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Dozens of delegates walked out of the chamber as Netanyahu gave a speech at the UN General Assembly, displaying the world's shifting sentiment towards the Israel-Hamas War. The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is currently taking place at the UN headquarters in New York City, beginning this week and running through December. They will then take a short winter break before returning in January, where delegates will address their final concerns before the assembly comes to an end. In the assembly, every member state of the UN is entitled to a speech, including the two observer states, Vatican City and Palestine. Brazil usually speaks first, referencing a tradition from the early days of the UN when they would consistently volunteer as the first to speak, and the United States speaks second. This year, US President Donald Trump gave an hourlong speech regarding his country's economy, financial state, and his recent actions against illegal immigrants and tariffs across the world, along with mentions of climate change and several ongoing wars. One of those wars happens to be the Israel-Hamas War that is currently taking place in the Middle East, but drama ensued at the UNGA when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came up to speak. In particular, Netanyahu put great effort into condemning countries whose support for Israel had faded in recent months, giving a defiant speech that sparked outrage among many delegates. The response? Dozens of delegates simply walked out of the chamber during his speech, leaving few representatives inside. The incident comes just after various countries, including Australia, the UK, Canada, and Portugal, announced at the UNGA that they are formally recognizing Palestine as a state, leaving Israel fuming. Netanyahu described Palestine as "a terror state" and refused to ever accept them as a country, further proving his position against a two-state solution. Netanyahu also mentioned that they will continue with the war, which is approaching its two-year anniversary on October 7– a grim milestone for a conflict that has killed over 65,000 Palestinians and displaced millions of others. Israel has repeatedly pledged that they will not concede until Hamas is absolutely obliterated, which means that they are likely to continue fighting in Gaza for some time. Nevertheless, Trump, a close ally of Netanyahu, has confirmed that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, where the Middle Eastern country has been slowly increasing settlements to break up Palestinian territory. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Over 340 people have died climbing Mount Everest since 1922. Most deaths occur because of avalanches, and not all bodies have been recovered. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future . ( Oscar Wilde) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Vociferous (adj, voh-SIF-uh-rus) - Vociferous describes people who express their feelings or opinions loudly and insistently. It is also applied to things, such as objections, that are expressed in such a way. In a Sentence: We were  vociferous  in our support of the proposal. Image credit to Al Jazeera

Moldova has warned Western nations that Russia is using deceptive tactics to attempt to sway the upcoming parliamentary elections in their favor. Moldova, a small country sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, has long suffered from Russian influence due to their history with the major world power. Moldova declared independence from USSR in August 1991, but despite its proximity to Ukraine and Russia, Moldovan culture is highly similar to the country's other neighbor, Romania. The official language of Moldova is Romanian, and Russia itself has a very small influence on the people– just 3% of Moldovans are ethnic Russians. However, a region in eastern Moldova, known as Transnistria, is a de facto independent state which is much more pro-Russian. Russian is widely spoken across the region, and Russia maintains approximately 1,500 troops in Transnistria alone. While Moldova has become accustomed to Russian influences in their daily lives, the eastern European country has announced that Russia is taking this year's bias to a whole new level. According to Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Russia has been spending hundreds of millions of euros to propagate misinformation throughout the country, skewing votes towards pro-Russian leaders. Sandu described the upcoming parliamentary election, which will take place tomorrow, as "the most consequential election in [Moldova's] history," as it will decide what sort of stance they take on global politics. Moldova aims to be accepted into the European Union (EU) by 2030, but those efforts can only be supported by a pro-EU government. If the country were to elect pro-Russian officials, their path to EU membership would become much shakier. She also described the elections as "a battlefield," accusing Russia of "identifying vulnerabilities and exploiting them." According to Moldovan officials, Russia has done everything from bribing citizens to spreading misinformation and propaganda on social media and other websites, confusing true voters and swaying the general population towards Russian supporters. In fact, several citizens have even admitted to being "recruited" by Russia to rig the election, with Russia instructing them to vote for certain candidates and make propaganda-related posts on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to spread Russian fake news. According to Moldovan senior police officer Varel Chernatanu, at least $1.1 million in cash was discovered as they busted a smuggling operation meant to fund pro-Russian groups in Moldova. This isn't a recent development, though– Chernatanu also confirmed that Moldova found over $39 million in cash last September that was intended to buy electoral votes, and he estimates that the number this year could be in the "hundreds of millions." Meanwhile, Russia has refused to comment on the topic of misinformation, but they claim that the EU simply "destroys the traditional values" of the country while Russia protects their rights and freedom. In recent years, Moldova has attempted to move away from Russian products in an attempt to reduce the power's influence over their internal politics, but it has been tough due to the fact that they cannot distance themselves from Russia physically. In 2022, Russia cut gas supplies to Moldova as an alleged form of punishment for moving closer to Western nations after their initial invasion of Ukraine. Nevertheless, Moldova moved away from Russian gas altogether and now relies on supplies from other European countries. Just this week, Moldovan authorities announced that they had busted a massive network of hundreds of Russian-trained spies that had been instructed to cause chaos before and after the elections. Moldova claims that they are all part of Russia's multifaceted approach towards destabilizing their government, aiming to shift the country's views towards Russian favor; additionally, there could be countless other networks of spies that Russia is sowing into the Moldovan society which have gone undetected, posing a major threat to the eastern European country in the future. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): It’s not just humans who are right or left-handed. Most female cats and dogs prefer using their right paw, and males are more likely to be left-pawed. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Without leaps of imagination , or dreaming , we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. ( Gloria Steinem) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Gesundheit (interjection, guh-ZOONT-hyte) - Gesundheit is an interjection used to wish good health to one who has just sneezed. In a Sentence: I sneezed three times in a row, and my coworker called " gesundheit !" from the next cubicle. Image credit to Moldpres

Amazon has agreed to pay a $2.5 billion settlement after the FTC determined that they have been tricking Prime customers into subscribing and then keeping their subscription. Over the years, Amazon Prime has quickly grown to play a crucial role in the lives of many Americans, offering free shipping, streaming and entertainment, grocery delivery, exclusive shopping deals, gaming, online storage, and food perks. Amazon has never officially confirmed how many customers the service has, but firms have estimated that Prime has around 197 million subscribers in the United States and around 240 million worldwide. That makes it the world's second-largest subscription service after Netflix, which has around 300 million subscribers. However, Amazon has just entered a major settlement with the FTC after being accused of using deceptive subscription practices and making it extremely tough for customers to cancel their subscriptions. The settlement comes after a two-year long case after the Federal Trade Commission announced an antitrust lawsuit regarding their subscription practices in 2023. The FTC claimed that Amazon had used "manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user-interface designs" to trick people into signing up for Prime and renewing their subscription. They also alleged that Amazon used a "labyrinthine" cancelation process to deter Prime subscribers from canceling their subscriptions. Furthermore, the FTC found evidence that executives were completely aware of these tactics, and one former employee on the user experience team testified in court that he had found the practices to be "misleading" and "confusing." Nevertheless, Amazon argued that they had not used any sort of deceptive tactics and had spent millions of dollars on improving the user experience and increasing transparency. Now, Amazon has agreed to settle the case with a payout– the corporation will pay a $1 billion civil penalty and an additional $1.5 billion in refunds to customers affected by their tactics. They have also been required to change their subscription signup and cancelation methods to make the process easier, and the FTC is requiring them to include the exact terms of Prime on the signup page to be more transparent. Some of these changes include removing the "No, I don't want Free Shipping" button, adding a clear button that allows customers to decline Prime, and paying for a third-party supervisor to review their practices. However, Amazon has not admitted to the crime, stating that they " have always followed the law" and they simply settled to be able "to move forward and focus on innovating for customers." Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The majority of blind people in the U.S. and the U.K. cannot read Braille. Statistically, less than 7% of blind in the U.K. and under 10% in the U.S. can read it. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Fortune does favor the bold and you’ll never know what you’re capable of if you don’t try. ( Sheryl Sandberg) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Anomaly (noun, uh-NAH-muh-lee) - Anomaly is a somewhat formal word that refers to something that is remarkable in its deviation from what is usual or expected. In a Sentence: Last summer’s storm was an anomaly for this area. Image credit to Amazon Prime

China, the world's largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions, announced a new emissions reduction target yesterday at the UN General Assembly, while the US continued to deny the existence of climate change. The United Nations General Assembly is the primary policy-making branch of the UN, hosting an annual meeting in September each year. This session continues through December before a quick winter break, with the assembly resuming in January and lasting until all agenda items have been addressed. This year, in their 80th session, they have been emphasizing the need to end the raging wars across the globe, in addition to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals, established in 2015, set targets for 17 different goals that humanity must meet in order to achieve an optimal society for humans and the planet. However, a rise in global emissions has hindered the world's progress towards multiple of these goals– carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases heavily impact the environment and contribute to the consistent warming of the entire planet. Now, China – which has historically been the world's largest polluter – is taking action. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the UN General Assembly through a video appearance that they will attempt to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions by around 7-10% over the next 10 years, a major step forward for a country that has never intended to acknowledge their significant role in climate change at all. Their goal, a reduction of 7-10%, may not appear huge, but China's massive emissions mean that any sort of cut could have significant implications for the environment. In 2023, China released around 12.6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide, making up around 35% of the world's carbon emissions for that year. If China was able to reduce that number by just 10% in 10 years, they could bring that number down by 1.26 gigatonnes by 2035. Additionally, China's goal is realistic and achievable, unlike goals that other countries have set for themselves but have been unable to meet them. Meanwhile, the United States presented their view on the exact opposite side of the issue, with President Donald Trump calling climate change a massive "con job" and encouraging countries to minimize their usage of renewable energy. He also described the entire situation as a "green scam" and told other nations to buy fossil fuels from the United States instead of investing in renewable energy. However, the US is largely alone on this viewpoint, with dozens of other major countries announcing brand-new pledges to reduce emissions. Renewable energy is growing all over the world due to its cheaper energy costs and lower environmental impact, including oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia and Norway. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): There is a company in the U.K. that offers “being hungover” as a valid reason for calling off work. Employees are allotted four hungover days per year. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Grief can be the garden of compassion . If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom . ( Rumi) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Brandish (verb, BRAN-dish) - To brandish something, such as a weapon, is to wave or swing it in a threatening or excited manner. In a Sentence: Squeals of laughter erupted as three children brandishing squirt guns rounded the corner of the house. Image credit to European Commission

Super Typhoon Ragasa is shaping up to be one of the most powerful storms of the year after pummeling the Philippines, Taiwan, and now southern China. Ragasa began as a tropical depression in the western Pacific, steadily moving westward towards the Philippines. Just days later, the storm passed the northernmost Philippine island of Luzon on Monday, packing winds of over 160 mph and heavy rain. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated ahead of the typhoon's arrival, which led to landslides and flooding across the northern part of the archipelago, and at least three people were killed. Then, the storm moved further west, impacting Taiwan. While the typhoon did not directly hit the island, its outer bands were strong enough to spark life-threatening flooding in south and eastern Taiwan. In Hualien County, to the east, the rain caused a barrier lake to overflow, with the ensuing inundation leading to the flooding of the entire town of Guangfu. Additionally, a bridge collapsed due to the floodwaters. At least 8,000 people were evacuated across Taiwan, and at least 14 people were killed in the disaster– most of the deaths were due to the barrier lake burst. Yesterday, Super Typhoon Ragasa arrived in southern China, passing Hong Kong with winds of over 130 mph before making landfall to the west of Macau. Ahead of the storm, both Hong Kong and Macau issued a T10, their highest storm warning, and over two million people were evacuated as Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Zhuhai shut down in preparation. Trees have been blown down, windows shattered, basements flooded, and a total of 62 people have been injured due to the dangerous conditions. The aftermath of the storm is just starting to emerge, but the typhoon has continued onward. It made landfall last night near the city of Yangjiang, just after weakening from a super to a severe typhoon. It is expected to weaken in the coming days, but the wind and rain could persist for some time. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Norway used to have a 25-year statute of limitation on murder. This meant that if the murder happened more than 25 years before, the suspect could not be charged. However, that law was abolished in 2014. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it. ( E.B. White) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Nonpareil (adj, nahn-puh-REL) - Nonpareil describes that which has no equal because it is better than any other. In a Sentence: To this day, the band's debut album is still considered nonpareil , raising the bar for every rock group to follow. Image credit to South China Morning Post

Renowned TV host Jimmy Kimmel will resume broadcasting his late night show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' today, less than a week after ABC suspended the program. Around two weeks ago, right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at a rally at Utah Valley University, sparking outrage across the United States. An extensive manhunt ensued, with authorities searching for the killer using clues like handprints and bullet casings, and he was eventually found to be Tyler Robinson, a 22 year old Utah native . Soon after the attack, politicians began commenting on the disaster, condemning the act of political violence. Nevertheless, Jimmy Kimmel made several contrasting comments on his late night show, announcing that Trump's supporters, who he referred to as "the MAGA gang," were "desperately trying" to label Tyler Robinson as "anything other than one of them." He also added that they were "doing everything they can to score political points from it," leaving the Trump administration bristling. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Trump ally Brendan Carr, quickly moved into the situation, stating that ABC's broadcasting license was at risk of being revoked due to the controversial comments. Because of this, ABC pulled Kimmel's show off the air on Wednesday, leading to free speech-related doubts across the country. Additionally, Nexstar Media Group also confirmed that they would not broadcast Kimmel's show. Nexstar is a media group that currently holds about 10% of ABC-affiliated local television networks, and they have been working on a major, $6.2 billion merger with another broadcasting company, Tegna. However, their merger relies on FCC approval. Kimmel wasn't the only one to be affected, though. Matthew Dowd, a political analyst at MSNBC, was fired after making a remark about Charlie Kirk's extremism– specifically, "hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions." Meanwhile, dozens of employees in various industries, including teachers, firefighters, and military service members, were terminated due to their comments on social media about Charlie Kirk's death. Various politicians, including President Trump himself, applauded ABC's suspension of Kimmel's late night show, with Trump calling for the suspension of other late night shows as well. However, the move also led to serious backlash, with citizens claiming that it was against the First Amendment rights given by the US Constitution and was a clear display of the country's growing limits on free speech. Now, ABC has announced that they are bringing Kimmel's show back, with Kimmel scheduled to broadcast once again tonight. The network confirmed that the comments were "ill-timed and thus insensitive," but after spending the last few days "having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy," they decided to bring his show back. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): 50% of apartments in Los Angeles don’t come with a fridge. This is legal, as fridges are considered an “amenity,” and therefore, landlords are not required to provide one. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. ( George Orwell) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Catch-22 (noun, KATCH-twen-tee-TOO) - Catch-22 typically refers to a difficult situation for which there is no easy or possible solution. In the narrowest use of the term, it refers to a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule. In a Sentence: I’m in a catch-22 : to get the job I need experience, but how do I get experience if I can’t get the job? Image credit to ABC News

Various European airports are still suffering from delays after a cyberattack caused chaos over the weekend. The cyberattack took place on Friday night, targeting the systems provided by US-based manufacturing company Collins Aerospace. Collins' parent corporation, RTX, confirmed that the disruptions were "cyber-related," with the attack specifically hitting their MUSE software. This software is crucial to airport operations and passenger handling, as it allows major airports to check in passengers of different airlines using the same system. In total, several major airports were affected, including London Heathrow, Dublin, Berlin-Brandenburg, and Brussels. On Saturday, Dublin delayed around 46% of their flights, while Brussels delayed 66% and Heathrow delayed 47%. On Sunday, Heathrow and Dublin seemed to improve their issues, but Brussels, Barcelona, and Frankfurt maintained high numbers of cancelations and delays. Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world, remained relatively unaffected as the weekend progressed, with some delays and several cancelations, but the primary issue was longer check-in lines due to the manual processes. Meanwhile, Brussels Airport was the most affected, with the problems persisting throughout the weekend and leaving around half of all passengers with delayed flights. Unfortunately, Brussels has been unable to work around the cyberattack, leading to large numbers of delays on Saturday and Sunday. At least 60 flights scheduled for today have already been canceled, and the airport is urging passengers to check their flight status before coming to the airport. To solve the problem, RTX instructed those affected to shift to manual check-in while they work on fixing the problem. However, Collins has still failed to provide an updated version of the software. Airports across Europe are requesting passengers to check their flights before arriving at the airport to avoid inconveniences due to cancelations or major delays, but most of the airports affected have found other workarounds by now. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): In order to protest the high tariffs enforced by a U.K. censorship board, a filmmaker sent in a 10-hour “movie” of white paint drying. They were required to watch the entire film. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): You learn how to be a gracious winner and an outstanding loser. ( Joe Namath) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Lugubrious (adj, loo-GOO-bree-us) - Lugubrious is a formal word used chiefly to describe something that is very sad especially in an exaggerated or insincere way. The word can also describe something that shows or expresses gloom. In a Sentence: The movie’s stunning cinematography could not make up for the lugubrious and plodding plot. Image credit to Shutterstock

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that they will be implementing a $100,000 fee for all H1-B applicants, drastically changing immigration for the next few years. An H1-B is a non-immigrant visa where foreign workers can come to the United States to work in a specific occupation where they are needed. Companies are required to sponsor a visa for people on an H1-B, resulting in a lottery fee of $215 and a filing fee of $780. However, that number is expected to drastically increase following the Trump administration's latest announcement. Trump announced on Friday that all new H1-B applicants will need to pay a $100,000 fee to arrive in the US, sparking outrage and chaos across the world. The H1-B visa system is heavily utilized by the entire world, with hundreds of thousands of people applying each year to attempt to come to the United States and build a better future. For 2025 alone, over 479,000 people applied for the program, but the annual cap for bachelor's degrees is just 65,000 people. Another 20,000 are allowed into the program if they are coming with an advanced degree from an American institution, but they are often transitioning from an existing student visa like an F-1. Among these applicants, around 70-75% of them come from India, and Indians are currently the richest minority in the United States, with an average household salary of $151,000 in 2023. Many of these Indians aspire to move to the US to build a new future, moving into highly-skilled professions like medicine, engineering, and IT, but it is extremely rare for an H1-B applicant to possess $100,000 that they can pay to the US government as part of their filing fee. Within the US, various tech giants have expressed their displeasure with the fee, as they also rely on immigrants when hiring new employees. Amazon is currently the largest employer of H1-B visa holders, with over 10,000 of them in their workforce, and they aren't the only ones. Microsoft and Meta each maintain over 5,000 employees on H1-Bs, while Apple and Google have around 4,000 each. Tech isn't the only industry that relies on H1-Bs, though. Major banking corporations, such as JPMorgan Chase, also employ a large number of H1-B users, along with large consulting firms like EY and Deloitte. Trump, on the other hand, has maintained that the move will help companies work towards hiring more American workers. Immigrants from other countries offer a cheaper alternative for big tech companies, who attempt to hire large amounts of highly-skilled workers at the lowest pay rate possible. Meanwhile, skilled Americans are often left in the dust, as companies offer the job to the immigrant who asks for less to do the same work. Now, Trump's new fee essentially requires companies to employ American workers, as there are very few companies willing to pay $100,000 in filing fees to sponsor a foreign worker who does not have the money to pay for it. Experts fear, though, that there will not be enough Americans to fill the gaps, as many industries simply rely on immigrant workers to function. However, the fee does not apply to existing H1-B visa holders who are currently residing in the United States or abroad, nor does it apply to H1-B visa holders who are looking to renew their visa. Following the initial, vague announcement on Friday, the White House was forced to make another emergency announcement on Saturday clearing up the chaos. Many people had mistakenly believed that the $100,000 was an annual fee, while others were not clear on the fact that only new applicants would receive the fee. The fee went into effect last night at midnight and will last for one year unless it is extended, but it is expected to face various legal challenges before it is truly in the clear. Numerous experts have pointed out Trump's lack of authority to impose such a fee, but whether opposing lawyers will be successful in court is yet to be seen. Nevertheless, the US economy is sure to take a significant hit as long as the fee remains in place, and application numbers are sure to plummet. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): 500 seeds of 5 different types of seeds were taken into orbit around the Moon and later planted around the U.S. as well as several other countries. They were named "Moon Trees," and many are still alive today. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Give up being right. Instead radiate peace , harmony , love, and laughter from your heart. ( Deepak Chopra) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Enmity (noun, EN-muh-tee) - Enmity is a formal word that refers to a very deep unfriendly feeling, such as hatred or ill will, that is often felt mutually. In a Sentence: Having to collaborate on the project only increased the bitter enmity between the two coworkers, who had never gotten along. Image credit to Bloomberg

The United Nations Security Council could trigger snapback sanctions for the entirety of Iran, serving as the latest development in Iran's complex storyline. Snapback sanctions were originally included into the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was made between the UK, France, Germany, Russia, China, EU, US, and Iran. This deal relieved Iran of several sanctions that had been hindering their economy, while Iran did its part to restrain their nuclear program. However, under the special condition, if Iran showed any sort of non-compliance with the agreement's terms in the future, one of the countries that brokered the deal can trigger the snapback sanctions. This would reimpose all of the UN sanctions that were previously removed, and no country in the deal can veto the decision. By suggesting the implementation of snapback sanctions, the Security Council attracted various watchers that quickly began paying attention to their actions. However, Iran refuses to completely shut down their nuclear program, which goes against the rules set by the JCPOA. Now, if the sanctions are successfully put into place, it could have a devastating effect on the Iranian economy. The country's economy is already struggling under the weight of a poor financial situation and increased sanctions from nations all over the world– and those sanctions could become much, much worse if these snapback sanctions were to take effect. Nevertheless, Iran is arguing their point, claiming that the world has no right to punish them after they never reached a real deal with the United States– talks stalled during the summer after American forces bombed Iran in the middle of negotiations. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Only official members of federally accepted Native American tribes may legally possess or collect eagle feathers. If a normal citizen has one, it is illegal. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Make sure the thing you are living for is worth dying for. ( Charles Mayes) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Succumb (verb, suh-KUM) - Succumbing is about yielding to something: someone who succumbs to a pressure or emotion stops trying to resist that pressure or emotion, and someone who succumbs to an injury or disease dies because of that injury or disease. The word is often followed by to . In a Sentence: The program aims to help kids develop the strength of character required to avoid succumbing to peer pressure. Image credit to Reuters

The United States vetoed a resolution proposed by the United Nations Security Council yesterday, which aimed to bring an immediate end to the war in Gaza. The resolution, which primarily targeted Israel, was agreed upon by the other 14 members of the council, which include four of the five permanent members (China, France, UK, and Russia) and all ten non-permanent members (Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia). The proposal would have mandated Israel to revoke all of their restrictions on aid entering Gaza, along with an immediate ceasefire, and Hamas would have been required to release all Israeli hostages. However, the US – a strong ally of Israel and a permanent member of the Security Council – continues to use their power to veto any sort of UN resolution meant to assist the Palestinians suffering in Gaza, stating that the resolution did not work to condemn Hamas. In fact, this is the sixth time the country has vetoed a solution that would have required an immediate ceasefire, claiming that such actions would strengthen Hamas terrorists and prove to them that actions like October 7 are acceptable. Israel backed this view, alleging that the deal would not release the hostages and would fail to bring peace to Gaza. Nevertheless, the other nations of the Security Council strongly condemned the US' decision to veto, with Algeria apologizing to the Palestinian population for not doing enough to save their lives. Pakistan labeled the veto as "a dark moment" and called the US' actions "deeply regrettable and painful," The resolution came just as the United Nations Human Rights Council confirmed that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, as well as the fact that a new Israeli offensive into Gaza City has just begun. The new invasions have led to renewed strikes across Gaza's population epicenter, with Israel aiming to eliminate additional Hamas bases as new intel comes in. It also comes just four days before the beginning of the United Nations General Assembly, where the High-Level Week will begin on Monday. The UN is expected to take significant action to add pressure to Israel to end the war, and various countries such as the UK, France, Canada, and Australia will formally recognize Palestine as a state. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): It snows metal on Venus. There are two types that have been found, galena and bismuthinite. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ( Elisabeth Foley) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Rationale (noun, rash-uh-NAL) - Rationale refers to an explanation or reason for something said or done. It is often used with for , behind , or of . In a Sentence: City council members who oppose the zoning change should be ready to explain their rationale for voting against it. Image credit to Better World Campaign