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Contents: Storms Kill At Least 21 during Memorial Day Weekend Israeli Attack on Rafah Kills At Least 45 Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Over the weekend, tornado-creating storms have killed at least 21 people in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kentucky. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power and electricity on Monday, and severe thunderstorms raged throughout the country on Sunday night. For Georgia and some of South Carolina, the weather service put out a severe thunderstorm watch until Monday afternoon. As for New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, another severe thunderstorm watch was enacted until Monday evening. In a speech, United States President Joe Biden gave condolences to all the people who died. The war in Gaza has already taken many lives, but an Israeli attack on the city of Rafah has killed at least 45 people after an airstrike struck a refugee tent. The attack happened on Sunday night, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike was not meant to kill civilians. Israel's military released a statement saying the strike killed two senior Hamas officials. Still, there has been large condemnation of Israel by countries around the world. French President Emmanuel Macron made a post on the social media platform X, urging Israel to halt their operations and highlighting how there are barely any safe areas left in Rafah for Palestinian citizens. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly also made a public statement on X, emphasizing that Canada does not support the latest Israeli military operations in Rafah in any way and calling for the end of the conflict. The attacks in Rafah also continued into Monday, with another airstrike on a house killing seven people and tanks bombarding the city, killing at least eight more. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The Mississippi River is 2,340 miles long, making it the third-largest watershed in the world (after the Amazon and Congo drainage basins). Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is. (Ernest Hemingway) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Glean (verb) - To glean is to gather or collect something bit by bit, or in a gradual way. Glean can also be used to mean “to search (something) carefully” and “to find out.” In a Sentence: Neil has a collection of antique tools gleaned from flea markets and garage sales.

Contents: At Least 670 Dead After Massive Landslide Strikes Papua New Guinea Recap of the Indian Premier League Final Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day At least 670 people are dead and the search is on for survivors after a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea a couple of days ago. The landslide struck very early in the morning on Friday, around 3 am, and sent massive rocks and tons of dirt tumbling down on three villages in the Enga Province. The province is quite secluded and is in the central part of Papua New Guinea within a valley, meaning that only one main road goes in and out of the villages. Since the valley walls are steep and consistent, heavy rains are common, landslides occur a lot. However, officials have stated that this could be one of the country's largest landslides ever. The death toll was originally placed at a few dozen, but it quickly rose by hundreds as bodies were discovered throughout the weekend. Over 4,000 people live in the area buried by the landslide, but the number of people in the villages may have been much more due to the fact that numerous residents of surrounding villages had come to the area to get away from nearby conflicts between native tribes. Many of the homes in the villages were crushed by up to 20 feet of dirt and rock, and large, dangerous boulders also took out multiple buildings after they came plummeting down the hill. Since the landslide occurred so early in the morning, residents were caught completely off guard. Officials believe that even though the toll has already reached 670, it could dramatically rise even more in the near future. The town is also quite dense and packed together, meaning that it is easy to take out a large percentage of the village with a strong landslide because every building is so close to the next one. This disaster took out an area the size of three to four soccer fields, which is a considerable amount of the valley. Included in that area were homes, businesses, and a large stretch of the main highway that travels through the villages. Aid like shelter and water arrived quickly, and more supplies like mattresses and various foods are on the way. As the main road has been blocked by debris, the villages are only accessible by helicopter, which makes the scenario more complicated. One team of rescuers has managed to reach the site and is helping to dig through the ruins, while the townspeople are pitching in by digging with everything from sticks to pitchforks. Violence between various tribes in the area is not helping, as 8 others were killed in the conflict. They also burned down 5 stores and 30 homes, meaning that they may not hesitate to attack incoming vehicles carrying crucial aid. Survivors are now taking shelter under temporary tarps as search-and-rescue crews carefully sift through the rubble to look for any bodies or even people who may have been buried and have managed to stay alive until now. On another note, the IPL final in Chennai between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Sunrisers Hyderabad yesterday was action-packed! Here's the rundown: The Sunrisers Hyderabad seemed to be doomed from the start in Chennai, with the team losing their first two opening batsmen in the first two overs after electing to bat first. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have been crucial to the team this year, bringing in a large portion of their runs. Sharma was dismissed in the first over after being bowled by Mitchell Starc, and Head went out with a golden duck to show for his efforts after being caught by the slip on the first ball he faced (bowled by Vaibhav Arora). From there, the Sunrisers' batsmen went down like bowling pins, losing Rahul Tripathi in the fifth over and Nitish Kumar Reddy in the seventh. By the time the 10-over mark came around, they were already 4 wickets down, and they lost Aiden Markram, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Impact Player Abdul Samad in the next three consecutive overs. Heinrich Klaasen became their last chance, and he was quickly dismissed after being bowled by Harshit Rana. The Sunrisers were then 90/8 with 6 overs to go, and Jaydev Unadkat and captain Pat Cummins came in to bat. Both went out in the next few overs, meaning that the Sunrisers finished their innings 9 balls early with a mere 113 runs and no wickets to spare. Then, the Kolkata Knight Riders came out to bat. Sunil Narine, the team's shining star this season, slammed a six in the second over and then went out on the next ball after mistiming a hit, and hope returned to the Sunrisers. However, those hopes were quickly dashed as opening batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Venkatesh Iyer carried KKR to victory. Gurbaz went out before the end for 39 runs, though, allowing captain Shreyas Iyer to come in and help Venkatesh finish the game off. In the end, Venkatesh Iyer was the true star of their batting, playing a fine knock of 52 runs off 26 balls. The Kolkata Knight Riders won the match by 8 wickets with 57 balls left, giving them their third-ever IPL victory after their wins in 2012 and 2014. Mitchell Starc was declared Man of the Match after his two crucial wickets (Sharma and Tripathi) against Hyderabad, and Sunil Narine was declared Player of the Tournament after his amazing batting and bowling this season. Congratulations to KKR fans! Avid cricket fans will now be awaiting the beginning of the T20 World Cup on June 1, which is sure to be exciting! Upcoming Events: International Day of UN Peacekeepers (Wednesday, May 29) International Day of Potato (Thursday, May 30) World No-Tobacco Day (Friday, May 31) ICC T20 World Cup Begins (Saturday, June 1) UEFA Champions League Final (Saturday, June 1) Global Day of Parents (Saturday, June 1) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Giraffes have extremely long necks, but they actually have the same number of neck bones as we (and most animals) do: seven. In fact, a sloth has more neck bones than a giraffe-- sloths have 10 neck vertebrae. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you (George R.R. Martin) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Symposium (noun) - Symposium can refer either to a formal meeting at which experts discuss a particular topic, or to a collection of articles on a particular subject. Symposium has two plural forms: symposia and symposiums. In a Sentence: Professors and graduate students attended a three-day symposium on climate change.

Contents: Locals Protest Mass Tourism in Balearic Islands Indian Premier League Final Today; Recap of This Season Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The residents of the Balearic Islands in Spain protested against mass tourism on Friday and Saturday, trying to stop the continuation of home demolition in the archipelago. According to a local real estate agent, over half of rental properties in the area were too expensive for residents and used as holiday rentals. On Saturday, in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the archipelago, 10,000 protesters marched through the streets. A sign held in front said, "It's for sale, but I can't afford it! # Mallorca is not for sale." Too many homes of longtime residents are being destroyed and replaced by costly projects for the massive amount of incoming tourists, which the locals are not happy about. Additionally, about 1,000 protesters gathered on Friday on the island of Ibiza for another demonstration. A representative of the organizers of the protest talked about their needs for a limit on new tourist houses and a ban on illegal flats, which have been increasingly popping up in the area. If there are less flats for sale, the price automatically goes up, which will bring down demand. This would keep housing affordable for residents while also providing tourists with various options on where to stay. On another note, the IPL final between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Sunrisers Hyderabad is here! Starting at 10:00 EDT / 7:30 IST, this match will culminate what was surely one of the most exciting seasons in IPL history. Not only were the boundaries pulled closer into the field, allowing for more 4s and 6s, but the concept of the 'impact player' was also kept from the 2023 season. This allowed for someone to be substituted into the game to either bat or bowl. Impact players who bat are usually big hitters, so it is easy to see that the impact player provides a tactical advantage. This has also allowed for scores to reach well over 250. Also, SRH has been doing especially well this season after years of losing records. After being quite low in the league standings since 2021, they made a huge comeback this season and earned second place on the leaderboard with a record of 8-5-1. However, when they faced off against SRH on Tuesday, they lost by 8 wickets with 38 balls left. SRH did beat the Rajasthan Royals on Thursday by 36 runs, however, so the outcome of today's match can go either way. If SRH's opening batters, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, do not get out very early, it is possible that they could beat KKR, who have remained strong all season with a record of 9-3-2. Whatever the outcome, this match is going to get very exciting. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): South American river turtles talk in their eggs. Turtles don’t have vocal cords, and their ears are internal, so scientists believed that turtles were deaf and didn’t communicate through sounds. But research has found that turtles actually communicate at an extremely low frequency, making various noises that can only be heard through a hydrophone (a microphone used underwater). These sounds even come from the egg before the turtle hatches. Researchers think that this may help all of the turtle siblings hatch at once. Quote of the Day (BrainyQuotes): The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. (Marcus Tullius Cicero) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Countermand (verb) - To countermand an order is to revoke it, especially by giving a new order. In a Sentence: Orders to blow up the bridge were countermanded by local officials.

Contents: ICJ Orders Israel to Immediately Halt Rafah Invasion Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has formally ordered Israel to stop their offensive in Rafah immediately, making a new ruling in The Hague yesterday. The ICJ declared that Israel's invasion of Rafah was unlawful, and needs to be stopped as soon as possible. After the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) invaded northern Gaza as retaliation for Hamas' October 7 attacks, the entire region has been left in ruins. Extreme famine is taking place, and most buildings have been reduced to rubble as Israel attempts to root out every member of Hamas to obliterate the organization completely. Now, they believe that Hamas operatives are hiding amongst the 1,000,000+ Palestinians in the major refugee camp of Rafah, and have begun an offensive into the area. Countries all over the world have been urging Israel to stop, and more and more people are beginning to become worried for the safety of the remaining Palestinians in Gaza. The only exception to that is the United States, which has consistently sided with Israel this entire time. However, protests at various universities and venues have been ramping up, leading President Joe Biden to halt a massive shipment of bombs to make sure that civilians will stay safe in this new offensive. He has also stated that he wants Israel to avoid a full-scale invasion of the city, but instead try and root out the Hamas operatives without too much violence and as few civilian casualities as possible. The IDF have not entered the heart of Rafah yet, but they are slowly closing in on the denser urban areas. Over 900,000 people have already fled the city to nearby areas, but over 100,000 are still in Rafah. Rafah is also a crucial border crossing for trucks of aid and supplies to enter Gaza, and over 600 trucks a day need to be flowing in to various areas across the strip to help prevent the severe famine in the north from spreading. They have rerouted the shipments to the nearby crossing of Kerem Shalom after Israel took control of Rafah, but it remains dangerous for aid workers moving supplies into Gaza. Unfortunately, similar to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the ICJ has no power to force Israel to stop their offensive. They also commanded for Israel to provide more aid to Palestinians and allow investigators to search Gaza for evidence or war crimes, but the court cannot force Israel to execute these orders. Israel has not commented on the ruling and continues to steam ahead with the Rafah offensive. However, if the ICC agrees to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, it could make their lives a whole lot harder (diplomatically, at least). Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): In a study by a team at Johns Hopkins University, they found that over 250,000 deaths in the United States are caused by errors at the hospital every year. That makes medical error the third leading cause of death in the country. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. (Truman Capote) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ebullient (adj) - If someone or something is appealingly lively and enthusiastic, they may also be described as ebullient. In a Sentence: Akua's ebullient personality made her the life of the party.

Contents: 5 Dead, Dozens Injured After Tornadoes Strike Iowa Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Five people are dead and dozens of others are injured after strong storms brought multiple tornadoes to the US state of Iowa. Numerous supercells ravaged Iowa over the past few days, bringing hail, heavy rain, flooding, and most importantly, tornadoes. The majority of the deaths and damage were due to one EF4 that smashed through the town of Greenfield, which has been confirmed as the strongest tornado of the season. Tornado season typically lasts from March to May, and it is when most of the United States' twisters occur. Most of those happen in Tornado Alley, a portion of the central US which is very flat with good tornado conditions. Hundreds of homes were wrecked by the Greenfield tornado, which reached wind speeds of 175 to 185 mph. It was over half a mile wide and devastated everything in its 44-mile-long path through rural Iowa. Since the tornado also partially damaged the city hospital, the injured had to be moved to nearby towns, and rescue crews are still sifting through the rubble to search for survivors or bodies. Beaten-up cars, parts of houses, and remains of trees are scattered all over Greenfield, which is still in a mess. The storms also affected Wisconsin and Illinois, and a severe tornado was reported in Temple, Texas, which destroyed roads, homes, and left thousands without power. It will take a while to recover from this devastating, tragic disaster, but residents will hope to rebuild as quickly as possible. As of right now, there is almost nothing left across the area, but they will be able to slowly reconstruct the town of Greenfield, Iowa. These tornadoes come after a record season with over 800 tornadoes, which have ravaged various areas across Tornado Alley. Climate change continues to spark more and more strong storms that create more tornadoes that do increasing amounts of damage-- and those numbers will only get higher and higher if dramatic changes are not made to prevent it. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The man who invented the microwave actually only received $2 for his discovery, as the company was the one who filed the patent for it. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. (Herman Melville) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Panoply (noun) - Panoply is a formal word that refers to a group or collection that is impressive either because of its size or because it includes so many different kinds of people or things. In a Sentence: The new website offers shoppers a panoply of snack foods, soft drinks, and other treats from around the world.

Contents: 1 Dead, Dozens Injured After Severe Turbulence on Singapore Airlines Flight Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day One person is dead and dozens of others were injured after a dramatic incident aboard a Singapore Airlines flight yesterday morning (local time). Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 was flying to Singapore from London with 211 passengers and 18 crew members when there was an intense drop of a few hundred feet about 9 to 10 hours into the flight. As many of the passengers had been relaxing as the aircraft cruised at 37,000 feet and the seatbelt sign was not on, they went flying all over the cabin. People slammed their heads into the overhead bins, denting them, and others hit the ceiling so hard that oxygen masks and various equipment pieces and machinery tumbled out. Some people were in the bathrooms when it happened, and some crew were still standing and tending to customers on the plane. Personal items like backpacks and pillows in addition to drinks like coffee flew all over the cabin, and as it was early in the morning, numerous breakfast meals were also seen soaring through the air. The plane continued to wildly swerve about in the air for about a minute and kept plummeting, finally regaining control after falling about 6,000 feet in just a few minutes. Multiple people were spotted with bloody body parts after their impact, and shock overcame the people who managed to escape injury. One man, Geoff Kitchen, had to be given CPR, and he sadly passed away later on. However, it was confirmed afterwards during his autopsy that he had a pre-existing heart condition that may have contributed to his death. Following the incident, the flight immediately diverted to the nearby Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and passengers were rushed to multiple nearby hospitals upon landing. Most were quickly treated for their injuries like cuts, gashes, and broken bones, but a few dozen remained in critical condition by the local evening hours. The Singapore Ministry of Transport is working with Thai officials and personnel from the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. This could end up being yet another black mark on Boeing's record, as the flight was a Boeing 777-300ER. Their flights have been plagued with recent machinery issues and numerous problems on various aircraft, which continues to hinder the company's efforts to rebuild their trust with customers following the 2017-2018 737 Max crashes. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Scientists have discovered that rats can dream, too. Apparently, when they go into REM, they dream about finding food or running through mazes. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If you don’t use your experience, your past is wasted, and you are betraying yourself. (Alan Shepard) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Belie (verb) - To belie something is to give a false idea or impression of it. Belie can also mean "to show (something) to be false or wrong." In a Sentence: Martin's easy banter and relaxed attitude belied his nervousness.

Contents: ICC Considers Issuing Arrest Warrants for Israeli and Hamas Leaders Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The International Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague in the Netherlands, is officially considering issuing arrest warrants for the Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel and three other Hamas leaders. After Hamas' attack on Israel in October, Israel has been criticized for their severe defense measures against Palestine and the all-out war they have started in Gaza. The ICC's best prosecutor, Karim Khan, has made a move with his major request, looking for the court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders. This was met with strong opposition from the United States, which has consistently sided with Israel throughout the war. However, France chose a separate path from its usual allies and joined Australia and South Africa in supporting the decision. The court's decision is still in the works, but it wouldn't have too much effect anyway. As the ICC doesn't have its own police force, it has no power to enforce its rulings. Instead, the power rests with the member countries of the organization, and it only has the jurisdiction to make rulings that relate to those member countries. For example, Palestine is part of the ICC, which gives the court the jurisdiction over the alleged war crimes that have supposedly been taking place. Since Israel is not a member country, even if the arrest warrants are issued, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister would be able to safely reside in the country without fear of being arrested. An example of this would be Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose arrest warrant was issued in early 2023 for war crimes, but he is still safe and sound in Moscow. However, if they traveled to a country that did support this warrant, the country's police force would be legally required to arrest the person. It could be a while before the court makes their decision, as Putin's case in 2023 took about a month, but it will continue to be eagerly awaited by much of the world. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): After Hernan Cortés originally brought tomatoes to Europe from South America, Europeans became scared of eating them. They started dying after eating the tomatoes, while in reality, the tomatoes were bringing out the lead in their metal plates-- meaning that they died of lead poisoning, not tomatoes. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Too many people have a wonderful dream and just talk about it rather than do something about it. (Debbi Fields) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Neophyte (noun) - A neophyte is a person who has just started learning or doing something. In a Sentence: As an acting neophyte, Femi took a while to adjust to his newfound Hollywood fame.

Contents: Iran's President and Foreign Minister Killed in Helicopter Crash Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead after a helicopter crash in thick fog on Sunday. He was 63-years-old. The flight was traveling through a remote region of northwestern Iran, very close to their border with Armenia and Azerbaijan. Officials have not given any updates on the cause of the crash and if there may have been malicious intentions involved. However, it has been assumed that the fog and low visibility was to blame. They were traveling through a very mountainous region, meaning that anyone aboard the helicopter had a very low chance of surviving the crash. In addition to the president, Iran's foreign minister was also killed in the accident. The president is the second-highest ranking political position in the Iranian government, after the Supreme Leader. The country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, immediately appointed the vice president to President Raisi's position. This accident comes amid tensions between Iran and Israel as the latter of them fights Hamas in an intense war in Gaza. Iran has consistently stated that they back Hamas, and attacks have taken place in the past between the two countries. President Raisi led that front of their conflicts, and was also seen as the primary pupil of the Supreme Leader. Iran will now attempt to remain stable and recover quickly after this devastating incident, and whether the new president has the same views as Raisi. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): In Ohio, coal mine operators are required by law to supply toilet paper in the bathrooms of the mine. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get. (Ray Kroc) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Futile (adj) - An effort, action, or emotion described as futile has no result or effect, and therefore serves no useful purpose. In a Sentence: City officials attempted to stifle the scandal, but their efforts were futile.

Contents: UK Pays 10 Billion Pounds to Recipients of Infected Blood in the 1970s and 1980s Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The United Kingdom is paying over £10 billion pounds ($12.7 billion USD) to recipients of infected blood as compensation for a huge scandal that occurred during the 1970s and 1980s. During that time period, over 30,000 people were given infected blood transfusions containing HIV or Hepatitis C. Many of the patients needed those transfusions to be treated for hemophilia, which is a disease that causes improper blood clotting in the body. Over 3,000 of the recipients of the infected blood died, and numerous others have been plagued with the diseases ever since. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to make a formal apology for the scandal today, and multiple other past prime ministers have also apologized in past years. However, the British government is being criticized by the people for their slow response to the crisis-- it has been over 40 years since the infected blood transfusions took place, and they are only starting to give compensation now. Upcoming Events: World Bee Day (Monday, May 20) French Open Begins (Monday, May 20) US Primary Voting Day (Tuesday, May 21) World Mindfulness Day (Tuesday, May 21) International Tea Day (Tuesday, May 21) World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (Tuesday, May 21) Declaration of the Ba International Day for Biological Diversity (Wednesday, May 22) Vesak (Thursday, May 23) International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (Thursday, May 23) International Day of Markhor (Friday, May 24) World Football Day (Saturday, May 25) Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix (Sunday, May 26) Indianapolis 500 (Sunday, May 26) Trinity Sunday (Sunday, May 26) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): There is only one US state capital without a McDonald's: Montpelier, Vermont. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I always feel like I have to keep going. You can sit back and say, ‘Maybe I can stop.’ But then you’re yesterday, and I love tomorrow. (Ralph Lauren) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Sequester (verb) - To sequester a person or group is to keep them separate or apart from other people. Sequester is also often used to mean “to bind or absorb (carbon dioxide) as part of a larger chemical process or compound.” In a Sentence: The jury was sequestered until a verdict was reached.

Contents: 6 Dead After Violence in New Caledonia Over French Voting Reform Bill Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day 6 people are dead after recent violence in the French territory of New Caledonia, which has already caused over €200 million in damage. Since Monday, riots have breaking out all around the island's capital of Noumea, where most of the violence has occurred so far. Following the establishment of a constitutional amendment in Paris of implementing new voting rules in New Caledonia, many residents became extremely unhappy. The new law states that French citizens that have been living in New Caledonia for at least 10 years have the right to vote. Giving voting rights to non-Indigenous citizens of the island would not allow the Indigenous Kanak peoples, who make up about 40% of its population, to continue with their sole vote, leading them to cause these riots as an aggressive protest to the new bill. They have already been segregated and discriminated in the past, as New Caledonia used to be a French penal colony, and the settlers back then had no care for the Indigenous peoples at all. The Kanaks have been voting for New Caledonia's independence for years, but the rest of the population continues to vote to stay under the French government. The violence has involved burning and blowing up buildings and vehicles, and shootings on the street between different peoples. Over 214 people have been arrested for crimes like arson and looting, which is helping to calm the conflict. Three Indigenous Kanaks were killed this week, along with two French police officers. Another person was killed and two more were left in critical condition after armed individuals fired at each other near a makeshift barricade on a road. Complex barricades have been haphazardly constructed all over the city, blocking important roads, and they are tough to remove because they contain dangerous booby traps. In total, over 60 French officers have been injured as well. Thankfully, the local police have reported a downturn in violence after the implementation of a curfew, which lasts from 6 pm to 6 am. Thousands of troops are on the way from France for more backup, which will also help to ease the tension in Noumea. However, the situation still has a long way to go. Adding to the disaster, over 3,200 tourists have been stranded on New Caledonia after this conflict, as the airport has been temporarily shut down. Multiple outside governments, such as Australia, are working with France to try and evacuate their citizens out of there as soon as possible, but the tourists will have to wait. They have reported that they are running out of food and water, and while New Caledonian officials have the supplies, there is no safe way to distribute them. The airport will reopen on Tuesday, giving them an opportunity to leave the island, but they will have to survive on their own until then. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Giraffe tongues can reach over 20 inches in length. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A problem is a chance for you to do your best. (Duke Ellington) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Artifice (noun) - Artifice refers to dishonest or insincere behavior or speech that is meant to deceive someone. It can also be used to mean "clever or artful skill." In a Sentence: We found ourselves tremendously moved by his apology, which he made without artifice or pretense.