Channel News Asia
중도 성향
기타
India flyover school offers lifeline to street children
The "Signal Shala", or traffic signal school, caters to dozens of children who have been left out of the formal education system.
"LIFELINE" · 총 52건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 87,120건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.3(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,383건(5.0%)·중립 80,689건(92.6%)·부정 2,048건(2.4%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 15.0(중도 균형)입니다.
The "Signal Shala", or traffic signal school, caters to dozens of children who have been left out of the formal education system.
JOHOR BAHRU, June 7 — The Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (Kuskop), through SME Corp Malaysi...
Once reserved for wealthy travellers, Dubai’s top-notch hotels have become almost exclusively reliant on residents, drawn in by dizzying staycation offers as war drives tourists away. On the Palm, an artificial island that has become synonymous with Dubai opulence, five-star hotels are busy on weekends and holidays once more, despite having been deserted by tourists. The clientele is driven by hotels offering residents-only deals that have become a lifeline for Dubai’s luxury tourism. “I had...
Mumbai: Beneath a busy flyover in India's financial capital Mumbai, a row of pastel-coloured shipping containers houses an unlikely school serving some of the city's most marginalised children.Despite laws guaranteeing free schooling for children aged six to 14, poverty and migration continue to keep many out of classrooms, particularly in sprawling cities like Mumbai where many families survive through low-paying informal work.Crippling urban poverty also means young children selling knick-knacks on streets are still a fairly common sight at crowded traffic intersections in big Indian cities.But the non-profit that runs the free school is determined to educate its underprivileged cohort, many of whom come from homeless families that barely eke out a living.Wedged between gleaming skyscrapers and busy roads, the "Signal Shala", or traffic signal school, caters to several dozen children who have been left out of the formal education system, according to Bhatu Sawant, founder of the initiative."These children can't go to (a regular) school. So (I thought) let's do this. Let's bring the school to them," Sawant, 45, told AFP.Also read | Major change in buyer behaviour as e-scooters race deeper into BharatIndia runs one of the world's largest public school systems, but government data for 2024-25 still identified nearly 1.2 million children as "out of school", a catch-all categorisation that covers both those who have never been to school or dropped out.Free mealsFor Sawant, India's government-run schools are simply "not flexible enough for these children", while private ones charging exorbitant fees are out of the question.The signal school operates from repurposed air-conditioned containers placed on a narrow strip of land beneath a flyover, where classes and play unfold amid the constant rumble of traffic overhead.Its approach is tailored to the realities of street life.Every morning, the school bus drives through the cramped lanes of Mumbai's slums, picking up students -- a lifeline for parents who can't afford transportation.When the children file in, the first order of business is a shower, as many have no easy access to bathing facilities.Lockers are provided for books and uniforms that otherwise cannot be kept safe or clean while living in slums or on the streets.Three meals are provided free, with school hours longer than normal.Also read | Indian tourists go viral for all wrong reasons. Here's how not to become the next horror storyClasses are split by ability rather than age, with teachers adapting lessons for children who may never have held a pencil before.Older students are also taught basic skills like sitting still, speaking clearly and staying focused.The challenges are particularly acute when it comes to kids from the semi-nomadic Pardhi community, who often do not speak the local language."When the children came here, they didn't know what the days of the week were, what the 12 months were or what the seasons were," said teacher Tejasvi Borade, as the container walls rumbled from the steady stream of cars passing above.Robotics and AIFor the students, the school serves as a sanctuary from the harshness of the real world."I feel very happy seeing the school bus," said 12-year-old Pooja Pawar, whose parents take on odd jobs at construction sites."The school clothes feel nice. The breakfast is good... In school, we make cake... and dance."For others, it represents an opportunity long denied.Balaji Laxman, who once sold tissues at traffic lights to earn a few hundred rupees -- the equivalent of several US dollars -- a day, said the classrooms represent a chance to imagine a different future."I want to become a doctor," Laxman, 12, said with a shy smile.While the school steers many children towards vocational pathways, Sawant said the broader ambition is to ensure they are not left behind in a rapidly changing world."We have to prepare them for the 21st century," said Sawant, who has set up two similar schools on the outskirts of Mumbai which have robotics labs among other facilities."They should know robotics, AI, computers, 3D printing," said the educator who relies on private and corporate donations for funding, with the government helping with the infrastructure."Everything that elite class children are doing well in, they should know all of that."
Despite laws guaranteeing free schooling for children aged six to 14, poverty and migration continue to keep many out of classrooms.
The clientele is driven by hotels offering residents-only deals that have become a lifeline for Dubai's luxury tourism.
In a Gaza workshop, a group of men patch up pleasure dinghies with reclaimed fibreglass, wood and door frames pulled from the rubble, racing to get the boats ready for a tougher line of work. The small vessels, which were used by families and swimmers before the war, have become a lifeline for the enclave’s fishing industry which has been struggling to keep up its fleet. Israeli restrictions on new fibreglass and other materials entering Gaza have made it increasingly difficult and expensive to repair the larger, purpose-built boats, fishermen said. Palestinian workers repair a skiff damaged in the Israeli offensive, in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters “A kilo of fibreglass in the era before the war was 50 or 60 shekels,” fisherman Mohammad al-Hissi told Reuters. The cost today was around 800 shekels, he added. Total catch has plummeted, say fishermen COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza, told Reuters the bans cover items that could have a military as well as a civilian use. It did not directly comment on restrictions on fibreglass. Skiffs used by Palestinian fishermen are docked on the beach in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters Even before the war that began in October 2023, Gaza’s fishermen faced strict Israeli restrictions on how far they could go out to sea. Now, they say they keep even closer to shore to avoid shooting that they report has continued since last year’s ceasefire. Skiffs used by Palestinian fishermen are docked on the beach in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters Asked about the reports, Israel’s military claimed the navy was enforcing “maritime security restrictions” in Gaza’s waters and that, when those restrictions were violated, soldiers “operate in accordance with the rules of engagement”. More than 900 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce began, according to figures from Gaza health officials that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. A Palestinian fisherman checks his net on the beach in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters The Gaza fishing industry’s total catch has shrunk to less than 15 tons a month — the amount they used to take every day before the war, Gaza Fishermen Syndicate member Zakaria Baker said. Fishing was an important source of food before the conflict. The hunger crisis in Gaza has eased since famine was declared in parts of the tiny, crowded territory before the ceasefire last year. But aid agencies say most children still don’t get a diverse enough diet and the UN reported that 3,500 children were admitted for malnutrition treatment in April. A Palestinian worker repairs a skiff damaged in the Israeli offensive, in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters “We repair and maintain boats, and serve fishermen in any way we can,” worker Musab Baker said at the repair shop. “But we are unable to do anything apart from the small boats.”
Requiring the USAF to satisfy all the demands stated in the legislation could see the jet's life extended well past 2030. The post Congress Throws A-10 Warthog Another Lifeline appeared first on The War Zone.
The small vessels have become a lifeline for the enclave’s fishing industry.
As ageing pipelines face growing risks, the energy industry is increasingly turning to AI and smart monitoring systems to improve their safety and efficiency.
• Regulator allows Rs1.19 per unit FCA collection in June bills • Grants Rs1.99 per unit reduction for three months, until August ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday notified about 80 paisa per unit net reduction in national power rates for June and then Rs1.99 per unit for July and August, with a cumulative financial impact of about Rs56 billion. The unusual relief over the three months — June to August — has resulted owing to the combined effect of two concurrent tariff adjustments — one for the monthly fuel cost for April and another for quarterly tariff adjustments for the first quarter (January-March 2026). In its first determination relating to the monthly fuel cost adjustment for the consumption month of April, Nepra worked out and notified Rs1.19 per unit increase in fuel costs to be recovered from consumers in the current month’s (June) billing, with an additional fiscal gain to distribution companies (Discos) of Rs11bn. Nepra “has decided that positive FCA for April 2026 i.e (Rs1.1907/kWh)…shall be applicable to all the consumer categories of KE and XWDISCOs except lifeline consumers, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and pre-paid electricity consumers of all categories who opted for pre-paid tariff”, the notification read. It adds that positive FCA shall also apply to consumption falling under the incremental consumption package, and Discos and KE shall reflect the FCA in respect of April in the billing month of June. The Discos had demanded Rs1.74 per additional fuel cost to mop up Rs16bn more funds from consumers but the regulator scaled it down. Simultaneously, in its second determination under quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) for the January-March period, Nepra notified Rs1.99 per unit reduction in rates with a total financial impact of Rs67bn over three months — June, July and August. The adjustments will be applicable to all consumer categories, except lifeline consumers, units billed for incremental consumption package, and prepaid consumers, the notification read. The Discos had proposed Rs64bn refund to consumers under QTA at the rate of about Rs1.75 per unit. As such and with concurrent application of both notifications, the consumers would get a net relief of about Rs56bn over three months. Practically, therefore, the consumer’s rates would be down by about 80 paisa per unit in June i.e. application of Rs1.99 per QTA reduction minus Rs1.19 per unit increase in FCA. The negative Rs1.99 per unit QTA would then continue for July and August. The net financial impact of two decisions would thus work out at Rs56bn in favour of consumers i.e. Rs67bn in relief over three months, minus Rs11bn in additional fuel cost for current month. The lower QTAs have chiefly emerged on account of adjustments in capacity charges, transmission charges and market operator fee, the impact of incremental consumption package announced by the government for industrial and agricultural consumers for three years, besides the impact of transmission and distribution losses on monthly fuel costs and variable operations and maintenance charges for the 1st quarter of CY2026 i.e. Jan to March 2026. Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026
President Donald Trump plans to allocate a support package of $700 million for coal power generation, Reuters has reported, citing an unnamed White House official ahead of a formal announcement by the U.S. President. The plan is to invoke the 1950 Defense Production Act, which grants the president of the country powers to provide financial support to industries considered critical for national security. The money will be used to upgrade more than 12 coal power plants, the report said. Of the total sum, more than 50% would go towards coal power…
South Korean voters handed the ruling Democratic Party of Korea a decisive victory in the local elections, but kept Seoul and much of the conservative southeast out of its reach, tempering the triumph while giving the battered People Power Party a political lifeline. The Democratic Party won 12 of the country’s 16 mayoral and gubernatorial races, while the main opposition People Power Party secured four — Seoul, Daegu and North and South Gyeongsang provinces, the latter three in its traditional
Success would establish for first time that a betting firm had duty of care to customers with signs of problem gambling The widow of a gambling addict who took his own life after falling £18,000 into debt begins a legal claim on Thursday against Betfair that could have far-reaching consequences for the UK’s gambling industry. Luke Ashton, 40, from Leicester, died in April 2021 after suffering from a gambling disorder that led him to place thousands of bets with the company, which sent him promotional “free” bets. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
THIS graph shows personal remittances as a percentage of Pakistan’s GDP since the late 1970s.—Source: World Bank, SBP data • Ex-finance minister Hafeez Pasha says foreign inflows could encourage disproportionate investment in real-estate • 1970s oil imbroglio marked the beginning of labour emigration to Gulf, while current crisis could spell its end • PIDE sees around a million workers’ livelihoods being affected if conflict prolongs ONLINE listings for properties in Punjab districts like Mandi Bahauddin and Gujrat yield images of Spanish-style villas, fully decked out with opulent fittings and European design flourishes. This stylised approach to construction is quite deliberate and reflects the social status that comes with having a ‘Kamanay Wala’ (earning member) abroad. In many families, at least one offspring is abroad, creating an alternative source of income that, in many cases, has reduced the incentive to further develop the district’s fertile agricultural land for those that still dwell there. Mandi Bahauddin particularly is one of many districts where household prosperity is closely tied to money sent from overseas. Saying that remittances are Pakistan’s lifeline is no exaggeration. Released in May, the State of Pakistan’s Economy Half-Year Report 2025-26 projects remittances at up to $42 billion this fiscal year, compared to exports of $30.5bn. At the macroeconomic level, remittances help keep the current account deficit in check. At the household level, they act as an essential safety net, providing direct cash support to families. However, cash in hand at the household level tends to drive spending rather than investment in productive activities. Pakistan’s reliance on remittances has laid the foundation for a form of ‘Dutch disease’, where the economy depends on inflows that fuel demand rather than production. The State Bank reports also note that remittances increase currency in circulation, as recipients convert inflows into physical cash for day-to-day expenditures. Data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey FY25 shows that remittances have risen from five per cent to 7.8pc as a source of household income. While this helps households smooth spending during periods of economic stress, it also increases their exposure to external shocks that can suddenly disrupt these inflows. Remittances and real estate Research by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics indicates that a significant share of remittances is channelled into property and real estate. Anecdotally and empirically, this holds up; the dominant motive behind the decision to migrate is to improve the socio-economic status of the family, which investments in property demonstrate. Nor is Pakistan unique in this regard. India, the world’s largest recipient of remittances, received $136bn in FY25, more than three times Pakistan’s inflows. Non-resident Indians have also become increasingly active in the property market. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, their share of real-estate investment has risen from 10-12pc in 2019 to a possible all-time high of 20pc in 2025. While property investments are a common feature of remittances, Pakistan faces another conundrum. Former finance minister Hafeez Pasha argues that Pakistan’s real-estate sector neither contributes adequately to tax revenues nor operates fully within the formal economy, yet continues to attract a disproportionate share of investment. “About a decade ago, investment in industry and manufacturing was two and a half times that of real estate. Today, you have the strange situation that real estate is over twice that of industry,” he says, though not solely because of remittances. There are six real estate and property-related taxes, he notes, yet total revenue collection amounts to only 0.2pc of GDP, despite a potential of around 0.8pc. Urban immovable property tax collection in Karachi, for example, generates roughly ten times less revenue than Mumbai in dollar terms because of severe under-taxation, he adds. Oil giveth, oil taketh One oil shock’s legacy, involving the US’s long-standing entanglement with oil markets and support for Israel, was the start of Pakistan’s emigration story. This was also the start of the country’s reliance on remittances. But another such oil shock, involving similar geopolitical players, may well mark the beginning of the end of the Pakistanis-in-Gulf fairy-tale. In 1973, Arab members of Opec imposed an oil embargo on the US in retaliation for its support for Israel. The resulting shock saw prices jump from around $3 to nearly $12 per barrel. The sudden influx of petrodollars supercharged growth across the Gulf, triggering massive infrastructure projects that required large volumes of blue-collar labour. In Pakistan, this coincided with a period of sweeping nationalisation under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, which pushed unemployment higher at a time when passage to Gulf countries was relatively easy to obtain. Hence, Pakistani labour moved in large numbers to the region, driving remittances to a peak as a percentage of GDP in 1983. The ratio fell steadily through the late 1980s and 1990s as oil prices fell, Gulf countries cut construction projects, and demand for Pakistani labour declined. Pakistan’s nuclear tests in 1998 led to sanctions. Pakistan froze foreign currency accounts, trapping diaspora savings deposited in Pakistani banks and eroding confidence in formal channels, leading to a boom in hawala/hundi. Then came 9/11, leading to a global crackdown on informal channels. Pakistan also became a front-line state in the ‘War on Terror’, leading to the lifting of sanctions. The drive by the authorities in recent years to regularise and incentivise remittances has led to flows back into formal channels. Returning labour External shocks — particularly movements in oil prices and developments in the Gulf — have historically shaped Pakistan’s remittance story. The Middle East accounts for roughly 55pc of Pakistan’s remittances and absorbs between 700,000 and 800,000 new Pakistani workers each year. The ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has damaged infrastructure, disrupted energy markets and introduced fresh uncertainty across the region, reducing demand for Pakistani labour. A recent policy viewpoint by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics estimates that if the conflict is prolonged, around half a million Pakistani workers may be unable to secure overseas employment this year, while another half a million could be forced to return home. Such a reversal would have serious implications for Pakistan’s labour market, particularly in KP and Punjab, where overseas migration traditionally absorbs nearly one-third of new labour-force entrants. The flow of money that transformed villages, financed homes and underpinned aspirations for generations may no longer be as certain as it once seemed. Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026
A US executive order is stripping Cuba of its tourism lifeline. Melià and Iberostar have quit, card payments shut down this week, and airlines are cutting routes as Washington's sanctions bite deeper.
“I couldn't imagine doing what I do without her,” the actor said of Zendaya, while also praising her work in Euphoria and The Odyssey
Tom Holland told Amy Poehler on the latest episode of the “Good Hang” podcast that acting alongside his partner Zendaya is a “lifeline” and “I couldn’t imagine doing what I do without her.” The two A-list stars have worked together in four “Spider-Man” movies, including this summer’s “Brand New Day.” They will also both appear […]
The recent summit meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ending on 20 May raised more questions than answers for many observers, probably including Putin himself. There was the standard announcement of several deals signed to boost cooperation in matters of the economy, trade, education, science, and technology. And there was the release of the usual document denouncing the current global hegemony associated with the U.S.-led Western alliance (47 pages worth, snappily entitled the Joint Declaration…