Obama, Abe pay surprise visit to Lincoln monument

President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid a surprise visit to the Lincoln Memorial on Monday. The visit, which had not been announced by the White House, comes a day ahead of Abe's official visit to Washington. That will include an Oval Office meeting at the White House, a joint press conference and a state dinner at the executive mansion. The two leaders stood in the sun beside the monument to US president Abraham Lincoln, on the National Mall, a grassy esplanade that stretches over to Congress. "This is an opportunity before the formal events tomorrow to spend time together one-on-one at a place of historical significance for the United States, as this month marks both the 150th anniversary of the Civil War's end as well as President Lincoln's passing," a White House official said. Meanwhile, in New York, the United States and Japan unveiled new rules for defense cooperation in a historic move that will give Japanese forces a wider global role amid concerns over China's rising sway.