Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on Sunday (July 6, 2025) discussed ways to bolster bilateral ties across key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, traditional medicine and digital public infrastructure during a meeting on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit.

BRICS leaders set to discuss key global political issues in Rio de Janeiro, but questions over the bloc’s cohesion arise as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin opt to skip the summit.

Leaders of the BRICS group of major emerging economies are meeting in the Brazilian metropolis of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday for a two-day summit. The BRICS acronym is derived from the initial letters of the founding member countries: Brazil,

BRICS Summit in Brazil, discussions focused on global governance reform, environmental issues, and global health.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived here in Brazil on a four-day visit, during which he will participate in the 17th BRICS Summit and undertake a state visit.

Brazil hosts the second and final day of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. (AP video by Lucas Dumphreys)

The BRICS summit took place amid rising global tensions, including US-Israel strikes on Iran, the war in Ukraine, and the crisis in Gaza.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu on Monday in Brazil. The two held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Further details on the meeting were not immediately available.

President Trump's latest outreach to Africa is not about aid or goodwill, but a high-stakes bid for control over the continent's critical minerals. On July 9, Trump hosted leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau,