What if World War II leaders suddenly reappeared? Attempts to answer that question have produced box office hits in Germany and, most recently, in Italy. I‘d love to see filmmakers from Russia, Spain, the UK and the US tackle the subject.　German writer Timur Vermes’s novel “Look Who’s Back,” published in 2012, started it all. Made into a movie in 2015, the story of Adolf Hitler’s miraculous reappearance in modern Germany made $25.3 million at the box office, the second best result among German f

The United States and North Korea need to wake up to the reality that time is running out for a peaceful resolution to their nuclear standoff. Both must adjust their behavior if they are to avoid a war.Pyongyang must realize that, at present, it’s nuclear and missile program is making it more vulnerable to a US pre-emptive attack instead of strengthening its self-defense. If it’s nuclear and missile program is indeed for self-defense and it aspires to be a responsible nuclear power, as Kim Jong-

The Berlin Wall divided the city for 28 years, two months and 28 days starting Aug. 13, 1961. It ended on Nov. 9, 1989, when Guenter Schabowski, a top East German official, erroneously announced that crossing into West Berlin was now permitted. Now that the same amount of time -- 28 years, two months and 28 days -- has passed, it’s fitting that the next German government is expected to end the solidarity tax created to even out economic differences between both sides.　While there’s little sign o

America certainly has a different kind of president than what it is used to. What distinguishes Donald Trump from his predecessors is not just his temperament and generalized ignorance, but also his approach to policymaking.First, consider Bill Clinton, who in 1992 was, like Trump, elected without a majority of voters. Once in office, Clinton appealed to the left with fiscal-stimulus and health-care bills (both unsuccessful), but also tacked center with a pro-growth deficit-reduction bill. He ap

Investors in US equities and bonds headed for the doors on Friday, with the bearish sentiment extending to global markets as the new week began Monday. The immediate cause of the sell-off was the jobs report for January, which showed that average hourly wages rose at the fastest annual pace since 2009. 　But the rising pay was a false alarm. Workers were employed for fewer hours last month, reducing their weekly take-home pay compared with December, and significantly slowing the pace of increase

The heightened perception of a Russian threat to the West could have at least one positive consequence: The admission of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom) to the European Union. But the massive rallies in Athens on Sunday, with at least 140,000 protesting the Greek government’s apparent willingness to compromise on Macedonia’s name, show that the 26-year-old issue isn’t about to fade away.　Ever since Yugoslavia broke up in 1991, Macedonia has lacked a permanent official name beca

In China, the cars are becoming smarter. Last week, Alibaba Group Holding and Foxconn Technology led a $348 million fundraising round for Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors Technology, a 3-year-old startup developing internet-connected, electric cars. The investment might seem an odd one for online retailer Alibaba. But it’s part of a larger vision for transportation that includes tools to design and run entire cities. Indeed, with backing from the Chinese government, Alibaba could soon seize the lead ov

After what we can be sure was not careful consideration, President Donald Trump on Friday approved the release of a memo prepared by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee. And, of course, he explained himself in a tweet: “The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans -- something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago.”　That indeed is the conclus