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
A Ukrainian Town on War’s Edge Faces Its Darkest Hour
SARTANA, Ukraine—A biography of Winston Churchill sits on Stephan Machsma’s desk. Machsma is the mayor of Sartana, Ukraine, and he is leading the town’s approximately 10,000 residents through their own darkest hour. On Sunday night, starting around 10 p.m., combined Russian-separatist forces shelled Sartana with 122-mm and 152-mm artillery for about 25 minutes. The attack…Nolan Peterson -
- News
24 Questions for Jack Phillips, the Baker Who Gave Up Wedding Cakes for God
Jack Phillips knows he can't do anything about those who call him a hater. He says he just loves to get up each day to design and make cakes, cookies and brownies to honor God—and to make a living. “It’s a spiritual battle. We’re not fighting, God’s fighting.”—Jack Phillips This year, however, Phillips faces a…Ken McIntyre -
- News
State Department Clamping Down on Speaking to Congress or Press?
The State Department has quietly issued a new policy that some insiders view as designed to keep employees from freely speaking to Congress or the press about Benghazi and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s email controversy. “It’s an absolute overreach,” says Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz. The State Department issued 19 pages of revised rules about official…Sharyl Attkisson -
- Opinion
Now Hugo Chávez’s PetroCaribe Program Is Hurting Venezuelans
Remember those funny commercials where the opera stars sing, “I have a structured settlement and I need cash now!”? Nicolás Maduro knows what they mean. Hugo Chávez set up PetroCaribe a decade ago when he was flush with cash and eager to buy friends and influence for his oil-rich country and the “Chavista” brand of…James M. Roberts -
- News
What the Death of a 19-Year-Old Ukrainian Soldier Teaches Us About War
MARIUPOL, Ukraine—A mortar killed Daniel Kasyanenko on a battlefield in eastern Ukraine. He was 19 years old. He died on Aug. 6, almost six months after the Feb. 12 cease-fire. He was one of 18 Ukrainian soldiers to die in a 10-day stretch from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10; 98 Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in…Nolan Peterson -
- News
The Future of Nuclear Sanctions Against Iran, Explained in 90 Seconds
Under a deal requiring Iran to curb its nuclear program, the United States and the broader international community will lift sanctions on Tehran imposed over several decades. The Obama administration has said the deal will give Iran relief from nuclear-related sanctions, and not impact other sanctions aimed at Tehran over its sponsorship of terrorism and…Alex Anderson -
- News
Artillery Attack Rattles Ukrainian City as War With Russian Separatists Heats Up
MARIUPOL, Ukraine—Thunderstorms hovering over the Sea of Azov caught the setting sun, turning orange and then pink. A cool end-of-day breeze kicked up. Later Sunday night in downtown Mariupol when the artillery started, the booms and flashing lights over the rooftops looked like lightning and sounded like thunder. To the trained ear, however, the sounds…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
What World Health Organization Did Wrong On Ebola Response
The 2013 outbreak of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone claimed over 11,000 lives. The World Health Organization was heavily criticized for its response to the outbreak, with some claiming that its efforts actually exacerbated the suffering. Stung by these charges, WHO commissioned a group of independent experts to assess its response and recommend improvements….Brett Schaefer -
- Opinion
Prime Minister Abe Atones for Japan’s Past Actions
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II by releasing a highly anticipated statement to make amends to Japan’s neighbors. Abe went further than many would predicted even recently in acknowledging Japan’s wartime actions. Most notably, he included several key phrases from statements by his predecessors, including aggression,…Bruce Klingner -
- Opinion
10 Lessons From North Korea Nuclear Deal That Must Be Applied to Iran Deal
For decades, the U.S. and other nations have engaged in negotiations to achieve North Korean denuclearization. Pyongyang signed several agreements promising never to build nuclear weapons and then several more pledging to give up the weapons it agreed to not build in the first place. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un now rejects dialogue with the…Bruce Klingner -
- News
John Kasich: The US Should Be Providing Aid to Ukraine
DERRY, N.H.— During a campaign stop at a town hall in New Hampshire today, Ohio Gov. John Kasich said the United States should be aiding Ukraine against Russian aggression. “For the life of me, I cannot understand why we are not giving the Ukrainians [the ability] to defend themselves against Putin and the Russians,” Kasich…Kate Scanlon -
- News
Meet Ukraine’s Women Warriors
KYIV, Ukraine—It was called position 18. The house, which was yellow and had its roof caved in from artillery hits, was only a hundred meters or so behind the front-line trenches in Pisky, Ukraine. Shrapnel and bullet holes had shredded the exterior walls, leaving the yellow paint polka-dotted by the grey concrete underneath. The soldiers…Nolan Peterson -
- News
How a Swedish Sniper Found Redemption in the Ukraine War
KYIV, Ukraine—This was supposed to be a routine reconnaissance mission, but suddenly it became complicated. They had been crawling in the woods to stay concealed when the jeep with four separatists inside pulled up and parked along the road a few hundred meters away. They had two options: Start running, or the other thing. Mikael Skillt…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
How to Combat Putin’s Propaganda War
The war is on. Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed a vast information network across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as within the European Union. This network uses a very developed and coordinated use of social media networks and traditional news media outlets, as well as influence among European politicians, like former German Chancellor…Helle Dale -
- Opinion
Why The Chinese Stock Market Continues to Unravel
As the Chinese stock market unravels, liberal economists are eating their words on the supposed benefits of heavy government intervention in the financial sector. On Monday, the Shanghai stock index declined by 8.5 percent, the largest single-day drop in 8 years. Before this point, the government had already taken extraordinary steps to further preserve the…Henry Dickman -
- Opinion
Putin Expands Russian Navy As America’s Fleet Shrinks
President Vladimir Putin set a new course for the Russian navy recently. While presiding over “Navy Day” in Baltiysk, Russia, he formally approved changes to Russia’s naval doctrine. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced the new naval doctrine at the Baltiysk naval station. Located in the strategically important Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, the installation…Ian Button -
- Opinion
Remembering the Man Who Exposed Communist Russia’s Murders of Millions
Conservative historian, poet and Presidential Medal of Freedom winner Robert Conquest passed away on Monday, leaving behind a legacy of vital support for freedom. Robert Conquest was born in 1917, the son of a British mother and an American father. He is best known for his book “The Great Terror: Stalin’s Purge of the Thirties,”…Daniel Kochis -
- Opinion
Forget Cecil. Legal Hunting Benefits Africa.
Lost in the outrage over the death of Cecil the Lion is the plight of the people of Zimbabwe and the fact that big game hunting actually helps Africa. On July 1, a lion known as Cecil, who was popular with safari-goers in Zimbabwe, was killed by a hunter after being lured out of a national…Joshua Meservey -
- News
University Cop Who Killed Unarmed Motorist Charged With Murder
The University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot Samuel DuBose during a routine traffic stop on July 19 was indicted on murder charges Wednesday. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters called the shooting “senseless” and said he would treat the officer, Ray Tensing, “like a murderer.” “I’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” Deters…Natalie Johnson -
- News
Young Couple Creates Video Tribute for Baby Who Passed in Womb
When Billy Jack and Sara Brawner found out they were pregnant in November 2013, they were overjoyed. Having previously endured a miscarriage, they found every moment of their pregnancy to be nothing short of a miracle. Then, last summer, when Sara was 34 weeks pregnant with a little girl to be named Willa Rose, the…Leah Jessen