BRICS Invites 6 Nations, Including Saudi Arabia, to Join the Bloc

(From L to R) President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of China Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
(From L to R) President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of China Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
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BRICS Invites 6 Nations, Including Saudi Arabia, to Join the Bloc

(From L to R) President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of China Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
(From L to R) President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of China Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)

Leaders of the BRICS group of developing nations have invited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Ethiopia and Argentina to join the bloc.

Expansion could also pave the way for dozens of interested countries seeking admission to BRICS - currently Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is hosting a summit of BRICS leaders, announced on Thursday that the new candidates would be admitted as members on Jan. 1, 2024.

The debate over enlargement has topped the agenda at the three-day summit taking place in Johannesburg.

More than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, say South African officials, and 22 have formally asked to be admitted.



OIC Secretary-General Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Lebanon

OIC Secretary-General Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Lebanon
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OIC Secretary-General Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Lebanon

OIC Secretary-General Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Lebanon

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha has condemned Israel’s aggression on Lebanon and called for an immediate ceasefire, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
Taha, whose statement came at an international conference in Paris to support Lebanon, reaffirmed the OIC’s commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The International Conference in Support of Lebanon's People and Sovereignty was held in Paris at the call of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Taha condemned Israel's brutal aggression on Lebanon, reaffirming the OIC's commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He called for an immediate ceasefire and urged the international community to achieve lasting peace by fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
He also called on states and international organizations to increase humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the conflict, including forcibly displaced people.
The Paris conference aimed to rally international support for Lebanon amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.