Latest news with #SavetheChildren
RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Starving Gaza children say they wish to die, charity says
Children in Gaza have told the charity 'Save the Children' that they wish to die because they cannot access food and clean water, according to the charity's humanitarian director Rachel Cummings. Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, Ms Cummings said the war in Gaza has inflicted an enormous toll on the mental health of Palestinian children. "We have children in our child friendly spaces, where we provide psychological support, sharing with us that they now wish to die because there is food and water in heaven. "And their family members, their mothers and fathers, are there and they wish to be with them," she said. "It is absolutely catastrophic the impact that this is having immediately on children, but this medium and longer-term impact on children is really, really concerning," she added. The charity has also observed many children and pregnant and breast-feeding women showing signs of malnutrition. Ms Cummings said no food has been available to purchase in the market in Deir al-Balah over the last five days, which is typical of the wider situation in Gaza. She added her team working in the territory also cannot find or buy food. "The situation gets worse and worse every day, which is impossible and incredible to think about. "This is symptomatic of the wider picture being that people don't have enough food to eat. "They're rationing food for their children and this is the situation in the whole of Gaza." People are 'hungry, exhausted and terrified' Ms Cummings said that everyone in Gaza is hungry, exhausted and terrified and have to make very difficult choices when it comes to food. "They're bulking out whatever food they have with water they know to be dirty, that they know may cause their children to be sick." Save the Children in Gaza is loated around 3km away from the area which Israel has demanded people evacuate from as it continues its air and ground attacks. Ms Cummings said they can hear "active" and "heavy" gunfire and bombardments. "There is nowhere safe in Gaza and people being displaced further south into al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, along the beach. "It's very, very congested already, overcrowded, and we know that people have nowhere to go. They have no means to move and people making the impossible decision to stay," she added.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Keir Starmer faces poverty grilling from top MPs amid call to axe DWP two-child benefit limit
Keir Starmer, who will appear at the Liaison Committee on Monday, has been warned that without scrapping the Tory-era two-child benefit limit he risks overseeing a rise in poverty Keir Starmer is set to face a grilling from MPs on levels of poverty amid fresh calls to axe the controversial two-child benefit limit. The Prime Minister, who will appear at the Liaison Committee on Monday, has insisted he will leave "no stone unturned" to tackle levels of child poverty But he faces warnings today that without scrapping the Tory-era two-child benefit limit he risks overseeing the first Labour government to see a "significant rise in child poverty". The policy, which has been blamed for trapping kids in poverty, restricts parents from claiming Child Tax Credits and Universal Credit for a third or subsequent child. Recently Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said scrapping the measure remains on the table as part of a delayed child poverty strategy. She said it will be "looking at every lever and we'll continue to look at every lever to lift children out of poverty". Monday's session will give MPs the chance to quiz Mr Starmer on the strategy. Dan Paskins, executive director at Save the Children, told The Mirror: "The Prime Minister has been clear that tackling child poverty is his government's moral mission. mExpanding free school meals and Best Start Family Hubs shows ambition but will not be enough to truly reduce the number of children growing up in hardship." He added: "Every day 109 more children are impacted by the two-child limit, facing growing up without enough to get by, simply because they have more siblings. The Prime Minister has a choice to make ahead of the Autumn Budget: scrap the two-child limit on Universal Credit in full or risk being the first Labour government to oversee a significant rise in child poverty." Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, added: "The key question for the PM is given his government has a moral mission to reduce child poverty, will he now commit to scrapping the two-child limit in the autumn child poverty strategy as the most cost-effective way to get record child poverty down?" Speaking last month, Mr Starmer said: "I want to get to the root causes of child poverty. One of the greatest things the last Labour government did was to drive down child poverty. I am determined we will do that." MPs on the Liaison Committee include three senior Labour MPs - Debbie Abrahams, Helen Hayes, and Florence Eshalomi. All three signed an amendment to the welfare bill last month to block cuts to a key disability benefit - Personal Independence Payments (PIP). A government analysis of the reforms, which were eventually gutted in a major climbdown, had warned the cuts could result in 250,000 people being pushed into poverty.
LeMonde
14-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
More than 20 states sue Trump administration over frozen after-school and summer funding
More than 20 states sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday, July 14, over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, summer programs and more. Some of the withheld money funds after-school and summer programming at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA or public schools, attended by 1.4 million children and teenagers nationwide. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families. But Trump's administration recently froze the funding, saying it wants to ensure recipients' programs align with the Republican president's priorities. Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isn't released soon, according to the suit. In some states, school restarts in late July and early August. The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are at risk of shuttering. "Time is of the essence," said Christy Gleason, executive director of the political arm of Save the Children, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. "It's not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it." Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. New America's analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states. Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze. "I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible − releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump," said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. 'In Georgia, we're getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.' The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.
Japan Today
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
More than 20 states sue Trump administration over frozen after-school and summer funding
Girls read an Amelia Bedelia book during the East Providence Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp at Emma G. Whiteknact Elementary School on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Providence R.I. (AP Photo/Sophie Park) By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS More than 20 states sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, summer programs and more. Some of the withheld money funds after-school and summer programming at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA or public schools, attended by 1.4 million children and teenagers nationwide. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families. But Trump's administration recently froze the funding, saying it wants to ensure programs align with the Republican president's priorities. Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isn't released soon, according to the suit. In some states, school restarts in late July and early August. The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Darleen Reyes drove through a downpour last week to take her son to a free Boys & Girls Club day camp in East Providence, Rhode Island. She told camp administrators the flash flood warning would have kept her away, but her son insisted on going. Before kissing his mother goodbye, Aiden Cazares, 8, explained to a reporter, 'I wanted to see my friends and not just sit at home.' Then he ran off to play. In Rhode Island, the state stepped in with funding to keep the summer programs running, according to the East Providence club, and the state has joined the federal lawsuit. Other Boys & Girls Clubs supported by the grants have found ways to keep open their summer programs, said Sara Leutzinger, vice president for communications for the Boys & Girls Club of America. But there isn't the same hope for the after-school programming for the fall. Some of the 926 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide that run summer and after-school programs stand to close if the Trump administration doesn't release the money in the next three to five weeks, Leutzinger said. The clubs receive funding from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are also at risk of shuttering. 'Time is of the essence,' said Christy Gleason, executive director of the political arm of Save the Children, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. 'It's not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it.' Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. New America's analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states. Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze. 'I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump," said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. 'In Georgia, we're getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.' The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts. But Congress' appropriation of the money was in a bill signed by Trump himself, said Maurice 'Mo' Green, North Carolina's superintendent of public education. 'To now suggest that, for some reason, this money is somehow or another needing review because of someone's agenda, I think is deeply troubling,' Green told reporters Monday after North Carolina joined the federal lawsuit. In North Carolina, about 40 schools are already in session, so the state is already trying to figure out ways to keep programs going, using state and local money, along with some federal money that has not expired. The freeze affects programs including mental health services, science and math education, and support for students learning English, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said, with the most severe effects in smaller, rural school districts. The freeze could also lead to approximately 1,000 teachers and staff being laid off, Jackson said. At the East Providence summer camp, Aiden, a rising third grader, played tag, built structures with magnetic tiles, played a fast-paced game with the other kids to review addition and subtraction, learned about pollination, watched a nature video and ate club-provided chicken nuggets. Veteran teachers from his school corrected him when he spoke without raising his hand and offered common-sense advice when a boy in his group said something inappropriate. 'When someone says something inappropriate, you don't repeat it,' teacher Kayla Creighton told the boys between answering their questions about horseflies and honeybees. Indeed, it's hard to find a more middle-of-the road organization in this country than the Boys & Girls Club. Just last month, a Republican and a Democrat sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House celebrating the 165-year-old organization as a 'beacon of hope and opportunity.' The Defense Department awarded the club $3 million in 1991 to support children left behind when their parents deployed for the Persian Gulf. And ever since, the Boys & Girls Club has created clubs on military installations to support the children of service members. Military families can sign up their kids for free. 'I suspect they will realize that most of those grants are fine and will release them,' said Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank, speaking of the Trump administration's review of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. But not everyone is so sure. Aiden's mother has started looking into afternoon child care for September when kids return to school in Rhode Island. 'It costs $220 a week,' Reyes said, her eyes expanding. 'I can't afford that.' The single mother and state worker said she'll probably ask her 14-year-old son to stay home and watch Aiden. That will mean he would have to forgo getting a job when he turns 15 in the fall and couldn't play basketball and football. 'I don't have any other option,' she said. At home, Aiden would likely stay inside on a screen. That would be heartbreaking since he's thrived getting tutoring and 'learning about healthy boundaries' from the Boys & Girls Club program, Reyes said. Fernande Berard learned about the funding freeze and possible closure from a reporter after dropping off her three young boys for summer camp. 'I would be really devastated if this goes away,' said the nurse. 'I honestly don't know what I would do.' Her husband drives an Uber much of the day, and picking up the kids early would eat into his earnings. It's money they need to pay the mortgage and everything else. If her boss approves, she'd likely have to pick up her children from school and take them to the rehabilitation center where she oversees a team of nurses. The children would have to stay until her work day ends. 'It's hard to imagine,' she said. AP Education Writer Collin Binkley in Washington and Makiya Seminera in Raleigh, North Carolina contributed reporting. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Superman' Star Nicholas Hoult Takes on New Role as Save the Children Ambassador
Even though Superman has just been released, Nicholas Hoult has already scored his next role — an ambassador for the global humanitarian organization, Save the Children. Hoult, who plays villain Lex Luthor in the new DC Studios film, recently stopped by the charity and community arts center Rich Mix in London to hold a Q&A with kids and discuss his childhood, what it's like being part of a superhero movie and his journey as an actor. More from The Hollywood Reporter Kanye "Ye" West Struggles Through Chaotic, Rain-Soaked Shanghai Concert Box Office: 'Superman' Saves the Day for DC Studios With $122M Domestic Opening, $217M Globally 'Better Go Mad in the Wild,' 'Bidad,' 'Sand City,' 'Forensics' Win Karlovy Vary Festival Awards 'It's been a real privilege to meet the children here at Rich Mix on my first day as an official ambassador for Save the Children,' Hoult said in a statement. 'Seeing the joy that they got from taking part in the workshop reminded me how much I loved being involved in film from a young age. It's clear how passionate they are and it's been so inspiring to meet the next generation of creatives, who come from all walks of life. I have no doubt they're on the right path to fulfill their dreams.' Save the Children, which helps kids get access to healthcare and education, has had a slew of notable ambassadors in the past including Jennifer Garner, Dakota Fanning, Camila Cabello and Olivia Wilde. 'We're thrilled to welcome Nicholas as our latest ambassador, and want to thank him for his unwavering support over the years,' Save the Children U.K.'s head of corporate partnerships Mabel McKeown said in a statement. 'It was wonderful to see how excited the children were at the opportunity to meet him at Rich Mix and hear about his journey in the film industry – something they're all so passionate about,' she added. 'Save the Children believes that every child should get a chance to realize their dreams, no matter what situation they're born into and today's workshop with Nicholas has been truly inspiring for the children involved.' James Gunn's Superman, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, is currently playing in theaters. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List
