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
Report Details Widespread Prisoner Abuse, Torture in Ukraine Conflict
KYIV, Ukraine—Prisoner abuse, including torture and summary execution, is a daily occurrence on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, reflecting a brutal, ongoing conflict in which both sides are accused of human rights violations and war crimes, according to an Amnesty International report released this week. The 36-page report, titled, “Breaking Bodies: Torture and Summary Killings…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
5 Steps the Next President Could Take to Boost Our Relationship With Latin America
For much of the last century, Latin America has seldom been a major focus for U.S. foreign policy. Yet President Obama’s controversial Cuba policy appears to have brought the region back into play. But Obama’s days in the Oval Office are numbered. How will the next occupant of the White House treat our neighbors to…Ana Quintana -
- Opinion
North Korea Claims Miniaturized Nuclear Weapons
Pyongyang claimed on Wednesday that it already has developed nuclear weapons small enough to fit on missiles. The powerful National Defense Commission declared “it is long since [North Korea’s] nuclear striking means have entered the stage of producing smaller nukes and diversifying them.” It also highlighted its ability to put miniaturized nuclear warheads on short-range,…Bruce Klingner -
- Opinion
U.S. Should Support Media Freedom in Africa
The state of media freedom in Africa is “grim,” according to the media freedom group Reporters Without Borders, which took stock of the situation recently on World Press Freedom Day. Outside the traditional bastions of democracy—North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan— the media in much of the world are increasingly troubled. In the Middle East…Helle Dale -
- Opinion
China Military Moves Into South China Sea Dispute, Solidifying China’s New Area Grab
CNN broadcast an exclusive report, as one of its reporters hitched a ride on a U.S. Navy P-8 patrol aircraft overflying the artificial islands the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is building in the South China Sea. The Chinese repeatedly tried to warn off the aircraft, in English language broadcasts that CNN included in its…Dean Cheng -
- News
Top US General ‘Impressed’ With Ukraine’s Treatment of Captured Russian Commandos
KYIV, Ukraine—The top U.S. Army commander in Europe praised the Ukrainian military Tuesday for how it handled the capture of two Russian special forces soldiers during a battle on Ukrainian territory over the weekend. "I was impressed and want to congratulate Ukrainian armed forces with how they handled the capture of the two Russian solders,”…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
U.S. Talks of Stronger North Korea Sanctions….and Talks…and Talks
While in South Korea, Secretary of State John Kerry lambasted Pyongyang for its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, flagrant disregard for international law, and human rights abuses. Kerry criticized the regime’s “provocative, destabilizing and repressive actions [and] unacceptable behavior.” To respond, Secretary Kerry declared international intent to “increase the pressure and increase the…Bruce Klingner -
- News
Russian Dissident Looks to Raise ‘Rebel Army’ in Ukraine to Overthrow Putin
KYIV, Ukraine—Andrei Kuznetsov leans forward, clinches his angular jaw, narrows his sharp blue eyes and says: “I could tell you things that would shock Americans.” For emphasis, the 32-year-old Russian exile then raises his eyebrows and nods as he slowly leans back in his chair and takes a sip of beer. Patrons and servers at…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
The Growing North Korean Missile Threat
On May 8, North Korea successfully conducted its first underwater ejection test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Analysts had predicted it would be several years before that would happen. Small wonder North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was jubilant. He declared the development a “time bomb attached to the backs of our enemies when the…Bruce Klingner -
- Opinion
Desperate Migrants in Southeast Asia Point to Problems in Burma
Sea-faring migrants from Bangladesh and Burmese Rohingya are arriving in large numbers on the shores of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. At present, there may be as many as 8,000 migrants stuck at sea, causing the United Nations to warn of a potential humanitarian crisis. The three Southeast Asian nations have received at least 1,500 migrants…Olivia Enos -
- Opinion
State Department Stonewalling Has Made for a Tough Year for the Benghazi Select Committee
It’s been a year since the House Select Committee on Benghazi began its work, and although the committee has produced an interim report and its share of headlines, it has not come close to completing its mission. And, according to the committee, most of the delay can be traced to the snail’s-pace response from the…Helle Dale -
- Opinion
From Antarctica to Djibouti, China’s Presence Is Expanding
Neither Djibouti, on the east coast of Africa at the entrance to the Red Sea, nor Antarctica are all that close to China. Yet, China is intent on establishing a presence in both areas. To support its growing Indian Ocean presence, which recently included deployments of submarines, including a nuclear-powered attack boat, China reportedly is…Dean Cheng -
- Opinion
Maintaining Focus on North Korea’s Human Rights Violations
In commemoration of the 12th annual North Korea Freedom Week, The Heritage Foundation hosted a panel discussion on human rights violations in North Korea. The discussion emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on the issue and sustaining the momentum generated by the United Nations commission of inquiry (COI) into human rights violations in North Korea….Eunjoong Kim -
- News
In New Role, US Army Prepares Ukrainians for Different Type of War
YAVORIV, Ukraine—The sounds of gunfire and explosions are constant on the firing range at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center outside this western Ukrainian town. At one spot, behind an earthen bunker, U.S. Army paratroopers are qualifying Ukrainian National Guard soldiers in Soviet-era shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Further down the line, Ukrainian soldiers shoot at…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
Kim Jong-Un Continues Reign of Purges, Executing Defense Minister
Kim Jong-un continued his reign of purges, having Minister of Defense Hyon Yong-chol executed for treason and showing disrespect to the North Korean leader by falling asleep at a military event. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that Hyon was executed at the end of April by a firing squad using anti-aircraft artillery as hundreds…Bruce Klingner -
- News
Lessons From Iraq Help US Troops Train Ukrainians
YAVORIV, Ukraine—At a former Soviet military base outside of the western Ukrainian town of Lviv, about 300 U.S. Army paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, which is based in Vicenza, Italy, are training the Ukrainian National Guard. The six-month U.S. training exercise, called Fearless Guardian, officially began on April 20. The training is focused both…Nolan Peterson -
- News
Ukraine Ditches Soviet Tradition in Its Commemoration of World War II Victory
LVIV, Ukraine—On Friday, a hush fell over the dozen or so customers in a coffee shop in this western Ukrainian city as President Petro Poroshenko appeared on television to give a speech commemorating the 70th anniversary of World War II. "On May 8, for the first time, the people of Ukraine will join the European…Nolan Peterson -
- News
Victory in Europe Day, 70 Years Later
Rewind 70 years ago. It is May 8, 1945, and Germany has just surrendered. World War II is over in Europe. The day, formally now referred to as “Victory in Europe Day” or "V-E Day," marks the acceptance of Nazi Germany’s surrender to the Allies of World War II. Today, we join with countries across the…Kelsey Lucas -
- Opinion
The UK General Election: 5 Key Implications for the United States
This Thursday’s United Kingdom general election is shaping up to be one of the closest fought British elections in modern times. According to the latest opinion polls, the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, is virtually neck and neck with the socialist Labour Party, headed by Ed Miliband. At present, no single party is…Nile Gardiner -
- News
In Ukraine, the Triumph and Tragedy of Battlefield Medicine
CHERKAS’KE, Ukraine—It takes about 10 minutes to drive to the highway from the Ukrainian army base in this small town. From there it is 130 miles, about a three-hour drive over Ukraine’s pothole speckled roads, to the front lines in the Donbas. The war is close, both in distance and in the futures of the…Nolan Peterson