BUDAPEST, Hungary ― As Europe marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, the war that destroyed Old Europe, far-right parties are gaining ground across New Europe.Most of the far-right parties are pro-Russia, opposing U.S. and European Union efforts to isolate President Vladimir Putin for his intervention in Ukraine. They are expected to do well in the May 25 European Parliament elections.Last month, I traveled to Hungary and Greece, where the neo-fascist movements are strongest

Just as Hillary Clinton appears to be preparing a run for president in 2016, well, here comes Monica Lewinsky again. She emerged this week from more than a decade of relative silence to tell Vanity Fair how the affair with Bill Clinton ― and its aftermath ― had affected her life.“It’s time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress,” she says.With a Clinton campaign in the offing, are we doomed to more discussion of Bill Clinton’s peccadilloes? Is it time, after nearly two decades, to move on? Jo

PARIS ― The good news is that the Obama administration plans to create a lot of new jobs. The bad news is that those jobs will mostly be in Asia.President Obama’s recent trip to Asia revived debate about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, the cornerstone of this administration’s so-called pivot to Asia. The controversial agreement ― not likely to be finalized anytime soon ― currently involves the U.S., Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Singapore, Peru, Vietnam, M

WASHINGTON ― Well, I guess if you can’t solve issues like immigration, or tax reform or how to make the Affordable Care Act work like it was envisioned or resolve stagnate growth, you can at least take on the problems of sex on campus ― the unwanted kind, of course, even though the chances of pulling that off may be slimmer than solving all the other problems we face.The ultimate solution may be a federally administered forced saltpeter program aimed at all male students but especially those who

The region’s leaders must do more than just whisper among themselves when Thai delegates to the ASEAN summit in Nay Pyi Taw next weekend update them on our political conflict. The truth is that Thais need advice on how to solve their deadlocked crisis.It is rare for Thai politicians to admit in front of their Southeast Asian peers that they have political difficulties at home, and even more rare for them to ask for advice.Thais are proud of their political development and democracy. Over the dec

Food waste continues to be a global indictment. On one end of the scale, it exposes the indifference in rich countries towards discarding surplus fresh food. On the other end is the failure in less advanced agrarian nations to conserve produce through better post-harvest storage and distribution. Countless studies by United Nations agencies and international charities have concluded that hunger and malnutrition will never be eradicated although, on a per capita basis, there is ample supply of gr

NEW DELHI ― In 2009, when I competed in India’s last parliamentary election, I was something of a rarity. I was not a professional politician. By contrast, all of the other candidates in my constituency ― indeed, most of the contenders across the country ― had devoted their entire lives to politics, many since their student days.I was not born into a political family; I had no seat or political fiefdom to inherit; and I had entered the race without a political “godfather.” I had not even lived i

“There were many, many fine reasons not to go, but attempting to climb Mount Everest is an intrinsically irrational act ― a triumph of desire over sensibility. Any person who would seriously consider it is almost by definition beyond the sway of reasoned argument.”― Jon Krakauer, “Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster,” 1997We never have been seized with a desire to climb Mount Everest. But we can understand the obsession to push into the thinnest air, to test your cour

I wanted to start my column with “Let’s celebrate single moms,” but since Mother’s Day has been overshadowed by a tragedy that has made so many mothers childless, I have chosen to start with the grief of Sewol.The tragedy of the Korean ferry Sewol, carrying a great many children, has had a profound impact on the whole of Korea. People are angry, sad and shocked, and demand that the captain be severely punished. While the more violent emotions will eventually disappear, many will never forget how