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
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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…. -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
opinion
The Latest Aggressive Moves From China, North Korea
Like a moth to a flame, it’s easy to be drawn to issues in the Middle East (Yemen, Islamic State and Iran) or Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine), but it’s important to keep an eye on other emerging foreign policy and national security issues, too. For example, the Pacific isn’t really that “pacific.” Let’s start with… -
opinion
Cartoon: Putin’s Latest Action
The Heritage Foundation's Lee Edwards wrote about Vladimir Putin's latest aggression earlier this week: Washington policymakers are overlooking a potentially serious foreign policy crisis: the mounting Russian pressure, economic, political and military, on the tiny but strategically located Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Within the Baltic states, all of which have sizeable Russian… -
opinion
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Addresses Joint Meeting of Congress
Wednesday, Prime Minster Shinzo Abe was the first Japanese Prime Minister to address a joint meeting of Congress. During his week-long visit to the U.S., Prime Minister Abe emphasized the strong relationship between the U.S. and Japan and pushed for completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement. Abe began his address remembering his… -
opinion
What Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Said About World War II, U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hit the ball out of the park during his trip to America, but stumbled while rounding third base. Whether one highlights the success or shortcoming reflects the assessor’s focus either on the present or on Japan’s past. While most attention was focused on Abe’s historic speech to a joint meeting… -
news
How This Small Seaside Ukrainian Town Has Been Wrecked by War
SHYROKYNE, Ukraine—For months, pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces have battled for the beachside town of Shyrokyne, which is about eight miles east of Mariupol. The fighting has been intense. Most of the town has been left in ruins. Nearly every vertical surface is pockmarked by shrapnel, and almost every window is broken. Artillery craters dot… -
opinion
Why Putin’s ‘Russification’ Campaign Against the Baltics Should Be Big News for Us
Washington policymakers are overlooking a potentially serious foreign policy crisis: the mounting Russian pressure, economic, political and military, on the tiny but strategically located Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Within the Baltic states, all of which have sizeable Russian populations, Moscow is conducting an intensive Russification campaign. It is, for example, underwriting pro-Russian… -
opinion
Challenges on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang announced the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) initiative during their visits to Southeast Asian countries in October 2013. The AIIB will focus on the development of infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and is expected to be fully established by the end of 2015. As of…