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Iran hit its Gulf neighbors and kept a tight hold over oil shipping this weekend. Israel launched new attacks on Lebanon and Iran, while Dubai鈥檚 airport suspended flights after an Iranian drone hit a nearby fuel tank. Iran launched missiles toward Israel Monday, with Israeli officials reporting damage in central areas. The disruption of oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has pushed global energy prices higher, with Brent crude at more than $100 a barrel. Iran鈥檚 foreign minister has rejected negotiations. 鈥� The Associated Press

Japan has no plans at present to send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz, Tokyo says.聽Japan鈥檚 Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi must balance Japan鈥檚 pacifist constitution against the demand by US President Donald Trump for Japan, South Korea and other allies to dispatch naval ships to secure the critical oil waterway. Mr. Trump鈥檚 pressure comes at a sensitive time for Ms. Takaichi, who seeks to strengthen the US-Japan security alliance during talks with Mr. Trump this week. The Iran war is unpopular in Japan, which relies heavily on Middle East oil imports.

Meta is planning sweeping layoffs. In an exclusive, Reuters reported that the cuts could affect 20% or more of the company, citing three sources familiar with the matter, as 鈥孧eta seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been pushing Meta, which employed 79,000 people as of December 31, to compete more forcefully in generative AI. If Meta settles on the 20% figure, the layoffs will be the company鈥檚 most significant since a restructuring in late 2022 and early 2023. 鈥� Reuters

Five women rejoin Iran鈥檚 soccer team, abandoning their asylum claims. Five of the seven squad members who created a diplomatic furor by accepting asylum in Australia a week ago have rejoined their teammates in Malaysia, an official says. The Asian Football Confederation鈥檚 general manager, Windsor Paul John, says the team was waiting Monday to make flight connections home. The squad flew from Sydney last week, leaving behind six players and a support staff member who had accepted protection visas. 鈥� AP

Cubans are speaking out more brazenly against their government. Over the weekend a rare, violent protest erupted in Mor贸n on the northern coast. Protestors threw rocks at and ransacked the local Communist Party office, trying to set it on fire. Hunger, blackouts, and a general lack of opportunity have worsened in Cuba in recent years as its economy has struggled. The U.S.-imposed oil blockade, launched in late January, has exacerbated hardship on the island. Mor贸n was without power for at least 30 hours before protests broke out.聽
Our coverage:聽The US wants change in Cuba. So do more Cubans.

鈥極ne Battle After Another鈥� triumphs at the 98th Academy Awards. Paul Thomas Anderson鈥檚 鈥淥ne Battle After Another鈥� won best picture, Jessie Buckley won best actress, and Michael B. Jordan won best actor. 鈥淪inners鈥� cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw became both the first female and the first Black director of photography to win the award. Moving tributes were paid to Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Rob Reiner. 鈥� AP

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

From soaring oil prices to depleted missile defenses, the Iran war鈥檚 impacts reverberated quickly in the older Ukraine conflict. And the needs of the Mideast combatants聽鈥� intelligence and anti-drone measures聽鈥� have created diplomatic and strategic openings for both Russia and Ukraine.

When the United States has gone to war in the past, Americans have come together around a shared experience. In its early days, the Iran war has not yet become part of the country鈥檚 consciousness in the same way that other conflicts have.

It took several decades for students鈥� individual computer access to become the norm in American schools. But it鈥檚 taken only about three years for the share of students using artificial intelligence in school assignments to go from zero to 84%.聽

At the same time, according to a 2025 report by the College Board, only 13% of schools encouraged using such generative AI in all their classes, while 1 in 5 had no policies governing its use. Educators are racing to keep pace with and use AI in ways that safeguard students鈥� educational interests and support vibrant classroom relationships. There is concern about repeating what some see as the 鈥渕istakes鈥� of having allowed students unlimited access to phones and social media.

But blanket restrictions on AI in schools could be counterproductive, given that it infuses almost every aspect of daily commerce and communication 鈥� and is also shaping emerging career paths. Instead, some educators and researchers urge an approach that strengthens individual discernment and ethical decision-making 鈥� through broader 鈥淎I literacy.鈥�

The focus should be on 鈥渉ow to build agency over the tech, not just agility with what it offers,鈥� wrote Substack author Jenny Anderson and Brookings Institution analyst Rebecca Winthrop in The Washington Post this week. More than 鈥減rompt engineering,鈥� children 鈥渘eed a holistic understanding鈥� of how AI works, they wrote. Equipped with this, 鈥渢hey develop the capacity to know when AI supercharges their learning and when it stunts it.鈥�

That point was underscored in a 2025 study comparing AI literacy and usage rates, which found that students with lower AI literacy were more likely to use the tools to complete their assignments than students with higher AI literacy and awareness.

Incorporating discussion of ethics, values, and accountability alongside technical concepts further bolsters AI literacy and critical thinking skills, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a Paris-based multilateral agency. It helps ensure that 鈥渟tudents know how to evaluate, question, and apply AI responsibly鈥� in school and 鈥渂eyond the classroom.鈥澛�

Young people who understand how AI and its algorithms work are more likely to use it responsibly. Their understanding, in turn, can support the effective use of AI tools as a complement to the essential classroom interactions that enhance the education experience.