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
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… -
opinion
Report Confirms Russia’s Responsibility for Shooting Down Malaysian Airliner
In interim findings, a team of investigators says Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired from an area controlled by Russian-backed fighters in eastern Ukraine. The team, comprised of investigators from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Ukraine, is conducting a criminal investigation into the downing of MH17 on July 17, 2014, which killed all 298… -
opinion
China’s Economy Is Headed for a Hard Landing
The world’s second-largest economy is going to make a hard landing one day, China watchers have speculated for several years. The fact is, though, the Middle Kingdom already is well on its way. Let’s first examine the “official” top-line numbers. In 2007, a year before the great global crisis, China’s real gross domestic product expanded… -
opinion
Remembering Douglas Munro, US Coast Guard Medal of Honor Recipient Who Helped Save Hundreds
Of the 3,498 Medal of Honor recipients in American history, only one was from the U.S. Coast Guard: Signalman 1st Class Douglas Albert Munro. On this day 74 years ago, Munro sacrificed himself at the Matanikau River at Point Cruz in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, while saving hundreds of his fellow service members. In recognition, Munro… -
opinion
Sweden’s Smart Move to Return Troops to an Island Eyed by Russia
Sweden’s decision to reintroduce permanent troops to the island province of Gotland is wise in light of recent Russian aggression. Swedish soldiers exercising on Gotland received an order Sept. 14 not to leave. The 150 troops will remain on the island until mid-2017, when a planned permanent unit should be fully established there. Sweden, which… -
news
Syria Cease-Fire Collapse Highlights How Far US-Russia Relations Have Fallen
KYIV, Ukraine—The story is depressingly familiar. On Friday, the cease-fire in Syria, which was brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, collapsed as Russian and Syrian warplanes resumed their scorched earth airstrike campaign in Aleppo. “Russia has no vested interest in stability in the Middle East,” Stephen Blank,… -
news
A War on Their Doorstep, Ukrainian Millennials Enjoy a Night Out in a Front-Line City
KYIV, Ukraine—In Mariupol, a Ukrainian port city on the Sea of Azov only about 10 miles from the front lines, you can frequently hear artillery exploding from inside the city. Sometimes it sounds like tree branches knocking in the wind. Sometimes it’s loud enough to rattle windows. I was at dinner with a group of… -
opinion
Obama’s Use of UN to Advance Partisan Agenda Hurts the Organization Long Term
President Barack Obama gave his eighth and final address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning. The tone was reminiscent of past speeches in a number of ways, both good and bad. The rhetoric was soaring in parts and it was well delivered. However, his characterization of the world and his successes tended toward… -
opinion
Regulations in Benin, West Africa, Stunt Business Growth for Entrepreneurs Like Glwadys Tawema
The Heritage Foundation has taken its message of economic freedom on the road.One stop was Cotonou, the capital of Benin—a small country of about 9 million next door to Nigeria in West Africa. It was there that we met Glwadys Tawema, a young entrepreneur who is struggling to keep her small business profitable in spite of costly,… -
opinion
Major Attack on Indian Army in Kashmir Puts South Asia on Crisis Footing
Indo-Pakistani tensions have been heightening over the last several months, but Sunday’s attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that left 17 soldiers dead has put the region in crisis mode. The attack took place near the Line of Control that divides Indian and Pakistani Kashmir and marks the most deadly attack against Indian…