Latest news with #430
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Trump's funding cut stalls water projects, increasing risks for millions
US President Donald Trump administration's decision to slash nearly all US foreign aid has left dozens of water and sanitation projects half-finished across the globe, creating new hazards for some people they were designed to benefit, Reuters has found. Reuters has identified 21 unfinished projects in 16 countries after speaking to 17 sources familiar with the infrastructure plans. Most projects have not previously been reported. With hundreds of millions in funding cancelled since January, workers have put down their shovels and left holes half dug and building supplies unguarded, according to interviews with US and local officials and internal documents seen by Reuters. As a result, millions of people who were promised clean drinking water and reliable sanitation facilities by the US have been left to fend for themselves. In Mali, water towers intended to serve schools and health clinics have been abandoned, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. In Nepal, construction was halted on more than 100 drinking water systems, leaving plumbing supplies and 6,500 bags of cement in local communities. The Himalayan nation will use its own funds to finish the job, according to the country's water minister Pradeep Yadav. In Lebanon, a project to provide cheap solar power to water utilities was scrapped, costing 70 people their jobs and halting plans to improve regional services. The utilities are relying on diesel and other sources to power their services, said Suzy Hoayek, an adviser to Lebanon's energy ministry. In Kenya, residents of Taita Taveta county said they are more vulnerable to flooding than they had been before as half-finished irrigation canals could collapse and sweep away crops. Community leaders said it will cost $2,000 (R35,430) to lower the risk, twice the average annual income in the area. "I have no protection from the flooding the canal will cause. The floods will definitely get worse," said farmer Mary Kibachia, 74. Trump's dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has left life-saving food and medical aid rotting in warehouses and thrown humanitarian efforts around the world into turmoil. The cuts may cause an additional 14-million deaths by 2030, according to research published in The Lancet medical journal. The Trump administration and its supporters argue the US should spend its money to benefit Americans at home rather than sending it abroad, and said USAID had strayed from its original mission by funding projects such as LGBTQI+ rights in Serbia. With an annual budget of $450m (R7.9bn), the US water projects accounted for a small fraction of the $61bn (R1.08bn) in foreign aid distributed by the US last year. Before Trump's reelection in November, the water projects had not been controversial in Washington. A 2014 law that doubled funding passed the two chambers of Congress unanimously. Advocates said the US has over the years improved the lives of tens of millions of people by building pumps, irrigation canals, toilets and other water and sanitation projects. That means children are less likely to die of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, girls are more likely to stay in school and young men are less likely to be recruited by extremist groups, said John Oldfield, a consultant and lobbyist for water infrastructure projects. 'Do we want girls carrying water on their heads for their families? Or do you want them carrying school books?' he said. The US state department, which has taken over foreign aid from USAID, did not respond to a request for comment about the impact of halting the water projects. The agency has restored some funding for life-saving projects, but secretary of state Marco Rubio has said American assistance will be more limited going forward. At least one water project has been restarted. Funding for a $6bn (R106.22bn) desalination plant in Jordan was restored after a diplomatic push by King Abdullah. However, funding has not resumed for projects in other countries including Ethiopia, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), said people familiar with the programmes who spoke on condition of anonymity. That means women in the areas will have to walk for hours to collect unsafe water, children will face increased disease risks and health facilities will be shuttered, said Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps, a nonprofit that worked with USAID on water projects in the DRC, Nigeria and Afghanistan intended to benefit 1.7-million people. 'This isn't only the loss of aid, it's the unraveling of progress, stability and human dignity,' she said. In eastern DRC, where fighting between DRC forces and M23 rebels has claimed thousands of lives, defunct USAID water kiosks serve as play areas for children. Evelyne Mbaswa, 38, told Reuters her 16-year-old son went to fetch water in June and never came home, a familiar reality to families in the violence-wracked region. 'When we send young girls, they are raped, young boys are kidnapped. All this is because of the lack of water,' the mother of nine said. A spokesperson for the DRC government did not respond to requests for comment. In Kenya, USAID was in the midst of a five-year, $100m (R1.77bn) project that aimed to provide drinking water and irrigation systems for 150,000 people when contractors and staffers were told in January to stop their work, according to internal documents seen by Reuters. Only 15% of the work had been completed at that point, according to a May 15 memo by DAI Global LLC, the contractor on the project. That has left open trenches and deep holes that pose acute risks for children and livestock and left $100,000 (R1.8m) worth of pipes, fencing and other materials exposed at construction sites, where they could degrade or be looted, according to other correspondence seen by Reuters. USAID signage at the sites makes clear who is responsible for the half-finished work, several memos said. That could hurt the reputation of the US and potentially give a boost to extremist groups seeking fresh recruits in the region, according to a draft memo from the US embassy in Nairobi to the state department seen by Reuters. The al-Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group based in Somalia has been responsible for high-profile attacks in Kenya, including an assault on a university in 2015 that killed at least 147 people. "The reputational risk of not finishing the projects could turn into a security risk," the memo said. In Kenya's Taita Taveta, a largely rural county that has endured cyclical drought and flooding, workers had only managed to build brick walls along 220m of the 3.1km irrigation canal when they were ordered to stop, community leaders said. Those walls have not been plastered, leaving them vulnerable to erosion. 'Without plaster, the walls will collapse in heavy rain and the flow of water will lead to the destruction of farms,' said Juma Kubo, a community leader. The community has asked the Kenyan government and international donors to help finish the job at a projected cost of 68-million shillings (R9.3m). They plan to sell the cement and steel cables left on site, Kubo said, to raise money to plaster and backfill the canal. The county government needs to find "funds to at least finish the project to the degree we can with the materials we have, if not complete it fully," said Stephen Kiteto Mwagoti, an irrigation officer working for the county. The Kenyan government did not respond to a request for comment. For Kibachia, who has lived with flooding for years, help cannot come soon enough. Three months after work stopped on the project, her mud hut was flooded with thigh-deep water. "It was very bad this time. I had to use soil to level the floor of my house and patch up holes in the wall because of damage caused by the floods," she said. 'Where can I go? This is home.'
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
German man hides €10,000 in shoe after finding wallet in bakery
HAMBURG: A German man who accidentally left his wallet containing €10,000 (RM49,430) in a bakery had his money returned after police tracked down the person who took it, according to local authorities. The incident occurred in the village of Mönchhagen near Germany's Baltic coast. Eyewitnesses reported seeing another man pick up the wallet after the owner left the bakery on Friday. Police quickly identified the suspect as a lorry driver. However, he refused to cooperate, prompting officers to secure a search warrant. The missing cash was later discovered hidden inside the suspect's shoes. On Saturday, police returned the money to its rightful owner, who revealed he had planned to use the funds to purchase a new car. The lorry driver now faces charges for theft and violating the Road Traffic Act, as he was found under the influence of narcotics during the police check. - Bernama-DPA
Rakyat Post
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Rakyat Post
Malaysian Discovers RM7,944 Road Tax Bill After Buying Second-Hand Lexus
Subscribe to our FREE A Malaysian man received a shock when he discovered that the annual road tax for his 2004 Lexus LS 430 costs RM7,944 – nearly a year after purchasing the car. The man paid RM35,000 for the second-hand luxury sedan last year. The dealer told him the price was 'all-inclusive,' covering insurance, road tax, and inspection fees. Only when renewing his road tax did he discover the true cost. He initially thought the government website had made an error, expecting to pay around RM790 instead of nearly RM8,000. The high road tax is due to the car's large V8 engine. The 2004 Lexus LS 430 features a 4.3-litre engine that produces 290 horsepower. Why Bigger Engines Mean Bigger Bills Social media users had varied responses to the story: Some joked that paying traffic fines would be cheaper than the road tax Others criticised the car dealer for not disclosing the road tax amount upfront Many advised checking the engine capacity before buying used cars Some compared Malaysia's road tax rates unfavorably to those of other countries In Malaysia, road tax rates increase with engine displacement. Larger engines mean higher annual fees; hence, the Lexus's 4.3-litre V8 engine puts it in a high tax bracket. Car buyers are advised to Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Time of India
UAE airfares plunge: Cheap last-min flights to London, Istanbul, New York & more for as Low as Dh1,300
Currently, the most affordable flight from Dubai to London is priced at Dh1,300 ($354) for travel between July 15 and 31, a significant drop from last year's rates. (Representative Image) This summer, UAE residents are seeing a rare opportunity for budget-friendly travel, with affordable last-minute flight deals on offer, even during the peak months of July and August. For instance, tickets from Dubai to London are now as low as Dh1,300 ($354), a steep drop from last year's Dh2,500 ($681). Similarly, flights from Abu Dhabi to popular destinations like Mumbai are priced from Dh708 ($193), offering further savings compared to last year. Airfares See a Welcome Decrease Travel experts attribute the dip in airfares to various factors, including the easing of previous price hikes. Rashid Abbas, Managing Director of Arooha Travels, told local media outlet Gulf News, that fares to destinations in the CIS and India have dropped to Dh610 ($166) to Dh800 ($217). He called the price reduction a much-needed relief after years of inflated ticket prices. For example, flights from Dubai to Istanbul and Cairo are priced at Dh653 ($177) and Dh1,430 ($389), respectively, offering budget-friendly options for those planning a last-minute trip. 'We're seeing a much more manageable increase in airfares this July,' Abbas noted, acknowledging the positive shift compared to the steep prices of the past two years. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scientists: Tinnitus? When tinnitus won't go away, do this (Watch) Hearing Magazine Undo High-Cost European Routes Still Exist However, not all destinations are seeing price drops. Direct flights to European cities like London, Barcelona, and Lisbon are still priced between Dh2,500 ($681) and Dh3,800 ($1,032), which remains out of reach for some budget-conscious travelers. Still, there are affordable alternatives. Afi Ahmed, Chairman of Smart Travels, explained to local media, that while certain European routes remain expensive, budget airlines such as Eurowings, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi are offering better deals. For example, flights from Dubai to Paris on these carriers cost Dh2,815 ($766), while a ticket to Berlin is priced at Dh1,860 ($506). Even long-haul flights are seeing more reasonable prices. A direct flight from Dubai to New York, for instance, is priced at Dh2,945 ($800), a significant improvement from previous years. Last-Minute Deals: Great Bargains Under Dh2,000 ($544) Here are some of the best last-minute flight deals for travel between July 15 and 31, 2023, with tickets starting at these estimated prices as of the time of writing: From Dubai: Dubai to Tbilisi (flydubai): Dh1,300 ($354) Dubai to Istanbul (AJet): Dh653 ($177) Dubai to Chisinau, Moldova (Wizz Air Abu Dhabi): Dh538 ($146) Dubai to Cairo (Air Arabia Express): Dh1,430 ($389) Dubai to New York (United Airlines): Dh2,945 ($800) Dubai to Bangkok (Emirates): Dh3,763 ($1,024) From Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi to Yerevan (Etihad): Dh618 ($168) Abu Dhabi to Manama (Etihad): Dh415 ($113) Abu Dhabi to Muscat (Etihad): Dh485 ($132) Abu Dhabi to Istanbul (Etihad): Dh1,006 ($274) Abu Dhabi to Athens (Etihad): Dh1,635 ($445) From Sharjah: Sharjah to Istanbul (AJet): Dh706 ($192) Sharjah to Doha (Qatar Airways): Dh755 ($205) Sharjah to Tbilisi (Air Arabia): Dh1,432 ($389) From Ras Al Khaimah: RAK to Mumbai (IndiGo): Dh742 ($202) RAK to Istanbul (AJet): Dh653 ($177) Shifting Travel Habits Travel agents attribute the drop in airfares to the changing travel habits of UAE residents. Many people are now choosing to travel during off-peak months to take advantage of cheaper fares. Instead of long vacations of one or two months, travelers are opting for shorter trips of two to ten days. The trend towards shorter holidays has led to increased demand for destinations closer to the UAE, such as Azerbaijan, Schengen countries, and parts of Africa. These locations offer affordability and convenience, making them more attractive to residents seeking quick getaways. Additionally, corporate leave policies, typically no longer than 20 days, have prompted many employees to break their travel into two or three shorter trips each year. In cities like Dubai, residents often return by early August, planning future trips for winter or Diwali holidays.
Business Recorder
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Gold prices grow
KARACHI: Gold prices significantly grew on Thursday, mirroring the global market uptrend, surpassing $3,350 per ounce, traders. International market gained $30, trading bullion at $3,375 per ounce that pushed up local gold prices by Rs4,000 per tola and Rs3,430 per 10 grams. As a result, gold prices scaled up significantly to Rs356,900 per tola and Rs305,984 per 10 grams, according to the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewelers Association. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
