Latest news with #begging
Times
a day ago
- Times
Homeless banned from begging in Italian beauty spot of Portofino
With its pastel-coloured townhouses, rolling hills and celebrity visitors, Portofino has long been known as a chic playground for the wealthy. However, the Ligurian destination is now making headlines for its attempt to erase signs of poverty from its picture-postcard streets. The town council banned begging in key areas, including the historic centre, port and main tourist streets, during this year's high season in an attempt to protect tourists from being pestered. The measure runs from July 14 to September 30. However, a voluntary association representing homeless people has given the council 15 days to scrap the rule or face legal action. 'Begging is not a crime, and in Italy it cannot be outlawed,' said Antonio Mumulo, president of Avvocato di Strada (Street Lawyer), which filed a formal complaint on Friday. Savannah and LeBron James are among the celebrities who have recently visited the idyllic town OLIVER PALOMBI/THE MEGA AGENCY Portofino has only about 400 residents but receives up to 12,000 visitors a day in peak season, with recent celebrity sightings including Madonna and Rihanna. The ban, which was brought in by Matteo Viacava, the mayor, suggests there is a correlation between rising summer tourist numbers and the presence of beggars in the town. As well as banning non-threatening begging in the designated areas, the measure also prohibits aggressive or repeated requests for money anywhere in Portofino. It forbids lying or sitting on the ground, on benches or under porticoes, as well as loitering with food in public spaces. Rule-breakers risk fines from €25 to €500. The text of the council resolution claims beggars cause 'fear and apprehension among citizens and visitors' and says the ban will help protect both locals and tourists from 'exploitation'. With visits from yachts bigger than houses, Potrofino has both wealth extremes ALAMY Critics, however, say it criminalises poverty. 'Portofino has declared war on poor people,' wrote Andrea Orlando, a regional councillor for the Democratic Party and former labour minister, on social media. Avvocato di Strada also argued the ban is unconstitutional and breaches national law, citing court rulings that overturned similar rules in other Italian cities, including Verona. 'There is a growing mentality that poverty is a personal failing that must be punished,' said Mumulo. 'But poverty is often the result of life's accidents. It is wrong to punish people for being poor.' A census by Italy's national statistics agency in 2021 counted more than 96,000 homeless people nationwide, up from about 50,000 seven years earlier. Viacava did not respond to interview requests.
New York Times
18-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Cuban Minister Ousted After Accusing Beggars of Faking Poverty
Cuba's communist government has long prided itself on its ability to meet the basic needs of the island's population, despite persistent evidence to the contrary. The contrast between the official government line and reality was brought into sharp relief this week when a government minister went on television and addressed the issue of people begging on the streets. The minister, Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, who oversaw labor and social security, said on Monday that the island's beggars were faking poverty to make 'easy' money. The backlash was swift in a country mired in economic misery, where many struggle to afford food. Barely 24 hours later Ms. Feitó was out of a job. The government said she had resigned because of her lack of 'objectivity and sensitivity.' While the Communist Party remains firmly in charge, Cuba's government has faced intensifying anger among ordinary Cubans who have lost patience with the six-decade old socialist system imposed by the revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. Ms Feitó's ouster was usually fast by the standards of Cuba's often glacial bureaucracy. 'In the past, other ministers have said very unpopular things and have not been forced to resign,' said Carlos Alzugaray, a political analyst and retired Cuban diplomat who lives in Havana. 'What is unexpected in this case is the rapid popular reaction and the very quick reaction of the president.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Independent Singapore
07-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
S'porean warns others after seeing 2 women approaching the elderly asking for money in Chinatown
SINGAPORE: After a man saw two women approaching older people in Chinatown, he posted photos of them in an effort to warn others. In a post on the popular COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page on Friday (Jul 4), the man wrote, 'Please beware!!!' FB screengrab/ COMPLAINT SINGAPORE He added that he had seen two women whom he believed to be from China and who appeared to target senior citizens in the area. However, when he tried to take a picture of the women, 'They quickly took money from an elderly man and left the scene.' The post has been shared dozens of times. It is not new for foreigners to be seen begging in Singapore nor for residents to express their concerns about the issue . Read related: Police arrest foreigner selling tissues and begging outside temple at Bugis Some commenters said they had seen people claiming to be tourists begging at Jurong, Clementi, Toa Payoh, and even Changi Airport. 'People's Park Food Centre a lot! Some old folks just give them S$50! They usually approach the old folk alone. Then, her gang will come later!' one added. 'Yes, last two weeks at Bukit Batok, they also tried to ask me for money but don't know it's the same person,' wrote another. 'One such woman at Tampines was approaching many people with a sob story about having no money left and being unable to do this and that. Told her blankly that she should know how expensive Singapore is and yet come here with insufficient money. Reminded her that the police will have her arrested,' a Facebook user wrote. 'It's happening at Paya Lebar train station nearest to Geylang, at HDB estates, along Geylang Road,' commented another. 'I encountered one as well in Jalan Kayu. She approached me asking whether I had loose change. Once I told her I don't carry cash, she walks away,' a netizen chimed in. One summed it up this way: 'Seems like these people are targeting everywhere.' 'Yeah, they are everywhere. Always take a few old men's money, already they will take the bus or MRT to go next spot. They won't stay at one spot for too long,' a netizen agreed. A commenter, sounding fed up, advised, 'Contact the police and embassy.. take photos and videos of their irksome faces.. post on their social media, let everyone know.' Under the Destitute Persons Act, begging is prohibited in Singapore, and a person caught habitually begging may be fined as much as S$3,000 or jailed for up to two years. Additionally, a foreigner caught begging would be considered a prohibited immigrant and could face deportation. The Independent Singapore has reached out to the post author for further comments or updates. /TISG Read also: Singaporeans raise concern about 'foreign beggars' on the streets
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Drivers warned not to feed orphaned bears begging for food in Russia
Four bears were filmed approaching vehicles on a highway in Kamchatka on July 3: one stood on two legs by a window begging for food.
Independent Singapore
03-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
Local Reddit users warn against ‘professional beggar' who asks for S$2 at MRT stations
SINGAPORE: A netizen wrote that they had encountered an older man at the Orchard MRT station who asked for S$2, saying he needed to get to Outram and did not have enough money. While they handed them the money at the time, in hindsight, they had doubts and felt they had 'enabled' the man. Looking to other Reddit users for help, u/EnoughString1059 asked, 'Have you ever encountered a 'professional beggar' asking you for S$2' in a post on r/askSingapore on Wednesday (July9 2). They described the man as a 'bald, tanned, local Chinese uncle' in his 50s who was able-bodied and spoke English well, who showed them a S$2 note that was double-folded. They felt that they should have told him that they did not have cash on them and directed him to Passenger Service for help. However, since they were figuring out directions at the time that the man approached them, they just gave him the money because they wanted the uncle to go away. As it turns out, this was not a one-off incident, with commenters telling the post author that they may have encountered the same man, or at least someone else with the same modus operandi. 'A couple of days back, a man in his 50s was doing the same in Marine Parade TEL, too. Showing the folded S$2 and asking for another S$2. Didn't give him the money though, but seems it could be the same person you met,' a commenter wrote. 'Some weeks back, I also encountered someone with a similar description as OP. Instead of Orchard MRT, I met him at City Hall control station. The folded S$2 was what I remember vividly. I gave him the money (S$2) and told him not to ask others and to go home,' another noted. Others weighed in with their own experiences with people begging for money. 'There used to be an old guy around Lakeside MRT in the evening, always rubbing his stomach and the other hand outstretched for cash. I remember one Caucasian lady went to buy him bread from the nearby bakery. He refused and insisted on cash lol. The lady pushed the bread to him and walked away. The uncle dropped the bread on the floor after that,' one wrote. 'I was waiting for my bus at Sengkang, and this lady came to me asking for money to buy food. She said she's been waiting for her grandson the whole day and didn't want to leave in case she missed him. Ngl, I was tricked, but instead of money (since I don't carry cash), I offered to call her grandson. She became aggressively defensive, and when I said I could buy her a drink, she demanded cash, and at least $10. In the end, I told auntie, 'Why don't you just go home and eat? Your grandson would also know how to walk home,'' a commenter added. Another Reddit user simply wrote, 'Come to AMK, plenty of them there.' /TISG Read also: Singaporeans raise concern about 'foreign beggars' on the streets
