- Pope calls for 'arms to be silenced' in Christmas appeal
- Syria authorities say torched 1 million captagon pills
- Pope calls for 'arms to be silenced' across world
- 32 survivors as Azerbaijani jet crashes in Kazakhstan
- Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan, Kabul says
- Liverpool host Foxes, Arsenal prepare for life without Saka
- Japan FM raises 'serious concerns' over China military buildup
- Pope's sombre message in Christmas under shadow of war
- Zelensky condemns Russian 'inhumane' Christmas attack on energy grid
- Sweeping Vietnam internet law comes into force
- Pope kicks off Christmas under shadow of war
- Catholics hold muted Christmas mass in Indonesia's Sharia stronghold
- Japan's top diplomat in China to address 'challenges'
- Thousands attend Christmas charity dinner in Buenos Aires
- Demand for Japanese content booms post 'Shogun'
- As India's Bollywood shifts, stars and snappers click
- Mystery drones won't interfere with Santa's work: US tracker
- Djokovic eyes more Slam glory as Swiatek returns under doping cloud
- Australia's in-form Head confirmed fit for Boxing Day Test
- Brazilian midfielder Oscar returns to Sao Paulo
- 'Wemby' and 'Ant-Man' to make NBA Christmas debuts
- US agency focused on foreign disinformation shuts down
- On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis launches holy Jubilee year
- 'Like a dream': AFP photographer's return to Syria
- Chiefs seek top seed in holiday test for playoff-bound NFL teams
- Panamanians protest 'public enemy' Trump's canal threat
- Cyclone death toll in Mayotte rises to 39
- Ecuador vice president says Noboa seeking her 'banishment'
- Leicester boss Van Nistelrooy aware of 'bigger picture' as Liverpool await
- Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband
- Maresca expects Man City to be in title hunt as he downplays Chelsea's chancs
- Man Utd boss Amorim vows to stay on course despite Rashford row
- South Africa opt for all-pace attack against Pakistan
- Guardiola adamant Man City slump not all about Haaland
- Global stocks mostly higher in thin pre-Christmas trade
- Bethlehem marks sombre Christmas under shadow of war
- NASA probe makes closest ever pass by the Sun
- 11 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant
- Indonesia considers parole for ex-terror chiefs: official
- Global stocks mostly rise in thin pre-Christmas trade
- Postecoglou says Spurs 'need to reinforce' in transfer window
- Le Pen says days of new French govt numbered
- Global stocks mostly rise after US tech rally
- Villa boss Emery set for 'very difficult' clash with Newcastle
- Investors swoop in to save German flying taxi startup
- How Finnish youth learn to spot disinformation
- South Korean opposition postpones decision to impeach acting president
- 12 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant
- Panama leaders past and present reject Trump's threat of Canal takeover
- Hong Kong police issue fresh bounties for activists overseas
What's in Biden's big climate and health bill?
Hundreds of billions of dollars for clean energy projects, cheaper prescription drugs and new corporate taxes are a few of the key items in US President Joe Biden's massive investment plan, which the House of Representatives is expected to pass Friday, after Senate approval.
Here's a closer look at the signature elements of the plan, which could offer the Democratic leader a big political win heading into November's crucial midterm elections.
- $370 billion for clean energy, climate -
If the legislation is passed, it will mark the biggest investment in US history in the fight against climate change.
Rather than attempting to punish the biggest polluters in corporate America, the bill put forward by Biden's party instead proposes a series of financial incentives aimed at steering the world's biggest economy away from fossil fuels.
Tax credits would be given to producers and consumers of wind, solar and nuclear power.
If passed, the legislation would allot up to $7,500 in tax credits to every American who buys an electric vehicle. Anyone installing solar panels on their roof would see 30 percent of the cost subsidized.
Around $60 billion would be allocated for clean energy manufacturing, from wind turbines to the processing of minerals needed for electric car batteries.
The same amount would go towards programs to help drive investment in underprivileged communities, notably through grants for home renovation to improve energy efficiency and access to less polluting modes of transportation.
Huge investments would go into making forests less susceptible to wildfires and protect coastal areas from erosion caused by devastating hurricanes.
The bill aims to help the United States reduce its carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, as compared with 2005 levels.
- $64 billion for health care -
The second major aspect of the legislation is to help reduce the huge disparities in access to health care across the United States, notably by reining in skyrocketing prescription drug prices.
If the draft eventually becomes law, Medicare -- the nation's health insurance plan for those aged 65 and older, or with modest incomes -- could be permitted to negotiate prices of certain medications directly with Big Pharma for the first time, likely yielding far better deals.
The plan would require pharmaceutical companies to offer rebates on certain drugs if the prices rise faster than soaring US inflation.
It also would extend benefits under Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act -- known colloquially as Obamacare -- until 2025.
- Minimum corporate tax of 15% -
Alongside these huge investments, the so-called "Inflation Reduction Act" would seek to pare down the federal deficit through the adoption of a minimum corporate tax of 15 percent for all companies with profits exceeding one billion dollars.
The new tax seeks to prevent certain huge firms from using tax havens to pay far less than what they theoretically owe.
According to estimates, the measure could generate more than $258 billion in tax revenue for US government coffers over the next 10 years.
D.Sawyer--AMWN