The BRICS bloc is a growing home for nations eager to counter the West's position, or at least hedge their bets when it comes to international trade, development support, and conflicts, writes Marita Kassis

The enlargement of the BRICS group at the beginning of the year to include five new member states raises questions about the political and economic consequences. What do the existing members expect from the expansion?

The New Development Bank (NDB), established by the BRICS group of emerging economies, has set an ambitious target of making approximately US$5 billion in loans this year, according to its vice president, Zhou Qiangwu

The increasingly cash-strapped NATO members, particularly those in Europe, aren't exactly thrilled about the idea, to put it mildly. As Politico writes, the reactions were mixed, with Poland, Turkey and Germany on board with the proposal, while the rest of the foreign ministers were either indifferent or opposed to it. According to the report, one diplomat said that some ministers rolled their eyes at the €100 billion number, wondering where it came from.

According to a US military official, Washington will build a new weapons warehouse in the Arctic region.

Biden continues to trail the former president in the polls.