US Drone Sightings: Why Shooting Them Down Could Be Risky
...says youths’ll drive positive revolution African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has intensified the push for more empowerment opportunities for youths in Africa, insisting that the future and relevance of the continent in global socio-economic discussions lies in its youths. President of the Bank, Benedict Okey Oramah, stated this at the 5th edition of the youth summit organised by Grand Africa Initiative (GAIN), a pan-African non-governmental organization, in Abuja on the theme “Connecting Africa through Youth Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation”. Youth representatives from 91 countries, officials of Federal and State governments, development partners, notably, Development Bank of Africa (DBN), Afreximbank, and several others participated in the Summit. The Afreximbank President in his submissions, said Africa is home to the youngest and fastest-growing population in the world, with more than 60 per cent of the continent’s population under the age of 25. “This vibrant and dynamic youth population represents not only a challenge but also an immense opportunity for growth, innovation, and transformation across the continent. “The youths of Africa are increasingly becoming the driving force of economic and social change. Their energy, creativity, and resilience are leading the charge in reimagining what is possible for the future of our nations. “Yet, while this youth population holds immense potential, they often face significant challenges which include limited access to education and skills training, a lack of job opportunities, and barriers to entrepreneurship. “With our youth population projected to double by 2050, young people are the driving force behind what we see today as Africa’s economic transformation. Our youths are creative, resourceful, energetic, innovative and resilient. “A recent empirical survey of 4,507 young Africans from 15 countries shows that 78 per cent of young Africans between the ages of 18 and 24 plan to start businesses within the next five years. They need the necessary knowledge, mentorship, and support, particularly digital infrastructure to enable them to succeed.” Ambassador Isaac Parashina, Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, in his keynote address, also highlighted the fact that Africa is home to approximately 1.4 billion people, and It is regarded as the youngest continent in the world. He said: “The theme of this year’s Summit provides us with the opportunity to critically examine the nexus between youth entrepreneurship and digital transformation for a prosperous Africa, which is more recognized as the continent of the future because of its vast natural resources, vibrant youthful population, and rapidly expanding markets. “With a rich abundance of resources and untapped potential, Africa stands at a critical juncture where strategic investments and innovations could propel it to become a global leader in various sectors. “The continent’s demographic profile, particularly its youth, offers a unique advantage that can drive the next wave of economic growth and development. But to unlock Africa’s full potential for growth and prosperity, a focused and concerted approach is required. “Undisputedly, the youths of Africa represent a tremendous resource that is currently underutilized. With over 70 per cent of the population under the age of 30, the continent has an energetic and innovative workforce, but the major hindrance to harnessing the full potential is the lack of access to the necessary resources, education, and support systems to turn their ideas into viable businesses or impactful ventures.” He insisted that deliberate policy actions must be undertaken by governments and other interlocutors to empower the youth to engage in entrepreneurship in order to create jobs, foster innovation, and diversify African economies. The Kenyan Diplomat further stated that entrepreneurship is a critical component of Africa’s economic future and by creating an environment where young people can thrive as entrepreneurs, Africa will be able to harness the full power of its youthful population. “This can be achieved by providing access to finance, mentorship, and networks that encourage innovation and risk-taking. Promoting a culture of entrepreneurship across the continent will not only address the issue of youth unemployment but also stimulate economic growth, creating new industries and business opportunities in both urban and rural areas. “Equally important is the need to invest in robust digital infrastructure across the continent. The digital revolution has transformed economies worldwide, and Africa must not be left behind. It enables connectivity, which is crucial for the success of businesses, particularly start-ups. Reliable internet, mobile technology, and digital payment systems can help young entrepreneurs access global markets, collaborate with international partners, and create scalable solutions to local problems. “With the right tools and support, the youths can drive entrepreneurship that fuels economic growth, while digital infrastructure would enhance efficiency and connectivity across the continent.” Meanwhile, Ms Chinwe Okoli, the founder of the organisation, in her remarks, said that for many years, the organization has engaged in developing and harnessing unique ideas, talents and abilities of young ones in Africa, helping them to succeed in education, entrepreneurship, innovation and employment. She said: “We have trained, mentored, and empowered African youths with digital, leadership, employability, and entrepreneurial skills for self-sustenance and professional growth using the limited resources available to us.” A participant, Abdullahi Musa, described the Summit as an eye-opener for him, considering the knowledge that was made available to him. He said: “I participated in previous Summits and other Masterclasses organised by GAIN. Those opportunities have helped me develop and sharpen my entrepreneurship skills, and I can see the impact in my engagements afterwards.”
December 16, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by National University of Singapore Food scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have revealed key characteristics of the foodborne pathogen Salmonella dry surface biofilm (DSB), a previously overlooked type of biofilm that commonly exists in dry food processing environments. Bacterial biofilm formation in the food industry is a significant concern, affecting food safety , production efficiency, economic loss, and consumer trust. Most existing research on foodborne pathogenic biofilms has focused on wet surface biofilms (WSBs), as it is generally believed that microorganisms cannot survive under dry conditions, let alone form biofilms. However, recent recalls and outbreaks of Salmonella associated with low-moisture food (LMF) have provided mounting evidence that pathogens can persist in dry conditions. A research team led by Assistant Professor LI Dan from the NUS Department of Food Science and Technology has provided a detailed characterization of the Salmonella DSBs examining their morphology, single-cell landscape, and response to sanitization techniques in comparison to traditional WSBs. The efforts of this research offer valuable insights for managing dry biofilms in the food industry. The research findings were published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology on 4 November 2024. The study explored the structural and functional characteristics of Salmonella Typhimurium DSB using advanced microscopy techniques, including confocal laser scanning, transmission electron, and scanning electron microscopy. These analyses revealed unique features of DSB compared to WSB. Specifically, DSB cells are surrounded by a dense, compact capsule that likely contributes to their higher antimicrobial resistance, while WSB cells display distinct plasma and outer membrane layers. Additionally, DSBs exhibit a "sandwich-like" vertical structure, with intact cells at the core and damaged cells on the outer layer. To understand functional diversity within the biofilm, single-cell transcriptomics was employed, identifying bacterial clusters with active antioxidative and virulence functions—highlighting potential safety concerns for LMFs. The team also developed a water-free antibiofilm strategy tailored for the LMF industry. This method combines the flavonoid morin with 70% isopropyl alcohol, offering an effective sanitization method without requiring water. Asst Prof Li said, "The outcomes of this research are of critical importance, offering several pivotal insights. By detailing the structural and functional properties of Salmonella DSB, we illuminate how these biofilms resist desiccation and sanitization, which are prevalent challenges in LMF environments. "The application of single-cell RNA sequencing allows us to uncover the heterogeneity within DSB populations. These findings challenge the perception of dehydrated biofilm cells as uniformly dormant and underscore the persistent threat posed by these pathogens. "With the advent of flavonoid-based sanitizers, the food industry can adopt more effective, eco-friendly, and scalable solutions for biofilm management. Implementing such strategies could significantly reduce contamination events, enhance consumer trust, and minimize financial losses associated with recalls and outbreaks. "Taken together, these outcomes reaffirm our commitment to translating scientific discoveries into actionable solutions for food safety and public health." More information: Zejia Lin et al, Salmonella dry surface biofilm: morphology, single-cell landscape, and sanitization, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1128/aem.01623-24 Journal information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Provided by National University of Singapore
A concertgoer ended up with stitches after attending Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism show on Sunday, November 24. The man, only identified by his Reddit handle, shared the experience on the social networking site. "I got hit in the head by some pyrotechnical metal tube at Dua Lipa's concert in Malaysia today," he wrote, along with a censored image of himself in the hospital. He noted that the injury occurred just 15 minutes into the performance. He shared the first post from the hospital as he waited for a CT scan. As commenters shared their support on his post, he periodically checked in with updates , letting everyone know he required seven stitches and a tetanus shot, but thankfully did not have a skull fracture. The concertgoer said he had purchased tickets as close to the stage as he could go, as he was trying to cheer himself up after a period of depression. Not long after the performance began, he said he felt a heavy blow to his head from a large metal tube, which he believes was a pyrotechnic cannon that was shooting confetti into the air. He recalled feeling something sticky on his head, which turned out to be blood. "My wife saw it and immediately called the security for help. By then, my head wouldn't stop bleeding, and it kept dripping all the way until we got to the ambulance backstage," he told World Of Buzz . "They took me and another woman, who was also injured by the metal tube after it ricocheted from my head, to the hospital." Initially he wrote on Reddit that a stadium employee from the Axiata Arena where the performance was held had said "that they will not compensate anything except medical bills." He later gave an update about his hospital visit, saying two men had come to talk to him about reimbursing him for his hotel, concert tickets, and flight. However, he told them, "I'm not ready to talk about that, and need to talk to my embassy, lawyer, and maybe police." After he showed them his Reddit post, he said the men paid for his hospital bills. He said they asked him to hide his post after they paid, but he refused. The injured man said the woman who also went to the hospital for a similar injury was offered compensation in the form of a sum of money, though the amount was not disclosed. He shared pictures of his hospital bills, as well as a bloody photo of the stitches in his head. The man joked, "No good deed left unpunished," explaining that he had switched places with a couple from Chicago because he was taller than them. The man, who is from Russia, said he plans to visit the Russian embassy to figure out what his next steps should be. He clarified in the subreddit that despite the injury, "I don't wanna ruin Dua Lipa's reputation," as it wouldn't be fair. However, he did say that he wanted "fair compensation" for what had happened to him. "I just want my fair compensation for near death experience ('lucky' me — this 5-7 kg tube didn't fell by sharp side on me)," he wrote. 🖤 https://t.co/jr78GThifd pic.twitter.com/JVRV36XKrt The incident comes after the "Houdini" singer was forced to cancel her November 9 show at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta due to "unforeseen safety and logistical issues." A statement shared to her website at the time explained that her team made "diligent efforts to resolve critical production issues related to the stage structure provided by Mata Elang Productions" but it was deemed "not safe for the performance to carry on." The 29-year-old performer also shared her own statement to social media, telling fans how "heartbroken" she was that she wouldn't be able to perform. Dua Lipa, who has yet to respond to the incident, continues on with her Radical Optimism tour, next taking the stage on November 27 in Bangkok, Thailand.LONDON (AP) — Barely a month after quitting international rugby , former England prop Joe Marler has brought forward his retirement plans and will end his time in the sport completely this week. Marler's last match will be for Harlequins, his team since 2009, at home to Bristol in the English league on Friday. The 34-year-old Marler had indicated he would continue playing club rugby until the end of the season. He has made 285 appearances for Harlequins since arriving in 2009 and retires with two English league winners medals. “The time has come to finally jump off the rollercoaster and walk away from this beautifully brutal game,” he said Wednesday. The charismatic Marler announced on Nov. 3 that his 95-cap test career was over, days after he left England’s camp ahead of the November internationals because of personal reasons. He had baited New Zealand in the build-up to England's first autumn test match by criticizing the Haka, stating on social media that it is “ridiculous” and “needs binning." He later apologized for the comments. AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
In both real estate, and in politics, timing is everything. For Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, he of the once impeccable political judgement, that timing has gone a little awry of late. Albanese’s decision to buy a $4.3 million clifftop home in the Central Coast in the midst of a housing and cost-of-living crisis that has dented his government’s bid for re-election left several of the prime minister’s Labor colleagues scratching their heads. It meant the government wasted another week defending Albanese from the “out of touch” allegations, rather than prosecuting its agenda. Tough market: Anthony Albanese is struggling to sell his Dulwich Hill investment property. Those allegations had been furnished by news in May that a Sydney man, who had lived as a tenant in the prime minister’s Dulwich Hill investment property, was left blindsided after receiving an eviction notice . That, too, left the prime minister on the defensive, forced to waste time discussing his record as a landlord. That property was set to go under the hammer with a $1.9 million price guide last month. Not a bad return given Albanese purchased it in 2015 for $1.175 million. But the property was abruptly pulled from auction, and the asking price lowered to $1.85 million. Now, the asking price has fallen to $1.75 million, with Albo’s real estate agent, Shad Hassen, telling us it was the victim of a changing market. “I think the reason for it is quite simple. There’s been a slight change in the market, and the PM’s property is not immune to that change,” he said, adding that he anticipates the property will be sold soon. When it does, it’ll still leave a tidy profit for the former housing-commission-boy-made-good. And the fact that an unsightly three-bedroom red brick semi in Dulwich Hill is pushing the $2 million mark says it all about the housing challenges the Albanese government faces. You can get a French chateau for less. Pistols at dawn On Friday, Australia’s politicians finally got a chance to return fire against the country’s journalists. It didn’t end well for them. About a dozen MPs had gathered at the Canberra International Clay Target Club for the pollies versus press gallery shoot-out, organised by former Olympic shooter turned Labor’s man mountain member for Hunter Dan Repacholi and Coalition frontbencher Bridget McKenzie. Loading The duo are co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Shooting, and had worked hard to get the tournament together. Other MPs in attendance included Regional Development Minister Kristy McBain, Labor’s Alison Byrnes, and Perin Davey , Colin Boyce and Ian Goodenough from the Coalition. But that bipartisan might was no match for the journos – not usually the most athletic bunch. In just his second time shooting, Channel Nine cameraman Luke Nicolaou shot a blinder, with both sides finishing on equal points. Things then proceeded to a tiebreaker between Repacholi and a ring-in from the National Press Club. The big man was the first to miss, giving the journos bragging rights. Lovely Rita “On social media, bad behaviour is good for business.” So spoke News Corp executive chair Michael Miller at a National Press Club address earlier this year, where he laid into the big tech giants. But we wonder who exactly the online behaviour of some of News Corp’s highest-profile opinionators is good for. Take Rita Panahi, the Herald Sun columnist who also co-hosts a Sky News show called Outsiders on one of the world’s biggest multinational media companies. Rita Panahi’s controversial Instagram story. Credit: Instagram Last week, Panahi’s Instagram story featured the Appeal to Heaven Flag, or Pine Tree Flag, an American Revolutionary War symbol popularised by the rioters who tried to storm the United States Capitol in 2021, inspired by the conspiracy theory that the previous year’s presidential election was “stolen” from Donald Trump . US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito caused a bit of a storm when the flag was seen flying outside his Virginia beach house earlier this year. Panahi’s flag went even better, and was captioned with the words: “AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN TO SEND THE JOURNOS TO GITMO”. It was accompanied by the caption “fair”. So, does Panahi really reckon her hardworking colleagues at the Hun, and Sky ought be shipped off to an offshore military prison synonymous with torture and other nastiness? Perhaps it was an off-colour attempt at trolling. Either way, neither Herald Sun editor Sam Weir nor Sky News’ representatives responded to our questions. And Rita didn’t take up our offer to clarify things either. No doubt, we’ll get a scolding in her other Sky News after-dark show, Lefties Losing It. Bush boutique Gina Rinehart’s evolution from Australia’s richest person to art aficionado and wannabe fashion mogul has seen the billionaire buy up bushwear brands including coatmaker Driza-Bone, and RM Williams’ challenger Rossi Boots, managing to get the likes of Peter Dutton and Barnaby Joyce to play influencer . Now, the mining magnate’s S Kidman & Co has opened a bricks-and-mortar store in Tamworth, NSW, “bringing country style to the heart of fashion”. No, we’ve never heard anybody talk about Tamworth like that either. Rinehart, whom we last encountered at Mar-a-Lago , toasting Donald Trump’s election victory and hanging out with Elon Musk, was in town for the ribbon-cutting, along with former Northern Territory chief minister Adam Giles (who is chief executive of her Hancock Agriculture) and Joyce, decked out in his custom Gina-sponsored bush hat. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article CBD For subscribers Anthony Albanese Kishor Napier-Raman is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously he worked as a reporter for Crikey, covering federal politics from the Canberra Press Gallery. Connect via Twitter or email . Most Viewed in National Loading
Did you recently receive a required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA, beating the Dec. 31 deadline? Excellent. Or perhaps you took this money out earlier in the year. Whatever the case, you're now likely sitting on a decent-sized stash of cash that's waiting to be put to work. If this is the case, don't sweat it. Here's a list of five savvy uses of any RMD money you'd like to use more constructively. You may be able to utilize more than one of these possibilities, in fact, if there's enough to work with. 1. Park it in a high-yielding money market fund Assuming you took your required minimum distribution in the form of cash and have yet to do anything more with it, it's probably in your bank checking or savings accounts. And despite their pointlessly low yields, leaving it there for a brief time is fine. But if your plan is to keep this money relatively available for a while though, there's a better, similar option. As an alternative, invest this money in a higher-yielding money market fund, many of which are paying in the ballpark of 4% to 5% . These funds are bought and sold just like stock or bond funds, meaning they require explicit trade instructions. That's why your bank may not even be able to offer them to customers who only have checking or savings accounts. If you can move this money to a more conventional brokerage account, you're more likely to have access to this option. 2. Pay down credit card debt It almost goes without saying that you'll always want to keep any credit card debt to a minimum. After all, you're racking up interest charges on any balances beyond 30 days. If you've got more than a little left to pay on your total debt right now, however, you might want to knock as much of it out as soon as you can. See, although overall interest rates are still relatively low on a historical basis, credit card interest rates aren't following suit. They're at or near record highs. The Federal Reserve reports the average annualized interest rate charged by credit card issuers right now is a whopping 21.8%, although depending on your card, you could be paying much more. Credit cards issued by retailers are charging a little more than 30% per year, on average, with many of them upping these rates without making a clear announcement of these changes. You'd be hard-pressed to achieve a comparable rate of return on any money not used to pay down this debt... meaning getting rid of this debt is your best investment prospect right now. 3. Use it to cover taxes on a conversion to a Roth IRA Have you been kicking around the idea of converting your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA so you don't have to worry about taking required minimum distributions ever again (since RMDs don't apply to Roths)? Although such conversions are taxable as ordinary income for the year in which they're completed, the IRS doesn't care where the subsequent tax payment comes from. You could use your RMD money to cover at least some of any such tax bill. That said, right now may be the absolute worst time for some investors to complete a conversion to a Roth. Why? Because traditional IRAs that are heavily invested in stocks would be undergoing the conversion process at a time when the subsequent tax burden would be quite high, while waiting just a little while longer could lower this burden quite a bit. See, stocks are now well into record-high territory, and well overvalued as a result. The S&P 500 's ( ^GSPC -1.11% ) trailing-12-month price-to-earnings ratio is just above 30, while its price-to-sales ratio is in excess of 3.0. Both are uncomfortably high for what's supposed to be a normal economic environment. It matters simply because a corrective pullback could be on the horizon, which would make it at least a little cheaper to convert your conventional IRA to a Roth. 4. Make a charitable donation Were you forced to take a required minimum distribution of cash or assets you just don't need, and probably will never need? Although it's too late to take advantage of the IRS's generous qualified charitable distribution rules (which also satisfy RMD requirements), you can still lower your tax bill by giving away this money or in-kind distribution of assets. Doing so of course will reduce your taxable income for the year in which the donation is completed. Just be sure to get a dated receipt or confirmation from whatever charity you're making a gift to. 5. Reinvest it Finally -- and perhaps most importantly -- just because you're required to remove money or investments out of your conventional IRA doesn't mean this distribution needs to remain held as cash or a cash-like holding. If you needed this money to produce risk-adjusted growth when it was inside a retirement account, you'll arguably still need it to do the same outside that account. So, reinvest it. It wouldn't be inherently wrong to reinvest the RMD in the exact same stocks, bonds, or funds it was invested in before the distribution was made (although an in-kind distribution of these assets could have saved you a couple of steps). But, since you've now got some additional liquidity, now's a great time to make adjustments to your overall portfolio's allocation . Just bear in mind that there are different kinds of investments you'll want to hold in a taxable account, as opposed to a tax-deferred account like an IRA. For example, if you don't actually need dividend income but you still want to own dividend-paying value stocks, holding your growth stocks in a taxable brokerage account will give you more control of your taxable income in any given year. Conversely, dividend payments dished out by dividend-paying stocks held in an IRA don't actually generate taxable income, as these payments are being made. Just optimize your allocation for your particular situation.