International News
Coverage of international events and global policy shifts. The Daily Signal offers news reporting with opinion and commentary on world affairs.
-
- Opinion
Ukraine Goes Dark: Russia-Attributed Hackers Take Down Power Grid
As many as 80,000 residents in western Ukraine lost power for six hours on Dec. 23. Cybersecurity firm iSight Partners has attributed the blackout to Russian hacking group Sandworm and its malicious software, BlackEnergy 3. Cyberattacks on power grids and other critical infrastructure are not new, but this most recent attack seems to be the first use…Riley Walters -
- Opinion
China’s Big Military Reforms
Amidst the New Year transition from 2015 to 2016, the Chinese announced the first set of long-awaited major military reforms. This constitutes an enormous shift in the organization of the Chinese military. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Dec.31 the creation of—essentially—three new services for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). These new services will join…Dean Cheng -
- Opinion
Cartoon: North Korea’s Background Check
Heritage Foundation expert Bruce Klinger wrote this week on North Korea: North Korea announced Wednesday that it has conducted a successful H-bomb nuclear test of a miniaturized warhead. Prior to the announcement, sensors had detected a 5.1-magnitude seismic event at the same approximate location of North Korea's 2013 nuclear test. Nuclear experts are continuing to analyze…Glenn Foden -
- News
Why China Is the Biggest Deterrent to Stopping North Korea’s Nuclear Program
North Korea’s fourth nuclear test may be its most consequential, but the world is limited in how far it can escalate its response. Though the Obama administration disputed North Korea’s assertion that it had tested a hydrogen bomb, which would be the most powerful nuclear weapon the country has ever tested, the act violated international…Josh Siegel -
- News
Christmas in Kyiv: Ukraine’s Holiday From the War Comes to an End
KYIV, Ukraine—Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7. So in Ukraine’s capital city, the holiday season is still in full swing. The festivities in Kyiv leading up to Thursday reflect the continuance of normal life despite the frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine and looming battles on the nation’s domestic political front. At the Gulliver shopping mall, children line…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
North Korea Claims Successful H-Bomb Nuclear Test
North Korea announced Wednesday that it has conducted a successful H-bomb nuclear test of a miniaturized warhead. Prior to the announcement, sensors had detected a 5.1-magnitude seismic event at the same approximate location of North Korea's 2013 nuclear test. Nuclear experts are continuing to analyze the data, but preliminary assessments are that North Korea did…Bruce Klingner -
- News
In Ukraine, Lenin Gets the Boot From Uncle Sam
KYIV, Ukraine—There’s a saying in Ukraine about the four stages of being poor. It goes like this: First, you don’t have any hryvnias (the Ukrainian currency). Second, you don’t have any food. Third, you don’t have any dollars. And finally, you don’t have your $2 bill. For Ukrainians, dollars are a precious and jealously guarded rainy-day…Nolan Peterson -
- News
GOP Opens Investigation Into Allegations of White House Spying on Congress, Netanyahu
Republicans in Congress vowed to investigate the Obama administration after a report revealed that U.S. intelligence collection ensnared private conversations between lawmakers and top Israeli officials during negotiations on the Iran nuclear agreement. The House Intelligence Committee opened a probe Wednesday into The Wall Street Journal report that the White House eavesdropped on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…Natalie Johnson -
- News
What Could Happen If China Relaxes Its Grip on This Mountain Pass
NAMCHE BAZAR, Nepal—A network of cameras now monitors China’s side of the Nangpa La pass, say Tibetan traders who used to cross it regularly. A series of guard towers manned by border patrol troops lines the way. The Nangpa La bridges the Himalayas between Tibet and Nepal. Chinese soldiers on this mountain pass shoot at anyone…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
Genocidal Rhetoric on the Rise in One African Nation
Located in central Africa, the small nation of Burundi is on the brink of civil war once again. In April, current President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would run for a third term, a decision denounced by the opposition as a violation of the nation’s constitution. His subsequent election in July was widely criticized by…Jonathan Reich -
- Opinion
South Korea and Japan Resolve ‘Comfort Women’ Issue
South Korea and Japan reached a landmark agreement Monday to settle long-standing divisive issues resulting from Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula. The most emotional and complex topic was that of women forced into sexual slavery, euphemistically known as “comfort women.” Japan had asserted that the issue, included compensation, had been settled during the 1965…Bruce Klingner -
- News
No Way Out: The Forbidden Himalayan Escape Route for Tibetan Refugees From China
NAMCHE BAZAR, Nepal—There are a lot of ways to die on the Nangpa La. For one, the altitude can kill you. This is what Tibetan refugees face as they flee China's oppression: At more than 19,000 feet (roughly the same height as Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa) this mountain pass, which bridges the Himalayas between Nepal…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
North Korea’s Leadership, Not the Weather, Is to Blame for Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Earlier this year, Pyongyang declared it was suffering the “worst drought in 100 years.” Indeed, North Korea has suffered widespread food shortage since the early 1990s when an estimated 5 percent of its population died of starvation and related diseases. The situation remains dire. According to the World Development Indicators, 15.2 percent of North Korean…Jongtae Kim -
- Opinion
Why Are North Korean Defectors Destined for Severe Punishment?
China is currently considering repatriating nine young North Korean defectors back to North Korea. In early October, the defectors fled North Korea by crossing the Yalu River to Shenyang and then traveling to the town of Nanning on the Chinese border with Vietnam. They crossed into Vietnam on Oct. 22 but were caught by Vietnamese…Inkyeong Yun -
- Opinion
Putin Is Developing an Underwater Drone With Nuclear Weapons That Can Target US
Russia is developing a drone submarine that can deliver a nuclear warhead or dirty bomb (targets electronics) at U.S. coastal areas. Russian officials confirmed the existence of the program – dubbed Kanyon by the Pentagon – after images of a document detailing plans for the sub were broadcast on Russian state-run television. According to the document,…David Poortinga -
- News
Here Are the 95 Republicans Who Opposed the Omnibus Spending Bill
The $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill sailed through the House on Friday by a vote of 316-113. Ninety-five Republicans split with House GOP leadership to vote against the spending bill. Another 150 Republicans supported it, while just 18 Democrats opposed it. Here is the full list of the Republicans who voted against the spending bill…Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
How UN Conferences Have Created a False Climate Narrative
Last week in Paris, I had the pleasure of speaking at an event hosted by the Heartland Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT). The conference, entitled “A Day of Examining the Data” brought climatologists to talk about the state of climate science and economists to talk about the…Nicolas Loris -
- Opinion
The Negative Effects on Haiti of Too Much Foreign Aid
In Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, the wheels of economic progress grind forward slowly. In the case of a newly-rehabilitated flour mill in Port-au-Prince, however, those grinding gears can actually be seen and heard. For a nation struggling with hungry citizens the reopening of the Moulins d’Haiti (LMH) flour mill isn’t small…James M. Roberts -
- Opinion
Hunger and Health Crisis in North Korea
In June of 2015, North Korea was reported to be suffering its “worst drought in 100 years.” Indeed, the country has suffered widespread food shortage since the early 1990s, when an estimated 5 percent of its population died of starvation and related diseases. The situation remains dire. According to the World Development Indicators, 15.2 percent…Jongtae Kim -
- News
Ukraine War Freezes Over as State Department Updates Travel Warning
KYIV, Ukraine—As the Ukraine war approaches its third calendar year, daily skirmishes threaten to unglue a shaky truce. The consequences of Russia’s military pivot to Syria, meanwhile, remain foggy. The U.S. State Department on Monday updated its travel warning for Ukraine, urging all U.S. citizens in the eastern Donbas region and in Russian-occupied Crimea to…Nolan Peterson