海角大神

North Korea is welcoming senior leaders from China, Russia, Vietnam, Laos, and other countries to attend an anticipated large military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers鈥� Party of Korea on Friday. Beijing sent its No. 2 official, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, for a three-day visit expected to underscore the traditional alliance between the two communist countries. Pyongyang has a mutual defense treaty with Beijing, but relations cooled as it moved closer to Moscow last year.

Xi鈥檚 week of diplomacy: As the US pushes countries away, China draws them closer

The program helps keep tabs on visitors from outside the European Union. The entry-exit system, known as EES, registers facial scans, fingerprints, and passport information at the border. The controls are similar to others in Britain (the Electronic Travel Authorisation or ETA) and the United States (Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA). It is part of a wider push across Europe to curb illegal immigration.

The East African nation reclaimed independent oversight over its human rights affairs, following approval by a UN Human Rights Council resolution. That ends over three decades of international monitoring and the mandate of a UN-appointed independent expert on human rights in the country. Khadiija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi, a minister for women and human rights, said it represents the world鈥檚 recognition of Somalia鈥檚 鈥減rogress in rebuilding democratic institutions.鈥�

Somalia鈥檚 peril and promise: A reporter returns after 30 years

Colombia鈥檚 President Gustavo Petro said the latest vessel in the Caribbean bombed by the United States may have been Colombian with Colombian citizens aboard. The White House called it a 鈥渂aseless鈥� statement. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced the latest in a series of military strikes targeting drug trafficking vessels off the coast of Venezuela, although the Pentagon has yet to confirm any such strike occurred on Saturday. If verified, the assertion would bring Colombia into the fray of a U.S. campaign that had previously targeted Venezuelan boats.

Trump opens a military campaign against drug cartels. It鈥檚 not an easy fight.

Thousands of soldiers in the next several months will have to evacuate far-flung global hotspots as a result of the latest U.S. funding cuts to the world body. That's according to a senior U.N. official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity. The result will be about a 25% reduction in peacekeepers worldwide, with around 13,000 to 14,000 military and police personnel sent home. That comes as the U.N. plans to cut about 15% of the peacekeeping force鈥檚 $5.4 billion budget for next year.

The Ministry of National Defense issued a report saying it is actively looking to procure new anti-drone weapons systems, which comes in response to Chinese drone incursions. The report released Thursday said Taiwan has developed a strategy to deal with the Chinese drone incursions by identifying and shooting them down as they approach. Taiwan鈥檚 outlying islands, which are closer to China than the main island of Taiwan, often face Chinese drones. China frequently claims Taiwan as its own, while in practice it is self-ruled.

Beyond China鈥檚 shadow, Taiwan forges its own identity 鈥� and destiny

Beijing on Thursday announced an expansion of export controls on rare earths. China produces about 90 percent of the critical minerals vital for making everything from jet engines and cars to smartphones 鈥� leverage it uses in trade talks. The Commerce Ministry, citing national security concerns, said it will require foreign suppliers to obtain export licenses to export rare earths and related technologies originating in China. Exports for military use will 鈥渋n principle鈥� not be approved, and those related to AI or semiconductor manufacturing will be reviewed case by case, it said.

Rare earth reserves are in global demand. Can Brazil change the playbook?

He pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a case his lawyer described as a vindictive prosecution directed by President Donald Trump, whose first presidential campaign Mr. Comey investigated. He faces charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation. Mr. Comey鈥檚 lawyer told the judge he planned to file several legal motions to dismiss the case before a trial.

With Comey indictment, Trump shatters norms of US justice system

The move comes amid a spate of incidents across Europe where聽drones聽have caused travel delays by illegally entering airport airspace. Many experts say Russia is likely behind the incidents, seeking to fluster and frighten Europe. Several other countries, including France and Britain, allow authorities to shoot down drones.

Russia鈥檚 repeated flights over NATO countries prompt calls for action

The U.S. Justice Department has charged a man with causing the Palisades fire, the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history.聽Authorities say Jonathan Rinderknecht, of Melbourne Florida, was an Uber driver living in the Palisades when he maliciously set a fire in the Santa Monica mountains on New Year鈥檚 eve. The LA County Fire Department suppressed that fire, which continued to smolder underground for a week. It reignited with the dry, windy conditions on Jan. 7, becoming the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and burned nearly 7,000 structures across more than 23,000 acres. The U.S. Attorney for California鈥檚 Central District charged Mr. Rinderknecht with destruction of property by means of fire.

Destroyed by LA fires, this community is showing how to rebound 鈥� and rebuild

Despite months of tariff turbulence, the agency now expects higher trade volumes in 2025 than in 2024, buoyed by surging shipments of AI-related equipment. Tensions have eased since the United States imposed sweeping tariffs in April. WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said at an event held by news outlet Semafor that the system has been 鈥渒nocked鈥� but continues to prove its resilience. The organization, however, warned of a slowdown next year.

Why Europe鈥檚 trade deal with the US might be better than it seems

The IUCN World Conservation Congress is bringing together thousands of scientists, policymakers, and conservationists in Abu Dhabi. They hope to come up with solutions for everything from preserving wetlands to reducing plastic pollution to protecting animals in conflict zones. The conference meets every four years. Participants say they are well aware that they are nearing their 2030 deadlines for a slew of conservation goals, including the promise to halt biodiversity loss.

This program is planting a 鈥榝orest鈥� of conservation-minded filmmakers in India

They鈥檙e pushing for stricter copyright protection that will prevent artificial intelligence firms from using their intellectual property to train AI models. AI companies remain at loggerheads with content owners globally. The movie industry is particularly concerned that AI tools could scrape their copyrighted videos, images, and clips online.聽The Indian government formed a panel this year consisting of lawyers, government officials, and industry executives to review if existing copyright law is sufficient to tackle AI-related disputes, and make recommendations.

Compensation is not guaranteed for hundreds of thousands of federal workers on forced time off during the government shutdown, Axios reported Tuesday. The Senate rejected dueling measures to fund federal agencies for a fifth time on Monday, with insufficient support for both a Republican proposal to fund operations through Nov. 21 and a Democratic version that would extend healthcare subsidies. Air traffic control staffing issues affected numerous U.S. airports for a second day, with over 3,000 flights delayed.

Trump threatens mass layoffs as shutdown begins. Can he do that?

The U.S. Attorney General faced pushback over the Justice Department鈥檚 law enforcement efforts in Democratic-led cities and investigations of President Donald Trump鈥檚 critics. Ms. Bondi said the department under President Trump was 鈥渞eturning to our core mission of fighting real crime,鈥� and ending the 鈥渨eaponization of justice,鈥� even as several political adversaries of Mr. Trump face federal investigations and prosecutions.

With Comey indictment, Trump shatters norms of US justice system

The move followed a high-level meeting in Damascus between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces聽commander Mazloum Abdi after clashes in Syria鈥檚 largest northern city, Aleppo. Talks, held under U.S. auspices, aim to revive a stalled March deal outlining the inclusion of Kurdish military and political structures into the new Syrian state, after 12 years of civil war. The Kurds seek to preserve their influence and cultural rights.

Syria鈥檚 Kurds want autonomy. Damascus wants unity. Can they find middle ground?

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law yesterday to go into effect on Jan. 1, allowing public schools and community colleges to close and state employees to take the 鈥淔estival of Lights鈥� off. The decision follows moves in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists celebrate Diwali, which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.

Why the Hindu Festival of Lights is spreading around the world

It proposed cutting by almost half its tariff-free quota on steel and steel products. That would effectively add large tariffs on imports from countries including China, India, Turkey and the United Kingdom, which said the measures would wreck the British steel industry. After reaching a new quota of 18.3 million tons, additional imports will face a 50% tariff. This is double the current 25% rate 鈥� a high price akin to U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 steel measures. Neighboring nations such as Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine will be exempt.

Tariffs boost inflation. But many economists see a recession as avoidable.