US President Joe Biden has used his farewell address to the nation to deliver a stark warning about an oligarchy of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the United States, as well as the dangers of a “tech-industrial complex” threatening the future of democracy. Speaking from the Oval Office as he prepares to hand over power…
Digital Map Market to Hit $67.8B by 2032 Fueled by Geospatial Tech Growth and Government Initiatives – Technology Today – EIN Presswire
The Chief Executive of Belujane Konsult, Mr Chris Aligbe, said Nigeria is big enough to have three big and formidable airlines that can be either privately owned or government-backed carriers to harness air travel potentials for the country.
He noted that the country needs a national flag carrier to strengthen Lagos or Abuja as a hub, stressing that no private airlines have ever built a hub.
He cited countries in Africa like Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Egypt Air and TAAG Angola, which have used national carriers to build strong hubs in their domain.
He lamented that the situation where a country does not have an ‘airline of note’ is worrisome and calls for urgent attention.
Aligbe who is an unrepentant supporter of national carrier because of the huge benefits it gives to a nation said that the time to set up a national airline was now.
He said, “Our country is large enough that it can have about three formidable airlines in the global space. But a situation where we don’t have any line of note is something very much uncalled for. To think that some people still believe that we should not do it, government should not do it.”
He noted that many African nations and foreign carriers have left Nigeria behind in the scheme of airline business was worrisome.
He agreed that the carriers need help to wriggle out of the challenges they are faced with at the moment, stressing that they need both aircraft and managerial capacity to navigate the intricate airline business.
His words, “Capacity is not the number of aircraft. Capacity in the industry is multidimensional. Even managerial capacity and managerial competence are critical to it because even if you have five aircraft or ten aircraft, the way you manage those aircraft and keep to schedule and everything is enough to show that you are on the incline. After all, Ibom Air does not have too many aircraft, but Nigerians believe that so far so good, it is better managed.
“Overland is a niche carrier, but it has stayed firm on the niche, showing signs of grappling with the challenge of managing an airline. The new airline on the block, ValueJet is showing promising signs.”
He maintained that the country is in the dark ages of airline operation with point-to-point operations, adding, ‘It is clear to Nigerians and to everyone that the country is not there in terms of aviation.
“Those arguing against a national flag carrier or whatever are arguing against Nigerians. They are insisting that Nigerians should continue to suffer. You fly point to point, you get to the other point, you take out your baggage, and you start looking for another airline to fly. You face, apart from difficulties, moving from one point to the other. Even if it is the same airport, you now have to buy another ticket.”
“Look at just this last Christmas, just last festive season. Ghana Airport Company reached an agreement with Ethiopian Airlines to fly Kumasi-London. They are flying to Kumasi on Saturday. Nigerians, go and check the passengers. Many Nigerians have flown to Lagos- Kumasi, Kumasi-London. So, it is our market. Ghana doesn’t have that market that is established. Our market is depleting fast. And people don’t seem to realize it.”
Aligbe explained that Richard Branson’s remark about Nigeria as a very corrupt country that should never be partnered with in the airline business when he controversially pulled his equity from Virgin Nigeria may have made many countries ignore the country during its quest for technical partnership with the botched Nigeria Air project.
According to him, “Sirika and Buhari were trying to sell Nigeria Air, no person wanted to talk about them to the point that Emirates refused. Etihad refused. To the point that they were hoping that Qatar would come.”
“The only airline that agreed to go was Ethiopian Airlines. I have said if we lose Ethiopian Airlines, it will be very difficult for us to get it back. We have lost it. The only person who can pull that back is the President, because the Ethiopian Prime Minister interacted with our president on that issue, so he can touch that. That is the only person who can pull it back. Otherwise, we will not have any investors.” Culled from Aviation Metrics.
Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreFare dodging is rife on Britain’s railways. “The last time this was looked at by the industry, there was around about £300m per annum going out of the industry because of fare-dodging,” Stephanie Tobyn of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) told The Independent’s daily travel podcast. That works out at £600 per minute.But people who mistakenly travel without a valid ticket are being treated too harshly, according to the rail watchdog.Transport Focus is urging train operators to implement a “yellow card” system for passengers caught without a ticket, giving them the benefit of the doubt on a first offence.Meanwhile Ms Tobyn of the ORR is calling for evidence from passengers who have been given a Penalty Fare or actually prosecuted for travelling without a ticket. “We want to look at people who accidentally find themselves in this position and then end up with a criminal record,” she says.The moves follow cases of users being prosecuted and fined heavily after inadvertently breaching railcard rules.These are the key questions and answers.Define a train ticket?The standard paper ticket, as issued by booking offices and ticket machines, is still common. But a 21st-century ticket can take many more forms than in the Victorian era, including:A ticket on “a mobile telephone or tablet device”A smartcard as used in Greater London (with the Oyster card) and elsewhereA bank card on which you have “tapped in” at station entry gates or on a reader on the platform.What does the law say about rail tickets?The basic principle is set down in the Regulation of Railways Act 1889. On request by a staff member, the rail passenger is required to produce “a ticket showing that his fare is paid”.The rather more modern National Rail Conditions of Travel from April 2024 specify:“You must purchase, where possible, a valid ticket before you board a train”You must use the ticket “in accordance with the specific terms and conditions associated with it”.The first term implies that if you have not been able to buy a ticket –for example because there is neither a booking office nor a working ticket machine – you are deemed innocent and can pay the appropriate fare on board.The second term emphasises that you must respect, for example, the time restrictions on your tickets, the conditions of any railcard discount and the class of travel.Doesn’t everyone simply buy a ticket?About 29 out of 30 passengers do so, according to data from TransPennine Express. But if you plan to buy a ticket at the station and can’t do so, you may board a train if the ticket office is closed (or there isn’t one) and the ticket machine is either broken or won’t accept your preferred method of payment (card or cash).You should buy a ticket from the guard on board if there is one, or at an interchange station if time allows. If you can’t do either, you can pay at your destination.Some stations still have “Permit to Travel” machines. You can pay a small sum in return for a receipt that shows the issuing station and the amount paid, which will be deducted from the ticket you eventually buy.Or, of course, you could book a ticket on your smartphone. TransPennine Express says three-quarters of its passengers do that.What if the queue is just too long?You are expected to wait as long as it takes. As one insider posted on a rail forum: “Even if it was the second coming of Christ, as long as the ticket office is open a passenger must buy a ticket or be given authority to travel by an officer of the railway without one.”If you have allowed reasonable time to buy a ticket but can wait no longer, you could ask station staff – or, in an “open station” the train guard (if there is one) – if you can buy a ticket on board.They may authorise you to do so if, for example, ticket machines are not working. Otherwise, if you decide to board a train without a ticket you will be breaking the law.What happens next?With fare dodging costing the industry – and therefore the taxpayer – an estimated £600 per minute, train operators take the crime seriously. On many services, train managers, conductors and guards check tickets. If they encounter someone without a valid ticket, they will typically sell a new ticket at the correct fare.On a journey from London to Manchester, for example, someone with a £45 advance ticket who misses their train and hops on the next one could be invited to pay four times as much as the full single fare.There is also a dedicated force of revenue protection officers whose role is to catch passengers who fail to pay. These staff work on trains and at stations. Train operator Southeastern tells prospective applicants: “As a revenue protection officer, it’s your job to travel on our trains, inspecting passengers’ tickets and collecting fares from those who haven’t paid. You’ll interview suspected fare evaders, fill out forms and process paperwork.”“At the start of each shift, you’ll be assigned a partner and a route. You never work alone in this role, always in pairs. Or, sometimes, larger groups.”What about travelling with ‘the wrong kind of ticket’?Revenue protection staff will also take interest in passengers who do the following:Use an advance ticket on the wrong train, unless they have been told specifically that they can do so because of disruptionClaim a railcard discount when they don’t have one (though if they have simply left it at home, they can claim back any penalty applied)Sit in first class with a standard ticket, unless the train has been declared to be “declassified” because it is so crowded.Try to use an operator-specific ticket on a service run by a different firm – eg a cheap London Northwestern ticket from Birmingham to London on Avanti West CoastAttempt a “split-ticket” trip without following the rules – for example, buying separate Bristol-Didcot and Didcot-London tickets to cover a Bristol-London trip, but boarding a train that does not stop at DidcotAll of these render the ticket not valid for travel, and so the traveller is regarded as ticketless.What are the penalties?Rail staff can choose between selling the correct ticket, issuing a Penalty Fare (£50, doubled if not paid within three weeks, plus the full single fare) or prosecuting the passenger. This is the rail firm’s choice, not the passenger’s.All passengers will come up with an excuse when challenged about why they do not have a ticket. From experience, rail staff can usually tell if a tale about running late and foolishly hopping on a train just before it left is true. If so, they may simply apply the full single fare.The Penalty Fare is the standard response to an offence. But if the revenue protection officer believes that the individual is a repeat offender – perhaps a passenger who simply “pays when challenged” – they may report the traveller for prosecution.What happens if a case goes to court?If convicted, the passenger can be fined up to £1,000 or jailed. They will also receive a criminal record, which can affect their job prospects – and rules them out of obtaining an Esta to visit the US.Can I appeal a Penalty Fare?Yes, but if you were travelling without a ticket it is unlikely to succeed. For example, the many people who fondly imagine that they can pay with a contactless card or smartphone to travel between London and Stansted airport are routinely issued Penalty Fares.They “tap in” with a contactless card for the Stansted Express at London Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale, only to discover on reaching the airport that their card is not valid.Warning signs have now been posted, meaning that anyone who is issued with a Penalty Fare is unlikely to succeed in an appeal.What does Transport Focus want to see?Prevention, in the form of more barriers at stations. The rail watchdog says: “The industry should demonstrate to passengers that the industry cares about collecting its revenue and ensure that people know they will be asked to produce a valid ticket at the start, end, and during their journey.“There are clear benefits to having safe, secure stations with proper barriers, however there are obviously further cost challenges associated with the introduction of these measures.”Punishment, though, should be measured – with passengers invited to pay the correct fare on a first offence, rather than facing a penalty or prosecution. For this to happen, though, the passenger will need to provide proper ID (with a condition of being let off being that they know exactly who you are), with the incident stored on a central database recording infractions for the whole country.Transport Focus also wants a digital database of railcards, to enable rail staff to check a passenger’s eligibility for a discount if they say their railcard has been forgotten or cannot be loaded on a phone.Can you be an innocent fare-dodger?Yes – often rail passengers are guilty only of a misunderstanding. Thousands of people have inadvertently made journeys they assumed could be paid for by contactless card – only to discover they could tap in but had strayed across an invisible “tariff border” and could not tap out.Others get impatient after queuing for ages for a ticket and jump on a train without one, intending to pay on board or at the other end.At the other extreme, some commuters deliberately set out day after day to travel without paying, robbing the railway of revenue and increasing the financial burden on the majority of law-abiding passengers.The review by the Office of Rail and Road will assess travellers’ tales.
For visitors to Thailand, the Thai government has recently launched a new app to enhance tourist safety. Here’s what you need to know about the Thailand Tourist Police App and whether you should download it.
Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreBritish tourists visiting Thailand are experiencing an unusually cool stretch of weather that is likely to remind them more of January at home. Forecasters say the cool temperatures could last until mid-February.On Thursday morning, areas across Thailand were feeling the cool, especially in the north. The Meteorological Department said temperatures in the north and northeast dropped as low as 8C, while on the mountains they hit 2C.The past few weeks have been particularly enjoyable for many people in Bangkok, where high temperatures in the summer can rise to 35-40C. Thursday saw a slight rise in temperatures in the city, but the lows were still measured at 19-21C.A Buddhist monk wears a hat for warmth in Bangkok
Financial and Accounting Solutions in Washington Propel Business Growth Amid Economic Shifts – Technology Today – EIN Presswire
Business Travel Market to Observe Highest Growth of USD 2.1 trillion with Growing CAGR of 9.5% by 2031 – Business News Today – EIN Presswire
Seven projects from Galway students – working on topics ranging from female scientists in textbooks to the effects of war – all came home with major awards from this year’s BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in the RDS.
The projects – selected from 550 entrants overall – came from five city, county and offshore island schools and involved twelve students.
Three students from Coláiste Naomh Eoin, Inis Meáin – Cian Ó Conghaile, Máitiú Mac Donnacha and Senan Gleeson – were second in the junior age group of the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences category for their project on whether marine pollution is attacking the coast.
Matthew Daly from the Presentation College, Headford, was second in the intermediate age group of the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences category for his project on using modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) models to analyse data from telescopes.
PCH students Conn Naughton and Jonathan McPhilbin took second place in the Senior Group Technology Category for their project ‘Multimedia Content Analysis Using Python: Brightness Sound and Colour Extraction’.
The pair also won the Stripe Software Award for their project.
In the Technology category in the same age group, Jack Barry from Coláiste Iognáid in the city won for his research on developing a ‘nasogastric tube’ – the soft tubes that normally go into the nose, throat and stomach to feed formula to a child – to determine correct positioning by way of a colour change.
First Years Liya Walsh and Crystal Quinn from Coláiste Muire Máthair were second in the junior age bracket of the Social & Behavioural Sciences category for their exploration of science books and whether they excluded female scientists.
From the same city school, Yehor Popkov won a display award for his exploration of how to gauge how contented Ukrainian students are in schools; this was in the Health and Wellbeing section.
Finn Mannion and Euan Burke of Seamount College, Kinvara, were second in the junior age bracket of the Biological & Ecological category for their analysis of the environmental effect of war using a calculator assessing cost and cost and outcome.
Caption: Therese Gunning, Legal Director at BT Ireland presents the 2nd place Junior Group Social and Behavioural Sciences Category Award to Crystal Quinn and Liya Walsh, Colaiste Muire Mathair, for the project ‘Have science books evolved enough to include sufficient female scientist references?’
Get the full story with loads of photos in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
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By Ariyana Griffin | The Afro | Word In BlackThis post was originally published on AfroCredit: Instagram/Black Girls Code(WIB) – Black Girls Code (BGC) is an organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics for Black women and girls ages seven to 25 years old. The organization’s work is essential due to the low numbers of Black women partaking in fields related to technology. A research report conducted by Accenture showed that “27 percent of computing roles in the U.S. market are held by women,” however alarmingly “just 3 percent and 2 oercent are held by African-American and Hispanic American/Latina women.”Since 2011, Black Girls Code has been on a mission to change the numbers, remove barriers, and increase representation in tech spaces for Black girls and women. The organization’s work has led to an increase in the number of Black girls and women pursuing careers in STEM fields, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive tech industry. Tamika Tretu, vice president of programs for girls ages seven to 18, said that the organization is all about the business of helping craft the next generation of leaders. “[We’re] committed to preparing the next generation of Black girls and expansive youth of color to be developers, builders, designers, innovators,” said Tretu. This is working towards their goal of allowing Black women and girls to be more than consumers of technology–but the creators, pushing the new wave of technology innovation. “We have to work in tech to remove the biases that exist and to also be a part of the room and have those critical conversations of what our perspective knows could be missing,” Tretu said. “We want to launch one million Black girls, women, gender expansive youth into tech by 2040 – we want them to be the leaders.”
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The organization has three pillars that inspire, educate, and launch, which are divided by age groups to provide students with programming and hands-on experiences. Blending students’ interests, such as coding video games, music, and arts through coding languages, starting with Scratch and advancing to Python and Javascript, allows them to see that they can code and hold space in the sector. “We are one of the only organizations that take girls from childhood all the way into womanhood, nourishing and fostering their tech journey,” Tretu told the AFRO.BG has three pillars, inspire, educate and launch, that are divided in different age groups to help them evolve their skills. Inspire prepares students ages seven to 10 with the tools and skills to learn Scratch, a coding language, through various workshops, enrichment field trips, camps and more. The training allows the students to help boost their confidence and learn more about coding.Educate is for students 10 to 13, which progresses the coding language to a more challenging one while providing workshops, after-school coding clubs, online tools with experts, field trips, and more to create more learning experiences. The next pillar, launch, prepares high school students ages 14 to 17 and students ages 18 to 24 with the tools and prep needed to enter college or the work field. Students are able to partake in apprenticeships, receive help with job and college applications, and hone the skills they have learned throughout the program. At this level, students are also encouraged to volunteer and mentor the programs with younger students, providing opportunities for community within each pillar.These workshops and opportunities for each pillar take place in over eight cities, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., New York City, and Oakland; within the next year, the program plans to expand to over ten cities across the U.S.
However, BGC has created a massive online community within their YouTube channel, Code Along, garnering over 18 million subscribers and over four million views. Code Along and Code Along Jr., launched in 2023, are comprehensive online resources that include tutorials, vlogs, expert interviews, and more. These resources cover a wide range of topics in the tech industry and are designed to be accessible to students who may not have access to in-person events.
“The United States [has] our top viewers, but so does Brazil, India and Ghana,” said Tretu. “Countries where they have predominantly large populations of Black and brown girls are seeing themselves in our content and clicking in to learn how to code.”The organization reported that 52.0 percent of viewers had no knowledge of coding prior to viewing its Code Along series.This year, BGC sponsored 16 Tech Prep Fellows to attend AfroTech, a multi-day conference for tech enthusiasts to engage in community building and panels, as well as participate in an onsite job fair. Tanesha Fuller, a junior at New York University studying Quantitative Economics and Computer Science, expressed that going to AfroTech with BGC was a great learning and networking experience. “When I went to AfroTech, out of the 16 girls that went, I was the only one that’s interested in ‘fintech,’ which is where quantitative economics come in,” said Fuller. “I spent a lot of my time during the day going to workshops and seminars about AI and Fintech.”She shared that her experience with BGC has been inspiring to meet others in the field who look like her as well as the continuous support they have provided her with. Currently taking 18 college credits, she expressed that the guidance, resources and scholarships have provided her with a great opportunity to propel and gain experience in the industry.“Knowing that there’s people who support you through and through and wanna see you win is important,” said Fuller. “But, having an organization dedicated to saying, ‘I know that there’s a lack of resources and you may not know these resources, so we’re gonna hire people to make sure we get you those resources’ is helpful.”BGC is dedicated to introducing Black girls and women to the world of coding and technology through their programming. To learn more about the organization, or sign up for an in-person or online workshop, visit wearebgc.org. The post Black Girls Code: Committed to increasing representation in tech fields appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
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