The White House is to send $95m to Lebanon, citing regional security, while eyeing human rights concerns in Egypt, Reuters reports.The United States plans to divert to Lebanon $95m in military aid that was originally allocated to Egypt, according to an unconfirmed news agency report. The State Department notification to Congress of the planned shift, the Reuters news agency reported on Monday, names the Lebanese armed forces as “a key partner” in upholding the November 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon agreement to cease hostilities and to prevent Hezbollah from threatening Israel. The move comes after some of President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats…
Author: THE CONNECTING NEWSPAPER
Mourners pay respects at the Carter Center LiveNOW’s Andrew Craft checks in with FOX 5 Atlanta’s Deidra Dukes as mourners continue to visit Jimmy Carter as he lies in repose at the Carter Center in Georgia. WASHINGTON – Former President Jimmy Carter died on Dec. 29, 2024, at age 100, prompting a state funeral in Washington and burial plans in his beloved hometown of Plains, Georgia, the Carter Center announced. As the nation prepares to honor its 39th president, Carter’s death adds another chapter to the rich history of presidential burial sites that spans from Mount Vernon to modern presidential libraries.…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has announced that it is modernizing the 150,000 bpd Port Harcourt Refinery and the Kaduna Refinery to meet global standards. According to Chief Corporate Communications Officer Olufemi Soneye, the overhaul extends beyond traditional Turnaround Maintenance (TAM), a process involving planned repairs and upgrades to refineries, and includes a full-scale revamp of the facilities. This follows skepticism from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who questioned the viability of the Port Harcourt Refinery, citing concerns raised by Shell Petroleum Development Company. Soneye responded by highlighting the rehabilitation’s success under NNPC’s leadership. He invited Obasanjo to…
K. Keed Set To Drop Second Single Ahead Of Her Debut Album. South African rapper and vocalist K. Keed is about to give fans another taste of her highly anticipated debut album, Bit The Bullet. K. Keed Set To Drop Second Single Ahead Of Her Debut Album Following the success of her lead single, “Indaba Yethu,” which featured J’Something and Kaylow, the rising star has announced the release of her second single, dropping at the end of the month. “New album single end of da month,” she announced. K. Keed is known for her unique blend of rap and soulful…
The business owners arrived one by one, but all were united in their mission on a chilly December morning: Salvage anything from the pulverized market in this hillside city in southern Lebanon.A photo studio operator and his son trudged through debris and twisted metal to recover dust-coated negatives and camera lenses. A clothes shop proprietor dragged a garbage bag holding leggings, retrieved from under mangled rebar. And an optical store owner stood atop crushed concrete slabs that were once the rooftop of his business’s building.“Everything is gone,” said Raed Mokaled, 58, who, along with the eyeglasses business, co-owned a gold…
Despite a career-year for quarterback Joe Burrow and a receiving triple-crown award for Ja’Marr Chase, the Cincinnati Bengals will miss the NFL playoffs. Burrow, who set new personal bests with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, still called the 2024-25 season a failure. After a 4-8 start to the season, the Bengals won five straight games to close the year, but didn’t get enough help from the teams around them in Week 18 to squeak into the postseason. But Burrow said he still believes the best is yet to come.“I threw it well this year, I still think I can…
OCHA chief says attacks by both Israeli troops and Palestinian groups stifling bid to save lives in war-torn enclave.The efforts of United Nations agencies to supply humanitarian aid in Gaza are at “breaking point”, a senior official has warned. Aid efforts in Gaza are facing mounting obstacles as Israeli forces continue attacks on relief workers amid a breakdown of law and order in the war-torn enclave, the UN humanitarian agency’s (OCHA) chief said in a statement late on Monday. He also noted the threat from armed Palestinian groups. Tom Fletcher, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said: “The…
A strong earthquake killed at least 95 people in Tibet on Tuesday and left many others trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the high-altitude region of western China and across the border in Nepal. Officials in the region said at a brief news conference that 130 others were injured, state broadcaster CCTV said. Video on CCTV showed orange-suited rescue workers climbing piles of debris blocking homes in a heavily damaged village, while chunks that had been knocked off buildings littered streets and crushed cars in other areas. State media reported that about 1,000 houses were damaged and 62 people were…
Attention all Soca enthusiasts! It’s time to get ready for Tunes on a TuesdayThis week’s newsletter delivers the latest Soca tracks, all hot off the press. With Trinidad Carnival on the horizon, the music scene is hotter than ever!We’ve got high-energy anthems for the jump-up crew and soulful Calypso tunes for those who prefer a smoother vibe. And this is just the beginning! Dive deeper at socanews.com/music or tune into our Trinidad Carnival 2025 Playlist.Think you’ve got the next Soca hit? Send your music to [email protected], and let us share it with the world!DEAR CARNIVALSupaDanHDCheck out the latest track from…
After a year of tension over Ethiopia’s controversial agreement with Somaliland for sea access, Ethiopia and Somalia are taking steps to mend relations. Recently, Ethiopian Defense Minister Aisha Mohamed visited Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, to meet with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and deliver a message from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Following their meeting, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that both nations had pledged to cooperate on the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). In a separate statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Mogadishu is considering Ethiopia’s request to contribute troops to the AUSSOM mission. Talks also…