I’m getting a “shut up and hand over your wallets” vibe from this one, for a number of reasons.One is that nobody voted for this war, and, in fact, Trump was elected on a pledge to keep us out of foreign wars. Not only did the people not vote for it, but their legislators didn’t, […]

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is set to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday after the Trump administration signaled it was pausing contentious plans to move forward with a nearly $1.8 billion fund that could compensate allies of President Donald Trump who believe they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated Monday he was hopeful the White House would move to drop the $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate Trump's allies.

A $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” set up as part of a settlement of Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, appears to be dead, as lawmakers of both parties criticized the idea and the prospect of payouts to those who participated in the January 6 siege of the Capitol. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers […]

President Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund established by the Department of Justice has hit a setback. The DOJ said Monday they will abide by a court ruling temporarily pausing payouts that could have gone to Jan. 6 defendants and other Trump supporters. This comes amid political pressure from Republicans who are upset about the fund. Liz Landers joins Geoff Bennett to discuss.

NEW DELHI, June 3 — India approved a 100 billion ‌rupee (RM4.1 billion) fuel stabilisation fund today to help keep jet fuel prices in check for airlines hit by rising costs from the Iran war.

The government said the support would be provided as interest-free advances ‌to oil marketing companies ⁠to cover under-recoveries — the ⁠gap between ⁠market-linked jet fuel prices and ⁠the ⁠moderated rates charged to airlines.

“The measure will help protect ⁠and sustain domestic and international air connectivity, ensuring continuity of air services,” it added.

Shares of India’s largest airline, IndiGo, reversed course ⁠to trade up 1 per cent.

Globally, airlines have been squeezed by rising ⁠jet fuel prices, which can account for ⁠up ⁠to 40 per cent of operating costs. — Reuters

 

The Senate is in the midst of voting on $72 billion of funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as the Department of Homeland Security. The package has been held up for months with amendment votes expected to run well into the night. But it's still unclear whether Republican leaders will ultimately be able to wrangle enough votes to pass the measure. Lisa Desjardins has the latest.

Senate Republicans say they won't have the votes for the immigration spending bill until the White House works with them to put some parameters on a new $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate Trump's allies — or scrap it altogether.

Acting Attorney General Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday that the Justice Department is scrapping plans to create a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund." It's a setback for Trump, after Republican senators made clear they did not have the votes to advance a Homeland Security funding bill unless the White House either scaled back or eliminated the fund. Lisa Desjardins has more.

The announcement from the Justice Department comes in response to a Friday court ruling by a federal judge in Virginia who ordered plans for the fund halted pending additional arguments later this month.

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) interest rates will remain unchanged from July to September 2026, offering some stability for members still dealing with high living costs and long-term retirement worries.

According to the Central Provident Fund and Housing and Development Board (HDB), the Ordinary Account (OA) interest rate will remain at 2.5% per year, while the Special, MediSave, and Retirement Accounts (SMRA) will continue to earn 4% annually. The HDB concessionary housing loan rate will also remain at 2.6%. The announcement was made on May 26 by CPF and HDB in a joint statement.

For many Singaporeans, the quarterly CPF interest update is closely tied to predictability. Stable savings rates mean housing loan repayments aren’t rising again, at least for now.

Both CPF account groups remain protected by their minimum guaranteed rates

The SMRA rate is tied to the 12-month average yield of 10-year Singapore Government Securities plus 1%. CPF said the pegged rate still fell below the 4% floor rate, which is why members will continue receiving 4%.

The OA rate is based on the three-month average interest rates of major local banks. That computed rate also stayed below the 2.5% floor. This means both CPF account groups remain protected by their minimum guaranteed rates instead of floating lower with market conditions. The HDB concessionary loan rate, which is fixed at 0.1% above the OA rate, will therefore remain at 2.6%.

Older members continue getting extra bonus interest support

CPF members below 55 years old will still receive an extra 1% interest on the first S$60,000 of combined CPF balances, although OA balances are capped at S$20,000 for this bonus interest.

Members aged 55 and above receive stronger support. They earn an extra 2% on the first S$30,000 of combined balances, plus another 1% on the next S$30,000. The extra interest earned from OA balances goes into either the Special Account or the Retirement Account.

CPF members above 55 who are on the CPF LIFE scheme will also continue earning the extra interest on balances used for CPF LIFE, according to CPF.

The unchanged rates are important to households in managing expenses

The unchanged rates are important to households juggling mortgages, retirement planning and rising daily expenses.

Singapore’s interest rate environment has changed several times over the past few years as global inflation and central bank policies pushed borrowing costs higher. Against that backdrop, keeping the HDB concessionary loan rate unchanged offers some breathing room for flat owners relying on government housing loans.

Retirement adequacy also remains a major concern among older Singaporeans, especially with longer life expectancy and higher healthcare costs. The continued 4% floor for retirement-related CPF accounts gives savers a relatively stable base compared with regular bank savings accounts.

At the same time, the numbers also show how conservative CPF’s framework remains. OA savings still grow more slowly than inflation in some periods, which is why many Singaporeans continue to look for ways to stretch their retirement savings through investments, side income, or delayed retirement.

Stability may not excite people, but it helps with future planning

CPF updates rarely get dramatic reactions online unless rates suddenly jump or fall. Still, steady rates can be useful in their own way.

People buying flats, planning retirement withdrawals or deciding whether to top up CPF accounts tend to value predictability over surprises.

Financial planning also becomes much harder when interest rates swing wildly every few months, but for now, Singaporeans heading into the second half of 2026 at least know one thing will stay: their CPF interest rates.

More details on interest calculations are available through CPF’s official information channels.

This article (SG Central Provident Fund interest rates to remain unchanged for OA and SMA accounts from July to Sept 2026) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

A federal judge imposed a temporary halt to the Trump Justice Department plans for an almost $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” which already has stirred bipartisan opposition over the prospect it will mean compensation to those who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema wrote that the Justice Department was prohibited […]