Most people in the States are trapped in a feedback loop. If it doesn’t happen in DC, New York, or California, it basically didn't happen. But honestly, the most consequential news outside of the US right now isn't coming from the old power centers of London or Paris either. It’s coming from places like Jakarta, Riyadh, and Brasilia. We're seeing a massive, messy, and totally fascinating reconfiguration of how the world works, and if you’re only watching cable news, you're missing the entire plot.
The world is getting "multi-aligned." That’s the fancy term experts like Fiona Hill or various analysts at the Council on Foreign Relations use to describe a reality where countries don't feel like they have to "pick a side" between Washington and Beijing anymore. It’s wild to watch.
The Economic Gravity Shift You Probably Missed
Take Indonesia. They're sitting on the world’s largest nickel reserves. A decade ago, they would have just exported the raw ore and taken whatever price the global market gave them. Not anymore. President Joko Widodo—and now his successor Prabowo Subianto—basically told the world: "If you want our nickel for your EV batteries, you build the factories here." This is "downstreaming." It’s a huge piece of global news outside of the US because it represents a developing nation finally dictating terms to the G7.
It worked.
Billions in investment flowed in from Chinese firms like Tsingshan Holding Group, but also increasingly from Western companies trying to catch up. This isn't just about batteries; it's about a fundamental shift in economic agency. These countries are no longer just "resource pits" for the West.
Then you have the BRICS+ expansion. People laughed when the group first formed, calling it a marketing gimmick by Goldman Sachs. They aren't laughing now. With Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the UAE joining the fray, the bloc now controls a staggering percentage of the world's oil production and a massive chunk of global GDP. They aren't a formal alliance like NATO—they actually disagree on almost everything—but they agree on one thing: the US dollar shouldn't be the only game in town.
Why Geopolitics in the Middle East is Getting Weirder
If you want to understand news outside of the US, you have to look at the Saudi-Iran rapprochement. It was brokered by China. Think about that for a second. For decades, the US was the only "cop on the beat" in the Middle East. Now, Saudi Arabia is playing everyone. They're buying Boeing jets one day and hosting Chinese summits the next.
Saudi Arabia’s "Vision 2030" is another massive story. It’s easy to dismiss NEOM—the 110-mile long city in the desert—as a billionaire’s fever dream. Maybe it is. But the sheer scale of the capital being deployed is shifting global sports, tech, and even gaming. When the Public Investment Fund (PIF) buys up professional golf or pours billions into Nintendo, it changes the cultural center of gravity.
🔗 Read more: When Does Joe Biden's Term End: What Actually Happened
It's not just about money, though. It's about security.
The Red Sea crisis, triggered by Houthi rebel attacks on shipping, has shown how vulnerable global trade actually is. We talk about inflation in the US, but the root cause is often found in these maritime chokepoints. When a ship has to go all the way around the Cape of Good Hope instead of through the Suez Canal, your sneakers get more expensive. This is the reality of our interconnected world.
The European Stagnation and the Rise of the Right
While the "Global South" is surging, Europe is having a bit of an identity crisis. The news outside of the US regarding the EU is dominated by two things: energy costs and the shift to the hard right.
Germany, the traditional engine of Europe, is struggling. They spent decades betting on cheap Russian gas and a booming Chinese market for their cars. Both of those bets went south at the same time. Now, the AfD is gaining ground in Germany, Marine Le Pen is a constant force in France, and Giorgia Meloni is leading Italy.
The "Green Deal" in Europe is also hitting a wall of reality. Farmers across the continent—from Poland to France—have been literally dumping manure on government buildings to protest environmental regulations they say are bankrupting them. This isn't just a local spat. It’s a preview of the "Green Lash" that happens when climate policy hits the working class's wallet.
Tech Innovation Isn't Just Silicon Valley Anymore
We have this habit of thinking all tech happens in a three-mile radius of Palo Alto. That’s a mistake. Some of the most interesting news outside of the US is happening in the fintech space in Africa and India.
India’s UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is lightyears ahead of anything we have in the States. You can buy a coconut from a street vendor in a remote village using a QR code, and the transaction is instant and free. No Venmo fees, no three-day bank transfers. It’s a public digital infrastructure that has brought hundreds of millions of people into the formal economy.
💡 You might also like: Fire in Idyllwild California: What Most People Get Wrong
Meanwhile, in Kenya, M-Pesa continues to evolve. It started as a way to trade mobile airtime, but it’s now a full-blown financial ecosystem. For many people in sub-Saharan Africa, their first bank wasn't a building; it was a Nokia brick phone.
The Climate Reality Nobody Wants to Hear
When we discuss news outside of the US, we often treat climate change like a future threat. For Pakistan or Vietnam, it’s a current event. The 2022 floods in Pakistan were apocalyptic—one-third of the country was underwater.
The tension now is about "Loss and Damage." Developing nations are basically saying: "You guys got rich burning coal for 200 years, and now we’re paying the price. Pay up." This was a massive sticking point at COP28 in Dubai. The creation of a Loss and Damage fund was a win on paper, but the actual dollars committed are a drop in the bucket compared to the trillions needed.
Misconceptions About China’s "Collapse"
You’ve probably seen the headlines. "China’s economy is a ticking time bomb." "The property bubble is bursting."
There’s truth to it. Evergrande and Country Garden—the massive real estate developers—are in shambles. Youth unemployment reached such high levels that Beijing actually stopped publishing the data for a while. But betting on a total collapse is probably a bad move.
China is pivoting. They are moving away from "building apartments for nobody" and toward "The New Three":
- Solar cells
- Lithium-ion batteries
- Electric vehicles
They aren't just participating in these markets; they are dominating them. BYD recently overtook Tesla in global EV sales. That is a seismic shift. The news outside of the US isn't just that China is slowing down—it's that China is changing its entire economic DNA to survive.
📖 Related: Who Is More Likely to Win the Election 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
Demographics: The Ultimate Destiny
If you want to know what the world looks like in 2050, look at birth rates. This is the most underrated news outside of the US.
South Korea is currently in a demographic death spiral with a fertility rate of around 0.7—the lowest in the world. Japan and China are following close behind. This means a shrinking workforce, a massive elderly population to care for, and potentially permanent economic stagnation.
Contrast that with Africa. By 2050, one in four people on Earth will be African. Nigeria is projected to have a larger population than the US. This demographic dividend could lead to a massive economic boom, or, if the jobs aren't there, massive instability. Either way, the center of the world is moving south.
How to Actually Track This Stuff
If you want to stay informed about news outside of the US without the "Americanized" filter, you have to change your sources. You can’t just rely on the evening news.
- Look at local English-language outlets: Read the South China Morning Post for a different take on Asia (even with the editorial pressures there). Check out Al Jazeera for deep reporting on the Global South. Look at The Straits Times in Singapore.
- Follow the supply chain: If you see a major mining strike in Peru, don't ignore it. That strike might be the reason your next phone costs $200 more.
- Watch the "Middle Powers": Keep an eye on Turkey, Brazil, and India. These are the "swing states" of the world. They aren't puppets of the US or China; they are the ones who will decide which way the 21st century leans.
The world is getting smaller, but it’s also getting more complicated. The "Global West" is no longer the only voice in the room. Honestly, that’s probably a good thing for the sake of variety, even if it makes the nightly news a lot more stressful to watch.
Next Steps for Global Awareness
To get a better handle on these shifts, start by tracking the "critical minerals" trade. Watch how countries like Chile (lithium) and the DRC (cobalt) are negotiating new deals with international partners. Also, pay attention to the rise of regional trading blocs like the RCEP in Asia—it’s currently the largest free-trade agreement in history, and the US isn't even in it. Diversifying your news feed by following at least two non-Western journalists on social media can also break the echo chamber of US-centric reporting.