海角大神

Canada is looking for a way to help聽end the war in Iran. Its foreign minister, Anita Anand, met in London with officials from the G7 and the Middle East. Ms. Anand told The Guardian newspaper she wrote a 鈥渄ocument of principles鈥� intended to de-escalate the conflict, save civilian lives, and limit the impact on the local economy. She said Canada will not participate in the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran. She also condemned Iran鈥檚 retaliatory attacks against its neighbors.

Nigeria鈥檚 president made a state visit to the U.K. It鈥檚 the first for Nigeria in four decades. At a banquet feting President Bola Tinubu and other Nigerian notables Wednesday evening, King Charles hailed the two countries鈥� relationship as 鈥渁 partnership of equals.鈥� The visit comes as the United Kingdom promises to move from 鈥渄onor to investor鈥� in Africa, and Nigeria 鈥� the continent鈥檚 largest oil producer 鈥� seeks foreign partners to help develop that industry.

The Trump administration moved closer to dismantling the Department of Education.聽It announced Thursday that the Treasury Department will take over the student loan portfolio. Initially, the Treasury will take over servicing more than 9 million Americans who have defaulted on loans. Eventually the Treasury will manage the entire $1.7 trillion operation, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Supporters call it practical; critics worry about a lack of oversight and inefficiency.

Two independent organizations said U.S. democracy is faltering. Freedom House and the Sweden-based V-Dem Institute downgraded its status as a liberal democracy, citing declines in checks and balances on the executive, respect for civil liberties, and the rule of law. America鈥檚 standing dropped three points to its lowest since Freedom House鈥檚 annual report began in 2002.

The WNBA reached a deal with its players鈥� union. It would increase average salaries to about $500,000. The agreement, not yet final, raises the 2026 salary cap to $7 million 鈥� four times that of 2025. It comes amid a longtime push from players, who wore 鈥減ay us what you owe us鈥� on their jerseys last year at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. Breanna Stewart, a forward for the New York Liberty, told The New York Times the deal will 鈥渂uild and help create a system where everybody is getting exactly what they deserve.鈥�

Finland was (again) named the world鈥檚 happiest country. It won that designation in the World Happiness Report for the ninth straight year. The placement was linked to a strong welfare system and long life expectancy. Costa Rica rose to fourth, the first Latin American country to reach the top five, with researchers pointing to strong family ties and social connections. The report also found that life satisfaction has declined among young people in countries such as the United States, partly due to long hours spent on social media.
Our coverage: What makes Finland the 鈥榳orld鈥檚 happiest nation鈥�? In a word, simplicity.

A research team used AI to decode the rules of an ancient board game. The work gives new insight into life in the early centuries A.D. Scholars directed a proprietary artificial intelligence tool to sift through a database of ancient game rules to decipher crisscrossed etches on a limestone object found in what is now the Netherlands. The result, published in the journal Antiquity, is a 鈥渂locking鈥� game, likely played with circular stones at the later end of the Roman Empire. Researchers note that while AI might unlock long-lost rules, humans are still better at gaming. People, they wrote, 鈥渁lso play for fun.鈥�

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

After decades of conflict, Iraqis have enjoyed increased political stability and a promising future, even embracing a unified national identity. But attacks by Iran, the United States, and homegrown militias are tugging at the divides that had held Iraq back.

Polls show that President Donald Trump鈥檚 war against Iran has strong support among self-identified MAGA voters, despite strident criticism from some conservative commentators. How long the president can maintain that support, as war costs rise and gas prices mount at home, is unclear.

In the 鈥渁symmetric鈥� Iran war, victory looks different for each side: The U.S. and Israel must decisively win 鈥� or convincingly claim they have 鈥� while the Iranian regime only has to survive.

Federal judges in the United States traditionally express their views only through their written opinions. That stance has shifted recently, amid physical threats and criticism by public officials, including the president.

The promise of new government UFO records and films that explore out-of-this-world connections are renewing attention on the question of whether humankind is truly alone in the universe.

Haiti is in a security and humanitarian tailspin, with millions of people internally displaced. The experience of a Port-au-Prince artist collective shows just how disrupted life has become聽鈥� and the power of perseverance.

This week, as a U.S. Senate committee held confirmation hearings and advanced the nomination of a new head of the Department of Homeland Security, the department itself entered Month 2 of a partial shutdown and funding freeze.

This juxtaposition highlights what Americans repeatedly say are among the country鈥檚 top 鈥減roblems鈥� 鈥� 鈥減oor鈥� government leadership and the issues surrounding immigration.

Currently, congressional Democrats refuse to approve full DHS funding, unless their Republican peers and the White House agree to key changes in immigrant detention and deportation tactics. These include banning face coverings for agents and requiring body cameras and judicial warrants to enter private property.

Both sides blame each other for the impasse 鈥� and its impact on DHS services such as airport security and emergency management.

However, among voters, cross-partisan views on immigration issues may be starting to overlap 鈥� and could help point elected representatives toward workable compromises, if not consensus. Even as around 60% of Americans feel that recent immigration enforcement tactics have 鈥済one too far,鈥� they hold nuanced views on upholding immigration laws, alongside compassion. A significant portion wants to ensure due process for migrants that respects their humanity.

Polls show that voters across political parties support deporting immigrants who have committed a serious crime. About 56% of Republicans say they want all unauthorized immigrants deported, but only 8% of Democrats want that. A much larger share of Democrats and independent voters prefer not to deport undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for years, arrived as a child, or committed a minor infraction.

These views are reflected in a draft immigration reform bill in Congress, the Dignity Act of 2025. To date, the proposal has bipartisan support from 19 House Republicans and 20 Democrats and from 75 groups representing business, religious, and community organizations. The Dignity Act would not offer citizenship to the estimated 14 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. But it would open pathways to legal residency over a period of several years (and after payment of penalties), and streamline asylum and other processes.

At his Wednesday hearing to be DHS chief, Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin stated he would revoke the policy allowing federal immigration officers to enter private property without a judicial warrant. He also said one of his aims was 鈥渢hat we鈥檙e not in the lead [news] story every day,鈥� as was the case under his predecessor, Kristi Noem.

Targeted immigration actions that operate within legal and policy bounds can help allay Americans鈥� concerns about overly aggressive enforcement. As a group of faith leaders told listeners in Richmond, Virginia, in late February, 鈥淲e must be able to uphold the law while refusing to dehumanize those who live under its penalties.鈥�