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
Who Was the Daring Defector Who Raised His Crutches High, Defying the Kim Regime During the State of the Union?
One of the highlights of President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address was a North Korean defector brutalized by the regime who raised his crutches in defiance. Describing him as a “witness to the ominous nature of this regime,” the president explained that Ji Seong-ho’s “great sacrifice is an inspiration to us all.”… -
news
In Ukraine, Putin’s Words Ring Hollow as the War Drags On
KYIV, Ukraine—On Tuesday, the guns fell silent along the front lines in eastern Ukraine. In a rare respite from violence for the nearly 4-year-old conflict, not a single cease-fire violation occurred during a 24-hour period. At face value, Tuesday’s lull in fighting could be seen as good news. Perhaps even a bellwether for long-term peace… -
news
Ban on Abortions After 20 Weeks ‘About Who We Want to Be,’ Lindsey Graham Says
The Senate will vote within days on a measure limiting abortions after 20 weeks, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced, prompting two of the chief sponsors to urge colleagues to pass the legislation. “This vote is not about the Republican Party, it’s about America; it’s about who do we want to be,” Sen. Lindsey Graham,… -
opinion
Europe Comes Up With Perfectly Orwellian Responses to ‘Fake News’
In their zeal to stamp out “fake news,” European governments are turning toward Orwellian solutions that are worse than the disease. The European Commission recently created a 39-member panel to explore avenues to eliminate fake news. On Twitter, it announced that it seeks to find a “balanced approach” to protecting free speech and making sure… -
news
‘A Step Backward’: As the War Worsens, Trade Between Russia and Ukraine Increases
KYIV, Ukraine—On Wednesday, Russian weapons killed three Ukrainian troops and wounded five more in eastern Ukraine’s embattled eastern Donbas region, where Moscow continues to wage a 4-year-old proxy war, which has, so far, killed more than 10,300 Ukrainians. Meanwhile, grocery stores in Kyiv are still stocked with Russian products, such as caviar and vodka, and… -
opinion
Ignore the Scam: Planned Parenthood No Supporter of African-Americans
Plenty of movements have tried to hitch their wagon to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. For years, people across the political spectrum have claimed him as one of their own—in part because it’s convenient and in part because he isn’t here to dispute it. But no cause is more antithetical to King’s than… -
opinion
International Court Pushes Gay Marriage on 20 Latin American Nations
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights called last week for the recognition of same-sex marriage and of proclaimed “gender identity” as a protected category for nondiscrimination under the American Convention on Human Rights. Although the decision is not binding, 20 countries throughout the Americas have accepted the jurisdiction of the court, and will now be… -
opinion
North Korea, Afghanistan Top List of Dangerous Places to Be Christian
As if North Korea weren’t taking up enough headlines, Open Doors USA just added another one: Kim Jong Un’s country is topping the list of the world’s “Most Dangerous Places to Be a Christian.” Of course, the distinction is nothing new for the regime, which has owned the No. 1 spot for the last 15… -
opinion
Podcast: What the 25th Amendment Is Actually For (Hint: It’s Not for Ditching Presidents Who Tweet a Lot)
Jarrett Stepman joins us on today’s podcast to talk about the history and original purpose of the 25th amendment, and the long history in the United States of fake news — and what the Founders thought about it. Plus: we talk about how a new sugar tax in Seattle has people fuming at Costco and … -
news
Who ‘Dreamers’ Really Are and Why They Cost $26B Over 10 Years
Giving amnesty to “Dreamers”—young adults brought to the U.S. illegally as children—would create a deficit of about $26 billion over 10 years, according to a report last month from the Congressional Budget Office. “If we want to save taxpayers’ money, probably the best strategy is to enforce the law and encourage those here illegally to… -
opinion
Number of High School Students Who Have Had Sex Drops
For every parent who’s tried to tell their teenage kids that “everyone’s not doing it,” here’s proof! According to the CDC’s new nationwide report, the number of high school students who said they’ve ever had sex dropped from 47 percent in 2005 to 41 percent in 2015. The good news is even better for African American students, who… -
news
US Weapons and Chinese Cash Compete for Influence in Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine—In the days and weeks after Kyiv celebrated achieving its foreign policy holy grail—the promise of lethal U.S. anti-tank weaponry—China announced a laundry list of new infrastructure projects across Ukraine, pulling back the curtains on what some say is a looming competition for influence in the embattled, post-Soviet state. “There is indeed an obvious… -
opinion
Once Again, North Korea Is Reaching Out to the South. We Should Be Receptive, but Wary.
It has become tradition among North Korea watchers to dissect Pyongyang’s annual New Year’s Day speech for clues of potential policy changes. Each year, some experts interpret benign-sounding passages as indicating North Korean reform or greater willingness to engage diplomatically with Washington or Seoul. Others interpret passages that extol North Korea’s military accomplishments as threats… -
news
Trump Approves US Lethal Weapons Sales to Ukraine, Angering Moscow
KYIV, Ukraine—U.S. President Donald Trump has approved the sale of commercial lethal weapons to Ukraine, a pivotal decision that comes amid an escalation of Russia’s ongoing proxy war in the country’s embattled eastern Donbas region. Trump has reportedly approved a $41.5 million deal for Tennessee-based Barrett Firearms Manufacturing to sell Model M107A1 sniper rifles, ammunition,… -
opinion
The New York Times Left Socialism’s Role Out of Its Report on Venezuela’s Devastation
Kudos to The New York Times—yes, The New York Times—for running an excellent, detailed story on the mass starvation and economic catastrophe taking place in Venezuela. As the Times notes, Venezuela has the largest known oil reserves in the world, yet is going through a starvation crisis exacerbated and hidden by its own government. Common… -
news
Brexit Will Lead to Free Trade Agreement Between America and the UK
A British member of Parliament for the European Union said that once Brexit takes place, the United States and the United Kingdom can form a new free trade agreement based on markets. Brexit is the name of the vote held by the U.K. on June 23, 2016, to withdraw from the European Union, which will… -
opinion
Who Wouldn’t Have Coverage If the Obamacare Mandate Is Repealed
The prospect that Congress might zero-out Obamacare’s individual mandate penalty in the pending tax bill has sent Obamacare defenders into flights of pessimistic rhetoric, up to and including the charge that “thousands will die” as a result. The argument by which that attention-grabbing conclusion is reached runs something like this: Health insurance coverage reduces mortality…. -
news
Trump: Russia Probe a ‘Democrat Hoax,’ Hillary Probe ‘Rigged’
Supposed Russian collusion with his 2016 campaign is a “Democrat hoax,” President Donald Trump said Friday, and the FBI’s probe of his vanquished opponent Hillary Clinton’s email scandal was “rigged.” Talking to reporters before boarding Marine One outside the White House, Trump said most Democrats aren’t claiming proof exists that he colluded with Russian officials…. -
news
Why the War in Ukraine Matters to America
KYIV, Ukraine—And it goes on and on in eastern Ukraine. Every day and every night. There’s never any end to the artillery, the rockets, the snipers. Or the killing. The war in Ukraine has so far killed more than 10,300 Ukrainians, including at least 2,523 civilians, according to the United Nations. “After three and a… -
opinion
US Arms Sale to Georgia a Long-Overdue Show of Support for Eurasian Ally
The U.S.- Georgian relationship was taken to a new level on Nov. 20, when President Donald Trump approved something that never occurred during President Barack Obama’s eight years in office. That would be an estimated $75 million deal to sell Javelin anti-tank missiles to the Eastern European republic of Georgia. After 25 years of diplomatic…