Latest news with #cashassistance
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
‘No application required': Ministry says just flash your MyKad to spend your RM100 Sara aid
PUTRAJAYA, 24 July — The Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme provides cash assistance that can be used via MyKad to buy essential goods at selected stores across Malaysia, the Finance Ministry said today. Clarifying Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's announcement yesterday, the ministry said recipients simply need to present their MyKad to use the one-off RM100 each Malaysian adult will receive from August 31. The MyKad works as a cashless payment method at over 4,100 participating outlets, including major supermarkets such as Giant, Mydin and HeroMarket, as well as small neighbourhood shops. 'No application is required — just show your MyKad at the counter to use the Sara credit,' the ministry said in a social media update. The credit covers 14 categories of essential items, amounting to 90,000 products, such as rice, cooking oil, diapers, paracetamol, stationery and bath soap. Unused credit does not expire immediately and can be used until December 31, offering beneficiaries flexibility in managing their expenses. The Finance Ministry reiterated that every Malaysian aged 18 and above will receive a one-off aid. It then said the government will announce further details on SARA's implementation in the coming weeks.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
L.A. will provide cash assistance to immigrants affected by raids
Mayor Karen Bass announced a plan Friday to provide direct cash assistance to people who have been affected by the Trump administration's sweeping immigration raids. The aid will be distributed using cash cards with a "couple hundred" dollars on them, which should be available in about a week, Bass said at a news conference. "You have people who don't want to leave their homes, who are not going to work, and they are in need of cash," she said. Bass spoke about a family she met who needed two incomes to afford their rent. After one of the breadwinners was detained in an immigration raid, she said, the family is concerned they may face eviction. It was not immediately clear what the qualifications will be needed to receive the cards. The mayor emphasized that the money will not come from city coffers but from philanthropic partners. The cards will be distributed by immigrants rights groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. The city will coordinate between philanthropists and organizations distributing the cards, according to the mayor's office. The mayor compared the program to "Angeleno Cards," created by Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2020 to give financial assistance to people struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement came during a Bass news conference about an executive order she signed Friday directing all city departments to "bolster protocols" and training on how to comply with the city's sanctuary policy, which states that city employees and city property may not be used to 'investigate, cite, arrest, hold, transfer or detain any person' for the purpose of immigration enforcement, except for serious crimes. Departments will have to come up with their plans within two weeks. The Trump administration sued the city over the sanctuary policy last month, arguing that it discriminates against organizations like ICE. Read more: Trump administration sues Mayor Karen Bass, L.A. City Council over sanctuary policy The executive order also creates a working group that will examine — and possibly update — the LAPD's policy on responding to immigration enforcement. Since 1979, the LAPD has taken a strong stance against enforcing federal immigration law, prohibiting its officers from initiating contact with anyone for the sole purpose of learning their immigration status. The executive order also includes a directive to file Freedom of Information Act requests for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to turn over records with the dates and locations of every raid in the city since June 6, as well as the identities of the people detained and the reason for their detention. The cash cards are one of a slew of announcements — including the executive order — this week by the mayor in response to the federal immigration crackdown in Los Angeles that has entered its second month. Earlier this week, Bass and the city attorney announced the city's intention to join a lawsuit calling for an end to the Trump administration's "unlawful" raids in the city. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Over 1.5 million Singaporeans to receive GST Voucher cash payouts in August; Star Awards glory for Christopher Lee with four gongs: Singapore live news
Singapore's GST Voucher scheme will see more than 1.5 million eligible Singaporean adults receive up to $850 cash next month while about 690,000 seniors will also receive up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August. "A total of $1.5 billion will be disbursed under the GSTV – Cash and GSTV – MediSave schemes, as part of the permanent GST Voucher scheme this year. This is on top of the other support that Singaporeans will receive in Financial Year 2025," said Ministry of Finance (MOF) in a press note on 7 July. Christopher Lee won four awards at the grand 30th anniversary of the Star Awards on Sunday (6 July). The Malaysian-born local star picked up Best Actor for 'Kill Sera Sera' while the second season of his variety cooking show ('Dishing with Chris Lee') earned him wins for Best Programme Host and Best Entertainment Programme. Lee was also presented a Special Achievement Award during Singapore's biggest night in local Mandarin entertainment. Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates. More than 1.5 million eligible Singaporean adults will receive up to $850 cash in August as part of the GST Voucher scheme, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on 7 July. Singaporeans aged 21 and above in 2025 with assessable incomes of up to $39,000 and living in homes with annual values of up to $21,000 will receive $850. For those whose homes have annual values of between $21,000 and $31,000, they will receive $450. Around 690,000 seniors will also receive up to $450 in MediSave top-ups next month. MOF said eligible recipients will automatically receive their payments from 6 August, if they have signed up for these schemes previously. You can find out more about the process of the GST Voucher – Cash and GST Voucher – Medisave schemes, here. The High Court has ordered an Instagram seller, who sold fake Louis Vuitton items as authentic, to pay $200,000 in damages to the luxury giant for trademark infringements. The sum, as reported by the Straits Times, was far less than the $2.9 million in damages LV was claiming against IG seller Ng Hoe Seng. Ng had initially used IG account 'emcase_sg' to run his operation but later shifted to 'emcrafts_sg' when LV issued a cease-and-desist letter in March 2023 following a sting operation by the French fashion house. The company then filed a lawsuit against Ng in August 2023 after a second sting operation uncovered his continued illegal practices using counterfeit LV goods. Justice Dedar Singh Gill, in his judgement, explained the "defendant's modus operandi when it came to promoting his products was to re-post Instagram posts and/or stories by customers who had purchased his products... ostensibly with the aim of thanking them and showing off their rave reviews." He added that Ng had 'deployed his coterie of 'influencers' to propagate the misrepresentation about his 'authentic' products more widely to his followers and the public at large'. More details on the case in the ST report, here. Christopher Lee's star shone the brightest on a night of glitz and glamour at the 30th anniversary of the Star Awards (6 July). Lee was named Best Actor at Singapore's biggest award show for local Mandarin entertainment, in recognition for his stellar work in 'Kill Sera Sera'. Additionally, the second season of Lee's variety cooking show 'Dishing with Chris Lee' earned the actor awards for Best Programme Host and Best Entertainment Programme. Lee, who is married to actress Fann Wong, was also honoured with a Special Achievement Award. "You received this award a long time ago. You are my inspiration and motivation," Lee said in tribute to Fann during his acceptance speech. And he reserved special mention for their 10-year-old son, Zed: "I want to raise you to be a good person. Thank you for being my son." Other major winners on the night included Jessica Hsuan, who won Best Actress for her work alongside Lee in 'Kill Sera Sera', while Chen Hanwei picked up the Best Supporting Actor ('Unforgivable') and Cynthia Koh was Best Supporting Actress ('Hope Afloat'). You can see the full list of winners for the Star Awards 2025, here. Iconic Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat was in Singapore as a presenter at the Star Awards (6 July). Channel News Asia caught up with the HK legend on the sidelines of the show, asking him a few questions about his activities in Singapore. Chow, who is married to Singaporean Jasmine Tan, revealed to the outlet that he doesn't go to any shopping centres as he prefers to spend his time eating at hawker centres. "Singapore – what places can I go to? I just sleep and go to the markets and eat," he was quoted as saying. The hawker centres Chow likes to visit includes Old Airport Road Food Centre, Newton Food Centre, Maxwell Food Centre and Lau Pa Sat. He also shared that he prefers eating chicken rice and his favourite is from Maxwell. "Every hawker centre has their specialty," he said. "Sometimes I go to seven, eight hawker centres and eat a bit at every one." The actor also spoke about his favourite Singlish catchphrases during his chat with CNA. A 35-year-old man was killed when the van he was driving hit a tipper truck in Seletar West Link on 6 July. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said the driver of the van was pronounced dead at the scene by one of its paramedics. The accident occured along Seletar West Link towards Yishun Avenue 1 at about 10.05am, according to reports. Photos the fatal accident have been circulating online and show a blue tent, used by police to cover a body, at the site. Police investigations are ongoing. A 50-year-old Australian woman has been found guilty of using meals laced with poisonous mushrooms to murder three elderly relatives of her estranged husband, and attempting to murder a fourth victim. Erin Patterson has been charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, who is Heather's husband. The meal took place at Erin's home – in the state of Victoria – where she served the four victims individual servings of Beef Wellington that contained death cap mushrooms. The guests ate their meals off four large grey dinner plates, while Erin ate from a smaller, tan-coloured plate, the court heard. Erin's estranged husband Simon Patterson was also invited to the lunch and initially accepted but later declined, it was revealed. More explanation on the mushroom murder trial, here. Tamil Murasu celebrated a significant milestone over the weekend as the local daily marked an incredible 90th anniversary. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended the event on 6 July along with a number of MPs who all came together to salute Tamil Murasu's achievement as one of the oldest Tamil-language newspapers in the world. Tamil Murasu is published by SPH Media and its success aligns with Singapore's deep commitment to multiculturalism, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo. Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim was also at the dinner and he, in a Facebook post, congratulated the paper for 90 years of service. "I thank Tamil Murasu for continuously supporting and covering important issues close to the hearts of readers including the Indian/Muslim community such as the development of Indian/Muslim asatizah, Islamic education and part-time madrasah, mosques, and wakaf projects," he said. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on any countries aligning themselves with the "Anti-American policies" of BRICS group. The organisation includes original members Brazil, Russia, India and China as well as South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump appeared to be responding to the opening remarks at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro where the group continued its criticism of Trump's tariff policies as well as proposing reforms to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and how major currencies are valued. "Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump did not specify which "Anti-American policies" he was referencing in his post. A recent Yahoo poll asked readers to comment on data that showed there are 45,300 vacancies in Singapore paying a median monthly salary of $7,300. Over 50% of almost 2,100 votes (2,096 votes at press time) expressed their skepticism of the claims believing the jobs were not real. However, 40% of the vote indicated their belief the $7.3k PMET jobs were real and legit. The poll is still open and you can vote here View this post on Instagram A post shared by Midas Promotions (@midaspromotions) American rock group My Chemical Romance are set to play the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 28 April next year as part of an anticipated tour of the region. Incheon, South Korea - Paradise City Culture Park (18 April) Bangkok, Thailand - IMPACT Challenger Hall (22 April) Bulacan, Philippines - Philippine Arena (25 April) Singapore - Indoor Stadium (28 April) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - National Stadium Bukit Jalil (30 April) Jakarta, Indonesia - Hammersonic Festiva (3 May) Tickets for the Singapore concert will go on sale at 10am on 11 July (Friday) via Sistic with prices ranging between $148 and $328. The band last played in Singapore almost 20 years ago in 2007. Construction works for Phase 2 of the Cross Island Line (CRL) – Singapore's eighth and longest fully underground MRT line – has officially begun. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) made the announcement on 7 July adding that Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow was on site at the future CRL Clementi station to officiate the ground-breaking ceremony. Phase 2 of the CRL is targeted for completion by 2032 and includes six underground stations. CRL King Albert Park station and CRL Clementi station will be interchange stations which connect to the Downtown Line (DTL) and East-West Line (EWL) respectively. The King Albert Park interchange station will stretch 50-metres deep and become Singapore's deepest station when completed, according to LTA. More details on Phase 2 of the Cross Island Line, here. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says US President Donald Trump deserves credit for pushing the 32-nation members to spend more of their gross domestic product on defence. Rutte's praise of Trump's commitment to NATO came in a recent interview with The New York Times where he also highlighted the dangers of the current political climate and how World War III might be sparked. The former Dutch Prime Minister suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping could attempt to seize Taiwan while simultaneously urging Vladimir Putin to launch Russian attacks on NATO territory. "Let's not be naïve about this," Rutte said. "If Xi Jinping would attack Taiwan, he would first make sure that he makes a call to his very junior partner in all of this, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, residing in Moscow, and telling him, 'Hey, I'm going to do this, and I need you to keep them busy in Europe by attacking NATO territory.' That is most likely the way this will progress," he said. SG Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch. He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe. But he's right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp — Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) July 5, 2025 Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has rejected Rutte's comments in a post on X. A 57-year-old female passenger on SMRT bus service 190 was taken to hospital after a bottle was thrown at the vehicle on 5 July. The incident occured in Orchard Road just before 7pm and left a hole in a window of the double-decker bus. Bloodstains were reportedly also seen near the bus door. The injured passenger was conscious when she was taken to Raffles Hospital, said the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Investigations are ongoing. Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng has advised MPs to focus on asking questions that improve the lives of Singaporeans – and not to get caught up in a numbers game. Seah, in an interview with the Straits Times, had noted the trend of more parliamentary questions being filed in the previous term which set new records on the number of sittings, ministerial statements delivered and other kinds of speeches. "I hope we don't get to a point where MPs are filing questions for the sake of clocking numbers – I think that is not necessary and not very productive," Seah was quoted as saying. "Each hour spent in Parliament, if everyone turns up, is 100 man-hours... which is why we do want to make sure time is spent productively for everyone," he added. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong intends to propose Seah's election as Speaker when Parliament reopens on 5 September. More than 1.5 million eligible Singaporean adults will receive up to $850 cash in August as part of the GST Voucher scheme, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on 7 July. Singaporeans aged 21 and above in 2025 with assessable incomes of up to $39,000 and living in homes with annual values of up to $21,000 will receive $850. For those whose homes have annual values of between $21,000 and $31,000, they will receive $450. Around 690,000 seniors will also receive up to $450 in MediSave top-ups next month. MOF said eligible recipients will automatically receive their payments from 6 August, if they have signed up for these schemes previously. You can find out more about the process of the GST Voucher – Cash and GST Voucher – Medisave schemes, here. The High Court has ordered an Instagram seller, who sold fake Louis Vuitton items as authentic, to pay $200,000 in damages to the luxury giant for trademark infringements. The sum, as reported by the Straits Times, was far less than the $2.9 million in damages LV was claiming against IG seller Ng Hoe Seng. Ng had initially used IG account 'emcase_sg' to run his operation but later shifted to 'emcrafts_sg' when LV issued a cease-and-desist letter in March 2023 following a sting operation by the French fashion house. The company then filed a lawsuit against Ng in August 2023 after a second sting operation uncovered his continued illegal practices using counterfeit LV goods. Justice Dedar Singh Gill, in his judgement, explained the "defendant's modus operandi when it came to promoting his products was to re-post Instagram posts and/or stories by customers who had purchased his products... ostensibly with the aim of thanking them and showing off their rave reviews." He added that Ng had 'deployed his coterie of 'influencers' to propagate the misrepresentation about his 'authentic' products more widely to his followers and the public at large'. More details on the case in the ST report, here. Christopher Lee's star shone the brightest on a night of glitz and glamour at the 30th anniversary of the Star Awards (6 July). Lee was named Best Actor at Singapore's biggest award show for local Mandarin entertainment, in recognition for his stellar work in 'Kill Sera Sera'. Additionally, the second season of Lee's variety cooking show 'Dishing with Chris Lee' earned the actor awards for Best Programme Host and Best Entertainment Programme. Lee, who is married to actress Fann Wong, was also honoured with a Special Achievement Award. "You received this award a long time ago. You are my inspiration and motivation," Lee said in tribute to Fann during his acceptance speech. And he reserved special mention for their 10-year-old son, Zed: "I want to raise you to be a good person. Thank you for being my son." Other major winners on the night included Jessica Hsuan, who won Best Actress for her work alongside Lee in 'Kill Sera Sera', while Chen Hanwei picked up the Best Supporting Actor ('Unforgivable') and Cynthia Koh was Best Supporting Actress ('Hope Afloat'). You can see the full list of winners for the Star Awards 2025, here. Iconic Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat was in Singapore as a presenter at the Star Awards (6 July). Channel News Asia caught up with the HK legend on the sidelines of the show, asking him a few questions about his activities in Singapore. Chow, who is married to Singaporean Jasmine Tan, revealed to the outlet that he doesn't go to any shopping centres as he prefers to spend his time eating at hawker centres. "Singapore – what places can I go to? I just sleep and go to the markets and eat," he was quoted as saying. The hawker centres Chow likes to visit includes Old Airport Road Food Centre, Newton Food Centre, Maxwell Food Centre and Lau Pa Sat. He also shared that he prefers eating chicken rice and his favourite is from Maxwell. "Every hawker centre has their specialty," he said. "Sometimes I go to seven, eight hawker centres and eat a bit at every one." The actor also spoke about his favourite Singlish catchphrases during his chat with CNA. A 35-year-old man was killed when the van he was driving hit a tipper truck in Seletar West Link on 6 July. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said the driver of the van was pronounced dead at the scene by one of its paramedics. The accident occured along Seletar West Link towards Yishun Avenue 1 at about 10.05am, according to reports. Photos the fatal accident have been circulating online and show a blue tent, used by police to cover a body, at the site. Police investigations are ongoing. A 50-year-old Australian woman has been found guilty of using meals laced with poisonous mushrooms to murder three elderly relatives of her estranged husband, and attempting to murder a fourth victim. Erin Patterson has been charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, who is Heather's husband. The meal took place at Erin's home – in the state of Victoria – where she served the four victims individual servings of Beef Wellington that contained death cap mushrooms. The guests ate their meals off four large grey dinner plates, while Erin ate from a smaller, tan-coloured plate, the court heard. Erin's estranged husband Simon Patterson was also invited to the lunch and initially accepted but later declined, it was revealed. More explanation on the mushroom murder trial, here. Tamil Murasu celebrated a significant milestone over the weekend as the local daily marked an incredible 90th anniversary. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended the event on 6 July along with a number of MPs who all came together to salute Tamil Murasu's achievement as one of the oldest Tamil-language newspapers in the world. Tamil Murasu is published by SPH Media and its success aligns with Singapore's deep commitment to multiculturalism, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo. Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim was also at the dinner and he, in a Facebook post, congratulated the paper for 90 years of service. "I thank Tamil Murasu for continuously supporting and covering important issues close to the hearts of readers including the Indian/Muslim community such as the development of Indian/Muslim asatizah, Islamic education and part-time madrasah, mosques, and wakaf projects," he said. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on any countries aligning themselves with the "Anti-American policies" of BRICS group. The organisation includes original members Brazil, Russia, India and China as well as South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump appeared to be responding to the opening remarks at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro where the group continued its criticism of Trump's tariff policies as well as proposing reforms to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and how major currencies are valued. "Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump did not specify which "Anti-American policies" he was referencing in his post. A recent Yahoo poll asked readers to comment on data that showed there are 45,300 vacancies in Singapore paying a median monthly salary of $7,300. Over 50% of almost 2,100 votes (2,096 votes at press time) expressed their skepticism of the claims believing the jobs were not real. However, 40% of the vote indicated their belief the $7.3k PMET jobs were real and legit. The poll is still open and you can vote here View this post on Instagram A post shared by Midas Promotions (@midaspromotions) American rock group My Chemical Romance are set to play the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 28 April next year as part of an anticipated tour of the region. Incheon, South Korea - Paradise City Culture Park (18 April) Bangkok, Thailand - IMPACT Challenger Hall (22 April) Bulacan, Philippines - Philippine Arena (25 April) Singapore - Indoor Stadium (28 April) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - National Stadium Bukit Jalil (30 April) Jakarta, Indonesia - Hammersonic Festiva (3 May) Tickets for the Singapore concert will go on sale at 10am on 11 July (Friday) via Sistic with prices ranging between $148 and $328. The band last played in Singapore almost 20 years ago in 2007. Construction works for Phase 2 of the Cross Island Line (CRL) – Singapore's eighth and longest fully underground MRT line – has officially begun. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) made the announcement on 7 July adding that Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow was on site at the future CRL Clementi station to officiate the ground-breaking ceremony. Phase 2 of the CRL is targeted for completion by 2032 and includes six underground stations. CRL King Albert Park station and CRL Clementi station will be interchange stations which connect to the Downtown Line (DTL) and East-West Line (EWL) respectively. The King Albert Park interchange station will stretch 50-metres deep and become Singapore's deepest station when completed, according to LTA. More details on Phase 2 of the Cross Island Line, here. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says US President Donald Trump deserves credit for pushing the 32-nation members to spend more of their gross domestic product on defence. Rutte's praise of Trump's commitment to NATO came in a recent interview with The New York Times where he also highlighted the dangers of the current political climate and how World War III might be sparked. The former Dutch Prime Minister suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping could attempt to seize Taiwan while simultaneously urging Vladimir Putin to launch Russian attacks on NATO territory. "Let's not be naïve about this," Rutte said. "If Xi Jinping would attack Taiwan, he would first make sure that he makes a call to his very junior partner in all of this, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, residing in Moscow, and telling him, 'Hey, I'm going to do this, and I need you to keep them busy in Europe by attacking NATO territory.' That is most likely the way this will progress," he said. SG Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch. He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe. But he's right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp — Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) July 5, 2025 Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has rejected Rutte's comments in a post on X. A 57-year-old female passenger on SMRT bus service 190 was taken to hospital after a bottle was thrown at the vehicle on 5 July. The incident occured in Orchard Road just before 7pm and left a hole in a window of the double-decker bus. Bloodstains were reportedly also seen near the bus door. The injured passenger was conscious when she was taken to Raffles Hospital, said the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Investigations are ongoing. Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng has advised MPs to focus on asking questions that improve the lives of Singaporeans – and not to get caught up in a numbers game. Seah, in an interview with the Straits Times, had noted the trend of more parliamentary questions being filed in the previous term which set new records on the number of sittings, ministerial statements delivered and other kinds of speeches. "I hope we don't get to a point where MPs are filing questions for the sake of clocking numbers – I think that is not necessary and not very productive," Seah was quoted as saying. "Each hour spent in Parliament, if everyone turns up, is 100 man-hours... which is why we do want to make sure time is spent productively for everyone," he added. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong intends to propose Seah's election as Speaker when Parliament reopens on 5 September.
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
UNICEF Cash Transfers A Lifeline For Displaced Families In DR Congo
Families displaced by violence in eastern DRC are rebuilding their lives with support from UNICEF through a cash transfer program. Forced from their homes with few belongings, parents are using this assistance to pay for food, rent and school fees, determined to keep their children safe and learning as they look toward a more stable future. Mwavita Rohomoya sits with her children in front of her drink stall in Minova, Kalehe territory, South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on April 23, 2025. Cash assistance provided by UNICEF helped Rohomoya start her small business, which helps support her family. Cash assistance: an indispensable tool for families caught in conflict In Minova, South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mwavita Rohomoya sits with her children in front of her drink stall, where she sells a variety of beverages. Originally from Sake territory, North Kivu province, Rohomoya and her family fled their home to escape violent clashes between armed groups. Her husband works in a mining quarry, where he crushes stones. While living at a displacement site in Minova, Rohomoya enrolled in a UNICEF-supported program designed to prevent gender-based violence and other protection risks. She was given a mobile phone and cash assistance in the form of mobile money. The $107 she received helped the family relocate after their displacement site was dismantled. It also helped Rohomoya start her drink stall business, giving her financial independence. She can now afford to pay school fees for all four of her children. Mwavita Rohomoya at her drink stall in Minova, South Kivu, province, eastern DR Congo. UNICEF cash support helped her start the business, which generates enough income to cover all four of her children's school fees. Helping to ensure children have food, shelter and basic services during acute period of conflict Within two months of launching the stall, Rohomoya was earning a good income. A good day could bring in over 30,000 Congolese francs. "I would love to return home," she says, "but unfortunately, the situation is still unstable.' Rohomoya and her husband used to grow beans, potatoes and sorghum, while also raising goats, pigs and chickens. She doesn't know what has become of their land and livestock. 'When we first arrived in Minova, we worked in other people's fields, sometimes without even being paid," she recalls. 'It made life very difficult, because we couldn't feed our children. ' In Minova, one of the first areas in South Kivu to be affected by the resurgence of violence, one of the immediate consequences was the rise in prices of staple foods and essential goods. UNICEF's cash transfer program helps families meet their urgent needs — buying food, finding shelter and accessing health care — and in some cases invest in small-scale income-generating activities. "When my husband received the money and gave it to me, I immediately thought of starting a business that would help me become self-reliant," Rohomoya says. Cash assistance from UNICEF to vulnerable families in eastern DR Congo is provided via mobile phone. Espérance Shukuru checks a message while holding 6-month-old daughter Jordanna in Goma, North Kivu province. Espérance Shukuru, a mother of three, has also benefited from UNICEF cash assistance. "With the first amount, I started selling flour," she says. "With the second transfer, I added charcoal to my goods. This money helped me and my family stay somewhat stable despite the tough conditions.' Shukuru and her children have been displaced twice, first to Minova in late 2023, and then Goma, North Kivu province, in late 2024. 'A new crisis broke out, and we were told to leave the displacement site," she recalls. "Shortly after, UNICEF sent me another transfer. I used it to buy potatoes to resell in the neighborhood. To save money, I joined a Village Savings and Loan Association here in Goma. I split my profits in two: one part for savings, the other for my family's daily needs. With what I'm saving, I hope to buy a plot of land so we can have a stable place to live. I also want to put money aside for my children's education. My dream is for my children to get an education — a chance I was never given.' A UNICEF staff member assists a cash transfer beneficiary enrolled in a gender-based violence prevention and mitigation program in eastern DR Congo. Cash support provided to families in eastern DRC has already reached 14,000 children As of mid May 2025, UNICEF had provided mobile cash transfers to over 6,000 families in eastern DRC — including 14,000 children — under three separate initiatives. In Minova, cash transfers were made to families identified as especially vulnerable to the impacts of the latest surge in violence. Participating households received two cash transfers of $24 per person, for up to five people. In Goma, North Kivu province, transfers were made to 70 foster families caring for children who had become separated from their parents. The foster families received two cash payments of $50, one in January 2025 and another in March 2025, to cover costs associated with looking after the children. 'Cash transfers have been an indispensable tool during the past three months as the conflict in the east has escalated,' notes UNICEF Representative John Agbor. 'The cash team was able to leverage systems already in place and make the transfers quickly, thereby ensuring that the most vulnerable children and women caught up in the crisis were still able to get the basic things they needed." 'Cash transfers have been an indispensable tool during the past three months as the conflict in the east has escalated.' Additional transfers were made to 672 households in Goma that included survivors of sexual violence. The support helped cover basic needs and access to services as part of a larger gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, response and resilience program. 'In addition to how quickly UNICEF was able to make the transfers during the height of the crisis," Agbor adds, "another important benefit of mobile transfers is that it is discrete and offers an element of safety and protection in a fraught and sensitive environment." Learn more about cash transfers and how they bring hope and dignity to families caught in crisis. UNICEF first incorporated cash transfers into its emergency response in 2011 to respond to the growing scale and diversity of humanitarian needs, and to give families more autonomy and control over their lives. Since then, UNICEF has implemented a number of cash transfer programs; many take a "cash plus" approach, and are set up to complement the provision of other services, such as education, nutrition or child protection. As the crisis in eastern DRC continues to affect vulnerable communities, UNICEF is aiming to expand the use of cash transfers as part of its humanitarian response. Read more about how UNICEF is supporting and protecting children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Help UNICEF reach more children in need. Donate today.
The Sun
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
I grew up in poverty – but lifting the 2 child benefit cap for all families is not fair on taxpayers
AS KING Canute found over a thousand years ago, it is quite difficult to stand on a beach and order the tide to recede. Today, it is equally difficult to make the argument that giving families cash is not always the best way of lifting them out of poverty. 2 This is especially true when one particular measure becomes the symbol of whether or not you're on the right side of the debate about child poverty. But as someone who now can afford the comforts of life, I constantly remind myself of my childhood. The grinding poverty that I experienced when my father was killed in a work accident when I was 12 – leaving my mother, who had serious health problems, to fight a long battle for minimal compensation. Having only bread and dripping in the house was, by anyone's standards, a hallmark of absolute poverty. Why on earth would I question, therefore, the morality of reversing a Tory policy introduced eight years ago? This restricts the additional supplement to universal credit – worth over £3,000 a child per year – to just two children. I should know, my friends tell me, that the easiest and quickest way of overcoming the growth in child poverty is to restore the £3.5 billion pounds it would cost to give this additional money for all the children in every family entitled to the credit. It is true that the policy, introduced in 2017, failed its first test. Women did not stop having more than two children even when they were strapped for cash. It is still unclear why. After all, many people have to make a calculation as to how many children they can afford. 2 But one thing must be certain: namely, that if you give parents a relatively substantial additional amount of money for every child they have whilst entitled to benefits, they are likely to have more children. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said as much last week. His argument for restoring the benefit to the third and subsequent children was precisely that we needed to persuade low- income families to have more children. Surely having children that you cannot afford to feed is the legacy of a bygone era? All those earning below £60,000 are entitled to the basic c hild benefit, so the argument is about just over £60 a week extra per child. One difficulty in having a sensible debate about what really works in overcoming intergenerational poverty is the lack of reliable statistics. Some people have claimed, over recent days, that over 50 per cent of children in Manchester and Birmingham live in poverty. I fear that such claims should be treated with scepticism. Those struggling to make ends meet – sometimes having not just one but two jobs – who pay their taxes and national insurance and plan their lives around what can be afforded, have the right to question where their hard-earned wages go. The simple and obvious truth is that child poverty springs from the lack of income of the adults who care for them. Transforming their lives impacts directly on the children in their family. There is a limit to how much money taxpayers are willing to hand over to pay for another family's children. Helping them to help themselves is a different matter. So, what would I do? Firstly, I would ensure that families with a disabled youngster automatically have the entitlement restored. This would self-evidently apply also to multiple births. In both cases, life is not only more difficult, it is also harder to get and keep a job. I would come down like a ton of bricks on absent parents. My mum was a single parent because she was widowed; many others are single in the sense that the other partner has walked away. The Child Maintenance Service should step up efforts to identify and pursue absent parents who do not pay their fair share towards their child. We, the community, have a clear duty to support and assist those in need. To help those where a helping hand will restore them to independence and self-reliance. But there is an obligation on individuals as well as the State, and mutual help starts with individuals taking some responsibility for themselves. Finally, if (and this is where I am in full agreement with colleagues campaigning to dramatically reduce child poverty) we make substantial sums of money available to overcome hardship, then a comprehensive approach to supporting the families must surely be the best way to achieve this. As ever in politics there is a trade off. What you spend on handing over cash is not available to invest in public services: that is the reality. Help from the moment a child is born, not just with childcare but with nurturing and child development. Dedicated backing to gain skills and employment and to taper the withdrawal of help so that it genuinely becomes worthwhile having and keeping a job. A contract between the taxpayer and the individual or household. Government is about difficult choices, that is why Keir Starmer and his colleagues are agonising over what to do next.
