Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates formally joined the BRICS group on Monday, January 1, 2024.

On the occasion of its assuming the rotating presidency of BRICS for 2024, Russian president Vladimir Putin welcomed the new members in the grouping. He claimed that the expansion of BRICS is “a strong indication of the growing authority of the association and its role in international affairs.”

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/02/five-new-countries-including-saudi-arabia-and-iran-formally-join-brics/

Leftists, along with other anti-imperialists and peace groups, have raised concerns about the use of weapons made in Norway by Israel in the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.
Activists demanded end-user declarations to countries to which Norway sells weapons so that it will be possible to control where the weapons end up. https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/03/anti-imperialists-protest-use-of-norwegian-weapons-by-israel/

Following two explosions in the Iranian city of Kerman, 103 people have been reported dead and 188 injured.

The explosions occurred during a ceremony marking the fourth anniversary of the martyrdom of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the United States on January 3, 2020. The death toll is expected to rise as ambulances transport the wounded to hospitals.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/03/103-killed-in-terrorist-attack-near-qassem-soleimanis-burial-site-in-iran/

🇵🇷/🇵🇸 Within the boundaries of US-occupied Puerto Rico, the movement for Palestinian liberation has been growing.

This latest outpouring of support for the Palestinian cause is nothing new on the island. There is in fact a rich history of solidarity with Palestine in Puerto Rico.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/03/from-within-the-us-occupied-nation-of-puerto-rico-solidarity-with-palestine-grows/

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/1DCkkW1kgCKyjiTEYBZM1o?si=UkBw-Dm3RNSayqgr_rWyNw

🇱🇧 Israel carried out numerous artillery, drone and air strikes in southern Lebanon villages on Thursday, January 4 killing at least four Hezbollah soldiers and destroying substantial amounts of civilian infrastructure.

In retaliation to Israeli attacks Hezbollah launched several rockets inside northern Israel. The number of casualties or amount of destruction on the Israeli side were not confirmed.

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/04/hezbollah-warns-israel-of-retaliation-calls-out-international-community-for-inaction/

Hassan Sharif, a New Jersey imam and community leader, passed away on January 3, hours after he was shot multiple times in front of his mosque as he headed into morning prayer.

Since October 7, Islamophobic and anti-Arab attacks have risen dramatically in the United States, with CAIR reporting an “unprecedented” spike in requests for help and bias reports between October 7 and November 5.

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/04/new-jersey-imam-and-community-leader-succumbs-to-wounds-after-being-shot/

Discover the most insightful analysis on last week's developments by joining Vijay Prashad, Zoe Alexandra, and Prasanth R on their latest episode.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to stay informed and gain a deeper understanding of the latest events. Tune in!

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🇮🇶 On Thursday, January 4, the Iraqi government called the US attack on the headquarters of semi-official armed group Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) or Hashd al-Shaabi “a dangerous escalation and aggression against the country’s sovereignty.”
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/05/iraq-slams-us-attack-on-pmf-headquarters-as-violation-of-sovereignty/

Over the past few weeks, at least two states in India, governed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have issued notices for the recruitment of construction workers to be sent to Israel.

Reports emerged towards the end of last year that Israel was seeking to hire up to 100,000 workers from India to replace Palestinian workers in its construction sector.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/05/indian-construction-workers-reject-labor-export-deal-to-israel-as-sinister-ploy-reaffirm-solidarity-with-palestine/

The number of people infected with contagious diseases in Gaza continues to rise. The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that 180,000 people are currently suffering from respiratory infections.

While these diseases would not be deadly under conditions with a functioning health system and adequate living conditions, in the current situation, they could be life-threatening.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/05/israel-is-decimating-gazas-health-infrastructure-as-disease-threatens-the-majority-of-its-population/

The fact is, that January 6 was not a populist uprising, although many of the participants were indeed working class people swept up in the fervor of the moment. At multiple levels, January 6 was an operation financed and led by establishment political figures and ultra-wealthy donors.

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/06/chief-financiers-remain-at-large-following-the-january-6-insurrection-on-the-us-capitol/

🇨🇩 Felix Tshisekedi got re-elected as DR Congo’s president in polls that were marred with controversies and fraud. 44 million people were eligible to cast their votes in elections that took place on December 20.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/07/controversies-and-fraud-marred-the-elections-in-dr-congo/

Claudine Gay resigned from the Presidency of Harvard University following right-wing, pro-Israel attacks, because she was viewed by many powerful donors as insufficiently Zionist. But Gay refused to defend student organizers as Harvard’s administration pursued disciplinary action against the Palestine solidarity movement on campus, describes Prince Williams, undergraduate student organizer.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/07/harvard-student-organizer-speaks-out-about-claudine-gay-resignation/

What happened in the Congolese elections?

Activist Kambale Musavuli explains the irregularities in the electoral process and why people are skeptical about the results.

Watch the full interview where he speaks about the impacts of these elections on the Congolese people here: https://youtu.be/JjOQkRA-Qgk

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is using his trip to the region to issue fresh threats to resistance forces that stand with Palestinians, while failing to offer any hope for immediate peace.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/08/blinken-visits-west-asia-for-a-fourth-time-since-october-7-and-refuses-to-support-a-ceasefire/

Across the world, the demand for an end to Israel's genocide in Gaza continues to grow stronger.

In NYC, over a thousand protesters with the #ShutItDown4Palestine coalition marched amid the snow and rain to demand a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Protesters marched to New York City's prestigious concert hall Lincoln Center to disrupt a performance of the NY Philharmonic Orchestra and demand an end to US support to Israel. Protesters organized their own concert and an activist and musician performed Palestine's unofficial national anthem 'Mawtini'.

Protesters shut down traffic across NYC this morning, blocking 3 major bridges and 1 tunnel, protesting Israel's genocidal war against Gaza.

The NYPD reportedly arrested 400+ people related to the traffic blockages. Demonstrators used chains, PVC pipes, & concrete to delay arrest, forcing police to use electric saws to separate them.

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/01/08/palestine-solidarity-demonstrators-block-rush-hour-traffic-in-nyc/