Africa (except North Africa)

DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has called for concrete action to address the widening global North-South divide in a bid to create a just international economic order.

A statement issued late Thursday by the Directorate of Presidential Communications said President Hassan made the appeal during the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue, held on the sidelines of the Aug. 22-24 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

JOHANNESBURG, August 24. /TASS/: The decision on BRICS enlargement, adopted at the summit, will give the association more strength, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a news conference on the results of the 15th BRICS summit on Thursday.

"The enlargement will be a new starting point for the development of cooperation within BRICS and give the BRICS group more strength," Xi said. "I believe that as long as we work together, BRICS cooperation will have great prospects and the BRICS countries - a promising future."

JOHANNESBURG /South Africa/, August 24. /TASS/: The West’s ambitions to defeat Moscow strategically have forced Russia to carry on with its work on the battlefield, rather than through diplomatic channels, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Thursday.

"They [Westerners] say: 'We must defeat Russia on the battlefield, inflict a strategic defeat on it on the battlefield.' Well, then we will do our work on the battlefield, rather than diplomatically," Lavrov said.

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The BRICS group of nations has decided to invite six countries - Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - to become new members of the bloc, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

The debate over expanding the BRICS bloc, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has topped the agenda at a three-day summit in Johannesburg ending on Thursday.

24 August 2023; MEMO: The BRICS alliance invited six countries to join, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Argentina and Egypt.

BRICS is currently made up of five countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The new members would be brought in on 1 January 2024.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin took multiple shots at the West on the opening day of an economic summit in South Africa, using a prerecorded speech that was aired on giant screens Tuesday to rail at what he called “illegitimate sanctions” on his country and threaten to cut off Ukraine’s grain exports permanently.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Election officials extended the voting in Zimbabwe’s presidential election until Thursday after delays of up to 10 hours in mostly opposition strongholds as President Emmerson Mnangagwa seeks a second and final term in a country with a history of violent and disputed elections.

Chaotic scenes characterized some polling stations in Zimbabwe as ballot papers that had been delivered up to 10 hours late ran out, forcing officials to suspend voting Wednesday night in many stations, especially in large urban areas including the capital Harare.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa held closed-door discussions Wednesday on the possible expansion of their BRICS economic bloc, a move they’ve framed as a way to amplify the voice of developing nations, but which also serves the geopolitical interests of Beijing and Moscow.

A decision on whether to accept new members had been expected late Wednesday, the second day of a three-day BRICS summit in Johannesburg. But officials said that was looking unlikely and a declaration might be made on Thursday.

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — After three months of crossing the desert and then watching other migrants die at sea in his failed attempt to reach Europe, Sahr John Yambasu gave up on getting across the Mediterranean and decided to go back home.

The 29-year-old from Sierra Leone reached Niger in June on his return journey, but United Nations officials said he had to wait for packed migrant centers to empty before he could be repatriated.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Delays of up to 10 hours in mostly opposition strongholds marked voting in Zimbabwe on Wednesday as President Emmerson Mnangagwa seeks a second and final term in a country with a history of violent and disputed elections.

Long lines continued after sunset at some polling stations following the late distribution of ballot papers. The electoral commission said voting would continue until everyone who was waiting in line at 7 p.m., when polls were scheduled to close, got a chance to vote.