News Briefs

In a landmark ruling, the non-binding opinion by the International Court of Justice is likely to determine the course of future climate action worldwide. The deliberation of the 15 judges of the ICJ in The Hague will carry legal and political weight, and future climate cases will be unable to ignore it, legal experts say. The two questions the U.N. General Assembly asked the judges to consider were: what are countries’ obligations under international law to protect the climate from greenhouse gas emissions; and what are the legal consequences for countries that harm the climate system?

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is citing an executive order from President Donald Trump as the basis of the ban. The order, signed in February, threatens to cut funding for organizations that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. The committee oversees around 50 national governing bodies, most of which play a role in everything from the grassroots to elite levels of their sports. National governing bodies for various sports, such as swimming and track and field, are expected to comply with the directive. Los Angeles will host the Summer Games in 2028.

Actions by the Trump administration have been pushing back on transgender inclusion, amid sharp public divides and emotional debates over things like women’s sports and care for children.

President Donald Trump announced deals with Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and a handful of other countries that will relieve some pressure on companies and consumers. Steep tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum remain, and many other countries, including South Korea and Thailand, have yet to clinch agreements. A deal with China is pending.

A statement signed by 111 organizations called for governments to take action, demanding an immediate ceasefire and that restrictions be lifted on the flow of humanitarian aid. They noted that food, clean water, medical supplies, and other items sit untouched just outside Gaza. Israel, which controls all supplies entering the enclave, denies it is responsible for shortages of food. 

Anti-Hamas gangs are disrupting food distribution, and Palestinians in Gaza fear being forgotten.

Thousands gathered in Kyiv and other cities on Tuesday to urge President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to veto a bill that tightens oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies, which critics say could significantly weaken their independence. The rally was the first major protest against the government in more than three years of war. Mr. Zelenskyy signed the bill into law late Tuesday. 

See our story on the Ukrainian newspapers fighting to remain independent.

Officials define extremist activity broadly; it includes opposition groups like the one created by late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the “international LGBT movement.” Authorities have ramped up their crackdown on dissent since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Online censorship and prosecutions for social media posts and comments have soared, and independent news outlets and rights groups have been shut down. 

The seven-time Grand Slam champion beat Peyton Stearns in a first-round match at the Washington Open on Tuesday. At age 45, she became the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since 2004, following a 16-month hiatus from competing. “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down,” said Ms. Williams, reported by WTA Tennis. “There are no limits for excellence.” – Staff

Hundreds of students have protested near the site of the deadly crash of a Bangladeshi air force training jet into a school in the capital, demanding accountability and the halt of training flights. The death toll from Monday’s crash rose to 31. The military is investigating the crash on the trainee pilot’s first solo flight. The ongoing unrest shut down traffic in parts of Dhaka, which is still recovering from last year’s student uprising that forced the prime minister from power. Some students entered the country’s administrative headquarters and were dispersed with tear gas and stun grenades.

Cover story: People-power movements can break the grip of authoritarianism. But as is clear in Bangladesh, not everyone in society wins amid the sweeping change.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s White House visit on Tuesday highlights efforts to strengthen security and economic ties between the two countries as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific. Their talks are expected to focus on mutual defense as China has become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing have clashed over hotly contested territory. The leaders are also negotiating a potential tariff deal. Mr. Marcos is set to become the first Southeast Asian leader to hold talks with Mr. Trump in his second term.

The wide-ranging rollbacks would range from minimum wage requirements for home health care workers and people with disabilities to standards governing exposure to harmful substances to working conditions at constructions sites and in mines. The Labor Department says the goal is to deliver on President Donald Trump’s commitment to restore American prosperity through deregulation. Critics say the proposals would put workers at greater risk of harm, with women and members of minority groups bearing a disproportionate impact.

The escalation came hours before Britain and Germany led a NATO meeting on military support for Ukraine, including advanced air defense systems like Patriots. Norway and the Netherlands also pledged more support. Moscow has intensified its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate as Russian drone production expands. 

More than 240,000 pages of records had been under a court-imposed seal since 1977. Dr. King’s children opposed the release, noting that their father was the victim of sometimes illegal surveillance and urging the public to view the documents “within their full historical context.” Some observers say President Trump is using the files to distract from his own troubles related to Jeffrey Epstein. 

Brett Hankison was sentenced to prison for using excessive force during the 2020 raid that led to the death of Ms. Taylor, a Black medical worker. He is the only officer to be given time in the case that rocked the city of Louisville and spawned weeks of street protests against racial injustice and policing.

We look today at what the sentencing means for police reform.

Seven hundred Marines were deployed on June 9 during protests against the administration’s immigration policies. Their presence was limited to federal buildings, including an ICE office and detention facility. Some 2,000 National Guard troops remain in the city.

Since 2019, when the day begins at San Mateo High School, students have locked their phones into magnetically sealed pouches that open only when the day is over. Siddharth Gogi, who graduated this past spring, recently told Capital News Service that “conversations move past surface level when you have that time to talk to one another.”

We have looked at where cellphone bans are gaining ground and why communities are fighting for them.

Norway stands ready to help fund Patriot missile systems for Ukraine's air defenses, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told reporters in Berlin Monday at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The Netherlands also said it will make a “substantial contribution” to the delivery of the U.S. defense systems, Dutch Newspaper De Telegraaf reported Monday, quoting the Dutch defense minister. – Reuters

For the first time they entered areas of Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza city where several aid groups are based. An Israeli military official on Monday confirmed the incursion. Some observers have speculated that Hamas may hold Israeli hostages there. The main group representing hostages’ families said it was “shocked and alarmed” by the incursion, and demanded answers from Israeli leaders.

It went to federal court Monday over $2.6 billion in cuts by the Trump administration. They came after Harvard's rejection of demands from a federal antisemitism task force that sought sweeping changes to the school’s policies on protests, admissions, hiring, and more. Harvard, with a $53 billion endowment, has self-funded some research but says it can't cover all losses. The Trump administration says the cuts align with its policies.