The US has eased sanctions on Syria to speed up delivery of aid to the country’s northwest, which has received almost no humanitarian assistance since Monday’s earthquakes.

The US Treasury issued a 180-day exemption for “transactions related to earthquake relief,” but analysts told The Guardian that the move would have little practical impact in a region badly damaged by conflict and mostly under opposition control.

“I don’t think this will suddenly open the floodgates and allow for unhindered humanitarian access and delivery in Syria,” said Delaney Simon, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group’s US program.

“There are just too many other access issues. But I hope that the license will ease the concerns of financial providers, the private sector, and other actors, to show them that sanctions won’t be a risk for them to engage in Syria.”

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the US government would “not stand in the way of life-saving efforts for the Syrian people.”

Noting that sanctions already contained “robust exemptions” for humanitarian efforts, Adeyemo said the temporary amendment amounted to a “blanket general license” for all earthquake relief efforts.

But Charles Lister, director of the Middle East Institute’s Syria program, said delays in aid are the result of the Syrian regime’s demands to control all deliveries to the region.

“That appears to have virtually crippled the United Nations’ willingness, not ability, but willingness to essentially act forthright and in a bold way, and just provide earthquake recovery anyway, across the border,” he added.

Even so, Lister welcomed the US decision as a means to rebuff efforts by Damascus and its allies to suggest Western sanctions are to blame for delays.

The Flagstaff House, or as commonly is refereed to as Flagstaff House, is the official presidential palace of the Republic of Ghana, located in the capital city Accra.

As it is newly reconstructed building, it is considered to be as one of the most beautiful presidential palaces in the world, and definitely is making every single list in Africa.

The previous seat of the President of Ghana was in the Osu Castle, which seat have moved all the time as the ruling political party took over the power in the country.

The New Patriotic Party was the instigator for the reconstruction of the building, a job given to an Indian contractor, where the NPP inaugurated the building in November 2008.

However, that same year when the National Democratic Congress party took over the power, didn’t want to move there, and preferred the Osu Castle.

That is why the Flagstaff House was used as offices for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, which was only a temporarily solution.

Nonetheless, in the past when the building was built, it was officially used as administration building for the British Gold Coast Government.

In the end, the NDC decided to move in the newly reconstructed building, a move which occurred in January 2013. Still, it is definitely one of the best modern looking buildings which can allure every visitor of the capital of Ghana to see it in person, and even closer.

There is no information whether the building is open for the general public, but one can consider himself or herself lucky, if he or she sees it in person.

Preparations are under way in New Zealand for a severe storm that threatens to hit parts of the country already damaged by deadly flooding.

Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to hit the country’s North Island from Saturday night – potentially bringing strong winds and further heavy rain.

Residents have been told to ensure they have enough supplies to last three days in case they are trapped at home.

The storm comes weeks after torrential rain inundated the city of Auckland.

Tens of thousands of sandbags have been distributed there due to concerns the sodden ground and weakened infrastructure have made homes more vulnerable to flooding.

Evacuation shelters have been set up once again and Air New Zealand, the national carrier, has cancelled several domestic flights ahead of the cyclone’s arrival.

Photographs and videos posted on social media showed long queues at supermarkets and bare shelves as people prepared for more severe weather.

Local media have reported that New Zealand’s most northern region, Northland, has already begun to experience high winds.

Cyclone Gabrielle has been downgraded from a category three storm to a category two, meaning less destructive winds are now expected.

However, forecasters have warned that they could still be strong enough to damage trees and power lines and that enough rain could fall to cause further flooding and landslides in the coming days.