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
Ukraine’s Plan to Manufacture US M16 Combat Rifles Hits a Snag Over Ammunition
KYIV, Ukraine—Kalashnikov assault rifles are among the most iconic symbols of the Soviet military. Weapons such as the AK-47, the AKM, the AK-74, and the AK-103 are ubiquitous reminders of the Red Army’s legacy among the modern militaries of former Warsaw Pact countries and Soviet client states. Also, the contemporary, worldwide use of Kalashnikovs by…Nolan Peterson -
- News
Democrats Who Will Scrutinize Trump’s Education Pick Attended Private Schools
Six of the 10 Senate Democrats on the committee that will consider confirming Betsy DeVos—President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of education—attended private or parochial schools, or have children and grandchildren attending, according to information obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group. That inconvenient fact complicates the prospects for the National Education Association…Richard Pollock -
- Opinion
Ghana Is Leading the Way for Democracy in Africa
Ghana, a West African country, has experienced peaceful transitions of power each time there has been a change in government since the country ended military rule in 1992. Solidifying its notable status as one of Africa’s most stable democracies, Ghana is about to embark on another handover of power from the sitting head of state…Anthony B. Kim -
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Trump Presses UN to Reform. Here’s What Can Be Done to Curtail Its Power.
President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with new United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres—as Trump and some members of Congress are raising longstanding concerns about the organization. “The president-elect has been clear about the U.N.,” presidential transition team spokesman Sean Spicer told The Daily Signal Wednesday during a conference call with reporters. “We will demand…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Obama’s Actions Against Russia Are ‘Too Little, Too Late’
President Barack Obama on Thursday took steps to retaliate against Russia for what he called “aggressive harassment of U.S. officials and cyber operations aimed at our election.” Obama’s actions include sanctioning Russian intelligence agencies and individuals as well as expelling 35 Russian government officials from the United States. “These actions follow repeated private and public…Daniel Davis -
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US Has Participated in Other UN Resolutions Chiding Israel
The Israeli government, and Republicans in Congress, have expressed outrage over the Obama administration’s decision to allow adoption of a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemns Israel’s settlement construction. These critics are portraying the U.S. move to abstain from the vote on Israel’s settlement activity—rather than using its veto power—as a last symbolic blow from…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
Impeachment Controversy Stokes Uncertainty Ahead of South Korean Election
The next South Korean presidential election is scheduled to be held on or before Dec. 20, 2017. However, there is a possibility that South Korea will have its election in advance because of President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, which led to her immediate suspension. Park’s impeachment must be ratified by the Constitutional Court within six months…Soo Jin Hwang -
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Israel Green-Lights Settlements After UN Snub
Israeli authorities gave the go-ahead for the construction of hundreds of new settlement sites in East Jerusalem Monday after a United Nations resolution condemned Israel over the issue. The defiant move comes after the U.S. government did not veto the U.N. condemnation of Israeli settlements, a marked change in U.S. policy. The Obama administration affirmed the decision…Saagar Enjeti -
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‘We Have to Defend Our Motherland’: On the Front Lines of Ukraine’s War
NOVOMYKHAILIVKA, Ukraine—In the woods outside this front-line town in eastern Ukraine, a battle-worn unit of Ukrainian soldiers have hunkered down for the winter. The troops live and fight sometimes only a few hundred yards across no man’s land from their enemies, a combined force of pro-Russian separatists and Russian regulars. Some of the Ukrainian soldiers…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
Germany to Commit More Troops to NATO in Lithuania
Germany is upping its contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the Baltic state of Lithuania. This is a welcome development. The initial news came in October when Germany announced its commitment of Bundeswehr forces to Lithuania in 2017 as part of a NATO deterrence mission. Materially, the German deployment will be substantial. Of…Garrett Robinson -
- Opinion
Clarence Thomas Should Be Included in the African-American History Museum
On Sept. 24, after years of effort, the National Museum of African American History and Culture was finally opened to the public. The Smithsonian’s new museum has been rightly praised for its detailed, complex, and powerful portrayal of the African-American experience in the United States. As The Wall Street Journal and New York Times have…Ted Cruz -
- Opinion
Russia-Turkey Relations Unlikely to Be Derailed by Shooting of Ambassador
The shocking assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey at an Ankara art exhibition on Monday by a Turk seemingly motivated by the situation in neighboring Syria clearly will not help stabilize a region that is rife with trouble—especially since it involves two of Eurasia’s key players. Ties between Russia and Turkey were already both…Peter Brookes -
- Opinion
Foiled Coup Plot in US-Allied Montenegro Has Russia’s Fingerprints All Over It
A recently foiled coup plot in the small but geographically important Balkan nation of Montenegro underscores the lengths to which Russia will go to undermine democracy and exert its influence in the region. Unfortunately, it’s doubtful many Americans have heard about it. Montenegro held parliamentary elections on Oct. 16. The party of then-Prime Minister Milo…Daniel Kochis -
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Obama Says Media Helped Putin in ‘Obsession’ With Leaks That Hurt Clinton
President Barack Obama used part of his final White House press conference of the year to take shots at Russia and the media, and to argue that Ronald Reagan would disapprove of what he called Republican voters’ warming to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. “Ronald Reagan would roll over in his grave,” @Potus says of Trump, GOP…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
China’s Seizure of US Navy Drone Tests Trump
In the past 48 hours, the temperature in the South China Sea has risen significantly. The first development came with reports that China had placed air defenses and other weapons on the artificial islands it has built in the area of the Spratly Islands. Far more worrisome is China’s decision to seize an unmanned underwater…Dean Cheng -
- Opinion
Passport Recall in Western China Signals a Major Human Rights Problem
Recent developments in western China have brought to light human rights concerns that should have the United States’ attention. On Oct. 20, the Shihezi Public Security Bureau Immigration Office issued a statement citing orders from higher-ranking authorities that all residents of Xinjiang province should turn in their passports to public security authorities for “annual review.”…Soo Jin Hwang -
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Ted Kennedy Made Secret Overtures to Russia to Prevent Ronald Reagan’s Re-Election
Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy had “selfish political and ideological motives” when he made secret overtures to the Soviet Union’s spy agency during the Cold War to thwart then-President Ronald Reagan’s re-election, a Reagan biographer said in an interview with The Daily Signal. When they came to light years later, Kennedy’s secret contacts with the Russians…Kevin Mooney -
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Key Questions About Russia’s Alleged Hacking of the US Election
A Central Intelligence Agency report that Russian operatives intervened in the U.S. election to help President-elect Donald Trump win has roiled Capitol Hill, producing a bipartisan call for congressional investigations. But there is skepticism within the U.S. government, particularly at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that the evidence definitively proves that the Russians had the…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
A Labor Secretary Who Knows How to Create Jobs
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Andy Puzder, CEO of Carl’s Jr., the successful fast-food hamburger restaurant chain, as his secretary of labor. This has set off a bit of protest by the hard left and the union bosses. How could Trump select someone who actually knows something about hiring workers and creating jobs? How dare he!…Stephen Moore -
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The 2 Largest Land Armies in Europe Tiptoe to the Edge of War and Back
KYIV, Ukraine—A planned missile test over the Black Sea spurs a Kremlin threat to shoot down the missiles and possibly target the launch sites. An eleventh-hour compromise is reached, defusing an act of brinkmanship, which could have sparked an all-out war. An episode between NATO and Moscow during the Cold War? Or, perhaps, the latest…Nolan Peterson