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Time of India
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
NYT Connections Hints and Answers for puzzle #742 for today, June 22, 2025
The New York Times' daily Connections puzzle remains a favorite among word game fans. Each day, players must group 16 words into four sets based on shared meanings or patterns. Puzzle #742 for June 22, 2025, brings another round of wordplay. Hints and Answers for Puzzle #742 News Terms Group This group includes words used in broadcasting or public communication. These words are commonly linked to media reports and alerts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Feni Sadar: Scholarships You Can Apply For (Start Now) Google Search Search Now Undo Bulletin Flash Report Wire Live Events Also Read: What to Watch This Weekend: Here's the complete list Words from Declaration of Independence This group contains terms found in a well-known line of the American Declaration of Independence. These are often used in the context of rights and ideals. Happiness Liberty Life Pursuit HBO Television Shows This group features titles of popular series aired on the HBO network. These shows are known for strong audience engagement and high ratings. Entourage Euphoria Insecure Succession Different Senses of the Word 'Left' These words carry meanings that relate to 'left,' whether in direction, departure, or remaining presence. Departed Port Progressive Remaining Also Read: Iran hackers launch cyber attack on Albania's capital Tirana. Here is the reason Understanding NYT Connections Gameplay The puzzle presents a 4x4 grid of words. Players must select four words that form a group based on a shared link. They repeat the process until all four groups are found. Color codes help define difficulty: Yellow: Simple or direct group Green: Slightly harder Blue: Even more complex Purple: Most abstract or subtle group Solving Tips Begin with the clearest connections. Use the shuffle tool to see new word patterns. Be cautious of similar meanings that fit more than one group. Try thinking in categories like media, emotions, or directions. FAQs What makes NYT Connections Puzzle #742 hard to solve? The use of abstract categories like 'left' and TV show titles can confuse players and cause overlap in guesses. Can I use hints while solving NYT Connections puzzles? No direct hints are available in-game, but players often rely on shuffle, word elimination, or thematic thinking to solve.
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Business Standard
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Shashi Tharoor's book offers a partisan polemic on the Constitution
Our Living Constitution: A concise introduction & commentary Published by Aleph Books xiv+118 pages ₹499 School syllabi in the mid-1950s had a subject called civics. It dealt with administration systems and processes and the principles they were based on — quite clearly, the Constitution. The prescribed texts were well-written, with simple explanatory diagrams of reporting and hierarchical relations. The reason for recalling this is that nearly the entire first half of Shashi Tharoor's latest work under review resembles those texts, but is not as succinct or lucid as those volumes, probably committee-written, were. Mr Tharoor rambles on stressing repeatedly the uniqueness of India as a nation as well as its constitution writing exercise. Dr B R Ambedkar is invoked in reverential terms (as he should be) and quoted extensively. All of this is common knowledge, especially so in the last six months as we observed the 75th anniversary of giving ourselves the Constitution. In case you missed it, a quick reference to Wikipedia will tell you all that Mr Tharoor does in the first 47 pages of his rather slim volume, and with much less verbiage. One does not have to wait long for the reason for Mr Tharoor to retell this oft-told tale. Phrases such as the idea of India and India as a well-established secular state keep appearing page after page. References to select members of the Constituent Assembly (the author often calls them Founding Fathers, a term usually reserved for the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence, with good reason), most of them belonging to the Indian National Congress, in adulatory terms, abound. In case the reader is still at sea about why this book was written, two chapters entitled 'An alternative idea of India', and 'A challenge to the Constitution' in the middle of the book clear all doubts. Mr Tharoor dwells on the Hindu Mahasabha opposition to the Constitution at the time of its drafting. He also talks of the Hindu-Hindutva ideologues V D Savarkar, M S Golwalkar and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and their negative reactions to the Constitution: 'Upadhyaya saw the seeds of division …even in the Constitution's decision to rename provinces as 'states'…he felt the formulation envisaged in the Constitution diluted the sacred idea of a unified Bharatvarsha.' Mr Tharoor suggests that the ideological descendants of these critics, now in power, are still not reconciled to the secular nature of the Constitution. He could well be justified in believing this, but in the absence of any reasoned arguments, this remains just a shibboleth voiced by the current leadership of his party. He glosses over the fact that many senior Congress leaders in the 1940s and 1950s were uncomfortable with Hinduism not being accorded what they considered its due importance in the Constitution and by the actions of the Jawaharlal Nehru governments of the 1950s. The President of the Assembly and later the first President of the Republic, Rajendra Prasad, and a Congress president, P D Tandon, were among such personages. The short point is that unlike universal adult franchise, secularism was not yet an idea whose time had come then. But Mr Tharoor states quite emphatically that secularism was very much an integral part of the Constitution at all times, even though it was expressly inserted in the Preamble only during the Emergency through the 42nd amendment. Mr Tharoor is agitated by the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register for Citizenship and the Waqf Act amendment initiated by Bharatiya Janata Party -led governments in the last five years. He believes they affect the very fabric of the Constitution. Again, this point is vital in any debate on the Constitution, but to Mr Tharoor the existential threat to the Constitution is real and must be fought, which is very much the posture of the Congress. Mr Tharoor cherry-picks his arguments. He quotes the renowned constitutional scholar Dr Gautam Bhatia on citizenship, but not on the overall centralising drift of the Constitution, which tends to favour the government in power. He could have used the dispassionate writings of scholars such as Faizan Mustafa on the recent trio of measures. His tone switches from that of Chicken Little, who feared the sky was falling (the Constitution is under threat!), to the benign soothsayer: 'The Constitution will prevail as long as its spirit survives in the ordinary citizens of India'. That is when the book reveals what it truly is: A polemic on the Constitution, and not 'compelling narrative' about it, as it claims. Stylistically, the book has all of Mr Tharoor's flourishes: Alliterations, long (50+ words) sentences, equally long paragraphs, repetitions of words — all the bugbears an analytical writer is told to avoid. The book does have one plus point: It carries footnotes and citations where they ought to belong, at the bottom of the page. Post-script: One wonders what the author Mr Tharoor who goes to extraordinary lengths to toe the party line feels about the politician Mr Tharoor being excoriated by the same party for his eloquent defence of government policies in the wake of Operation Sindoor!
Al-Ahram Weekly
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Wars of independence - Culture - Al-Ahram Weekly
'Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' These words, dating back to the 18th century and reaching out to the third millennium, amplify some of the basic human rights and the struggle of peoples over the centuries to attain them. The first phrase is at the heart of one of the strongest statements inscribed in the American Declaration of Independence, known as the founding document of the United States. The second paragraph in the declaration, which was unanimously adopted on 4 July, 1776, starts with the following statement: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.' As a researcher and professor of American Studies, I have for long been moved by these powerful words, which unified the Patriots of the 13 British colonies in America. They turned into action when these inexperienced, untrained militias formed themselves into the Continental Army commanded by George Washington, and went to war against the army of the great British empire, managing — against all odds — to defeat it and win independence. The American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was by no means an easy one; it lasted from 1775 to 1783, during which time the Patriots demonstrated how simple, ordinary people can achieve the impossible out of strong will and belief in freedom. With such a strong patriotic birth, you would expect the country of the once colonised to advocate freedom, and support the struggles of other nations to gain these rights. You'd expect a country whose founding fathers wrote this declaration and took part in the Revolutionary War to extend a helping hand to people suffering from colonial abuse and seeking what they once dreamt of and fought for: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, it hasn't and is still acting contrary to its founding principles. The list of wrongdoing includes abuse of Native Americans and African Americans as well as orchestrating military coups in different countries, especially in Latin America. Finally come the Palestinians, particularly the Gazans, who since 7 October 2023 have been experiencing all forms of atrocity, enduring unimaginable violence and are now facing famine, with the obvious goal of ethnical cleansing. The same now applies to the West Bank; and here comes No Other Land, a 2024 documentary directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, four Palestinian-Israeli activists who describe their work as 'an act of resistance on the path to justice during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.' Painfully, among the most affected in this conflict are the children, many of whom have been killed in cold blood. According to a report by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), released in March 2024, 'more children have been killed there [in Gaza] in recent months than in four years of conflict worldwide.' This horrific situation made UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini remark: 'This war is a war on children. It is a war on their childhood and their future,' indicating that 'at least 12,300 youngsters have died in the enclave in the last four months [December 2023-March 2024], compared with 12,193 globally between 2019 and 2022.' Not only did the United States support such Israeli crimes against humanity, under Donald Trump it has also announced its plans for the area and its inhabitants, claiming that Gazans had 'no alternative' but to leave their homes. On 4 February, 2025 Trump released a statement that has sent shockwaves around the world. During a White House press conference, he said, 'The United States will own Gaza according to my plan, there will be no Hamas, and we will start developing it. We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal… the Riviera of the Middle East' (italics mine). A quick discourse analysis of his words shows an unjustified and illegal ownership of a country and its people. To make matters worse, he expressed his surprise at 'the lack of welcome from Jordan and Egypt for the plan I put forward regarding Gaza, and we provide them with billions of dollars annually.' Later, he reiterated his statement, with the White House declaring 'his plan for Gaza is good, but he will not impose it and will only recommend it.' Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) remarked that the president's comments 'reflect a deeply entrenched policy of US support for Israel's crimes. If we do not act now, history will judge our silence as complicity in one of the gravest human rights violations of our time.' Ironically, the US administration shows concern about human rights regarding one sect only, the Israelis. Speaking of their released hostages, President Trump expressed his indignation; they 'looked like they had come out of a former concentration camp in Germany. These scenes are unbelievable and extremely brutal, and it is unimaginable that they would happen in the modern age.' Bringing forth the issue of the German concentration camp and the unimaginable brutality reveals a double standard and a myopic vision of the whole situation, ignoring the fact that this is exactly what the other party, the Palestinians, have been going through. The Trump administration is not only turning a blind eye to Israel's crimes and blatant disrespect for international law, but also blessing it; for recently it 'has approved nearly $12 billion in major foreign military sales to Israel, according to the State Department's website.' As a researcher and above all a human being trying to read and analyse this gloomy scene, I can only go back to the words of a great 20th- century thinker, Edward Said, who in 2003, celebrating 25 years of the publication of his landmark book Orientalism, condemned in an article published in Al-Ahram Weekly what he called 'the illegal imperial war and occupation of Iraq by Britain and the United States.' Twenty-two years ago, Said rightly ascribed this war to 'the tightening of the grip of demeaning generalisation and triumphalist cliché, the dominance of crude power allied with simplistic contempt for dissenters and 'others.'' He added in the same article: 'What our leaders and their intellectual lackeys seem incapable of understanding is that history cannot be swept clean like a blackboard, clean so that 'we' might inscribe our own future there and impose our own forms of life for these lesser people to follow. It is quite common to hear high officials in Washington and elsewhere speak of changing the map of the Middle East, as if ancient societies and myriad peoples can be shaken up like so many peanuts in a jar.' Unfortunately, his words continue to be true, resonating with the stand and statements of the American administration. Despite his frustration, Said ended his article with a note of optimism, however; and like him I believe in the final triumph of humanity. He advocated that the way to counteract biased 'justifications for power and violence' is through unbiased education, through philology as applied to Weltliteratur: 'Humanism is the only -- I would go so far as saying the final -- resistance we have against the inhuman practices and injustices that disfigure human history…. Rather than the manufactured clash of civilisations, we need to concentrate on the slow working together of cultures that overlap, borrow from each other,' he affirmed. I add to education and literature art in its different forms, including No Other Land. The film's world premiere took place in the Panorama section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2024, winning the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film, and the Berlinale Documentary Film Award, and finally the Best Documentary Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, on March 2, 2025. Produced between 2019 and 2023, it shows the immeasurable suffering of the Palestinians, and their fight against Israeli demolitions of their homes in the occupied West Bank. According to its release notes, Basel Adra 'risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown, Masafer Yatta, a collection of villages in the Hebron mountains of the West Bank' where he lives with his family and which 'Israeli soldiers are tearing down to use as a military training zone'. On the one hand, the Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar, described this award as 'a sad moment' and added in a social media post that the filmmakers 'chose to amplify narratives that distort Israel's image' around the world, calling it 'sabotage' against his country. On the other hand, 'Palestinian residents whose community's struggles are depicted in the film called the award a morale boost.' Interestingly, the film highlights the friendship between the Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers; for 'Adra's pleas fall on deaf ears until he befriends a Jewish-Israeli journalist, Yuval Abraham, who helps him amplify his story.' This brings to mind the friendship between Edward Said and the Israeli composer and director Daniel Barenboim; they used to perform music together, and they also co-founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra made up of children from Israel, Palestine and other Arab countries. In their award acceptance speech, Abraham called for the end of the 'terrible destruction of Gaza' and the release of Israeli hostages, adding: 'We created this film together, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger.' Adra said that the film reflects the harsh reality Palestinians have been enduring for decades; a reality which he hopes his baby daughter will not face: 'About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I'm living now, always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions and forcible displacements that my community is living and tasting every day under Israeli occupation.' Adra's acceptance speech was within two days of the speech given by the Secretary General of the UN António Guterres, during the Extraordinary Arab Summit on the situation in the Middle East/Gaza held in Cairo. On 4 March, Guterres confirmed Adra's words, describing Israeli military operations against the Gazans as unleashing 'an unprecedented level of death and destruction, generating an immense trauma,' and making the people suffer 'beyond measure. And the risk of even greater devastation looms.' Worse is the 'alarming situation unfolding in the West Bank' with the Israeli forces launching 'large-scale operations, including airstrikes and also the deployment of tanks for the first time in over two decades. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the last month — the largest displacement in the West Bank in decades. Meanwhile, demolitions, evictions and settlement expansions continue, with settler violence on the rise.' If American policy and administration had failed the Palestinian civilians, one has to acknowledge that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which did not. With this award and recognition, one hopes that No Other Land and other humanity-centred works will give Adra's daughter and millions of other Palestinians the chance to attain the much-deserved rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The writer is a senator and university professor. * A version of this article appears in print in the 20 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Shocking, Insulting': Karoline Leavitt's France Remark Stuns Critics
Critics have slammed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's response to a French lawmaker's call for the Statue of Liberty to be returned to France. Leavitt's remark was 'insulting,' 'shocking' and 'f**king disgusting,' said commenters on social media. European Parliament member Raphael Glucksmann said Sunday that America under President Donald Trump no longer represents the values of freedom and democracy that have become synonymous with the statue. Glucksmann suggested the landmark, which France gave to America to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence, should come home. Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Leavitt during Monday's White House press briefing if Trump would agree to that. 'Absolutely not,' Leavitt replied. 'And my advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now,' she continued. Leavitt concluded: 'So, they should be very grateful to our great country.' The comment prompted a history lesson on social media, given France's assistance in the American Revolution, and other countries' roles alongside America in World War II. Michael McFaul, the Obama-era U.S. ambassador to Russia and current professor of political science at Stanford University, described it as 'such a shocking, insulting statement about an ally from anyone, let alone a senior White House official.' 'Who told her to say this? She obviously got in from somewhere,' he added. 'Im hope our @PressSec knows that it's only because of the French that we have an independent United States of America.' Others made similar scathing points. Trump Claims In Middle-Of-The-Night Meltdown That Biden's Pardons Are 'VOID' Stephen Miller Throws On-Air Tantrum After MSNBC Analyst Dares To Question Trump CNN Data Chief Hits Democrats With A 'Horrible, Horrible, Horrible' Reality Check
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Shocking, Insulting': Karoline Leavitt's France Remark Stuns Critics
Critics have slammed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's response to a French lawmaker's call for the Statue of Liberty to be returned to France. Leavitt's remark was 'insulting,' 'shocking' and 'f**king disgusting,' said commenters on social media. European Parliament member Raphael Glucksmann said Sunday that America under President Donald Trump no longer represents the values of freedom and democracy that have become synonymous with the statue. Glucksmann suggested the landmark, which France gave to America to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence, should come home. Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Leavitt during Monday's White House press briefing if Trump would agree to that. 'Absolutely not,' Leavitt replied. 'And my advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now,' she continued. Leavitt concluded: 'So, they should be very grateful to our great country.' Leavitt: "It's only because of the United States of America that the French aren't speaking German right now." — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 17, 2025 The comment prompted a history lesson on social media, given France's assistance in the American Revolution, and other countries' roles alongside America in World War II. Michael McFaul, the Obama-era U.S. ambassador to Russia and current professor of political science at Stanford University, described it as 'such a shocking, insulting statement about an ally from anyone, let alone a senior White House official.' 'Who told her to say this? She obviously got in from somewhere,' he added. 'Im hope our @PressSec knows that it's only because of the French that we have an independent United States of America.' Others made similar scathing points. Such a shocking, insulting statement about an ally from anyone, let alone a senior White House told her to say this? She obviously got in from somewhere. Im hope our @PressSec knows that it's only because of the French that we have an independent United States… — Michael McFaul (@McFaul) March 18, 2025 White House job honest and principled need not the integrity at home. — shatners (@shatners144143) March 17, 2025 Delicious irony that without France, the United States would be- of all places- Canada. — Fergus Butler-Gallie (@_F_B_G_) March 17, 2025 That's a common gross oversimplification from those who are ignorant about history. WW II would've been won by the allies even without US military help. The Lend/Lease program was helping the UK a lot + the Soviets were starting to get their act together by the time the US got in — Chris F. - Proud 🇨🇦 (@SPTO) March 17, 2025 America has well and truly entered its fragile ego era. — Charlie Pickering (@charliepick) March 17, 2025 The Soviet Union and the UK played a HUGE role in Germany's defeat in WW2. She might also lol up Malta. That tiny little nation defended itself in an incredibly heroic way. France is also our oldest ally going back to the Revolutionary War. — Juliet Jeske 🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@JulietJeske) March 17, 2025 If it wasn't for the French during the American Revolution, we never would have beaten the British, ya idgit Karoline Leavitt, you are so dumb that you make a bag of rocks look smart. — Susa E Jordan (@SusaEJordan) March 17, 2025 This idiot here…what an ignorant and stupid administration. — Courtney. Love. (@Courtney_Luv) March 17, 2025 Our very bold policy of demanding allies say thank you to us continues. Unclear if the American people have any additional thank yous to show for it. — Tim Miller (@Timodc) March 17, 2025 Wow. Of all the disrespectful shit that has come out of this administration, taking the full credit for WW2 has got to be the most disrespectful and bullshit.20-25 million people from nations all over the world died fighting against the is fucking disgusting. — Bill the Beaver 🇨🇦 (@TrueNorthStr0ng) March 17, 2025 "It's only because of the United States of America that the French aren't speaking German right now."Unbelievable. — Simon Gosden. Esq. #fbpe 3.5% 🇪🇺🐟🇬🇧🏴☠️🦠💙 (@g_gosden) March 17, 2025 A French politician is asking for the Statue of Liberty Leavitt retorts "it's only because of the United States of America that the French aren't speaking German right now."If she wants to play the oversimplification game, then it's thanks to funding from France… — Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) March 17, 2025 Incredible to see a 27-year-old say some shit my grandfather used to bark at me after a few whiskeys. I had no idea this many Gen Z kids would become Boomers. — Dan Wilbur (@DanWilbur) March 17, 2025 Idk how you explain to younger generations that the shit she spews from the WH press podium daily would've been a career-ending, administration-defining, round-the-clock, international scandal not that long ago. — Jake McClory (@JakeMcClory) March 17, 2025 Show me you don't understand the history of France in WW2 in 22 seconds... oh you did — Otto English (@Otto_English) March 17, 2025 Trump Claims In Middle-Of-The-Night Meltdown That Biden's Pardons Are 'VOID' Stephen Miller Throws On-Air Tantrum After MSNBC Analyst Dares To Question Trump CNN Data Chief Hits Democrats With A 'Horrible, Horrible, Horrible' Reality Check
