Asaad al-Shaibani discusses Syria’s path to democracy, rebuilding trust, lifting sanctions, and avoiding new conflicts.In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani discusses the nation’s challenges following the fall of the Assad regime. Tasked with rebuilding trust both domestically and internationally, al-Shaibani outlines plans to foster democracy, dissolve military factions, and engage with powerful neighbours. He emphasises the urgent need to lift US sanctions and secure support from wealthy Arab states to rebuild a war-torn Syria. With millions displaced and high expectations at home, the new administration faces the daunting task of uniting a fractured nation…
Author: THE CONNECTING NEWSPAPER
Tiger Bech, a stockbroker working at a New York firm and a former Princeton University football player, has been identified as one of the people killed in the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans. The former college athlete attended St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, Louisiana before going on to play football at the New Jersey university. “The St. Thomas More Catholic High School community mourns the loss of one of our own, Tiger Bech, who passed away early this morning as a result of the New York attack in New Orleans,” the school said in…
Guyana’s economy experienced remarkable growth from 2020 to 2024, with significant expansion in both oil and non-oil sectors. GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – The PPP/C government remains committed to ensuring all of its decisions are aimed at benefitting the lives of the people of Guyana. This vision is aligned with the ‘One Guyana’ initiative, which aims to foster national unity and integration. President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali reiterated that his government’s focus on putting people first will continue into 2025, irrespective of the upcoming elections. He gave an assurance that the upcoming elections will not distract the government from its mission…
LeBron James’ son Bryce announced his college decision on Wednesday.Bryce James will play for Arizona, he announced on Instagram. The 2025 guard prospect also received interest from Duquesne and Ohio State, but chose the Wildcats instead.According to Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority, James was drawn to Arizona by coach Tommy Lloyd and his ability to develop players, as well as the overall campus environment. James had taken a visit to the school in November. Bryce James is not regarded as a top prospect, generally ranked outside the top 150 of his class, though he has risen in the rankings in…
Authorities say they are investigating the incident, in which seven people sustained minor injuries.One person has been killed and seven injured after a Tesla Cybertruck caught fire and exploded outside of a Las Vegas hotel partly owned by United States President-elect Donald Trump. The fire began on Wednesday at about 8:40am local time (14:40 GMT) in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Clark County officials. “We were told that a 2024 Cybertruck pulled up to the front of the hotel. And in fact, I can tell you,…
The legal battle over New York’s congestion pricing is not over yet, thanks to neighboring New Jersey. Federal Judge Leo Gordon has set a Friday 3 p.m. hearing in Newark — just 33 hours before congestion pricing is presently scheduled to begin — to consider a Temporary Restraining Order filed by the state of New Jersey. Garden State officials and attorneys who’ve argued that Bergen County and other areas west of the Hudson will suffer environmentally from new traffic patterns declined comment. But a spokesman for Governor Kathy Hochul indicated the nation’s first congestion toll will begin as scheduled. “Congestion…
SYDNEY, Australia — The US Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew departed Sydney, on Friday, to begin their journey across the Southern Ocean en route to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2025. While in Sydney, the crew hosted tours aboard the Polar Star for Consul General Christine Elder and guests from the US Embassy. On December 21, the Polar Star moored at HMAS Kuttabul alongside several Royal Australian Navy ships close to the center of Sydney during a logistics stop for fuel and supplies. Leading up to and during the transit, the crew received training…
Just when the Texas Longhorns seemed to be in control of their CFP quarterfinal matchup with the Arizona State Sun Devils, Cam Skattebo took over the Peach Bowl.Skattebo, Arizona State’s do-everything running back, carried the Sun Devils during a fourth-quarter rally that erased a 24-8 Texas edge heading into the final period and eventually forced overtime.While Texas prevailed over Skattebo’s Sun Devils in double overtime, the senior running back finished with 269 total yards and three total touchdowns (two rushing and one passing). Those numbers are eye-popping, but there is plenty that Skattebo did on and off the field that…
PA accuses network of broadcasting ‘inciting material’ and ‘stirring strife’ in the country.The Palestinian Authority (PA) has suspended the work of Al Jazeera temporarily in the occupied West Bank over “inciting material,” Palestinian official news agency Wafa has reported. A ministerial committee that includes the culture, interior and communications ministries decided to suspend the broadcaster’s operations for what they described as broadcasting “inciting material and reports that were deceiving and stirring strife” in the country, Wafa reported on Wednesday. There was no immediate comment from Al Jazeera Media Network. The decision comes after Fatah, the Palestinian faction which dominates the…
Power was restored to nearly all electrical customers across Puerto Rico on Wednesday after a sweeping blackout plunged the U.S. territory into darkness on New Year’s Eve. Power was back up for 98% of Puerto Rico’s 1.47 million utility customers on New Year’s Day, said Luma Energy, the private company overseeing transmission and distribution of power in the archipelago. Lights returned to households as well as to Puerto Rico’s hospitals, water plants and sewage facilities after the massive outage that exposed the persistent electricity problems plaguing the island. Still, the company warned that customers could still see temporary outages in…