Kaizer Chiefs are on a streak of announcing new signings, with Portuguese striker Flávio Silva the latest recruit announced.
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BREAKING: Kaizer Chiefs sign new striker
We booked last-minute Canaries break and still got a top hotel with 6 pools
Major boost for aspiring Irish homeowners as affordable housing scheme portal set to open in WEEKS – here’s how to apply
A MAJOR boost for aspiring Irish homeowners is on the way as an affordable housing scheme portal is set to open in just weeks.
The online application portal for Affordable Purchase Apartments in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown will open at 12:00pm on Wednesday, July 23.
The scheme applies to Phase Two homes at Shanganagh Castle Estate, Co Dublin and it will close at 5pm on Wednesday, August 13.
Allowing people to buy newly built homes at a reduced price, it is aimed at buyers who need help bridging the gap between their mortgage and deposit to meet the full price of the home.
Purchasers will enter an Affordable Dwelling Purchase Agreement with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
They will receive funding in return for the Council taking an equity share – a percentage ownership of the property.
Buyers can choose to redeem this equity share at any time and there is no obligation to redeem it while they live in the home.
The price of the homes will be set by the council and it will be based on each applicant’s purchasing power.
Purchasing power is the total of maximum mortgage capacity which is four times their gross household income, a minimum deposit of 10 percent of the affordable price and any relevant savings.
And if purchasing power goes above 80 percent of the market value, the applicant is not eligible.
CRITERIA TO BE ELIGIBLE
To qualify, applicants must meet several criteria.
To start, they must be a first-time buyer, qualify under the Fresh Start Principle or own a home that is too small for their needs.
They must also have the legal right to reside in Ireland along with intending to live in the affordable home as their main residence.
Their purchasing power must not exceed 95 percent of the market value but there is an exception if these applicants cannot get a mortgage for that amount.
If applying with a partner, you must submit a joint application and those applying alone must show any other household members are financially dependent on you.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants must register first online at www.dlrcoco.ie before completing the application and uploading the required documents.
These applications will be processed on a first come first served basis and can be accepted only through the online portal.
Photo ID is needed and can include a passport, EU/EEA driving licence or an ID form stamped by the Gardaí.
Non-EU applicants must provide a valid Irish Residence Permit showing their permission type.
PAYE employees need a salary certificate and Employment Detail Summary while self-employed applicants must submit audited or certified accounts, tax balancing statements and payment receipts.
Unemployed applicants must provide a statement from the Department of Social Protection for the last 12 months.
Applicants must show they have maximised their mortgage capacity if their approval is less than four times their income and proof of savings is needed with three months of statements for all accounts.
First-time buyers must provide Help to Buy approval or a solicitor’s affidavit confirming they have never owned a property.
Those qualifying under the Fresh Start Principle must also show proof of separation, divorce, bankruptcy or insolvency.
Once all applications are assessed, the Council will contact applicants to confirm eligibility and whether they will receive an offer.
Thousands of Irish qualify for €447 social welfare cash & MORE eligible for ‘maximum rate’ in major new scheme expansion
THOUSANDS more Irish people will qualify for a weekly social welfare payment worth up to €447 following a change to the eligibility rules.
And the major expansion of the weekly income disregard for the cash also means that 5,280 people across the country will receive an increase in their payment.
The weekly income disregard for the Carer’s Allowance payment will increase from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or partner.
This means the first €625 of a single person’s weekly income and €900 of a couple’s weekly income will not be taken into account when applying for the means-tested payment.
The reform to the income disregard is expected to take effect from Thursday.
Cash income, capital and maintenance payments are all assessed by the Department of Social Protection as part of the means test.
However, the changes to the means test, which will take effect this week, means a person will still be able to qualify for the payment even if they are earning over €450 from other income each week.
And the move means that a whopping 99 per cent of people receiving Carer’s Allowance will now receive the maximum rate of payment.
Carer’s Allowance maximum weekly payment is €260 for a carer aged under 66 that is caring for one person, and €390 for a person aged under 66 that is caring for two or more people.
Carer’s aged 66 or over who are caring for one person can receive a maximum payment of €298 each week while those who are caring for two people or more and are aged under 66 can claim €447.
Fine Gael’s John Paul O’Shea, Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, confirmed this morning that 5,280 carers will receive an increase in their payment following the changes.
In addition to this, it is expected that many more carers will now qualify for the payment for the first time under the higher income limits.
Deputy O’Shea described the move announced in Budget 2025, as a “positive change”, but said the government “needs to go further”.
He said: “There have been significant changes to the Carers Allowance means test in recent years with the income disregard increased by €292.50 for a single person and €585 for a couple since 2022.
“It has been confirmed to me that the further increase in the income limits this week will mean that 99 per cent of people receiving Carer’s Allowance will now receive the maximum rate of payment.
“In addition, these changes will mean that many more carers who were previously outside the income limits will now qualify for a payment.
STILL TIME TO APPLY FOR €2,000 BOOST
THE Carer's Support Grant increased to €2,000 - its highest level ever - last month.
The non taxable and non means tested payment had been €1,850 in previous years, but was upped by €150 for 2025.
The payment was given to those already receiving the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and the Domiciliary Care Allowance.
Those who believe they may qualify for the €2,000 boost can still apply.
You can apply for a Carer’s Support Grant for any given year from April of that year until 31 December of the following year.
This means you can apply for the Carer’s Support Grant in 2025 at any time from April 2025 up until 31 December 2026.
“Our carers play a vital role in our society and we need to support them. This is a welcome step, but we need to go further.
“The Programme for Government commits to phasing out the means test entirely during the lifetime of this Government.”
O’Shea called on Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary to build on the “strong work” in this area in recent years and outline a road map for phasing out the means test altogether.
Fianna Fail TD Erin McGreehan told how it is only right to recognise the “invaluable work” of carer’s across Ireland.
She said: “This is not the final step, but real progress towards Fianna Fáil’s commitment to abolish the means test for Carer’s Allowance.
“I look forward to working closely with the Minister to continue strengthening support for our careers in the future.”
Minister Calleary said: “The Programme for Government is ambitious for carers. Importantly, we will continue to significantly increase the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the government.”
‘I ignored my stomach pain and ended up getting diagnosis that most people don’t survive’ says Irish star
IRISH star Diane Cannon has opened up about getting a horrific diagnosis that most people “don’t survive”.
The country singer was preoccupied juggling her work schedule last year and ignored the stomach pain she was experiencing due to this.
The Donegal native told RSVP Country. “I was traveling so much and I had to put too much pressure on myself.
“I was exhausted and I was getting gallbladder pain but I ignored it because I was busy at work.”
When Diane did manage to get her scheduled surgery done, she thought that she would “bounce back” immediately and attempted to get “back on the road” right away.
Sadly, this wasn’t the case for Diane as she explained: “I got rushed back in, and I’d already left it too late.
“The sepsis had already spread to my liver and kidneys and through my whole body. I was very lucky. Many people who get sepsis don’t survive.”
Diane’s career and busy life was then put on hold for the first time in years as a result.
She said: “It’s taken me months to recover. It’s frustrating because my brain still works the way it always did. I want to go at full tilt. But physically, I’m still recovering. I can’t do things at the same pace anymore.”
Diane is still waiting on her gallbladder to be removed and she hopes to be back on her feet by the end of the year.
She added: “You don’t really realise the severity of it at the time but when you look back – yes it is frustrating, but look I’m still here and I’m very lucky.”
Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of an infection that can hide behind any infection at any age, making it difficult to detect the illness and can lead to multiple organ failure and death.
Earlier this year Carl Mullan shared his story-time on his “run-in” with sepsis to spread awareness for the signs and symptoms.
A few years ago Carl got a “very simple” sore throat that progressively got “worse and worse” as the days went on.
He explained: “After a few days of it not going away, I went to the doctor and found out it was actually glandular fever. Glandular fever itself, it’s fairly common and there’s no actual cure for it, so you kind of just have to ride it out and take whatever the doctor prescribes for it.
‘AWFUL’
“After about three more days, and just to warn you, this is where this story gets a little bit disgusting. I was so run down, I was in so much pain, I was taking anti-inflammatory stuff, it was doing nothing for me.
“I was in a bad way. At this point, I took a look at the back of my throat. It was covered in white and yellow patches and it was just so raw and so painful and it was just… it was awful.”
Carl admitted that he “shouldn’t have let it” get to that point and when he did return to his doctor, he was immediately rushed off to A&E and was seen straight away.
Who gets sepsis and what causes it?
Sepsis can affect anyone. The condition occurs when the body’s immune system has an overeaction to an infection.
As a result, the body attacks itself.
Some people are more likely to get an infection that could lead to sepsis, however.
This includes babies under the age of one, people over 75 years old, people with diabetes or a weak immune system (either due to treatment, a condition or genetically), people who have recently had surgery or given birth.
Any infection can lead to sepsis. But those more likely to are those of:
- Lungs, such as pneumonia.
- Kidney, bladder and other parts of the urinary system
- Digestive system
- Bloodstream
- Catheter sites
- Wounds or burns
The dad-of-three said: “I always remember the doctor audibly gasped when he saw the back of my throat. Because… it was in a bad way.
“They took some bloods, they put me on some pain medication and they gave me a load of antibiotics and I just waited for the bloods to come back.
“A couple of hours later, the doctor came back and sat me down and was like, ‘You’re really lucky you came into hospital when you did, you’re in the early stages of sepsis’.
“He basically told me that had I not come into hospital when I did, 12 hours, 18 hours later, I would have been arriving into hospital in the back of an ambulance.”
Liverpool set Harvey Elliott asking price with England U21 Euros hero tipped for transfer to Champions League rivals
LIVERPOOL have placed a £50million price tag on young attacker Harvey Elliot amid interest from Champions League rivals across Europe.
The 22-year old is attracting suitors after his heroic performances for England helped them defend their U21 Euros title last week.
A deal worth £40m would be enough to seal the deal – provided Arne Slot’s Liverpool retained a buy-back clause, reports The Athletic.
The fee without such a buy-back option would have to exceed £50m to convince the Reds to sell.
Liverpool’s recent £30m sale of Jarrell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen is viewed as a point of reference when determining the youngster’s value.
Jobe Bellingham’s £32m move from Sunderland to Borussia Dortmund earlier in the window provides a similar benchmark, with Elliott having considerably more top-level experience than the teenage star.
Elliott joined Liverpool as a prodigious teenager from Fulham in 2019, and has made 94 appearances for the Reds since, bagging himself 18 goal contributions.
With two years left on his contract, Elliott has hinted that he is open to a challenge elsewhere – with Champions League clubs understood to be circling.
The Athletic name RB Leipzig as among those interested – although the Germans will not be able to offer European football having failed to qualify for any competitions.
SunSport revealed that Brighton are keen on the midfield ace. However, they too can not meet any European football desires.
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When asked about his Liverpool future ahead of his Euros campaign, Elliott told Hayters TV: “I am coming to an age where I do not want to be wasting years of my career.
“I want to be the best player I can be, and if [the way to do] that is to go somewhere else, then it is a decision that I am going to have to make.”
Elliott’s list of suitors has been bolstered by his outstanding contribution in England’s recent U21 Euros title defence.
Elliott’s brace saw England through a tight semi-final against the Netherlands, before he opened the scoring in the final against Germany three days later.
His performances earned him the player of the tournament award, an accolade most recently won by Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon.
Slot is believed to be undecided on Elliott, although sources told SunSport the Dutchman would be unlikely to stand in his way if he wanted to leave and if a deal could be agreed that suited club and player.
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McCain Foods Environment Graduate Traineeships 2025
McCain Foods invites South African unemployed graduates to apply for the Graduate Trainee: Environment Programme 2025. Internship Application Closing Date: 09 July 2025Internship Location: Delmas, Mpumalanga, South Africa About the Programme McCain Foods is offering an exciting 6-month graduate opportunity...
The post McCain Foods Environment Graduate Traineeships 2025 appeared first on StudentRoom.co.za.
Wimbledon make major broadcast change as 106-year tradition is ripped up
THE TWO Wimbledon singles finals will start at 4pm – which means the trophy presentation might take place under a closed Centre Court roof.
Traditionally the climax to the men’s and women’s Championships have begun at 2pm on the finals weekend.
Yet the matches are being moved back by two hours to maximise the TV audience in the United States.
Publicly, All England Club officials say that this later start encourages better crowds for the respective doubles finals.
In the past, the men’s and women’s doubles finals would happen after the singles showpiece occasions but a lot of fans do not hang around.
This is a chance for most people to leave the 15,000-capacity arena for a quick comfort break or food.
There is no denying that a later finish helps them crack the US and Wimbledon already have a tie-in with The Hill in New York.
And it will enable them to play the tournament to the “largest possible global audience”.
ESPN signed a 12-year extension with The All-England Club in 2021 worth a reported $400m (£290m) to continue broadcasting The Championships until 2035.
The later start times mean the finals will begin at a more favourable 11am on America’s east coast rather than 9am.
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But it means that if a final, for example, goes beyond four hours – and the five-set French Open epic between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner went five-and-a-half hours – then the light will become an issue.
It takes about 15-20 minutes to close the roof to ensure the air conditioning unit works properly.
And if the light is too bad, then the roof may have to be closed anyway for when Clare Balding conducts the post-final ceremonies.
It brings back memories of the famous 2008 final when Rafa Nadal beat Roger Federer after four hours and 48 minutes at 9.15pm in near darkness.
The final of the Club World Cup takes place on Sunday July 13 at 8pm in New Jersey and this might clash with the end of the tennis.
In 2026, the World Cup Finals – which will be staged in North and Central America – will clash with late-night tennis.
So, too, the European Championships in 2028 which will be staged in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton said: “So we’ve had doubles players having to wait longer to go on court.
“So this is much more predictable for them, for the crowds on the grounds, as well as at home. The finals days now builds to a crescendo of those singles finals.
“Those singles finals will now be in front of the largest possible global audience at that time.”