Mandalay-based reporter Maung Tar took a 10-day trip to China last year. He visited the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square in Beijing, admired Tianjin city and also traipsed through the famous stone forests of Yunnan province. He didn't have to pay a cent. China has launched a charm offensive of late, inviting journalists, teachers, monks and other influential groups to visit the country, to enhance its reputation amid bad press in the region.

During the past eight years, the United States has made some serious strides with respect to the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons at every level of our federal system: the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the Obergefell Supreme Court decision, and the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crimes Act are all good examples. 

The selection of António Guterres — Portugal’s popular and widely respected former Prime Minister — as the new secretary general of the United Nations is a bold choice for world’s largest international organization, an historic milestone for the people of Portugal, and an unprecedented opportunity to enhance Portugal as a brand at a critical time for the nation.