“The Red Balloon” is the title of a classic popular film from France that can serve as a metaphor for the alleged Chinese balloon menace. This whimsical fantasy of a boy and his balloon appeals to our need for companionship and our urge to escape routine existence, a desire hardly limited to children.

The tremendous devastation in Syria and Turkey as a result of the Feb. 6 earthquakes is an ongoing important focus of world action.

The large balloon launched by China, which drifted at a leisurely pace over North America until shot down by a U.S. F-22 fighter, is definitely an odd addition to international relations.

Bilal al-Sudani is not exactly a household name, which is all the more reason to highlight the fact that this dangerous terrorist leader has been removed.

The Vietnam War ended officially on Jan. 27, 1973 with signing of the Paris Peace Accords.

By custom and habit, this writer regularly – though not always – devotes a column relatively early in the New Year to positive and encouraging economic, political, social and other trends in our world.

“An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth…,” is a useful starting place for discussion of the influence of Pope Francis, who is proving to be a remarkably active and activist leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The holidays are an excellent time for reflection.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is ending 2022 in a strong and highly visible manner. On Dec. 21, he addressed both houses of the United States Congress and received multiple standing ovations. Time magazine has named him Person of the Year.

Christmas includes the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land battle fought by the United States. This was hell on earth.

“Without justice, courage is weak,” Ben Franklin wrote.

Release of celebrity athlete Brittney Griner from a Russian prison is welcome worldwide. What of the other half of that exchange equation?

China is bracing for an unprecedented wave of Covid-19 cases as it dismantles large parts of its repressive zero-Covid policy, with a leading expert warning Omicron variants were "spreading rapidly" and signs of an outbreak rattling the country's capital.

President Emmanuel Macron of France and his wife Brigitte have just completed a formal state visit to the United States hosted by President and Mrs. Joe Biden. The polished public events smooth over policy conflicts, which is of course their purpose.

Florida Republicans, including Gov. Ron DaSantis, have just won big in the election but also just suffered a major loss in court. Citing “1984,” George Orwell’s classic novel of totalitarian repression, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker has blocked portions of FL HB 7 (22R), Individual Freedom Act, also termed the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act.”

China's vast security apparatus has moved swiftly to smother mass protests that swept the country, with police patrolling streets, checking cell phones and even calling some demonstrators to warn them against a repeat.

Thanksgiving means actual, not contrived, inclusiveness. President Abraham Lincoln profoundly demonstrates this fundamental point.

On Monday, Nov. 14, Presidents Joe Biden of the United State and Xi Jinping of China met in Bali, Indonesia. This provided an opportunity for direct though informal interchange between the heads of the governments of two very powerful nations.

ATLANTA – A new report looks at how Georgia’s schools are using the influx of nearly $6 billion in federal COVID relief funds that have flowed to districts across the state since 2020.   While 10% of the funds were earmarked for the state Department of Education, the other 90% went directly to school districts. The […]

With little media notice, the United States plans to deploy up to six B-52 strategic bombers to Northern Australia. This imposing, and enormously capable, long-range strategic bomber is one of the most durable and respected military aircraft in history.

China has reiterated its unswerving commitment to its longstanding zero-Covid policy, despite mounting public frustration the stringent measures are costing the very lives they're intended to protect.

"Big Brother is watching you."

That was the pervasive punch line in British writer George Orwell's novel “1984.”

Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, after considerable conflict, gives the colorful capitalist an opportunity to change the notoriously dictatorial social media giant.

Rishi Sunak has been elected leader of the Conservative Party, and become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom (Britain plus Northern Ireland). This follows the incredibly brief and tumultuous tenure of hapless Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Putin warned in his speech that the Ukraine War represents an effort by the United States and other Western nations to expand influence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Rationalizing Russia’s invasion as self-defense is a lie.

“Give ‘em hell Harry.”

That was the preeminent statement applied to President Harry S. Truman, and accurately sums up his political and more general style while in the White House, and thereafter for the rest of his life.

October is the scary month, and not just because of Halloween. Six decades ago, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the very brink of nuclear holocaust. During Oct. 22-28 1962, Washington and Moscow sparred on the edge of thermonuclear war.

The enormous mass public demonstrations in Iran could bring a change in regime. The fundamentalist Islamic rulers of the nation must be worried. A large number of cities across the country are experiencing the ongoing protests, though estimates of just how many vary.

PALMETTO — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm received the updated COVID-19 vaccine during a visit to a vaccination clinic run by YourTown Health at the Palmetto Community Center. In addition to receiving the updated COVID-19 vaccine, Palm toured the he…

Korea is in the news on several fronts, with even more noteworthy developments than usual.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II, preceded by husband Prince Philip last year, is generating worldwide condolences. They personified continuity of important institutions, and relationships, in a turbulent time. Most personally, they were married for 70 years.

“A riddle, wrapped in an enigma, inside a mystery.”

That is how Winston Churchill, the great wartime leader of Great Britain, described the difficulty of dealing with Russia. He spoke the words in 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II in Europe.

The war in Ukraine continues, with no decisive victory and no conclusion yet visible. The greatest lesson so far is the unpredictability of war, a durable truth frequently ignored.