Commentary In declaring their independence from Great Britain, Americans famously asserted their unalienable rights. Much less conspicuously, but no less tellingly, they listed 10 moral responsibilities consonant with those rights. In announcing their political separation, they begin by acknowledging a duty to observe “a decent respect for the opinions of mankind” by stating the causes…

Beijing vows to take “drastic measures” if Taiwan makes a formal declaration for independence, suggesting tensions between the two would spike to a higher level next year. Such a separatist attempt would be “a road to ruin” and must be reined in, said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the mainland Chinese government agency Taiwan Affairs Office…

Taiwanese businesses that support independence from mainland China will not be allowed to profit in China, a spokesperson for a Beijing agency said in a statement, as the Chinese regime punished a Taiwanese conglomerate for allegedly breaking the law. “The majority of Taiwanese businessmen and enterprises must distinguish right from wrong, stand firm, and draw…

Lawmakers in Scotland return from the summer recess to an altered political landscape in the Scottish Parliament, as the Green Party joins the ruling SNP in a cooperation agreement that will result in their first ever ministerial appointments in the UK. First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is expected to lay out the details…

CHISINAU, Moldova—Moldova’s pro-Western president was joined Friday in the capital Chisinau by her counterparts from Romania, Poland, and Ukraine to celebrate the country’s three decades of independence from Soviet rule. Moldova, Europe’s poorest country, sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union on Aug. 27, 1991. The anniversary event was held…

Several protesters were reportedly killed by Taliban terrorists who opened fire at crowds of Afghans during the nation’s Independence Day. In one video, the sound of gunfire was heard on the streets of the capital, Kabul, on Thursday, near a rally that was being organized, leading to mass panic, with people seen taking cover. The footage…

Commentary In the 1770s, Britain was the greatest imperial power on the planet. The idea that the 13 colonies could somehow challenge—let alone defeat—the British militarily was almost unfathomable. And yet, by the beginning of 1775, the colonists realized their relationship with Britain needed to change dramatically and conflict could erupt as a result. What…

As Independence Day approaches, California’s gas prices have hit a record-high since 2014. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average gas price on July 1 is $3.123 per gallon but California’s average price for regular gas was $4.284, which was $1.535 higher than in Mississippi. The Golden state’s average price of a…

MADRID—Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday pardoned all nine Catalan separatist leaders jailed for their role in a failed independence bid in the region in 2017, one of whom reacted with defiance to news of his impending release. Sanchez announced the pardons in a televised address. They are conditional and a ban on the leaders…

Nearly six out of 10 Scots think they do not have enough information to make an informed choice on independence, a poll has suggested. It comes as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on the Scottish National Party to “open the books” and hold public hearings in Holyrood and Westminster on the effects of leaving…