Christmas Day is one of the highlights of the early NBA calendar, and this year’s slate of five games is star-studded from start to finish. One of the most intriguing matchups is Anthony Edwards and Minnesota vs. Luka Doncic and Dallas. After a slow start to the season for the Mavericks, Dallas has established itself as the Western Conference contender it was expected to be despite Doncic battling some injuries over the past month. When available, Doncic has been one of the most productive players in the Association, averaging 28.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists-per-contest. Which brings us to…
Author: THE CONNECTING NEWSPAPER
Islamabad, Pakistan – The recent sentencing of 25 civilians by a military court in Pakistan drew sharp criticism from the United States, which accused the proceedings of lacking “judicial independence, transparency, and due process guarantees”. “The United States is concerned by the sentencing of Pakistani civilians in a military tribunal and calls upon Pakistani authorities to respect the right to a fair trial and due process,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on X on Monday. This US statement follows similar concerns expressed by the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU), which also questioned the use of military courts…
Several dozen Amazon packages were discovered apparently abandoned in the woods of Lakeville, Massachusetts, early Sunday morning, days before Christmas, police said. Officers collected them and returned the parcels to Amazon, according to the department, which said that the driver identified themselves and won’t be facing charges, citing stress for dumping the packages. Lakeville Police Department Three totes of Amazon packages were found in the woods in Lakeville, Massachusetts, over the weekend. Officers loaded them into pickup trucks to get them back to the station. With no recent reports of stolen packages in town, investigators opted to return them to…
SNY and other outlets have pointed out that the fact that five teams recently acquired new first basemen seemingly increases the likelihood that All-Star Pete Alonso will eventually return to the New York Mets.However, The Athletic’s Will Sammon revealed on Monday that “there was no indication talks between the Mets and Alonso had picked up steam” ahead of Christmas and that “the sticking point” regarding the parties’ discussions “could be contract length.”Along with ESPN’s Jeff Passan, unnamed executives shared last week that “teams are hesitant to give” Alonso a long-term contract because he’s a right-handed hitting and throwing first baseman who turned 30 years…
Washington, DC-based lender says Cairo agreed to raise tax-to-revenue ratio and accelerate divestment of state-owned firms.The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that it has reached an agreement with Egypt to unlock about $1.2bn in funds to prop up the country’s troubled finances. The Washington, DC-based lender said on Tuesday that it reached the “staff-level agreement”, which is subject to approval by the Executive Board, after Cairo outlined steps to improve macroeconomic stability. Egyptian authorities agreed to raise the tax-to-revenue ratio by 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) over the next two years and accelerate the divestment of state-owned…
Sometimes it can be hard trying to find your favorite movie among all the streaming services, so this holiday season we wanted to make it easy for you, Here’s a list of where to find your favorite holiday movies. Where to watch ‘Home Alone’ “Home Alone” is available with a subscription on Disney+. It will also be airing on Christmas Day on ABC network. Where to watch ‘Elf’ Fans of Buddy the Elf can watch “Elf” streaming on Hulu and Max with subscriptions. “Elf” will also be airing on AMC on Christmas and the day after. Where to watch ‘Christmas…
South Florida on Tuesday pulled off a mini Christmas miracle midway through the Hawaii Bowl.South Florida led San Jose State 14-7 just before the two-minute timeout at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawaii. USF’s Ta’Ron Keith lined up to receive the kick return.Keith caught the ball at USF’s 7-yard line. The Bulls’ returner faked a handoff to wide receiver JeyQuan Smith before bursting through the middle of the field. The sleight of hand may have fooled the Spartans defenders just enough for Keith to break free. Keith broke a few tackles near midfield before running all the…
State Department unit established in 2016 closes after US Congress fails to extend funding amid Republican accusations.A leading United States government agency that tracks foreign disinformation has terminated its operations, the State Department has said, after Congress failed to extend its funding following years of Republican criticism. The Global Engagement Center (GEC), a State Department unit established in 2016, shuttered on Monday at a time when officials and experts tracking propaganda have been warning of the risk of disinformation campaigns from US adversaries such as Russia and China. “The State Department has consulted with Congress regarding next steps,” it said…
A Starbucks barista strike is expanding to some 5,000 workers at what organizers said was more than 300 stores in 45 states, just as the company’s busy holiday stretch begins. Though it still only represents approximately 3% of all U.S. Starbucks locations, it’s an expansion of an action that began last week in three cities. Organized by the Service Employees International Union and Starbucks Workers United, the strike aims to draw attention to alleged unfair labor practices and stalled negotiations over a contract that would cover thousands of workers. The workers are seeking an immediate increase in Starbucks’ minimum hourly wage…
Why can’t Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and quarterback Kyler Murray seem to click? When the Cardinals drafted Harrison with the No. 4 pick, they hoped he and Murray would form an elite tandem. However, the QB acknowledged that has yet to happen. “Yeah, we’ve gotta get better,” Murray said Tuesday, per PHNX Sports’ Bo Brack. “It’s not where he wants it to be, where I want it to be, where the team needs it to be. Again, I haven’t lost any confidence. I’m excited for these next two weeks.” In 15 games, Harrison has 51 receptions for…