Arctic

The United States is strengthening its military presence in Greenland as part of a wider effort to monitor Chinese activity in the Arctic. The island's strategic location between North America and Europe makes it increasingly valuable for early-warning radar and surveillance as great-power competition spreads to the polar region. Analysts point to growing Chinese interest in Arctic shipping routes and resources as the driving concern behind Washington's moves.

The leaders of the United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed a new security agreement covering Greenland. The announcement comes amid renewed American interest in the Arctic island's strategic value, including its military installations and location on North Atlantic shipping routes. Details of the agreement's contents have not yet been made public, and officials in Copenhagen and Nuuk have not outlined what commitments each side has made under the deal.

Korean shipbuilders are pushing to develop technology that allows ships to navigate safely through Arctic ice, as melting sea ice opens new shipping routes and access to energy resources. The race positions South Korea's major yards against international rivals to supply ice-class vessels and equipment for polar shipping, a market expected to grow as Arctic traffic increases.

Military Bibles carried by American service members from the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg to Antarctica are drawing attention for the handwritten prayers and messages left by families who sent loved ones off to war. The artifacts offer a personal window into how families coped with separation and feared loss across generations of American conflicts.