海角大神

A federal judge in Boston ruled 鈥榯hird country鈥� deportations are illegal. The decision by Judge Brian E. Murphy of the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts on Wednesday repudiates the Trump administration鈥檚 policy of deporting immigrants to nations other than their country of origin. The Department of Homeland Security has removed an estimated 300 people to places such as Rwanda and Ghana. 鈥淚t is not fine, nor is it legal,鈥� Judge Murphy wrote.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The two leaders emerged from talks in Beijing on Wednesday calling for closer, more reliable ties amid what they called the chaos and uncertainty of the world economy. Mr. Merz also urged Beijing to press Moscow to end the Ukraine war. Traveling with a large delegation of German business executives, he is the latest in a string of European leaders to visit China seeking fresh opportunities. He announced that China plans an order of up to 120 Airbus aircraft, yet also voiced concern about China鈥檚 growing trade surplus.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel. His two-day visit is meant to deepen cooperation between the two countries. The trip highlights how India, which historically aligned itself with the Palestinian cause, has grown much closer with Israel under Mr. Modi and his Hindu nationalist government. The countries have cooperated extensively on counterterrorism. India is the largest importer of Israeli arms.

The United States Department of Justice is suing UCLA. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, alleges that the university failed to protect Jewish employees from antisemitism during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on school grounds in 2023 and 2024. It is the Trump administration鈥檚 latest move against the University of California, Los Angeles after the school refused to pay a $1 billion fine to end a DOJ investigation into its handling of antisemitism. In 2025, UCLA agreed to a $6.45 million settlement with three Jewish students and a professor who sued the school over Palestinian encampments on campus.

Mexico will start reducing its workweek. It plans to reach 40 hours by 2030 in a reform passed unanimously by legislators Wednesday. Mexico has one of the longest workdays among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations. The reform is considered a win for President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo鈥檚 leftist party Morena. Critics say it will undercut productivity and that it is not a true reduction as it increases weekly overtime and recognizes only one day off per six days worked. Pedro Haces, a Morena representative, said in a post on X that Mexico is moving toward becoming a country 鈥渨here work is not only dignified, but people are able to live better.鈥�

World Central Kitchen is preparing meals on Cape Cod. Thousands on the peninsula remained without power two days after Monday鈥檚 blizzard. The international aid group, known most recently for its work in Ukraine and Gaza, expects to serve between 5,000 and 6,000 meals in shelters and warming centers in the coming days. Across the state of Massachusetts, about 300,000 had lost power at the storm鈥檚 peak.

A planetary parade debuts this weekend. Six planets will appear close together in the sky. The alignment occurs when several planets can be seen at the same time because of how they are positioned relative to the sun. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye in the western sky an hour after sunset. You鈥檒l need binoculars or a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune. A tip: 鈥淚f it鈥檚 twinkling, it鈥檚 a star. If it is not twinkling, it鈥檚 a planet,鈥� notes Sara Mazrouei, an astronomer at the University of Toronto.

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

President Donald Trump鈥檚 brief mention of Iran in his State of the Union address was still short of a complete argument for how and why striking Iran, which would risk a wider Middle East conflict, would further U.S. interests.

President Donald Trump says he鈥檚 deciding whether to take military action against Iran. Some members of Congress say a president isn鈥檛 the only decision-maker on the use of force 鈥� and they want a vote on a war powers resolution.

President Trump鈥檚 proposal could help close the retirement gap for millions of private-sector, part-time, and low-income workers without employer-sponsored plans. Building on a Biden-era effort, the president鈥檚 plan offers a federal match to boost retirement security.

President Donald Trump has rewritten how the United States uses its military power. The new strategy may help explain his approach to Iran as the U.S. builds up firepower in the Middle East.

Some prominent U.S. universities are paring back campus spending in response to endowment tax hikes passed by Congress and the Trump administration鈥檚 drive to reform higher education.

Two sets of peace negotiations are scheduled for Thursday in Geneva 鈥� direct talks between the United States and Ukraine, and indirect talks (mediated by Oman) between the U.S. and Iran. The parallel assemblies are likely to place strong demands on the multitasking skills of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner 鈥� and to underscore the potential pros and cons of practicing diplomacy through special envoys chosen from outside the ranks of traditional career diplomats.

鈥淭he ability to seize a historical moment鈥� in international events is a critical skill, according to Stuart Eizenstat, former U.S. ambassador to the European Union. At the same time, he cautioned in an interview with Tufts University鈥檚 Fletcher School, 鈥淏e wary of going for home runs. Don鈥檛 try to get too much. ... Instead, go for singles and doubles.鈥�

Patience, persistence, creativity, flexibility, and a willingness to listen are some of the qualities that undergird successful diplomacy. Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner (friend and son-in-law of President Donald Trump, respectively) likely demonstrated these in some measure during the complex process of brokering last October鈥檚 ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Now, they are seeking to end another war 鈥� and prevent the start of a new one.

In this, they have an advantage over career diplomats 鈥� a personal relationship with the leader of the world鈥檚 most powerful country. In addition, their 鈥渙utsider鈥� experience can bring fresh perspectives to long-standing diplomatic issues.聽

But the equally long-standing practice of U.S. presidents naming friends to high-profile diplomatic roles can also complicate diplomacy. In recent months, non-career ambassadors in France, Belgium, and Poland have riled their hosts with disregard for diplomatic protocol or impolitic public statements. And critics point to Mr. Kushner鈥檚 business ties in the Middle East as a potential conflict of interest.

These 鈥渁re reasonable questions,鈥� Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, told NPR. But, he noted, Mr. Kushner鈥檚 regional relationships are what 鈥渉elped produce a result fairly quickly that brought about the good outcome鈥� in Gaza. Mr. Kushner also promoted ties between Israel and Arab nations through helping to forge the 2020 Abraham Accords.

In many regions of the world, developing trust systematically over years, rather than scoring quick wins, is preferred. In the Gulf, according to analyst Nickolay Mladenov of The Washington Institute, there is a 鈥減rofound cultural inclination toward fostering enduring relationships to resolve conflicts鈥� 鈥� which speaks to how the small country of Oman has established itself as a trusted mediator.

Laurence Pevsner, a scholar at the City College of New York, points to the example of Benjamin Franklin, arguably one of the most successful U.S. diplomats. Over a period of several years, and some setbacks, Franklin negotiated essential financial and materiel support from France during the Revolutionary War 鈥� and also went on to broker a peace agreement with Britain.

鈥淐ountries don鈥檛 do diplomacy. People do,鈥� is how Mr. Pevsner puts it. 鈥淭he impressions and relationships [individuals] make can start a war or end one.鈥�