Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Netanyahu could take steps to end wars after Trump's win, Middle East officials say

The-President Trump with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the signing of the Abraham Accords at the White House in 2020.

Officials throughout the Middle East welcomed Donald Trump’s victory — amid anticipation and anxiety across the region over how he could change the course of the wars raging from Gaza to Lebanon and beyond.

(Image credit: Saul Loeb)

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, November 6 (game #248)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #248) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Strumming right along ...

NYT Strands today (game #248) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • BLOAT
  • GLEN
  • THIS
  • GLINT
  • RISK
  • LION

NYT Strands today (game #248) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

Finger-pickin' good

NYT Strands today (game #248) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #248) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 248 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #248, are…

  • GUITAR
  • VIOLIN
  • BANJO
  • MANDOLIN
  • UKULELE
  • SITAR
  • HARP
  • SPANGRAM: STRINGY

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

One of my many regrets in life is that I never learned to play a musical instrument. If I had, it would definitely have been a guitar. I suppose it's not too late for me to change that, but for now I'll have to content myself with solving a Strands game about stringed instruments – or, as the spangram would have it, STRINGY. I didn't much like that as a spangram, but that aside this is a reasonable game, with several easy answers (GUITAR, VIOLIN) and a few that are possibly less common, depending on where in the world you are and what type of music you listen to (SITAR, HARP, UKULELE). I solved it without needing any hints, which is a far cry from yesterday's near-disastrous game – though Strands is typically so easy that I can't really imagine ever failing a game entirely.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 5 November, game #247)

  • BAND
  • CHOIR
  • DRAMA
  • DEBATE
  • YEARBOOK
  • ORCHESTRA
  • SPANGRAM: AFTERSCHOOL

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Morning news brief

Ex-President Trump and Vice President Harris wrap up their campaigns in the wee hours of the morning on Election Day. Israel cuts tie with the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians. Boeing's strike ends.

Monday, November 4, 2024

Quordle today – hints and answers for Tuesday, November 5 (game #1016)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1016) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1016) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1016) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1016) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1016) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• A

• S

• L

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1016) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 1016 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1016, are…

  • BEGET
  • AMUSE
  • STONY
  • LOUSY

I don't know how Quordle selects its words, but I don't think I've ever seen this before: LOUSY is an answer in both the main game (on 'Classic' mode) and the Daily Sequence. That made my task of solving both today slightly easier, which was no bad thing given that the former in particular was quite difficult. BEGET was the word I struggled most with, although I lost a guess on AMUSE too (going for ABUSE first). The combination of the repeated Es and the unusual BEGE format – which isn't found elsewhere – combined to leave me scrabbling around for several minutes before the answer dawned on me.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Daily Sequence today (game #1016) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game 1016 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1016, are…

  • TWEET
  • WEARY
  • CHIRP
  • LOUSY

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #1015, Monday 4 November: CHILL, TACKY, GRAPH, PLAZA
  • Quordle #1014, Sunday 3 November: QUIRK, HEART, ELBOW, KNOWN
  • Quordle #1013, Saturday 2 November: SWUNG, FLOOR, PARER, CRUST
  • Quordle #1012, Friday 1 November: FIFTY, GULCH, RECUT, TWEET
  • Quordle #1011, Thursday 31 October: TWINE, RIGID, BELCH, AMEND
  • Quordle #1010, Wednesday 30 October: SLOOP, BRINE, BROOD, FLUID
  • Quordle #1009, Tuesday 29 October: CLIFF, BURNT, SNAKY, POLYP
  • Quordle #1008, Monday 28 October: MACAW, LIEGE, GOUGE, CARGO
  • Quordle #1007, Sunday 27 October: STUNG, CLOUT, SOWER, BASIS
  • Quordle #1006, Saturday 26 October: DUCHY, CANNY, BLOCK, SMART
  • Quordle #1005, Friday 25 October: PRANK, EXIST, RUDDY, PICKY
  • Quordle #1004, Thursday 24 October: DAIRY, RALLY, CURLY, LABEL
  • Quordle #1003, Wednesday 23 October: DROSS, ANNEX, GRAVE, BROKE
  • Quordle #1002, Tuesday 22 October: ADORE, SMITH, AFOOT, LUCID
  • Quordle #1001, Monday 21 October: TREAD, NINTH, GRIEF, UNSET
  • Quordle #1000, Sunday 20 October: CORAL, WHOSE, HEIST, SOAPY
  • Quordle #999, Saturday 19 October: GUSTY, BROKE, ENJOY, HAZEL
  • Quordle #998, Friday 18 October: PUPIL, MOCHA, EGRET, NATAL
  • Quordle #997, Thursday 17 October: BUILD, BIRTH, LURCH, SASSY
  • Quordle #996, Wednesday 16 October: EERIE, SMIRK, HUNCH, EMBED

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Tuesday, November 5 (game #247)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #247) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… More than just sports

NYT Strands today (game #247) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • BEAT
  • DART
  • CHAT
  • MARE
  • DARE
  • STORE

NYT Strands today (game #247) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

In the club

NYT Strands today (game #247) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 4th row

Last: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #247) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 247 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #247, are…

  • BAND
  • CHOIR
  • DRAMA
  • DEBATE
  • YEARBOOK
  • ORCHESTRA
  • SPANGRAM: AFTERSCHOOL

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: 6 hints

Well, this was a disaster. I needed six hints to solve today's Strands, which means I needed hints for every single answer bar the spangram, which I got at the end when there were no other words that could possibly fit. And really I had no idea what the theme was until very late on.

Part of the problem was that in the UK, where I am, several of these AFTERSCHOOL activities are not common – or at least have different names. I've never seen the likes of BAND, YEARBOOK or ORCHESTRA listed among my kids' after-school activities, anyway. DEBATE, CHOIR and DRAMA are there – plus dozens of sports and many other activities – but I didn't put them together to make the theme.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 4 November, game #246)

  • TICK
  • MINUTE
  • JIFFY
  • FLASH
  • MOMENT
  • SECOND
  • MOMENT
  • INSTANT
  • SPANGRAM: SMALLTIME

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

He Escaped Russia in a Prisoner Swap. Why Did He Not Want to Be Part of It?

This Russian dissident believes the country must be changed from within. He and others were traded in the largest prisoner swap in the post-Cold War era. Now, they're planning a protest in Berlin and advocating for pro-Ukrainian policy in the U.S. to defeat Russia.