Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday, calling for stronger bipartisan support amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. His speech, set against a backdrop of political tensions and widespread protests, highlighted the deep divisions within both U.S. and Israeli politics. Netanyahu's address was primarily facilitated by House Speaker Mike Johnson, a vocal critic of President Joe Biden's handling of the conflict. 

BIDEN'S EXIT COULD MEAN BIG CHANGES FOR US-ISRAEL TIES

US lawmakers voiced "concern" Wednesday over Meta's decision to shut down CrowdTangle -- a digital tool considered vital in monitoring falsehoods -- in a major election year, urging the tech giant to delay the move by six months. The company has said CrowdTangle will be unavailable after Aug. 14, just 11 weeks before the US election. Meta plans to replace it with a new tool that researchers say lacks the same functionality, and which many news organizations will not have access.

WHY US LAWMAKERS ARE INTERESTED IN META KEEPING TOOL

North Korean sweet wrappers and packets of crackers made at a factory once visited by leader Kim Jong Un were seen on streets in the South Korean capital Wednesday. The North has sent thousands of balloons carrying bags of trash southwards since May, in a tit-for-tat propaganda war between the two Koreas, with Seoul blasting K-pop and anti-regime messages from loudspeakers along the border in return.

SEE HOW TRASH WARFARE IS HEATING UP BETWEEN KOREAS

Under a 1953 UN deal, each side is allowed to station how many troops at the Korean DMZ, with each possessing how many firearms?

Wednesday's answer: Both the hottest and coldest days on record occurred on July 21 -- the hottest in 2024 (17.09 degrees Celsius, 62.7 degrees Fahrenheit) and the coldest in 1983 (−89.2 °C, −128.6 °F).