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The United States paused immigration applications from 19 countries on a 鈥渢ravel ban鈥� list issued in June. Yesterday鈥檚 guidance calls for a re-review to 鈥渁ssess all national security and public safety threats,鈥� citing last week鈥檚 attack on two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., by an Afghan national. The policy is expected to face legal challenges for targeting people based on nationality.

Republican Matt Van Epps won 罢别苍苍别蝉蝉别别鈥檚 special House election for the 7th congressional district, defeating Democrat Aftyn Behn yesterday with more than 53% of the vote. Mr. Van Epps was favored to win the reliably red district, which has been without representation since former GOP Rep. Mark Green resigned in July. The race received national attention as a potential bellwether for both parties ahead of next year鈥檚 midterm elections, with margins narrowing to single digits.

Centrist Salvador Nasralla took a slight lead days after a presidential election in Honduras overshadowed by U.S. interest. President Donald Trump had endorsed right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura and pardoned a former president and member of Mr. Asfura鈥檚 party who had been convicted in the U.S. of drug trafficking. Mr. Trump alleged voter fraud Monday without evidence. His actions highlight his administration鈥檚 push to solidify conservative allies in Latin America, experts say.

Canada became the first non-European Union member to join the bloc鈥檚 new defense fund, the Security Action for Europe. The fund was established earlier this year to fortify Europe against an expansionist Russia, or any attack without the guarantee of American protection. Canada has sought to diversify its military spending away from the U.S. since President Trump began his second term threatening to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.

Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion for 25 million American children, who will each receive $250. They announced the commitment during a White House briefing yesterday alongside President Trump. The money will go toward the 鈥淭rump Accounts鈥� in this year鈥檚 tax bill. Those savings accounts start with a $1,000 government contribution available to every U.S. citizen born from the beginning of this year through the end of 2028.

Mass killings are at their lowest point in the U.S. since 2006. There have been 17 mass killings this year, down 24% from last year, according to a database that The Associated Press helps maintain. At this time of year in 2019, the nation had seen more than 40 such incidents. Criminologists welcome the data but say it鈥檚 too early to declare a trend, given how rare these events are.

Mexico is building Latin America鈥檚 most powerful supercomputer. 鈥淐oatlicue,鈥� named after an Aztec goddess, is meant to propel the nation forward in technology, especially computing and artificial intelligence. When completed, it will be seven times stronger than the region鈥檚 most powerful supercomputer, currently in Brazil, and have more than 100 times the capacity of Mexico鈥檚 current leading computer. Construction begins next year.

鈥� Our staff writers around the world

Though the Trump administration says its strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean are legal, the actions are raising questions about potential war crimes and generating support for more congressional oversight.

A year after an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, the Lebanese people are still caught in the middle. The ceasefire requires Hezbollah to disarm and Israel to withdraw. Neither has happened, even as Beirut works to fulfill its part of the bargain.

Violence at schools, committed by students or former students, has been a growing problem in Europe over recent years. For teachers and officials, the solution is to restrict youth鈥檚 access to social media 鈥� though that鈥檚 easier said than done.

The trials of Black families did not end with emancipation. Separation, coercion, and betrayal followed in the wake of slavery and demanded bravery and solidarity.聽

Names are often laden with meaning about our heritage. For our essayist, his name is a thread that connects him to home, a reminder of the rich traditions he carries with him everywhere he goes.

The Trump administration鈥檚 drive to end the war in Ukraine 鈥� initially under a plan that favored Moscow鈥檚 terms 鈥� has hit a big speed bump: American allies in Europe are demanding that Russia be held accountable for war crimes, such as the abduction of Ukrainian children and the execution of prisoners of war.

For Ukrainians, real peace demands at least truth-telling if not justice for such violations of international law. For Europe, too, any deal that wipes the slate clean for Russia 鈥渨ould be sowing the seeds of the next round of aggression and the next invasion,鈥� said Michael McGrath, the European commissioner for justice and democracy.

鈥淲e cannot give up on the rights of the victims of Russian aggression and Russian crimes,鈥� he told Politico.

Why is Europe so adamant on this point? For one, it saw the worst of warfare during the 20th century. But in 1975, it helped set up the world鈥檚 largest regional security organization 鈥� which included the Soviet Union 鈥� under a politically binding agreement known as the Helsinki Final Act. The pact has since been a beacon for universal values, such as the innocence of noncombatants in a conflict.

It also led to a new body, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), that monitors breaches of international law (as well as election law) in European countries, as well as in Canada and the United States. Russia remains a member 鈥� although an obstructionist one 鈥� because it has long viewed the security arrangement as a pathway to someday dominating Europe without an American presence.

On Dec. 4-5, the 57 participating states of the OSCE will gather in Vienna for an annual ministerial meeting. A hot topic is how to reset the rules of war and humanitarian law by using the organization as a vehicle. In September, for example, an investigation by the OSCE found Russia had violated international law in its treatment of POWs. The invasion was 鈥渁 brutal rejection of the norms that have preserved peace in Europe for decades,鈥� said Elina Valtonen, Finland鈥檚 foreign minister and current chair of the OSCE.

In October, Russian President Vladimir Putin spelled out his gripe about the organization: 鈥淲hat was the OSCE created for? To resolve complex situations in Europe. And what did it all boil down to? The entire activity of the OSCE reduced to becoming a platform for discussing, for example, human rights in the post-Soviet space.鈥�

For Ukraine, the principles that uphold rights are not an abstraction. They are being defended, from the battlefield to basement bunkers. A peace plan that restores those rights, and holds Russia accountable for trampling on them, is the ultimate measure of peace.