Empowering Futures: 50 Female Students Complete Seed of Fortune Ghana Tech Training

Technology

The Seed of Fortune-Ghana has equipped about 50 female students in Koforidua with an intensive training on education technology, business pitch and a Girls Start-Up Competition.
Among the participating schools were Oti Boateng Senior High School, Oyoko Methodist Senior High School and the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASS).
Lady Juliet Nyarko Adansi, Country Lead for Seed of Fortune – Ghana said the students were taken through email account creation, email etiquettes, business pitch, business website development and career path.
She said the criteria for selection in the Girls Start-Up Competition were the best students that developed the best business idea particularly from a social impact perspective and innovative, and the best in a well-developed or a designed website.
A number of students did their utmost best to win the competition with tablets as their prizes.
She said: “We believe in continuous mentorship, so the tablets given to the winners would guide and help them advance their entrepreneurial journey as they build on the digital skills acquired.”
Lady Adansi urged students to regularly visit their schools’ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories to practice the skills they had acquired.
Seed of Fortune Ghana is a non-profit organization established by Nitiya Walker and has operated in the United States of America for over 10 years.
The organization aims to financially empower young women with vision, teaching financial literacy, professional development skills, and supporting them to apply for college scholarships.

The remote island with more whales than people that’s tipped to become a tourist hotspot

Travel

A remote island surrounded by glaciers as tall as skyscrapers with more whales than people is tipped to become the next tourist hotspot.Disko Island, a remote gem in Greenland, is a must see destination for anyone seeking ultimate tranquillity in a place that remains untouched by humans.The magical island is one of the best places in Greenland to catch a sighting of some beautiful whales especially minke, fin and humpback whales. If you are lucky you might even spot the blue whale and killer whale.From early summer Disko Bay is teeming with whales as they feed and frolic in the Greenlandic waters.Located on the west of Greenland on the south coast of Disko Island lies Qeqertarsuaq, a port and town in the Qeqertalik municipalityThe small settlement remains completely untouched with the town only having only one hotel alongside a mixture of private rooms and shared accommodation.Qeqertarsuaq’s black sand beaches and volcanic rock formations offer unusual whale watching and hiking opportunities in Disko Bay.Despite Disko being the second largest island in Greenland only around 850 people lived there in 2023, a fall of around a quarter over the 30 years before.Although fewer people may be living there today, it has been tipped as an up-and-coming tourist destination thanks to the island’s inclusion on Intrepid Travel’s ‘Not Hot’ list.The eco firm has highlighted ten parts of the world in a bid to to inspire tourists to discover different and unique experiences around the world with communities that can truly benefit from more visitors.Intrepid is launching an expedition to Greenland in 2025 which will take holidaymakers to settlements seldom visited by tourists and have them hiking to the Lyngemark Glacier, one of the island’s most spectacular attractions, and then stay at a locally owned lodge.The Nordic nation is also actively seeking more travellers by opening a new international airport this November in Nuukto to make inland travel more accessible, and encouraging tourists off the beaten track.Greenland implemented a new cruise tax in January 2024, adding DKK 50 (£5.73) per passenger, with these funds staying in the regions where they’re collected to help support the local communities.

Read Together book announced – and it’s ‘that octopus book’

Arts & Culture, Books

A best-selling novel about a woman’s friendship with a giant Pacific octopus has been named the 2024 Read Together Palm Beach County book.The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County announced the selection of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt, published in 2022, during the group’s annual Mayors’ Literacy Initiative Luncheon on Thursday at the West Palm Beach Marriott.More than 2 million copies of the novel have been sold, and it spent a total of more than a year on the New York Times Hardcover Bestseller list. In the two years since its debut, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” has had 30 reprintings, and the novel received the 2023 McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize. It also was a “Read with Jenna” pick for the Today Show’s book club.The novel tells the story of a 70-year-old widow who cleans the aquarium where the octopus, Marcellus, lives. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” earned the nickname of “that octopus book,” so much so that the U.K. edition of the novel features that tagline across the top of its cover.This marks the coalition’s 14th Read Together campaign, a “one-book, one-community” event that aims to bring together adults throughout Palm Beach County to read the same book at the same time, the Literacy Coalition said. Past books in the biennial campaign include “The Story of Arthur Truluv” by Elizabeth Berg in 2022 and “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead in 2020.”Read Together brings our community together,” said Kristin Calder, the Literacy Coalition’s chief executive officer. “As we discuss themes and the story of a book, we make connections over shared experiences while also learning different perspectives. The book this year is about love, loss, family, second chances, and there’s even a little mystery to be solved. It’s a heartwarming, easy read that is surprisingly narrated in parts by an octopus.”As part of the Read Together campaign, the Palm Beach County Library System and the coalition’s community partners will host book discussions and events throughout November.Van Pelt will attend and speak at the Read Together Finale on Nov. 18 at Palm Beach State College’s Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth Beach.It was announced in August that the novel is being adapted into a film, with actor Sally Field reported to be on board as the lead.”Remarkably Bright Creatures” is available in hardcover and audio at local libraries and bookstores. Copies of the hardcover book are available from the Literacy Coalition for a $20 donation.The Literacy Coalition on Thursday also announced that the 19th annual Read for the Record book this year is “Piper Chen Sings” by Phillipa Soo. The event, scheduled this year for Oct. 24, brings together leaders, businesses and volunteers who distribute hundreds of books to Palm Beach County schools and child care centers and then read to tens of thousands of local students.Municipalities throughout Palm Beach County also engage in a friendly competition to see which can read to the most students on the day of the Read for the Record. Last year’s winners were Wellington in the large municipality category, Palm Springs as the mid-size municipality and Lantana as the small municipality.For more information, go to literacypbc.org.Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected]. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

Business News | Kanpur Businesses Report Massive ROI and Steady Stream of Leads with Justdial

Business News

VMPLKanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 21: Kanpur’s business landscape is witnessing remarkable growth, driven by Justdial’s digital strategies. From startups to established companies, diverse enterprises are reporting significant returns on their advertising investments. Justdial’s targeted visibility platform connects businesses with high-quality leads, enabling them to transform their operations and compete effectively in the digital market.Also Read | Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: From Kavita Dalal in Julana to Abhay Singh Chautala in Ellenabad, List of Key Candidates and Constituencies.As India’s leading local search engine, Justdial has evolved into a comprehensive business solution provider. Its range of services is designed to enhance online presence and facilitate seamless transactions, empowering businesses across sectors to thrive in India’s digital economy.Dr. Sharad Bajpai, the owner of Kannika Eye Care Hospital, shared his decade-long experience with Justdial. “From the very beginning, I received excellent results and benefits, which helped us provide better services to our patients” Dr. Bajpai stated. He recently upgraded to a 3-year plan, citing the platform’s role in enhancing its services and operational efficiency.Also Read | Will Lionel Messi Play Tonight in New York City vs Inter Miami MLS 2024 Match? Here’s the Possibility of LM10 Featuring in Starting XI.In the marketing sector, Himanshu Jain of Mado Marketing reported an astonishing ROI after two years with Justdial’s premium plan. “I am earning at least 10 to 20 times what I have invested” Jain revealed, emphasizing the platform’s role in gaining clients and establishing long-term relationships.The security and surveillance sector has also seen significant benefits. Digvijay Singh, owner of Tycoon Technology, a leading CCTV dealer in Kanpur, described the immediate positive effects of subscribing to Justdial’s premium package. “Every day, I receive multiple leads, and after following up with them, we are getting a very positive outcome,” the owner reported, noting an average of 5-6 quality leads daily.”At Justdial, we are committed to empowering businesses with the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital-first landscape. The success stories of our clients in Kanpur underscore the transformative power of our platform. By delivering high-quality leads and driving meaningful engagement, we are enabling businesses to expand their reach and achieve sustained growth,” stated Shwetank Dixit,Chief Growth Officer, Justdial highlighting Justdial’s role in Kanpur’s business evolution.These success stories underscore Justdial’s effectiveness in connecting local businesses with their target audience. The platform offers a comprehensive range of services designed to boost online presence and facilitate seamless transactions, from its core local search functionality to innovative features like ‘JD Mart’ and ‘JD Omni’.With Kanpur’s booming business community embracing digital marketing, Justdial’s role in facilitating growth becomes increasingly vital. Businesses across varied industries continue to see significant returns and a steady stream of leads as the platform is potentially reshaping local marketing strategies in the years to come.(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

GE Layoffs: General Electric’s Energy Company GE Vernova Likely To Lay Off Around 900 Employees From Offshore Wind Business Amid Financial Losses; Check Details

Business News

New Delhi, September 21: GE Vernova, the energy company, will reportedly lay off around 900 employees from its offshore wind business amid financial struggles. As per reports, GE Vernova, a spinoff from General Electric, is facing challenges in the wind industry and may lead to about 900 job cuts. The energy company GE Vernova is said to be struggling with offshore wind operations, which have faced financial issues and accidents.
As per a report of The New York Times, GE Vernova may lay off 900 employees from offshore wind as it is dealing with financial pressures. The company’s offshore wind business is reportedly underperforming and the company is expecting losses of USD 300 million in the third quarter of 2024. GE Vernova is also considering focusing its offshore wind business on North America. GE Vernova reportedly seeks to build a smaller and more profitable business amid industrywide challenges for wind. Qualcomm Layoffs: Chip Giant To Lay Off 226 Employees in US Later This Year as Part of Business Diversification Strategy, Starting in November.
The layoffs at GE Vernova could lead to a shortage in construction capacity and might increase equipment prices. It may lead to rising costs for consumer bills and leaving Siemens Gamesa from Germany and Vestas Wind Systems from Denmark to remain as major companies in the industry. GE Vernova shared the proposal of laying off its employees with its European Works Council, which represents its employees. It is an important step before making any job cuts. The company has not disclosed which countries would be most affected due to layoffs. GE Vernova has a large turbine factory in Saint-Nazaire, France, close to the Loire River. IBM Layoffs: Tech Giant Silently Lays Off Around 1,000 Employees Amid Plan To Adopt AI, Make Them Sign NDA To Not Talk Specifics, Says Report.
The company invested USD 400 million to create a large turbine called the Haliade-X for offshore use. However, problems arose when a Haliade-X blade broke in July at Vineyard Wind 1, Massachusetts, which was set to be the first commercial wind farm in U.S. waters. Debris from the broken blade landed on Nantucket’s beaches, which caused temporary closures and faced criticism from the fishing industry. Federal regulators paused work on the project but later lifted restrictions. Additionally, two more blades failed at the Dogger Bank wind farm in England. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 21, 2024 03:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

Business News | GeM Reduces Transaction Charges; Orders Above Rs 10 Cr to Pay Flat Fee of Rs 3 Lakh

Business News

New Delhi [India], September 21 (ANI): In a step towards enhancing the ease of doing business and promoting inclusivity in the economy, the Government e Marketplace (GeM) has announced a major reduction in transaction charges for sellers and service providers on its platform.According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, under the new policy, all orders valued up to Rs 10 lakh will now attract zero transaction charges, doubling the previous order value ceiling of Rs 5 lakh.Also Read | Delhi Government Formation 2024: Mukesh Ahlawat, Fresh Face in Atishi’s Cabinet, Shares AAP Government’s Vision.For orders between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 10 crore, the transaction fee has been reduced to 0.30 per cent of the total order value, compared to the earlier charge of 0.45 per cent. Meanwhile, orders exceeding Rs 10 crore will incur a flat fee of Rs 3 lakh, a significant reduction from the previous cap of Rs 72.5 lakh.With these changes, approximately 97 per cent of all transactions on GeM will now be free from any transaction charges.Also Read | Dharavi: Tension Prevails in Mumbai Slum As Locals Stop BMC From Razing ‘Illegal’ Portion of Mosque; Several Police Personnel Deployed.For the remaining transactions, a nominal fee of 0.30 per cent will apply to orders above Rs 10 lakh, subject to a maximum of Rs 3 lakh, irrespective of order size.This marks a significant reduction in transaction fees, ranging from 33 per cent to 96 per cent, providing a substantial boost to sellers and service providers in terms of competitiveness.This bold move is expected to democratise access to the public procurement system, particularly benefiting Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), which have historically faced financial and operational barriers.By lowering transaction charges, GeM is levelling the playing field, creating opportunities for small businesses to compete and thrive in public procurement processes.In addition to supporting smaller enterprises, the policy change aligns with the government’s broader goal of reducing the cost of transactions and fostering a more competitive marketplace.The reduction in fees is a direct response to feedback from the business community and reflects GeM’s commitment to driving innovation and efficiency in the procurement ecosystem.The financial year 2024-25 is proving to be a milestone for GeM, particularly in the services sector, which has seen exponential growth. As of August 31, 2024, the services sector accounted for 65 per cent of the platform’s total Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), amounting to Rs 1.39 lakh crore, surpassing product GMV for the first time. The total GMV for the period stood at Rs 2.15 lakh crore.This surge in services procurement has been bolstered by a vast inventory of 325+ service categories available on the platform. GeM’s user-friendly interface, coupled with its transparent e-bidding processes, has made it easier for government buyers to evaluate, select, and engage service providers. (ANI)(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

UK overhauls tourist entry rules

Travel

Beginning January 8, anyone who wishes to visit the United Kingdom would have to register ahead of time in a specialized digital system and pay £50 per person; ‘Digitization allows for a seamless experience for the millions crossing the border annually,’ says senior official

Business Beat: Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers coming to Longview

Business News

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is planning to open a location in Longview.The city of Longview has received an application for a development permit that shows the restaurant would be built at 513 E. Loop 281, opposite Chick-fil-A where a bank of trees is currently located.Freddy’s serves a variety of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and more, with the website saying, “Each patty is pressed thin to create deliciously crispy edges and finished with Freddy’s Famous Steakburger and Fry Seasoning. Every steakburger is cooked-to-order with your choice of toppings, served steaming hot, and just the way you want it.”#placement_588479_0_i{width:100%;margin:0 auto;}Freddy’s is also known for its frozen custard.Freddy’s, which is based in Wichita, Kansas, was founded in 2002 and has more than 400 locations.It is named for Freddy Simon, who grew up in Colwich, Kansas, and served in World War II. His sons, Bill and Randy Simon and their friend and business partner, Scott Redler, started the restaurant, the company’s website says. Workforce office movingWorkforce Solutions East Texas will open its new workforce center on Oct. 1 in the Park Place Shopping Center, at 1905 W. Loop 28, Suite 40, just west of Gilmer Road.The workforce center will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.”Workforce Solutions East Texas is a community partnership providing no-cost recruitment and employment services to businesses and job seekers in the East Texas area,” information provided by the organization says.The chief elected officials in the region, the Workforce Solutions East Texas Board, and the board administrative agency — the East Texas Council of Governments — elected to lease the 25,712-square-foot facility. The five-year lease includes five one-year extension options.Upgrades to the facility are in progress, and the new location will open in phases.@import url(https://fonts.bunny.net/css?family=ibm-plex-sans:400,600);

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Doug Shryock, Workforce Solutions East Texas’ Executive Director, said, “We’re excited to offer employers and prospective employees a tremendous facility. It allows ample space for recruitment of skilled workers, interviewing, training, and enhancing respected skills, and to receive the resources necessary to become valued, long-term assets to the Longview business community and the surrounding area. I believe employers will see this facility as a force multiplier to ongoing work in building their businesses. Employees will see this as a critical link between their hard work in preparation and the job in which they’ll excel. Together, we’ll set the stage for the next generation in Longview’s economic development.”The current Workforce Solutions East Texas—Longview office at 209 S. Center St. will be closed Sept. 23-30 to prepare for the move. Customers who need assistance during that time should call 1-844-ETWORKS.

Roost Chicken Salad & Cafe Thursday, September 12, 2024. (Les Hassell/Longview News-Journal Photo)

New ownershipGreenbriar Partners has acquired the Roost Chicken Salad & Deli brand, as well as two locations of The Catch seafood restaurants in Tyler and Longview, in a merger with owner Robert Means. Longview native Conner Cupit is Greenbriar’s managing partner and CEO. Greenbriar has been a consulting partner with the Roost brand, collaborating with Means on every aspect of the business. Cupit has much in store for the Roost brand, with the first new Roost location slated to open in Athens soon and further developments on the horizon, according to information the company provided.

The Catch Thursday, September 12, 2024. (Les Hassell/Longview News-Journal Photo)

“I am very excited to bring our work with Roost to the next level and to focus on the expansion of the brand into new markets,” Cupit said. “Growing up in East Texas, I am passionate about bringing great food served in a family-friendly environment to the area, and Roost is the perfect brand to do just that.”Roost, which has locations in Lufkin and New Braunfels as well, serves breakfast, sandwiches, soup and salads in addition to chicken salad.“After working with the Greenbriar team for over a year now, it was evident this was the right group to really take the Roost brand into the future,” Means said. “They have worked tirelessly to create an even better iteration of Roost, I look forward to this partnership and seeing the growth that lies ahead.”

Sports exhibit coming to Buffalo Museum of Science

Science and Health

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Have you wondered about the science behind sports?
The Buffalo Museum of Science on Friday announced plans for a new sports-focused science exhibit. The museum is teaming up with the Buffalo Bills and Sabres for the project.
Visitors will be able to measure the how loud fans cheer, translate sports statistics, and design their own mascot.
“There’s a connection between living in Buffalo and liking sports. It’s what we do here, and so if we can connect that to science and connect that to STEM education, that’s a win-win,” State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said on Friday.
The new exhibit is set to open next fall.

Is the information age a ‘Crisis of Narration’? This book says yes

Arts & Culture, Books

The Crisis of Narration

Byung-Chul Han

100 pages; Polity

$16.95

We live, we often hear, in a world full of information, deracinated data stamping out all the humanity from our lives. The Catholic Korean-born German philosopher Byung-chul Han, recently hailed as an internet sensation, offers one such account in The Crisis of Narration. The slim volume of essays suggests that the real harm of information is that it has displaced a more essential practice of human life: narration.
This argument, Han recognizes, might sound odd, because we seem to hear about narrative all the time. Corporations hire writers for data storytelling. Cognitive behavioral therapists and self-help gurus invite patients to investigate the stories they tell themselves. News media and elected officials construct political narratives to keep supporters in their orbit.
But The Crisis of Narration suggests that these are narratives in name only; they don’t have the world-making power of myth or religious ritual. True narration, for Han, “unites things and events, even trifling, insignificant or incidental things, into a story.” In other words, it infuses the world around us with meaning.
We don’t live in that kind of world, the book argues; we live in a world where disjointed, inhuman information saturates social media platforms, smart devices and news media. In contrast to narrative, which enters into human experience, information is “unavailable,” “disenchanting,” “fragmenting” and “mechanical.”

Social media is Han’s most frequent target. Though platforms like Instagram brand their content as “Stories,” they contain only “information adorned with images — information that is briefly registered and then disappears.”

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The Crisis of Narration is written in the same style as Han’s previous books (most famously Psychopolitics and The Burnout Society): aphoristic, terse, more like a German Romantic philosopher than a contemporary academic. Few sentences run long; almost no paragraphs take up more than a few lines.

The benefit is that Han’s writing is fairly readable. The downside is that there’s little nuance to his ideas, which becomes increasingly clear as the book progresses. Each chapter spends about half its length liberally quoting a small cadre of 20th-century existentialist philosophers, then drawing tenuous connections to the present world.
The result is less a critical dialogue and more a regurgitation. Han cites Martin Heidegger, peppers in a paragraph about smartphones, then wraps things up.

It isn’t necessarily a problem to draw on decades-old thinkers (many of Han’s touchstones, like Walter Benjamin, offer prescient accounts of contemporary society). But Han is an abler reader of interwar philosophy than he is of modern digital life. As he attempts to integrate 20th-century philosophy into an account of the present, critiques become half-baked screeds: Snapchat is fleeting; Facebook and Instagram are disingenuous; selfies are shallow; children search for “digital Easter Eggs” instead of wonderment; photographs cut us off from the world.

There might be something worth exploring in each of these arguments, but Han eschews evidence and nuance in favor of superficial clichés. Nowhere is this more evident than his blithe assertion that humans have transformed from homo sapiens into “phono sapiens.” His arguments are only slightly more polished versions of underinformed technophobia.

An especially curious element of Han’s writing in The Crisis of Narration is his romanticized vision of Christianity, particularly medieval Catholicism. For Han, the Middle Ages represent a moment in which the world was saturated with narrative meaning and everything, every “nook and cranny of life,” was given significance by Christian ritual. Truth was not “contingent, exchangeable, and modifiable” as it supposedly is now, because religion (he says) “narrates contingency away.”
“An outbreak of the plague was not pure, simple information,” he argues elsewhere. “It was integrated into the Christian narrative of sin.”
Han has clarified that he does not believe in “reactivating” the “Christian narrative,” since it has “lost power” in the Western world. But it’s difficult to read his antimodern jeremiad outside the context of resurgent traditionalism. To be sure, Han is citing Jean-Paul Sartre, not G.K. Chesterton. But the core of his argument is that the (so-called) premodern faith in narrative has decayed into a superficial culture that lacks the “rituals” that might give life meaning. We live, he insists, in a depraved world.
In this postlapsarian angst, Han holds tight to the idea that there were halcyon days where people used religion to make meaning instead of tweeting. But this account of premodern Christianity is questionable. 

Certainly, Christianity was a powerful cultural force. But much writing of the period, like the ribald and often anticlerical humor of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales or the profound anxiety of William Langland’s Piers Plowman, reflect that the Christian narrative never really “narrated contingency away.” Uncertainty has always existed — Christian doubt is as old as Christianity itself. 

These kinds of activities represent the heart of Christian practice: finding God in the world that we’ve found ourselves in. 
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On the flipside, Han’s romantic approach to narrative prevents him from seeing how modern narrative practices, especially Christian ones, are engaging with the world of information.

An Instagram image might seem fragmentary, but the act of sharing can itself be a meaning-making ritual — as when a candid selfie of a sleep-deprived mother can become a site for sharing honest conversations about parenting and cultivating the beloved community virtually.
A Twitter timeline might seem to render world news as rarefied facts, but, as in the case of the obscene violence of the invasion of Gaza, these facts can also be transmuted into stories, holy icons and rituals.
A scroll of random video reels might seem disjointed, but reflective prayer — the act of narrativizing one’s experiences before God — can illuminate the Holy Spirit’s movements through the touching personal humor or novel knowledge or immense frustrations of social media.
These kinds of activities represent the heart of Christian practice: finding God in the world that we’ve found ourselves in. It’s true, information poses new challenges. We need thoughtful discernment and the courage to find new ways of narrativizing the human relationship with God. But even in the world of information, humans continue to narrate graced meaning.
Han’s argument might be compelling if you already believe everything he says before you start reading the book. But his reactionary logic misses the vibrant narrative activity that continues to pulse through our digital lives.