海角大神

The absence of a consistent message from President Trump and his chief diplomat is causing confusion in the critical US and Russian relationship.

Do Americans have a fundamental right not to be observed? A聽new case homes in on legal issues that need a fresh look in an age of cellphones and transponders.聽

Can you insulate an agency from politics 鈥� and still hold it politically accountable? Reconciling those two important goals is at stake in the battle over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

China has a history of manipulating nationalist sentiment in the service of its international interests. But instead of reliably boosting patriotism, the tactic is also spurring cynicism among an increasingly savvy population.

Books open all sorts of doors for children 鈥� including about race. A move to help parents engage with more multicultural literature is creating a natural vehicle for greater understanding and connection.聽

Nations coming out of dictatorship or civil war sometimes offer forgiveness to past wrongdoers who fess up. For a torn society, a measure of mercy can often heal quicker than harsh justice. South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Tunisia have tried it. Colombia is in the midst of a truth-and-reconciliation process after its long war. Now it may be Zimbabwe鈥檚 turn.

After the end of Robert Mugabe鈥檚 37-year rule last week, a new leader offered an unusual and limited pardon on Nov. 28: Those who stole public money and stashed it abroad will be granted amnesty if they return the cash within three months. After that period, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the long arm of the law will be visited upon them.

Zimbabweans must come to grips with the troubling aspects of the Mugabe era. Many past wrongs need the bright light of truth and then perhaps some sort of forgiveness.

Mr. Mnangagwa himself is accused of gross human rights violations in the 1980s.聽He was vice-president under Mugabe but was sidelined and forced to flee the country in early November. After the military eased Mugabe out, Mnangagwa returned and took over.

Mr. Mugabe, despite his age, is being encouraged by religious leaders to admit mistakes. 鈥淶imbabweans are a forgiving lot,鈥� said Bishop Noah Pashapa of the Life and Liberty Church.

The new president鈥檚 amnesty move has a very practical purpose. The estimated $2 billion sent abroad by corrupt Zimbabweans might come back and give a needed boost to the economy, which is about half of what it was two decades ago. The country needs cash to build infrastructure for agriculture and mining.

Many countries use amnesties granted in exchange for ill-gotten gains in order to get a quick shot of revenue. They help improve tax compliance, which gives citizens a stake in their government. A one-time forgiveness also sets visible examples of honesty if enough wrongdoers come forward. A recent amnesty in Indonesia netted $367.5 billion that was hidden in offshore accounts. That is equal to about 40 percent of the Indonesian economy.

Mnangagwa鈥檚 move hints that he may also be seeking reconciliation with his political opposition. He faces an election next year and, if the process is open and fair, he鈥檒l need to show quick results in reviving the economy. That is easier to do if he can unite the country rather than try to sideline opponents, as both he and Mugabe did in the past. Forgiveness, like that offered to those who have stolen public funds, is a good start in healing Zimbabwe.