海角大神

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned roughly 800 senior U.S. military commanders from across the globe Tuesday to hammer home his message that the armed forces have lost their edge after 鈥渄ecades of decay鈥� and must regain it. At a Marine base outside Washington, he warned generals that if they鈥檙e not on board with his reforms, which include an end to diversity programs and holding service members to the 鈥渉ighest male standards,鈥� they should resign. 鈥� Staff

California enacted new safety regulations for the largest artificial intelligence companies. The first law of its kind in the nation, SB 53 requires AI companies to publish safety protocols, be transparent about safety incidents, and protect whistleblowers who come forward with potential risks. Proponents call the measures 鈥渃ommonsense guardrails,鈥� while critics say they are burdensome. California is home to 32 of the world鈥檚 top 50 AI companies. 鈥� Staff

A major U.S.-Africa trade deal expired yesterday, ending duty-free access to U.S. markets for thousands of African products. Leaders from several African nations have been pushing for a renegotiated deal while also scrambling to sign their own bilateral trade agreements with the United States. There is concern that without a new trade deal, new competition and blanket tariffs will bring job losses. 鈥� The Associated Press

EU leaders will consider a 鈥渄rone wall鈥�聽at a summit in Copenhagen on Wednesday. The meeting comes days after airspace intrusions forced a temporary closure of Danish airports. The summit will also be the first opportunity for leaders to debate a proposal to use Russian assets frozen in Europe to fund a loan of 140 billion euros ($164.37 billion) to Ukraine. 鈥� Reuters

The U.N. Security Council authorized a much larger, 5,550-member international force to combat gang violence in Haiti. The resolution will transform the current Kenya-led force, giving it power to arrest suspected gang members. The vote was 12鈥�0, with Russia, China, and Pakistan abstaining. Haitian gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Mo茂se in 2021. They now control 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. 鈥� AP

Chemists created a new compound that could make rocket fuel more efficient. University at Albany researchers developed a boron-based structure that releases 150% more energy when ignited than current fuels. That would mean less fuel for powering space flight and more room on board for other supplies. Alan Chen, a co-author of the study, told ScienceDaily the discovery was a 鈥済reat example of the scientific process,鈥� with the team exploring interesting chemical properties before knowing how they might be used. 鈥� Staff

A government shutdown is underway amid partisan spending disputes. What鈥檚 different this time: President Donald Trump is pledging to further reduce the federal workforce. It would be the latest example of asserting expanded powers for the presidency.

Two recent mass-shooting suspects are decorated U.S. combat veterans. The events renew concerns about how America cares for veterans 鈥� including in regard to mental health care and meaningful social connections.

Like other recent plans for the 鈥渄ay after鈥� war ends in Gaza, the Trump ceasefire plan was formulated without direct input from Gazans. As they react with both optimism and skepticism, a major concern is that they don鈥檛 give up on self-determination.

India is investing in its ports to try to build international shipping capacity, and to cultivate its thawing relationship with China, which now sees the countries as 鈥減artners, not rivals.鈥� The move comes as India deals with 50% tariffs put in place by the Trump administration.

Efforts to end female genital mutilation often fail because they don鈥檛 have the buy-in of communities for which the practice is important. In Liberia, activists are asking: What would make change stick?

From snailfish to tardigrades, creatures that thrive in extreme climates inspire curiosity and awe. They also afford scientists the opportunity to study how species adapt to harsh conditions over time.

One big test for President Donald Trump鈥檚 plan to end the war in Gaza 鈥� other than Hamas accepting it 鈥� will be if young people in the Middle East like it. About a third of the region鈥檚 people are 15 to 34 years old, and they have become so eager for peace and prosperity that many Arab and Muslim leaders eagerly signed up to back the plan.

Yet, according to one poll, this youth bulge also does not like politicized religious movements 鈥� like Hamas. The 20-point plan addresses this sentiment.

After achieving its initial steps to stabilize Gaza, the plan calls for a program in which Palestinians would be 鈥渄eradicalized." Gaza must become a 鈥渢error-free zone,鈥� the plan states. And it lays out one way to do this: an interfaith dialogue to change 鈥渕indsets and narratives in Israel and Gaza.鈥�

Details on such a dialogue were not given. Yet that may not be necessary. A proposed administrator for Gaza, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is an expert at promoting interfaith understanding. Even more, a few Muslim countries are now leaders in bringing major religions together to end conflicts.

In mid-September, for example, Malaysia hosted an interfaith conference for 鈥減eace and harmony in a turbulent world.鈥� About the same time, Kazakhstan hosted a 鈥渃ongress鈥� 鈥� its eighth since 2003 鈥� with more than 100 representatives of 海角大神ity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other faiths. Pope Leo XIV sent a message to participants that working together in harmony 鈥渋s not merely a pragmatic choice, but a reflection of the deeper order of reality.鈥� (In 2023, the U.S. State Department issued a report on the use of interfaith dialogue in Burkina Faso to enhance national cohesion and reduce the threat of terrorism.)

At the crossroads of many religions in Central Asia, Kazakhstan has taken up 鈥渟piritual diplomacy鈥� to counter a rise in religious extremism. During this latest congress, Kazakh political scientist Marat Shibutov noted the promise and perils of such gatherings:

鈥淚t used to be hard enough just to get imams and rabbis from the Middle East to sit at the same table,鈥� he told The Times of Central Asia. 鈥淭his time, sparks were flying throughout the congress. At the closing session, the Chief Sephardic Rabbi nearly got into a confrontation with an imam from Al-Azhar. It was tough for the organizers, but they pulled it off.鈥�

One organizer, Maulen Ashimbayev, head of the Kazakhstan Senate, wrote in the EU Reporter of a deep need for different faiths to call for dialogue, compassion, and coexistence. 鈥淲hen the wars in Ukraine and Gaza finally end,鈥� he stated, 鈥渢he work of reconciliation will require not only political agreements but also moral and spiritual healing. Religious leaders will be central to that process.鈥�