Trump-Kim smackdown leaves South Koreans cold

JONATHAN MANTHORPE: International Affairs May 13, 2017 For a while it looked as though Donald Trump was the white horse on a cresting wave of right-wing demagogy rushing to break over liberal democracies world-wide. But the defeat of Trump’s neo-Nazi fellow travellers

North Korea’s Kim rattles the bars of his cage

JONATHAN MANTHORPE: International Affairs May 7, 2016 A good rule of thumb is to always be deeply suspicious of optimistic projections for the future of North Korea. There have been some rose-tinted forecasts wafting from Pyongyang this week as the Workers’ Party

F&O this week: Daylight Savings; Spectre; oil; China’s children

Welcome to Facts and Opinions. We rely on the honour system: enjoy one story at no charge, and if you value our independent, no-spam, no-ads journalism, chip in at least two bits. Click here for details. World: America’s Lying Season. By Tom Regan, Summoning Orenda

Has a crack opened between North and South Korea?

After more than six decades of hostility – including the devastating 1950-53 civil war – is North Korea now serious about trying to improve relations with South Korea?  International Affairs columnist Jonathan Manthorpe examines the possibilities. An excerpt of his new column, Lightning-strike diplomacy

Russia steps into North Korea/China split

Discord between China and North Korea has provided fertile ground for Moscow, itself increasingly isolated over Ukraine, writes International Affairs columnist Jonathan Manthorpe in a new column, Jilted Putin courts Kim Jong-un for comfort. Excerpt: The ripples set in motion by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and

Dark North Korea

The dramatic photograph below, taken January 30 from the International Space Station, illustrates the stark difference between North and South Korea. NASA’s Earth Observatory site explains the dark zone on the image: Flying over East Asia, astronauts on the International Space Station

North Korea: China expected to veto action on UN report

Criticism of China was part of the report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, released Monday. By citing China, the UN ensured that China will use its Security Council veto to

Analysis: power struggles in Beijing and Pyongyang

In the capitals of China and North Korea ‘tis the season to be merry, but only over the bodies – real and figurative –  of purged enemies and rivals. Jonathan Manthorpe’s latest international affairs column focuses on the power struggles in the