Think BRICS

🇪🇸 Spain’s Transport Minister to Resign After Deadly Train Crashes Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente has announced his decision to resign following two deadly train accidents in less than a year. The latest crash, on October 28, killed 69 people. Puente said he would remain in office temporarily to address the aftermath and introduce measures to prevent future accidents. Source: Reuters

🇺🇸🇦🇸 Democratic Victory Could Benefit Asia’s Economy in 2027 A weaker US dollar, lower oil prices and declining interest rates could give Asian economies a major boost following the Democrats’ midterm victory. India, Southeast Asia and other regional markets could benefit from cheaper energy, improved currencies and increased foreign investment. However, Asia’s semiconductor and AI industries may face slower growth. Source: Asia Times

An AvtoVAZ executive said “we can but why” about building a BMW rival. The phrase became the top Russian meme of early 2026 and the company trademarked it. A kid named Daniel Kobusenko shouted his real name instead of a game ID and became a legend. A German blogger’s dance to “Vielleicht” turned into “Filya Filya” after Russian women flooded his comments. #fyp #russian #memes #avtovaz #lada #viral #2026

Environmental alliances: an oceanic perspective In our earlier forays into the subject of environmental alliances our focus was primarily on the inland/terrestrial regional platforms – RTAs and individual anchor countries – in building green partnership belts along the main climate zones of the global economy[1]. Perhaps such a framework could be enhanced by adding a crucial element that has previously been left out of the environmental calculus, namely oceanic platforms and alliances that may serve as the connecting tissue across the terrest...  Read more »

Lula Wins Again: What His Victory Means for Brazil’s Economy By Shashank Pattekar, International Banker   Despite losing the first election round to opponent Flávio Bolsonaro, 80-year-old Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) staged a resounding comeback in the October 25 Brazilian runoff to secure a fourth presidential term. The result surprised financial markets, with Brazil’s benchmark Bovespa share index falling by 13.9 percent the following day as investors reversed bets on a victory for right-wing Senator Bolsonaro....  Read more »

🇨🇳 Chinese Social Media Users Debate Impact of US Midterm Elections Chinese social media users have expressed mixed reactions to the US midterm election results, criticising American politics and discussing what President Donald Trump’s political challenges could mean for China. Some commenters criticised Trump’s military actions against Iran and questioned his unpredictable foreign policy. The results mean Trump will face an opposition-controlled Congress during the final two years of his second term. Source: South China Morning Post (SCMP) #USMidterms2026 #China #USChinaRelations #DonaldTrump

🇺🇸 Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Seat, Defeats Republican Mike Rogers Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s US Senate race, defeating Republican Mike Rogers in a closely watched contest during the 2026 midterm elections. A former Wayne County health director, El-Sayed campaigned on affordability, healthcare reform, reducing corporate influence in politics and ending US funding for foreign wars. His campaign also faced controversy following Islamophobic and racially charged rhetoric from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, according to Al Jazeera. In his victory speech, El-Sayed pledged to challenge corporate power and billionaires, declaring that ordinary people can prevail over powerful interests. Source: Al Jazeera #USMidterms2026 #AbdulElSayed #Michigan #USElections

🌍 Brazil Proposes Global Roadmap to Move Away From Fossil Fuels Brazil has unveiled a global roadmap calling on countries to gradually transition away from oil, gas and coal ahead of the COP31 climate summit in Turkey. The proposed three-phase plan, covering 2028–2033, encourages countries to develop national transition strategies and transform their energy systems according to their individual circumstances. Brazil has also released a separate roadmap aimed at ending deforestation by 2030. The initiative follows criticism that existing climate commitments are insufficient to meet global energy transition goals. Source: New Age / AFP #Brazil #COP31 #ClimateChange #EnergyTransition

🇮🇷 PRESIDENT PEZESHKIAN: "Even If I Were Assassinated… the Enemy Still Wouldn't Be Able to Achieve Anything" Iran's president just articulated the core of Iranian resilience — a message aimed squarely at Washington and Tel Aviv. 🗣️ "Even if I were assassinated, as long as the people stand united, even if thousands of people like me and others were killed, the enemy still wouldn't be able to achieve anything." 🎯 The decapitation strategy has failed by design. Israel and the US killed Khamenei, Larijani, and dozens of commanders — and Iran kept firing, kept governing, kept negotiating on its own terms. 🧠 The system is not one man. Iran's strength rests on its people, its institutions, and its armed forces — not on any individual who can be targeted. #Iran 🇮🇷 #Resistance #Sovereignty #BRICS #GlobalSouth

🇺🇸🇮🇱 MAJOR UPDATE: Trump Announces End to $4 Billion Annual US Military Aid to Israel US President Donald Trump says Washington will stop providing Israel with $4 billion in annual military assistance starting next year, claiming the country no longer needs the funding. Trump said he had reached an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu months ago. The announcement concerns the military aid framework established under a 2016 agreement, originally set to run through 2028. Trump also acknowledged the political dimension, saying the payments had become a damaging talking point at home. Recent polls indicate growing American opposition to continued military assistance to Israel. Source: RT #USA #Israel #USPolitics