The first talks between China and South Africa on people-to-people exchanges and culture were praised Monday by President Xi Jinping, who said it would “build a foundation” of public support for the ties and stimulate cultural exchanges.　The talks were led by visiting Vice Premier Liu Yandong and South African Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa, who co-chaired the meeting.　Xi, in a letter of congratulations following the first meeting, said the China-South Africa High-Level People-to-Pe

Thousands of people joined a global March for Science on Saturday with Washington the epicenter of a movement to fight against what many see as an “assault on facts” by populist politicians. 　US President Donald Trump himself passed dozens of protesters on his way to visit wounded soldiers at a military hospital.　“Stop denying the earth is dying,” one sign visible from Trump’s motorcade read.　People with signs attend a rally before the March for Science in New York on Saturday. AFP-Yonhap　Despit

Delivering the latest jolt in Britain's year of political shocks, Prime Minister Theresa May called Tuesday for a snap June 8 general election, seeking to strengthen her hand in European Union exit talks and tighten her grip on a fractious Conservative Party. 　With the Labour opposition weakened, May’s gamble will probably pay off with an enhanced Conservative majority in Parliament -- but it‘s unlikely to unite a country deeply split over the decision to quit the EU. British Prime Minister Ther

If there were a global contest for winning elections, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would see himself as the undisputed -- and undefeated -- heavyweight champion of the world.In the 15 years since his ruling party came to power, Erdogan has taken part in 11 elections -- five legislative polls, two referenda, three local elections and a presidential vote -- and won them all.On Sunday, Erdogan claimed victory in his 12th and arguably biggest ballot-box challenge since his ruling Justice

A brilliant conservative judge with a prestigious resume, Neil Gorsuch is a proponent of traditional values, a strict reading of the US Constitution and protections for the role of religion in American society.　The elegant, silver-haired 49-year-old became the youngest justice confirmed to the US Supreme Court in a quarter-century. 　Little known until recently, the Colorado native with an Ivy League education survived an unusually rugged obstacle course between his nomination by President Donald

Major advertisers have begun canceling spots on America’s most-watched cable news show following reports of sexual harassment involving the star Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.　US insurer Allstate and French pharmaceutical maker Sanofi became the latest to exit Tuesday, following the lead of a handful of auto brands dropping ads for Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” a favorite among conservatives.　Allstate spokesman Justin Herndon said, “Inclusivity and support for women are important Allstate values. W

Tesla on Monday became the second-largest US car maker in terms of market capitalization, displacing Ford, whose sales lagged amid concerns about the ability of the US market to keep growing.　Many major automakers reported US sales declines in March compared to a year ago, but Tesla over the weekend said it saw a huge jump in vehicles delivered to consumers in the first three months of the year. 　That was enough to send the electric car maker’s stock soaring Monday, even as investors punished ma

Former President Park Geun-hye was arrested and jailed Friday over corruption charges. The Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant for Park after interrogating her Thursday.　It was a result of well-functioning law and democracy, and will be recorded as a turning point in modern Korean history. Citizens rose up against her over a corruption scandal, the National Assembly voted to impeach her, the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment motion, the prosecution investigated and requested

It is a sad indictment on the decline of discourse in this country when a rally in support of the president of the United States devolves into a brawl. But that is what happened in Huntington Beach, California, over the weekend when folks rallying in support of President Trump clashed with anti-Trump protesters. It seems doubtful this is what President Trump had in mind when he promised to be a “president for all Americans” on election night.　“We were expecting it to be more peaceful,” Jordan Ho

Both cheap and abundant, coal is perhaps the least sexy of commodities — unless you live in a coal-producing state like Wyoming or West Virginia, where the industry is a big employer. From a global perspective, it would be practically impossible to live without coal, which generates about 40 percent of the world’s heat and power. 　By now, the drawbacks to coal are well-known. Burning the fuel emits about twice the amount of carbon dioxide as natural gas and 28 percent more pollutants than heatin

How do you tell a plausible charge from a fevered fantasy? As allegations drip, drip about President Donald Trump’s purported ties with Russia, most news consumers will want to keep an open mind about potential wrongdoing. But they won’t want to get lost in some eternal connect-the-dots game that never forms a coherent and believable picture. 　There’s a difference between thinking that Moscow may have hacked the Democratic National Committee and thinking that Moscow actually hacked the election,

Not content to reach for Mars and dethrone fossil fuels, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on Tuesday is turning his focus to delving into people‘s minds.　In a message fired off Tuesday on Twitter, Musk appeared to confirm he is creating a startup called Neuralink devoted to enabling brains to interface directly with computers, accessing processing power and perhaps even downloading memories for storage.　“Long Neuralink piece coming out on (blog platform) @waitbutwhy in about a week. Difficult to dedi

Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top aide Jared Kushner will appear before a Senate panel investigating Russian interference in the US election, the White House said Monday.　Kushner, 36, was Trump’s main intermediary with foreign governments during the 2016 election campaign and now plays that role in the White House.　He arranged meetings between Trump and leaders from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.　Jared Kushner (left), senior adviser to the president,

The prosecution requested an arrest warrant for former President Park Geun-hye on Monday.　Park is being investigated as a suspect in the corruption scandal which led to her impeachment. She faces 13 charges, including bribery.　The decision to seek the arrest of Park is fair and justifiable, considering her former aides and government officials are being tried in detention in connection with the scandal.　Since Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been arrested on charges including o

In the aftermath of the Belgian terrorist attack a year ago, the world learned of the Brussels district of Molenbeek. After Wednesday‘s attack in the heart of London, we may hear more about Birmingham.　　The London attacker, identified by UK police as a 52-year-old career petty criminal named Khalid Masood (but apparently born Adrian Russell Ajao), rented a Hyundai in Birmingham, where he apparently resided, and then used it to mow down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. The Birmingham connection

Americans watched in alarm but not shock as Parliament was locked down after a “terrorist incident” in London on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the deadly attack in Brussels. A refugee camp in Nigeria was also bombed Wednesday -- again -- by five Boko Haram suicide bombers who’d slipped in the night before, alongside vendors of the charcoal that those who’ve come to the camp to escape Boko Haram need to cook their food. The day before, a car bomb killed 10 people in Mogadishu, the capital o

Before the election of President Donald Grump, some Americans pledged to leave the county if, by some crazy chance, he were to win the White House.　　This departure of the disappointed always struck me as a bad idea. My view is that when the going gets tough, the tough should not get going to other countries. They should stay put and get pouting prior to get organizing.　　But, apparently, some disillusioned Americans have decided to flee. The Associated Press recently reported that US applications

Russian rulers have long been content to accept fear and awe in lieu of respect and admiration, and by that standard, Putin shone in 2016. This year that is proving a tougher gig to keep up, as he prepares for what might be his last presidential election in 2018.　　Last year, Putin’s boldness, combined with a bit of luck, paid off: The victories in Syria, the successful destabilization of Ukraine, the swelling support for populists in Western nations. Even the Russian economy provided some hopefu

At the end of the House Intelligence Committee’s long hearing on the FBI investigation of Russian meddling in the presidential election this week, the Republican chairman, Devin Nunes of California, made a last, vain attempt to clear the White House of suspicion.　　Do you have any evidence, he asked FBI Director James Comey, that anyone in the Trump administration was working with the Russians?　　“Not a question I can answer,” Comey answered implacably.　　That drew a frown from Nunes. Comey’s silen

The US and China remain apart on solutions to North Korean nuclear threats.　US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed in their meeting Saturday to work together to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. But they repeated their different positions on solutions.　The US demanded China put stronger pressure on North Korea, while China reiterated its call for both dialogue and negotiations.　A day earlier, Tillerson had said on his visit to Seoul that Wa