International News
Coverage of international events and global policy shifts. The Daily Signal offers news reporting with opinion and commentary on world affairs.
-
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… -
opinion
Don’t Silence the 50 Million Who Voted for One Man-One Woman Marriage
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in cases involving the freedom of states to make marriage policy, thousands gathered Saturday on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the third annual March for Marriage. The event’s largest crowd to date called on the Court to respect the voice of the American people,… -
news
After Bakers’ Fundraising Campaign Shut Down, Florist Who Rejected Same-Sex Wedding Faces Same Fate
Less than 48 hours after the crowdfunding website GoFundMe shut down a campaign setup for Sweet Cakes by Melissa, GoFundMe yanked a similar fundraiser for a 70-year-old Washington florist facing seven-figure financial penalties for violating her state’s anti-discrimination law. The campaign, created for Barronelle Stutzman, a Christian florist who refused to make flower arrangements for… -
news
‘If the Russians Come, We Will Destroy Them’: Ukrainian Civilians Prepare for War
DNIPROPETROVSK, Ukraine—Outside this city at a Ukrainian army facility called the Polygon, which is typically used for tank training, about 200 civilian volunteers gathered this past weekend for a military exercise. Many had no military experience; some had never held a weapon. But many decided to train for war due to widespread worries about an… -
opinion
550 Slaves Rescued in Indonesia: Time to Get Serious About Fighting Human Trafficking in Asia
An estimated 550 slaves were rescued from the remote Indonesian island Benjina late last week. The International Organization for Migration believes there are at least 4,000 men that have not yet been rescued and may be victims of human trafficking. Events in Benjina are a reminder that the fight against human trafficking in Asia is… -
news
Ukraine Conflict Threatens to Spread as Anti-Communist Law Increases Tensions
ODESSA, Ukraine—Outside of the city administration building here on April 16, three older men who said they were from the local Communist party unfurled a red hammer and sickle flag to protest a national law banning symbols of the Soviet Union. Nearby, police and local militia units were standing in a defensive ring around city… -
news
Two Weeks to Make a Soldier: A Ukrainian National Guard Unit Trains to ‘Fight to the Death’
KYIV, Ukraine—At its training camp on the outskirts of Kyiv this past weekend, the Ukrainian National Guard Azov Regiment held its Spartan Test—a grueling three-hour rite of passage meant to test the mental and physical strength of both new recruits and battle-hardened veterans. The ordeal is the capstone to a two-week-long whirlwind military training program,… -
opinion
How Our North Korea Negotiations Should Guide Our Iran Negotiations
The interim Iranian nuclear framework is a vague accord with significant shortcomings. Moreover, the ink had barely dried before Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei disputed the Obama administration’s depiction of what had been agreed to. Khamenei declared that all sanctions against Iran must be removed immediately upon signature of a final accord in three months. He… -
news
Australian Satellite Company Backed by Export-Import Bank Loans Files for Bankruptcy
An Australian satellite company backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded loans from the Export-Import Bank has filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy, putting the company’s future in doubt. According to filings from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Delaware, Australian satellite company NewSat filed a petition for Chapter 15 bankruptcy yesterday. Chapter… -
opinion
Why Are We Going Down Same Path With Iran We Did With North Korea?
A U.S. president reaches a nuclear agreement with a rogue state. He steps before the microphones and declares, “This is a good deal for the United States.” The pariah nation will, he continues, “freeze and then dismantle its nuclear program” and the “entire world will be safer as we slow the spread of nuclear weapons.”… -
news
As Ukraine Tries to Purge Its Communist Past, Terrorist Threats Follow
KHARKIV, Ukraine—As fighting continues to escalate in east Ukraine, a pro-Russian separatist group calling itself the “Kharkiv Partisans” declared Tuesday that it would execute five Ukrainian civilians for every Communist monument destroyed, underscoring worries that a recent law banning Soviet symbols might escalate tensions in the war-torn country. The threat followed a Monday meeting in… -
opinion
China, Not America, Rescues Its Own Citizens Stuck in Yemen
As the situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate, consider this striking contrast between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the United States. One country dispatched naval forces to evacuate its citizens from the collapsing Middle East state. In the process, they evacuated citizens from 10 other countries, including Great Britain, Japan and Germany. The other…