International News
Coverage of international events and global policy shifts. The Daily Signal offers news reporting with opinion and commentary on world affairs.
-
opinion
North Korea’s Brutal Regime, Not the Weather, Primary Culprit for Nation’s Food Shortage
In the past Pyongyang blamed its poor crop yield on alternating claims of cataclysmic floods and droughts that left South Korea unaffected. The reality was that North Korea’s disastrous economic system was to blame, combined with the country’s mountainous geography which is not conducive to agricultural self-sufficiency. Historically, the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula… -
opinion
This Bill Would Stop Obama Administration From Punishing People Who Stand Up for Marriage
In April, members of the Supreme Court asked Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, the federal government’s top lawyer, if the administration could strip religious schools that believe marriage is the union of husband and wife of their tax-exempt status should the Court redefine marriage. Verrilli responded by saying “[i]t’s certainly going to be an issue.” Congress… -
opinion
New York Times Ignores Children of Gay Parents Who Want a Mom and Dad
The New York Times ran an article this weekend profiling and quoting many children of gay and lesbian parents under the headline “What Could Gay Marriage Mean for the Kids?” Noticeably absent were any children who, while loving their two moms or two dads, yearned for both a mom and dad. In my new book,… -
opinion
Who Are America’s Conservative Heroes? This Author Picked 14 From US History
Garland Tucker is the author of a new book, "Conservative Heroes," which chronicles 14 leaders who shaped America—dating from the time of America's founding to President Ronald Reagan's administration. The author, who previously wrote, "The High Tide of American Conservatism: Davis, Coolidge, and the 1924 Election," spoke to The Daily Signal about his latest book… -
opinion
How the Information Nabbed in the OPM Hacking Helps Chinese Spies
Former Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet famously said when asked about so-called open source (unclassified) intelligence, “we only pay for secrets.” He spoke with the confidence of a man born and raised in the world of the 20th century spy and the Cold War. With the massive leak of government employee information from the… -
opinion
How to Improve the UN
Seventy years ago, the five victors of World War II and 46 other signatory nations ratified the United Nations Charter, thus making the U.N. an official international body. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is using the anniversary to celebrate its accomplishments. He says, “The year 2015 is a once-in-a generation opportunity.” It is indeed. The year… -
news
Anti-Communist Group Honors Cuban Dissident Who ‘Lost Hope’ in Obama
Americans and other friends of freedom need to keep pressure on the Communist regime in Cuba, if true democratic reforms ever are to take root there, one of the leading human rights activists in the island nation says. “The dictatorship has become stronger over these past two years,” human rights activist @cocofarinas says. Psychologist and… -
news
Ukraine Prime Minister Wants US Help to Deter Russia
Military training is appreciated, but Ukraine needs more from the U.S. if it is to stave off Russia, its prime minister said in Washington this week. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk of Ukraine asked the U.S. for economic assistance as well as defensive lethal weapons to help Ukrainian troops push back the 10,000 Russian troops in… -
news
United Nations Report: Iranian Violations of Sanctions Are Going Unreported
Countries monitoring the Iranian nuclear program are failing to report Iran for violating sanctions imposed against it, according to a United Nations report. The report also suggests that violations of the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions by the Iranian regime are going unreported because it would reflect poorly on Tehran as they negotiate a nuclear… -
opinion
Think That News Story Online Is a Hoax? It May Be Written By Russian Propagandists
Did you ever hear the one about the Columbian Chemicals factory in Centerville, La., blown up by ISIS terrorists on Sept. 11? Possibly not—because it did not happen. On Twitter and YouTube, however, such a “news story” did make the rounds, planted it appears by a St. Petersburg-based Russian propaganda outfit, innocently named the Internet… -
opinion
State Department Is Misleading Americans About Russia’s Treaty Violations
The State Department isn’t being honest with Americans about Russia’s violations of arms control treaties and other politically binding commitments. Take the State Department’s annual compliance report, which was published earlier this month. The report outlines U.S. and international compliance with arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements, both legally binding and political. The State Department’s… -
news
How a Shuttered McDonald’s Symbolizes the Fight for Peace in Ukraine
MARIUPOL, Ukraine—In 1995, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman coined the Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention, also known as “McPeace.” The idea was that countries stable enough economically and politically to court a McDonald’s franchise share too many democratic values to go to war with one another. “People in McDonald's countries,” Friedman wrote, "don't… -
news
Renewed Violence in Ukraine Spurs Fears of All-Out War With Russia
KYIV, Ukraine—For those who might have thought the Ukraine conflict was finally fading from the headlines, this week should serve as sufficient evidence to the contrary. Renewed fighting has left the Feb. 12 cease-fire, as well as towns in eastern Ukraine, shattered, and edged the conflict closer to a full-on war between Ukraine and Russia…. -
opinion
China’s Plan to Challenge US as a Rising Global Power
What is China up to? It’s been building artificial islands in the South China Sea. Recently, two motorized artillery pieces were spotted on one of these artificial islands. Experts believe the Chinese may plan to use them as airstrips. On May 20 the Chinese navy challenged a U.S. surveillance aircraft flying near one of the… -
opinion
China, US Keep Their Defenses Up at Asian Security Conference
Dean Cheng, senior research fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, has been in Singapore, where he was a guest at the region’s premier security conference, the Shangri-La Dialogue. With the close of the events here in Singapore, Southeast Asia and regional security analysts are busily mulling over this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue. The Dialogue… -
opinion
Challenges, and Successes, for United States at UN Small Arms Meeting
Today, the second meeting of government experts for the U.N. “Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons” wraps up in New York. In theory, the PoA, as it is known, is about controlling international arms smuggling. In practice, a lot of nations want to make it about gun control. So far, the U.S…. -
news
Pro-Russian Separatists Launch Attack as Ukraine Braces for Possible Offensive
KYIV, Ukraine—In the predawn hours Wednesday, pro-Russian separatist tanks and artillery bombarded Ukrainian troops in the eastern town of Marinka, spurring Ukrainian military officials and media to speculate whether a major separatist offensive, anticipated for months, had begun. “There were many casualties. Krasnohorivka and Marinka are on fire," Ukrainian Member of Parliament and Kyiv-1 Battalion… -
news
Despite Russian Denials, Ukraine Bracing for Violent Summer
KYIV, Ukraine—Despite Moscow’s warming rhetoric in recent weeks, the Ukraine conflict is showing little evidence of cooling off this summer. On Sunday, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat in eastern Ukraine, at least seven more were wounded, and another two were taken prisoner, according to the Ukrainian military. These casualty figures are not exceptional,… -
opinion
Japanese Pension Fund Hacked
Following a trilateral defense meeting Saturday of the U.S., Australia, and Japan, the Japan Pension Service (JPS) was hacked. The personal information of over 1.2 million Japanese people was apparently stolen from the pension management system. Ninety percent of the information that was stolen was names, birthdates, and the Japanese equivalent of Social Security numbers…. -
news
Emails Raise Questions of Bias in Case Against Bakers Who Denied Service for Same-Sex Wedding
The Daily Signal has exclusively learned that the government agency responsible for enforcing Oregon’s anti-discrimination law appears to be working closely with a powerful gay rights advocacy group in its case against Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa. Communications between the agency, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, and the…