Author: News Desk

US Diplomats Visit Syria to Meet New Authorities in Damascus US diplomats have arrived in Damascus, Syria, to meet with representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group now in control of the region. Despite HTS being labelled as a terrorist organization by the US, this meeting marks a significant shift in US diplomacy toward Syria. This visit comes after similar delegations from the United Nations, the UK, France, and Germany have visited Syria in recent days. It’s also the first time in over a decade that US diplomats have made an official appearance in Damascus. The visit signals major…

Read More

Met Office issues wind warnings of up to 85mph across parts of UK as Christmas holidays begin The UK is set to see rain and disruptive winds of up to 85mph this weekend as the Met Office issues weather warnings for Christmas holiday drivers. Yellow wind warnings have been released for the weekend, with one covering Scotland, much of Northern Ireland, north Wales and north-west England between 7am and midnight on Saturday. Another warning is in place between midnight and 9pm on Sunday, covering Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and all of western England. Met Office issues wind warnings of up…

Read More

Political heavyweight Lord Peter Mandelson to be named next ambassador to US. The Labour grandee is expected to be the next UK ambassador to the US. Lord Mandelson, who served in the cabinets of Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, is poised to be the UK’s next top diplomat in Washington, in a political appointment as President-elect Donald Trump returns to office. The tenure of Dame Karen Pierce, the current office holder, is expected to come to an end in early 2025 and Lord Mandelson had been widely tipped as the person next in line for the job. A source said that…

Read More

The first US diplomats to visit Syria since President Bashar Assad’s ousting earlier this month are in Damascus to hold talks with the country’s new leaders and seek information on the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice. Assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs Barbara Leaf, former special envoy for Syria Daniel Rubinstein and the Biden administration’s chief envoy for hostage negotiations, Roger Carstens, made the trip for talks with Syria’s interim leaders, the State Department said on Friday. The team is the first group of American diplomats to formally visit Syria in more than a decade since…

Read More

France’s President Emmanuel Macron speaks with medical staff members of the intensive care unit of the Mayotte hospital center in Mamoudzou, on the French Indian Ocean department of Mayotte, on December 19, 2024. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP France will observe a day of national mourning, on Monday, December 23, for the French overseas department of Mayotte, President Emmanuel Macron said, after the department’s Indian Ocean archipelago was devastated by a cyclone, with lacking water and food, and fear of looting gripping residents. In a post on X, on Thursday, Macron said flags would fly at half-mast on Monday, and “all…

Read More

Mathias Pogba, brother of Paul Pogba, arrives to attend the verdict in his trial with 5 others in extortion case targeting French soccer player Paul Pogba at Paris criminal court, France, December 19, 2024. ABDUL SABOOR / REUTERS A Paris court on Thursday, December 19, sentenced a brother of France midfielder Paul Pogba to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended, after convicting him in a high-profile extortion case. Mathias Pogba will be able to serve his one-year sentence with an electronic bracelet rather than behind bars. The court also fined Paul Pogba’s brother €20,000 for participating in the…

Read More

If the use of rubber balls by security forces to deal with street altercations was one of the discrepancies that caused the second attempt to reform the citizen security law, known as gag lawin the current legislature it is once again one of its great obstacles. Junts, Podemos and BNG – three of the parties that support the parliamentary majority of the Government and whose support is essential to carry out the modification of a law approved by the PP in 2015 – have presented amendments so that this anti-riot material is definitively prohibited. Two others, EH Bildu and ERC,…

Read More

Many employees are dissatisfied with their salaries because of inflation. So it’s worth knowing about better earning opportunities. A study available to WELT in advance shows which companies pay the best salaries – and in which regions the job is most lucrative. The exclusive salary report – this is where you earn the most

Read More