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
Trump Seeks Answers in Saudi Journalist’s ‘Terrible’ Disappearance in Turkey
Saudi Arabia’s government has some explaining to do to the United States about a missing Washington Post columnist, foreign policy experts say, but the Trump administration shouldn’t make a rush to judgment. Jamal Khashoggi, 59, a Saudi journalist and columnist for the Post, was last seen Oct. 2 going into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul,… -
opinion
Countering the Rise of China
Over the past 40 years, since Deng Xiaoping began his policy of “Reform and Opening,” the People’s Republic of China has evolved from a less-developed country to the second-largest gross domestic product in the world. Over the past 25 years, it has also steadily transformed the People’s Liberation Army into a force that is capable… -
news
‘This Innocent Man of Faith Will Soon Be Home!’: Turkey Releases Jailed Pastor
An American pastor who was held for two years in Turkey for alleged terror and treason charges was released Friday. “Pastor Andrew Brunson is coming home! Thanks to the strong leadership of [President Donald] Trump and the steadfast prayers of millions of Americans, this innocent man of faith will soon be home!” tweeted Vice President… -
opinion
China Is Thumbing Its Nose at the World
The Trump administration’s recent course correction in the strategic relationship with China—a considerable hardening unveiled last Thursday by Vice President Mike Pence—is a necessary response to Beijing’s bad behavior across several political and security issues. An example of this behavior occurred just last week, when China gave one more sign that it scoffs at international… -
news
Legal Watchdog, Citing Secret Material in Clinton Emails, Presses State Department in Court
In federal court hearings this week, a watchdog legal group keeps the heat on the State Department for answers about the exposure of classified information during Hillary Clinton’s use of unsecure email to conduct official business when she was secretary of state. A hearing is set Friday in U.S. District Court in the nation’s capital… -
opinion
Property Rights Protections for South Africans Are Moving in the Wrong Direction
Ever since the end of apartheid in the mid-1990s, people have hailed South Africa as a champion in the fight for justice and equality. In The Heritage Foundation’s 2018 Index of Economic Freedom, South Africa received the designation of “moderately free,” with its freedom score rising 0.7 points, due to significant improvements in investment freedom… -
news
UK High Court Rules That Declining to Bake ‘Gay Cake’ Isn’t Discrimination
The highest court in the United Kingdom has ruled that a Christian bakery’s refusal to make a cake supporting same-sex marriage does not constitute discrimination. In a unanimous decision Wednesday, the U.K. Supreme Court said the Northern Ireland-based family bakery, Ashers Baking Co., did not discriminate against a gay customer in 2014 by declining to… -
opinion
China’s Economy Isn’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be
China is a rising economic power that will threaten the United States’ place as the world’s biggest economy. At least, that’s the narrative we’ve become familiar with. But does it really hold up? Economists use gross domestic product to measure the size and growth of national economies. GDP is based on the real value of… -
news
Pro-Palestine Professor Who Rescinded Letter to Let Student Study in Israel Is Punished by University
The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor punished a pro-Palestine professor who rescinded a recommendation letter for a student wanting to study in Israel. John Cheney-Lippold, an associate professor of American culture at Michigan, originally supported writing a recommendation letter for a student to study abroad. The professor, however, rescinded his support after claiming he… -
news
4 Questions About Nikki Haley’s Departure as UN Ambassador
The Trump presidency has been full of surprises, but personnel changes typically are telegraphed or leaked well in advance. Nikki Haley’s announcement of her resignation as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, however, was a genuine surprise. A major player in the administration’s foreign policy and a revered figure among many conservatives, Haley said Tuesday… -
news
‘Lenin Is Kaput’: Ukraine’s War for Its Future Continues as Citizens Look Toward Europe, Not Russia
KYIV, Ukraine—A statue of Vladimir Lenin stood over Kyiv’s Bessarabska Square from 1946 until pro-democracy protesters tore it down on Dec. 8, 2013—more than 22 years after Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union. Today, a metal trident now tops the denuded black granite pedestal. The trident is Ukraine’s national emblem. It’s a powerfully symbolic juxtaposition:… -
opinion
A Better Solution for People in the ‘Gap’ Who Need Health Insurance
Idaho voters will face a choice on Election Day about an issue that is fraught with emotional and political consequences. Voters will be asked whether to follow 34 other states in expanding Medicaid, a safety net program designed to finance health care for the poor. The initiative would allow nondisabled, childless adults to qualify for… -
news
24 Photos of First Lady Melania Trump’s Trip to Africa
First lady Melania Trump is in Africa on her first solo international trip. The first lady has visited Ghana and Malawi, with plans to visit Kenya and Egypt next before her weeklong trip wraps. According to a statement put out by her office, she will "focus on maternal and newborn care in hospitals, education for… -
opinion
The History Russians and Communists Want Us to Forget
The Soviet Union did not free the world of tyranny in World War II. It merely helped defeat one evil while ruthlessly attempting to supplant it with another one. But you wouldn’t know that from reading an Associated Press article from early September. The Associated Press originally stated that the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany… -
opinion
Prosecution of Woman Who Rescued Animals Amid Hurricane Florence Shows No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
During Hurricane Florence, a North Carolina woman, Tammie Hedges, graciously took more than two dozen animals into a warehouse that she is converting into an animal shelter. Using supplies purchased with private donations, Hedges offered the space—as part of her nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter, Crazy’s Claws N’ Paws—for animals to stay in while their owners evacuated…. -
news
Michigan Professor Refuses to Write Letter of Recommendation for Student Who Wants to Study in Israel
A professor at the University of Michigan has come in for criticism after initially supporting a student’s application to study abroad and then rescinding that support after discovering the student’s intended destination was Israel. The Washington Post reported that John Cheney-Lippold, an associate professor of American culture, received a student’s request for a letter of… -
news
With US and British Support, Ukraine Pushes Back on Russian Aggression in the Sea of Azov
KYIV, Ukraine—The U.S. Coast Guard was set to hand over two of its decommissioned 110-foot armed cutters to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at a ceremony Thursday in Baltimore. The move comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine over the free movement of merchant ships to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov. “The transfer… -
opinion
The Daily Signal Podcast: In UN Speech, Trump Makes Powerful Case for American Sovereignty
President Donald Trump was the center of everyone’s attention at the United Nations on Tuesday, where he delivered a formal address defending his policies. Brett Schaefer of The Heritage Foundation joins us to discuss. Plus: Protesters harass Ted Cruz and his wife during their private night out. We also cover these stories: Trump defended Supreme… -
news
7 Top Takeaways From Trump’s UN Speech for Friends and Foes Alike
President Donald Trump defended the sovereignty of America—and every other country—before the 73rd United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, in his second address to the world body. To the other world leaders and diplomats, Trump delivered an unpopular message against globalism, while also calling for cooperation. He delivered tough talk to America’s enemies, while also… -
opinion
Concerns Regarding Rising Religious Persecution in China Merit a Response
From Beijing to Tibet, the Chinese Communist Party is engaging in a violent crackdown on religion, employing tactics reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution. The recent intensification includes the burning of Bibles and forced closure of major churches, as well as mass detentions of Uighur Muslims and coercive quartering of party officials in their homes in…