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The conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its second week, and the escalation has continued into an all-out war. Just one week after Israel struck Iran for the first time, the conflict between the two countries has truly escalated into a serious war, with both countries bombarding each other with missiles and drones. Yesterday, Israel struck the Arak heavy water reactor in northwestern Iran, along with various buildings across Iran's capital city of Tehran, specifically targeting military and nuclear development sites. Over 60 Israeli fighter jets conducted the attacks, which aimed to further destroy Iran's ongoing nuclear program. In response, Iran hit the Soroka Medical Center in the Israeli town of Beer Sheva, along with multiple other locations, injuring dozens of people. However, Israel was able to take down several Iranian drones and missiles that were headed towards them, but the ones that slipped through were able to do serious damage. Airlines across the Middle East, including major American carriers like American and United and European carriers like KLM and Lufthansa have cancelled flights in and out of cities like Doha and Dubai, creating massive headaches for travelers amid a busy summer travel season. The United States is currently trying to handle the situation, with US President Donald Trump attempting to decide between using force or negotiations to put an end to the conflict. Either way, it has done serious damage to both sides, and the war could have devastating consequences if it continues. Fact of the Day: You inhale 50 potentially harmful bacteria every time you breathe. Thankfully, your immune system is working hard all the time, so virtually all of these are promptly destroyed without you feeling a thing. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A small fire that warms you, is better than a large one that burns you. (Danish Proverb) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Emancipation (noun, ih-man-suh-PAY-shun) - Emancipation refers to the act of freeing someone from the restraint, control, or power of another. It is used especially for the act of freeing someone from slavery. In a Sentence: Jomo Kenyatta played a key role in the emancipation of Kenya from European rule in the 1960s and became the first president of the newly independent nation.

Dozens of Palestinians were injured this week after Israeli forces fired into a crowd of people trying to get aid, sparking an investigation from Israel and outrage from humanitarian activitists around the world. Massive crowds of people had congregated on major roads in the city of Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza, attempting to get aid from some of the trucks passing through the area. Aid trucks have been lined up at the Rafah border crossing for weeks, waiting for Israel to allow them in, and now that Israel has finally approved their entry, Gazans are flooding to Rafah and Khan Younis to try and get crucial supplies like food and water. However, Israeli forces fired straight into the massive crowd of Palestinians, launching shells into the congregation. At least 59 people were killed, and over 221 others were injured, 20 of which are still in critical condition. Locals said that they had no clue what was going on, and Israel is still conducting an investigation to discover the cause of the shelling. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Israel has killed Palestinians looking for aid. Reports show that many of the almost 400 Gazans that have been killed by Israeli forces in the past few weeks were looking for aid at the time, and Gaza authorities have confirmed that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed over the past few weeks while trying to get to aid distribution centers. Fact of the Day: ‘Sea level’ isn’t actually level. As the strength of the force generated by the Earth’s spin is strongest at the equator, the average sea level bulges outward there, putting it further from the centre of the Earth than at the poles. Differences in the strength of the Earth’s gravity at different points also cause variation. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe. (Marcus Aurelius) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Jeopardize (verb, JEP-er-dyze) - To jeopardize something or someone is to put them at risk or in danger. In a Sentence: The wrong decision could seriously jeopardize the success of the project.

15 people were killed and at least 156 others were injured after Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine yesterday, specifically targeting the capital city of Kyiv. The strikes hit buildings across the city and lasted for over nine hours, obliterating various apartments and homes. Over 440 drones and 32 missiles were included in the attack, which killed 14 people and injured another 139 in Kyiv and . It is the deadliest attack on the city -- which has a population of around 3 million people -- this year, and one of the most destructive as well. Ukraine responded on Tuesday, launching hundreds of drones into at least 10 different regions of Russia. Most of them were taken down by Russian forces, though. The attack comes just after the G7 summit where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy planned to ask for additional support from the United States, but was not able to. The G7 is a bloc of advanced democracies that aim to prevent global conflict-- it is made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the European Union. At a recent G7 summit in Canada, Zelenskyy planned to meet with United States President Donald Trump to discuss getting more aid, but Trump ended up leaving the summit early to handle the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. However, both Canada and the UK placed major new trade sanctions on Russia in recent days, further pressuring them to back off on their war, and Canada has even offered Ukraine an additional $1.4 billion for military equipment. Fact of the Day: 'New car smell' is a mix of over 200 chemicals. These include the sickly-sweet, toxic hydrocarbons benzene and toluene, along with other harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Let him who would move the world first move himself. (Socrates) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Apologia (noun, ap-uh-LOH-jee-uh) - An apologia is a defense especially of one's opinions, position, or actions. In a Sentence: The opinion piece reads like an apologia for the industry's reckless behavior.

Warning: This article contains sensitive information that may be inappropriate for young children. Vance Boelter, the man who shot two Minnesota lawmakers on Saturday, has been caught after a massive manhunt, and he could face the federal death penalty for his actions. Boelter arrived at the home of Minnesota Senator John Hoffman early on Saturday morning before shooting him nine times, firing another eight bullets at his wife. Miraculously, authorities quickly arrived and took them to the hospital, where they underwent surgery and are making a recovery. However, Boelter continued to the house of Representative Melissa Hortman, fatally shooting her and her husband just as police arrived for a routine check. Read more into the initial incident here . The resulting manhunt was the largest in Minnesota state history, spanning various rural areas around Minneapolis. His car and hat were found in Sibley County, southwest of Minneapolis, on Sunday, where police discovered that he had posed as a police officer during the attacks-- he had been driving a car with police lights and also had a Taser, flashlight, handgun, tactical vest, and other items that any real officer might have had. Several drones found him crawling through some underbrush in the area soon after, and he was eventually arrested near the town of Green Isle, where he maintained a home with his wife and children. He later admitted to the FBI that he had assassinated Hortman and attempted to assassinate Hoffman. Local authorities also found a hit list of over 70 people inside his car, which included at least 45 politicians who were all Democrats. They believe that it is likely he would have continued with the attacks if police had not gone for that routine check on Hortman's house on Saturday morning. In fact, it was later uncovered that Boelter arrived at the homes of two other Minnesota lawmakers that night, but they had both lucked out. After shooting Hoffman, he came to the house of a representative living in the suburb of Maple Grove, and he was captured on camera by the doorbell. However, she was on vacation. Then, he headed to the home of Senator Ann Rest in the town of New Hope, but he encountered another police officer who had already come to her house to check on her after the shooting of Hoffman. The officer assumed Boelter was just another policeman who had come to check on Senator Rest, and he was able to get away quickly. After that, he arrived at the home of the Hortmans, where police found him standing on the porch. He fired at them before making his way into the house, fatally shooting both the representative and her husband, and then escaping on foot. His exact motive is still unclear, but the attacks came as a shock to the entire country-- political assassinations are extremely rare in the United States. US President Donald Trump, among others, also condemned the attacks, establishing that political violence "has no place in the United States of America." Prosecutors have charged Boelter with two counts of second-degree murder and two additional counts of attempted second-degree murder, and they are looking to bring the charges up to first-degree murder. He appeared in court for the first time on Monday, and his initial hearing has been set for June 27. He has also been indicted separately by other officials, which could result in Boelter receiving the federal death penalty. Fact of the Day: Murder rates rise in summer. Ever feel angry or in a bad mood when the weather is hot? Well, you’re not alone. Violent crime goes up in hotter weather, and in the US, murder rates reportedly rise by 2.7 per cent over the summer. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): You have to believe in the long term plan you have but you need the short term goals to motivate and inspire you. (Roger Federer) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Garrulous (adj, GAIR-uh-lus) - Someone described as garrulous is very talkative. When garrulous is used to describe a piece of language (such as a speech), it means “containing many and often too many words; wordy.” In a Sentence: One of the dinner party guests was a garrulous poet whose stories kept most of us in stitches.

The conflict between Israel and Iran has reached its fourth day, and the strikes show no signs of slowing down. Israel was the first to strike on Friday , hitting at least 100 nuclear sites and military bases across Iran with over 200 fighter jets. The attacks also killed several important Iranian generals, as well as various scientists that have been working towards nuclear advancements in Iran. Iran struck back hard, though, bombarding Israel with drone attacks and missile strikes. Most of them were taken down by the United States and Israel's Iron Dome defense system, but some strikes managed to make it through into more populated areas. Then, early on Sunday morning, both countries sent strikes at each other again, beginning in the hours before dawn and continuing into the afternoon. Israel hit over 80 nuclear sites and fuel depots across Iran, including the country's defense ministry headquarters in the capital of Tehran, while Iran struck dozens of different areas across Israel with over 200 missiles. No deaths were reported in Iran from the attacks, but at least 78 people were killed by Israeli strikes on the first day of fighting. Meanwhile, at least 13 people were killed in Israel, and hundreds of others have been injured. While Israel began the attacks with confidence, Iran has showed to be stronger than Israel expected, and while they took out several Iranian higher-ups, they have struck back hard. Iranian missiles, unlike many others, have been able to get by Israel's defenses, and they have done significant damage to Israel in their retaliations. This comes just as the United States has been getting close to achieving a nuclear deal with Iran, hoping to eliminate the threat of Iran gaining nuclear weapons. Now, Israel is striking specific nuclear sites across Iran, achieving the same goal as the United States but using force. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that they will not stop until Iran's nuclear program is completely destroyed, but he has established that it could be weeks before that goal is achieved. Upcoming Events: International Day of Family Remittances (Monday, June 16) World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (Tuesday, June 17) Sustainable Gastronomy Day (Wednesday, June 18) International Day for Countering Hate Speech (Wednesday, June 18) World Refugee Day (Friday, June 20) International Day of Yoga (Saturday, June 21) Summer Solstice (Saturday, June 21) Fact of the Day: Glass sponges can live for 15,000 years. This makes them one of the longest-living organisms on Earth. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. (Hillary Clinton) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Progeny (noun, PRAH-juh-nee) - Progeny refers to the child or descendant of a particular parent or family. Progeny can also refer to the offspring of an animal or plant, or broadly to something that is the product of something else. The plural of progeny is progeny . In a Sentence: Many Americans are the progeny of immigrants.

Warning: This article contains sensitive information that may be inappropriate for young children. A massive manhunt has commenced after the assassination of a Minnesota representative and the attempted assassination of a state senator. In the early hours of yesterday morning, several concerned reports reached local authorities around 2:00 am saying that Senator John Hoffman and his wife had been shot after a man pretending to be a police officer had entered their house. Police quickly arrived at the scene and took the two of them to the hospital, where they have undergone surgery and are expected to survive. However, the other victims of the man's attacks were not as lucky. When authorities came to check on Representative Melissa Hortman's house just one and a half hours later, they noticed a police vehicle in the driveway. A man in a rubber mask exited the house and shot at them before escaping, leaving them to find Hortman and her husband dead inside their home. The suspect was later identified to be 57-year-old Vance Boelter, a director of security at Praetorian Guard Security. He was seen on local security cameras in a cowboy hat later in the morning, but a massive manhunt is currently searching for him. The attack has been presumed to be politically motivated, as Hortman was the lead Democratic Representative for the state of Minnesota. Additionally, Boelter's vehicle was found to contain a list of at least 70 potential targets, including other lawmakers and abortion supporters, who police are calling to warn them of any incoming attacks. Signs saying "No Kings" were also found inside, suggesting that Boelter may have been planning to target a No Kings protest. No Kings protests took place across the United States yesterday to protest against Donald Trump's actions as president, which they view as authoritarian. The protests were organized by the 50501 movement and drew crowds of millions of people-- it was timed to fall on the day of the US Army's 250th anniversary as well as Trump's 79th birthday. Due to this, all No Kings protests were canceled after the shooting, and the FBI is now offering up to $50,000 to anyone who can give them information on Boelter's whereabouts-- a manhunt is still underway, and local police believe that he has most likely already escaped from the Minneapolis area. His picture has also been sent to Canadian authorities to prevent him from fleeing over the border. Fact of the Day: Giraffes hum to communicate with each other. It’s thought that the low-frequency humming could be a form of ‘contact call’ between individuals who have been separated from their herd, helping them to find each other in the dark. Some researchers think they sleep talk too. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Old friends are like gold . New friends are like diamonds. If you get a diamond, don’t forget the gold, because to hold a diamond in a ring, you always need a base of gold. (Unknown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Vexillology (noun, vek-suh-LAH-luh-jee) - Vexillology is the study of flags. In a Sentence: An expert in vexillology , Cynthia has an impressive collection of flags displayed in her home.

The tension between Israel and Iran has escalated into a serious conflict, with both sides striking each other multiple times through yesterday and today. Israel was the first to strike, hitting targets across Iran on Friday morning. They specifically targeted nuclear facilities and other areas with military purposes, killing important generals and scores of scientists, especially in the nuclear field. Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility was also hit, which is the country's largest uranium enrichment facility-- a crucial process that is used to make nuclear weapons. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the initial attacks used over 200 fighter jets that hit at least 100 locations, and they established that they do not expect this conflict to be resolved in one day. Ahead of Iran's retaliation, Israel declared a state of emergency, shutting down schools, hospitals, and airports, and Iran struck back hard. Iran sent over 100 drones into Israel within a few hours of the preliminary attacks, along with ballistic missiles later in the day. Unlike their attacks on Gaza, which hit major areas, Israel confined their strikes on Iran to military and nuclear facilities, avoiding hitting large population centers. Despite that, at least 78 people were killed, and over 300 civilians were injured by blasts and falling debris. However, Iran did the opposite, targeting drone attacks towards some of Israel's most populated areas. The IDF has been working with the assistance of the United States to take down these drones. Before the Israeli strikes, United States President Donald Trump said that they did not want Israel to strike Iran, as it would affect their ongoing negotiations with the Middle Eastern country. Nevertheless, the United States confirmed after the strikes that they knew about the upcoming attack, but denied any involvement in the planning or execution of the strikes. Additionally, after the attacks, Trump called them "successful" and has confirmed that he believes Israel's attacks on Iran could help his negotiations over a nuclear deal with Iran. Currently, Iran is trying to create nuclear weapons, and they have been working on all sorts of aspects of the process like uranium enrichment. However, the US has been unhappy about this, and they have been seeking to strike a deal that will halt Iranian nuclear advancements in exchange for lifting trade embargoes on the country, boosting Iran's economy while protecting their nuclear interests. Now, it is yet to be seen how this conflict plays out. Iran and Israel seem like they are set for a tense, violent time ahead, and the United States has put thier support behind Israel and instructed Iran to quickly agree to a nuclear deal. Fact of the Day: Someone left a family photo on the Moon. When Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke landed on the Moon in 1972, he decided to leave behind a photo of him, his two sons and his wife. The photo remains on the Moon to this day.  Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Don't let the sadness of your past and the fear of your future ruin the happiness of your present. (Unknown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Rambunctious (adj, ram-BUNK-shuss) - Rambunctious describes someone or something showing uncontrolled exuberance. In a Sentence: On my first day of student teaching, I was tasked with managing a class of rambunctious youngsters.

At least 260 people are dead after a devastating plane crash in western India after an Air India flight crashed into a doctors' hostel less than a minute before takeoff. The flight, Air India AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was taking off Ahmedabad, a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, when it went down just after takeoff, crashing into a doctors' hostel near the airport. The flight was headed for London, meaning that dozens of British nationals were also onboard. Footage taken by a nearby onlooker showed the plane slowly going down with its landing gear extended, with the nose pointed up as if it was about to land on the tarmac. The plane slowly descends straight into the hostel, where it briefly goes out of sight before a fiery explosion and a massive plume of thick, black smoke erupts from the crash site. Photos from across the city show a huge tower of smoke over the area, and the tail of the plane was seen sticking out of the side of the hostel wall. The plane landed right on top of the mess hall, where additional pictures showed the roof caved in and blackened debris lying everywhere. 242 people were onboard-- 162 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. Only one passenger aboard survived, sparking various news stories around the world about "the miracle of seat 11A." The man, a British national with an Indian background, is now being treated at a nearby hospital along with dozens of other people who were injured at the hostel after the explosion. The final death toll is yet to be determined, but the crash is already one of the world's deadliest-- it is the worst aviation disaster since Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, killing 298 people. Initial investigations have not been able to confirm an exact cause of the crash yet, but the black boxes are currently being recovered and should be analyzed within a couple of days. The sole surviving passenger on the flight has confirmed that he heard a loud bang before the plane began going down, which occurred less than a minute after takeoff. The plane had only achieved an altitude of around 425 feet above the ground, and the crash site was less than a mile from the runway. However, despite Boeing's consistent issues and accidents over the past few years, the 787-8 Dreamliner has an extremely clean record. The plane has never experienced a crash, though several former Boeing employees did raise concerns over quality control issues on the 787 last year-- Boeing denied those concerns and confirmed that the plane was safe to fly. The Air India plane was 12 years old, meaning that it had likely flown thousands of flights, and a mechanical failure has not been ruled out. Nevertheless, local pilots have stated that birds are common around the Ahmedabad airport, meaning that a bird strike could have also been the cause, as well as pilot error. Experts have maintained that they will not jump to conclusions, and investigations into plane accidents can span months or even years. The black boxes should give investigators a good idea as to what caused the crash, though, and the final death toll is expected to be released when search and rescue efforts come to a close in several days. Fact of the Day: The fear of Friday the 13th is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): One person with a belief is equal to ninety-nine who have only interests. (John Stuart Mill) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Impute (verb, im-PYOOT) - To impute something, such as a motive, act, or emotion, to a person or thing is to assert that the person or thing is guilty of that motive, act, emotion, etc. In a Sentence: It is shocking that they would impute such awful motives to me.

The United States and China have finally come to an agreement on a deal that will see the US resume receiving rare earth minerals and magnets from the East Asian country. US-China relations, which were already quite tense, quickly went downhill after Trump assumed the presidency, with the new leader beginning the implementation of tariffs on countries across the world. China announced that they would place reciprocal tariffs on the US, which sparked a trade war between the two countries. Trump continued raising tariffs to unprecedented levels, reaching as high as 145%-- this made it almost impossible for companies to buy anything from China without paying incredibly high prices. However, China called his bluff, and he later brought the tariffs down to 30% after a truce was agreed upon last month. Nevertheless, China continued to block rare earth mineral and magnet supplies from reaching the US, which quickly became a huge issue. Around 70% of the world's rare earth materials are mined in China, and the country refines 90% of the global supply. These parts are used in everything from renewable energy, specifically wind power; the automotive industry, especially motors for electric vehicles; magnets and other parts in different electronic devices; scalpels and MRI machines in the medical industry; defense satellites and aircraft; and much, much more. This means that China controls a massive amount of the world's manufacturing due to their command over rare earth minerals, and recent restrictions placed on the US and Europe by the East Asian country sparked concerns that they could throttle manufacturing all over the world. Those concerns have been quelled, though, after Trump confirmed that he has agreed to a new deal with China. The deal was negotiated in London, where the two countries have been continuing talks over the last few weeks. It will ensure that China resumes supplying rare earth minerals and magnets to the United States for at least the next six months, and it also prohibits any sort of action preventing Chinese students from attending American universities. The deal also includes a tariff hike from 30% to 55%, although the Trump administration has stated that this is just a combined amount of all of the tariffs from before. This 55% includes Trump's baseline 10% tariff on all countries, a 25% tariff on China that was set months ago, and an additional 20% tariff to prevent the spread of fentanyl from China to the US. Meanwhile, China will maintain a reciprocal tariff of just 10%. While this does not guarantee safe passage for the minerals just yet, as Chinese President Xi Jinping is yet to sign off on the deal, it is anticipated to decrease tensions between the two countries. Despite this, those tensions are not expected to go away completely, meaning that the agreement will most likely bring US-China relations back to where they were before the trade war. Fact of the Day (BBC): The average dinosaur lifespan was surprisingly small. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, for example, reached its adult size between 16-22 years old and lived up until 27-33 years old. The largest dinosaurs, like the Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus tended to live to between 39-53 years old, with the oldest reaching up to 70 years old. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): In the journey to success , tenacity of purpose is supreme. (Aliko Dangote) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Debilitating (adj, dih-BILL-uh-tay-ting) - Debilitating is a formal word used to describe things that seriously impair strength or the ability to function. In a Sentence: She suffers from debilitating migraines.

Warning: This article contains sensitive information that may be unfit for young viewers. At least 10 people are dead after a shooting at a high school in northern Austria, marking one of the worst school shootings in Europe in years. The shooting took place at the Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium (BORG) Dreierschützengasse high school, located in Graz, a city in southern Austria with a population of around 660,000 people. The 21-year-old shooter was confirmed to be former student of the high school, but he had never graduated. He entered the campus around 10 am carrying a shotgun and a pistol, which he had legally obtained. The shooter proceeded to kill six women and three men, and one woman later died in the hospital to raise the death toll of the shocking incident to 10. 12 other students were injured, some critically. Identities of the 10 victims have not been released by Austrian authorities yet, and it is unknown how many of the victims were students and how many were faculty and staff. The shooter was also found dead in one of the bathrooms after committing suicide. Over 300 police officers rushed to the scene to handle the situation, in addition to over 160 paramedics, and everyone was safely evacuated to a nearby stadium within an hour and a half of the shooting. Events like this are relatively uncommon in Europe, where strict gun laws have helped prevent mass shootings and other killings. The United States, on the other hand, experiences dozens of school shootings each year due to its less stringent gun restrictions, while Austria experienced just two mass shootings between 2000 and 2022. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has announced that there will be three days of mourning for the victims of the fatal shooting, and a nationwide minute of silence was observed this morning at 10 am local time to commemorate them. Fact of the Day (BBC): Electrons might be immortal. Scientists have estimated the minimum lifetime of the electron is about 6.6 × 10^28 years – this is 66,000 'yottayears.' Since this is about 5 quintillion times the age of the Universe, even if electrons don’t live forever, they may as well do! Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Don’t give up when things get tough, just hang in there, stay focused and be patient . (Folorunsho Alakija) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Minutia (noun, muh-NOO-shee-uh) - Minutia refers to a small or minor detail. It is usually used in its plural form minutiae . In a Sentence: Unaccustomed to legalese, I was bewildered by the contract's minutiae .