Most of what passes for international news is filtered through a handful of Western editorial centres. These sources don't replace that view — they complicate it. They surface different protagonists, different stakes, different explanations for the same events. That friction is the point.
Organised loosely by region and depth of analysis. Daily sources are broadly current; Deep Dive sources are more analytical and slower-moving.
AFRICA — DAILY
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
Independent investigative journalism from Johannesburg. Strong on southern African politics and governance.
AllAfrica (Aggregator — all regions)
Pan-continental aggregator drawing from dozens of local newsrooms across all regions.
The Elephant (Kenya)
Kenyan public interest journalism with a wider East African lens. Thoughtful long-form pieces.
The Africa Report (Pan-African)
Paris-based but genuinely pan-African in scope. Strong on business, politics and the French-speaking world.
African Arguments (Pan-African analysis)
Edited commentary and analysis on African politics, conflict and development from regional and diaspora voices.
AFRICA — DEEP DIVE
Africa is a Country
Cultural and political criticism that pushes back against reductive narratives about the continent.
African Business Magazine
Economic and business coverage with a long-running independent perspective on African development.
The Conversation Africa
Academic expertise made accessible. Peer-edited analysis from African university researchers.
ASIA — DAILY
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
The most authoritative English-language source on China — owned by Alibaba but editorially independent in practice.
Straits Times (Singapore)
Southeast Asia's newspaper of record. Invaluable for regional trade, politics and ASEAN dynamics.
Nikkei Asia (Japan)
Business and economic coverage of Asia from Japan's leading financial publisher.
RNZ National (New Zealand)
New Zealand's public broadcaster. Strong on Pacific affairs and Australasian perspective.
RNZ Pacific (Pacific Islands)
The only reliable English-language daily coverage of Pacific island nations — climate, sovereignty, geopolitics.
Inquirer.net (Philippines)
Major Philippine daily. Useful for Southeast Asian political dynamics and US-China competition in the region.
GMA News Online (Philippines)
Philippine broadcast network. Broader public affairs perspective complementing the Inquirer.
ABC Australia
Australian public broadcaster with strong Indo-Pacific regional coverage.
Korea Herald (South Korea)
English-language Korean daily. Northeast Asian political and economic perspective.
Yonhap News Agency (South Korea)
South Korea's national wire service. Wire-speed coverage of Korean Peninsula and regional affairs.
ASIA — DEEP DIVE
The Diplomat
The go-to source for Asia-Pacific geopolitics. Sharp analysis on security, foreign policy and regional dynamics.
The Interpreter (Lowy Institute, Australia)
Foreign policy commentary from Australia's leading independent think tank. Particularly strong on Pacific affairs.
New Mandala (Southeast Asia)
Academic-quality analysis of mainland Southeast Asia — Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos. ANU-based.
LATIN AMERICA — DAILY
Rio Times Online (Brazil)
English-language coverage of Brazil — South America's largest economy and most consequential political actor.
Buenos Aires Herald (Argentina)
One of the oldest English-language papers in South America. Independent voice on Argentine and regional affairs.
NACLA Report
Long-running critical analysis of Latin American politics, US policy and regional power dynamics.
Mongabay Latin America
Indispensable for Amazon, deforestation and indigenous land rights coverage. Nothing else covers this beat as well.
LATIN AMERICA — DEEP DIVE
Diálogo Chino (China–Latin America relations)
The only dedicated English-language source tracking Chinese investment, trade and influence across Latin America.
Latin America Bureau
UK-based but editorially independent. Long-form analysis of politics, rights and development across the region.
COHA — Council on Hemispheric Affairs
Washington-based but offers a critical perspective on US-Latin America policy.
INTERNATIONAL
Al Jazeera (Qatar)
The most important non-Western global broadcaster. Indispensable on the Middle East, Africa and the Global South.
Argus Media — Latest Energy News
Specialist coverage of global energy markets — oil, gas, renewables. Essential context for understanding resource geopolitics.
DW (Germany)
Germany's international broadcaster. Offers a European perspective distinct from UK or US media.
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
English-language Israeli daily. Necessary for understanding Israeli domestic politics and regional security framing.
Lloyd's List
The world's oldest continuously published journal. Global shipping and maritime trade — an underrated lens on actual commerce flows.
Reuters
Wire-speed international coverage. Less editorially shaped than most — useful as a factual baseline.
The Conversation
Peer-reviewed analysis by academics writing for a general audience. Slows things down usefully.
BBC World (UK)
Included not as a non-Western source but as a reference point — useful to read alongside the others.
This list is not comprehensive. It reflects what has earned a regular place in my reading over time. It will change as sources improve, decline, or as new ones emerge. Last updated May 2026.