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
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… -
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… -
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…. -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
news
China Cutting Off News of Hong Kong Protests
As protesters in Hong Kong continue their demands for greater democracy, China’s Communist government is restricting media coverage of the events to the rest of the country. According to the Associated Press, coverage of the Hong Kong protests has been limited in mainland China to TV anchors reading brief statements with no video and text… -
opinion
Chinese Hacks Endangered U.S. Military Operations
China did it again. Between June 2012 and May 2013, Chinese hackers infiltrated military contractors’ networks, according to a recently released report from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Chairman Carl Levin (D–MI) called the findings “very disturbing” and said that these hacks threatened the security of U.S. military operations. The report was based on a… -
opinion
China’s Growing Military Pressure Against India
For years, there has been concern about the “string of pearls,” China’s range of investments in port facilities in nations along the Indian Ocean littoral. Gwadar, Pakistan; Chittagong, Bangladesh; Hambantota, Sri Lanka; the Maldives; and Seychelles have all seen a growth in such Chinese investments over the past decade. Although much of this has been… -
opinion
China’s Communists See Red When Hong Kong Demands Democracy
China’s overreaction to legitimate demands for democracy in Hong Kong, where police are teargasing peaceful protesters asking for universal suffrage, leaves no doubt how the Communist Party sees its future. Regrettably, the Obama administration is saying it will “not take sides.” Beijing’s Communists are making their position clear — they are not interested in sharing… -
opinion
Indian Prime Minister Modi Speech Highlights Clout of Indian American Community
Yesterday I attended the historic gathering of nearly 20,000 Indian Americans in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the accomplishments of the Indian American community and laid out his vision for India’s future. More than 30 Members of the U.S. Congress attended the speech, demonstrating the…