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When the US invaded Iraq in 2003, it marked a major turning point for the region and the US itself. Unbeknownst to the US, the invasion would mark the beginning of the US losing its influence in West Asia altogether. The US allies would also realize the waning US power and how being a US ally wouldn't mean much unless security is taken into the hands of regional countries.

In a rare direct criticism of the US, Chinese President Xi Jinping has accused Western countries led by Washington of implementing all-round "containment, encirclement and suppression" of China. His comments follow a warning by the country’s foreign minister who called on the US to change its "reckless" attitude towards China, warning it would provoke conflict.

A year into the war in Ukraine, the conflict continues unabated, and the West’s excessive influx of weapons to Kiev has only led to escalation. Meanwhile, China has proposed a political solution to the Russia-Ukraine war. The Chinese peace plan for the Ukraine war urges both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation and warns against the use of nuclear weapons.

Russia has accused the United States of disrupting its relations with Africa. Moscow says the move by "the collective West is aimed at isolating Moscow" following what it calls its military operation in Ukraine.

A daughter of slain African-American civil rights activist Malcolm X, says she intends to sue the FBI, the CIA and New York City police. She accuses various federal and state agencies of fraudulently concealing evidence. She claims the evidence shows the agencies conspired to assassinate Malcolm X. Malcolm X was the iconic leader of African-American Muslims who was assassinated 58 years ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered a state of the nation speech in the Russian capital, Moscow, accusing Western countries of fanning the flames of a year-long war in Ukraine. In the first part of this report, we look at the highlights from his address to members of both houses of parliament, military commanders and soldiers.

The Saudi-led aggression against Yemen has left hundreds of thousands of people dead since 2015, creating what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. One of the main sponsors of the war is the US. Current US President Joe Biden promised to end Washington’s support for the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen immediately during his presidential campaign. However, time has proven that Biden’s claims were nothing more than bald-faced lies.

The US announced on January 25 that it would send Abrams tanks to Ukraine. US officials have said that maintenance of the tanks is very complex, and using them adds significant logistical complexities for Ukraine. But if the Abrams tanks are not ideally suited to the current battlefield, why is the US sending thirty-one of them to Ukraine?

"That is the kind of humanists they are" In a state-of-the-nation address in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the Western countries aim to make the people suffer through the sanctions.

Brazil and Argentina aim for greater economic integration, including developing a common currency. The announcement came as Brazilian President Lula da Silva visited Argentina for his first trip abroad since taking office at the start of the month.

A Washington-based think tank has warned that the NATO military alliance and the United States are creeping closer to a catastrophic scenario in Ukraine, threatening a direct war between Moscow and Washington. That’s while the West continues to fan the flames of war in Ukraine by sending arms and ammunition to the country. The US and Europe have provided Kiev with billions of dollars of arms and military equipment since the beginning of the war almost a year ago.

New revelations from Russia’s Presidential envoy to Afghanistan bring back into the spotlight allegations of US covert sponsoring of the Takfiri terrorist group known as Daesh. It is said that this renewal of covert ties with Daesh is not irrelevant to the US’s shameful exodus from Afghanistan.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government has proposed an amendment to the anti-protest bill, asking lawmakers to give more powers to the police to clamp down on protest rallies in fear of more strikes and demonstrations over the cost-of-living crisis.

Iran celebrates 44th anniversary of Islamic Revolution with nationwide rallies

A Saudi academic is on death row for using social media as the Arab monarchy tightens its grip on dissidents. Prominent pro-reform law professor Awad Al-Qarni was arrested in September 2017. His alleged charges include owning a Twitter account and using WhatsApp to spread messages deemed hostile to the kingdom.

Israel is experiencing unprecedented mass protests. The focus of the protests is how the new coalition cabinet headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to decrease the power of Supreme Courts in its own favor. Yet Netanyahu, who is trying to escape bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, is the focus of these protests.

The killing of African-Americans by US law enforcement officers continues unabated. This time, an unarmed black man falls victim to US police brutality in the state of California. Keenan Darnell Anderson’s death happens in the beginning days of 2023, making it one of the deadliest New Year holidays for people of color. This assumes the potentiality that 2023 will likely be the deadliest for minorities in America.

According to a recent report by Oxfam Charity, the weapons used by the Saudi-led war in Yemen are supplied solely by the US and the UK, at least the ones used since the start of 2021. The UK government has even admitted to the central role its arms are playing in the killing of Yemeni civilians. Not all of the blame lays on the UK, however. While a sizeable portion of the Saudi arms imports is procured through the UK, the rest of it comes from the US. US President Joe Biden backtracked on his promise to end the war and not sell weapons to Saudi Arabia for the war in Yemen.

Since the war began in Ukraine in February 2022, Western nations have poured in weapons into Ukraine in a bid to help Kiev against Russia. But the war has provided a good chance for Western arms manufacturers to make money from the war. Data show they earned $124 billion last year from the war.

In Brazil, thousands of rioters attacked government institutions in a dangerous echo of the United States’ January 6 insurrection. Police are questioning some one thousand protesters they had detained as calls for justice and accountability grow across the South American nation.

In France, unions are mobilizing to strike after the Macron administration announced plans to raise the retirement age. The CFDT inter-union group said there will be a first day of strikes and demonstrations on January 19. Macron's government insists it will stand its ground.

US air strikes in Somalia increased by 30 percent in 2022. The African country is experiencing a fresh wave of fighting between the government and al-Shabaab terrorists. The increased foothold of the US in Africa has raised concerns as Washington does not have a good record, even when it comes to delivering on its stated claims of fighting terrorism.

UK’s prince Harry's tell-all memoir has not just given the British public a sneak peek into the inner workings of the monarchy but also embroiled the royal household in controversy. Harry’s bombshell revelations in the book have drawn a backlash from the media, commentators, army veterans, and even the Taliban. That’s while support for the royal family is in decline.

The United States has slapped a new set of sanctions against Iran, accusing the Islamic Republic of sending drones to Russia. The US of course has a long history of imposing such measures targeting Iranian individuals and entities. But what is the United States really seeking by maintaining such an approach? Can regime change be an option? Iran has been targeted by US sanctions now for over 40 years. But not only such measures have failed to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees, facts on the ground indicate that sanctions have granted Tehran the opportunity to diversify its options in terms of economy, military capabilities, and science.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that a third of the global economy will be in recession this year. Kristalina Georgieva said 2023 will be "tougher" than last year as the US, EU and China see their economies slow. The war in Ukraine, rising prices, higher interest rates, and the spread of Covid in China have weighed on the global economy.