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Top Pentagon officials are in Ukraine this week on a 鈥渇act finding mission鈥� to revive talks on ending the war. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media they鈥檙e working on 鈥減otential ideas鈥� for resolving the conflict, after talks with Russia reached a stalemate in August.

Nvidia鈥檚 highly awaited earnings and revenue report topped estimates. CEO Jensen Huang said sales of the chip giant鈥檚 artificial intelligence chips were 鈥渙ff the charts,鈥� and cloud-computing chips had sold out. The company dominates the chip market and is the driving force behind the AI tech boom. Record revenue of $57 billion, up 62% from a year ago, is likely to ease investor concerns about that boom running out of steam.

Attacks by masked Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank have become so severe and frequent that they drew rare condemnation from top leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The violence has surged during the olive harvest, with some Palestinian farmers blocked from reaching their groves and others assaulted. Opposition leaders and former security officials blame the far-right government for tacitly encouraging the unrest.

The European Union moved to ease its AI and data-privacy rules, giving firms more time to experiment by delaying strict oversight of 鈥渉igh-risk鈥� technologies until late 2027. The shift aims to spur innovation as Europe lags behind global tech rivals, but critics say it erodes privacy and data-handling protections. The proposed changes require amending data protection legislation, a move many EU politicians oppose.

A geothermal project in Oregon could turn one of America鈥檚 most dangerous volcanoes into a source of clean power. Start-up Mazama Energy is drilling into the Newberry Volcano to tap 鈥渟uperhot rock,鈥� where temperatures can exceed 750 degrees Fahrenheit, the Washington Post reports. Geothermal energy has traditionally depended on rare underground reservoirs of hot water. If successful, this model could help make it a much larger player in global energy systems.

Haiti qualified for the World Cup for the first time in half a century, in a temporary reprieve from its domestic turmoil. The soccer team鈥檚 French coach has been unable to enter Haiti due to the conflict, with armed gangs controlling most of the capital. Still, the win 鈥渂rings a moment of joy,鈥� one fan told The Associated Press. 鈥淚 believe we can rise together.鈥�

鈥� Our staff writers around the world

Richard Nixon鈥檚 鈥渨ar on drugs鈥� has always entailed a degree of U.S. pressure on foreign allies. But the Trump administration鈥檚 strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats off Venezuela charts a new course of noncooperation.

The Trump administration helped stem fighting between Thailand and Cambodia, in part by making trade negotiations contingent on peace. Now the ceasefire is falling apart 鈥� and possibly pushing Bangkok closer to China.

Attempts to control the drawing of congressional districts to benefit a party or candidate stretch back nearly to the country鈥檚 founding. This year鈥檚 spurt of redistricting has cast renewed interest in what gerrymandering is and how it works.

Black Americans fought long and hard for the right to vote and participate in U.S. society, says Rep. Jim Clyburn. His new book, 鈥淭he First Eight,鈥� remembers that history and offers light on where the country stands today.

Amir Lowery, co-founder of the nonprofit Open Goal Project, believes that the pay-to-play soccer club model shuts out all but the most-resourced families. But remove the monetary obstacle, and the soccer talent in the United States could brim over.聽

During a visit to the United States this week, Saudi Arabia鈥檚 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman achieved much of what he sought, mainly access to advanced American fighter jets and microchips and 鈥渕ajor ally鈥� status with the U.S. He also received a reputational redemption of sorts, when President Donald Trump dismissed questions about the prince鈥檚 suspected involvement in the murder of a Saudi journalist. 聽

And thanks to diplomacy by Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Trump also got something he wanted (and needed): approval from the U.N. Security Council for his Gaza peace plan.

Soft-power persuasion by these Arab states helped avert potential vetoes by China and Russia. It underscored the value of keeping doors open to even potential foes 鈥� and to the institutions that maintain multilateral relationships.

The Gulf States are playing a growing role in many global standoffs and bring unique perspectives to international mediation. According to former U.N. Mideast peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov, they approach conflict resolution as 鈥渘ot a singular event but a process that requires nurturing understanding, cooperation, and interdependence among former adversaries.鈥�

Both culturally ingrained and politically strategic, this standpoint fosters 鈥渆nduring relationships ... and careful building of trust and rapport,鈥� he wrote last year.

Such interactions are based on pillars of respect and consensus, and on not publicly maligning any party. Perhaps more than public pressure or quick deals, values such as these might prove better adapted to the complex military and trade wars of today. In recent years, Qatar mediated a 2020 deal between the U.S. and Afghanistan; Oman played bridge-builder between the U.S. and Iran; and the UAE facilitated a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.

Even with its avowed 鈥淎merica First鈥� stance, the Trump administration recognizes the value that a multilateral approach provides. Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, acknowledged Arab allies鈥� 鈥渁bsolutely indispensable鈥� support. These countries supported the U.S. seeking a mandate from the U.N. to implement key steps for Gaza 鈥� especially setting up a governing Board of Peace and a stabilization force, with troops expected from some Arab and Muslim-majority countries.

鈥淭he Gulf states are uniquely positioned to support these efforts due to their foreign policies of balancing relations between hostile regional and global powers [and] their close ties with Washington,鈥� the International Centre for Dialogue Initiatives observed. The fact that they have the money to pay for peacetime reconstruction in Gaza helps, too.

In addition to underscoring the importance of patience and persistence, the Gulf States take an approach that also offers a less obvious lesson 鈥� the 鈥渜uiet鈥� in 鈥渜uiet diplomacy.鈥� According to Mr. Mladenov, an emphasis on 鈥渄ignified discussion鈥� and confidentiality has proved 鈥減articularly effective in resolving disputes that might otherwise escalate under the harsh spotlight of social media polarization and global attention.鈥�