海角大神

The U.S. suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries whose citizens the State Department deems likely to apply for public benefits. The measure builds on an ongoing crackdown on immigration. It begins next week and is designed to stop what the Trump administration sees as the 鈥渁buse of America鈥檚 immigration system.鈥� The freeze affects low- and middle-income countries including Brazil, Russia, and Syria, and does not apply to tourist or business visas.

The Senate narrowly blocked a measure requiring congressional approval for further military action in Venezuela. Two Republicans withdrew their support and voted to dismiss the resolution, citing assurances from the White House that U.S. troops will not be sent to Venezuela and that President Trump would seek authorization.

Ukraine declared a state of emergency in the energy sector to give authorities more 鈥渙ptions and flexibility鈥� to tackle disrupted power supplies following Russian attacks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy singled out the capital Kyiv for being underprepared to cope, with households in several parts of Ukraine confronting subzero temperatures and blackouts. Support services are scrambling to keep those without heating, hot water, or electricity warm.

China鈥檚 trade surplus hit a world record at nearly $1.2 trillion in 2025, Beijing announced yesterday. Other countries, especially in Southeast Asia and Africa, have boosted China's exports at a time when sales to the U.S. have fallen amid higher tariffs.聽Electronics and electronic equipment led the way. Car exports have also surged. Some experts caution that China鈥檚 sustained growth will depend on domestic spending as well.

Spain is incentivizing young people to take up farming by making it easier for them to buy farmland. Farm groups welcomed the measures but warned that high costs and low returns are a tougher barrier. Spain is among the majority of EU countries backing the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement with South American nations. The pact is due to be signed on Saturday. European farmers worry it will flood local markets with cheap foreign goods. About 350 French farmers drove their tractors into Paris in protest this week.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is sending its first copper shipment to the U.S. under a new strategic partnership. China has long been a destination for Congolese copper, which is used in everything from wiring to motors. State miner Gecamines views the deal with Washington as a way to 鈥渞egain sovereignty鈥� over the country鈥檚 minerals, Semafor reports. The price of copper, gold, silver, and tin all reached new highs yesterday.

Researchers spotted 33 right whales off Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts, an encouraging sign for the critically endangered species, which was nearly wiped out by hunting in the 1800s. With only around 380 individuals left globally, right whales face threats from boat strikes, fishing gear, and other human activities. But the population is growing, and one observer called it 鈥渆xceptional鈥� to see so many whales this early in the season.

鈥� From Monitor writers around the globe

The United States has attempted to annex Greenland several times in the past. But it also has a history of cooperation with Denmark on Greenland鈥檚 security 鈥� so much so that it鈥檚 dubious that direct control would be better for U.S. defense.

When the United States struck Venezuela on Jan. 3, almost a third of the victims were Cuban nationals. Their presence in the country shows Cuba鈥檚 soft power in Venezuela and elsewhere.

A spat over Yemen has spiraled into what is being called a diplomatic 鈥渄ivorce鈥� between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, both of which are vying to lead the Middle East into a new era of stability. How does this affect post-civil-war Syria and a path forward in Gaza?

Africa has some of the world's youngest populations, and some of its oldest leaders. In Uganda, young voters must decide between a 40-something former pop star and a sitting president in his 80s.聽

Lexicographers used to take decades to decide which new words to add to a dictionary. Now, words trend online with head-spinning speed, forcing dictionary-makers to adapt. The coevolution of language and culture makes a fascinating study, as one journalist learned during a stint at Merriam-Webster.聽

For years, two of America鈥檚 closest allies, Japan and South Korea, have mostly marched to the beat of their own drums. As neighbors in northeast Asia, they have often cooperated. But the brutal history of Japan鈥檚 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean Peninsula was always an emotional backbeat preventing close ties. On Tuesday, after a bilateral summit, their leaders 鈥� who both took office last year 鈥� changed the tempo quite a bit.

In a gesture purposely human rather than diplomatic, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung sat down and played the drums together. They performed the song 鈥淕olden鈥� from the 2025 animated film 鈥淜Pop Demon Hunters.鈥� Ms. Takaichi had once been a drummer in a heavy metal band while Mr. Lee had long dreamed of playing drums.

The symbolism 鈥� dubbed 鈥渃ymbalism鈥� 鈥� of sharing music was made even stronger by the fact that each leader represents a political faction in their country prone not to compromise on moving beyond remaining differences or grievances over their shared 20th-century history. Any agreement between these two leaders is more likely to stick than previous attempts to reach closure on the past.

鈥淭here are uncomfortable and difficult aspects to our relationship,鈥� Mr. Lee said. 鈥淏ut there are also constructive ones. The task before us is to strengthen the latter and prevent the former from defining our future.鈥�

The warming of ties was enhanced by the Japanese leader holding the summit in her home town of Nara. The ancient capital is the place where Japan adopted much of Korean culture centuries ago. They toured a temple founded around A.D. 607, a gesture reflecting a new focus on a history that binds the two nations.

Each country has external reasons to draw closer. Both China and the United States have created new uncertainties in the region, while North Korea continues building up its nuclear and missile arsenal. And technological frontiers, including artificial intelligence, compel each nation to cooperate.

鈥淎s the global landscape grows increasingly turbulent, the South Korea-Japan relationship has become more vital than at any point in history,鈥� Mr. Lee said.

To ensure a 鈥渇uture-oriented鈥� relationship, the two leaders decided to proceed with small, humanitarian gestures to deal with the injustices of Japan鈥檚 colonial legacy. They will jointly identify the remains of Korean forced laborers killed at a Japanese mining tragedy in 1942. And the two countries are working on identifying Korean victims of a passenger ship that exploded in 1945. They also appear ready to seal agreements on trade issues.

Writing in Foreign Affairs, Brandeis University professor Ayumi Teraoka, noted: 鈥淭his unlikely duo could be precisely the partnership needed to put the Japanese-South Korean relationship on a more resilient footing.鈥�