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American farmers will receive a $12 billion听bailout in February amid 鈥渢rade market disruptions,鈥� President Donald Trump announced yesterday. Most of the money will support farmers of corn, cotton, soybeans, rice, and other row crops, with $1 billion reserved for specialty produce.听Tariffs will fund the new program, although critics say a one-time payment cannot solve underlying problems.听For years farmers have听struggled听with prices for crops that often don鈥檛 meet the costs to produce them.

EU countries backed measures to听tighten Europe鈥檚 immigration policies, including the creation of 鈥渞eturn hubs鈥� outside EU borders for failed asylum seekers and harsher penalties for those who refuse to leave. Despite a decline in irregular entries in 2025, European governments are under pressure to take a harsher stance. Immigration has become increasingly听divisive听in the years since the so-called migrant crisis of 2015.

Some 100 schoolchildren abducted听from a Catholic school in Nigeria have been freed, officials said yesterday. They are set to reunite with their families today after more than two weeks held by unknown gunmen, who still have 153 students and 12 adults. Nigeria has seen a string of kidnappings in recent weeks. 鈥淲e must account for all the victims,鈥� President Bola Tinubu said.

China鈥檚 growing trade surplus poses听a critical threat to European industry, French President Emmanuel Macron said. He said he pressed Chinese leaders during talks in Beijing last week to reduce the听surplus听or face European tariffs on Chinese products. 鈥淲e cannot always be importing, Chinese companies must come to Europe,鈥� Mr. Macron told the French daily Les Echos. China鈥檚 trade surplus recently hit $1 trillion for the first time despite U.S. tariffs.

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared willing to back President Trump in a case concerning his firing of a member of the Federal Trade Commission. Some justices believe that agencies such as the FTC have grown bigger and more powerful than is constitutional, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh denouncing 鈥渂road delegations鈥� of power to 鈥渦naccountable agencies.鈥� Justice Elena Kagan said a ruling in favor of Mr. Trump would lead to 鈥渦ncontrolled, unchecked power鈥� in the president鈥檚 hands.

President Trump said he will sign an executive order this week blocking state-level artificial intelligence regulations. A draft copy of the order that circulated last month said it would 鈥渆nhance America鈥檚 global AI dominance鈥� by creating a 鈥渦niform鈥� policy framework. The move faces pushback from citizen groups and some politicians, including Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has called the order federal overreach.

Louvre Museum workers voted for rolling strikes starting Dec. 15 in protest of work conditions, a planned ticket-price hike for non-European visitors, and security concerns following a brazen daytime heist at the iconic Paris destination in October. Unions said the robbery unveiled a 鈥渟hortcoming in priorities鈥� that had long gone unaddressed. The announcement comes a day after museum officials admitted to a late-November water leak that damaged documents in its Egyptian department.

鈥� Our staff around the world

Donald Trump鈥檚 new national security strategy turns history on its head, dismissing a Europe it says faces 鈥渃ivilizational erasure鈥� and praising far-right parties that Moscow supports. How will the United States鈥� transatlantic allies react?

Historians say presidential pardons have been used in ways that range from serving the chief executive鈥檚 own family interests to uniting a torn nation after a war. When the power is abused, it can pose a direct threat to democracy, say some critics of actions by President Donald Trump.

One year after rebel forces overthrew a dictatorship and ended a long and costly civil war, Syria still faces many challenges. But hopes for the future, and gratitude for newfound freedoms, fueled a day of joyful celebrations.

The country鈥檚 landmark legislation is part of a worldwide cultural shift that now sees smartphones as akin to driving and alcohol 鈥� for older teens and adults only. While supporters hope other countries follow Australia鈥檚 lead, critics say legislative bans will be ineffective, create unintended consequences, and infringe on civil liberties.

So many books, so little time. We鈥檝e taken some of the guesswork out of picking new books by culling through the last 12 months of the Monitor's 10 best books. We hope you鈥檒l find opportunities, whether traveling, waiting in line, or sitting in a quiet spot, to savor the joys of reading.

Over the weekend, tens of thousands of Brazilian women participated in rallies calling for stronger action to tackle violence against women, which remains intolerably high. A few weeks earlier, several thousand South African women participated in 鈥渓ie-downs鈥� across the country to call attention to the same issue.

鈥淛ust as women many years ago protested ... for the changes that we are privileged to experience today,鈥� said a South African participant in her 20s, 鈥渨e also need to be the generation that steps up.鈥澨�

Coinciding with the global 鈥�16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence鈥� campaign, these events underscore how much remains to be done to uphold the safety and dignity of women and girls the world over. As well as laws and enforcement, the process requires confronting deep-rooted traditions and cultural notions that constrain the full participation and vigorous contributions of half the world鈥檚 population.

When women lack equal rights and protection, peace and prosperity are diminished, as The Economist noted in an article titled 鈥淲hy nations that fail women fail.鈥� It cited research showing a high correlation between 鈥渧iolent instability in a country鈥� and the existence of 鈥減re-modern attitudes to women鈥� 鈥� such as restrictive family and property laws, early marriage, polygamy, and sanctioned violence. And, in the aftermath of civil strife, it noted, 鈥減eace tends to last longer when women are at the table.鈥�

When robust laws are enacted, reporting mechanisms improved, and social stigma recedes, more women and bystanders are willing and able to come forward 鈥� as the example of Kazakhstan shows. This Central Asian nation only last year introduced a law to address domestic abuse of women and children. From a few hundred crimes per year previously reported, it identified 19,000 potential cases in just the first five months of 2025. In that period, more than 2,000 children sought help and 62,000 adults placed calls, many concerning domestic violence.

In all, 191 countries have passed more than 1,500 pieces of legislation to address physical, psychological, and online violence against women. Nearly 100 countries 鈥� many of them in the poorest parts of the world 鈥� have implemented specialized training for police, as the first line of reporting and response. Hundreds of programs have engaged with students, young people, and adults to increase awareness of the issue. While building the confidence and agency of girls and women, 10% of such programs specifically promote awareness and relevant discussions among men and boys.听

鈥淲e must raise our daughters differently. We must also raise our sons differently,鈥� as author and activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has observed.

Ultimately, renewed views of genuine manhood and womanhood that incorporate universal values such as equality and respect can help pave the way for lasting change.