Official Visits

Park Chul Un, South Korea's first state minister for political affairs, on Friday disputed a network report that he secretly visited North Korea twice during June. "There is nothing to the report," Park told reporters when asked to comment on a news report by Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. Television. "Somebody is inventing and propagating the story."

WASHINGTON - A White House official made two secret visits to North Korea last year in an unsuccessful effort to improve relations after new ruler Kim Jong Un assumed power, according to former U.S. officials familiar with the trips. The brief visits in April and August were aimed at encouraging the new leadership to moderate its foreign policy after the death of Kim's father, longtime autocrat Kim Jong Il, in December 2011. The ruling elite apparently spurned the outreach effort, however.

Today's summit between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and President Obama is laden with symbols. It will be the first official visit that Obama hosts. There will be much language on the importance of the relationship and the links between the two major democracies. Beneath the surface, however, simmers some insecurity. India enjoyed excellent relations with the U.S. under the Bush administration and it still isn't quite sure where it stands with the new team. It feels a little taken for granted.

A Fountain Valley councilman is leading the charge to block a delegation of business and government officials from Vietnam, saying it will unleash a storm of protesters in the increasingly immigrant city. Mayor Pro Tem Michael Vo said an official visit from a country "without human rights and respect for freedom will not be accepted by the Vietnamese community, many who live here. " Vo said it would be fiscally irresponsible to pay for police services for a likely protest, which he predicted could draw hundreds.

For Queen Elizabeth II, it's oysters and raw shellfish. If you're inviting her to dinner, keep them off the menu. "The Queen doesn't eat oysters or uncooked shellfish--it is something that can upset so many people," sniffs a spokeswoman at Buckingham Palace. For Yitzhak Shamir, prime minister of Israel, kosher dietary laws rule out pork and shellfish, as well as any meal that includes both meat and dairy products. And of course, as everyone now knows, President Bush isn't too fond of broccoli.

President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya is scheduled to leave today for official visits to West Germany and Britain, the official Voice of Kenya radio reported Sunday.

France indefinitely suspended all official visits involving Australia in response to that country's lobbying for the independence of the French territory of New Caledonia. A Foreign Ministry statement said the action was taken "because of the unfriendly attitude of the Australian government in recent months toward French policy in the South Pacific, particularly concerning New Caledonia."

At first it seemed quixotic. But today, billions of dollars in California pension funds have been pulled out of South Africa. And as Nelson Mandela concluded his U.S. tour, people who set out to force California to pull its money out of South Africa were basking in the belief that they played a part in freeing the anti-apartheid leader. "It's an affirmation of our work," Pedro Noguera said of Mandela's visit.

A future president of the United States may be among a group of students who landed in China this week. And -- sorry, Harvard -- he or she goes to Yale. At least that seems to be the wager Chinese President Hu Jintao made when he invited 60 Yale students and 40 faculty and staff to visit China as his high-profile guests. Apparently mindful that the three most recent U.S. presidents attended Yale, Hu is laying out the red carpet for the delegation.

Orange County's Vietnamese community reacted with revulsion last month when a delegation of Communist Party leaders from Vietnam made plans for a motorcade through Little Saigon. Their anger led to city resolutions requiring notice for such official visits. The Vietnamese representatives visited anyway. Though the motorcade was scrubbed, members of the delegation quietly toured the business district and dined at local cafes. Local business leaders said this shows the paradox of Little Saigon.

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday told Mexican Catholics that renewed faith and a pure heart will help them stand up to "distressing times of human suffering" in a nation stalked by drug violence, crime and uncertainty. At a vast, sunbaked open-air Mass, with several hundred thousand people arrayed before him, the pope said Mexico faced "times of sorrow as well as hope" and he reiterated a call for the special protection of children. Of particular significance here, Benedict repeatedly invoked the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico and Latin America.

Passengers who fly American Airlines out of Los Angeles International Airport may feel uneasy about the future of the Fort Worth carrier because it filed for bankruptcy a few months ago and announced plans to lay off 13,000 workers. But representatives of the nation's third-largest airline are touring the country trying to allay the fears of passengers and others by spreading the message that American will come out of bankruptcy stronger than ever. Top American officials visited Los Angeles last week to tell reporters that, once the airline emerges from bankruptcy, it plans to add up to 20% more flights from its five most important hubs: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami.

A surprising visit by Albert Pujols is sending the message: The Miami Marlins will be a much different franchise from the Florida Marlins. Pujols began his free-agent tour Friday when he was courted in Miami by the Marlins, only hours before they officially changed their name during a ceremony at their new ballpark. Pujols had lunch with team officials, checked out the stadium and received a contract offer. The notoriously thrifty franchise, suddenly in the mood for a spending spree, declined to disclose details of the proposal.

Growing up poor in South Los Angeles, Lorenzo Perez never imagined he would one day dance for British royalty. "I didn't think there was still kings and queens," said Perez, 19, who got his chance on Sunday. "It's like a Disney movie. " On the last day of their whirlwind visit to the United States, Prince William and his wife, Catherine, saw a less glitzy side of Southern California, visiting a children's arts center in the heart of downtown Los Angeles' skid row and a job fair for military veterans and their families in Culver City.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took in a sweep of Southern California on their state visit Saturday, helicoptering up the coast to Carpinteria for a charity polo match and capping off their evening surrounded by Hollywood celebrities on the red carpet in downtown Los Angeles. The newlyweds took a break from their packed schedule to bring Californians a bit of British sport, participating in the polo match at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. William -- naturally -- played on the winning team, and the thrilled onlookers cheered wildly whenever he made a goal.

First Lady Michelle Obama arrived in South Africa on Monday night as she launched an official visit that will see her embrace this nation's elders as she tries to inspire its young. Obama, who is spending the week in South Africa and neighboring Botswana, will give a keynote speech to young African female leaders Wednesday in Johannesburg. She is scheduled to meet with Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 79, but no meeting is currently scheduled with Nelson Mandela, 92, the country's first black president.

President Clinton departed the NATO summit in such haste Saturday that he left behind perhaps the most important piece of luggage in the world--the "nuclear football." The president's military aide, who constantly shadows Clinton and carries the briefcase containing U.S. nuclear launch codes, was mistakenly left at the International Trade Center when Clinton's motorcade sped off 45 minutes early and without notice. The aide walked the 4 1/2 blocks back to the White House without incident.

Lincoln High School's Berry Randle set a section basketball record for blocked shots in a season last winter with 175, surpassing, among others, Joe McNaull. Now, Randle will join McNaull at San Diego State--but don't expect a prolific shot-blocking tandem. Randle has signed a national letter of intent with SDSU, becoming the first recruit landed by new SDSU Coach Tony Fuller. But Randle, 6 feet 4, 185 pounds, will swing between off-guard and small forward at SDSU.

President Obama will publicly honor the German chancellor during an elaborate official visit to the White House on Tuesday, but behind closed doors he is expected to press her to step up Germany’s involvement in the international response to unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. Obama will present Chancellor Angela Merkel with the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest honor for civilians, while First Lady Michelle Obama plans an event highlighting the importance of women in diplomacy.

The pomp is the same, but the circumstance is different. President Obama's state visit to Britain, which kicked into high gear Tuesday, is only the second by an American leader during the 59-year reign of his host, Queen Elizabeth II. The first took place in 2003, when she received President George W. Bush at Buckingham Palace. Back then, thousands of angry protesters greeted Bush and jeered at his close relationship with Prime Minister Tony Blair, because of their united stand over the invasion of Iraq.