Poverty

Malians struggle to cope after deadly heatwave

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In Mali’s capital Bamako, Aboubacar Pamateck runs a scarf under a trickle of water and wraps it around his head to cope with the West African nation’s soaring heat. Africa’s Sahel region experienced a deadly heatwave in early April, exceptional both in terms of duration and intensity. “I drink a lot of water and wear … Read more

Movie Review: Ken Loach, longtime chronicler of social ills, seeks a hopeful note in ‘The Old Oak’

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In so many ways, TJ Ballantyne is a classic Ken Loach hero: a working-class, middle-aged man trying to simply eke out a dignified living, but meeting obstacles at each turn — a victim of unforgiving social realities that leave people like him in the dust. Like many of these Loach protagonists, TJ can’t get a … Read more

Child tax credit expansion could benefit millions of families

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J_art | Moment | Getty Images House lawmakers on Wednesday night passed a $78 billion bipartisan tax package, including a child tax credit expansion that could benefit millions of children in low-income families, according to policy experts. If enacted, the bill would expand access to the child tax credit, or CTC, and retroactively boost the … Read more

More TVET programmes for Indian students, says Zahid

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SHAH ALAM: More opportunities will be provided for students from the Indian community under high-skill technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes nationwide, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said this would be able to give members of the community the chance to elevate themselves educationally and economically. ALSO … Read more

All of China loves Zhang Guimei as a girls’ education pioneer. So why is her biopic making some people see red?

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However, a new film based on her inspirational life has sharply divided opinion between the public and the state. When Zhang founded her boarding school in a remote area of China’s southwestern Yunnan province 15 years ago, many of the local girls would drop out early to marry or earn a living, while the boys … Read more

Bank CEOs show support for SSI reform bill

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Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Current SSI asset limits ‘lock people in poverty’ Current SSI asset limits are extremely low — $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 per couple. Those thresholds apply to all kinds of assets, including cash, bank accounts, investments and household goods. Beneficiaries who go over the limits are suspended or … Read more