海角大神

Courts ruled on some presidential moves. A federal appeals court called President Trump鈥檚 order seeking to end birthright citizenship unconstitutional, affirming a lower-court decision that blocked its enforcement. Separately, a U.S. district judge denied a bid by the Justice Department to unseal Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts in Florida. Also, a federal judge in Maryland prohibited the administration from taking Kilmar Abrego Garcia into immediate immigration custody if he鈥檚 released from jail in Tennessee while awaiting trial. And the Supreme Court allowed Mr. Trump to remove three Democrats on the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 鈥� Reuters, The Associated Press

Conflict erupted between Thailand and Cambodia. The Thai government said at least nine civilians were killed amid clashes Thursday in contested border areas with Cambodia after the nations downgraded diplomatic relations in a rapidly escalating dispute. The Thai army said it has launched airstrikes on ground targets in Cambodia. Five Thai soldiers were wounded by land mines Wednesday during a border patrol. That incident came days after three other Thai soldiers were wounded along the border. 鈥� AP

Israel received Hamas鈥� latest ceasefire proposal.聽The militant group confirmed sending the proposal to mediators. An Israeli official called it 鈥渨orkable.鈥� More than 100 charity and human rights groups warned this week that Israel鈥檚 actions are pushing Palestinians in Gaza toward starvation. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to head to Italy Thursday to meet top Israeli negotiator Ron Dermer and discuss the ceasefire deal. 鈥� AP

The International Court of Justice called climate change an 鈥渆xistential threat.鈥� The nonbinding opinion by the 15 judges of the ICJ in The Hague will carry weight, legal experts say, and future climate cases will be unable to ignore it. The United Nations General Assembly asked the judges to consider what countries鈥� obligations are under international law to protect the climate from greenhouse gas emissions. 鈥� Reuters

Transgender athletes were barred from women鈥檚 Olympic sports. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is citing President Donald Trump鈥檚 February executive order, which seeks to cut funding for organizations that allow transgender athletes to compete in women鈥檚 sports, as the basis of the ban. The committee oversees some 50 national governing bodies for all levels of various sports, such as swimming and track and field. Those are expected to comply with the directive. 鈥� AP

NATO allies pledged to equip Turkey with fighter jets. Ankara reached deals with Britain and Germany Wednesday to acquire dozens of Eurofighter Typhoon jets, which Turkey has sought to bolster defenses in a volatile region. Britain signed a preliminary deal; Germany approved delivery of 40 jets. Defense Minister Yasar Guler said the deal brought Turkey 鈥渙ne step closer to a fully comprehensive agreement,鈥� adding that it would also strengthen NATO. 鈥� Reuters

Texas lawmakers are tackling flood fallout.聽Republican Sen. Charles Perry said a special session will focus on prevention and preparedness. State and county emergency response officials are set to testify, but no officials from Kerr County, which was the most affected in the July 4 event. Also on the agenda: a redrawing of U.S. House maps. Democrats considered a walkout to derail the redistricting vote, saying they want first to address flood relief and warning systems. 鈥� AP
Our coverage:聽We look today at this and other聽redistricting efforts.

The competition to 鈥渨in鈥� the AI race has shifted government policy from 鈥渂uild the guardrails鈥� to 鈥渓et free-market innovation reign.鈥� President Trump鈥檚 new AI policy, which includes promoting private investment in AI, reflects growing bipartisan concern that China is rapidly eroding America鈥檚 lead in artificial intelligence. China received 7 in 10 of the world鈥檚 AI patents in 2023. It has also dramatically narrowed the performance gap of its AI models, turning , according to a Stanford report. Experts say America鈥檚 innovation could help it secure an edge.

At a 海角大神 Science Monitor Breakfast in Washington on Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Suzan DelBene was bullish on her party鈥檚 ability to regain control of the House of Representatives next year. The chair of her party鈥檚 congressional campaign committee, she said Democrats would respond to redistricting efforts by Republicans in states like Texas with their own plans to build in electoral advantages in states where her party holds legislative majorities.

Texas Republicans are meeting this week in a special session to redraw the state鈥檚 congressional map 鈥� a move that could give them more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in midterm elections next year. Similar efforts are underway in other states. Republicans in Ohio are redrawing their state鈥檚 congressional map. Democrats in California talk of overturning their state鈥檚 nonpartisan redistricting plan. The state-by-state fight could play a pivotal role in determining which party controls the House during the final two years of Donald Trump鈥檚 presidency.

As the Trump administration tries to end temporary protected status for immigrants, volunteers in Springfield, Ohio, are rallying around the city鈥檚 Haitian immigrants. Across the United States, similar efforts aimed at protecting immigrants are taking shape. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we view this not as opposing Trump, but as standing with the vulnerable in a bold way,鈥� says Carl Ruby, a member of Springfield G92, a coalition of churches, clergy, faith-based organizations, and community advocates.

The story of vanilla is anything but plain.聽Thanks to Edmond Albius, an unsung Black botanical genius on the French island of R茅union in the 19th century, vanilla literally flowered. And thanks to Ga毛lle B茅lem, a novelist from R茅union聽long-listed聽for the 2025 International Booker Prize, Albius鈥� story has found its champion.聽鈥淭he Rarest Fruit,鈥� first published in French in 2023, has received a sprightly English translation. The book is that rare find: a history-infused novel that spills its tale with the eagerness, wry commentary, and frank truths of a close friend.

In an award-winning essay previously published in this newspaper, teenager Maxwell Hyman called out 鈥渢he troubling and consistent unwillingness to listen to youth.鈥澛�

Today, nearly three years later, there鈥檚 evidence that young voices are being heard, especially when it comes to pursuing peace and peaceful change. This month, youth leaders from 15 countries kicked off a yearlong Youth Peace Mediators program in South Africa, while the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace graduated another annual group of mostly young-adult 鈥減eace ambassadors.鈥�

May saw 90 young Nigerians trained to serve as community 鈥減eace champions鈥� in the resource-rich, conflict-ridden Niger Delta. And in April, a United Nations program, GenerAccion Paz, celebrated another year of peace-building projects by young leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean.聽聽

The second-most pressing global concern for young people is armed conflict (climate change is first), according to a World Economic Forum survey across more than 140 countries. Wars of various types are at a historic high, with youth being both foot soldiers and targets. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 essential that they become 鈥渃o-owners鈥� of reconciliation and resolution efforts, according to Graeme Simpson, head of Interpeace, which supports a peace mediator program. As he told the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, 鈥淭he durability and legitimacy of peace processes demand [youth] buy-in.鈥澛�

But young people are barely represented in national legislatures or formal social structures. Globally, only 2.8% of parliamentarians are under 30 years old, the World Economic Forum reports. And less than a third of countries consult young people when preparing national growth plans.聽

Youth activists are increasingly clear that peace is not something they are willing to passively wait for. They want agency, action, and inclusion. More than just the absence of conflict, peace is 鈥渢he presence of justice and opportunities,鈥� says Wam Nelly-Lucy Mbu, an Institute for Economics and Peace ambassador from Cameroon. 鈥淚 want to be part of the solution, not just a witness.鈥澛�

Even in Kenya, where young adults have led recent street protests that have often ended violently, there is a parallel yearning for peace. But it鈥檚 for a peace that鈥檚 built on participation that recognizes and respects what youth can contribute.

鈥淲e are tired of dying and losing our loved ones. ... We are ready to sit down and share our ideas,鈥� The Standard newspaper reported a Kenyan student leader saying this week. 鈥淲e have the skills, the knowledge, and the capacity to contribute positively to nation-building,鈥� said the aptly named young man, Peace Love Isaa.聽聽