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
Who Pays for Politicking on Air Force One? Here’s the Formula for How Costs Are Split
President Barack Obama hit the skies in Air Force One in the week before the presidential election, stumping for who he hopes to be his successor—at a cost that will mostly be covered by taxpayers, but will be partially refunded by the campaign. The president stumped for Hillary Clinton, stopping for speeches in Columbus, Raleigh,… -
news
Senators Slam Obama for Misleading Other Countries to Pass UN Climate Treaty
Republican lawmakers have asked the Obama administration to be more “forthright” with the international community about the limits of his authority to implement a United Nations climate treaty without Senate approval. “We are concerned the administration has not been forthright in acknowledging the legal limitations of the president’s domestic climate actions,” Republicans on the Senate… -
news
Euthanasia Deaths Hit Record High in Belgium. Why That Matters for the US.
A record number of people died last year under Belgium’s 13-year-old euthanasia law, according to an oversight commission. In 2015, a total of 2,022 Belgians were legally euthanized. In 2002, the first year the practice was legal, 24 people died by euthanasia. Since the law took effect, a total of 12,762 people officially have been… -
news
Eastern Europe Arms Itself Against Russian Military Aggression
KYIV, Ukraine—Countries across Eastern Europe are militarizing to defend themselves from Russia, underscoring how Kremlin brinkmanship could spark a regional conflict. “If you’re in Estonia, or Latvia, and Russia’s sitting there on your border, it’s scary,” Jill Russell, teaching fellow in the Defense Studies Department at King’s College London, told The Daily Signal. “And those… -
news
On the Edge of a Forgotten Conflict, Ukraine’s Humanitarian Crisis Simmers
KURAKHOVO, Ukraine—More than two and a half years after the war in Ukraine began, a cease-fire has failed to stop the fighting. And it’s still too dangerous for many of Ukraine’s 1.7 million internally displaced persons to return home. For those who fled the conflict, they’ve had to adapt to life as de facto refugees… -
opinion
Rejection of UN Nuke Ban Not Enough, Administration Must Do More to Maintain Arsenal
Although last month the Obama administration led a misguided effort in the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution on nuclear weapons testing, it apparently understands the downside of supporting a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. In an Oct. 14 statement, the Obama administration rejected a U.N. effort to “declare a ban on nuclear… -
news
‘Hope Is Not Enough’: Ukrainian University Students Prepare for War
KYIV, Ukraine—The young man never told anyone he was going to war. The 20-year-old student at Kyiv’s Taras Shevchenko National University slipped away in June 2014 to join a civilian paramilitary group fighting in eastern Ukraine. The young man, whose name was Sviatoslav Horbenko, was a star pupil at the university’s Institute of Philology, where… -
opinion
US Security Benefits When Japan, South Korea Share Intelligence
South Korea recently announced it would restart negotiations with Japan for a military and intelligence sharing agreement. Washington should encourage this growing security cooperation. Moon Sang-gyun, spokesman for South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, said Sept. 27 that North Korea’s “nuclear and missile threats are escalating by the day, so our security situation is becoming… -
opinion
Here’s Why It’s Wrong That America Refused to Defend Its Embargo on Cuba at the UN
For the first time ever, the United States abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution condemning America’s embargo on Cuba. This breaks decades of bipartisan support for U.S. law on the international stage. It shows just how far the Obama administration is willing to take its misguided and ill-informed Cuba policy. For the past… -
opinion
Russia’s Missile Deployment Adds to NATO’s Worries in the Baltic
In an extremely worrying development for NATO, Russia earlier this month deployed several nuclear-capable Iskander mobile ballistic missile launchers in the Kaliningrad region. The location is a small Russian enclave on the Baltic between Poland and Lithuania that is home to Russia’s Baltic Fleet and several major military installations. The deployment is widely seen as… -
opinion
US Right to Affirm Necessity of Missile Defense in South Korea
During Wednesday’s bilateral ministerial meeting, Secretary of State John Kerry underscored Washington’s resolve to defend our South Korean ally against missile attacks. The biennial “2+2 meeting” (secretaries of defense and state with their South Korean counterparts) took place in the shadow of an escalating North Korean nuclear and missile threat. Kerry vowed that the U.S…. -
news
‘I Don’t Have Anyone Left’: What Life Is Like for Refugees in Ukraine
KURAKHOVO, Ukraine—They all have a reason to go home. For some, it’s to reunite with friends and family, to regain their dignity, or to find a job so they can afford to pay the rent and buy groceries. Others simply want to rejoin the lives they left behind to escape the Russian artillery and rockets…. -
news
Meet the Maryland Conservative Who Aims to Take Over the House’s Largest GOP Caucus
Like most Americans, but unlike most of the other 434 members of the House of Representatives, Andy Harris pulls a lengthy commute to work each day. One way and without traffic, the Maryland Republican says he can go door to door in an hour and a half from his home in Cockeysville to his office… -
news
This Is the Percentage of Millennials Who Believe George W. Bush Killed More People Than Stalin
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation released its first “Annual Report on U.S. Attitudes Towards Socialism” Monday. The survey showed a distinct generation gap regarding beliefs about socialism and communism between older and younger Americans. For example, 80 percent of baby boomers and 91 percent of elderly Americans believe that communism was and still is… -
opinion
Planned Parenthood’s 100th (Un)Birthday Is No Cause to Celebrate
As this month marks Planned Parenthood’s 100th anniversary, we should pause and consider its destructive legacy. Founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger in 1916, what is now known as the Planned Parenthood Federation of America began as a small birth control clinic in New York City. Sanger was motivated by her belief that artificial birth control… -
opinion
Heritage Event Explores Geopolitics of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor
On Wednesday, September 28, The Heritage Foundation hosted a panel discussion on “Geopolitics and Economic Development: Assessing the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.” The discussion focused on the economic viability of the proposed $46 billion China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), security concerns impacting CPEC, and the geopolitical and geostrategic implications of the formation of an economic corridor linking… -
news
Cease-Fire in Ukraine Could Be at ‘Tipping Point’ as US, EU Spar With Russia Over Syria
KYIV, Ukraine—The shaky cease-fire in eastern Ukraine has reached a “tipping point,” a high-level Ukrainian government official says. The official’s comments underscore how geopolitical events—from the war in Syria to the rise of nationalist parties across Europe—have tested international resolve to maintain sanctions on Russia. “There is no alternative” to the current cease-fire, the official… -
opinion
Russia’s Information Warfare Continues
Speculation about Russian interference in the upcoming U.S. presidential election is flowing fast in the U.S. media. Russia was widely believed to be responsible for embarrassing email hacks at the Democratic National Convention. Speculation abounds in the media that the Russian government might try to throw the U.S. election this way or that with a… -
opinion
6 Moves Putin’s Russia Could Make in Its Old Stomping Ground
Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine and annexation of Crimea have left many wondering: Where next for Moscow? While no one can read Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mind, we can examine historical precedent to construct feasible scenarios for future Russian action. Here, we'll review six such scenarios, each reflecting three assumptions regarding how Putin sees Russia’s… -
news
2 Years After Airliner Downed, Eastern Ukraine Remains a De Facto No-Fly Zone
KYIV, Ukraine—More than two years after a Russian surface-to-air missile shot down a civilian airliner over eastern Ukraine, the embattled region remains a de facto no-fly zone for both civilian and military aircraft. On Wednesday, an international investigative team concluded there was “no doubt” the Buk missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on…