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IOL News
17-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
KZN Education Department fails to comply with court order for ECD centre payments
Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in KwaZulu-Natal are struggling with late payments from the provincial department of education. Image: Tracey Adams/African News Agency (ANA) The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Education has failed to comply and honour the court order to pay three Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres their outstanding balance. This was after the Legal Resources Centre, which represents the three ECD centres, obtained a court order from the KZN High Court in Pietermaritzburg compelling the department to pay the three. The court order was obtained on May 26 and the department was given until June 5 to pay the money. The total amount owed to the three centres was R163,859. The LRC said that although the three centres received some payments between May 30 and July 02, 2025, these have been sporadic and incomplete, leaving them unable to plan and budget properly. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ One of the centres, Sakhokwethu, is still owed a significant amount dating back to the 2023/2024 financial year. This ongoing neglect has forced its principal, Bonisiwe Mthembu, to incur personal debt to keep the centre operational, leading her into a financial crisis as she grapples with escalating interest payments. The consequences of this failure are severe for children, staff and the wider community. "Sakhokwethu is in a state of despair and disrepair. Paying my staff is impossible when I have to choose between wages and feeding the children. It feels like the department has abandoned us,' said Mthembu. The centres said the payments received so far have been made without clear information about which months or financial years they cover. This lack of transparency has made it impossible for the centres to meet their obligations to children, staff and families. Nonkonzo Madlala, chairperson of Phumelela Crèche, expressed the impact of these failures in a plea shared by many centres across the province: 'All we are asking is simple: that the Department pays all ECD centres what is due to them, on time, every month. When they delay, all of our children go hungry, our staff go unpaid, and we are forced to choose between keeping the lights on and buying food. These are impossible decisions for ECD centres that care for the most vulnerable. As ECD centres, we are pleading, not for favours, but for the bare minimum the service level agreements promise us, so that we can give our children the safety, nutrition, and learning they deserve.' The provincial education spokesperson, Muzi Mahlambi, did not respond to the media query regarding the outstanding payments. In the court documents, the centres argued that the lack of funding is a constitutional issue that infringes on children's rights and the failure to pay has an impact on children as it deprives them of sufficient nutrition, and prejudices their access to safe facilities, as well as limiting the availability of ECD practitioners. LRC said it has been following up repeatedly via email and telephone to secure compliance while considering a contempt of court application. The organisation said these efforts were mostly met with silence, apart from a vague response citing internal accounting processes and offering no clear payment schedule. The organisation added that the few payments made were inadequate, unexplained, and provided no certainty for the centres. 'This lack of transparency has deepened the financial crisis at the centres, which depend on timely monthly subsidies to deliver essential services to young children. As the department remained evasive, conditions at the centres worsened, compounding the hardship faced by children, staff and their families,' said LRC. The LRC believes that the department is not engaging in good faith. It said this behaviour signals a troubling pattern of evasion and disregard for the urgent needs of young children who rely on these essential services. The group added that although the applicants are not pursuing a contempt application at this stage, it is monitoring compliance closely. 'We believe the department's refusal to explain or resolve this issue forces costly, unnecessary litigation, diverting resources that should be supporting children. As the LRC, this is a route we want to avoid at all costs,' the organisation said, adding that the department's consistent failure to deliver subsidies in a timely and transparent manner has left many ECD centres on the brink of collapse.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cubs Land Former MVP from Yankees in Trade Idea
Cubs Land Former MVP from Yankees in Trade Idea originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Yankees could soon be facing a roster dilemma—and the Chicago Cubs might be in prime position to capitalize. Advertisement With slugger Giancarlo Stanton nearing a return and top prospect Ben Rice pushing for more playing time, the Yankees may not have room to keep Paul Goldschmidt in the everyday lineup. Goldschmidt, who signed to a one-year deal, has been a standout performer this season, and his value on the trade market may be the highest among first basemen. 'New York will not be able to get Rice, Stanton, and Goldschmidt in the same lineup on a regular basis," wrote Newsweek's Andrew Wright. "The trade of a player on a one-year deal rather than a young, promising player could be the correct move for the Yankees to make." If the Yankees decide to move him, the Cubs are a logical trade partner. The Cubs, currently leading the National League Central, are locked in a tight race with the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. While their overall roster has held up well, first base remains a weakness. New York Yankees first base Paul Goldschmidt (48) looks on against the Pittsburgh Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Michael Busch has seen the bulk of the playing time at the position and is hitting .276 overall. However, his .148 average against left-handed pitching is a glaring issue. In 18 games at first base, Justin Turner has hit .250 against lefties but just .207 overall. Advertisement In Wright's eyes, that inconsistency makes Goldschmidt an ideal fit for the Cubs. Goldschmidt, a seven-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, and former National League MVP, is thriving in New York. Through 220 at-bats, he is slashing .327 with six home runs and a .859 OPS. More importantly for Chicago, Goldschmidt has been devastating against left-handed pitchers, slashing .520/.613/.900 in 50 at-bats. With Busch struggling against southpaws and Turner offering minimal upside, Wright believes the Cubs would gladly take Goldschmidt's production against left-handers over Turner's. The Cubs are in a win-now window, and the NL Central remains tightly contested. Meanwhile, the Yankees have an incentive to move a productive veteran they may not be able to keep in the lineup long-term. Advertisement Goldschmidt's trade value is surging, and if the Yankees are willing to deal, the Cubs could find their first base solution and a possible difference-maker for a postseason run. Related: MLB Insider Expects Cubs Might Land One or Two Starters in Coming Weeks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
This Cubs-Yankees Trade Scenario Sends Former Rival First Baseman to Chicago
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The losses of ace Gerrit Cole and slugger Giancarlo Stanton due to injuries were expected to impact the New York Yankees in a major way. The production from both Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt have filled those voids nicely and have New York out to a 37-23 record through 60 games. The emergence of Ben Rice, however, could force the Yankees to make a near impossible decision when Stanton returns, and that decision would be to trade Paul Goldschmidt to the Chicago Cubs. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 01: Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees runs to first base during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 01, 2025 in... LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 01: Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees runs to first base during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 01, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. MoreNew York won't be able to get Rice, Stanton and Goldschmidt in the same lineup on a regular basis, so it seems that a move of some sort will have to be made. The trade of a player on a one-year deal rather than a young, promising player could be the correct move for the Yankees to make. Goldschmidt has gotten off to an excellent start this season, with a .327 average, six home runs and .859 OPS in 220 at-bats. Even more impressive, he has done incredible work against left-handed pitchers, posting a slash line of .520/.613/.900 in 50 at-bats. With the Cubs' current platoon situation at first base with Michael Busch and Justin Turner, Chicago would gladly take Goldschmidt's production against left-handers over Turner's. The sample size for Turner is a slash line of .268/.326/.366 in 44 at-bats. Goldschmidt has demolished the NL Central in his career, with a slash line of .291/.388/.527 in almost 550 games played. That kind of production would be a welcome addition to a Chicago lineup that will be looking to fight off St. Louis and Milwaukee for the remainder of the season. A blockbuster move for Goldschmidt could be what the Cubs need to pull off to help win the division and reach the postseason for the first time since 2020. More MLB: Diamondbacks Predicted to Trade Former Cy Young Winner Amid Season-Long Struggles
The Star
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Addy Lee says he regrets knowing TV host Quan Yifeng & her daughter Eleanor Lee
Malaysian-born celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee has confirmed he fell out with Singaporean TV host Quan Yifeng, formerly a long-time close friend of his, over disagreements related to live-stream sales the pair did together. Singapore-based Lee, 54, disclosed these details in a Facebook live-stream on May 13, after teasing earlier on social media that he will be speaking about Quan, 51, and her actress-daughter Eleanor Lee, 25. Addy Lee is Eleanor's godfather. Her biological father is Quan's ex-husband, Singaporean actor Peter Yu, from whom she is estranged. In his rambling six-hour tirade, Lee said he was 'close like family' with Quan for many years, but their relationship soured when Lee invited Quan to conduct live-stream sales with him of hair products during the pandemic in 2020. Over a month, the pair reportedly earned over SG$300,000 (RM990,859). But a rift soon arose, Lee alleged, when Quan complained that they were selling the same products with little variation and began throwing temper tantrums by ignoring audience questions on joint live-streams. Lee also said his assistant told him Quan and Eleanor said behind Lee's back that they felt like he was leveraging their popularity to boost his live-stream sales. Lee said that at the time, Quan and Eleanor were temporarily staying with him, along with their then-partners. He then went to his room to cry about Quan speaking behind his back and humiliating him. She then sent a text and told him she and Eleanor will be moving out since he seems uninterested in seeing or speaking to them. He then responded that he felt hurt by her actions. According to Lee, that was their last contact. He added that he felt betrayed as a week after this argument, he noticed that Eleanor posted about getting her hair done by fellow Singapore-based celebrity hairstylist David Gan. He felt upset that Eleanor said Gan saved her 'damaged hair', which Lee felt implied that his salon director at Monsoon Hair Salon did a bad job. He also said he bought expensive gifts from luxury brands for Quan and Eleanor over the years, paid for Eleanor's vacation to Europe, used his network to further her career in China and even contributed to her international school fees, but that Eleanor never repaid him. 'To be honest, I regret getting to know them... They are ingrates. It's been four years and I haven't heard a peep from them.' Lee's live-stream comes after Eleanor, a Singaporean who has been working as in China for several years, landed in hot water recently. A netizen claiming to be her former assistant released a poor-quality audio recording purportedly of Lee making derogatory claims about the people of China. While Eleanor has come out to clarify that the recording is fake and added that she loves China, the incident has been a major blow to her burgeoning career there, with state media singling her out for criticism. In the wake of the incident, Lee implied that what happened to Eleanor was 'karmic retribution'. He also posted alleged screenshots of messages from Eleanor's representatives pleading with him to not 'add fuel to the fire' in the midst of the negative publicity surrounding her now. Lee, who shared that he is on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication, had previously levelled accusations at other former friends. He is a co-founder of live-streaming ecommerce company Mdada alongside Singaporean actress-host Michelle Chia and Singapore-based Thai host Pornsak Prajakwi. Pornsak, 43, departed the company in 2023, and Lee said he officially left the company in February 2025 in a May 15 Facebook post. At the time, he said it was due to health issues, but soon began feuding with Pornsak and Chia. Lee previously accused Pornsak of bullying and defaming a staff member of the company who was Lee's assistant. He has also since accused Chia, 49, of withholding his salary from him and not responding to his texts. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Express Tribune
11-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Gold prices continue recording highs; rupee gains 5 paisa
Listen to article KARACHI: Gold prices in Pakistan continued their upward trend, aligning with rising international rates. On Tuesday, the price of gold per tola rose by Rs100, maintaining a record high of Rs303,100 in the local market. Similarly, the price of 10 grams of gold increased by Rs86, reaching Rs259,859, as reported by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA). This increase followed Monday's sharp surge of Rs4,000 per tola, setting a then-record high of Rs303,000. Internationally, gold prices also climbed, with APGJSA reporting a rate of $2,904 per ounce (including a $20 premium), marking a $1 increase during the day. Adnan Agar, Director of Interactive Commodities, mentioned the market saw a correction of $40 to $50 after its recent highs. He noted that while rapid price increases often lead to corrections, this one appeared short-lived. Agar pointed out that if gold prices correct to $2,868 and rebound, new highs could follow. However, if prices remain above $2,910, the market is likely to continue its upward momentum. A drop below $2,900 could lead to further corrections. Agar linked the rally in gold prices to inflation concerns and geopolitical developments in the Middle East. He warned that if prices climb unchecked, a sharp decline may follow. The upcoming US economic data will play a key role in determining the next movement in gold prices. Meanwhile, the Pakistani rupee strengthened slightly against the US dollar, closing at 279.17 in the interbank market, gaining 5 paisa, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan. On the global front, the US dollar gained strength after US President Donald Trump announced significant tariff increases on steel and aluminium imports. He said reciprocal tariffs on other countries were to be announced in the coming days.
