Category: World

Nidal Al-Najar, a top commander in Hamas responsible for their air operations, has been killed. This happened in a careful mission by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA). Al-Najar was one of the key people behind the attack on Israel that took place on October 7.

He played a major role in leading attacks against Israeli soldiers, using drones and other flying devices to target them. This news comes just one day after Hamas warned that if Israel tried to rescue any hostages, they would harm the captives.

The situation in Gaza is very serious, with reports saying over 44,400 Palestinians have died due to Israeli airstrikes. Nearly 90% of the 2.3 million people living in Gaza have been forced to leave their homes, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

On December 5, Dick Van Dyke made a special appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as he gets closer to turning 99 years old. He was joined by Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay. During the show, they had a fun moment where Chris jokingly said, “Barry asked Dick, ‘Dad, can I turn on the pool slide?’” Everyone laughed, especially since Dick and Chris together make 176 years old!

Van Dyke, known for his sharp sense of humor, replied, “I’m old enough to be Joe Biden’s father,” talking about the 82-year-old president. He also joked, “Sometimes I forget things, like right now, I might think I’m on the Jimmy Kimmel Show!” Jimmy Kimmel laughed and said that it happens to him, too.

With a successful career that spans more than 70 years, Dick Van Dyke has become a beloved star in Hollywood. He’s famous for roles in classic movies like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. This June, he became the oldest Daytime Emmy winner for his role in Days of Our Lives. Just last September, he won another award for his special, Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic.

Reflecting on his long career, Dick said, “I can’t believe I’m still here and performing. I’m looking for work if anyone has any!” For his 98th birthday, he told People Magazine that he likes to celebrate quietly with his family. He mentioned, “My wife brings me coffee in bed, and I feel like a king at home.

The New York Times Connections puzzle is a fun way to challenge your brain! It helps you find patterns and links between different words. By grouping related words, you can improve your thinking and problem-solving skills. This puzzle is not just entertaining; it also makes your mind sharper and encourages creative connections.

What is NYT Connections?

Connections, created by Wyna Liu, is a daily word puzzle that is both fun and good for your brain. The goal is to discover hidden links between words that may seem different at first. This game helps you be more creative and improve your logic skills. Plus, it’s a great way to learn new words while keeping your mind active!

Whether you want a quick brain workout or a long puzzle session, Connections is available on any device. The easy-to-use design makes it perfect for anyone, whether you play casually or solve puzzles daily. You can enjoy hours of thought-provoking fun!

How to Play NYT Connections?

In Connections, you need to arrange 16 words into four groups based on common themes. The categories can cover many topics, from books and technology to geography and movies. But be careful! Some words are mixed in to confuse you! Each puzzle has one correct solution, so you’ll need to think wisely and creatively.

Are you ready to play? Jump into Connections, find the hidden links, and see how many connections you can discover!

Over 40 years ago, an event called the Hama Massacre shocked the Arab world. In February 1982, the Syrian president at the time, Hafez Assad, ordered a violent attack on the city of Hama. Thousands of people—estimates range from 10,000 to 40,000—were killed or went missing during this month-long siege. Hama was known for its beautiful waterwheels along the Orontes River, but the name soon became known for the terrible violence that occurred there.

Hama was a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that was against the government. Hafez Assad wanted to stop their protests and ordered warplanes to bomb the city, which was followed by ground troops. His brother, Rifaat Assad, led the attack, earning him the nickname “the Butcher of Hama.” Recently, Rifaat was charged with war crimes related to this attack.

Fast forward to 2011, the Syrian civil war began, which many believe is connected to the events of Hama. Hama became a key place for protests against Hafez Assad’s son, Bashar Assad. During the protests, residents painted parts of the city red, showing their anger over the massacre that happened 30 years earlier. A popular chant in the protests was “Erhal ya Bashar,” meaning “Come on, leave, Bashar!”

In August 2012, government forces returned to Hama and violently attacked the city again, killing many and shutting down the opposition. This sad history makes Hama very important in the ongoing conflict in Syria. Recently, the leader of the Syrian insurgency announced that they had taken back control of Hama, trying to heal the wounds of the past.

Hama is located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Damascus, the capital. It connects different areas of Syria and is important for transporting resources. If insurgents take control of Hama, they could also aim for the city of Homs, which holds strategic value because of its oil refinery and connection to Damascus. Homs’ fall to insurgents could significantly change the situation in the Syrian civil war.

Hannah Kobayashi, a 30-year-old photographer from Hawaii, went missing after missing her flight to New York and getting stuck in Los Angeles. Her sister, Sydni, and their lawyer, Sara Azari, talked about their family’s confusion and worry on NBC News. They said that the police have decided to call Hannah a “voluntary missing person,” meaning they think she left on her own.

Sydni is very worried because Hannah usually stays in touch. A video showed Hannah crossing into Mexico, and police said she looked okay, but her family is not convinced. The lawyer argued that saying someone is missing voluntarily should come after a more thorough search.

Sydni sent a message to Hannah, saying how much she is loved and that her family wants her to come home. The family is still hopeful and thanked the police for their help in finding Hannah. Tragically, while searching for her, Hannah’s dad, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide.

If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help. You can call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Mexican health officials have reported the sad news that 13 children have died in hospitals in central Mexico. Their deaths may have been caused by contaminated IV bags used in four health centers. The children were all very young, some even infants, and they were receiving treatment for various illnesses.

Health experts believe that an outbreak of a bacteria called Klebsiella oxytoca may be behind these deaths. So far, 20 cases of this bacteria have been identified, with 15 confirmed, while four are likely cases, and one has been ruled out. Unfortunately, 13 children have already died, and seven are still in the hospital.

To protect public health, Mexico’s health ministry has sent out an alert. They also told health inspectors to stop using intravenous solutions from a company called Productos Hospitalarios until they figure out what is happening. The health ministry is working hard to find the source of this outbreak and has asked every healthcare worker to report any new cases they find. They want to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Mexican health officials have reported the sad deaths of 13 children in central Mexico after they possibly received contaminated IV bags at four medical centers. The children’s deaths happened in three public hospitals and one private clinic in the State of Mexico. Health experts believe the cause could be the bacteria Klebsiella oxytoca, but they are still confirming this.

Why is this important? The Mexican Health Ministry has issued a health alert, warning hospitals to stop using IV solutions from a company called Productos Hospitalarios. However, it hasn’t been confirmed if this company provided the contaminated bags.

All the victims were very young, ranging from infants to 14 years old. So far, health authorities have found 20 cases of this bacteria, with 15 confirmed cases, 4 likely cases, and 1 ruled out. Sadly, 13 children died, while 7 others are still in the hospital. Doctors are still trying to figure out the exact cause of death for the 13 children.

Officials are working hard to track down where the outbreak started and are monitoring other areas to prevent more cases. The health ministry also urged medical staff to report any possible cases immediately.

Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, is one of the richest people in the U.S., with a fortune of $127 billion. When he dies, he should pay a 40% tax on his wealth, which means billions would go to the government. However, Huang has found clever ways to avoid much of this tax, allowing his family to keep around $8 billion. This is part of a trend where very wealthy people use complicated tax strategies to protect their money from taxes meant for estates.

The estate tax, which only affects a small number of very rich people, hasn’t produced much revenue for the government in the last two decades, even though the wealth of the richest increased a lot. In 2000, if the estate tax had grown with overall wealth, it could have brought in around $120 billion last year, but instead, it only raised about a quarter of that amount.

Huang’s tax avoiding methods include using special types of trusts that let him move millions of Nvidia shares into a safe place. For example, in 2012, he put around 584,000 Nvidia shares worth $7 million into a trust. Today, those shares are worth over $3 billion, but rather than paying a huge tax on that, his family will likely owe only a few hundred thousand dollars.

In 2016, Huang set up more trusts with even more Nvidia shares. Those shares are now worth over $15 billion. This will save his family about $6 billion in estate taxes when he dies. If he sells shares from these trusts, he will face a large capital gains tax, but he can cover that bill without it being taxable to his heirs.

Additionally, Huang has used his charitable foundation to donate Nvidia shares, which have reduced his taxable income, allowing him to save even more money. Since his foundation has funneled a lot of money into a donor-advised fund (where he still has some control), it means his family can avoid paying estate taxes when he passes away. In recent years, 84% of the foundation’s donations went to this fund. The shares donated have significantly reduced his potential estate tax, saving his family up to $800 million.