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 Continues to Slow—Probably More Than Reported
This week China announced its 2014 real economic growth rate. There are two salient takeaways from the report: First, at least officially, the economy continues to slow modestly. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 7.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014 and 7.4 percent over the entire year. This is… -
opinion
Netanyahu’s Address to Congress Is a Powerful Antidote to Obama’s Appeasement of Iran
In a bold move, Speaker of the House John Boehner this week invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress in March. In response, the White House has expressed annoyance, saying it was not consulted over the decision. But it is the prerogative of Congress to invite whomever it likes… -
news
Acting Alone, Boehner Invites Netanyahu to Speak to Congress
House Speaker John Boehner has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress next month. The topic of the Feb. 11 speech will be Iran. Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters today that he did not consult with the White House before inviting Netanyahu, saying “the Congress can make this decision on its own.” White… -
opinion
The U.S.–Japan Global Alliance in a Troubled World
The taking of Japanese hostages by ISIS this week is a reminder of what a dangerous place the world is, even for a nation as committed to peace as Japan has been for the past 70 years. Since taking office in 2012, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has implemented several improvements to Japan’s defense, including a… -
news
‘We Need Inspirations All Over the World Right Now’: Why This Small North African Country Might Be It
Four years since Tunisia became known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring, the tiny North African country is fast becoming something else: a democracy. Mark Green, who has made a life out of fighting poverty and promoting democracy in Africa, traveled to Tunisia in October as its citizens voted in the country’s first full… -
news
See Pictures of the Pageant Contestants Who Served Our Country
When the winner of Ms. Veteran America dons the crown each year, she becomes the spokeswoman for female veterans who don’t have a home to come back to after their duties of serving their country have ended. Post by Ms Veteran America. This growing competition was initiated by Jas Boothe, a female veteran who lost… -
opinion
Pushing Reforms in 2015 for Japan’s Economy
This year will be important for Japan’s economic growth as the country continues to struggle to control its debt problem. In the coming months, observers should watch several key indicators of Japan’s economic performance. Given Japan’s economic troubles, it is important that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe push ahead with his “third arrow” reforms, including continued… -
news
Vermont Lawmaker Who Asked Tough Questions About Single-Payer Health Care Kicked Off Health Committee
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont’s newly re-elected House speaker Shap Smith spoke of hope and opportunity in his address to the 73rd biennial Legislature Wednesday. But among the speaker’s first acts was to remove a whistleblower and outspoken critic of single-payer health care from a powerful health committee. State Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington, was noticeably absent… -
opinion
Remembering the Man Who Made Sure Americans Knew the Real Reagan
When I heard that my friend Martin Anderson had died over the weekend, I gave thanks for his extraordinarily inquisitive mind and the critical role that an institution can play in advancing the cause of a free society. Martin was an economist and political scientist. Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where he was a senior fellow… -
opinion
How Obama Should Respond to North Korea’s Attack on Sony
The recent cyberattack on Sony was a direct assault on free speech in America. Dictators or terrorist groups must be made to realize that attempts to squelch free speech, or any other fundamental right, via extortion or threat of violence will generate a strong and painful response. Once the FBI determined that North Korea was… -
opinion
U.S. Businesses Feel Increasingly Unwelcomed in China
There was a time when the “China-lobby” meant supporters of The Republic of China (Taiwan). In the last couple decades, it has come to mean representatives of the American business community most eager to do business on the mainland, the People’s Republic of China, and willing to exercise influence in Washington in support of cordial… -
opinion
An Insider’s Account of How Putin Uses the Media to Brainwash Russians
If we really knew what is going on in the Kremlin backrooms, where Russia’s information war is being planned, we in the West would be shocked, writes author Peter Pomerantsev in Politico magazine. Audiences within the reach of Russia’s growing media empire are fed cynical media manipulation, hero worship of Russian President Vladimir Putin, rewriting of… -
news
The 25 Republicans Who Did Not Vote for John Boehner
House Speaker John Boehner was elected to his third term as the No. 1 Republican in the lower chamber, but not without resistance from more than two-dozen fellow GOP lawmakers. Boehner collected 216 votes. Former speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., his closest rival, received 164. Republicans needed 29 defectors to defeat Boehner. Twenty-five lawmakers did not vote for… -
news
What You Need to Know About Daniel Webster, Who Is Running Against Boehner for Speaker
A late challenger to House Speaker John Boehner has emerged in the 11th hour as lawmakers gather to address their first order of business. Florida Rep. Daniel Webster, who served as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, has emerged as a viable opponent to current Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, just one hour before lawmakers… -
news
Group Launches #HackThemBack, a Campaign to Bring Information to North Korea
How should the United States respond to the cyberattack on Sony Pictures? One group says we should hack them back. After the FBI said North Korea was responsible for the hack, the Human Rights Foundation launched a campaign called #HackThemBack, an initiative to “hack” the Kim regime by providing its citizens with information about liberty,… -
opinion
What ‘The Interview’ Taught Us: We Must Fight Back Against North Korea
Americans have seen the future, and they don’t much like it. The Sony hack reminds us that everything online is vulnerable. Worse, malicious digital acts can be a bridge to the real world with threats of blackmail, extortion and physical violence. We are not safe in our own cyber homes. That’s not the holiday message… -
news
Activist Will Deliver ‘The Interview’ to North Korea Using Balloon Drop
An activist has decided to bring “The Interview” to the people of North Korea. Park Sang-hak, a North Korean defector and an activist against its regime, will launch into North Korea balloons carrying DVDs and USBs containing the controversial film, according to the Associated Press. “The Interview” depicts the death of the country’s dictator, Kim Jong… -
opinion
Ukrainians Are In for a Long Winter, and It’s Not Because of Russia
After a dramatic session that stretched into early Monday, Ukrainian lawmakers finally passed a budget bill amid concerns over its International Monetary Fund lending line and flat-lined economy. The bill takes modest but important steps to reduce energy subsidies and move toward a balanced budget. Advisors convinced the Ukrainian president that some short-term pain is… -
news
Doctors Killed His Mom Because She Was Depressed. Now He Speaks Out Against Euthanasia.
Just weeks ago, the world watched as Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman with terminal brain cancer, followed through on her vow to take her own life. After receiving a prognosis of six months to live, Maynard and her husband moved from San Francisco to Portland, Ore., where it was legal to obtain a prescription that… -
news
Who Leads the GOP’s 2016 Pack?
With the Nov. 4 midterm elections over, focus now turns to the 2016 presidential race. And among the vast field of prospective Republican candidates, one former governor has amassed a double-digit lead. According to a new CNN/ORC poll, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush tops the list of GOP 2016 presidential contenders, snagging 23 percent of…