Opinion | When officials in drought-prone Chinese region got just deserts for student-places fraud

Opinion | When officials in drought-prone Chinese region got just deserts for student-places fraud

Last week, I wrote about the conviction of Singapore’s former minister of transport S. Iswaran for improperly obtaining valuables, a case that has shocked Singaporeans, who, like Hongkongers, do not tolerate corruption in the government and civil service. A case involving corruption in China in the late 18th century was so massive in scale that … Read more

Cholera outbreak in Nigeria sees alarming 220% spike in suspected cases

Cholera outbreak in Nigeria sees alarming 220% spike in suspected cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the cholera outbreak in Nigeria has seen a sharp increase in 2024, with suspected cases rising by an alarming 220 per cent. The NCDC, on its official website, said this was according to the latest epidemiological report. The Nigerian Public Health Agency said that by the end … Read more

Are China’s lauded anti-poverty triumphs at risk of vanishing?

Are China’s lauded anti-poverty triumphs at risk of vanishing?

In Zhongwei, a city in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region, fighting poverty seems to be a never-ending battle. While the country as a whole has made tremendous gains in living standards, in July, the city’s Shapotou district announced that 28 more individuals had been added to a poverty relapse watch list. The officials who … Read more

Poverty declined last year, but many Americans face economic hardship

Poverty declined last year, but many Americans face economic hardship

The number of Americans living in poverty, according to the nation’s official definition, fell slightly to about 36.8 million in 2023, the Census Bureau announced on September 10, 2024. The data released also indicated that the poverty rate declined a little. However, an alternative way to measure poverty ticked up, as more people in the … Read more

1 million fewer Californians live in poverty. Is that cut enough?

1 million fewer Californians live in poverty. Is that cut enough?

A shrinking number of Californians live in poverty. But the improvement is much too slow. My trusty spreadsheet reviewed the latest “supplemental” poverty measurements from the Census Bureau. These calculations weigh state-by-state incomes – that’s paychecks plus government assistance – against local costs of living. And as every Californian painfully knows, this is a pricey … Read more

6 facts that bust myths about entrepreneurship and poverty

6 facts that bust myths about entrepreneurship and poverty

Nearly one in 5 people in the world lives in poverty. Even in many developed countries such as the U.S., poverty rates exceed 12%. In an age of breathtaking technological progress and dynamic social change, poverty remains stubbornly persistent. As a professor of entrepreneurship, I’m interested in a critical question: Can people in poverty create … Read more

MGNREGS work demand not directly correlated to rural distress: Economic Survey

MGNREGS work demand not directly correlated to rural distress: Economic Survey

MGNREGS work demand does not directly correlate with increased rural distress at a micro-level and data from Financial Year 2024 shows states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with relatively lesser poor population, use more funds under the flagship rural employment scheme, according to the Economic Survey. The survey found there is a marked variation in … Read more

CSOs in Osun ask Tinubu to end hunger, hardship, insecurity

CSOs in Osun ask Tinubu to end hunger, hardship, insecurity

As Nigerians celebrated 25 years of unbroken democratic rule on Wednesday, Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) and social activists took to the streets in Osogbo, Osun State capital, to protest against hardship occasioned by the Federal Government’s economic policies. They charged President Bola Tinubu to address prevailing hunger, … Read more

Struggling to Make Ends Meet: How Plasma Donation Became a Lifeline for a 47-Year-Old

Struggling to Make Ends Meet: How Plasma Donation Became a Lifeline for a 47-Year-Old

Lisa Kelley, a 47-year-old living with her mother in an apartment in Cincinnati, faces relentless financial burdens that force her to prioritize which bills to pay each month, often risking having her internet or electricity cut off. To boost her income, Kelley has turned to donating plasma, a practice that provides her with a vital … Read more

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan: Left govt in Kerala enters fourth year, CM says extreme poverty will be eradicated by 2025

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan: Left govt in Kerala enters fourth year, CM says extreme poverty will be eradicated by 2025

As the Left government in Kerala marks its fourth year in office, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday the government plans to develop a knowledge economy and eradicate extreme poverty in the state by November 1, 2025. Listing out achievements of the Kerala government, Vijayan said in a statement that the consecutive Left governments … Read more