US President Joe Biden highlighted the positive outcomes his Build Back Better Act will have on the nation's increasing prescription drug prices as the landmark bill remains in the Senate chamber's hands.
Mr Biden noted that Americans pay the most for prescription drug prices among every other developed country, sometimes at rates two to three times higher than others.
One cancer-fighting drug in the US costs $14,000 while the same drug provided by the same supplier costs just $6,000 in France, for example.
"I think it's safe to say that all of us ... whatever our background, our age, where we live [that] we can agree that prescription drugs are outrageously expensive in this country," Mr Biden said.
"It doesn't need to be that way."
If his social spending bill becomes law, drugmakers would be required to pay rebates to Medicare if they raise prices faster than inflation.
Mr Biden lashed out at drug companies for their soaring prices.
Pointing to "one of the most egregious examples", Mr Biden noted the rising cost of insulin treatments for diabetes sufferers. A bottle of the treatment costs manufacturers less than $10, but the price increases in certain types of insulin means that some Americans have had to pay up to $1,000 a month, depending on their needs.
"These price increases are about companies looking to maximize profits," Mr Biden said.
Mr Biden hopes to reduce the cost of insulin to $35 a month. It would also cap out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses for disabled seniors at $2,000 annually.
Roughly 34 million Americans suffer from diabetes, Mr Biden noted. One-and-a-half million of those who suffer from Type-1 diabetes require frequent insulin doses.
Under the bill, Medicare would also negotiate fair drug prices while hopefully encouraging investment in research. The federal government would be able to negotiate the price of older drugs by 2025.
A timetable for the passage of the Build Back Better is still unclear.
In a letter to his colleagues on Monday, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer expressed hope that they could still pass the $1.75 trillion bill by Christmas.
Any changes the Senate makes to this House-passed bill would have to be approved by the House of Representatives before it could be sent to Mr Biden for signing into law.
Centrist senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin currently remain the two Democratic holdouts from granting Mr Biden a major victory. Both remain sceptical even after months of negotiations with the White House.
Mr Biden was less definitive about a timeframe for the bill's passage when pressed on Monday.
“I want to get it done no matter how long it takes," he said.
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
