The forecast stays chilly and dry through the end of the week. But big changes are coming our way this weekend. Temperatures will be climbing. And rain will be falling. Average high temperatures this time of year are around 42 degrees. But it has been a week since we’ve seen temperatures even reach the 40-degree mark in Central Park. In terms of departure from average temperatures, December has been our coldest month so far this year. But we won’t spend much longer in the December chill. We’re primed to end the month on a much milder note, with a series…
Author: THE CONNECTING NEWSPAPER
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has rejected the six-month withdrawal timeline proposed by ECOWAS at a recent summit in Abuja, Nigeria. ECOWAS suggested the period to allow the countries to reconsider their exit, currently set for January 2025. However, AES leaders dismissed the proposal as a strategy by France and its allies to destabilize the bloc, asserting that their decision to leave is “irreversible.” AES also criticized ECOWAS for its “inhumane and irresponsible” sanctions imposed on their countries following their respective coups. They also criticized the bloc for failing to assist with their…
Miami men’s basketball head coach Jim Larranaga announced he would be stepping down from his position on Thursday.The 75-year-old held a news conference to explain his reasoning behind his sudden departure. “I loved the game and I loved the university that much,” he told reporters. “But I’m exhausted.”Larranaga spent the previous 13 seasons coaching the Hurricanes after rising to national prominence by leading George Mason to the Final Four in 2006.He cited the new era of the transfer portal and athletes being paid for their name, image and likeness (NIL) as being a major hindrance to how he could best…
Dhaka says it will probe the botched mutiny, including the role of alleged ‘foreign’ backers.Bangladesh has ordered a commission to investigate a failed 2009 paramilitary mutiny and subsequent crackdown, including the role of alleged “foreign” backers, the inquiry chief said. The mutineers stole thousands of weapons from the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) paramilitary force before embarking on a killing spree in the barracks in February 2009. The uprising quickly spread, with thousands of soldiers seizing weapons and pledging allegiance to the mutineers. The army crushed the mutiny, leaving 74 dead, including 57 army officials. Hundreds of soldiers were…
Rockefeller Christmas Tree lights up once again ‘Tis the season! The Rockefeller Christmas tree is lit for the season. FOX 5 NY’s Richard Giacovis has the latest. NEW YORK CITY – Still haven’t seen the Rockefeller Christmas Tree? The good news is, you’ll have plenty of time after Christmas. The tree will be on display at Rockefeller Center until mid-January. When can I see the tree? A view of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center as snow falls on December 21, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images) The 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is lit…
GENEVA, Switzerland – Statement by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Our mission to negotiate the release of the United Nations staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees’ immediate release. As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about three hours ago (around 5 pm local time), the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members was injured. At least two people were reported killed at the airport. The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters…
France has begun withdrawing its troops from Chad following N’Djamena’s abrupt decision to end its decades-long defense agreement with the former colonial power. An initial group of 120 French soldiers departed from the Central African country, marking a symbolic step in the breakdown of Franco-Chadian military ties. This move follows Chad’s November announcement that it was terminating the 1960 defense accord, which had defined military cooperation between the two nations for decades. The country had been France’s last stronghold in the Sahel region after withdrawals from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger due to military coups and rising anti-French sentiment. Although…
The Detroit Red Wings on Thursday fired head coach Derek Lalonde following a 13-17-4 start to the season, including a stretch of nine losses in their past 12 games. Lalonde, hired to take over following the long and difficult tenure of Jeff Blashill, finished with a record of 89-86-23 in two-plus seasons. The Red Wings rank 28th in the NHL by points percentage coming out of the holiday break and are seventh in the Atlantic Division, so the move isn’t surprising. Former Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan is replacing Lalonde. McLellan, who…
The Israeli genocide has killed at least 38 more Palestinians in Gaza in the past 24 hours, including five journalists. Gaza’s Ministry of Health on Thursday said the overall death toll in the Palestinian enclave since October last year stood at 45,399, while more than 107,000 have been wounded. On Thursday morning, Israel hit a broadcast van parked close to al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, killing the five journalists from the al-Quds Today TV channel, Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif reported. The journalists have been identified as Fadi Hassouna, Ibrahim al-Sheikh Ali, Mohammed al-Ladah, Faisal Abu al-Qumsan and…
Crime in the City full episode: December 20, 2024 A look at some of the more notable crimes across the New York City area this week, including the return of CEO killer Luigi Mangione to NYC plus a former advisor to Mayor Eric Adams is accused of accepting payments in exchange for favors. QUEENS – A woman was killed in a suspected hit-and-run crash in Queens on Wednesday night, police said. Police said the 45-year-old woman was found near the intersection of 158th and 111th Avenue in South Jamaica around 9:35 p.m. No vehicle was on the scene when police…