NEW DELHI — Indian political parties are increasingly targeting women voters with fiscally draining handouts of cash around the time of elections to counter wider worries about inflation and the lack of jobs, analysts say. A greater turnout of women voters in the past decade has reversed a trend of men easily outnumbering women. Political parties have competed to attract them, even as inflation hit a 14-month peak in October and unemployment stays high, at 8.9 per cent. Regional governments run by both Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party and the opposition are offering or planning such efforts to lure about a fifth of India's estimated 670 million women, the economic research division of Axis Bank says. "This is a substantial burden on the exchequer," its chief economist, Neelkanth Mishra, said in a report. "Where is the funding coming from? Some from higher deficits." Budgeted deficits for the current fiscal year for nearly all Indian states unveiling handouts for women were higher than five years ago, with many cutting capital expenditure to fund the populist measures.

More than 1,000 people lined up on Saturday (May 9) to receive free food parcels in Geneva, underscoring the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the working poor and undocumented immigrants even in wealthy Switzerland. Olivia Chan reports.

More than 1,000 people lined up on Saturday (May 9) to receive free food parcels in Geneva, underscoring the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the working poor and undocumented immigrants even in wealthy Switzerland. Olivia Chan reports.

Malawi announces cash handouts for the poorest, after the courts blocked the proposed lockdown.

Small firms whose income has been halved by the contagion can get ¥2 million and independent businesspeople can get ¥1 million.

After almost three months of hectic preparation, Denis Huen Yin-fan’s Hong Kong factory started delivering masks to customers last week to help protect them against the Covid-19 pandemic.Just as the supplies began reaching his clients, the Hong Kong government announced it will be distributing reusable and disposable masks to all households, free of charge, within weeks.Every household will receive reusable masks that can be washed up to 60 times, as well as a pack of 10 disposable masks.1.5…

For many people like Jay, the COVID-19 pandemic means that for the first time, they're truly struggling to get food on the table.

In the UK and Canada, manufacturers are urging the government to give consumers money to get old cars off the road and into newer, lower emission vehicles and "catalyse a new low carbon transport revolution." George

Hundreds of cars lined up for drive-thru food giveaways in Pico Rivera, California, and Prospect, Pennsylvania Tuesday.