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Rep. Nancy Pelosi will retire from Congress at the end of this term, she announced yesterday, ending a four-decade career in which she became the first female speaker of the House in U.S. history. During her tenure, the California Democrat played a key role in passing landmark legislation 鈥� including the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Ms. Pelosi stepped down from leadership in early 2023 but has continued to play a behind-the-scenes role as adviser to Democratic leaders.

The Rapid Support Forces agreed to a humanitarian truce in Sudan. The announcement follows the paramilitary group鈥檚 capture of El Fasher, the last military-held city in the Darfur region, after an 18-month siege. The RSF, which has been fighting the military for more than two years in a civil war that has claimed as many as 150,000 lives, said it 鈥渓ooks forward鈥� to beginning talks on ending hostilities. A military official told The Associated Press a truce must include fighters withdrawing from civilian areas and surrendering weapons.

The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the government to require passport applicants to list their biological sex at birth. The administration is 鈥渕erely attesting to a historical fact鈥� without 鈥渄ifferential treatment,鈥� says the unsigned decision. The American Civil Liberties Union says this allows the enforcement of a 鈥渄iscriminatory鈥� policy against transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people. The Biden administration had given the option to select male, female, or 鈥淴鈥� on passports. The ruling isn鈥檛 final but is in place while the legal challenge continues.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will press charges after being groped in Mexico City. Footage of a man approaching her from behind, attempting to kiss her, and putting his hands on her generated outrage 鈥� not only over the security failure, but because many Mexican women recognized the experience. In Mexico, machismo is pervasive, and 10 women die daily by femicide 鈥� since 2015 growing at a rate four times that of other homicides, according to the Wilson Center. 鈥淚f I don鈥檛 file a complaint, where does that leave all Mexican women?鈥� Dr. Sheinbaum said.

Residents in the Philippines began cleaning up the rubble left behind by Typhoon Kalmaegi, one of the world鈥檚 deadliest cyclones this year. Rescue teams continue to search for dozens of missing people, with the death toll rising to at least 188 since the storm made landfall on Tuesday. Locals are bracing for another storm expected today or tomorrow. Meanwhile, Kalmaegi reached Vietnam late yesterday. Climate scientists say warmer sea surface temperatures can make storms stronger.

Google plans to build AI data centers in space, according to a research paper published this week. In what it鈥檚 calling 鈥淧roject Suncatcher,鈥� the company says it will launch two test satellites carrying four AI chips each into low Earth orbit in 2027. The chips will run on solar power. Google says the project will help meet AI data centers鈥� energy demand while reducing their impact on natural resources such as land and water.

A Washington D.C. jury found Sean C. Dunn, better known as 鈥淪andwich Guy,鈥� not guilty of assault yesterday in a case emblematic of resistance to President Donald Trump鈥檚 crackdown on local crime. Mr. Dunn threw a footlong sandwich and yelled epithets at a federal agent in August. The Justice Department had failed to secure a felony indictment for assault, and Mr. Dunn ultimately faced a misdemeanor charge.

鈥� From our staff writers around the world

Some Republicans might grow wary of creating pickup opportunities that make some GOP seats slightly less safe; others might feel more motivated now to redraw lines. Democrats could feel emboldened to push for redistricting in states beyond California, or perhaps conclude they can win without it.

The Monitor visited Michigan, a political battleground state, to gauge the economic climate in the聽first nine months of the Trump presidency. We found people who are enduring economic uncertainty amid hopes that troubling signs will turn positive.聽

President Trump's conduct of foreign policy聽鈥� respecting only strong powers and bluntly imposing his will on everyone else聽鈥� echoes ancient Athens' behavior 2,500 years ago. That did not end well.

Head Start used to be regarded as a bipartisan success story. In small, rural communities, it can be the only preschool or child care around. The record-setting government shutdown is now causing those centers, which also offer food and other support, to close.

The Mountain Club of Uganda is increasing community exposure to climbing. Roughly a decade ago, it had only a handful of Ugandan members. These days, 60% of new climbers are locals, and from all walks of life.聽

A summit on Thursday between President Donald Trump and the leaders of five Central Asian nations 鈥� aimed at striking deals on critical metals for high-tech industries 鈥� could mark a significant advance for the world over the course of a few months.

The meeting at the White House reflects a possible return to a global order in which countries exchange economic opportunities out of a self-desire to help others thrive rather than inflicting a zero-sum approach to international trade.

In early 2025, such exercises in enlightened self-interest were losing ground. Mr. Trump imposed massive tariffs on most nations, most notably China. In return, China restricted exports of critical elements 鈥� known as rare earths 鈥� of which it controls 90% of world production. The two largest economies were reverting to a type of mercantilism from centuries past, trying to weaponize their monopoly-like controls over particular markets or resources.

In late October, they called a truce on this tit for tat. The potential damage for both was seen as too high. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared on Wednesday to be inclined to end Mr. Trump鈥檚 power to impose tariffs without approval from Congress.

Meanwhile, many countries, including the United States, have sped up their search for alternative sources of rare earth elements to break China鈥檚 dominance in that essential natural resource. Central Asia, it turns out, might be the best alternative, especially in the region鈥檚 largest economy, Kazakhstan. In April, the country reported the discovery of deposits of several rare earth metals that, if verified, would be the world鈥檚 third-largest reserve after those in China and Brazil.

Just ahead of Mr. Trump鈥檚 summit with the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the spirit of free-market economics in such a vital resource.

鈥淲e oftentimes spend so much time focused on crisis and problems 鈥� and they deserve attention 鈥� that sometimes we don鈥檛 spend enough time focused on exciting new opportunities,鈥� he told the foreign ministers of the five countries. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 what exists here now: an exciting new opportunity in which the national interests of our respective countries are aligned.鈥�

The summit is also a recognition that open and fair competition in trade, in which each nation plays to its strongest advantages, helps promote innovation that drives economic growth. Throughout history, conflicts often break out when nations restrict imports or exports, impeding trade. After this White House meeting, the world might feel a bit more at peace.