‘Family-friendly’ Hungary favors baby boom to stop demographic decline

‘Family-friendly’ Hungary favors baby boom to stop demographic decline

Special to WorldTribune.com   By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — “Migration is not the solution to demographic problems,” warned Katalin Novak, Hungary’s Minister of State for the Family. Though conceding the European continent faces a significant “demographic decline” and the undertow of a falling population, individual states can counter the “inevitability” through focused family […]

Imprisoned Korean-Americans in North Korea factor into pre-summit negotiations

Imprisoned Korean-Americans in North Korea factor into pre-summit negotiations

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk The fate of three American citizens still imprisoned in North Korea is on the line in a flurry of talks between North Korean and Swedish diplomats in the run-up to next month’s summit between North Korea’s leader KimJong-Un and South Korea’s President Moon Jae-In and then the summit in […]

Pennsylvania’s wake-up call: GOP elites hope Trump will be impeached

Pennsylvania’s wake-up call: GOP elites hope Trump will be impeached

Special to WorldTribune.com Jeffrey T. Kuhner The Democrats are one step closer to their ultimate goal: Impeaching President Trump. This is the real meaning of the Pennsylvania special election results in the 18th Congressional District. The Democratic candidate, Conor Lamb, appears to have defeated Republican Rick Saccone in a photo finish. Both the GOP and […]

North Korean ‘regime change’? Give dreamers a chance

North Korean ‘regime change’? Give dreamers a chance

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk In the excitement over impending summits, we may have forgotten one other solution everyone was talking about, oh, just a month or two ago. Whatever happened to all the enthusiasm for forcing Kim Jong-Un out of his job by internal upheaval, external attack, or maybe just a plain old […]

Stubbing our toe on steel tariffs?

Stubbing our toe on steel tariffs?

Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Tariffs are in a sense like other taxes; easy to impose, hard to roll back, and usually employed for the “greater good.” Thus triggering tariffs creates a feel good solution, a political sugar rush, but often later a bitter backlash to those ordering them. I […]

About those euphoric Korea peace talks: A trip down memory lane

About those euphoric Korea peace talks: A trip down memory lane

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk Don’t hold your breath. We’ve been disappointed so often in moves toward North-South reconciliation that it’s hard to believe any face-to-face talks between President Moon Jae-In and North Korea’s “respected leader” Kim Jong-Un will lead to resolution of a nuclear crisis that’s only worsened in recent years. But wait! […]

California has become a lawless banana republic: ‘Hasta la vista’

California has become a lawless banana republic: ‘Hasta la vista’

Special to WorldTribune.com Jeffrey T. Kuhner Is it time for California to go? The ultra-liberal state is openly defying federal immigration law. This has prompted Attorney General Jeff Sessions to file a lawsuit blocking California’s sanctuary state laws, hoping the courts will declare them illegal and unconstitutional. Gov. Jerry Brown responded by claiming the Trump […]

Charmed I’m sure: Double-talk or a love-fest in Pyongyang?

Charmed I’m sure: Double-talk or a love-fest in Pyongyang?

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk SEOUL — U.S. President Donald Trump is putting the best face on the agreement for North and South Korean leaders to meet next month at the truce village of Panmunjom, on the North-South line 55 kilometers north of Seoul for the third inter-Korean summit. Despite pervasive doubts about North […]

Give President Trump credit for confronting North Korea on its horrific rights record

Give President Trump credit for confronting North Korea on its horrific rights record

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk SEOUL — Whenever experts talk about “confederation” or “reunification” between North and South Korea, they overlook the fate of tens of thousands of people confined to prison camps in the North for offenses that might threaten the regime. Examples of such “crimes” include Christian worship, possession of a bible […]

Chairman Xi’s ‘China Dream’ whether anyone else likes it or not

Chairman Xi’s ‘China Dream’ whether anyone else likes it or not

Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Following the celebratory Lunar New Year holidays, China’s ruling Communist Party announced that Chairman Xi Jinping, the current President, would be allowed to stay in office beyond the constitutionally proscribed two-term limit. A tweaking of the constitution would allow in effect Xi, who assumed power […]