PARIS, France – “Real household income per capita in the OECD rose by 0.4 percent in the second quarter of 2024 compared with 1.3 percent in the previous quarter, while real GDP per capita grew by 0.3 percent.” Real household income per capita in the OECD rose by 0.4 percent in the second quarter of 2024 compared with 1.3 percent in the previous quarter, while real GDP per capita grew by 0.3 percent (Figure 1). Despite the overall increase in real household income per capita, the picture was mixed across OECD countries. Of the 15 countries for which data is available, 8…
Author: THE CONNECTING NEWSPAPER
Somaliland, a self-declared independent region of Somalia, is set to hold its presidential election, potentially ending two years of political instability. Although Somaliland’s independence is not internationally recognized, experts believe the election will reinforce its democratic image within the international community. Meanwhile, a recent agreement with Ethiopia over land leases and trade has heightened regional tensions, especially with Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its territory. This agreement led to diplomatic fallout between Somalia and Ethiopia, with repercussions for regional alliances. In addition to political challenges, Somaliland faces internal issues, including clan conflicts in regions like Las Anod and economic…
Embiid and George will both sit for Wednesday’s game against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, since it’s a back-to-back game. It’s part of the team’s plan to keep their stars healthy for the playoffs, as both have been injured in recent postseasons, including last year. That’s been the plan from the start. The 76ers have been particularly cautious with Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, to the point that he didn’t make his season debut until Tuesday night. While not officially injured, Embiid and the team are still concerned about his left knee, where he had surgery in February. He’s now wearing a…
The Israeli army announced that six of its soldiers were killed during fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.Israeli air strikes have targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs for the second consecutive day as Lebanese negotiators awaited a potential new ceasefire proposal from Washington. Since Wednesday morning, Israeli air strikes levelled half a dozen buildings in Dahiyeh and killed at least eight people in Dawhit Aramoun, a village south of the capital. Three women and three children were among those killed, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said. Israel’s military escalated its attacks on Lebanon in September following nearly a year of trading…
Gov. Kathy Hochul will on Thursday revive plans to launch the country’s first congestion pricing program — at a reduced once-a-day toll rate of $9, multiple sources told THE CITY.Five months after Hochul paused the Central Business District Tolling Program before its long-planned June 30 launch, sources said she will reverse course by announcing that motorists will be tolled south of 60th Street in Manhattan by late December.“Governor Hochul paused congestion pricing because a daily $15 toll was too much for hard-working New Yorkers in this economic climate,” Avi Small, a Hochul spokesperson, said in a statement Wednesday evening. “[On…
BRASILIA, Brazil, (PAHO) – The director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr Jarbas Barbosa, and the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, confirmed that Brazil has been re-verified as free of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). This means that the Americas has now recovered its status as a region free of endemic measles, a milestone first achieved in 2016. “We congratulate Brazil on this significant achievement,” Dr Barbosa said. “This effort reflects Brazil’s strong commitment to public health and protecting its population from vaccine-preventable diseases. Measles not only impacts health but has devastating consequences…
Ghana’s Supreme Court has reinstated the ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary majority ahead of the December 7 elections. This decision came after Speaker Alban Bagbin’s declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant was deemed unconstitutional. Bagbin’s move had temporarily shifted the parliamentary majority to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), but the court’s 5-2 ruling has now restored the NPP’s slim majority—138 seats to the NDC’s 137. This ruling stabilizes the NPP’s position ahead of the closely watched elections, which will see former President John Mahama face off against Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia. However, there are concerns over the…
The Dolphins made a somewhat shocking move by waiving linebacker David Long on Wednesday to make room for waiver claim tight end Jack Stoll, according to a team announcement. Long was voted by his teammates to be a team captain in Miami at the start of the season, making his midseason departure a surprise after starting six of the Dolphins’ eight games this year. Anthony Walker took over Long’s starting role in the last two games, and the arrival of former Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson via waivers made Long surplus to requirements in Miami.Instead, the Dolphins prioritized Stoll to add…
United States President-elect Donald Trump has announced that Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, 42, will serve as his attorney general, a role that doubles as the country’s top prosecutor and the head of the Department of Justice. Trump announced the nomination in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, citing Gaetz’s background as a lawyer and as a member of the House Judiciary Committee. He also indicated that Gaetz’s nomination would be part of his agenda to rout the government of perceived rivals. Trump has long accused Democrats of “weaponising” the Justice Department against him, an allegation he revisited…
A three-alarm brush fire blazed in Upper Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park on Wednesday afternoon, hours after the FDNY reported it had responded to a record 229 brush fires citywide in the last two weeks — surpassing the 200 fought by firefighters over the full month of October last year. “We have several acres on fire, and it’s starting to take off,” reported Ladder 56 responding to the blaze in Inwood Park from Webster Avenue in The Bronx.Video footage posted by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine showed flames dotting either side of a rock-lined pathway.Dispatch transmissions from firefighters revealed a complicated and…