International News
Coverage of international events and global policy shifts. The Daily Signal offers news reporting with opinion and commentary on world affairs.
-
- Opinion
Justices to Decide If Religious Schools Can Choose Who Teaches the Faith
The Supreme Court’s final week of oral arguments for its 2019-20 term this week included two cases that involve an important religious freedom issue. In a 2012 decision, Hosanna-Tabor Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, the Supreme Court said that federal employment discrimination laws do not apply to cases where churches or religious schools fire…Thomas Jipping -
- Opinion
Chinese Leadership Corrupts Another UN Organization
Chinese influence in the United Nations and its affiliated international organizations has been expanding significantly over the past decade. China watchers long have hoped that the communist nation’s integration into the international system would “normalize” China. They hoped China would come to appreciate the value of observing international rules and norms and become freer economically…Brett Schaefer -
- News
Nurse Fires Back at White House Reporter Who Shamed Her for Not Wearing a Mask
A nurse pushed back when a reporter asked President Donald Trump Wednesday why she and several other nurses gathered in the Oval Office during a press conference were not wearing masks or social distancing. “We’re all COVID-19-free. We were all tested,” said the nurse, identified by ABC News as American Association of Nurse Practitioners President Sophia Turner. The reporter…Chris White -
- News
‘They’re Going to Need to Pay’: Ron DeSantis Says China Hoarded Protective Equipment
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that China is “going to need to pay” for hoarding personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. “As many people know, this PPE was a major crunch, particularly in March. China had known what was going on—they specifically bought up a lot of the stuff, really to try…Peter Hasson -
- Opinion
Australia and New Zealand Differ on COVID-19. The Economic Fallout Could, Too.
Australia and New Zealand are two of just six economically free countries in the world, according to The Heritage Foundation’s 2020 Index of Economic Freedom, but they have chosen dramatically different paths in dealing with the coronavirus health crisis. Australia has been far more mindful of the economic freedom of its people. Both nations have…Patrick Tyrrell -
- Opinion
New York Mayor’s Tweet Directed at Jews Betrays Unconstitutional, Un-American Outlook
In a shocking tweet, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio threatened that police would issue summonses or make arrests after abut 2,5000 Hasidic Jews gathered for a funeral service in violation of the city’s social distancing measures. “My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has…Nicole Russell -
- Opinion
10 Steps America Should Take Now to Respond to the China Challenge
The growing chorus to “punish” China for how it has handled the COVID-19 crisis is understandable and justifiable. We need to be smart about how we do this, building up American strength even as we hold China accountable. If the challenge of our era is a multidecade great-power competition with China, the United States can…Walter Lohman -
- News
Problematic Women: Lessons of Hope From a Woman Who Has Spent Decades as a Quadriplegic
After spending more than 50 years in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic, Joni Eareckson Tada is still sharing a message of life and hope with the world. At the age of 17, Eareckson Tada took a dive into shallow water, breaking her neck and leaving her unable to move her lower body or her hands….Lauren Evans -
- News
European Countries Scramble to Recoup Ukrainian Workers
KYIV, Ukraine—About 200 Ukrainian farm workers boarded a chartered aircraft Thursday bound for Finland. The flight was one of the few to leave Ukraine that day—as part of a national lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s airspace has been shut down to nearly all air travel for several weeks. In the…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
3 Actions the US Should Take to Strengthen Its Standing and Hold China Accountable
Beijing’s cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak is the scandal of the century. Its unconscionable malfeasance launched a global plague, hobbled the international response, and crashed the world’s economy. Many people were already fed up with how Beijing had bullied, lied, and cheated its way up the global food chain even before this outrage. Now, they’re downright angry and demanding some…James Carafano -
- Opinion
World Health Organization’s History of Promoting Radical Sex Ed
When President Donald Trump pushed the pause button on funding the World Health Organization this past week, most people’s only experience with the group was as a harmless arm of the United Nations. But the “watchdog” of the global health is a lot more than the world’s disease and infection police. It’s also, as more…Meg Kilgannon -
- Opinion
The Great US-China Divorce Has Arrived
Make no mistake: The global struggle with China is about to go to the next level. Or two. Or three. By triggering a global disease outbreak, the Chinese Communist Party’s reprehensible behavior crossed the last line, leaving other nations no recourse but to push back. Hard. No longer can responsible nations tolerate the regime’s destabilizing…James Carafano -
- Opinion
What You Need to Know About Kim Jong Un’s Health and What Could Be Next for North Korea
Reports continue to surface saying that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is in critical condition after a recent surgery. Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation who specializes in Northeast Asia, joins a bonus episode of The Daily Signal Podcast. We discuss whether there is any substance to those reports, who Kim’s…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
With Ukraine Already on Lockdown, Chernobyl Burns
KYIV, Ukraine—Seriously, what else could go wrong? With Ukraine still on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, massive wildfires, including one within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, sent clouds of potentially radioactive smog into Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv on Thursday—the same day an unusual sand storm hit the city. The combination of dust and smoke…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
China Increasingly Controls Information as It Slides Deeper Into Authoritarianism
Recent revelations about the depth and consequences of China’s suppression of information in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic should shine a light on the nature of the country’s regime. China’s communist government has been tyrannical for more than 70 years, but perhaps surprising to some, it actually has become more authoritarian in recent…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
In COVID-19 Era, South Korea Remains America’s Steadfast Ally of Democracy
From a foreign policy perspective, the COVID-19 pandemic shows why the United States should be in the business of preserving and advancing freedom, civil society, and other democratic values in practical partnerships with like-minded and willing allies, such as South Korea. In fact, South Korea’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has been exemplary. That dynamic…Anthony B. Kim -
- Opinion
On 4 Fronts, How China Quietly Infiltrates American Life
As the world continues to battle the terrible COVID-19 pandemic that began in Wuhan, China, it also must battle the lack of information or outright disinformation coming from the government where the new coronavirus originated. If it wasn’t already clear before the coronavirus outbreak, China is particularly aggressive in how it tries to control the…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
Trump Pulls WHO Funding, Says Organization ‘Must Be Held Accountable’
President Donald Trump made it official Tuesday that the administration was halting money to the World Health Organization, the international body that said in January that COVID-19 could not be spread by human-to-human contact, and praised China’s response to the virus. “Our countries are now experiencing—look all over the world—tremendous death and economic devastation because…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Now Is Not (Yet) the Time to Cut Funding to the World Health Organization
President Donald Trump is justifiably upset with the World Health Organization and its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The World Health Organization is supposed to be the world’s early-warning system for pandemics, but failed spectacularly with the novel coronavirus. In particular, the WHO took Chinese statements about COVID-19 at face value and strongly praised Beijing for…Brett Schaefer -
- Opinion
6 Strikes, You’re Out: Independence Can’t Shield Inspectors General Who Ignore the Law
President Donald Trump last week fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the nation’s intelligence community. Atkinson made headlines last year when he told Congress about a report filed by an anonymous intelligence official who alleged that Trump inappropriately had offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy foreign aid in exchange for a politically beneficial investigation into…GianCarlo Canaparo