make ends meet because of President Donald Trump`s refusal to sign an economic relief bill approved by Congress with an overwhelming and bipartisan majority," Biden said in a statement. The $2.3 trillion package was passed with bipartisan support in the US Congress, and members of both the parties had urged Trump to sign the historic bill. Earlier, on Sunday, Dr Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert in the US warned that the US was headed for the worst of COVID-19 in the coming few weeks, with Americans travel during the holiday season. Also read: COVID-19 situation in US may worsen after holidays: Dr Fauci "The reason I`m concerned and my colleagues in public health are concerned also is that we very well might see a post-seasonal, in the sense of Christmas, New Year`s, surge," CNN quoted Fauci as saying. US President-elect Joe Biden last week said that the "darkest days'' against COVID-19 are still making inlays in the US, claiming the worst is ''ahead of us, not behind us''. On Sunday, the US had surpassed the 19-million mark for the number of cases, the highest ever in the world. The country`s current death toll stands at 333,069.

United States is facing 'four historic crises at once', says President-elect Joe Biden

Japan's deputy defence minister said in an interview that Taiwan's safety was a 'red line' and urged US President-elect Joe Biden to "be strong" in supporting it.

Deputy defence minister Yasuhide Nakayama urged Biden to take a position similar to current president Donald Trump who has significantly boosted military sales to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its own and considers it a province.

Japan's engagement with Taiwan has also flourished in recent years on a largely non-governmental basis. Tokyo maintains a "one China" policy, delicately balancing its relationships with neighbouring giant China and its longtime military ally in Washington.

Japan shares strategic interests with Taiwan, which sits in sea lanes through which much of Japan's energy supplies and trade flow.

"So far, I haven't yet seen a clear policy or an announcement on Taiwan from Joe Biden. I would like to hear it quickly, then we can also prepare our response on Taiwan in accordance," Nakayama said.

During the presidential campaign, Biden called for strengthening ties with Taiwan and other "like-minded democracies."

Decades ago as senator, Biden questioned whether the United States had an "obligation" to defend Taiwan. But many in his foreign policy circles acknowledge that U.S. imperatives have changed as a rising, authoritarian China has become more assertive and sought to shape global institutions.

An official in Biden's transition team said the president-elect believes U.S. support for Taiwan "must remain strong, principled, and bipartisan."

Beijing has been angered by increased U.S. support for Taiwan, including arms sales and visits to Taipei by senior U.S. officials, further straining already poor Sino-U.S. ties. China considers democratically run Taiwan one of its provinces and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control.

(With Reuters inputs)

Japan's deputy defence minister said in an interview that Taiwan's safety was a 'red line' and urged US President-elect Joe Biden to "be strong" in supporting it.

Japan's deputy defence minister said in an interview that Taiwan's safety was a 'red line' and urged US President-elect Joe Biden to "be strong" in supporting it. Deputy defence minister Yasuhide Nakayama urged Biden to take a position similar to current president Donald Trump who has significantly boosted military sales to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its own and considers it a province. Japan's engagement with Taiwan has also flourished in recent years on a largely non-governmental basis. Tokyo maintains a "one China" policy, delicately balancing its relationships with neighbouring giant China and its longtime military ally in Washington. Japan shares strategic interests with Taiwan, which sits in sea lanes through which much of Japan's energy supplies and trade flow. "So far, I haven't yet seen a clear policy or an announcement on Taiwan from Joe Biden. I would like to hear it quickly, then we can also prepare our response on Taiwan in accordance," Nakayama said. During the presidential campaign, Biden called for strengthening ties with Taiwan and other "like-minded democracies." Decades ago as senator, Biden questioned whether the United States had an "obligation" to defend Taiwan. But many in his foreign policy circles acknowledge that U.S. imperatives have changed as a rising, authoritarian China has become more assertive and sought to shape global institutions. An official in Biden's transition team said the president-elect believes U.S. support for Taiwan "must remain strong, principled, and bipartisan." Beijing has been angered by increased U.S. support for Taiwan, including arms sales and visits to Taipei by senior U.S. officials, further straining already poor Sino-U.S. ties. China considers democratically run Taiwan one of its provinces and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control. (With Reuters inputs)

Support to Taiwan a 'red line', Biden must remain strong: Japanese minister

The Trump administration has significantly invested in its relationship with India over the past four years, seeing the country as a crucial partner in counterbalancing the rise of China.

Military cooperation and a personal friendship between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India — both domineering nationalists — have pushed New Delhi and Washington closer.

Now, as President-elect Joe Biden is set to move into the White House, U.S. diplomats, Indian officials and security experts are resetting their expectations for relations between the world’s two largest democracies.

On one hand, experts said, Biden’s administration will most likely pay more attention to India’s contentious domestic developments, where Modi’s right-wing party has been steadily consolidating power and becoming overtly hostile toward Muslim minorities. Trump has largely turned a blind eye.

Others believe that the United States cannot afford to drastically alter its policy toward New Delhi because the United States needs its help to counter China and increasingly values India as a military and trade partner.

“The real opening between the United States and India began under President Clinton, it accelerated under President Bush, it continued under President Obama, and it’s accelerating again under our president, President Trump,” Stephen Biegun, the deputy secretary of state, said in October. “One of the constants in U.S.-India relations has been that every presidential administration here in the United States has left the relationship in even better shape than the one it inherited.”

Most experts agree that China will be the driving force behind how India’s relationship with Washington morphs in a Biden administration.

“We need India for various reasons,” said Ashley J. Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. “Most important of which is balancing Chinese power in Asia.”

This year, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the worst border clash between India and China in decades. As relations between New Delhi and Beijing soured, India strengthened its commitment to a multilateral partnership with the United States, India, Japan and Australia — known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad.

China has castigated this forum as an Asian version of NATO, one that is directly aimed at counterbalancing its interests. India, leery of formal alliances and upsetting trade relations with Beijing, was initially hesitant to fully engage.

Biden, who once spoke optimistically of China’s emergence “as a great power,” has become increasingly tough on Beijing, and some analysts said his administration would most likely use the Quad as a way to ensure that the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region does not tilt too far toward China.

“They’ll keep the Quad going,” said Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security, adding that the partnership had gone from largely being considered “a meeting in search of an agenda to something real that is doing things.”

But some Indian officials are concerned that the next administration will not be as tough on China as the current one and that Biden will adopt a more nuanced and less favorable position toward India, analysts said.

“If he’s seen as pursuing a softer approach with China, it will make New Delhi have second thoughts about a soft alliance,” said Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Center for Policy Research, a think tank in New Delhi.

Biden’s administration will inherit a growing military relationship with India. In recent months, the United States and India have shared more intelligence and conducted more coordinated military training exercises. The military cooperation is closest among the navies of the two countries; Kenneth J. Braithwaite, the Navy secretary, visited India last week.

The United States has been trying to increase arms sales to India, but the country's history of buying weapons from nations such as France, Israel and Russia has complicated that effort. American officials are concerned about providing equipment to India if there is a risk that members of the Russian military or other foreign agents would then have access. American and Indian officials signed an agreement to share real-time geographical data through satellite images when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited India in October.

Despite the warming ties, though, Indian officials also worry that Biden might be less critical of Pakistan, the country's archrival, than Trump has been. Biden may even reach out to Islamabad for support as the United States draws down troops in Afghanistan. Early in his presidency, Trump suspended military aid to Pakistan, accusing it of supporting terrorists and giving the United States “nothing but lies and deceit.”

In contrast, Trump has said little about the increasing hostility toward Muslims in India and the divisive politics of Modi’s Hindu nationalist party. The Trump administration has kept largely quiet about Modi’s crackdown on Kashmir last year and the passage of a new, blatantly anti-Muslim citizenship law. And Modi’s recent pro-market agricultural policies have fueled a farmer rebellion that has snarled daily life in the capital and stirred up more anti-government feeling.

Both Biden — who is considered a strong friend of India since his days as a senator when he worked to approve the country’s landmark civil nuclear agreement in 2008 — and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are likely to be more critical of India’s human rights record, both in private and in public, experts said.

Harris, whose mother was Indian and who has remained close to that side of her family, has already indicated that she is concerned about Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim area that has long been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan.

Biden’s campaign documents specifically called on the Indian government to “take all necessary steps to restore rights for all the people” in Kashmir. His campaign added that he was also “disappointed” in Modi’s citizenship law.

Some American activists want the Biden administration to go even further and warn Indian officials that discontent over some of its current policies could imperil how strong a partner India might be for the United States.

“Human rights first is equally important,” said Simran Noor, chairwoman of South Asian Americans Leading Together, an advocacy group in the United States. “The impacts of not addressing it now could lead to a lot worse conditions in the future.”

Another challenging issue is visas. Trump this year suspended H-1B visas for high-skilled workers, a major setback for U.S. technology companies, which employ many Indians, and the wider Indian diaspora in the United States.

The two countries have also struggled to sign a comprehensive trade agreement, with talks hung up over imports of U.S. dairy products and medical devices such as coronary stents. After two decades of India loosening its trade restrictions, Western officials say the country has been tightening them over the past two years, embracing Modi’s push for a “self-reliant India.”

And many of Biden’s priorities — including climate change — will most likely require India’s cooperation, ensuring that New Delhi remains front of mind for Biden’s chief diplomats.

“There is no relationship today between any two countries that is as important as the relationship between the U.S. and India,” said Nisha D. Biswal, President Barack Obama’s assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs. “Neither of us can go it alone.”

The Trump administration has significantly invested in its relationship with India over the past four years, seeing the country as a crucial partner in counterbalancing the rise of China.

The Trump administration has significantly invested in its relationship with India over the past four years, seeing the country as a crucial partner in counterbalancing the rise of China. Military cooperation and a personal friendship between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India — both domineering nationalists — have pushed New Delhi and Washington closer. Now, as President-elect Joe Biden is set to move into the White House, U.S. diplomats, Indian officials and security experts are resetting their expectations for relations between the world’s two largest democracies. On one hand, experts said, Biden’s administration will most likely pay more attention to India’s contentious domestic developments, where Modi’s right-wing party has been steadily consolidating power and becoming overtly hostile toward Muslim minorities. Trump has largely turned a blind eye. Others believe that the United States cannot afford to drastically alter its policy toward New Delhi because the United States needs its help to counter China and increasingly values India as a military and trade partner. “The real opening between the United States and India began under President Clinton, it accelerated under President Bush, it continued under President Obama, and it’s accelerating again under our president, President Trump,” Stephen Biegun, the deputy secretary of state, said in October. “One of the constants in U.S.-India relations has been that every presidential administration here in the United States has left the relationship in even better shape than the one it inherited.” Most experts agree that China will be the driving force behind how India’s relationship with Washington morphs in a Biden administration. “We need India for various reasons,” said Ashley J. Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. “Most important of which is balancing Chinese power in Asia.” This year, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the worst border clash between India and China in decades. As relations between New Delhi and Beijing soured, India strengthened its commitment to a multilateral partnership with the United States, India, Japan and Australia — known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad. China has castigated this forum as an Asian version of NATO, one that is directly aimed at counterbalancing its interests. India, leery of formal alliances and upsetting trade relations with Beijing, was initially hesitant to fully engage. Biden, who once spoke optimistically of China’s emergence “as a great power,” has become increasingly tough on Beijing, and some analysts said his administration would most likely use the Quad as a way to ensure that the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region does not tilt too far toward China. “They’ll keep the Quad going,” said Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security, adding that the partnership had gone from largely being considered “a meeting in search of an agenda to something real that is doing things.” But some Indian officials are concerned that the next administration will not be as tough on China as the current one and that Biden will adopt a more nuanced and less favorable position toward India, analysts said. “If he’s seen as pursuing a softer approach with China, it will make New Delhi have second thoughts about a soft alliance,” said Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Center for Policy Research, a think tank in New Delhi. Biden’s administration will inherit a growing military relationship with India. In recent months, the United States and India have shared more intelligence and conducted more coordinated military training exercises. The military cooperation is closest among the navies of the two countries; Kenneth J. Braithwaite, the Navy secretary, visited India last week. The United States has been trying to increase arms sales to India, but the country's history of buying weapons from nations such as France, Israel and Russia has complicated that effort. American officials are concerned about providing equipment to India if there is a risk that members of the Russian military or other foreign agents would then have access. American and Indian officials signed an agreement to share real-time geographical data through satellite images when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited India in October. Despite the warming ties, though, Indian officials also worry that Biden might be less critical of Pakistan, the country's archrival, than Trump has been. Biden may even reach out to Islamabad for support as the United States draws down troops in Afghanistan. Early in his presidency, Trump suspended military aid to Pakistan, accusing it of supporting terrorists and giving the United States “nothing but lies and deceit.” In contrast, Trump has said little about the increasing hostility toward Muslims in India and the divisive politics of Modi’s Hindu nationalist party. The Trump administration has kept largely quiet about Modi’s crackdown on Kashmir last year and the passage of a new, blatantly anti-Muslim citizenship law. And Modi’s recent pro-market agricultural policies have fueled a farmer rebellion that has snarled daily life in the capital and stirred up more anti-government feeling. Both Biden — who is considered a strong friend of India since his days as a senator when he worked to approve the country’s landmark civil nuclear agreement in 2008 — and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are likely to be more critical of India’s human rights record, both in private and in public, experts said. Harris, whose mother was Indian and who has remained close to that side of her family, has already indicated that she is concerned about Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim area that has long been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan. Biden’s campaign documents specifically called on the Indian government to “take all necessary steps to restore rights for all the people” in Kashmir. His campaign added that he was also “disappointed” in Modi’s citizenship law. Some American activists want the Biden administration to go even further and warn Indian officials that discontent over some of its current policies could imperil how strong a partner India might be for the United States. “Human rights first is equally important,” said Simran Noor, chairwoman of South Asian Americans Leading Together, an advocacy group in the United States. “The impacts of not addressing it now could lead to a lot worse conditions in the future.” Another challenging issue is visas. Trump this year suspended H-1B visas for high-skilled workers, a major setback for U.S. technology companies, which employ many Indians, and the wider Indian diaspora in the United States. The two countries have also struggled to sign a comprehensive trade agreement, with talks hung up over imports of U.S. dairy products and medical devices such as coronary stents. After two decades of India loosening its trade restrictions, Western officials say the country has been tightening them over the past two years, embracing Modi’s push for a “self-reliant India.” And many of Biden’s priorities — including climate change — will most likely require India’s cooperation, ensuring that New Delhi remains front of mind for Biden’s chief diplomats. “There is no relationship today between any two countries that is as important as the relationship between the U.S. and India,” said Nisha D. Biswal, President Barack Obama’s assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs. “Neither of us can go it alone.”

Biden expected to expand US-India relationship while stressing Human Rights

US President-elect Joe Biden said that he had not seen any evidence that cyberattack against the US was under control. He lashed out at US President Donald Trump for being reluctant to name Russia. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr have both accused Moscow.

“It is a grave risk and it continues," Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware. "I see no evidence that it’s under control. I see none. Heard of none. Department won’t even brief us on many things. So I know of nothing that suggests it’s under control."

Biden faulted Trump for stripping U.S. defenses against cyberattacks, saying: "This assault happened on Donald Trump's watch, when he wasn't watching."

Trump has floated the idea on Twitter that China might be responsible for the hacking spree. Uncovered last week, it breached at least half a dozen U.S. government agencies and left thousands of American companies exposed.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-issues-series-of-pardons-including-russia-probe-figure-george-papadopoulos-351684">Trump issues series of pardons, including Russia probe figure George Papadopoulos</a>

Joe Biden has warned that the cyberattack will not go unanswered once he takes office on January 20. He said his administration will take meaningful steps to respond to the cyber breach.

The incoming White House chief of staff said on Sunday that Biden's response to the hacking campaign would go beyond sanctions. Ron Klain said Biden was mapping out ways to degrade the capacity of foreign actors to engage in cyber attacks against the United States.

Options being mulled by the Biden administration to punish Moscow for its alleged role include financial penalties and retaliatory hacks on Russian infrastructure, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

The Kremlin denies any role in the hacking.

"The question of the damage done remains to be determined. We have to look at, very closely, the nature of the breaches, how extensive they are, and what damage has been done," Biden said.

(With Reuters inputs)

US President-elect Joe Biden said that he had not seen any evidence that cyberattack against the US was under control. He lashed out at US President Donald Trump for being reluctant to name Russia.

US President-elect Joe Biden said that he had not seen any evidence that cyberattack against the US was under control. He lashed out at US President Donald Trump for being reluctant to name Russia. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr have both accused Moscow. “It is a grave risk and it continues," Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware. "I see no evidence that it’s under control. I see none. Heard of none. Department won’t even brief us on many things. So I know of nothing that suggests it’s under control." Biden faulted Trump for stripping U.S. defenses against cyberattacks, saying: "This assault happened on Donald Trump's watch, when he wasn't watching." Trump has floated the idea on Twitter that China might be responsible for the hacking spree. Uncovered last week, it breached at least half a dozen U.S. government agencies and left thousands of American companies exposed. Also Read | Trump issues series of pardons, including Russia probe figure George Papadopoulos Joe Biden has warned that the cyberattack will not go unanswered once he takes office on January 20. He said his administration will take meaningful steps to respond to the cyber breach. The incoming White House chief of staff said on Sunday that Biden's response to the hacking campaign would go beyond sanctions. Ron Klain said Biden was mapping out ways to degrade the capacity of foreign actors to engage in cyber attacks against the United States. Options being mulled by the Biden administration to punish Moscow for its alleged role include financial penalties and retaliatory hacks on Russian infrastructure, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters. The Kremlin denies any role in the hacking. "The question of the damage done remains to be determined. We have to look at, very closely, the nature of the breaches, how extensive they are, and what damage has been done," Biden said. (With Reuters inputs)

Trump must put blame on Russia for cyberattack, says Biden

The United States has sued Walmart over its role in the opioid crisis.

The US Justice Department Tuesday alleged the giant retailer wrongly filled prescriptions and worsened a public health disaster.

The suit accuses Walmart of irresponsible handling of orders, filling thousands of "invalid" prescriptions and ignoring red flags about problem orders as it sacrificed public health in a drive to boost sales.

Authorities could seek up to billions of dollars in penalties in the litigation that followed a multi-year investigation, the Justice Department said in a press release.

Walmart, which initiated its own suit against the Justice Department in October, called the charges baseless on Tuesday.

It accused US authorities of embarking on a "transparent attempt to shift blame from the Drug Enforcement Administration's well-documented failures in keeping bad doctors from prescribing opioids in the first place."

The litigation cites one official in the compliance unit who said "driving sales" was more important than flagging refusal-to-fill reports and comments from managers who urged the quick filling of prescriptions because "shorter wait times keep patients in store."&nbsp;

Walmart dismissed these arguments, decrying the complaint as "riddled with factual inaccuracies and cherry-picked documents taken out of context."&nbsp;

The Justice Department case marks the latest instance of government crackdown in response to the opioid crisis, which authorities said has driven the first significant reduction in US life expectancy since the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s.

(with inputs from AFP)

The United States has sued Walmart over its role in the opioid crisis. The US Justice Department Tuesday alleged the giant retailer wrongly filled prescriptions and worsened a public health disaster.

The United States has sued Walmart over its role in the opioid crisis. The US Justice Department Tuesday alleged the giant retailer wrongly filled prescriptions and worsened a public health disaster. The suit accuses Walmart of irresponsible handling of orders, filling thousands of "invalid" prescriptions and ignoring red flags about problem orders as it sacrificed public health in a drive to boost sales. Authorities could seek up to billions of dollars in penalties in the litigation that followed a multi-year investigation, the Justice Department said in a press release. Walmart, which initiated its own suit against the Justice Department in October, called the charges baseless on Tuesday. It accused US authorities of embarking on a "transparent attempt to shift blame from the Drug Enforcement Administration's well-documented failures in keeping bad doctors from prescribing opioids in the first place." The litigation cites one official in the compliance unit who said "driving sales" was more important than flagging refusal-to-fill reports and comments from managers who urged the quick filling of prescriptions because "shorter wait times keep patients in store." Walmart dismissed these arguments, decrying the complaint as "riddled with factual inaccuracies and cherry-picked documents taken out of context." The Justice Department case marks the latest instance of government crackdown in response to the opioid crisis, which authorities said has driven the first significant reduction in US life expectancy since the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s. (with inputs from AFP)

US sues Walmart over opioid crisis

The Trump administration on Monday published a list of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a wide range of US&nbsp;goods and technology. 
 
Reuters first reported last month that the US&nbsp;Department of Commerce drafted a list of companies that it linked to the Chinese or Russian military, news that brought a rebuke from Beijing. 
 
The final list does not include Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), or the Hong Kong subsidiaries of Colorado`s Arrow Electronics and Texas-based TTI Inc, a Berkshire Hathaway electronics distributor. Those companies were on the draft list seen by Reuters. 
 
The final list names 103 entities, 14 fewer than on the draft list seen by Reuters in November. Fifty-eight are designated under China, down from 89, and 45 entities are tied to Russia, up from 28. 
 
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday the action establishes&nbsp;a new process "to&nbsp;assist exporters&nbsp;in&nbsp;screening&nbsp;their customers for military end users." 
 
The final list was published on the Commerce Department website&nbsp;on Monday and is scheduled to be posted for public inspection in the Federal Register on Tuesday. 
 
Publishing the list in the waning days of the Trump administration follows the addition of dozens of Chinese companies to another U.S. trade blacklist, including the country`s top chipmaker, SMIC, and Chinese drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd, on Friday. 
 
Tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated over the past year, as Trump blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic, a national security law was imposed in Hong Kong and a dispute involving the South China Sea has intensified. 
 
The U.S. government also has grown increasingly concerned about China’s “military-civil fusion,” a policy that aims to build up its military might and technological development in tandem. 
 
Last spring, the Commerce Department expanded the definition of "military end users," as the department defines the companies with military ties. 
 
The category includes not only armed service and national police, but any person or entity that supports or contributes to the maintenance or production of military items - even if their business is primarily non-military. 
 
The "military end user" designation requires U.S. companies to obtain licenses to sell to the firms, which are more likely to be denied than granted. 
 
The list is not definitive and Commerce said U.S. companies must continue to do their own due diligence to help decide whether their buyers are considered military end users. 
 
Publication of the list is likely to inflame Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in November called news of the draft list "unprovoked suppression of Chinese companies by the United States." 
 
While COMAC was removed, seven Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) subordinate entities remain on the list. 
 
General Electric Co and Honeywell International both have joint ventures with AVIC and supply COMAC, which is spearheading Chinese efforts to compete with Boeing Co and Airbus. 
 
Earlier this month, Arrow and TTI both denied their subsidiaries have ties to the Chinese military and said they were working to be removed from any final list.

The Trump administration on Monday published a list of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a wide range of US goods and technology.

The Trump administration on Monday published a list of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a wide range of US goods and technology. Reuters first reported last month that the US Department of Commerce drafted a list of companies that it linked to the Chinese or Russian military, news that brought a rebuke from Beijing. The final list does not include Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), or the Hong Kong subsidiaries of Colorado`s Arrow Electronics and Texas-based TTI Inc, a Berkshire Hathaway electronics distributor. Those companies were on the draft list seen by Reuters. The final list names 103 entities, 14 fewer than on the draft list seen by Reuters in November. Fifty-eight are designated under China, down from 89, and 45 entities are tied to Russia, up from 28. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday the action establishes a new process "to assist exporters in screening their customers for military end users." The final list was published on the Commerce Department website on Monday and is scheduled to be posted for public inspection in the Federal Register on Tuesday. Publishing the list in the waning days of the Trump administration follows the addition of dozens of Chinese companies to another U.S. trade blacklist, including the country`s top chipmaker, SMIC, and Chinese drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd, on Friday. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated over the past year, as Trump blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic, a national security law was imposed in Hong Kong and a dispute involving the South China Sea has intensified. The U.S. government also has grown increasingly concerned about China’s “military-civil fusion,” a policy that aims to build up its military might and technological development in tandem. Last spring, the Commerce Department expanded the definition of "military end users," as the department defines the companies with military ties. The category includes not only armed service and national police, but any person or entity that supports or contributes to the maintenance or production of military items - even if their business is primarily non-military. The "military end user" designation requires U.S. companies to obtain licenses to sell to the firms, which are more likely to be denied than granted. The list is not definitive and Commerce said U.S. companies must continue to do their own due diligence to help decide whether their buyers are considered military end users. Publication of the list is likely to inflame Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in November called news of the draft list "unprovoked suppression of Chinese companies by the United States." While COMAC was removed, seven Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) subordinate entities remain on the list. General Electric Co and Honeywell International both have joint ventures with AVIC and supply COMAC, which is spearheading Chinese efforts to compete with Boeing Co and Airbus. Earlier this month, Arrow and TTI both denied their subsidiaries have ties to the Chinese military and said they were working to be removed from any final list.

US publishes list of Chinese, Russian firms with military ties

Do rivers have colours? Yes, the colour of a particular river points to its health, and rivers can run an array of colours ranging from green, blue, brown, yellow. But now, colours of rivers in the US are showing drastic changes.

The colour shows how the river is performing in terms of pollution, sedimentation, and the nature of algae. It’s a common belief that the clearer the water, the cleaner it is. And the darker it gets, the more polluted it is.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/deadly-brain-eating-amoeba-is-spreading-in-us-scientists-issue-warning-351357" hreflang="en">Deadly brain-eating amoeba is spreading in US, scientists issue warning</a>

People have been judging the quality of water in rivers based on water for a long time now. But scientifically, colour has never been used by researchers to gauge the health of the river, and to understand whether it could point to the condition of river networks across countries.

In a new research undertaken by a team of scientists led by John Gardner fro the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains how the colour of water is an “intuitive and broadly applicable” water measurement.

But why is it intuitive? The scientist claims that the water’s suitability for consumption, among many things, is ascertained by its superficial colour. In short - nobody wants to drink water from a dirty river!

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/how-selfish-are-plants-lets-do-some-root-analysis-351242" hreflang="en">How selfish are plants? Let’s do some root analysis</a>

During the course of his research, the team combined traditional ways of looking at a river’s health with remote sensing capabilities provided by satellites. 
 
They took into account a lot of data from satellites (NASA and USGS) that represent almost 235,000 images and accounting for the time period between 1984 to 2018 (34 years).&nbsp; One thing was clear - colour of any river is not static - it changes and reaffirms itself over territories depending on the factors mentioned above.

But what they did find was that the dominant colour in one-third US rivers changed significantly over 30 years!

Also read: E<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/early-humans-may-have-hibernated-to-survive-harsh-winters-351206" hreflang="en">arly humans may have hibernated to survive harsh winters</a>

Many factors besides pollution played into this colour change - including seasonal differences. They found that as summer approached, the rivers became more red. The dominant colour in 56 per cent of river observations was yellow, followed by the colour green in 38 per cent observations.

The scientists believe that such changes in colour could help preserve water systems across the globe. The research was published in&nbsp;Geophysical Research Letters.

Do rivers have colours? Yes, the colour of a particular river points to its health, and rivers can run an array of colours ranging from green, blue, brown, yellow.

Do rivers have colours? Yes, the colour of a particular river points to its health, and rivers can run an array of colours ranging from green, blue, brown, yellow. But now, colours of rivers in the US are showing drastic changes. The colour shows how the river is performing in terms of pollution, sedimentation, and the nature of algae. It’s a common belief that the clearer the water, the cleaner it is. And the darker it gets, the more polluted it is. Also read: Deadly brain-eating amoeba is spreading in US, scientists issue warning People have been judging the quality of water in rivers based on water for a long time now. But scientifically, colour has never been used by researchers to gauge the health of the river, and to understand whether it could point to the condition of river networks across countries. In a new research undertaken by a team of scientists led by John Gardner fro the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains how the colour of water is an “intuitive and broadly applicable” water measurement. But why is it intuitive? The scientist claims that the water’s suitability for consumption, among many things, is ascertained by its superficial colour. In short - nobody wants to drink water from a dirty river! Also read: How selfish are plants? Let’s do some root analysis During the course of his research, the team combined traditional ways of looking at a river’s health with remote sensing capabilities provided by satellites. They took into account a lot of data from satellites (NASA and USGS) that represent almost 235,000 images and accounting for the time period between 1984 to 2018 (34 years). One thing was clear - colour of any river is not static - it changes and reaffirms itself over territories depending on the factors mentioned above. But what they did find was that the dominant colour in one-third US rivers changed significantly over 30 years! Also read: Early humans may have hibernated to survive harsh winters Many factors besides pollution played into this colour change - including seasonal differences. They found that as summer approached, the rivers became more red. The dominant colour in 56 per cent of river observations was yellow, followed by the colour green in 38 per cent observations. The scientists believe that such changes in colour could help preserve water systems across the globe. The research was published in Geophysical Research Letters.

Rivers across the US changed colours over 3 decades. What does this mean?

United States Congress reached an agreement to roll out a relief package worth $900 billion, in what is being seen as the first set of reliefs in months for people in an economy which has been hammered by COVID-19, which has killed the most number of people in the US. Even then, it’s unclear when Congress would vote to cement the deal.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/biden-meets-top-american-ceos-corporate-america-agrees-on-need-for-stimulus-343791/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"At long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Earlier, a $2.3 trillion aid bill was passed in March, which was the largest economic stimulus in the country’s history.

As of now, COVID-19 is infecting over 214,000 people everyday, with 317,000 Americans dead so far.

Another Senate leader - Chuck Schumer claimed that the package should be approved in both the chambers of the Congress.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/americans-scraping-by-say-they-fear-a-second-stimulus-wont-be-enough-351244" hreflang="en">Americans scraping by say they fear a second stimulus won’t be enough</a>

"Finally we have some good news to deliver to the American people," he said on the Senate floor.

The package would provide $600 worth of boost to individuals. In addition, it would provide $300 unemployment payments, with additional aid worth billions of dollars.

The package also provides $25 billion in rental assistance, Reuters reported.

Lawmakers were able to resolve disputes over the Federal Reserve’s pandemic lending authority, funding of education and lending for small businesses.&nbsp;

"I think it's for the most part wrapped up," Republican Senator John Thune said to reporters.

The Congress is attempting to imbibe the aid package in a $1.4 trillion spending bill, which will fund government aid programmes upto September 2021.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-resolve-fed-dispute-as-they-race-to-close-stimulus-deal-351240" hreflang="en">Lawmakers resolve fed dispute as they race to close stimulus deal</a>

However, analysts believe that it may not be done soon enough before the expiration of government funding, implying a temporary extension must be passed to keep the government operable.

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of House of Representatives said on Sunday that she wishes to review the package before calling a vote.

United States Congress reached an agreement to roll out a relief package worth $900 billion, in what is being seen as the first set of reliefs in months for people in an economy which has been hammered by COVID-19, which has killed the most number of people in the US.

United States Congress reached an agreement to roll out a relief package worth $900 billion, in what is being seen as the first set of reliefs in months for people in an economy which has been hammered by COVID-19, which has killed the most number of people in the US. Even then, it’s unclear when Congress would vote to cement the deal. "At long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. Earlier, a $2.3 trillion aid bill was passed in March, which was the largest economic stimulus in the country’s history. As of now, COVID-19 is infecting over 214,000 people everyday, with 317,000 Americans dead so far. Another Senate leader - Chuck Schumer claimed that the package should be approved in both the chambers of the Congress. Also read: Americans scraping by say they fear a second stimulus won’t be enough "Finally we have some good news to deliver to the American people," he said on the Senate floor. The package would provide $600 worth of boost to individuals. In addition, it would provide $300 unemployment payments, with additional aid worth billions of dollars. The package also provides $25 billion in rental assistance, Reuters reported. Lawmakers were able to resolve disputes over the Federal Reserve’s pandemic lending authority, funding of education and lending for small businesses. "I think it's for the most part wrapped up," Republican Senator John Thune said to reporters. The Congress is attempting to imbibe the aid package in a $1.4 trillion spending bill, which will fund government aid programmes upto September 2021. Also read: Lawmakers resolve fed dispute as they race to close stimulus deal However, analysts believe that it may not be done soon enough before the expiration of government funding, implying a temporary extension must be passed to keep the government operable. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of House of Representatives said on Sunday that she wishes to review the package before calling a vote.

US Congress reaches deal on aid package worth $900 billion

After years of being stymied by well-funded interests, Congress has agreed to ban one of the most costly and exasperating practices in medicine: surprise medical bills.

Surprise bills happen when an out-of-network provider is unexpectedly involved in a patient’s care. Patients go to a hospital that accepts their insurance, for example, but get treated there by an emergency room physician who doesn’t. Such doctors often bill those patients for large fees, far higher than what health plans typically pay.

Language included in the $900 billion spending deal reached Sunday night and headed for final passage Monday will make those bills illegal. Instead of charging patients, health providers will now have to work with insurers to settle on a fair price. The new changes will take effect in 2022, and will apply to doctors, hospitals and air ambulances, though not ground ambulances.

Academic researchers have found that millions of Americans receive these type of surprise bills each year, with as many as 1 in 5 emergency room visits resulting in such a charge. The bills most commonly come from health providers that patients are not able to select, such as emergency room physicians, anesthesiologists and ambulances. The average surprise charge for an emergency room visit is just above $600, but patients have received bills larger than $100,000 from out-of-network providers they did not select.

Some private-equity firms have turned this type of billing into a robust business model, buying emergency room doctor groups and moving the providers out of network so they could bill larger fees.

Among the major consumer problems in the fiendishly complex health system, surprise billing was the rare Washington issue that both parties could get behind. Health committee leaders have been engaged on the issue for years, as has the White House. President-elect Joe Biden included the proposal in his campaign health care agenda. It had the backing of many prominent and powerful legislators, including Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and the retiring chairman of the Senate Health Committee.

A survey published Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 80% of adults want the practice banned. More than a dozen states, including Texas and California, have passed bans of their own on surprise billing, providing Congress with model solutions.

Even so, the issue struggled to move through Congress as each policy proposal faced an outcry from some faction of the health care industry.

“There were a lot of things working in the legislation’s favor — it’s a relatively targeted problem, it resonates very well with voters, and it’s not a hyperpartisan issue among voters or Congress — and it was still tough,” said Benedic Ippolito, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who helped explain the issue to lawmakers early in the process. “It has almost everything going for it, and yet it was still this complete slog.”

Hospitals and doctors, who tend to benefit from the current system, fought to defeat solutions that would lower their pay. Insurance companies and large insurers groups, on the other hand, have wanted a stronger ability to negotiate lower payments to the types of medical providers who can send patients surprise bills.

Legislation nearly passed last December, but was scuttled at the eleventh hour after health providers lobbied aggressively against the deal. Private-equity firms, which own many of the medical providers that deliver surprise bills, poured tens of millions into advertisements opposing the plan. Committee chairs squabbled over jurisdictional issues and postponed the issue.

This year, many of the same legislators behind last year’s failed effort tried again, softening several provisions that had been most objectionable to influential doctor and hospital lobbies. The current version will probably not do as much to lower health care spending as the previous version, but will still protect patients.

After years of defeats, consumer advocacy groups cheered the new legislation.

“This was a real victory for American people against moneyed interests,” said Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA. “This really was about Congress recognizing in a bipartisan way the obscenity of families who were paying insurance still having financial bombs going off.”

The final compromise would require insurers and medical providers who cannot agree on a payment rate to use an outside arbiter to decide. The arbiter would determine a fair amount based, in part, on what other doctors and hospitals are typically paid for similar services. Patients could be charged the kind of cost sharing they would pay for in-network services, but nothing more.

This type of policy is generally seen as more advantageous to health care providers than the other proposal Congress considered, which would have minimized the role of arbiters and instead set bench mark reimbursement rates. Several states have set up their own arbitration systems, and have found that most price disputes are negotiated before an arbiter is involved.

“If this bill will force them to come to the table and negotiate a solution, it will be a definite win for everybody,” said Christopher Garmon, an assistant professor of health administration at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, who has measured the scope of the problem.

The new law will bar air ambulances from giving patients surprise bills. These bills are infrequent but, when they do happen, tend to be very large. A coronavirus patient in Pennsylvania received a $52,511 surprise air ambulance bill this summer for a flight between two hospitals that happened while she was unconscious. States that ban surprise bills have been prevented from tackling these cases because federal law bars them from regulating air transit fees.

Ground ambulances, which generate a significant number of surprise bills, are excluded from the new law.

The Congressional Budget Office found that an earlier version of the plan would cause small reductions to affected providers including emergency room doctors and anesthesiologists. This would happen to providers that both do and do not send surprise bills, because taking away the option would reduce their leverage in negotiating contracts with health insurers.

Health insurers tend to be disappointed with the new legislation, while hospitals and doctors have offered a more mixed response. Some have cited the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to delay new rules.

The American Medical Association sent a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday, saying it was “deeply concerned” about the possibility of lower reimbursement rates, “especially in light of the significant financial pressures practices have faced in the last 10 months.”

TeamHealth, a large, private-equity owned physician staffing firm that has previously engaged in surprise billing, called the agreement “a significant improvement over the catastrophic proposals advanced by major insurance companies over the past two years.”

The American Hospital Association, the country’s largest hospital group, opposed a recent version of the new rules, while the Federation of American Hospitals, which represents private hospitals, supported it.

After years of being stymied by well-funded interests, Congress has agreed to ban one of the most costly and exasperating practices in medicine: surprise medical bills.

After years of being stymied by well-funded interests, Congress has agreed to ban one of the most costly and exasperating practices in medicine: surprise medical bills. Surprise bills happen when an out-of-network provider is unexpectedly involved in a patient’s care. Patients go to a hospital that accepts their insurance, for example, but get treated there by an emergency room physician who doesn’t. Such doctors often bill those patients for large fees, far higher than what health plans typically pay. Language included in the $900 billion spending deal reached Sunday night and headed for final passage Monday will make those bills illegal. Instead of charging patients, health providers will now have to work with insurers to settle on a fair price. The new changes will take effect in 2022, and will apply to doctors, hospitals and air ambulances, though not ground ambulances. Academic researchers have found that millions of Americans receive these type of surprise bills each year, with as many as 1 in 5 emergency room visits resulting in such a charge. The bills most commonly come from health providers that patients are not able to select, such as emergency room physicians, anesthesiologists and ambulances. The average surprise charge for an emergency room visit is just above $600, but patients have received bills larger than $100,000 from out-of-network providers they did not select. Some private-equity firms have turned this type of billing into a robust business model, buying emergency room doctor groups and moving the providers out of network so they could bill larger fees. Among the major consumer problems in the fiendishly complex health system, surprise billing was the rare Washington issue that both parties could get behind. Health committee leaders have been engaged on the issue for years, as has the White House. President-elect Joe Biden included the proposal in his campaign health care agenda. It had the backing of many prominent and powerful legislators, including Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and the retiring chairman of the Senate Health Committee. A survey published Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 80% of adults want the practice banned. More than a dozen states, including Texas and California, have passed bans of their own on surprise billing, providing Congress with model solutions. Even so, the issue struggled to move through Congress as each policy proposal faced an outcry from some faction of the health care industry. “There were a lot of things working in the legislation’s favor — it’s a relatively targeted problem, it resonates very well with voters, and it’s not a hyperpartisan issue among voters or Congress — and it was still tough,” said Benedic Ippolito, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who helped explain the issue to lawmakers early in the process. “It has almost everything going for it, and yet it was still this complete slog.” Hospitals and doctors, who tend to benefit from the current system, fought to defeat solutions that would lower their pay. Insurance companies and large insurers groups, on the other hand, have wanted a stronger ability to negotiate lower payments to the types of medical providers who can send patients surprise bills. Legislation nearly passed last December, but was scuttled at the eleventh hour after health providers lobbied aggressively against the deal. Private-equity firms, which own many of the medical providers that deliver surprise bills, poured tens of millions into advertisements opposing the plan. Committee chairs squabbled over jurisdictional issues and postponed the issue. This year, many of the same legislators behind last year’s failed effort tried again, softening several provisions that had been most objectionable to influential doctor and hospital lobbies. The current version will probably not do as much to lower health care spending as the previous version, but will still protect patients. After years of defeats, consumer advocacy groups cheered the new legislation. “This was a real victory for American people against moneyed interests,” said Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA. “This really was about Congress recognizing in a bipartisan way the obscenity of families who were paying insurance still having financial bombs going off.” The final compromise would require insurers and medical providers who cannot agree on a payment rate to use an outside arbiter to decide. The arbiter would determine a fair amount based, in part, on what other doctors and hospitals are typically paid for similar services. Patients could be charged the kind of cost sharing they would pay for in-network services, but nothing more. This type of policy is generally seen as more advantageous to health care providers than the other proposal Congress considered, which would have minimized the role of arbiters and instead set bench mark reimbursement rates. Several states have set up their own arbitration systems, and have found that most price disputes are negotiated before an arbiter is involved. “If this bill will force them to come to the table and negotiate a solution, it will be a definite win for everybody,” said Christopher Garmon, an assistant professor of health administration at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, who has measured the scope of the problem. The new law will bar air ambulances from giving patients surprise bills. These bills are infrequent but, when they do happen, tend to be very large. A coronavirus patient in Pennsylvania received a $52,511 surprise air ambulance bill this summer for a flight between two hospitals that happened while she was unconscious. States that ban surprise bills have been prevented from tackling these cases because federal law bars them from regulating air transit fees. Ground ambulances, which generate a significant number of surprise bills, are excluded from the new law. The Congressional Budget Office found that an earlier version of the plan would cause small reductions to affected providers including emergency room doctors and anesthesiologists. This would happen to providers that both do and do not send surprise bills, because taking away the option would reduce their leverage in negotiating contracts with health insurers. Health insurers tend to be disappointed with the new legislation, while hospitals and doctors have offered a more mixed response. Some have cited the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to delay new rules. The American Medical Association sent a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday, saying it was “deeply concerned” about the possibility of lower reimbursement rates, “especially in light of the significant financial pressures practices have faced in the last 10 months.” TeamHealth, a large, private-equity owned physician staffing firm that has previously engaged in surprise billing, called the agreement “a significant improvement over the catastrophic proposals advanced by major insurance companies over the past two years.” The American Hospital Association, the country’s largest hospital group, opposed a recent version of the new rules, while the Federation of American Hospitals, which represents private hospitals, supported it.

Surprise medical bills cost Americans millions. Congress is finally set to ban most of them.

Florida is set to outdo well… Florida. Turns out, pythons in the state could be available in your favourite restaurants as a main course dish - if things go as expected.

Florida has a Burmese python problem - which are invasive species in the Everglades. Now, scientists believe that we may be able to eat them, which means they could stop wreaking havoc in the state’s ecosystem.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/why-did-florida-just-eliminate-5000-burmese-pythons-317841" hreflang="en">Why did Florida just 'eliminate' 5,000 Burmese pythons?</a>

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health is trying to ascertain whether Burmese pythons could be consumed as food, and for this they are measuring mercury levels in pythons.

Very common in southern Florida, pythons are nonvenomous and currently pose a serious risk to the native wildlife in the are. Pythons are not native to Florida, and were introduced as either a released or escaped pet, after which they have taken the native wildlife, altering the ecosystem.

It began appearing in the Everglades in the 1980s. State officials urge people to kill pythons if spotted, or to report sightings to officials.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/clip-of-dinosaur-size-alligator-stealing-ducks-from-hunters-in-florida-goes-viral-346503" hreflang="en">Clip of dinosaur-size alligator stealing ducks from hunters in Florida goes viral</a>

Florida currently has a programme called the “Python Elimination Program”, led by South Florida Water Management District, which is also funding the mercury study.

As part of this programme, over 6,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades.

Scientists hope that if deemed edible, Floridians would start eating pythons to manage their populations in the region.

Mercury is found extensively in the Everglades. And pythons currently remain at the top of the food chain, where they accumulate the most mercury. But scientists just want to be sure it’s safe to consume such pythons.

Florida is set to outdo well… Florida. Turns out, pythons in the state could be available in your favourite restaurants as a main course dish - if things go as expected.

Florida is set to outdo well… Florida. Turns out, pythons in the state could be available in your favourite restaurants as a main course dish - if things go as expected. Florida has a Burmese python problem - which are invasive species in the Everglades. Now, scientists believe that we may be able to eat them, which means they could stop wreaking havoc in the state’s ecosystem. Also read: Why did Florida just 'eliminate' 5,000 Burmese pythons? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health is trying to ascertain whether Burmese pythons could be consumed as food, and for this they are measuring mercury levels in pythons. Very common in southern Florida, pythons are nonvenomous and currently pose a serious risk to the native wildlife in the are. Pythons are not native to Florida, and were introduced as either a released or escaped pet, after which they have taken the native wildlife, altering the ecosystem. It began appearing in the Everglades in the 1980s. State officials urge people to kill pythons if spotted, or to report sightings to officials. Also read: Clip of dinosaur-size alligator stealing ducks from hunters in Florida goes viral Florida currently has a programme called the “Python Elimination Program”, led by South Florida Water Management District, which is also funding the mercury study. As part of this programme, over 6,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades. Scientists hope that if deemed edible, Floridians would start eating pythons to manage their populations in the region. Mercury is found extensively in the Everglades. And pythons currently remain at the top of the food chain, where they accumulate the most mercury. But scientists just want to be sure it’s safe to consume such pythons.

From predator to prey: Pythons to become a menu item in Florida

With millions of Americans out of work and at risk of losing their homes, Congress’ failure to quickly reach a deal that would send more money to struggling families is increasingly frustrating those hit by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmakers on Saturday were stymied over a proposed stimulus package, and the clock was ticking. Millions of people are at risk of being kicked out of their homes after Dec. 31, when a federal moratorium on evictions ends, and as many as 12 million people could lose unemployment benefits Dec. 26, when two emergency programs expire.

For Renée DeCarlo, 49, an artist in San Francisco, the near-daily calls about her credit card payments make it impossible to forget about a mountain of debt that keeps piling higher. She has had to keep her studio closed to the public, and she sold her car to try to stay on top of expenses. Now, as the holidays approach, she is selling as much of her art as she can and using the money — coupled with unemployment benefits — to support her two teenage children.

“I need that money to live on,” she said. “I’ve been trading art for rent.”

DeCarlo is hoping that Congress makes an effort to forgive some of the debt that has piled up for her and others as the pandemic drags on.

“Getting those calls just makes you feel worse and sort of inadequate, as a person and as a society,” DeCarlo said. “I don’t want to be pulling the economy down. I’m trying to bring things up in what I do every day.”

Lawmakers were working Saturday to strike an agreement on a $900 billion stimulus package before Sunday night. The plan under discussion would extend unemployment benefits and issue stimulus checks of $600, half of what the government sent to many Americans in April and an amount that many say would be gone — spent on necessities — as soon as it arrived.

“It’s a joke,” said Chant’e Catt, an off-campus housing coordinator at Humboldt State University in Northern California. “It’s a slap in the face, and it’s really disrespectful for somebody who lost their job.”

Aid organizations that have been flooded with people seeking help amid the pandemic are also anxiously waiting for Congress to act.

The Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit ramped up its distribution this year as the virus spread and families lost jobs, delivering food to 150,000 households in the Detroit area each month, 50,000 more than normal. Now those who work to distribute 6.7 million pounds of food each month say they could lose half of it if a federal farm-to-family program enacted during the pandemic expires.

“Michigan winters aren’t the greatest, which means that heating bills are going up, and on top of that, there are people working or learning from home, so their heating bills are increasing as well,” said Stacy Averill, vice president of community giving at Gleaners. “All of those things are coming together now and bringing additional anxiety to households as they try to navigate trying to put food on the table.”

In Cleveland, people were lining up Saturday outside of a house in the city’s trendy Ohio City neighborhood to get donated toys for their young relatives. The house serves as a food pantry for most of the year but doubles as a toy center during the Christmas season.

Among those putting her name on the list for toys was a retiree who said she was looking out for her grandchildren. “I’ve never had to get Christmas toys for free like this,” she said. “Sometimes you have to swallow your pride.”

The woman said a $600 check could help her family stay afloat. “Right now we are trying to live month to month, and a little bit more money might help us get to the next month,” she said.

David Caron, 22, recently got a job at a J. Crew store in Boston after working part time for DoorDash, the delivery service, and receiving some unemployment payments. He said a stimulus check of $600 would not be nearly enough to help him recover from the pandemic’s toll.

“We bail out companies and corporations all the time,” a frustrated Caron said Saturday. “When it comes to helping the individual, we are left to hang dry.”

With millions of Americans out of work and at risk of losing their homes, Congress’ failure to quickly reach a deal that would send more money to struggling families is increasingly frustrating those hit by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

With millions of Americans out of work and at risk of losing their homes, Congress’ failure to quickly reach a deal that would send more money to struggling families is increasingly frustrating those hit by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers on Saturday were stymied over a proposed stimulus package, and the clock was ticking. Millions of people are at risk of being kicked out of their homes after Dec. 31, when a federal moratorium on evictions ends, and as many as 12 million people could lose unemployment benefits Dec. 26, when two emergency programs expire. For Renée DeCarlo, 49, an artist in San Francisco, the near-daily calls about her credit card payments make it impossible to forget about a mountain of debt that keeps piling higher. She has had to keep her studio closed to the public, and she sold her car to try to stay on top of expenses. Now, as the holidays approach, she is selling as much of her art as she can and using the money — coupled with unemployment benefits — to support her two teenage children. “I need that money to live on,” she said. “I’ve been trading art for rent.” DeCarlo is hoping that Congress makes an effort to forgive some of the debt that has piled up for her and others as the pandemic drags on. “Getting those calls just makes you feel worse and sort of inadequate, as a person and as a society,” DeCarlo said. “I don’t want to be pulling the economy down. I’m trying to bring things up in what I do every day.” Lawmakers were working Saturday to strike an agreement on a $900 billion stimulus package before Sunday night. The plan under discussion would extend unemployment benefits and issue stimulus checks of $600, half of what the government sent to many Americans in April and an amount that many say would be gone — spent on necessities — as soon as it arrived. “It’s a joke,” said Chant’e Catt, an off-campus housing coordinator at Humboldt State University in Northern California. “It’s a slap in the face, and it’s really disrespectful for somebody who lost their job.” Aid organizations that have been flooded with people seeking help amid the pandemic are also anxiously waiting for Congress to act. The Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit ramped up its distribution this year as the virus spread and families lost jobs, delivering food to 150,000 households in the Detroit area each month, 50,000 more than normal. Now those who work to distribute 6.7 million pounds of food each month say they could lose half of it if a federal farm-to-family program enacted during the pandemic expires. “Michigan winters aren’t the greatest, which means that heating bills are going up, and on top of that, there are people working or learning from home, so their heating bills are increasing as well,” said Stacy Averill, vice president of community giving at Gleaners. “All of those things are coming together now and bringing additional anxiety to households as they try to navigate trying to put food on the table.” In Cleveland, people were lining up Saturday outside of a house in the city’s trendy Ohio City neighborhood to get donated toys for their young relatives. The house serves as a food pantry for most of the year but doubles as a toy center during the Christmas season. Among those putting her name on the list for toys was a retiree who said she was looking out for her grandchildren. “I’ve never had to get Christmas toys for free like this,” she said. “Sometimes you have to swallow your pride.” The woman said a $600 check could help her family stay afloat. “Right now we are trying to live month to month, and a little bit more money might help us get to the next month,” she said. David Caron, 22, recently got a job at a J. Crew store in Boston after working part time for DoorDash, the delivery service, and receiving some unemployment payments. He said a stimulus check of $600 would not be nearly enough to help him recover from the pandemic’s toll. “We bail out companies and corporations all the time,” a frustrated Caron said Saturday. “When it comes to helping the individual, we are left to hang dry.”

Americans scraping by say they fear a second stimulus won’t be enough

Head of FireEye, one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the US said on Sunday that the widespread hack of US government networks had "genuinely impacted" about 50 companies or organisations.

"It is probably only around 50 organizations or companies, somewhere in that zone, that is genuinely impacted," FireEye chief executive Kevin Mandia said in a CBS interview.

The cyberattack took place a few days ago and numerous departments of US government were affected.

Reportedly, hackers installed malware on the software used by the US Treasury and Commerce Departments and this allowed them to view internal email traffic. Department of Energy said that it was hit due to the cyberattack but also said that it was able to disconnect the systems from its network.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-has-a-blind-spot-when-it-comes-to-russia-mitt-romney-351231">Trump has a 'blind spot' when it comes to Russia: Mitt Romney</a>

Although US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that "Russians" were behind this attack. But President Donald Trump appeared to disagree as he sought to suggest, quite vehemently, that China was behind the attack and not Russia.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-appreciates-spy-agency-after-us-hack-controversy-351221">Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciates spy agency after US hack controversy</a>

Trump's stand has not gone down well with members of his own party-members. Republican Party Senator Mitt Romney said on Sunday that Trump had a "blind spot" when it came to Russia.

"We've come to recognize that the president has a blind spot when it comes to Russia," Romney said on NBC's "Meet the Press," one of a series of Sunday morning TV interviews.

(With Reuters inputs)

Head of FireEye, one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the US said on Sunday that the widespread hack of US government networks had "genuinely impacted" about 50 companies or organisations.

Head of FireEye, one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the US said on Sunday that the widespread hack of US government networks had "genuinely impacted" about 50 companies or organisations. "It is probably only around 50 organizations or companies, somewhere in that zone, that is genuinely impacted," FireEye chief executive Kevin Mandia said in a CBS interview. The cyberattack took place a few days ago and numerous departments of US government were affected. Reportedly, hackers installed malware on the software used by the US Treasury and Commerce Departments and this allowed them to view internal email traffic. Department of Energy said that it was hit due to the cyberattack but also said that it was able to disconnect the systems from its network. Also Read | Trump has a 'blind spot' when it comes to Russia: Mitt Romney Although US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that "Russians" were behind this attack. But President Donald Trump appeared to disagree as he sought to suggest, quite vehemently, that China was behind the attack and not Russia. Also Read | Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciates spy agency after US hack controversy Trump's stand has not gone down well with members of his own party-members. Republican Party Senator Mitt Romney said on Sunday that Trump had a "blind spot" when it came to Russia. "We've come to recognize that the president has a blind spot when it comes to Russia," Romney said on NBC's "Meet the Press," one of a series of Sunday morning TV interviews. (With Reuters inputs)

About 50 companies 'genuinely affected' in US cyberattack, says FireEye

Social media giants like Twitter and Facebook have been put under immense pressure to weed out fake news and misinformation, especially to set the stage for a peaceful transition of power from incumbent US President Donald Trump to President-elect Joe Biden.

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Trump has never been shy to show his disdain - on Twitter on in the real world. He has referred to the election results as rigged, without offering any evidence of the same.

Earlier, Twitter had begun labelling Trump’s tweets that contained “manipulated media” or carried unverified claims. Since then, Twitter has doubled down on its crackdown on fake news, especially coming from big leaders.

Now, the company fact-checked Trump once again. But this time, it went a step further.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/cyber-hack-under-control-says-trump-plays-down-russias-reported-role-351058" hreflang="en">Cyber hack 'under control', says Trump; plays down Russia's reported role</a>

In a tweet, Trump made more claims about election fraud. However, this time it came with a new label - “Election officials have certified Joe Biden as the winner of the U.S. Presidential election.”&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
....discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!). There could also have been a hit on our ridiculous voting machines during the election, which is now obvious that I won big, making it an even more corrupted embarrassment for the USA. <a href="https://twitter.com/DNI_Ratcliffe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DNI_Ratcliffe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SecPompeo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecPompeo</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1340333619299147781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

According to Twitter, this is a minute addition to its earlier labels, with the goal to provide latest information.&nbsp;

The previous label claimed the following - “Multiple sources called this election differently”.

But things are different now - The electoral college has voted and Biden is looking at the next four years in the White House, making all Trump’s claims misleading.

Facebook too, is doing the same, by labelling posts with a disclaimer.

As US officials investigate the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-what-is-massive-cyberattack-in-us-all-about-350566">hacking</a>&nbsp;of various government departments, President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-link-as-trump-remains-mum-on-cyber-attack-us-authorities-scamper-to-investigate-350996">Trump</a>&nbsp;said: "everything is well under control".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/russia-link-as-trump-remains-mum-on-cyber-attack-us-authorities-scamper-to-investigate-350996" hreflang="en">Russia link? As Trump remains mum on cyber attack, US authorities scamper to investigate</a>

The cyber hack is far greater in the fake news media than in actuality. I have been fully briefed," the US President asserted.

"Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens because Lamestream is, for mostly financial reasons, petrified of discussing the possibility that it may be&nbsp;China&nbsp;(it may!)," he said.

Social media giants like Twitter and Facebook have been put under immense pressure to weed out fake news and misinformation, especially to set the stage for a peaceful transition of power from incumbent US President Donald Trump to President-elect Joe Biden.

Social media giants like Twitter and Facebook have been put under immense pressure to weed out fake news and misinformation, especially to set the stage for a peaceful transition of power from incumbent US President Donald Trump to President-elect Joe Biden. Trump has never been shy to show his disdain - on Twitter on in the real world. He has referred to the election results as rigged, without offering any evidence of the same. Earlier, Twitter had begun labelling Trump’s tweets that contained “manipulated media” or carried unverified claims. Since then, Twitter has doubled down on its crackdown on fake news, especially coming from big leaders. Now, the company fact-checked Trump once again. But this time, it went a step further. Also read: Cyber hack 'under control', says Trump; plays down Russia's reported role In a tweet, Trump made more claims about election fraud. However, this time it came with a new label - “Election officials have certified Joe Biden as the winner of the U.S. Presidential election.” ....discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!). There could also have been a hit on our ridiculous voting machines during the election, which is now obvious that I won big, making it an even more corrupted embarrassment for the USA. @DNI_Ratcliffe @SecPompeo — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2020 × According to Twitter, this is a minute addition to its earlier labels, with the goal to provide latest information. The previous label claimed the following - “Multiple sources called this election differently”. But things are different now - The electoral college has voted and Biden is looking at the next four years in the White House, making all Trump’s claims misleading. Facebook too, is doing the same, by labelling posts with a disclaimer. As US officials investigate the hacking of various government departments, President Donald Trump said: "everything is well under control". Also read: Russia link? As Trump remains mum on cyber attack, US authorities scamper to investigate The cyber hack is far greater in the fake news media than in actuality. I have been fully briefed," the US President asserted. "Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens because Lamestream is, for mostly financial reasons, petrified of discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!)," he said.

Twitter is now declaring Biden as election winner - on Trump's own tweets about fraud

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by pilots and air traffic controllers.

The Saturday announcement follows the FAA's December 12 approval for pilots and controllers to use the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech.

The US aviation regulator said pilots and controllers must not fly or conduct safety-related duties for 48 hours after receiving doses.&nbsp;

It said it "will monitor the patient response to each vaccine dose and may adjust this policy as necessary to ensure aviation safety."

On Thursday, groups representing aviation unions and American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other airlines, wrote to all US governors asking them to "prioritise aviation frontline workers for allocation of the vaccine in your upcoming implementation plan."

The groups noted that "aviation workers are frontline workers who either encounter the traveling public frequently or are required to perform our work in close proximity to our colleagues and perform our jobs onsite."

Earlier this month, the FAA sent guidance to airports to prepare for vaccine distribution, including other facilities that may serve as alternate or diversion airports.

The FAA said that some aircraft used for vaccine shipments may be larger than the aircraft used for passenger-carrying flights that typically serve that airport and operators may opt to have extra aircraft rescue and firefighting services.

(with inputs)

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by pilots and air traffic controllers. The Saturday announcement follows the FAA's December 12 approval for pilots and controllers to use the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by pilots and air traffic controllers. The Saturday announcement follows the FAA's December 12 approval for pilots and controllers to use the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech. The US aviation regulator said pilots and controllers must not fly or conduct safety-related duties for 48 hours after receiving doses. It said it "will monitor the patient response to each vaccine dose and may adjust this policy as necessary to ensure aviation safety." On Thursday, groups representing aviation unions and American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other airlines, wrote to all US governors asking them to "prioritise aviation frontline workers for allocation of the vaccine in your upcoming implementation plan." The groups noted that "aviation workers are frontline workers who either encounter the traveling public frequently or are required to perform our work in close proximity to our colleagues and perform our jobs onsite." Earlier this month, the FAA sent guidance to airports to prepare for vaccine distribution, including other facilities that may serve as alternate or diversion airports. The FAA said that some aircraft used for vaccine shipments may be larger than the aircraft used for passenger-carrying flights that typically serve that airport and operators may opt to have extra aircraft rescue and firefighting services. (with inputs)

US FAA approves use of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by pilots

United States Secretary Mike Pompeo claimed that Russia was “pretty clearly” behind the cyberattack in the country, which targeted key government departments in the country.&nbsp;

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On Thursday, American company Microsoft claimed that it reached out 40 customers who were hit by the attack. Analysts believed that the victims of the attack could have led the hackers to access of key government systems, utilities, and electric power grids.

"There was a significant effort to use a piece of third-party software to essentially embed code inside of US government systems," Pompeo said on The Mark Levin Show on Friday.

"This was a very significant effort, and I think it's the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity”, Pompeo added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-intel-agencies-warn-of-an-ongoing-cyber-attack-on-government-350392" hreflang="en">US intel agencies warn of an ongoing cyber attack on government</a>

The attack affected mostly customers from the United States, according to Microsoft president Brad Smith, who divulged more details in the blog post.&nbsp;

At least 80 per cent of the customers who were affected hailed from the United States, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. "It's certain that the number and location of victims will keep growing”, Smith said.

"This is not 'espionage as usual,' even in the digital age," Smith added. "Instead, it represents an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world”, Smith put forward.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/eus-medicines-agency-responsible-for-vaccine-approval-suffers-cyber-attack-348654" hreflang="en">EU's medicines agency responsible for vaccine approval suffers cyber attack</a>

The CEO of Denim Group - a security firm, John Dickson said. “Everyone is in damage assessment now because it's so big… It's a severe body blow to confidence both in government and critical infrastructure”.

The reported attack injected malware into copier systems through enterprise management network software which was made by SolarWinds, an IT company based out of Texas.

United States Secretary Mike Pompeo claimed that Russia was “pretty clearly” behind the cyberattack in the country, which targeted key government departments in the country.

United States Secretary Mike Pompeo claimed that Russia was “pretty clearly” behind the cyberattack in the country, which targeted key government departments in the country. On Thursday, American company Microsoft claimed that it reached out 40 customers who were hit by the attack. Analysts believed that the victims of the attack could have led the hackers to access of key government systems, utilities, and electric power grids. "There was a significant effort to use a piece of third-party software to essentially embed code inside of US government systems," Pompeo said on The Mark Levin Show on Friday. "This was a very significant effort, and I think it's the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity”, Pompeo added. Also read: US intel agencies warn of an ongoing cyber attack on government The attack affected mostly customers from the United States, according to Microsoft president Brad Smith, who divulged more details in the blog post. At least 80 per cent of the customers who were affected hailed from the United States, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. "It's certain that the number and location of victims will keep growing”, Smith said. "This is not 'espionage as usual,' even in the digital age," Smith added. "Instead, it represents an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world”, Smith put forward. Also read: EU's medicines agency responsible for vaccine approval suffers cyber attack The CEO of Denim Group - a security firm, John Dickson said. “Everyone is in damage assessment now because it's so big… It's a severe body blow to confidence both in government and critical infrastructure”. The reported attack injected malware into copier systems through enterprise management network software which was made by SolarWinds, an IT company based out of Texas.

Russia 'pretty clearly' behind cyber attack, says US Secretary of State Pompeo

US military warned on Thursday that US warships will be "more assertive" against international law violations particularly by China. China has long taken expansionist actions in South China Sea. In a document, the Pentagon said that several countries, notably Russia and China "are contesting the balance of power in key regions and seeking to undermine the existing world order."

"Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily," the document said, noting their "growing aggressiveness" and calling China "the most pressing, long-term strategic threat."

The latest incident between the US and China naval forces took place in late August, when Beijing said it had driven an American warship from the disputed Paracel archipelago.&nbsp;

China claims almost all of the islands of South China Sea. This is disputed by other countries in the region like Vietnam, Malaysia, Philppines and Brunei.

To counter China, the US has been sending ships to the region more frequently to carry out what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations.

To maintain strategic advantage over the Chinese Navy whose "battle force has more than tripled in size in only two decades," the US Navy plans to modernize with smaller, more agile and even remotely piloted ships.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/as-us-withdraws-aid-chinese-mission-to-push-sri-lanka-further-into-debt-succeeds-350555">As US withdraws aid, Chinese mission to push Sri Lanka further into debt succeeds</a>

Penatagon's dpcument said that US ships will also "accept calculated tactical risks and adopt a more assertive posture in our day-to-day operations"&nbsp;

For Navy Rear Admiral Jay Bynum that means being "more responsive, more assertive."

"In the past, our behavior was de-escalation. We would turn away and would minimize risk in those individual contacts," he said, noting that the Navy "might be ceding ground" with the approach.

(With AFP inputs)

US military warned on Thursday that US warships will be "more assertive" against international law violations particularly by China. China has long taken expansionist actions in South China Sea.

US military warned on Thursday that US warships will be "more assertive" against international law violations particularly by China. China has long taken expansionist actions in South China Sea. In a document, the Pentagon said that several countries, notably Russia and China "are contesting the balance of power in key regions and seeking to undermine the existing world order." "Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily," the document said, noting their "growing aggressiveness" and calling China "the most pressing, long-term strategic threat." The latest incident between the US and China naval forces took place in late August, when Beijing said it had driven an American warship from the disputed Paracel archipelago. China claims almost all of the islands of South China Sea. This is disputed by other countries in the region like Vietnam, Malaysia, Philppines and Brunei. To counter China, the US has been sending ships to the region more frequently to carry out what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations. To maintain strategic advantage over the Chinese Navy whose "battle force has more than tripled in size in only two decades," the US Navy plans to modernize with smaller, more agile and even remotely piloted ships. Also Read | As US withdraws aid, Chinese mission to push Sri Lanka further into debt succeeds Penatagon's dpcument said that US ships will also "accept calculated tactical risks and adopt a more assertive posture in our day-to-day operations" For Navy Rear Admiral Jay Bynum that means being "more responsive, more assertive." "In the past, our behavior was de-escalation. We would turn away and would minimize risk in those individual contacts," he said, noting that the Navy "might be ceding ground" with the approach. (With AFP inputs)

To counter China, US Navy to be 'more assertive'

Snowstorm lashes US east coast; New York hit

Facebook Inc has accused rival Apple Inc of engaging in anticompetitive practices -- firing another shot in a months-long standoff between the two tech giants.

The tiff between the two giants began over Apple's planned privacy changes for iOS14.

"Apple is behaving anticompetitively by using their control of the App Store to benefit their bottom line at the expense of creators and small businesses. Full stop," Facebook Vice President for Ads and Business Products Dan Levy told reporters.

In response, Apple said its new rules will not require Facebook to change its "approach to tracking users and creating targeted advertising" but instead requires Facebook to give users on Apple devices a choice of whether to opt in to those practices.

“We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not," Apple said in a statement.

The world's biggest social media company ran full-page ads in major newspapers criticising Apple's plans, which will limit apps' ability to gather data from people's phones that can be used for targeted advertising.

It said in a blog post that Apple's own personalised ad platform would be exempt from the new prompt requirement the iPhone maker is planning to impose on other companies.

Apple said in June that such activity will require a pop-up notification asking iOS users for "permission to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies," which digital advertising firms expect most will decline.

Levy said that although Facebook disagreed with Apple's approach, it would comply with the new rules and display a prompt. "We don't have a choice if we want our app to be available in the App Store," he said.

He declined to say whether Facebook would take any action to push back against the policy.

Facebook and Apple have also tangled over commission fees the iPhone maker charges apps listed on iOS devices, with Facebook again aligning itself with small developers most affected by the policy.

Facebook said in a blog post that it was "committed to providing relevant information" in a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games challenging the commission fee rules, but declined to specify how it would participate in the litigation.

Opposition against Apple continued to grow on Wednesday as Digital Content Next, a digital media trade association representing members such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, said it had joined the Coalition for App Fairness.

The nonprofit, which includes members like Epic Games and Spotify, is calling on regulators around the world to fight "anticompetitive" app store practices such as Apple's 30% revenue cut on purchases made within apps.

Facebook previously tried to push a notification to its users about Apple's fees but said Apple rejected its "transparency notice."

(with inputs)

Facebook Inc has accused rival Apple Inc of engaging in anticompetitive practices -- firing another shot in a months-long standoff between the two tech giants. The tiff between the two giants began over Apple's planned privacy changes for iOS14.

Facebook Inc has accused rival Apple Inc of engaging in anticompetitive practices -- firing another shot in a months-long standoff between the two tech giants. The tiff between the two giants began over Apple's planned privacy changes for iOS14. "Apple is behaving anticompetitively by using their control of the App Store to benefit their bottom line at the expense of creators and small businesses. Full stop," Facebook Vice President for Ads and Business Products Dan Levy told reporters. In response, Apple said its new rules will not require Facebook to change its "approach to tracking users and creating targeted advertising" but instead requires Facebook to give users on Apple devices a choice of whether to opt in to those practices. “We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not," Apple said in a statement. The world's biggest social media company ran full-page ads in major newspapers criticising Apple's plans, which will limit apps' ability to gather data from people's phones that can be used for targeted advertising. It said in a blog post that Apple's own personalised ad platform would be exempt from the new prompt requirement the iPhone maker is planning to impose on other companies. Apple said in June that such activity will require a pop-up notification asking iOS users for "permission to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies," which digital advertising firms expect most will decline. Levy said that although Facebook disagreed with Apple's approach, it would comply with the new rules and display a prompt. "We don't have a choice if we want our app to be available in the App Store," he said. He declined to say whether Facebook would take any action to push back against the policy. Facebook and Apple have also tangled over commission fees the iPhone maker charges apps listed on iOS devices, with Facebook again aligning itself with small developers most affected by the policy. Facebook said in a blog post that it was "committed to providing relevant information" in a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games challenging the commission fee rules, but declined to specify how it would participate in the litigation. Opposition against Apple continued to grow on Wednesday as Digital Content Next, a digital media trade association representing members such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, said it had joined the Coalition for App Fairness. The nonprofit, which includes members like Epic Games and Spotify, is calling on regulators around the world to fight "anticompetitive" app store practices such as Apple's 30% revenue cut on purchases made within apps. Facebook previously tried to push a notification to its users about Apple's fees but said Apple rejected its "transparency notice." (with inputs)

Facebook accuses Apple of anticompetitive behaviour over privacy changes

As Democrats look to the incoming Biden administration to reverse much of President Donald Trump’s work, the conservative imprint he has left on the federal courts is only deepening.

Much attention in recent months has focused on the Supreme Court and its newly appointed justice, Amy Coney Barrett. But an analysis of decisions by the country’s appellate bench — where nearly all contested federal litigation ends — shows the transformation of the judiciary under Trump.

Early this year, The New York Times reviewed more than 10,000 published decisions and dissents during the first three years of the Trump administration. It found that the president’s picks for the appeals courts were more likely than past Republican appointees to disagree with peers selected by Democrats and more likely to agree with their Republican colleagues, suggesting they were more consistently conservative.

An updated analysis of more than 1,700 opinions published over the first six months of the year shows that the trend has intensified as the judges have established a larger body of work.

“It’s more polarized,” said Joshua Fischman, a law professor at the University of Virginia. “We’ve seen a huge conservative shift. A lot of these judges are very young, and they’ll be there for a long time.”

Trump has named 53 of the 165 judges on the nation’s regional appeals courts, lifetime appointments that will have a vast and enduring effect. Most cases on the courts are decided unanimously by three-person panels, and dissent is relatively rare. But as a group, his selections were nearly four times as likely to clash with colleagues appointed by Democratic presidents as those appointed by Republicans. Judges nominated by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush showed the same tendency, but to half the extent.

The judges who exhibited the pattern included some who had been under consideration for the Supreme Court and some who had deep political connections on Capitol Hill. One had done legal work for Trump’s 2016 campaign and later, as acting head of the Justice Department’s civil division, was in charge of defending high-profile presidential policies that came under attack in the courts.

Yet while Trump has made clear that he expects loyalty from his judicial appointees, they have ruled against him in lawsuits that his campaign brought regarding the 2020 election. Most notably, Barrett last week joined her fellow justices in denying an effort by Texas to overturn the Biden victory in four battleground states.

At the appeals level, Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd Circuit, nominated in 2017, wrote a blistering decision last month rejecting the Trump campaign’s election challenge in Pennsylvania. And Judge Andrew L. Brasher of the 11th Circuit, appointed this year, wrote an opinion this month rebuffing the campaign’s effort to bypass the lower federal court and decertify Georgia’s election results.

Fischman said that to rule differently would have been to flout the law. “It’s completely against judicial culture,” he said. “They just could not be taken seriously as judges if they sided with Trump here.”

Bibas and Brasher serve on courts that Trump has flipped toward conservative majorities. While Bibas was not among the most disputatious of the appointees, according to the analysis, he dissented in a significant gun-rights case in which two Democratic appointees upheld New Jersey’s limit on large-capacity magazines.

“We must treat the right to keep and bear arms like other enumerated rights,” he wrote. “We may not water it down and balance it away based on our own sense of wise policy.”

Barrett — who until October served in Indiana on the 7th Circuit, where there is a particular culture of agreement — also followed the pattern, striking out against Democratic-named colleagues over 7% of the time and against Republican appointees 2.5% of the time, the analysis showed.

In one such case, she disagreed that a man who had admitted to killing his wife was denied the right to a lawyer when a judge questioned him. (Her position later held sway when the case was considered by a full slate of 7th Circuit judges.)

On the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Neomi Rao, confirmed to the bench just last year, has already made waves. Of four cases with published opinions that she participated in alongside two Democratic appointees, she dissented three times, the analysis showed. In June, she wrote the majority opinion ordering a lower-court judge to dismiss the case against Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser.

In a case decided in May, Judge Joel M. Carson III of the 10th Circuit dissented as his Democratic-appointed peers ruled against a challenge to the Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks, the attachments that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire in sustained bursts. That case is now under consideration by the full circuit.

And this month, Judge Lawrence J.C. VanDyke broke from his colleagues on the 9th Circuit, objecting as they ruled against the Trump administration and called an immigration policy favoring wealthy immigrants for green cards “arbitrary and capricious.” VanDyke was among the handful of Trump nominees at the appellate level whose qualifications were questioned by the American Bar Association.

Not all the judges fit the pattern: Many serve on courts with a majority of Republican appointees, and some belong to circuits with a stronger culture of consensus. But The Times found that Trump appointees were more likely to be involved in a case featuring dissent even when those factors were accounted for.

The analysis examined how often and with whom the judges agreed but not the ideological content of their opinions. Though the cases sometimes touched on big policy debates — abortion, gun rights, policing — they more often concerned matters like employment disputes and criminal and immigration court appeals.

The Trump administration’s work in swiftly filling vacant judgeships has depended heavily on Republicans in the Senate, particularly Mitch McConnell, the majority leader. He has encouraged eligible federal judges to retire to create more openings and has led a confirmation process in which Republicans shunned compromise and sought unbending conservatives and reliable political allies to populate the bench.

As of this month, if pending nominations are taken into account, President-elect Joe Biden stands to inherit fewer than 25 openings across the federal judiciary, compared with the more than 100 that carried over to Trump from Barack Obama's administration.

Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee have appealed to Lindsey Graham, its Republican chairman through the end of the year, asking him not to proceed with any more nominations before Biden is sworn in.

But even with a Democrat in the White House, the Republicans will be in a position to continue their push for conservative appointees, or at least block liberal ones, unless Democrats gain control of the Senate by winning both seats in next month’s special election in Georgia.

“A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election,” McConnell said in October as Barrett was confirmed. “They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

As Democrats look to the incoming Biden administration to reverse much of President Donald Trump’s work, the conservative imprint he has left on the federal courts is only deepening.

As Democrats look to the incoming Biden administration to reverse much of President Donald Trump’s work, the conservative imprint he has left on the federal courts is only deepening. Much attention in recent months has focused on the Supreme Court and its newly appointed justice, Amy Coney Barrett. But an analysis of decisions by the country’s appellate bench — where nearly all contested federal litigation ends — shows the transformation of the judiciary under Trump. Early this year, The New York Times reviewed more than 10,000 published decisions and dissents during the first three years of the Trump administration. It found that the president’s picks for the appeals courts were more likely than past Republican appointees to disagree with peers selected by Democrats and more likely to agree with their Republican colleagues, suggesting they were more consistently conservative. An updated analysis of more than 1,700 opinions published over the first six months of the year shows that the trend has intensified as the judges have established a larger body of work. “It’s more polarized,” said Joshua Fischman, a law professor at the University of Virginia. “We’ve seen a huge conservative shift. A lot of these judges are very young, and they’ll be there for a long time.” Trump has named 53 of the 165 judges on the nation’s regional appeals courts, lifetime appointments that will have a vast and enduring effect. Most cases on the courts are decided unanimously by three-person panels, and dissent is relatively rare. But as a group, his selections were nearly four times as likely to clash with colleagues appointed by Democratic presidents as those appointed by Republicans. Judges nominated by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush showed the same tendency, but to half the extent. The judges who exhibited the pattern included some who had been under consideration for the Supreme Court and some who had deep political connections on Capitol Hill. One had done legal work for Trump’s 2016 campaign and later, as acting head of the Justice Department’s civil division, was in charge of defending high-profile presidential policies that came under attack in the courts. Yet while Trump has made clear that he expects loyalty from his judicial appointees, they have ruled against him in lawsuits that his campaign brought regarding the 2020 election. Most notably, Barrett last week joined her fellow justices in denying an effort by Texas to overturn the Biden victory in four battleground states. At the appeals level, Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd Circuit, nominated in 2017, wrote a blistering decision last month rejecting the Trump campaign’s election challenge in Pennsylvania. And Judge Andrew L. Brasher of the 11th Circuit, appointed this year, wrote an opinion this month rebuffing the campaign’s effort to bypass the lower federal court and decertify Georgia’s election results. Fischman said that to rule differently would have been to flout the law. “It’s completely against judicial culture,” he said. “They just could not be taken seriously as judges if they sided with Trump here.” Bibas and Brasher serve on courts that Trump has flipped toward conservative majorities. While Bibas was not among the most disputatious of the appointees, according to the analysis, he dissented in a significant gun-rights case in which two Democratic appointees upheld New Jersey’s limit on large-capacity magazines. “We must treat the right to keep and bear arms like other enumerated rights,” he wrote. “We may not water it down and balance it away based on our own sense of wise policy.” Barrett — who until October served in Indiana on the 7th Circuit, where there is a particular culture of agreement — also followed the pattern, striking out against Democratic-named colleagues over 7% of the time and against Republican appointees 2.5% of the time, the analysis showed. In one such case, she disagreed that a man who had admitted to killing his wife was denied the right to a lawyer when a judge questioned him. (Her position later held sway when the case was considered by a full slate of 7th Circuit judges.) On the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Neomi Rao, confirmed to the bench just last year, has already made waves. Of four cases with published opinions that she participated in alongside two Democratic appointees, she dissented three times, the analysis showed. In June, she wrote the majority opinion ordering a lower-court judge to dismiss the case against Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser. In a case decided in May, Judge Joel M. Carson III of the 10th Circuit dissented as his Democratic-appointed peers ruled against a challenge to the Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks, the attachments that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire in sustained bursts. That case is now under consideration by the full circuit. And this month, Judge Lawrence J.C. VanDyke broke from his colleagues on the 9th Circuit, objecting as they ruled against the Trump administration and called an immigration policy favoring wealthy immigrants for green cards “arbitrary and capricious.” VanDyke was among the handful of Trump nominees at the appellate level whose qualifications were questioned by the American Bar Association. Not all the judges fit the pattern: Many serve on courts with a majority of Republican appointees, and some belong to circuits with a stronger culture of consensus. But The Times found that Trump appointees were more likely to be involved in a case featuring dissent even when those factors were accounted for. The analysis examined how often and with whom the judges agreed but not the ideological content of their opinions. Though the cases sometimes touched on big policy debates — abortion, gun rights, policing — they more often concerned matters like employment disputes and criminal and immigration court appeals. The Trump administration’s work in swiftly filling vacant judgeships has depended heavily on Republicans in the Senate, particularly Mitch McConnell, the majority leader. He has encouraged eligible federal judges to retire to create more openings and has led a confirmation process in which Republicans shunned compromise and sought unbending conservatives and reliable political allies to populate the bench. As of this month, if pending nominations are taken into account, President-elect Joe Biden stands to inherit fewer than 25 openings across the federal judiciary, compared with the more than 100 that carried over to Trump from Barack Obama's administration. Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee have appealed to Lindsey Graham, its Republican chairman through the end of the year, asking him not to proceed with any more nominations before Biden is sworn in. But even with a Democrat in the White House, the Republicans will be in a position to continue their push for conservative appointees, or at least block liberal ones, unless Democrats gain control of the Senate by winning both seats in next month’s special election in Georgia. “A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election,” McConnell said in October as Barrett was confirmed. “They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

As Trump leaves the White House, his imprint on the judiciary deepens

Currency experts in the United States say Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Switzerland among other are all at the risk of being found in violation of the three US criteria for currency manipulation in the Treasury Department's long-delayed report on the foreign exchange practices of major trading partners.&nbsp;

They expect the report within days.

The US Treasury, to this end, could label several countries currency manipulators before President Donald Trump leaves office, as the coronavirus pandemic skews trade flows and widens US deficits with trading partners.

To be labelled a manipulator, countries must at least have a $20 billion-plus bilateral trade surplus with the United States, foreign currency intervention exceeding 2% of GDP and a global current account surplus exceeding 2% of GDP.

Brad Setser, a former US Treasury economist and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, has replicated data used by Treasury to analyse these criteria, constructing a quarterly tracker that shows Vietnam, Switzerland and Thailand exceeded the department's thresholds during the first and second quarters of 2020.

Trade surpluses for Asian economies exporting personal protective equipment and other supplies needed to fight the pandemic have jumped, while capital has surged into safe haven currencies such as the Swiss franc, driving them higher.

The Swiss National Bank has spent 90 billion francs ($101 billion) to tame the franc's rise in the first half of 2020, putting it squarely in the Treasury's focus.

The Treasury has often treated Switzerland differently because it views Switzerland's intervention as not trade-driven.

China, declared a manipulator in August 2019 at the height of US-China trade tensions, has been a fixture on Treasury's monitoring list for years due to its massive trade surplus with the United States.&nbsp;

Treasury removed the label in January as the two countries signed a "Phase 1" trade deal and China's foreign exchange interventions and global current account surplus remain below the thresholds.

There is no automatic punishment with a currency manipulator label, though US law requires Washington to demand negotiations with designated countries.

(with inputs)

Currency experts in the United States say Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Switzerland among other are all at the risk of being found in violation of the three US criteria for currency manipulation in the Treasury Department's long-delayed report on the foreign exchange practices of major trading partners.

Currency experts in the United States say Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Switzerland among other are all at the risk of being found in violation of the three US criteria for currency manipulation in the Treasury Department's long-delayed report on the foreign exchange practices of major trading partners. They expect the report within days. The US Treasury, to this end, could label several countries currency manipulators before President Donald Trump leaves office, as the coronavirus pandemic skews trade flows and widens US deficits with trading partners. To be labelled a manipulator, countries must at least have a $20 billion-plus bilateral trade surplus with the United States, foreign currency intervention exceeding 2% of GDP and a global current account surplus exceeding 2% of GDP. Brad Setser, a former US Treasury economist and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, has replicated data used by Treasury to analyse these criteria, constructing a quarterly tracker that shows Vietnam, Switzerland and Thailand exceeded the department's thresholds during the first and second quarters of 2020. Trade surpluses for Asian economies exporting personal protective equipment and other supplies needed to fight the pandemic have jumped, while capital has surged into safe haven currencies such as the Swiss franc, driving them higher. The Swiss National Bank has spent 90 billion francs ($101 billion) to tame the franc's rise in the first half of 2020, putting it squarely in the Treasury's focus. The Treasury has often treated Switzerland differently because it views Switzerland's intervention as not trade-driven. China, declared a manipulator in August 2019 at the height of US-China trade tensions, has been a fixture on Treasury's monitoring list for years due to its massive trade surplus with the United States. Treasury removed the label in January as the two countries signed a "Phase 1" trade deal and China's foreign exchange interventions and global current account surplus remain below the thresholds. There is no automatic punishment with a currency manipulator label, though US law requires Washington to demand negotiations with designated countries. (with inputs)

Switzerland, Asian nations at risk in US Treasury's currency report

Up to a quarter of a million children, young people and vulnerable adults were abused in New Zealand's faith-based and state care institutions in the past several decades, a public inquiry revealed on Wednesday.

An interim report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the historic abuse of children in state care estimated that up to 256,000 people were abused between 1950 and 2019. This accounts for almost 40% of the 655,000 people in care during that period.

"The hurt and anguish that has been caused in New Zealand’s history are inexcusable,” said Minister for the Public Service Chris Hipkins, who described the report as a "difficult rad".

"All children in the care of the state should be safe from harm, but as the testimony sets out all too often the opposite was true."

The report said most abuse survivors were aged between 5 and 17, but some were as young as 9 months and as old as 20. Most were abused over a five to 10 year period.

The abuse included physical assault and sexual abuse, with staff in some psychiatric institutions forcing male patients to rape female patients. It also included the improper use of medical procedures including electric shocks on genitals and legs, improper strip searches and vaginal examinations, and verbal abuse and racial slurs.

"Sometimes I'd have shock treatment twice a day," said Anne, who at 17 was placed in a psychiatric institution in 1979.

"The records (said) I went blind, then they gave me shock treatment again that night," she told the inquiry.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the Royal Commission in 2018 saying the country needed to confront "a dark chapter" in its history, and later expanded it to include churches and other faith-based institutions.

The report said the likelihood of children and young people abused in faith-based or religious homes ranges from 21% to 42%.

It found the number of people passing through care institutions was six times higher than previously estimated.

"On any assessment, this is a serious and long-standing social problem that needs to be addressed," the report said, adding there was evidence that abuse continued today.

The report comes after private and public redress hearings where survivors bravely narrated harrowing accounts of physical and sexual abuse.

One Maori survivor, Peter, told the inquiry he drove a car off a cliff in an attempt to suicide to escape the abuse.

"I didn't wanna live anymore. I went over a cliff and smashed head-on into a bank. Again, if anybody just stopped and looked at why, they would have figured something out, but they didn't," he said.

The Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand said it would study the report to learn how to deal with complaints and prevent abuse.

The report acknowledged that indigenous Maori children probably suffered the most, as 81% of children abused in care are Māori, while 69% of the children in care are Māori.

It said some faith-based institutions sought to "cleanse", through sexual and physical abuse, the cultural identity from Maori people in care.

Thousands of Maori people protested across New Zealand last year calling for an end to the practice of taking at-risk children away from families and placing them in state care.

Critics of the practice have said the process is racially skewed against the Maori and is a legacy of colonisation.

Neighbouring Australia delivered a national apology in 2017 after a five-year inquiry into child sexual abuse revealed thousands of cases of sexual misconduct largely committed at religious and state-run institutions.

Up to a quarter of a million children, young people and vulnerable adults were abused in New Zealand's faith-based and state care institutions in the past several decades, a public inquiry revealed on Wednesday.

Up to a quarter of a million children, young people and vulnerable adults were abused in New Zealand's faith-based and state care institutions in the past several decades, a public inquiry revealed on Wednesday. An interim report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the historic abuse of children in state care estimated that up to 256,000 people were abused between 1950 and 2019. This accounts for almost 40% of the 655,000 people in care during that period. "The hurt and anguish that has been caused in New Zealand’s history are inexcusable,” said Minister for the Public Service Chris Hipkins, who described the report as a "difficult rad". "All children in the care of the state should be safe from harm, but as the testimony sets out all too often the opposite was true." The report said most abuse survivors were aged between 5 and 17, but some were as young as 9 months and as old as 20. Most were abused over a five to 10 year period. The abuse included physical assault and sexual abuse, with staff in some psychiatric institutions forcing male patients to rape female patients. It also included the improper use of medical procedures including electric shocks on genitals and legs, improper strip searches and vaginal examinations, and verbal abuse and racial slurs. "Sometimes I'd have shock treatment twice a day," said Anne, who at 17 was placed in a psychiatric institution in 1979. "The records (said) I went blind, then they gave me shock treatment again that night," she told the inquiry. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the Royal Commission in 2018 saying the country needed to confront "a dark chapter" in its history, and later expanded it to include churches and other faith-based institutions. The report said the likelihood of children and young people abused in faith-based or religious homes ranges from 21% to 42%. It found the number of people passing through care institutions was six times higher than previously estimated. "On any assessment, this is a serious and long-standing social problem that needs to be addressed," the report said, adding there was evidence that abuse continued today. The report comes after private and public redress hearings where survivors bravely narrated harrowing accounts of physical and sexual abuse. One Maori survivor, Peter, told the inquiry he drove a car off a cliff in an attempt to suicide to escape the abuse. "I didn't wanna live anymore. I went over a cliff and smashed head-on into a bank. Again, if anybody just stopped and looked at why, they would have figured something out, but they didn't," he said. The Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand said it would study the report to learn how to deal with complaints and prevent abuse. The report acknowledged that indigenous Maori children probably suffered the most, as 81% of children abused in care are Māori, while 69% of the children in care are Māori. It said some faith-based institutions sought to "cleanse", through sexual and physical abuse, the cultural identity from Maori people in care. Thousands of Maori people protested across New Zealand last year calling for an end to the practice of taking at-risk children away from families and placing them in state care. Critics of the practice have said the process is racially skewed against the Maori and is a legacy of colonisation. Neighbouring Australia delivered a national apology in 2017 after a five-year inquiry into child sexual abuse revealed thousands of cases of sexual misconduct largely committed at religious and state-run institutions.

Over 250,000 abused in New Zealand’s state and faith-based care

A&nbsp;US-funded project using satellites to track and publish water levels at&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;dams&nbsp;on the&nbsp;Mekong&nbsp;river was announced on Monday, adding to the superpowers'&nbsp;rivalry&nbsp;in Southeast Asia.

The 4,350-km (2,700-mile) waterway - known as the Lancang in China and flowing south through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam - has become a focus of competition.

Beijing has dismissed&nbsp;US&nbsp;research saying&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;dams&nbsp;have retained water to the detriment of downstream nations, where 60 million people depend on the river for fishing and farming.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/chinas-combative-nationalists-see-a-world-turning-their-way-349658" hreflang="en">China’s combative nationalists see a world turning their way</a>

The&nbsp;Mekong&nbsp;Dam Monitor, part-funded by the State Department, uses data from cloud-piercing satellites to track levels of&nbsp;dams&nbsp;in China and other countries.

The information will be open for everyone in near real-time from Tuesday.

A separate indicator of "surface wetness" is to show which parts of the region are wetter or drier than usual: a guide to how much natural flows are being affected by the&nbsp;dams.

"The monitor provides evidence that China's 11 mainstream&nbsp;dams&nbsp;are sophisticatedly orchestrated and operated in a way to maximize the production of hydropower for sale to China’s eastern provinces with zero consideration given to downstream impacts," said Brian Eyler of the Washington-based Stimson Center, a global think tank which operates the virtual water gauges.

'POSITIVE BENEFITS'

China has been critical of past research, including a study by Eyes on Earth - part of the&nbsp;Mekong&nbsp;Dam Monitor project - which said water had been held back in 2019 as other countries suffered severe drought.

"The United States has been unable to provide good evidence throughout," the state-backed China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute said in a Dec. 4 report.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/china-in-nudge-to-us-makes-a-new-promise-to-tackle-global-warming-349485" hreflang="en">China, in nudge to US, makes a new promise to tackle global warming</a>

"The positive benefits of&nbsp;upstream Lancang river hydropower on downstream&nbsp;Mekong&nbsp;neighbours&nbsp;are clear and obvious," it said, adding that water stored in reservoirs during the flood season helped prevent both downstream floods and droughts.

China agreed earlier this year to share water data with the&nbsp;Mekong&nbsp;River Commission (MRC) - an advisory body to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam that had long sought the information for better planning.

China and the United States have rival bodies working with&nbsp;Mekong&nbsp;countries: the Beijing-based Lancang-Mekong&nbsp;Cooperation and the&nbsp;Mekong-US&nbsp;Partnership.

The two nations are also at odds in the South China Sea, where Washington challenges Beijing's claim to most of the waterway, a major conduit for trade that is also rich in energy resources.

A US-funded project using satellites to track and publish water levels at Chinese dams on the Mekong river was announced on Monday, adding to the superpowers' rivalry in Southeast Asia.

A US-funded project using satellites to track and publish water levels at Chinese dams on the Mekong river was announced on Monday, adding to the superpowers' rivalry in Southeast Asia. The 4,350-km (2,700-mile) waterway - known as the Lancang in China and flowing south through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam - has become a focus of competition. Beijing has dismissed US research saying Chinese dams have retained water to the detriment of downstream nations, where 60 million people depend on the river for fishing and farming. Also read: China’s combative nationalists see a world turning their way The Mekong Dam Monitor, part-funded by the State Department, uses data from cloud-piercing satellites to track levels of dams in China and other countries. The information will be open for everyone in near real-time from Tuesday. A separate indicator of "surface wetness" is to show which parts of the region are wetter or drier than usual: a guide to how much natural flows are being affected by the dams. "The monitor provides evidence that China's 11 mainstream dams are sophisticatedly orchestrated and operated in a way to maximize the production of hydropower for sale to China’s eastern provinces with zero consideration given to downstream impacts," said Brian Eyler of the Washington-based Stimson Center, a global think tank which operates the virtual water gauges. 'POSITIVE BENEFITS' China has been critical of past research, including a study by Eyes on Earth - part of the Mekong Dam Monitor project - which said water had been held back in 2019 as other countries suffered severe drought. "The United States has been unable to provide good evidence throughout," the state-backed China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute said in a Dec. 4 report. Also read: China, in nudge to US, makes a new promise to tackle global warming "The positive benefits of upstream Lancang river hydropower on downstream Mekong neighbours are clear and obvious," it said, adding that water stored in reservoirs during the flood season helped prevent both downstream floods and droughts. China agreed earlier this year to share water data with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) - an advisory body to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam that had long sought the information for better planning. China and the United States have rival bodies working with Mekong countries: the Beijing-based Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and the Mekong-US Partnership. The two nations are also at odds in the South China Sea, where Washington challenges Beijing's claim to most of the waterway, a major conduit for trade that is also rich in energy resources.

US announces project to track water levels of Chinese dams situated along Mekong river

California will join the US government and 11 other states in bringing lawsuits against Google for abusing its market dominance.

Google, founded in 1998 and headquartered in California, has often been accused of abusing its power to exclude competitors. It is the default search engine on many devices, and its Chrome web browser and mobile operating system Android dominate the market.

The US Justice Department and 11 states in October brought a civil case against Google for pursuing an illegal monopoly in its search functions and in its advertising research services.

"Google's market dominance leaves consumers and small businesses with little choice when it comes to internet search engines," Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.&nbsp;

"By using exclusionary agreements to dominate the market, Google has stifled competition and rigged the advertising market."

The US Justice Department also accuses it of forcing consumers and advertisers to use its services on Android devices on apps that cannot be deleted, such as Google Maps.

On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and prosecutors representing 48 states and territories also announced they had filed a complaint against Facebook for abusing its market dominance.

California will join the US government and 11 other states in bringing lawsuits against Google for abusing its market dominance. Google, founded in 1998 and headquartered in California, has often been accused of abusing its power to exclude competitors.

California will join the US government and 11 other states in bringing lawsuits against Google for abusing its market dominance. Google, founded in 1998 and headquartered in California, has often been accused of abusing its power to exclude competitors. It is the default search engine on many devices, and its Chrome web browser and mobile operating system Android dominate the market. The US Justice Department and 11 states in October brought a civil case against Google for pursuing an illegal monopoly in its search functions and in its advertising research services. "Google's market dominance leaves consumers and small businesses with little choice when it comes to internet search engines," Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "By using exclusionary agreements to dominate the market, Google has stifled competition and rigged the advertising market." The US Justice Department also accuses it of forcing consumers and advertisers to use its services on Android devices on apps that cannot be deleted, such as Google Maps. On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and prosecutors representing 48 states and territories also announced they had filed a complaint against Facebook for abusing its market dominance.

California joins US govt to bring antitrust lawsuit against Google

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