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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opinion
Countering China, Trump Seeks to Increase Domestic Production of Rare Earths
President Donald Trump recently invoked a provision of the Defense Production Act to ensure the timely delivery of rare earth materials to the nation’s industrial base. Having made the determination rare earths are “essential to national defense,” Trump authorized a wave of potential investment in the industry. Although rare earths are not actually “rare” in… -
opinion
Japanese Upper House Election Puts Abe in a Strong Position
Japan held elections over the weekend for 124 of the 245 seats in the upper house of Japan’s legislature, the House of Councilors, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s political party, the Liberal Democratic Party, maintained its majority and how holds 113 seats. Upper house elections in Japan are held every three years, which means Abe,… -
opinion
Why South Korea Is Key to America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
During his recent visit to South Korea, President Donald Trump discussed with South Korean President Moon Jae-in a range of issues pertaining to our bilateral partnership. One of the least-noticed but actually critical outcomes was an acknowledgement by Moon of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which refers to America’s approach to various powers in the region. Moon… -
news
Schumer Calls for Federal Probe of Russia-Based FaceApp
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced recently on Twitter the “need” for a federal investigation into the popular Russia-based image-editing technology for smartphones called “FaceApp.” “BIG: Share if you used #FaceApp: The FBI and FTC must look into the national security and privacy risks now because millions of Americans have used it; it’s owned by… -
news
The ‘Spirit of Apollo’ Inspires a New Generation of Ukrainian Spaceflight Pioneers
DNIPRO, Ukraine—Viktor Listov was a 10th grade student in St. Petersburg (then known as Leningrad), Russia, when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, completing one orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961, aboard his Vostok 1 spacecraft. Listov vividly remembers the day. His teacher interrupted the day’s lesson and told… -
opinion
New Chief at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Is a Hopeful Sign for Much-Needed Leadership Change
The announcement of new leadership at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty could signal the beginning of a new era in U.S. international broadcasting. Last week, foreign policy specialist and German Marshall Fund senior fellow Jamie Fly was appointed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s new president, a choice that bodes well for the mission and for management of the… -
news
UK Knife Crime Hits Record High, Despite London Mayor’s ‘Knife Control’
The U.K., most notably London, has experienced a sharp increase in knife-related crime, despite “knife control” efforts to curb the violence, newly released figures detail. Knife crime in both England and Wales is up 8% from April 2018 to May 2019. U.K. police reports from 43 departments recorded 47,136 incidents involving sharp objects, an Office… -
opinion
Mr. President, It’s Time to Meet With Ukraine’s New Leader
There is an old saying that I made up: “Nobody wants to be a suburb of Moscow.” That’s the sum of decades of experience witnessing how the Soviet Union abused captive nations, now only to watch history repeat itself through Russian President Vladimir Putin’s destabilizing foreign policy. Put Ukraine at the top of the list… -
news
Diplomat: Poland Doesn’t View Trump as Cozy With Putin
From the perspective of a country counting itself as the “best barometer” of concern about Russia’s aggression, President Donald Trump is anything but soft on the government of Vladimir Putin, a top Polish official in the U.S. says. Trump pledged last month to put 2,000 more U.S. troops in Poland, at a time when that… -
opinion
American Health Care Treats Canadians Who Cannot Wait
Canadian Medicare, our northern neighbor’s universal health care system, generally receives rave reviews from proponents of nationalized or socialized health care, but the Fraser Institute found that more than 63,000 Canadians left their country to have surgery in 2016. As Americans contemplate overturning our health system in favor of one similar to Canada’s, we must… -
news
Iran Is Using Russian ‘Gray Zone’ Tactics, in Echoes of Ukraine War
KYIV, Ukraine—The recent military tension between the U.S. and Iran underscores a new era of conflict, some military officials and analysts say, in which a country’s power on the world stage is no longer measured solely by economic clout, military force, or even diplomatic sway. Rather, the audacious use of misinformation to shape public opinion… -
opinion
Barr Is Right: The Trump-Russia Conspiracy Is ‘Bogus’
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Attorney General William Barr reiterated his intention to find out why the Obama administration launched an investigation into the Republican Party presidential candidate’s campaign during the 2016 campaign. If the political parties in the sentence above were reversed, we would be in the midst of the… -
opinion
US-UK Relationship Will Be Just Fine Despite Leaked Cables
The resignation this week of the British ambassador to Washington has made headlines on both sides of the Atlantic. Sir Kim Darroch resigned following the publication of leaked diplomatic cables that revealed he had been sharply critical of the Trump administration, calling it “inept” and “chaotic.” President Donald Trump condemned Darroch’s negative comments, prompting the… -
opinion
How a Record-Breaking Economy Is Helping Those Who Need It Most
The U.S. economy is in the midst of the longest economic expansion in our history—more than 10 years of consecutive growth. The climb out of the Great Recession has been prolonged and strengthened by pro-growth policies, such as tax cuts and deregulation. Rolling back those reforms or burdening workers with new restrictions would present the… -
news
The Hard Facts Behind Venezuela’s Oil Crisis
The citizens of Venezuela have gotten used to spending days parked in mile-long lines for state-owned gasoline as shortages worsened for the nation, which holds the largest oil reserves in the world. In the capital of Caracas, hundreds of motorists waited in lines last month while carrying rocks and pipes to defend themselves as Venezuela’s… -
news
Antifa Members Repeatedly Attack Journalists Who Cover Them
Members of the violent left-wing movement Antifa have repeatedly harassed and attacked members of the media who cover them. Masked individuals at an Antifa rally Saturday violently attacked Portland journalist Andy Ngo, sending him to the hospital. While some members of the national media have been sympathetic toward Antifa in the past, that hasn’t kept Antifa members from attacking the… -
opinion
BBC Report Shows Disturbing Nature of China’s ‘Thought Transformation’ Camps
Adorned with bright smiles and clothed in colorful garb, Uighur Muslims held in political reeducation camps flash across the screen as they sing and dance triumphantly to the words that President Xi Jinping wrote just for them. These sights, captured by the BBC, are what the Chinese government wants journalists and the outside world to… -
opinion
‘Prosper Africa’ Promises Long-Overdue Change in US Approach to Continent
American policymakers have long talked about reorienting U.S. policy toward Africa to “trade, not aid.” Yet, despite the rhetoric, the U.S.’ Africa policy has remained stuck in an aid-focused rut for decades. However, there was another encouraging sign last week that the Trump administration is serious about changing that. In remarks at a Corporate Council… -
opinion
Faithless Electors Who Break Their Promise Rightly Can Be Punished
Long before discussions of impeachment became commonplace, a means of denying President-elect Donald Trump the White House was floated and circulated among liberal groups. They formed a national alliance shortly after the 2016 election designed to manipulate the Electoral College by persuading and pressuring electors not to vote for Trump when members of the Electoral… -
news
Rare Civil War Vestige Memorializes the Little-Known Story of African American Soldiers
A rare artifact of the Civil War that was carried into battle by an African American regiment has been purchased at a historic price by the Atlanta History Center. A regimental flag of the 127th United States Colored Troops that was acquired by the center is one of less than 25 known flags carried by…