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
China’s Economy—Hard or Soft Landing?
A panel at The Heritage Foundation on March 11 discussed whether China’s economy is heading toward a “hard” or “soft” landing. Heritage’s Walter Lohman chaired this panel of experts, which included Dr. James Dorn of the Cato Institute, Pieter Bottelier of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins Univeristy, and Heritage’s Dr. William… -
opinion
Woman Who Wrote Pleading Letter to Brittany Maynard Has Died. With Dignity.
Kara Tippetts didn’t choose the day she would die. On Sunday, March 22, the mother of four passed away, after close to three years of battling breast cancer. “I feel like I’m a little girl at the party whose dad’s asking her to leave early, and I’m throwing a fit,” said Tippetts, crying a little,… -
news
McCain: Obama Needs to ‘Get Over’ His ‘Temper Tantrum’ About Netanyahu’s Reelection
This morning on CNN’s State of the Union, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., blasted the president’s priorities when it comes to U.S.-Israeli relations. McCain said that Israel had a “free and fair” democratic election, is “the only nation in the region that will have such a thing,” and that if President Obama doesn’t like the results,… -
news
Ukraine Conflict Feeds Black Market of Military Weapons
KYIV, Ukraine—When Maxim Masur deployed to the front lines of the Ukraine conflict last June with the Aydar Battalion, his unit only had one assault rifle for every 10 men. “We had to take Kalashnikovs off of the dead enemy,” said Masur, 25, who served near the eastern Ukrainian town of Luhansk. “We had no… -
news
U.S. Army Launches Show-of-Force Operation in Eastern Europe
PARNU, Estonia—The U.S. Army today launched Operation Dragoon Ride, a 1,100-mile convoy of Stryker armored fighting vehicles. It will cross six countries, beginning Estonia and ending in Germany on April 1. Operation Dragoon Ride will be an effort to counter increased Russian aggression, particularly in Ukraine. Photos: Nolan Peterson/The Daily Signal -
opinion
How Asia, U.S. Can Help End Human Trafficking
Of the nearly 21 million victims of human trafficking worldwide, an estimated two-thirds are from Asia. Many factors contribute to the severity of the problem in Asia, but one stands out among the rest: the lack of rule of law. Poorly trained local law enforcement, inadequate legal protections, and corrupt judicial systems are at the… -
opinion
Angry at Netanyahu, Obama Administration May Stop Defending Israel at UN. Why They Shouldn’t.
On Thursday, Obama administration officials indicated that the president was considering a fundamental shift in U.S. policy. Instead of using its veto to block United Nations Security Council pressure on Israel in peace negotiations with the Palestinians, the administration is now reportedly considering endorsing this effort. It is hard to overstate the seriousness of such… -
opinion
Netanyahu Is Back in the Driver’s Seat in Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scored a major victory and won a fourth term as Israel’s top leader in Tuesday’s elections. Although the last public opinion poll before the election indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud party was trailing the opposition Zionist Union coalition by 4 seats, Netanyahu surged at the end of an acrimonious campaign to win… -
news
Meet ‘Bougie’, The Man Who Might Unseat ‘Bibi’ as Israeli Prime Minister
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is up for re-election Tuesday, and recent polls suggest that his path to victory will not be easy. In fact, “Bibi” might be replaced by “Bougie.” Isaac Herzog, often referred to by his nickname “Bougie” in Israel, leads the left-of-center Zionist Union party. In addition to serving in the Knesset—Israel’s… -
news
Civilian Volunteer Battalion Prepares to Defend Ukraine’s Capital
KYIV, Ukraine—In an abandoned Soviet-era hospital on the outskirts of the city, a civilian volunteer battalion meets every weekend to prepare for a Russian invasion. The approximately 270 members of the 318th Kyiv Territorial Defense Battalion, which includes both men and women, range in age from 17 to 63, comprising students, lawyers, businessmen and former… -
opinion
How Congress Can Protect Adoption, Foster Care Agencies Who Want Mom, Dad for Kids
Should faith-based adoption providers have to agree to placing children with same-sex couples? Illinois, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia have adopted policies that would require this, in violation of some agencies’ deeply held beliefs that children deserve a mom and a dad—effectively forcing these agencies out of adoption and foster care service. Legislation re-introduced… -
opinion
The Liberal Economist Who Stirred Inequality Debate Is Backtracking
A year after the English-language edition of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” dominated American bestseller lists, Thomas Piketty is trying to cover his retreat with an article aimed at academic economists who have largely rejected the book. In the new article, Piketty tries to guide people toward his tome’s stronger points and away from its… -
news
Why Ukraine Is a Mess and How It Got There
In Ukraine, the crisis is messy, the solutions elusive and the outlook bleak. That is the view of Eugene Rumer, a senior associate and director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Rumer spoke at The Heritage Foundation recently about his new book, “Conflict in Ukraine: The Unwinding of… -
news
International Monitors: Ukraine Cease-Fire Holding but ‘On Thin Ice’
KYIV, Ukraine—As the Ukraine cease-fire goes into its second month, international monitors say the fragile truce is still holding despite daily fighting and growing distrust on both sides about pledges to pull heavy weapons from the front lines. Speaking to reporters here Thursday, Alexander Hug, deputy chief monitor of the Organization for Security and Cooperation… -
opinion
Is Obama Sidestepping Congress and Going to UN on Iran Deal?
The letter to Iran signed by 47 Republican senators has provoked a lot of commentary—and some welcome clarification on the White House’s negotiations with Iran. The letter argued that any deal President Obama makes with Iran isn’t binding past his second term. “[W]e will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved… -
news
Ukraine’s Grassroots Drone Program Takes Flight
KYIV, Ukraine—In the infield of a practice track outside this city’s Olympic Sports Complex, a motley group of college students and engineers from the Kyiv IT Academy gathered on a cold, cloudy day to showcase their latest achievement—a portable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system that can be unpacked from a suitcase and deployed in less… -
opinion
China’s Military: Not a Giant, but Not a Midget
In support of the U.S.–China Economic and Security Commission, the RAND Corporation provided a report on the limitations of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Immediately, a chorus of voices was citing the report to show that the Chinese threat was overblown. Time magazine’s Mark Thompson wished that more people would read the report, since… -
news
High-Ranking Democrat Pushes Back Against Obama Administration Policy to Counter Russia
Amid whisperings that the Justice Department will file criminal corruption charges against Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., the long-time senator today spoke about the importance of the U.S. standing strong against Russia and warned that inaction could embolden countries with nuclear capabilities. “The simple fact is we all want a diplomatic solution to this problem. But… -
opinion
Netanyahu’s Speech Alerted Americans to Obama’s Risky Iran Deal
Putting both countries’ politics aside (talk about heavy-lifting!), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress was essential—if for no other reason than it threw a spotlight on an issue hiding in diplomatic darkness. Few probably realized, especially outside Washington, D.C., that while Netanyahu was speaking to Congress, Secretary of State John Kerry was in… -
news
Ukraine Showcases Captured Russian Military Hardware
Normally the square outside St. Michael’s Cathedral in central Kyiv is filled with sightseers taking photos of the famous golden-domed monastery while souvenir merchants hawk their goods. But this past week one of Kyiv’s most famous tourist spots was filled with evidence of the nearly year-old war in eastern Ukraine, including a Russian drone aircraft…