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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news
‘A Little Like a War:’ He Treated Ebola in Africa, Now Helps Prepare at Home
When Ebola hit America and a cascade of unfortunate events followed, Tim Mosher began nudging his hospital to enhance its planned response in case the deadly virus were to come there. Mosher, who had confronted the disease in West Africa and treated it successfully, is the only person at the Ohio-based hospital with such experience…. -
opinion
U.S., South Korea Reverse Plan to Turn Over Military Command
Washington and Seoul wisely decided during senior-level military talks on October 23 to abandon a 2007 plan to dissolve the existing allied military command structure on the Korean Peninsula. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and South Korean Minister of Defense Han Min-koo agreed to postpone indefinitely the planned return of wartime operational control (OPCON) of… -
opinion
How Russia Is Using Propaganda
Russian military incursions into the airspace of NATO countries and submarine expeditions into Swedish territorial waters have intensified since its annexation of Crimea in March, as Moscow probes the weakness of European and U.S. responses. Russia also has ramped up its advances on the information warfare front, aiming a barrage of propaganda at foreigners, particularly… -
opinion
A Terrorist Who Attacked U.S. Soldiers Will Be Prosecuted in Federal Court
A Russian-born terrorist who attacked U.S. soldiers in 2009 and is now detained in Afghanistan will be brought to the United States and prosecuted in federal court, the Obama administration has told Congress. According to a Washington Post story in Thursday’s paper about the announcement, the Taliban fighter, named Hamidullan, was involved in attacks that… -
news
Hong Kong Democracy Leader Faults China for Shattering Peace, City’s Elegance
Until he was the target of tear gas recently during protests, Martin Lee, founding chairman of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong, knew his city only as peaceful. The aggressive actions by Hong Kong police threatened to undo the elegant image of the city. But the student protesters have made it a point to act… -
news
Canada’s Emotional Welcome for Hero Who Killed Terrorist
After shooting and killing the man who gunned down Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, 24, at Canada’s National War Memorial yesterday and then began a rampage through Parliament, Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, 58, this morning got a hero’s welcome from the lawmakers he serves. In what was clearly an emotional moment for Vickers, Parliament honored him for saving… -
opinion
US Should Hold the Line on Palestinian Pursuit of UN Membership
Here we go again. This week, Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat has threatened that his government will apply for membership to 522 international organizations and statutes if the United States vetoes a U.N. Security Council resolution, presented last month by Jordan on behalf of Palestine and the Arab Group, establishing a “a timetable to… -
news
From Africa to the US: Ebola in One Timeline
President Obama calls the Ebola virus a “serious disease.” The World Health Organization classifies the outbreak an “international health emergency.” Below are the facts, tracking the spread of the West African epidemic to the United States. >>> Use the arrows to advance or jump to an event using the scrollbar at the bottom. -
opinion
China’s Slowdown Not Good for the Global Economy or the U.S.
China announced on Tuesday that third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth had slowed to 7.3 percent, the slowest since the 2008–2009 global recession. This slowdown means that Beijing will most likely fail to meet its annual growth target of 7.5 percent for the first time since 1998. With the U.S. and China at odds… -
opinion
North Korea Releases American Captive. But Two More Americans Remain Captive.
Pyongyang has unexpectedly released Jeffrey Fowle, one of three American citizens being held for alleged crimes against North Korea. Fowle, a 56-year-old American tourist, was detained since May for leaving his Bible at a social club. Details of any U.S. government negotiations or terms of an agreement remain unknown, but it does not appear the… -
opinion
No Justice for Persecuted Christian Aasia Bibi in Pakistan
Pakistan has, yet again, demonstrated that it does not respect religious liberty. Yesterday, Pakistan’s Lahore High Court upheld the death penalty for Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman, on blasphemy charges. Bibi’s lawyers will appeal the case to the Supreme Court, but, as of now, Bibi will be hanged for blasphemy. Bibi, a farm worker and… -
news
District Attorney Who Targeted Scott Walker Wants to Triple Number of Armed Investigators
MADISON, Wis.—A Milwaukee County prosecutor who authorized pre-dawn, paramilitary-style raids on the homes of conservative activists last year has significantly expanded his department's armed investigative force in recent years, an investigation shows. It’s all part of Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm’s drive to start his own police force and expand his power, according to Milwaukee County Sheriff David… -
news
Confucius Institute Under Fire as Conduit of Chinese Propaganda
During the past decade, the Confucius Institute has established itself at nearly 500 universities and K-12 schools in the United States and about 500 others around the world. Now some professors are urging schools to break with the Chinese language and cultural nonprofit, charging it is a “propaganda” arm of the Chinese government. This year several high-profile… -
opinion
North Korean Despot has Reappeared. But That’s not the Most Important Issue Here.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has waddled back onto the world stage ending, or at least reducing, widespread speculation of coups or assassinations in Pyongyang. On Oct. 14, North Korean official media released photos of Kim, albeit photos of him using a cane for the first time. Questions remain, such as what medical condition required… -
opinion
Ebola Cases, Already Rampant in West Africa, Expected to Double Every 3 Weeks
Ebola’s devastating impact throughout West Africa—along with several cases in Europe and the United States—has garnered global attention, but the affected countries are now suffering from a hidden impact of the outbreak. Non-Ebola deaths are skyrocketing in West Africa because of the increased strain on an already weak medical and emergency response capability. According to… -
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…. -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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…