International News
Coverage of international events and global policy shifts. The Daily Signal offers news reporting with opinion and commentary on world affairs.
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news
Problematic Women: Lessons of Hope From a Woman Who Has Spent Decades as a Quadriplegic
After spending more than 50 years in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic, Joni Eareckson Tada is still sharing a message of life and hope with the world. At the age of 17, Eareckson Tada took a dive into shallow water, breaking her neck and leaving her unable to move her lower body or her hands…. -
news
European Countries Scramble to Recoup Ukrainian Workers
KYIV, Ukraine—About 200 Ukrainian farm workers boarded a chartered aircraft Thursday bound for Finland. The flight was one of the few to leave Ukraine that day—as part of a national lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s airspace has been shut down to nearly all air travel for several weeks. In the… -
opinion
3 Actions the US Should Take to Strengthen Its Standing and Hold China Accountable
Beijing’s cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak is the scandal of the century. Its unconscionable malfeasance launched a global plague, hobbled the international response, and crashed the world’s economy. Many people were already fed up with how Beijing had bullied, lied, and cheated its way up the global food chain even before this outrage. Now, they’re downright angry and demanding some… -
opinion
World Health Organization’s History of Promoting Radical Sex Ed
When President Donald Trump pushed the pause button on funding the World Health Organization this past week, most people’s only experience with the group was as a harmless arm of the United Nations. But the “watchdog” of the global health is a lot more than the world’s disease and infection police. It’s also, as more… -
opinion
The Great US-China Divorce Has Arrived
Make no mistake: The global struggle with China is about to go to the next level. Or two. Or three. By triggering a global disease outbreak, the Chinese Communist Party’s reprehensible behavior crossed the last line, leaving other nations no recourse but to push back. Hard. No longer can responsible nations tolerate the regime’s destabilizing… -
opinion
What You Need to Know About Kim Jong Un’s Health and What Could Be Next for North Korea
Reports continue to surface saying that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is in critical condition after a recent surgery. Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation who specializes in Northeast Asia, joins a bonus episode of The Daily Signal Podcast. We discuss whether there is any substance to those reports, who Kim’s… -
news
With Ukraine Already on Lockdown, Chernobyl Burns
KYIV, Ukraine—Seriously, what else could go wrong? With Ukraine still on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, massive wildfires, including one within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, sent clouds of potentially radioactive smog into Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv on Thursday—the same day an unusual sand storm hit the city. The combination of dust and smoke… -
opinion
China Increasingly Controls Information as It Slides Deeper Into Authoritarianism
Recent revelations about the depth and consequences of China’s suppression of information in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic should shine a light on the nature of the country’s regime. China’s communist government has been tyrannical for more than 70 years, but perhaps surprising to some, it actually has become more authoritarian in recent… -
opinion
In COVID-19 Era, South Korea Remains America’s Steadfast Ally of Democracy
From a foreign policy perspective, the COVID-19 pandemic shows why the United States should be in the business of preserving and advancing freedom, civil society, and other democratic values in practical partnerships with like-minded and willing allies, such as South Korea. In fact, South Korea’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has been exemplary. That dynamic… -
opinion
On 4 Fronts, How China Quietly Infiltrates American Life
As the world continues to battle the terrible COVID-19 pandemic that began in Wuhan, China, it also must battle the lack of information or outright disinformation coming from the government where the new coronavirus originated. If it wasn’t already clear before the coronavirus outbreak, China is particularly aggressive in how it tries to control the… -
news
Trump Pulls WHO Funding, Says Organization ‘Must Be Held Accountable’
President Donald Trump made it official Tuesday that the administration was halting money to the World Health Organization, the international body that said in January that COVID-19 could not be spread by human-to-human contact, and praised China’s response to the virus. “Our countries are now experiencing—look all over the world—tremendous death and economic devastation because… -
opinion
Now Is Not (Yet) the Time to Cut Funding to the World Health Organization
President Donald Trump is justifiably upset with the World Health Organization and its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The World Health Organization is supposed to be the world’s early-warning system for pandemics, but failed spectacularly with the novel coronavirus. In particular, the WHO took Chinese statements about COVID-19 at face value and strongly praised Beijing for… -
opinion
6 Strikes, You’re Out: Independence Can’t Shield Inspectors General Who Ignore the Law
President Donald Trump last week fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the nation’s intelligence community. Atkinson made headlines last year when he told Congress about a report filed by an anonymous intelligence official who alleged that Trump inappropriately had offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy foreign aid in exchange for a politically beneficial investigation into… -
news
Trump Predicts Truce in Oil Price War Between Russia and Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump said Thursday evening that the oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia may end soon. Trump said he had just had a 90-minute conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud about their oil price war, on the same day that the Organization of the… -
opinion
State Department’s Terrorist Designation of Russian Imperial Movement Is Important Step in Keeping America Safe
With so many in the U.S. and abroad at home and online during this COVID-19 pandemic, homeland security, counterterrorism, and law enforcement officials have kept an eye on self-radicalization and extremist recruitment over the internet. The Trump administration demonstrated it is keeping its eye on the ball with the State Department’s new designation of the… -
opinion
UN Human Rights Council Disappoints Yet Again
The U.N. Human Rights Council last week appointed China to its Consultative Group in spite of Beijing’s deplorable record on human rights. The five-member body interviews applicants for roles as independent United Nations experts of the Human Rights Council and makes recommendations to the president of the council. As noted by U.N. Watch, that means… -
opinion
This Congressman Wants to End US Reliance on Pharmaceutical Products From China. Here’s How.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., says he wants to end the United States’ dependence on China for pharmaceutical products. Gallagher recently introduced legislation with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., to accomplish that. He joins The Daily Signal Podcast to talk about why it’s so important to end China’s influence or involvement in creating America’s pharmaceuticals. We also… -
opinion
Japan Dodged a COVID-19 Bullet … Or Did It?
There has been far less international focus on Japan’s low-key response to COVID-19 than on South Korea’s extensive testing program. The latter strategy is now extolled as an international model for bending the curve, but with few early cases in Japan, media reports questioned how the country had done so well with such little effort…. -
news
Trump Asks Reporter If She’s Working for Chinese Government After Pro-Beijing Questions
President Donald Trump pressed a reporter on Monday about whether she was working for the Chinese government after she asked a question about medical supplies that Beijing has provided the United States. The reporter, who said she was with Phoenix TV, a Hong Kong-based outlet sympathetic to Beijing, began her question by noting that the… -
opinion
When America Gets Coronavirus Under Control, Africa Will Need Our Help
We know too little about the new coronavirus to say how it will progress in Africa, but we know enough to realize it is likely to pummel the continent. As of April 6, Johns Hopkins University reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 51 of Africa’s 54 countries, with a total of over 9,400 cases. The…