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Hundreds of well-wishers lined up outside the home of Nepal’s deposed king to celebrate his 78th birthday on Monday, the latest pro-monarchy show of support in the Himalayan republic.Gyanendra Shah, the last king of Nepal, was deposed in 2008 at the end of a decade-long civil war.”I am thankful to everyone who came,” Shah said in a brief address to the crowd, dressed in a brown suit jacket and sporting a traditional Nepali cloth hat.In the past year, public support for the restoration of the monarchy has grown — in tandem with dissatisfaction over political instability, corruption and slow economic development in the country of 30 million people.Waving flags and carrying banners, supporters lined the streets near Shah’s residence, some honking traditional trumpets and thumping drums.Nepal’s royal palace in the capital Kathmandu is now a museum, and Shah’s home is a sprawling estate fortified with high walls.”I wish him a long life, and hope to see monarchy return soon,” Prajuna Shrestha, a 33-year-old businesswoman, told AFP.Shah accepted flowers and traditional offerings as his grandchildren stood behind him.- ‘Politics has deteriorated’ -Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, 73, began his fourth term last year after his Communist Party forged a coalition government with the centre-left Nepali Congress in the often-volatile parliament.”We need a king because it was the monarchy that first unified Nepal,” Shrestha added. “If we look at the current situation, politics has deteriorated, and the politicians have ruined our country.”Shah was crowned in 2001 after his elder brother king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah and his family were killed in a palace massacre.His coronation took place as a Maoist insurgency was raging in far-flung corners of Nepal.Shah suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament in 2005, triggering a democratic uprising in which the Maoists sided with Nepal’s political establishment to orchestrate huge street protests.That eventually precipitated the end of the conflict, with parliament voting in 2008 to abolish Nepal’s 240-year-old Hindu monarchy.Abdicated king Shah had largely refrained from commenting on Nepal’s fractious politics, but has recently made several public appearances with supporters.According to the World Bank, Nepal is currently facing multiple challenges, with more than 80 percent of the workforce in informal employment.The bank also notes however, that real GDP grew by 4.9 percent in the first half of the 2025 financial year — up from 4.3 percent in the same period a year earlier — primarily due to a “pickup in agricultural and industrial sectors”.Headline inflation over the same period also eased to five percent, down from 6.5 percent the year before,

Nearly 450,000 Afghans have returned from Iran since the start of June, the United Nations’ migration agency said on Monday, after Tehran ordered those without documentation to leave by July 6.In late May, Iran said undocumented Afghans must leave the country by July 6, potentially impacting four million people out of the around six million Afghans Tehran says live in the country.Numbers of people crossing the border have surged since mid-June, with some days seeing around 40,000 people crossing at Islam Qala in western Herat province, UN agencies have said.From June 1 to July 5, 449,218 Afghans returned from Iran, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration told AFP on Monday, adding that the total for the year so far was 906,326.Many people crossing reported pressure from authorities or arrest and deportation, as well as losing already limited finances in the rush to leave quickly.Massive foreign aid cuts have impacted the response to the crisis, with the UN, international non-governmental groups and Taliban officials calling for more funding to support the returnees.The UN has warned the influx could destabilise the country already grappling with entrenched poverty, unemployment and climate change-related shocks and urged nations not to forcibly return Afghans.”Forcing or pressuring Afghans to return risks further instability in the region, and onward movement towards Europe,” the UN refugees agency UNHCR said in a statement on Friday. 

New captain Shubman Gill was hailed Monday for leading from the front after India recorded their maiden Test win at Edgbaston to level the series against England 1-1.Gill, who notched a century in a losing cause in the first Test at Headingley, hit new heights in scoring 269 and 161 to set up a crushing victory by 336 runs which leaves the five-match series finely poised.It was India’s first win in nine Tests at the Birmingham venue, following seven previous defeats and one draw.”New captain, new India”, The Indian Express newspaper splashed across its front page.Gill, 25, became the youngest Indian Test skipper to register an overseas win in just his second match in charge following the retirement of Rohit Sharma.he eclipsed Sunil Gavaskar, who was 26 when he led India to victory over New Zealand at Auckland in 1976.Gill came into the series with concerns over his batting average overseas, which had been less than 30, but he has shut down all the noise by stroking a remarkable 585 runs from four innings.Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar called it a “Shublime innings from the man of the moment,” offering his congratulations for “powering India to a brilliant Test victory.”Tendulkar, writing on social media, added: “India’s approach was to take England out of this game and force them to play differently, making sure that there would only be one winner.”- ‘Drowning Street’ -Fast bowler Akash Deep took a match haul of 10 wickets after replacing the rested Jasprit Bumrah as England were bowled out for 271 in their chase of 608 on day five.”What impressed me most about the bowlers was the length they bowled”, Tendulkar said.Deep took 6-99 in the second innings, including bowling the world’s top-ranked Test batsman Joe Root with a delivery that nipped away sharply and was called the “ball of the series” by Tendulkar. Batting great Virat Kohli, who also retired before the series, said: “Great victory for India at Edgbaston” and wrote that India had been “fearless and kept pushing England to the wall.” “Brilliantly led by Shubman with the bat and in the field… special mention to (Mohammed) Siraj and Akash for the way they bowled,” he added.Former captain Sourav Ganguly praised Gill’s performance and India’s superior bowling attack, calling Akash and Siraj “workhorses”.Indian newspapers had a field day with an outpouring of joyous puns.The Times of India said: “Deep’s 10 send Eng to Drowning Street” and “Edg-bastian breached.”The third Test of the five-match series begins on Thursday at Lord’s.

BRICS leaders at a summit on Sunday took aim at US President Donald Trump’s “indiscriminate” import tariffs and recent Israeli-US strikes on Iran.The 11 emerging nations — including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — account for about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output.The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars — even if it avoided naming him directly.Voicing “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff” measures, BRICS members said the tariffs risked hurting the global economy, according to a summit joint statement.Trump fired back at the bloc directly on social media Sunday night. “Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Earlier, BRICS also offered symbolic backing to fellow member Iran, condemning a series of military strikes on nuclear and other targets carried out by Israel and the United States.In April, Trump threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties, before offering a months-long reprieve in the face of a fierce market sell-off.Trump has warned he will impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1.In an apparent concession to US allies such as Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia, the summit declaration did not criticize the United States or its president by name at any point.  – No show -Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to US and western European power.But as the group has expanded to include Iran, Saudi Arabia and others, it has struggled to reach meaningful consensus on issues from the Gaza war to challenging US global dominance.BRICS nations, for example, collectively called for a peaceful two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict — despite Tehran’s long-standing position that Israel should be destroyed. An Iranian diplomatic source said his government’s “reservations” had been conveyed to Brazilian hosts. Still, Iran — a BRICS member since 2023 — stopped short of rejecting the statement outright.The bloc also called for an “immediate” ceasefire and the “full withdrawal of Israeli forces” from the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been at war with Palestinian militant group Hamas for 21 months. Hamas’s armed wing welcomed BRICS’s position, calling on them to “exert pressure” on Israel to “lift the criminal siege imposed on two and a quarter million people.”In perhaps a further sign of the diplomatic sensitivities, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister skipped Sunday’s discussions entirely, according to a Brazilian government source.Saudi Arabia is among the world’s leading beneficiaries of high-tech US military exports and is a long-standing US partner.The political punch of this year’s summit has been depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who skipped the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.The Chinese leader is not the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, also opted to stay away, participating via video link.He told counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance.The summit also called for regulation governing artificial intelligence and said the technology could not be the preserve of only rich nations.The commercial AI sector is currently dominated by US tech giants, although China and other nations have rapidly developing capacity.

Calling himself a “simple Buddhist monk” who usually didn’t celebrate birthdays, the Dalai Lama marked his 90th on Sunday by praying for peace after China insisted it would have the final say on who succeeded the Tibetan spiritual leader.Chanting of red-robed monks and nuns rang out from Himalayan hilltop forested temples in India, home to the Dalai Lama since he and thousands of other Tibetans fled Chinese troops who crushed an uprising in their capital Lhasa in 1959.”I am just a simple Buddhist monk; I don’t normally engage in birthday celebrations,” the Dalai Lama said in a message, thanking those marking it with him for using the opportunity “to cultivate peace of mind and compassion”.Dressed in traditional robes and a flowing yellow wrap, he walked with the aid of two monks while flashing his trademark beaming smile to thousands of followers.Beijing condemns the Nobel Peace Prize winner — who has led a lifelong campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau — as a rebel and separatist.Alongside the celebrations, however, is the worry for Tibetans in exile that China will name its successor to bolster control over the territory it poured troops into in 1950 and has ruled ever since.That raises the likelihood of rival challengers to the post; one by self-declared atheist Beijing, the other by the Dalai Lama’s office based in neighbouring India, a regional rival of China.- ‘Good heart’ -The celebrations on Sunday are the culmination of days of long-life prayers for Tenzin Gyatso, who followers believe is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, a man whose moral teachings and idiosyncratic humour have made him one of the world’s most popular religious leaders.”While it is important to work for material development, it is vital to focus on achieving peace of mind through cultivating a good heart and by being compassionate, not just toward near and dear ones, but toward everyone,” he said in his birthday message.”Through this, you will contribute to making the world a better place.”The celebrations also included his key announcement that, after being inundated with messages of support from fellow Tibetans both inside and in exile, the spiritual institution will continue after his death.He said he had received appeals from followers from across the Himalayan region, Mongolia and parts of Russia and China.The seemingly esoteric matters of reincarnation have real-world political consequences, with Tibetans fearing his death will mark a major setback in his push for more autonomy for the Himalayan region.The Dalai Lama said his India-based office alone would “exclusively” identify that successor — prompting a swift and sharp reply from China that the reincarnation “must be approved by the central government” in Beijing.China said the succession would be carried out “by drawing lots from a golden urn”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters on Wednesday.That urn is held by Beijing, and the Dalai Lama has warned that, when used dishonestly, it lacks “any spiritual quality”.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered effusive birthday greetings on Sunday, calling the Dalai Lama an “enduring symbol of love”.India and China are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia, but have sought to repair ties after a 2020 border clash.- ‘Freedom and dignity’ -US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said in a statement that Washington was “committed to promoting respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Tibetans”.Among the crowds attending the celebrations was Hollywood star Richard Gere, a longtime backer of the Tibetans in exile, who on Sunday said the Dalai Lama “totally embodies selflessness, complete love and compassion and wisdom”.Messages of support were also given by former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as well as Barack Obama, who said the Dalai Lama had shown what it means to “speak up for freedom and dignity”.The ceremony ended with the Dalai Lama eating a slice of cake and thousands singing “happy birthday”.No details have been released for the future succession.All so far have been men or boys, often identified as toddlers and taking up the role only as teenagers.The current Dalai Lama, himself identified in 1937, has said that if there is a successor it will come from the “free world” outside China’s control.In a speech to followers on Sunday, the Dalai Lama said his practice of Buddhism meant he had dedicated his life towards seeking compassion.”I’m now 90 and… when I reflect on my life, I see that I have not wasted my life at all”, he said, speaking in Tibetan.”I would not have regrets at the time of my death; rather I would be able to die very peacefully.”

BRICS leaders descended on sunny Rio de Janeiro Sunday, but issued a dark warning that US President Donald Trump’s “indiscriminate” import tariffs risk hurting the global economy.The 11 emerging nations — including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — represent about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output.The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars.The BRICS leaders voiced “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures,” warning they are illegal and arbitrary, according to a final summit statement.In April, Trump threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties, but abruptly offered a reprieve in the face of a fierce market sell-off.Trump has warned they will again impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1.The BRICS said such moves break world trade rules, threaten to further reduce global trade and were “affecting prospects for global economic development.”The summit declaration did not mention the United States or its president by name, but it is a clear political volley directed at the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.The Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank, estimates Trump’s tariffs could trim about two points off US GDP and hit economies from Mexico to the oil-rich Arabian Gulf. – No show -Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power. But as the group has expanded to include Iran, Indonesia and others, it has struggled to reach meaningful consensus on issues ranging from the Gaza war to reforming international institutions.  The political punch of this year’s summit has been depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who is skipping the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.The Chinese leader is not be the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, is also opting to stay away, but participated via video link.He told counterparts that the influence of BRICS “continues to grow” and said the bloc had become a key player in global governance.Still, Xi’s no-show is a blow to BRICS and to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage.- War and peace -On Sunday he welcomed leaders to Rio’s stunning Guanabara Bay, telling them that multilateralism was under attack, while hitting out at NATO and Israel, among others.He accused the trans-Atlantic defense organization of fueling an international arms race through a pledge by members to spend five percent of GDP on defense.”It is always easier to invest in war than in peace,” he said, while accusing Israel of carrying out “genocide” in Gaza.Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel, is also skipping the meeting, but he was represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.Still, Iran won the diplomatic backing of its allies over Israel and the United States’ recent bombing of Iranian military, nuclear and other sites.Tehran’s allies condemned the strikes, and voiced “serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities.”The United States, Israel and European nations accuse Iran of using a civilian nuclear program as cover to create a nuclear bomb. The BRICS bloc did not explicitly mention Israel or the United States in the condemnation of the recent attacks, in a concession to members such as hosts Brazil who also enjoy close ties with Western nations.The 2026 BRICS summit is set to be hosted by India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the gathering.

Akash Deep took 10 wickets in a Test match for the first time as India thrashed England by 336 runs at Edgbaston on Sunday for a series-levelling win.Deep was playing in the second Test of the five-match series after India rested outstanding quick Jasprit Bumrah.The 28-year-old took 6-99 as England, set a mammoth 608 runs to win, were dismissed for 271 on the fifth day.Deep’s match figures of 10-147 were far and away the best of his eight-Test career.Jamie Smith was the lone England batsman to pass fifty in the second innings, with the wicketkeeper’s 88 following his brilliant 184 not out first time around.A crushing victory gave India their maiden Test win in nine matches at Edgbaston following seven defeats and a draw at the Birmingham ground.This game was also a personal triumph for India captain Shubman Gill after he became the first batsman in Test cricket to post scores of 250 and 150 in the same match.The 25-year-old’s majestic 269 in the first innings was followed by a dashing 161 off 162 balls in the second.Gill has now scored three hundreds in his first two Tests as captain following his 147 during India’s five-wicket loss in the series opener at Headingley.History was against England when they resumed at 72-3 after rain delayed Sunday’s start by more than 90 minutes.No Test side have made more in the fourth innings to win than the West Indies’ 418 against Australia at St John’s in 2003.- Early blow -India, bidding for just a fourth series win in England, struck an early blow when Ollie Pope failed to add his overnight 24 by deflecting a Deep ball of extra bounce onto the stumps.His exit brought in England captain Ben Stokes, on a king pair after his first golden duck in Tests in the first innings.But Stokes, without a Test hundred in two years, avoided the embarrassment of two noughts in the same match with a legside flick.England were soon 83-5, however, when Harry Brook was lbw for 23 to a Deep delivery that hit him on the back knee.Brook, who made 158 in England’s first innings while sharing a stand of over 300 with Smith that kept the hosts afloat, optimistically reviewed.But the confirmation of his dismissal was greeted by raucous cheers from the large number of India fans at Edgbaston.Smith helped Stokes briefly keep India at bay during a sixth-wicket partnership of 70.But in the last over before lunch Stokes was lbw for 33 to off-spinner Washington Sundar, the first India bowler other than Deep or Mohammed Siraj to take a wicket in the match.England were 153-6 at the interval and after lunch Smith defiantly hit 17 off a Sundar over, including two soaring straight sixes.But Chris Woakes fell tamely for seven when a miscued pull off Prasidh Krishna lobbed gently to midwicket.Smith pulled Deep for two successive sixes to go to 88.But it was a case of third time unlucky for the 24-year-old when trying to repeat the shot next ball, he holed out to Sundar at deep backward square leg off a well-disguised slower delivery to give Deep his fifth wicket of the innings.At 226-8, the writing was on the wall for England.Tailender Josh Tongue was brilliantly caught by a diving Siraj at midwicket before Brydon Carse holed out off Deep to cover where Gill, the player of the match, fittingly took the clinching catch.

BRICS leaders descended on sunny Rio de Janeiro Sunday, ready to issue a dark warning that US President Donald Trump’s “indiscriminate” import tariffs risk hurting the global economy.The 11 emerging nations — including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — represent about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output.The bloc is divided about much, but has found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars.The BRICS are set to voice “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures,” warning they are illegal and arbitrary, according to a draft summit statement obtained by AFP.In April, Trump threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties, but abruptly offered a reprieve in the face of a fierce market sell-off.Trump and his Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, have warned they will again impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1.The BRICS will warn that such moves break world trade rules, “threaten to further reduce global trade” and are “affecting the prospects for global economic development.”The draft summit declaration does not mention the United States or its president by name, but it is a clear political volley directed at the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.The Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank, estimates Trump’s tariffs could trim about two points off US GDP and hit economies from Mexico to the oil-rich Arabian Gulf. – No show -Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power. But as the group has expanded to include Iran, Indonesia and others, it has struggled to reach meaningful consensus on issues ranging from the Gaza war to reforming international institutions.  The political punch of this year’s summit has been depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who is skipping the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. War crime-indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin is also opting to stay away, but participated via video link.He told counterparts that the influence of BRICS “continues to grow” and said the bloc had become a key player in global governance.Still, Xi’s no-show is a blow to BRICS and to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage.On Sunday he welcomed leaders to Rio’s stunning Guanabara Bay, telling them that multilateralism was under attack, while hitting out at NATO and Israel, among others.He accused the trans-Atlantic defense organization of fueling an international arms race through a pledge by members to spend five percent of GDP on defense.”It is always easier to invest in war than in peace,” he said, while accusing Israel of carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza.Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel, is also skipping the meeting, but he was represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.A source familiar with summit negotiations said Iran had sought a tougher condemnation of Israel and the United States over their recent bombing of Iranian military, nuclear and other sites. But one diplomatic source said the text would give the “same message” that BRICS delivered last month.Then Tehran’s allies expressed “grave concern” about strikes against Iran, but did not explicitly mention Israel or the United States. 

Tens of thousands of Afghans streamed over the border from Iran in the days before a return deadline set for Sunday, the United Nations said, sparking an “emergency” situation at border points.In late May, Iran said undocumented Afghans must leave the country by July 6, potentially impacting four million people, out of the six million Afghans Tehran says live in the country.Numbers of people crossing the border have surged since mid-June, with a peak of more than 43,000 people crossing at Islam Qala in western Herat province on July 1, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday.The UN migration agency IOM said more than 250,000 Afghans returned from Iran in June. UNICEF country representative Tajudeen Oyewale said this was an “emergency” situation in a country already facing a “chronic returnee crisis”, with 1.4 million Afghans returning from traditional hosts Iran and Pakistan this year.”What is concerning is that 25 percent of all these returnees are children… because the demographics have shifted” from individual men to whole families, crossing the border with scant belongings and money, he told AFP on Thursday.He noted Islam Qala could accommodate the vast numbers but was inadequately equipped in terms of services, saying, “When you start hitting more than 20,000 people (a day) that is completely beyond the planning scenario that we have”.The agency has engaged emergency processes to ramp up water and sanitation systems built for 7-10,000 people a day, along with vaccinations, nutrition and child-friendly spaces. Many people crossing reported pressure from authorities or even arrest and deportation. “Some people are so afraid that they don’t leave the house themselves… They send their young children out just for a piece of bread, and even those children get arrested sometimes,” said 38-year-old Aref Atayi of the pressures Afghans face in Iran.”Even if I have to beg in my own country, it’s still better than staying in a place where we’re treated like this,” he told AFP on Saturday, as he waited at the IOM-run reception centre for some support to help his family resettle. Massive foreign aid cuts have impacted the response to the crisis, with the UN, international non-governmental groups and Taliban officials calling for more funding to support the returnees. The UN has warned the influx could destabilise the country already grappling with entrenched poverty, unemployment and climate change-related shocks and urged countries not to forcibly return Afghans. 

BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday are expected to decry US President Donald Trump’s “indiscriminate” trade tariffs, saying they are illegal and risk hurting the global economy. Emerging nations, which represent about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output, have united over “serious concerns” about US import tariffs, according to a draft summit statement obtained by AFP on Saturday.Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties.His latest salvo comes in the form of letters informing trading partners of new tariff rates that will soon enter into force.The draft summit declaration does not mention the United States or its president by name, and could yet be amended by leaders gathering for talks Sunday and Monday.But it is a clear political shot directed at Washington from 11 emerging nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. “We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules,” the draft text says. It warns that such measures “threaten to further reduce global trade” and are “affecting the prospects for global economic development.”- Xi no show -Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power. But the summit’s political punch will be depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.That absence has prompted fevered speculation in some quarters.”The simplest explanation may hold the most explanatory power. Xi recently hosted Lula in Beijing,” said Ryan Hass, a former China director at the US National Security Council who is now with the Brookings Institution think tank.The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. War crime-indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin is also opting to stay away, but will participate via video link, according to the Kremlin.Hass said Putin’s non-attendance and the fact that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be a guest of honor in Brazil could also be factors in Xi’s absence.”Xi does not want to appear upstaged by Modi,” who will receive a state lunch, he said.”I expect Xi’s decision to delegate attendance to Premier Li (Qiang) rests amidst these factors.”Still, the Xi no-show is a blow to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage.In the year to November 2025, Brazil will have hosted a G20 summit, a BRICS summit, and COP30 international climate talks, all before heading into fiercely contested presidential elections next year, in which he is expected to run.Lula warmly welcomed leaders and dignitaries on Saturday, including China’s Premier Li Qiang, as the leftist president hosted a pre-summit business forum in Rio.”Faced with the resurgence of protectionism, it is up to emerging countries to defend the multilateral trade regime and reform the international financial architecture,” Lula told the event.Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel, is also skipping the meeting and will be represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.A source familiar with the negotiations said Iran had sought a tougher condemnation of Israel and the United States over their recent bombing of Iranian military, nuclear and other sites. But one diplomatic source said the text would give the “same message” that BRICS delivered last month.Then Iran’s allies expressed “grave concern” about strikes against Iran, but did not explicitly mention Israel or the United States. Artificial intelligence and health will also be on the agenda at the summit.Original members of the bloc Brazil, Russia, India, and China have been joined by South Africa and, more recently, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.