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Stripping families of £20-a-week in Universal Credit will plunge 420,000 children into poverty, researchers warn. The Government announced a temporary hike in its flagship welfare payment last March to help hard-up households battle the coronavirus crisis. The rise is worth £1,040 a year for six million households but costs the Treasury £6billion annually. It is due to be axed at the end of next month. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is under mounting pressure to extend the rise beyond April when he delivers his Budget on March 3. Research by the House of Commons Library, seen by the Mirror, shows 420,000 kids would fall into relative poverty after housing costs are calculated if it is scrapped. A briefing note issued by Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck and Feeding Britain director Andrew Forsey says the £20-a-week UC lift “has offered some protection against poverty and hunger for millions of people”. It adds: “With the social and economic consequences of the pandemic likely to … [Read more...] about 420,000 more kids in poverty if Government axes £20-a-week Universal Credit hike

Other cities in Louisiana and similar-sized cities in the region charge similar hourly rates to park as Lafayette but many have a more modern system that makes it more user-friendly, a survey shows. The Acadiana Advocate surveyed other cities in Louisiana and five cities in states along the Gulf Coast to see how they do parking amid the current discussion on what is next for parking in downtown Lafayette. Some cities charged $1 per hour while some others, including three surveyed in Texas, do not have parking meters but have more options for surface parking and parking garages. Other cities, such as Shreveport, have easier means of payment through technology, including the Parkmobile app. The topic of parking will be the biggest issue in 2021 for the Downtown Development Association, which said last month it would take the lead on the issue. It spilled over into the public discussion when Lafayette Consolidated Government trucked in a plan to double the rates from 50 cents to … [Read more...] about How does downtown Lafayette’s parking compare to other cities? Biggest difference may be technology

CAPE TOWN: Mali and Tunisia added their names to the list of countries qualified for the next Africa Cup of Nations finals on Tuesday, joining holders Algeria and 2019 runners-up Senegal who had booked their berths over the last two days. Mali made sure of a top two finish in Group A after a 2-1 win in Namibia, where Sekou Koita and Moussa Doumbia scored in the first half, while Tunisia's 1-1 draw in Tanzania was enough to ensure they will finish in the top two in Group J. Tunisia will go to the finals in Cameroon in 2022 for a 15th successive time. Egypt and Morocco also moved closer to qualifying after producing positive performances on the road on Tuesday. Morocco's Hakim Ziyech was again a major influence as they won 2-0 away to the Central African Republic and are now a point off qualifying from Group E. Ziyech's 39th minute free kick sailed into the net from outside the box and, while team mate Nayef Aguerd claimed he got a faint touch, it looked as if the effort went … [Read more...] about Mali, Tunisia join list of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers

SINGAPORE: As they arrived, the guests would have been in no doubt they were attending a high-profile event. Huge balloons and congratulatory flowers festooned the area. Drummers and a Chinese orchestra revved up the celebratory atmosphere. Photographers clicked away as guests streamed in and warm handshakes were exchanged. At the centre of it all was Olivia Lum, the founder of home-grown star company Hyflux. Dressed in a black and white pant suit, the businesswoman, whose name was synonymous with the water treatment giant she built, had a broad smile when the day’s special guest, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, arrived. It was a happy day, as seen from the scenes captured by a video on Youtube. The event was the opening of Tuaspring desalination plant – Singapore’s second and largest seawater treatment plant supplying 70 million gallons of treated water, or 125 Olympic-sized pools worth of water, per day for 25 years. It was also the first water plant in … [Read more...] about From making waves to drowning in red ink: Hyflux, Tuaspring and how a business giant came undone

SINGAPORE: A new, free walking tour will focus on Telok Blangah's past and trace the 700-year maritime history of Singapore. From the crown of Sang Nila Utama to the healing spring at the tomb of Radin Mas, to the Orang Lauts and sea pirates of Telok Blangah, the tour - organised by My Community - will look at the mystic charms and legends of the area. Starting from Saturday (Jul 20), the tour will run on the third weekend of every month. Here are seven things you probably didn’t know about one of the most important neighbourhoods in Singapore’s history: WHERE SANG NILA UTAMA THREW HIS CROWN INTO THE SEA When Chinese merchant Wang Dayuan visited Singapore in the 1330s, he wrote in his travelogue about two settlements on the island. The first, which Wang called Banzu, was at modern-day Fort Canning, and the other, known as Longyamen – or Dragon’s Tooth Gate – was in Telok Blangah. The settlement in Telok Blangah was also recorded in the Malay Annals, which tell … [Read more...] about 7 things you probably didn’t know about Telok Blangah: Pirates, kings, and a healing spring