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
After Brussels Attacks, US Must Not Repeat Europe’s Mistakes
The first question security professionals around the world ask after a horrific terrorist attack is: What’s next? The second question is: How to stop it? Today, Americans woke up to news that Europe had been hit again, with reports of two bombs in Brussels that killed and injured scores. The attacks come only days after…James Carafano -
- News
‘Is This Real Life?’: Inside the Ukraine War’s Gray Zone
LOBACHEVE, Ukraine—War is absurd sometimes. The SUV clambered along the pothole-speckled dirt road, which was now more mud than dirt in the wake of melting snow and spring rains. The driver, a 30-year-old Ukrainian soldier named Andriy, held a pistol in his steering hand as he navigated through no man’s land near the separatist-controlled city…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
Obama’s Executive Order Against North Korea Won’t Mean Much If It’s Not Implemented
On March 16, President Barack Obama issued a new executive order imposing additional sanctions on North Korea for its repeated violations of U.S. law and U.N. resolutions. The order is a strong step forward for combating prohibited North Korean behavior since it provides additional authorities to U.S. agencies. The new executive order was required in…Bruce Klingner -
- Opinion
What You Should Know About the Ukraine War From a Journalist on the Front Lines
The war in Ukraine is “a real war,” says a journalist who has spent months on the front lines and embedded with the Ukrainian army. And yet, notes The Daily Signal’s foreign correspondent, Nolan Peterson, most other American news outlets don’t cover the intensity of the 2-year-old conflict. “The media tends to downplay the seriousness of…Genevieve Wood -
- Opinion
KT McFarland on the ‘Powder Keg’ That’s About to Explode in Europe
KT McFarland decided to re-enter the national security arena after 9/11. She had stepped down as the highest-ranking woman at the Pentagon in the Reagan administration to raise a family. So why did McFarland, national security contributor for Fox News Channel, come back? In an on-camera interview with The Daily Signal, she tells me America’s…Genevieve Wood -
- Opinion
State Department Finds ISIS Guilty of Genocide. What’s Next.
Secretary of State John Kerry declared that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) committed genocide against Yazidis, Christians, and Shiite Muslims. Genocide, as defined by the U.S., constitutes “[w]hoever, whether in time of peace or in time of war and with the specific intent to destroy, in whole or in substantial part, a national,…Olivia Enos -
- Opinion
As Russia Pledges Withdrawal, Who Are the Real Winners of the Syrian Cease-Fire?
AMMAN, Jordan—Russia announced its withdrawal from Syria as peace talks among all sides to the Syrian war commenced in Geneva, one day before the fifth anniversary of the first protests against the Assad regime. The talks come some two weeks after the cessation of hostilities brokered by the U.S. and Russia continues to hold despite…Charlotte Florance -
- News
Iraqi Priest Who Was Held Hostage by Terrorists Asks US to Declare ‘Genocide’
For eight years, Father Douglas al-Bazi says, he never spoke about the time he was held hostage by terrorists in Iraq. But now, al-Bazi is telling his story to inspire the United States to make the ultimate statement against the terrorists of the Islamic State—to declare that ISIS’ attacks against Christians constitute “genocide.” “From 2006…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
Venezuelans Fighting for Economic Freedom
A broad coalition of anti-government parties in Venezuela announced a plan this month to oust President Nicolás Maduro. The plan includes constitutionally legal mechanisms to shorten the president’s term, a recall referendum, and public protests demanding Maduro’s resignation. Hand-picked by Hugo Chávez, Maduro is now the face of executive branch corruption in Venezuela. Now recent…Tori K. Smith -
- Opinion
Draconian One-Child Policy Has Left China With Massive Sex Ratio Imbalance
With all the talk surrounding International Women’s Day this week, it is important to remember the many women of China. Innumerable Chinese women have been denied the right to have children, and many others have been denied the most fundamental right of all: the right to take their first breath and live. China currently has…Olivia Enos -
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Senate Republicans Help Advance Obama Education Nominee Who Supports Common Core
Despite opposition from former educators, school boards, and public officials for his “blind commitment” to Common Core, a Senate panel Wednesday voted in favor of confirming John King Jr. to serve as the secretary of education through the end of President Barack Obama’s term. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved Obama’s…Melissa Quinn -
- News
‘War Is My Life’: A Journey Along the Front Lines in Ukraine
SHCHASTYA, Ukraine—The late winter weather in Ukraine alternates among frigid, cool, snow, and rain—teasing the arrival of spring. The 2-year-old war, which has ravaged eastern Ukraine, killing more than 10,000 and displacing more than 1 million, is as fickle as the weather—teasing the possibility of peace without ever achieving it. Both sides of the conflict renewed…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
China Hikes Defense Budget by 7.6 Percent
As the Chinese National People’s Congress met in Beijing this week, one announcement was the planned defense budget for 2016. Contrary to some rumors, China’s defense budget will rise by “only” 7.6 percent in 2016, only the second time in 20 years that the growth has been in single digits. At 954 billion renminbi, or approximately…Dean Cheng -
- Opinion
What’s Behind New UN Sanctions on North Korea
After nearly two months of debate, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a new resolution (2270) to punish North Korea for its most recent violations of previous U.N. resolutions. The document augments earlier U.N. measures against Pyongyang, reflecting growing international concern and resolve to confront the regime’s defiance and expanding nuclear and missile capabilities. The…Bruce Klingner -
- News
‘I Can’t Believe I’m Free’: A Ukrainian POW Returns Home
KYIV, Ukraine—Vadym Krypychenko was sure he was going to die. His vehicle had broken down along the front lines in eastern Ukraine near the village of Verkhniotroitske. It was Aug. 10, 2015, only four days before the end of his military service commitment and his scheduled return home. Krypychenko, a private in the Ukrainian army’s…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
Why UK Leaving European Union Is Good for America
Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a referendum vote to be held on June 23 that will determine Britain’s membership in the European Union. In the eyes of millions of Britons, the European Union has grown into an undemocratic and unaccountable federal superstate. For the first time in more than 40 years, British voters will…Nile Gardiner -
- Opinion
What Locker Rooms Should Boys Who Identify as Girls Be Allowed to Use? South Dakota’s Answer Respects All
Controversy has flared up in South Dakota this week over whether biological males who identify as female should have access to girls’ bathrooms, lockers, and showers in schools. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage, the left has shifted its attention to the issue of gender identity, but it is meeting compassionate…Roger Severino -
- Opinion
China Has Raised the Stakes in South China Sea With Surface-to-Air Missile Batteries
The U.S. government has reported that China has deployed several batteries of surface-to-air missiles (HQ-9) to Woody Island, Paracels, in the South China Sea. This is a significant military move, and it makes clear that China is prepared to employ military forces to support its expansive claims to the South China Sea. The People’s Liberation…Dean Cheng -
- Opinion
I Used to Be Transgender. Here’s My Take on Kids Who Think They Are Transgender.
When a 9-year-old boy who identifies as Stormi, a transgender girl, started selling Girl Scout cookies, one neighbor was not amused, according to Buzzfeed. The neighbor rebuffed him, reportedly saying, “Nobody wants to buy Girl Scout cookies from a boy in a dress.” The neighbor is being called transphobic—but perhaps the neighbor thought he was…Walt Heyer -
- News
How One Ukrainian Teenager Declared War on Post-Traumatic Stress
KYIV, Ukraine—Ivona Kostyna couldn’t leave the war even if she wanted to. It was December 2014 and, at age 18, the civilian volunteer was delivering supplies to Ukrainian troops stationed in the front-line town of Debaltseve. Her car broke down, and in the six days it took to make repairs she lived among the soldiers….Nolan Peterson