After getting the red-carpet treatment at the UN in New York last week, the former al-Qaeda fighter who now leads Syria is about to hold an election. But is Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, really about to transition the country into democracy? Or does he have other plans?
The BBC’s senior international correspondent Orla Guerin joins us from Damascus, where she’s been speaking to Syrians about the country’s future.
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MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The Red Cross handed over the coffin of a deceased Israeli — believed to be officer Hadar Goldin, who was killed during the 2014 Gaza war — to the IDF, Netanyahu’s office said.
A Brooklyn firefighter died on Saturday night after suffering a cardiac arrest while battling a blaze on an apartment rooftop.
According to FDNY officials, 42-year-old Patrick Brady, an 11-year veteran of the department assigned to Ladder Company 120 in Brownsville, was on the roof of an all-hands fire at 9407 Kings Hwy. at around 9:40 p.m. on Nov. 8 when he suffered a medical episode.
Fellow firefighters pulled him to safety, and EMS rushed him to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Cardiac arrest was cited as the official cause of death.
Mayor Eric Adams noted that Brady “came from a family of firefighters — all dedicated to protecting the lives of their fellow New Yorkers.” His two brothers, Jimmy and Brian, are firefighters; a number of his cousins and uncles are also part of the Brady family’s firefighting legacy.
“Firefighter Patrick Brady gave his life protecting the city we all love; there is no sacrifice that is more selfless than the actions that took place this evening,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “I would like to express my deepest sympathy to his wife, Kara, and his entire family during this difficult time.”
Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said all of New York’s bravest are “heartbroken” over the latest loss.
“The entire FDNY is heartbroken over the loss of Firefighter Patrick Brady. Firefighter Brady was a dedicated public servant, and firefighting was in his blood. We are thinking of his family, friends, and fellow members as we join them in mourning this immense loss,” said Tucker.
Patrick Brady (center).FDNY
The FDNY stated that Brady became a firefighter on July 14, 2014, and was assigned to Engine Company 227 in Brooklyn. In 2022, he transferred to Ladder 120, where he remained until his death.
Brady’s death marks the second in the line of duty the FDNY has seen in as many weeks. Paramedic Salih Abdur Rahman perished on Oct. 29 after finishing a shift at the FDNY Fire Academy on Randall’s Island.
“This is a very sad day for the New York City Fire Department and the City of New York. Our firefighters are out there day and night protecting the people of the city, Patrick Brady was one of them and he was an outstanding firefighter,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said from the hospital late Saturday. “Please pray for Patrick Brady’s family.”
The FDNY will hold a bunting ceremony at Ladder 120’s headquarters Sunday morning, where they will hang purple-and-black bunting onto the firehouse to mourn their loss. Funeral arrangements are pending.
