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Eight people were killed and 17 others were injured in a devastating stabbing attack in eastern China, marking the second time in under a week that a mass attack has taken place in the East Asian country. The attack occurred at the Wuxi Yixing Arts and Crafts Vocational and Technical College at around 6:30 in the evening, located in the city of Wuxi in Jiangsu province. The stabber, a 21-year-old man with the surname Xu, was refused his college diploma following a poor result on his final exam as he graduated this year. He was also unhappy with the salary of his internship, leading to the attack. The man admitted to carrying out the stabbing as soon as he was apprehended, but a thorough investigation is still underway. Not much is known about the attack, as China tries to keep the details of incidents like this under wraps. Online posts about these types of attacks are quickly taken down, and journalists are prevented from reporting on them. Chinese citizens are also blocked from seeing any information relating to the incident, as their browsers are censored by the country's Great Firewall. This comes just after China's worst attack in a decade, which occurred earlier this week after 35 people were killed at a sports center in Zhuhai when a car drove into crowds of people. 2024 has been particularly bad for China in terms of attacks due to general dissatisfaction among the public at their social and financial situations. In May, two people were killed and another 10 people were injured at an attack in an elementary school in Jiangxi province, and another two people were killed in an attack on a hospital in the province of Yunnan. In June, three people were killed at a train station in Shanghai, and a bus attendant was killed onboard a Japanese school bus in the city of Suzhou. In July, a knife attack killed three people in the city of Shenyang, and in September, a man stabbed a student on the streets of Shenzhen, located in the heavily-populated province of Guangdong. Upcoming Events: World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence (Monday, November 18) World Toilet Day (Tuesday, November 19) Africa Industrialization Day (Wednesday, November 20) World Children's Day (Wednesday, November 20) World Philosophy Day (Thursday, November 21) World Television Day (Thursday, November 21) World Conjoined Twins Day (Sunday, November 24) Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib (Sunday, November 24) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Ferrets are illegal in California and Hawaii because of the danger they pose to native wildlife if let into the wild. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): One’s best success comes after their greatest disappointments . (Henry Ward Beecher) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Grandiloquence (noun)- Grandiloquence is a formal word that refers to the use of extravagantly colorful or pompous language often in order to sound impressive and important. In a Sentence: He was known for the flowery grandiloquence of his speeches which, his passionate delivery notwithstanding, always caused more than a few listeners to doze off.

Typhoon Man-Yi is pummeling the northern Philippines, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to a region that has been devastated by several other typhoons in the past few months. Man-Yi began in the middle of the Pacific Ocean over a week ago, thousands of miles away from any sort of land. It moved west at a steady pace before picking up speed early last week, blazing past Guam as a tropical storm. Man-Yi then continued its westward path into warmer waters, where it rapidly strengthened before approaching the Philippines on Friday. The storm made a brief landfall on Catanduanes Island, located on the far eastern side of the Philippines, as a raging typhoon with winds of over 160 mph-- equivalent to those of a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic. As it re-emerged into the Pacific, the typhoon slightly weakened to a Category 4 before making a second landfall on the archipelago's largest island of Luzon, which is also home to the capital city of Manila. However, the storm ended up tracking north of Manila, dealing more damage to rural mountain towns on Luzon but having a much weaker impact on the heavily-populated urban sprawl of the capital city. Over 850,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm, as much of Luzon is mountainous and extremely susceptible to flash flooding and landslides. Over half of the population of Catanduanes -- around 40,000 people -- were also evacuated as their homes were destroyed in the howling winds. Power was knocked out to Catanduanes as Man-Yi made landfall, and widespread power outages are also expected across Luzon. Dozens of airports and ports were also shut down, affecting air travel and leaving thousands of people stuck on cargo ships and ferries as the storm closed in. As the storm made landfall, storm surge of over 10 feet slammed into the coastline, with the surge reaching as high as 23 feet in some areas. Due to the impacts of the typhoon, many isolated areas are without cellular signal or electricity, preventing them from communicating with authorities or family members. The Philippines has been hit hard by typhoons recently-- Man-Yi is the sixth typhoon to hit the archipelago in the last month alone. Typhoons Kong-rey, Yinxing, Trami, Toraji, and Usagi have continually battered the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rain since mid-October, killing over 160 people, displacing over 9 million others, and destroying crucial farms and businesses. While the Philippines is no stranger to natural disasters -- they face over 20 typhoons each year and are located on the Ring of Fire, which sparks earthquakes and volcano eruptions -- climate change is worsening these ongoing issues, creating more frequent, stronger disasters. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Benjamin Franklin reportedly wanted to banish C from the alphabet—along with J, Q, W, and X—and replace them with six letters he invented himself. Doing so, Franklin claimed, would simplify the English language. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Things will take years to create, but minutes to destroy. (Kannada Proverb) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Steadfast (adj)- Someone described as steadfast is very devoted or loyal to a person, belief, or cause. Steadfast is also used to describe something, such as support, that remains unchanging. In a Sentence: Despite the singer’s recent change in creative direction, his true fans have remained steadfast .

Tropical Storm Sara slammed into Honduras yesterday, and it continues to batter Central America with heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous landslides. Sara began as a tropical depression in the southern Caribbean Sea, quickly moving westward with minimal strengthening. Hurricane season normally comes to a close in November, as water temperatures drop below the levels needed to fuel tropical development. However, due to climate change, waters are staying unusually warm through November and even December, allowing tropical storms to form extremely late in the season. Sara slightly strengthened to a tropical storm before it made a brief landfall in the northeast corner of Honduras, bringing heavy rain and moderate winds of around 45 mph. The winds were not expected to be much of an issue, but the rain poses a serious threat to the entire region. Mountains cover around 82% of Honduras, consisting of countless small peaks and steep slopes that are covered in a thick layer of rainforest. Guatemala and El Salvador are also covered in forested mountains, and the neighboring country of Belize also contains a small mountain range. This makes Central American countries exceedingly vulnerable to landslides and mudslides, which can obliterate villages in a matter of seconds. Widespread totals across Honduras have already surpassed 20 inches of rain, with localized totals expected to reach as high as 30 inches. Other countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, and Belize could also see over a foot of rain as Sara travels northwest through the area. Tropical storm alerts were put into place across Honduras prior to Sara's arrival, and similar alerts are also in place for the other regions in the storm's path. The storm is currently north of Honduras, heading towards Belize. It is expected to make a second landfall sometime tomorrow morning before moving through Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Earlier forecasts had expected Sara to cross the Yucatán and emerge into the Gulf of Mexico, but updated projections have shown that it may be more likely that the storm simply fizzles out over land. In addition, supposing the storm does emerge into the Gulf, it would likely dissipate quickly due to high wind shear and lower water temperatures at this time of year. Sara is just the latest in a strong, busy Atlantic hurricane season that has been unpredictable and deadly. It is the 18th named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2024, and the third to form in November. November storms are rare, with approximately one November tropical storm every other year and one November hurricane every three years. This year, though, there have been two tropical storms and one hurricane-- the latter of which was Rafael, which battered Cuba last week with winds of over 115 mph and heavy rain. Unfortunately, with climate change, hurricane season will continue to get longer and longer, leading to more frequent, stronger storms every year. A prime example of this was seen during the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, where a staggering 30 named storms formed-- amongst them were 14 hurricanes, 7 of which were major hurricanes (Category 3 or above). By comparison, an average season contains 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): A bee has to visit two million flowers in order to generate just one pound of honey. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. (Benjamin Franklin) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Cachet (noun)- Cachet is used as a syn onym of prestige to refer to the respect and admiration someone or something receives for being successful or important. It can also be used to refer to a characteristic feature or quality that confers such prestige. In a Sentence: His research in Antarctica gave him a certain cachet among other scientists.

Toxic-Free Future has released their latest report on the top 50 retailers in the US and Canada, with some distressing results. Toxic-Free Future is a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering different chemicals and pollutants in household products. They conduct a study every few years to discover how safe the products are from 50 of the biggest retailers in the United States and Canada, working to eliminate dangerous chemicals like PFAS, lead, and oil-based plastics. In total, the study ranks companies using four main criteria: Corporate Commitment, Transparency, Ban the Bad, and Safer Solutions. The first part assesses how committed companies are to making changes, while the second discovers their transparency-- in other words, how easily a customer can find out the contents of the product. The third category, Ban the Bad, scores the number of dangerous chemicals that the company has banned or is attempting to ban, and the last section assesses the company's financial investments into finding solutions to remove dangerous chemicals from their and their suppliers' products. Unfortunately, this year's report delivered some poor results-- out of the 50 retailers on the report, 17 received a failing grade (F), and the average across the board was an abysmal D+. Only four retailers received an A: Apple (A), Sephora (A-), Target (A-), and Walmart (A-). Sam's Club, a warehouse store owned by Walmart, also received an A-. Next, only three stores received any sort of B: Whole Foods Market (B), IKEA (B), and Ulta Beauty (B-). 26 companies received a C or a D, significantly bringing down the total average. Lastly, 7-Eleven, Ahold Delhaize, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Chipotle, Five Below, Inspire Brands (subsidiaries include Arby's, Baskin Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John's, Sonic, and Dunkin'), LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators), Macy’s, McDonald’s, Nordstrom, Publix, Sally Beauty, Sherwin-Williams, Sobeys, Subway, Trader Joe’s, and Yum! Brands (subsidiaries include Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC) all received an F. Receiving an F is an automatic induction into Toxic-Free Future's "Toxic Hall of Shame," which includes Of those 17 companies, Trader Joe's, Sherwin-Williams, Sally Beauty, Publix, Five Below, Alimentation Couche-Tard, and 7-Eleven all received zeros. Receiving a zero means that the company is taking absolutely no action to remove dangerous chemicals from their products. Studies like these are becoming more and more important as the number of chemicals in everyday products rises. Dangerous chemicals like PFAS, PVC, phthalates, and bisphenols are becoming more common across several industries, harmful food additives are being seen in processed foods and candies, and heavy metals like lead are being found in popular foods like dark chocolate. However, that is not the only place these harmful chemicals can be found. In fact, PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, are found in virtually everything, from clothing to carpets to packaging to cosmetics to paints to flame retardants. PFAS is even in the air we breathe and the water we drink-- recent studies have shown that PFAS is present in the blood of over 98% of Americans. It is crucial that people try their best to eliminate these harmful products from their lifestyles, as a buildup of these chemicals in people's bodies can lead to scores of health problems-- a few of which include metabolism changes, hormone disruption, developmental issues, eye damage, liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues, and cancer. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): In 1887, engineers began to reverse the flow of the Chicago River to stop pollution from contaminating the city’s water supply. The reversal was completed in 1900. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): When hands are joined, no one can point fingers. (Jason Mraz) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Raddled (adj)- Someone described as raddled is in a confused or befuddled state (as from drinking). Raddled can also describe things that are broken-down or worn. In a Sentence: We were met at the door by a raddled old man who turned out to be the actor’s father, and who in his day had also been an estimable presence on the London stage.

35 people were killed in a deadly car attack on Monday in Zhuhai, China, proving how dangerous a poor mental state can be. The car attack took place near the city of Zhuhai, a large city located on the Pearl River Delta, which is also home to Macau, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen. It has a population of about 2.5 million people. Witnesses stated that they had been exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Center when a car barreled onto the track, driving in a loop as it hit dozens of people. Before exiting, the car ran over scores of people, killing 35 citizens and injuring at least 43 others. Police rushed to the scene after the incident and managed to detain the culprit-- a 62-year-old man with the last name Fan. According to initial investigations, the man was unhappy with his recent divorce settlement over a property dispute, leading to the rampage. He is currently in a coma and is being treated for "self-inflicted wounds," as he was found injured in his car with a knife. However, China seems to be attempting to keep the accident under wraps. All queries on local search engines have been heavily censored by the country's Great Firewall over the past few days, but footage of the aftermath of the attack has been posted by users of X, formerly Twitter. Multiple other websites have also been able to slip by China's online defenses, allowing small amounts of information to slip through to the rest of the world. Officials have completely shut down the sports center as they clean up the mess, and almost no information has been available through Chinese news sources or social media platforms. For over a day after the attack, any blog, news, or social media posts referring to the incident were quickly taken down, leaving most of the details unknown. This is common practice in China, where any information or video pertaining to large incidents is thoroughly censored by the government. In fact, in one video posted by the BBC, a news reporter was seen speaking about the attack when a Chinese man walked up to the camera and aggressively forced them to stop filming, pushing the reporter and hitting the camera until they stopped their broadcast. Chinese President Xi Jinping has confirmed that the offender will face serious punishment, and he has called for officials to ensure that catastrophes like Monday's disaster do not occur again. Unfortunately, random attacks like this have happened several times in the past few months: a knife attack at a supermarket in Shanghai in October killed three people and injured 15 others, a stabbing in Shenzhen in September killed a 10-year-old boy, a large bus crash in the province of Shandong in September killed 11 people, and a knife attack in the province of Yunnan in May killed two people and injured 21 others. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): If you put your two fists together, with fingers touching, that is approximately the size of your brain. An adult brain weighs around three pounds-- usually around 2% of their body weight. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Life is a play that does not allow testing. So, sing, cry, dance, laugh and live intensely, before the curtain closes and the piece ends with no applause. (Charlie Chaplin) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Labile (adj)- Someone or something described as labile is readily open to change. Labile can also be used as a synonym of unstable to describe things that are readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown. In a Sentence: The director was known for being exacting but also labile , open to actors' interpretations of characters.

Toxic smog has engulfed northern India and Pakistan in recent weeks, leading to hundreds of hospitalizations. Smog, a combination of smoke and fog, is a dangerous type of air pollution that causes severe damage to the lungs. Large cities like India's New Delhi and Pakistan's Lahore experience poor air quality year-round, as their massive populations produce thousands of tonnes of CO2 per day. Power plants, vehicles, and trash combustion are the largest sources of air pollution in these large cities, but air in rural areas and farms usually stays relatively clean. However, during the post-monsoon season, which falls from October to December, farms begin burning the fields to prepare for the next round of crops to be planted. Winter also generally has less rain and wind, and the colder air brings the pollution low to the ground, as warm air rises and cold air sinks. These factors, coupled with the usual pollution, bring a thick layer of smog to northern India and Pakistan during winter. Unfortunately, this time around, the pollution has been significantly worse than previous years. New Delhi's air quality has been hazardous for weeks, averaging out around 350 on the Air Quality Index (AQI), according to IQAir. Localized air quality levels are exceeding 450 in some areas, which is extremely hazardous to health. On the other hand, air pollution in northern Pakistan is even worse. Lahore has averaged an AQI of over 1,000 over the last few days, with local totals going over 1,500. The nearby city of Multan is also averaging similar numbers, along with most of the country's Punjab province. In fact, pollution levels in the region are so bad that the smog can even be seen from space-- staggering images taken from NASA Worldview showed a thick layer of white smog covering all of northern India and Pakistan. Air pollution is dangerous to be around, and its effects are plaguing thousands of people across Pakistan. Air pollution can cause a large variety of adverse health effects immediately, including irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat and breathing difficulties like coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and asthma. High exposure to air pollution can also increase the chances of a heart attack, stroke, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and neurological issues like dementia and cognitive impairment, and can also cause high blood pressure, pneumonia, and cataracts in the long run. Over 30,000 people have been hospitalized with various ailments from exposure to severe air pollution, and countless outdoor activities have been shut down. Schools and government buildings have been closed until Sunday, an d outdoor sports events, exhibitions, festivals, and outdoor dining have all been shut down until the pollution dissipates. Markets, shops and malls are being forced to close by 8 pm as well-- only necessary locations like pharmacies, gas stations, and medically-related businesses are being allowed to stay open. The pollution should fade away in the coming months, but a natural solution to the problem is not expected to arrive for another few weeks, at the least. Until then, residents living in the area should avoid going outside, minimize travel, and keep air circulating inside the house to prevent the pollution from reaching their lungs and helping them maintain their health. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Male penguins usually gift a female penguin a pebble to win her over. That pebble is then used to make their nest where they lay their eggs. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. (Willie Nelson) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Armistice (noun)- An armistice is an agreement to stop fighting a war, or in other words, a truce. In a Sentence: Both sides in the conflict agreed to an armistice .

Cuba was hit hard by two strong earthquakes yesterday which shook the Caribbean, but they are only the latest in a swath of recent disasters to strike the island country. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the stronger earthquake had an epicenter around 25 miles south-southwest of the town of Bartolomé Masó, shaking buildings hundreds of miles away. The epicenter was located off the coast of the Granma Province on a peninsula in the southeast portion of the island, which has a population of around 740,000 people. The province is relatively unpopulated, as a large part of the province is national park while the rest of the region is farmland. The area where the quakes struck is located exactly on the tectonic plate boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates, which move horizontally in opposite directions-- known as a transform plate boundary. The first earthquake struck at 10:50 am on Sunday morning with a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter scale, while the second hit around one hour later with a magnitude of 6.8. Several aftershocks were reported in the hours afterward, but none were extremely powerful. In addition, the earthquake was felt across the Caribbean-- strong tremors were felt in Jamaica and Haiti, along with large Cuban cities like Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Las Tunas. Residents quickly rushed outside into open spaces, away from any buildings or trees, and remained outside for hours before it became safe to reenter their homes. However, no serious damage was reported, apart from small cracks in walls or roofs. Many buildings in rural areas of Cuba are crumbling due to their age and haphazard construction, which makes them more vulnerable to natural disasters. Thankfully, no one was killed in the quakes, but multiple landslides were reported in more mountainous areas within the Granma and Santiago de Cuba provinces. This comes just after countless issues with electricity in the last month. In early October, one of Cuba's primary power plants ran out of fuel, bringing down the entire country's power grid. Power was on and off for the next few weeks until Hurricane Rafael slammed into the island as a Category 3 hurricane, forcing thousands of evacuations, destroying hundreds of homes, and taking out the power grid once again. Just as Cuba has begun to recover, they are reeling from several strong earthquakes, which just add onto the list of problems that they have faced in the last few months. Upcoming Events: World Diabetes Day (Thursday, November 14) International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime (Friday, November 15) Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib (Friday, November 15) International Day for Tolerance (Saturday, November 16) World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (Sunday, November 17) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Each team playing in the Super Bowl gets 108 footballs. Of those, 54 are for practice, and 54 are for the actual game. Also, typically, 120 balls are used during the actual game. The additional ones are kicker footballs, used for all kicking plays. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever. (Roy T. Bennett) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Truncate (verb)- To truncate something—such as a discussion or essay—is to make it shorter. In a Sentence: The interview was truncated and edited for clarity.

Tens of thousands of people are taking to the streets in Valencia, Spain, to protest against the government's handling of the region's devastating flooding last week. The floods occurred last week when large rain bands crossed eastern and southern Spain, dumping over a foot of rain onto large cities like Valencia and Seville. At least 220 people were killed, and search-and-rescue teams are still searching for over 80 people who remain missing. Many people were swept away by the raging rivers on streets, as rain caused the ocean and several rivers to overflow. Valencia residents described the arrival of the water as a "tsunami" as a massive wall of water charged through the city, bringing people, cars, belongings, and even entire homes with it. Soon after the incident, locals began blaming the regional government for their late warning on the flooding. While the country's national weather service issued storm warnings several days before the rains even hit, Valencia's regional weather service only issued a warning two hours after the flooding had begun. Due to this, residents were unprepared for the major flooding that would eventually occur, leaving locals vulnerable in open areas. People in cars were quickly washed away, while others on the streets were either swept up by the currents or managed to cling onto some sort of firm item like a tree or lightpole. In recent days, residents of Valencia have become increasingly angry over the alleged failure to warn citizens as the death toll continues to rise, leading them to take to the streets. Earlier this week, locals threw mud and other items at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the king and queen of Spain during their visit to Paiporta, one of the hardest-hit towns in the Valencia region. A massive protest on Saturday involved tens of thousands of people who protested mostly non-violently for the resignation of Carlos Mazón, the president of the Valencian government. One banner state d, "Our hands are stained with mud, yours with blood," along with chants of the same line as swaths of people surrounded the Valencia City Hall. However, some protestors near the City Hall turned violent, throwing objects like rocks and chairs, breaking windows, and even starting a fire. They also smeared the building with mud and handprints. The small bit of violence forced police to step in, pushing back crowds using batons. In his defense, Mazón has said that he did not get enough information from the central government to be able to issue a warning and that Valencian officials did not receive a proper notification on the true dangers of the incoming floods. Valencia is only beginning to recover from this devastating natural disaster, and the frequency of these events will only increase as climate change worsens. In fact, 2024 is expected to be the first year in history to cross the threshold of the Paris Agreement, which states that warming needs to be kept under 1.5 degrees Celsius to prevent irreparable damage to all of Earth's ecosystems. Unfortunately, this may become a slippery slope, as one effect will lead to another, eventually heating the world even faster. We are currently at the crucial tipping point where the world will decide the future of global warming, but very few countries are taking action. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Ostrich eggs are the largest eggs in the animal world-- they measure around 6 inches long and 5 inches wide, weighing an average of three pounds. As a comparison, that is around 20 times the size of a chicken egg. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. (Jack Welch) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Feign (verb)- To feign something (such as surprise, ignorance, or sleep) is to pretend to feel or be affected by it. In a Sentence: I would never feign illness just to get out of a test.

Polio vaccines have finally arrived in the Gaza Strip, providing some health benefits to an area that has been ravaged by war and is currently at risk of a major outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have been attempting to get polio vaccines into Gaza for months, aiming to execute a two-phase vaccination plan to prevent the spread of polio in children. However, those plans have been hindered by Israel's war efforts. Polio is a highly contagious viral disease that is usually asymptomatic, but it can cause severe paralysis and even death. Poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, spreading through respiratory droplets or contaminated water. It proceeds to multiply in the intestines before entering the nervous system, where it heads towards the brain. Once the poliovirus is in the spinal cord, it begins destroying cells, causing muscle wasting and paralysis. If the polio is left untreated for long enough, it can even cause death. In fact, in the 1940s and 1950s, when polio was at its peak, the virus killed or paralyzed over 500,000 people per year. After poliovirus was detected in wastewater in Gaza in July, talks of vaccinations began. Then, a 10-year-old boy became the first child to be paralyzed by polio since 1999, increasing fears of a local outbreak. The first stage of the vaccinations took place back in September, during which Israel and Hamas agreed to pause the fighting to allow the UN to vaccinate children. They vaccinated a total of 640,000 children across northern, central, and southern Gaza, making the first part if the mission a success. Unfortunately, due to intense warring in Gaza, the second stage of polio vaccines has not been completed. Children require at least two doses of the vaccine to attain 90% immunity to polio, while three doses provides 99% immunity. However, the second dose has only been administered to 94,000 children in Gaza, as northern Gaza remains under siege by Israel. Israel has blocked off large portions of northern Gaza, preventing over 100,000 citizens from getting access to the much-needed food, water, and medicine waiting outside. Israel denies that it is preventing aid from entering Gaza, but their blockade is also preventing UNICEF from vaccinating children at risk of polio in the area. The only way for the UN to vaccinate children in northern Gaza would be a temporary ceasefire or the removal of Israel's blockades, neither of which seem to be arriving anytime soon. Israel continues to pound Gaza with strikes and bombings until Hamas is completely obliterated, meaning that the war could continue for several more years. Meanwhile, they are also striking up conflicts with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have also done major damage. So far, the death toll in the Gaza war has surpassed 43,000 as more people are killed day by day, and almost 3,000 additional people have been killed in Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of people have been injured, tens of thousands more are without food and water, and millions of people have been displaced by the conflicts. Upcoming Events: Melbourne Cup (Monday, November 4) World Tsunami Awareness Day (Tuesday, November 5) US Elections (Tuesday, November 5) International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict (Wednesday, November 6) World Science Day for Peace and Development (Sunday, November 10) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The city of Boise, Idaho, celebrates the New Year by dropping a 16-foot-tall steel-and-foam potato. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come. (Dwayne Johnson) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Extricate (verb)- To extricate someone or something is to free or remove that person or thing from an entanglement or difficulty, such as a trap or a difficult conversation. In a Sentence: She hasn't been able to extricate herself from her legal problems.

Five people were injured and over 60 people were arrested following violent attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, and the Dutch government has labeled the attacks as antisemitic. Following an intense soccer match between the Dutch club of Ajax and the Israeli team of Maccabi Tel Aviv, fights broke out on the normally-calm streets of Amsterdam on Friday, the capital of the Netherlands. Supporters and players of Maccabi Tel Aviv were chased by rioters on scooters, who were pursued by the makeshift gangs and beaten up on the streets. The brief, violent attacks were described as "hit-and-runs" by officials. Reports from victims of the attacks also stated that some men were on motorcycles, and others were chasing them with knives instead of their fists. Five Israelis were injured in the attacks, but they have been released from the hospital. A further 20 to 30 Israeli soccer fans were minimally injured, and a total of 62 people have been arrested in connection to the attacks. Hundreds of police officers were deployed across the city to search for gang members, scattering the group and forcing them to spread out across the city. Most, if not all, of the criminals were caught later on by the police. The quarrels began at the soccer match itself, as security guards were forced to keep pro-Palestinian supporters and Israeli supporters apart to prevent violence. Nevertheless, the attacks began taking place after the match, after the security was gone. The violence seemed to be centered on Gaza, as the attackers were seen yelling slogans or taglines in support of Palestine. Meanwhile, Israelis were seen condemning Palestine using obscenities and profanity in other videos and news articles, as well as physical violence-- the footage showed people attacking a taxi and tearing down Palestinian flags in support of Israel. Amsterdam has temporarily banned all demonstrations for at least three days until the tension settles down, which was exacerbated by the fact that the antisemitic attacks took place in the same town known for famous Holocaust victim Anne Frank. The attacks also happen to coincide with the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, during which Nazis killed dozens of Jews and destroyed hundreds of stores in a night of intense violence in 1938. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared this year's attacks to those on Kristallnacht in a government statement, saying that there " is only one difference-- in the meantime, the Jewish state has been established. " Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof stated that he was "horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens," calling the incident "completely unacceptable." Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called the attacks "horrific & deeply shameful for us in Europe" on X. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his shock at Friday's violence, and he also condemned the antisemitic nature of the attacks. U.S. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt also condemned the attacks and called for an investigation-- what happened, how did it happen, how can we prevent it from happening again, etc. El Al, an Israeli airline, quickly sent airplanes to bring Israeli citizens back to their country, preventing any further violence against them in Amsterdam. Israel instructed its citizens to return to the country as soon as possible and to avoid displaying any signs that may hint at or reveal the fact that they are Jewish. This comes as Israel continues its war on Gaza into its second year, sparking protests and demonstrations around the world to help Palestinians and end the war. In the process of eliminating Hamas, Israel has killed over 43,000 Palestinians across Gaza, and new data shows that around 70% of those are women and children. Israelis all over the world have suffered from various antisemitic attacks in this process, and all of it will most likely continue until Israel and Hamas come to an agreement to end the war. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Maryland is the wealthiest state in the United States, as measured by median household income. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. (Oprah Winfrey) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Inchoate (adj)- Inchoate is a for mal adjective and synonym of vague that describes something that is not completely formed or developed yet. In a Sentence: In the podcast, the author described the process by which she took a series of inchoate vignettes and shaped them into her best-selling novel.