NASA said Thursday it will decide this weekend whether Boeing’s new capsule is safe enough to return two astronauts from the International Space Station, where they’ve been waiting since June. Administrator Bill Nelson and other top officials will meet Saturday. An announcement is expected from Houston once the meeting ends. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5 for what was suppose to be an eight-day mission. The test flight quickly encountered thruster failures and helium leaks so serious that NASA kept the capsule parked at the station as engineers debated what to do. NASA…
Author: THE CONNECTING NEWSPAPER
USA / VENEZUELA – The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) strongly rejects the ruling issued by the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela, in which it “certifies” the supposedly appraised electoral material and “categorically validates” the results issued by the National Electoral Council (CNE), based on which it declared Nicolás Maduro the winner in the presidential election of July 28, 2024. This General Secretariat reiterates that the CNE proclaimed Maduro in a hurried manner, based on a partial bulletin issued orally, with numbers that showed mathematical impossibilities and without presenting the…
Join us at Mariner’s Point Park for Mission Bayfest 2024 — the ultimate beach party where music meets the bay! Going down September 27th, 28th, and 29th, just north of downtown San Diego, Mission Bayfest is the ultimate spot for a music festival, with plenty of green spaces to chill out, sandy beaches, and jaw-dropping panoramic views of Mission Bay. A Lineup Like No Other This year’s lineup is on fire, with a killer mix of artists that’ll keep energies high all weekend long! Prepare for reggae legends as Stick Figure, Tribal Seeds, Iration, and Pepper to go head-to-head with…
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has successfully arranged a senior US$500-million and a junior US$150-million reserve-based lending facility for Oando Petroleum and Natural Gas Company Limited. The facility was used to finance Oando’s acquisition of the 20 per cent participating interest held by Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) in the NEPL/NAOC/Oando Joint Venture in Nigeria. The joint venture, with significant oil and gas assets, including oil mining licenses 60, 61, 62 and 63, has produced 4.4 billion barrels of oil and 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to date, with 1.2 billion barrels of oil and 10.7 trillion…
Man United have reportedly finalised their second African player signing of the summer 2024 transfer window according to recent reports.Manchester United have reportedly secured the signing of Malian talent Sekou Kone from Guidars FC, making him the club’s second African player to be signed in the 2024 summer window. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils have finalized an agreement to bring Kone, an 18-year-old prospect, into their U18 or U21 squads as part of their ongoing strategy to strengthen their youth ranks.Manchester United, now under the management of INEOS, have shifted their transfer approach, moving away from impulsive deals…
The Padres announced that right-hander Yu Darvish has been reinstated from the restricted list and will join the club Friday, though he has been returned to the 15-day injured list. Infielder Matthew Batten was designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot for him.Darvish, 38, began his season strong. He made 11 starts through the end of May, allowing 3.20 earned runs per nine innings, but his campaign has paused. He landed on the 15-day injured list on June 1, retroactive to May 31, due to a left groin strain. He was supposed to return on June 25 but was sidelined…
Third-party presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has suspended his long-shot bid for the White House, throwing his weight instead behind the Republican candidate, former United States President Donald Trump. Friday’s announcement was the culmination of weeks of speculation, as Kennedy receded in the polls. Still, he offered a message of defiance, denouncing his campaign’s “naysayers”. “We proved them wrong,” Kennedy said at a campaign stop in Phoenix, Arizona. “Beneath the radar of mainstream media organs, we inspired a massive independent political movement.” “In an honest system, I believe I would have won the election,” he later added. Still, he…
The Rikers Island detainee who died Tuesday morning was seen by a jail medical professional the day before his death, but was sent back to his housing unit, according to a top city jail official familiar with the case.Anthony Jordan, 63, was found “unresponsive” on the sixth floor inside the North Infirmary Command on Rikers at 5:22 a.m. and rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in Astoria, according to Correction Department spokesperson Patrick Rocchio. He was pronounced dead approximately an hour later. The North Infirmary Command is used to house incarcerated people with complicated medical needs that medical staff determine falls short…
The UN Deputy Secretary-General called for stronger efforts in women’s empowerment, gender equality, and climate action in remarks to the World Women’s Forum in Mongolia this week. USA / MONGOLIA – Held on 22-23 August under the theme “Towards a Green Future,” the Forum focused on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those emphasizing gender equality. Speaking on Thursday, Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed emphasized the urgency of accelerating progress on the SDGs, as the deadline is less than six years away; highlighted that women’s leadership is essential for better community services and effective climate action but acknowledged that “time is not on…
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma has concluded a one-day visit to the port city of Kismayo to assess the security situation and troop welfare in Jubaland State. This was his first visit to the southern city since taking over from Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding who left the mission in April to become the Deputy Chief of Uganda’s People’s Defence Forces. During the visit, Lt. Gen. Kavuma, accompanied by the Military Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen Kindu Gezu, held a closed-door meeting with the ATMIS Kenya Contingent Commander, Brig. Seif Salim Rashid and…