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
Ohio Bakery Owner Who Posted ‘Politically Incorrect’ Sign on Stores Explains Why He Did So
A sign posted outside an Ohio bakery eschewing political correctness has gone viral. Schuler’s Bakery posted signs outside of its four Ohio locations that read: Notice: This store is politically incorrect, we say Merry Christmas, God Bless America, we salute our flag and give thanks to our troops, police officers and fire fighters. If this…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
In Australia, Catholic Bishops Face Court Action, Huge Fines Over Traditional Views on Marriage
Australians have always viewed America’s litigious culture with suspicion. Our “no worries mate” approach to life means we tend not to rush off to court at the drop of a hat. So last week when a state government commissioner ruled that the nation’s Catholic bishops may have broken the law in distributing their booklet “Don’t…Lyle Shelton -
- Opinion
Russia Admits Plane Brought Down By Bomb But Putin Won’t Make Defeating ISIS Top Priority
Russia’s intelligence services have finally admitted what most have already suspected: that a bomb brought down the Russian commercial airliner over the Sinai Peninsula last month, killing 224 innocent holiday goers. It is unclear who the culprits are. Two employees from Sharm el-Sheikh airport have been arrested, and Russia has announced a $50-million reward for…Luke Coffey -
- News
Students Across US Demand Free College, Stumble Over Who Will Foot the Bill
Students swarmed college campuses across the nation Thursday to rally against the rising costs of higher education, demanding free college tuition, the zeroing out of student debt, and a $15 minimum wage hike for campus employees. The protests, which spawned from a social media movement called the Million Student March, hit 110 colleges throughout the U.S. and…Natalie Johnson -
- News
Meet the Nun Who Took Her Soup Kitchen Cooking Skills to TV and Won First Place
Last week, Chicago-based Sister Alicia Torres, a soft-spoken member of the Franciscans of the Eucharist, took first place on the Food Network cooking competition “Chopped.” Torres, competing on a special Thanksgiving-themed episode of the popular show, won $10,000 for her take on a traditional Thanksgiving feast. In one challenge, she made turkey quesadillas and, in…Madaline Donnelly -
- News
Obama Criticizes Those Who Want ‘Religious Tests’ for Refugees, Defends ISIS Strategy
President Barack Obama said during a press conference in Turkey on Monday that his administration has “the right strategy” on ISIS, and “we’re going to see it through.” “What I’m not interested in doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership, or American winning or whatever other slogans they come up with, that…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
Can NATO Be Involved in Responding to Paris Attacks? Looking at Article 5
In light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, which resulted in at least 139 dead and another 350 wounded, there has been significant discussion about what role the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should have, if any, in a response to the attacks. We asked Luke Coffey, the Margaret Thatcher Fellow at The Heritage…Luke Coffey -
- Opinion
Public University Joins LGBT Radicals in Targeting Professor Who Thinks Kids Should Have Mom, Dad
Kim Davis. Aaron and Melissa Klein. Barronelle Stutzman. Robert Oscar Lopez? For many conservatives, the first four names—Americans who have faced state-sanctioned discrimination for trying to live in accordance with their religious beliefs about marriage—bring strong opinions about America’s deteriorating state of religious liberty. However, it is Lopez who may be America’s most persecuted pro-family…Dustin Siggins -
- Opinion
Many Who Are Trapped on Welfare Don’t Apply for Jobs
There are jobs are out there, according to data released Nov. 12 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The question is, who wants them? The rate of available job openings in the private sector—as a percent of all private-sector jobs—rose in September to its second highest level since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began reporting…Patrick Tyrrell -
- Opinion
The Obama Administration Still Lacks a Strategy to Counter China and Russia
Last week, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter gave a major speech at the 2015 Reagan National Defense Forum outlining the Obama administration’s new strategies to respond to Russia and China. While it is certainly clear that the United States is in need of new strategies to respond to these two countries—who seem to be outmaneuvering…Justin Johnson -
- Opinion
Venezuela’s Economic Crisis
The effects of 21st-century socialism in Venezuela are horrifying. According to the International Monetary Fund, Venezuela’s economy will shrink by at least 10 percent in the upcoming year. Venezuela is suffering from the fastest inflation rate in the world, with the rate reaching triple digits. Their currency, the bolivar, is practically worthless despite the exchange…Arlecchino Gomez -
- Opinion
China Is Trying to Redefine International Norms on the Reach of States
With the decision to conduct a Freedom of Navigation operation (FONOP) in the waters around China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea, U.S.-Chinese relations appear set to deteriorate in the coming year. Given the likely rise in tensions, especially if the United States conducts additional FONOPS, it is essential that U.S. leaders understand the…Dean Cheng -
- News
Meet the Priest Who Cares for Hundreds of Christian Refugees Fleeing ISIS
AMMAN, JORDAN—In the small town of Marka, Jordan, about 20 minutes from downtown Amman, hundreds of Christian refugees and their families live under the steadfast care of Father Khalil Jaar, a humble priest originally from Bethlehem. Here, at a small church complex called St. Mary’s, children receive an education. On this particular Sunday, French missionaries…Charlotte Florance -
- Opinion
China-Owned Radio Stations Are Spreading Chinese Propaganda in the US
China’s drive to influence how Americans think—and, by extension, U.S. policy—takes many forms. Beijing has sought to buy its way into our top universities and biggest Hollywood studios, for example. Now it appears that China is also surreptitiously taking over U.S. radio stations to spread its own propaganda. In fact, with radio, China has acted so…Mike Gonzalez -
- News
Bernie Sanders Says US Should Curb Fossil Fuels to Clean Up Russia, China
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., wants to pledge American resources to clean up the Chinese, Indian, and Russian environments. Flanked by environmental activists Wednesday on the Capitol’s East Lawn and joined by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the Vermont senator touted the pair’s legislation to prohibit all new fossil fuel developments on federal land, a measure aimed…Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
Happy Birthday, United Nations! 70 Years Is Enough.
Did it escape your attention that last month was the 70th birthday of the United Nations? Did you miss the opportunity to celebrate by following Elyx on an “exciting 70-day (virtual) trip around the world to shine light on the U.N.’s work”? What? You’re not familiar with Elyx, the United Nations’ first “digital ambassador”? Allow me to…Clifford May -
- Opinion
China Has a Serious Demographic Problem and Its New Two Child Policy Will Not Fix It
China’s recent decision to abandon the one-child policy in favor of a two-child policy, while welcome, is neither a fundamental policy shift nor a long-term solution to China’s economic dilemma. At root, the one-child policy was merely another means by which the China maintained control over the Chinese people. The newly invoked two-child policy continues…Olivia Enos -
- Opinion
What I Learned From Tibetan and Ukrainian Freedom Fighters
KATHMANDU, Nepal—About two months before a mortar killed him, 19-year-old Ukrainian soldier Daniel Kasyanenko smoked a cigarette with me in a trench in eastern Ukraine. On that hot June afternoon, with random sniper potshots and artillery rounds comprising the background din, our conversation touched on many topics, most of which are not fit for print….Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Is Still a Bad Idea
Like the antagonist in a bad horror film, some ideas just won’t die. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is one of those ideas. The Senate refused to ratify the treaty back in 1999, the first time the Senate rejected a treaty since Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations. Still, Secretary of State John Kerry and…David Poortinga -
- News
Challenger Unseats School Board Member Who Supported Transgender Policy
A school board member in Northern Virginia who supported a new policy on transgender students lost re-election Tuesday at the polls. The Fairfax County School Board voted earlier this year to include “gender identity” in its nondiscrimination policy. Jeannette Hough defeated incumbent board member Ted Velkoff, who backed the policy. Velkoff has been on the board…Kate Scanlon