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
Why the US Needs to Keep Venezuela Out of the UN Security Council
Today marks the 238th day opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has spent locked away in a Venezuelan military prison. Arrested for leading peaceful antigovernment demonstrations, Leopoldo is currently standing trial and could face up to 10 years in prison. Much like the recent demonstrations seen in Ukraine, the Venezuelan government’s response has been deadly and undemocratic….Ana Quintana -
- Opinion
Two Colleges Refuse to Renew Institutes That Spread Chinese Propaganda
The University of Chicago recently dealt a blow to the Chinese government’s aggressive efforts to spread overseas propaganda by refusing to renew its Confucius Institute on campus. Subsequently, Penn State announced it was following suit. Confucius Institutes parade as academic programs for the teaching of Chinese culture and language and are offered globally to universities…Helle Dale -
- News
Chen’s Moving Vision of Hong Kong as ‘Lighthouse’ for China
“For mainland Chinese who desire freedom and democracy, Hong Kong is like the lighthouse for a boat in the open sea,” Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng says about the unrest in Hong Kong in a brief but moving on-camera prediction to The Daily Signal. Chen, the blind lawyer and scholar best known for exposing…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
The Nobel Peace Prize Should Go to the Man Who Helped Make Fracking Big Business
The Nobel Peace Prize winner was recently announced, setting off all the hype that goes with it. The idea of the near-century-old award is to honor a person who has profoundly changed the world for the better by promoting peace and improving the state of humankind. The prize has gone to such giants as Martin…Stephen Moore -
- Opinion
This Is Weird: Leader of North Korea Seems to Have Disappeared
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has not been seen in public for more than a month, generating speculation that his absence is due to failing health or political intrigue. Given the paucity of information, keeping track of Kim is tougher than winning at three-card monte, and the stakes are much higher: the potential instability…Bruce Klingner -
- News
Human Rights Activist: China’s Regime ‘More Dangerous’ Than ISIS
The Communists who control China are “many times more dangerous” than the brutal terrorist group ISIS, human rights activist Chen Guangcheng said today in remarks in Washington at The Heritage Foundation. Chen said: I believe that we have underestimated the threat from the Communist regime in China. They are many, many times more dangerous than…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
China Is Now the World’s Largest Economy
Finally, it is official. On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund announced China has surpassed the United States as the world’s largest economy. The U.S. has held the distinction since 1873, when it overtook Great Britain. Given growth trajectories of the last few decades, this should come as no surprise. Neither is it necessarily anything for…William T. Wilson -
- Opinion
Obama’s Removal of Russia’s Trade Preferences Doesn’t Matter
On Friday, the White House announced that President Obama would remove Russia’s eligibility for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a trade program that gives preferential tariff treatment to developing countries. The move, which the Administration telegraphed as far back as 2013, is justified under GSP program guidelines that limit participation to only poor countries….Ryan Olson -
- News
Taxpayers Forked Over Back Pay for a Food Inspector Who Didn’t Notice Rats in a Pasta Plant. Now, They Could Pay for His Union Lawyer, Too.
A food inspector for the U.S. Department of Agriculture who was suspended for failing to discover that rats had infested a pasta-making plant has won a fight to overturn his punishment and get back pay. Now, a federal labor board has directed an arbitrator to consider whether taxpayers also should reimburse the $67,589-a-year federal worker for…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Why Fishing Rights and Genetically Modified Salmon Might Determine Senate Control
A Senate race in Alaska—and control of the upper chamber of Congress—may be decided by issues that matter little to the rest of the country, like fishing rights and genetically modified salmon. Republicans are banking on Alaska to be one of the six new seats the GOP needs to take control of the Senate, with…Josh Siegel -
- News
A Who’s Who of Liberal Causes Funded by Workers’ Union Dues
The AFL-CIO spent more than $30 million on politics during the past year, using money from workers to support political causes across the country. The labor union reported “political activities” totaling $28 million for its 2014 fiscal year, which ended on June 30. Another $4.8 million in AFL-CIO payments to political nonprofits was reported to the U.S. Department of…Jason Hart -
- News
Democrat Who Attacked GOP Opponent on Ebola Now Finds Himself in Spotlight
Just weeks after attacking his Republican opponent on Ebola, Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., yesterday struggled to answer questions from a reporter about President Obama’s response to the international crisis. Pryor, who is locked in a close race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate, criticized Republican Rep. Tom Cotton on emergency preparedness to a…Melissa Quinn -
- News
City Imposes Fine on Residents Who Throw Away Food
The Seattle City Council has imposed a mandatory composting ordinance, requiring all residents to separate their biodegradable trash from other kinds of refuse. The city has no plans to hire dumpster-diving cops to inspect the trash, but they’re expecting garbage collection companies to enforce the rules. According to the Seattle Times, “collectors can take a…Eric Boehm -
- Opinion
The Empire Strikes Back: China-Controlled Gangs Incite Violence in Hong Kong Demonstrations
The violence erupting in Hong Kong amid what had so far been peaceful pro-democracy protests is being carried out by criminal gangs controlled by China, according to Hong Kong politicians and media sources. If true, this would mark a new, potentially more violent phase in a story that has already attracted global attention. Violence broke…Mike Gonzalez -
- Opinion
We Haven’t Heard the Last From Putin in Ukraine
Fighting in Ukraine has continued with regularity despite an official ceasefire signed on Sept. 5. In particular, separatists have sought to gain control of Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine and have launched repeated attempts to take control of it. While the rise of ISIS and the spread of Ebola have made headlines recently, Americans should…Daniel Kochis -
- Opinion
Can Abercrombie Refuse to Hire a Muslim Teen Who Wears a Hijab? And Other Cases the Supreme Court Will Take Up This Year.
The Supreme Court’s 2014-2015 term officially begins next Monday. On Thursday, the justices added eleven cases to their docket. Here are the noteworthy additions: EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores: Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers may not discriminate based on race, color, religion or national origin in the hiring or firing…Elizabeth Slattery -
- Opinion
Russia Now Has More Deployed Nuclear Warheads than the U.S.
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) that the U.S. State Department and the Obama Administration championed has been a bad deal for the U.S. Despite the fact that the U.S.’s international security obligations are vastly different from Russia’s, the treaty codified that the U.S. will have the same number of nuclear warheads as…Michaela Dodge -
- News
Democrat Who Championed Ex-Im Loses Top Staffer to Key Position at Bank
A staffer for a Senate Democrat who championed the Export-Import Bank has joined the embattled agency to manage relationships with Congress and other government agencies. According to the congressional watchdog LegiStorm, Erin Gulick left her post as senior adviser to Democrat Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington to work as senior vice president for congressional and…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
The View From China on Hong Kong’s Massive Demonstrations
As thousands of protestors flood downtown Hong Kong in opposition to Beijing’s efforts to control the political future of the “Special Administration Region,” there is growing concern about how this situation will be resolved. For the people of Hong Kong, the issue is straightforward. Under the terms of the Basic Law, negotiated between the People’s…Dean Cheng -
- Opinion
A Crackdown in Hong Kong Would Signal an End to China’s Economic Miracle
In terms of the direction of China’s economic future, think of Hong Kong as the “canary in the coal mine.” As the protest movement in Hong Kong grows over concerns about the island’s democratic future, the question is whether Beijing will intervene. A crackdown, Tiananmen-style or otherwise, would not be wise because Hong Kong remains…William T. Wilson