Bratislava / AFP Slovakia’s leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Sunday he would begin difficult coalition talks after he won elections on a anti-refugee platform but lost his parliamentary majority as smaller parties, including the extreme right, scored first-time seats. A conservative party leader described the outcome as a “big earthquake” in Slovak politics, as analysts cautioned that Fico ...

Beijing / AP China’s President Xi Jinping has pledged to contain any moves by Taiwan toward formal independence in his first public remarks on the issue since the self-governing island democracy elected a president and legislature from the independence-leaning party in January. Speaking to delegates to the annual meeting of China’s ceremonial parliament, Xi said China won’t budge in its ...

Consider Donald Trump for a moment as a purveyor of men’s cologne. I quote from the merchandise section of trump.com, the website for his portfolio of “great” companies. “‘Empire by Trump’ is the perfect accessory for the confident man determined to make his mark with passion, perseverance and drive. … Bold notes of peppermint, spicy chai and a hint of ...