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Travel headaches show need for feds to focus on airline tech jobs as true major delay culprit revealed

Travel headaches show need for feds to focus on airline tech jobs as true major delay culprit revealed

With airline safety being top-of-mind after several deadly or near-death incidents on America’s tarmacs and in its skies, maintenance experts and lawmakers alike are calling for more support for specialized training in jet maintenance. President Donald Trump has also called for reforming the education system and increasing overall government efficiency, which experts Fox News Digital spoke with said falls in line with their goals as well. Delays and gate changes at airports are also often attributed to urgent maintenance of aircraft. In the last congressional session, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., unsuccessfully introduced the Aviation Workforce Development Act to expand the “529” qualified-tuition program to include expenses for aviation maintenance and pilot training. Scott’s hometown of Charleston is notably a hub for the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and the Senator said that pilot and aviation maintenance jobs are in high demand and provide well-paying careers. CHARITY LEADER, FORMER NY GIANT SLAM BIDEN RESPONSE TO PLANES SHOT IN HAITI “Unfortunately, the extensive and expensive training they require has undermined Americans’ ability to tap into this vital industry,” Scott said, adding that he plans to reintroduce his bill in Congress soon. “By giving parents flexibility with the hard-earned money they invest into 529 plans, this commonsense legislation provides a pathway to turn today’s students into tomorrow’s pilots. Affording our aviation sector the workforce necessary to sustain the tremendous growth South Carolina has enjoyed will ensure tourists continue to flock to our great state and will provide South Carolinians with reliable and efficient travel.” Meanwhile, the leader of one of the nation’s largest aircraft maintenance training centers said the challenge to properly staff jobs in the increasingly needed field is one that needs support to continue feeding its “pipeline of skilled professionals.” Jason Pfaff, president of Aviation Institute of Maintenance – a school with 15 campuses nationwide that aims to fill the 13,000 annual job openings in its field of study – said support is needed now for these crucial roles. “The aviation industry relies on highly trained experts to keep planes safe and operational, yet many people don’t realize the demand for these roles—or the impact they have on air travel,” Pfaff said. He spoke of meeting with a student who felt a social stigma about pursuing an aircraft maintenance career, compared to what her friends were seeking to do in life. However, that feeling changed when she took a tour firsthand to watch aircraft maintainers do their work. HOW JIMMY CARTER TRANSFORMED THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY With the deadly crash off Hain’s Point, DC into the Potomac River last month, a jet landing upside down in Toronto and several other incidents, Pfaff said that maintenance workers play a crucial role in ensuring safe air travel. “[The institute] is thrilled to see a renewed focus on trade careers, and we applaud leaders like Senator Tim Scott for championing aviation education. Aviation maintenance isn’t just a job—it’s a high-paying, high-skill career that keeps the world moving. As industry leaders and policymakers, we have a shared responsibility to spotlight the incredible opportunities in this field.” Pfaff noted some jobs in the field earn upwards of $150,000 per year for a person in their 20s and that thousands of applicants are needed – and Scott and others are right to draw attention to the need for such jobs. Jose-Marie Griffiths, president of Dakota State University in South Dakota, said that higher education is not “one-size-fits-all” and that universities must play a big role in meeting the changing needs of the U.S. job market – whether it be in the industrial sector or otherwise. “Higher education institutions must adapt to meet the needs of students at different points in their lives and careers,” she said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In the House, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, also introduced a bill similar to Scott’s in the last cycle, to increase awareness of tech education opportunities in the same way Pfaff described. Miller’s bill, if reintroduced, would establish a $1 million grant program for such training in airline maintenance and the similar fields, with the lawmaker saying in a statement that career and technical education “empower students to explore exciting career options, discover their passions, and develop real-world skills that are in high demand.” “A four-year degree is not right for everyone, and our young people should know that they can lead successful careers based on technical expertise. We cannot continue to diminish the role of career and technical education in this country,” he said, as nationwide pressure continues to direct students toward standard collegiate postsecondary education.

What threat does the surge in violence in Syria pose?

What threat does the surge in violence in Syria pose?

UN envoy expresses alarm and urges restraint on all sides amid clashes between security forces, Civilians have reportedly been among the hundreds killed in violence in Syria, as government forces surge to the country’s northwest to respond to fighters loyal to the ousted leader Bashar al-Assad. The situation represents the greatest challenge yet to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has promised accountability for anyone attacking civilians. The UN has expressed alarm, while appealing for calm from all sides. So what’s the risk of escalation? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Marie Forestier – Senior adviser at the European Institute of Peace Ammar Kahf – Executive director of the Omran Center for Strategic Studies Hind Kabawat – Professor of conflict resolution at George Mason University and former deputy head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission Adblock test (Why?)

‘Alarming regression’ in path to peace in South Sudan, UN commission warns

‘Alarming regression’ in path to peace in South Sudan, UN commission warns

South Sudan has seen an “alarming regression” as clashes in recent weeks in the country’s northeast threaten to undo years of progress towards peace, the United Nations commission on human rights for the country has warned. The statement on Saturday from Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, comes amid a spate of violence between security forces overseen by President Salva Kiir and an armed group his government has alleged is linked to First Vice President Riek Machar. The situation has put in peril the pair’s fragile power-sharing agreement reached in 2018 to end five years of civil war. It has also sparked fears of war in the country’s Upper Nile state. “We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress,” Sooka said. “Rather than fuelling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy,” Sooka said. Advertisement The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, also expressed “deep concern” on Saturday. In a statement, he called for an “immediate end to all hostilities.” Eruption of violence The latest flare-up began when fighting erupted between the Sudanese armed forces and a group identified by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as an “armed youth militia” in Nasir County in the Upper Nile state in February. While it remains unclear what started the fighting, HRW noted rumours of forced disarmament may have fueled the unrest. Several clashes have since taken place, with fighters using “heavy weaponry”, according to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The agency has also reported fighting in Western Equatoria state in the southwestern part of the country. Earlier this week, South Sudan’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, blamed the violence, in part, on the White Army, a Nuer armed group operating in Upper Nile. He accused the group of working in league with Machar’s party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/IO). South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, right, and Vice President Riek Machar, left, attend a Holy Mass led by Pope Francis at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan [File: Ben Curtis/AP] Tensions rose further earlier this week when Kiir ordered the arrests of two officials and several senior military officials allied with Machar. The army also surrounded Machar’s home, effectively putting him under house arrest. Advertisement Then on Friday, a UN helicopter attempting to rescue soldiers in the state was attacked, killing one crew member and wounding two others. An army general was also killed in the failed rescue mission, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Friday. Speaking late Friday, Kiir urged calm following the incident. “The government I lead will handle this crisis. We will remain steadfast on the path of peace,” he said. ‘Reckless power struggles’ South Sudan is the world’s youngest country, having gained independence in 2011. However, the independence movement, led by Kiir’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), quickly splintered. By 2013, the country had descended into full-scale civil war. The fighting killed more than 400,000 people and displaced more than a million others. In 2018, the two sides signed the Revitalised Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The agreement was meant to see the two warring factions unite their armies under a single unit, write a new constitution, prepare for general elections, organise a census and disarm all other armed groups. However, none of the reforms have been instituted. In the statement released on Saturday, Barney Afako, another member of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, warned observers are witnessing “a return to the reckless power struggles that have devastated the country in the past”. He said that the South Sudanese had endured “atrocities, rights violations which amount to serious crimes, economic mismanagement, and ever-worsening security”. Advertisement “They deserve respite and peace, not another cycle of war,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)

Women worldwide march to demand end to violence, inequality

Women worldwide march to demand end to violence, inequality

Demonstrations from Buenos Aires to Lagos demand justice for victims of femicide and urge reforms to protect women. Demonstrators have taken to the streets across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas to mark International Women’s Day, with many demanding an end to gender-based violence and inequality. In cities like Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday, those warnings were particularly grave, as protesters railed against austerity plans put forth by President Javier Milei that they say will roll back services for women. Milei’s government has shut down the country’s Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity and plans to strike “femicide” – the term for the murder of women in the context of gender violence – from the country’s penal code. His justice minister has called the term a “distortion of the concept of equality”, claiming it indicates a higher value for women’s lives. Reporting from Buenos Aires, Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo said demonstrators say the move is particularly harmful given that one woman is killed every 30 hours in the country. A UN report released last year found that about 60 percent of women and girls killed in 2023 were murdered by their intimate partner or a close relative. Advertisement “Women here say that they’ve been fighting for too long, that they won’t back down, that they won’t be silent,” Bo said. “They say that their fight is too important, and that’s why they say that they will continue with their struggle on the streets.” Women wearing masks hold signs with the names of those who, according to them, are victims of gender-based violence [Susana Vera/Reuters] Hundreds of women in Ecuador marched in the capital Quito holding signs that opposed violence and the “patriarchal system”. “Justice for our daughters!” demonstrators yelled in support of women slain in recent years. In Bolivia, thousands of women began marching late Friday, with some scrawling graffiti on the walls of courts, demanding that their rights be respected and denouncing impunity in femicides, with less than half of those cases reaching sentencing. Placards and a cutout depicting Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa are attached to a monument in Quito, Ecuador [Karen Toro/Reuters] In many European countries, women also protested against violence, for better access to gender-specific healthcare, equal pay and other issues in which there are still disparities with men. In Poland, activists opened a centre across from the parliament building in Warsaw where women can go to have medical abortions, also known as non-surgical abortions, either alone or with other women. Opening the centre on International Women’s Day across from the legislature was a symbolic challenge to authorities in the traditionally Roman Catholic nation, which has one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws. People attend a demonstration to call for gender equality and demand an end to violence against women to mark International Women’s Day in Paris, France [Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters] Protesters also took to the streets in Madrid, Spain. Advertisement Some protesters held up hand-drawn pictures depicting Gisele Pelicot, a French woman who was drugged by her now ex-husband in France over the course of a decade so that she could be raped by dozens of men while unconscious. Pelicot has become a symbol for women all over Europe in the fight against sexual violence. A woman holds a poster honouring Gisele Pelicot, the victim of a mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot [Susana Vera/Reuters] In the Nigerian capital of Lagos, thousands of women gathered at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, dancing and singing and celebrating their womanhood. Many were dressed in purple – the traditional colour of the women’s liberation movement. In Russia, the women’s day celebrations had more official overtones, with honour guard soldiers presenting yellow tulips to girls and women during a celebration in St Petersburg. In Ukraine, a ceremony was held in the city of Kharkiv to commemorate female soldiers who had died fighting Russia’s invasion. Adblock test (Why?)