The solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is really not so far out of reach. The outlines of a reasonable two-state compromise have long been known, and a couple of reasonable people could work out the remaining details tomorrow. But for stubbornness, cynicism, fear and violence, it probably would have happened years ago. The late Israeli diplomat Abba Eban was speaking of the Arabs when he

Woohoo! Secularism has arrived. That was one reaction to the news that Pitzer College in Claremont, California, is launching a secular studies department.“Well, it’s about time!” wrote an eager academic in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The editor of CNN’s Belief blog didn’t know “whether to be surprised that it happened or surprised that it took so long.”The blog at the conservative journal F

Back in October of 2003, I witnessed a remarkable spectacle at a San Diego rally for gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger. As I talked to people about allegations that Schwarzenegger had crudely groped women against their will, using his celebrity and power to have his way, they were outraged.Not at Schwarzenegger, but at the Los Angeles Times, for reporting the stories.Even after Schwarz

It has been 487 days since a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, an island in the center of the blue Caribbean Sea. Haiti has suffered what we call “the fivefold difficulty” ― an earthquake, shortages of daily goods, crimes, violent demonstrations and cholera. But since Feb. 4, the situation has begun to stabilize. Now people do daily life with hope, although they are still in the midst of difficult

Chung Jin-suk, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, denies he did anything illegal when he was an outside director for Samhwa Savings Bank, which has recently slid into insolvency. He may not have breached the law but he may be criticized for negligence“Never did I attend a conference on bank management or engage in lobbying (on behalf of the savings bank),” says Chung, who took 2

As a recent survey indicates, almost eight in 10 Koreans support the Ministry of National Defense’s idea of giving favors in written employment tests to those who have completed active duty. Given this high approval rate, the ministry may be tempted to believe all it needs to do is request the legislature to pass the relevant bill awaiting action.But it is not as simple as it looks. A similar law

The government on May 13 decided on the overall framework of a scheme to help Tokyo Electric Power Co. compensate people who have suffered losses from the accidents at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.Compensation will be paid to those who were evacuated from their homes as well as to farmers, fishermen and others who have suffered financial losses due to the accidents.The government plans

Californians cannot expect state parks, as beloved as they are, to be spared from the budget ax. Not when the elderly are going without home health aides and schools are pink-slipping thousands of teachers. Whether it’s practical to close 70 of the state’s parks, as Gov. Jerry Brown proposes, is another matter.The state Department of Parks and Recreation has done a thoughtful job of targeting park

Whether the March 11 earthquake and tsunami could turn bilateral relations in a positive direction has been the subject of some discussion.Wang Lixiong, a Chinese writer from Beijing, was in Japan ― on his first visit to the nation ― on March 10, for meet-and-greet events with readers of his work.After the disaster hit the next day, Wang watched developments in Tokyo, the Kansai region and other p

It’s understandable for would-be parents to have a preference for the sex of their child. All over the world, there are fathers who say they want a little boy who will one day play catch with them in the backyard. Likewise, there are dads who long for the sweetness a little girl brings to a family. Moms also either hope for a little girl to share in the experience of being female or wish for a boy

Compared to the robust Sino-U.S. trade ties and the frequent exchanges at official and people-to-people level, Sino-U.S. military exchanges have remained dormant in recent years. But thanks to the efforts of both sides, Beijing and Washington are making headway in fixing this weak link in their bilateral relations. A group of high-ranking Chinese military officers, led by Chief of the General Staf

Now that there are 47 days left before the election ― Thailand’s 26th and by far the most important at this political juncture ― just look at the ways various contesting parties are positioning themselves to win or cheat votes. They will be like the spaghetti-western movies ― the good, the bad and the ugly. There are plenty of the last two groups already.In the past few days, quite a few alarming