愛污传媒

World

    • Russia's Putin attends BRICS summit in South Africa remotely while facing war crimes warrant

    Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Aug. 21, 2023. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Aug. 21, 2023. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
    Share
    JOHANNESBURG -

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were both absent as leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies started a three-day summit in South Africa on Tuesday.

    Putin's travel to Johannesburg was complicated by an outstanding International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest over the abduction of children from Ukraine. His participation as the bloc named for member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa opened its first in-person meeting since before the COVID-19 pandemic came in the form of a 17-minute pre-recorded speech.

    Xi, who was in South Africa and held a bilateral morning meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, did not join his host and the leaders of Brazil and India for a business forum at the primary summit venue. No reason was given for his absence, and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao read Xi's speech.

    The summit's main session in Johannesburg's financial district of Sandton is scheduled for Wednesday, when Xi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ramaphosa were expected to meet as BRICS mulls a possible expansion.

    The bloc already is home to 40% of the world's population and responsible for more than 30% of global economic output, and more than 20 nations have applied to join, according to South African officials, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

    Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi planned to attend the summit.

    The five current member countries will have to agree on the criteria for new members before any countries are admitted, but a bigger BRICS is seen as a policy favoured by China and Russia amid their deteriorating relations with the West.

    Brazil, Russia, India and China formed the bloc in 2009. South Africa was added in 2010.

    While Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was representing Russia in Johannesburg, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Putin would fully engage in the summit while participating remotely.

    Local officials said Putin would "virtually" attend a Tuesday welcome dinner hosted by South Africa. The agenda also lists him as giving a speech via video link on Wednesday.

    Overall, around 1,200 delegates from the five BRICS nations and dozens of other developing countries are are in South Africa's biggest city, and more than 40 heads of state were expected to take part in some of the summit meetings, according to Ramaphosa.

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also was expected to attend.

    On Tuesday's opening day, there were calls for more economic co-operation and collaboration in areas such as health, education and climate change while reflecting a growing sentiment in some parts of the world that institutions seen as western-led, including the the UN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, do not serve developing nations.

    While in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, earlier Tuesday for his meeting with Xi, Ramaphosa said he was seeking "Chinese support for South Africa and Africa's call for the reform of global governance institutions, notably the United Nations Security Council."

    Africa and South America have no permanent representatives on the Security Council despite being home to nearly 2 billion people.

    Xi, who has gradually resumed foreign travel after the lifting of his country's strict COVID-19 restrictions, joined Ramaphosa to watch a ceremonial parade by soldiers at the Union Buildings, the official seat of the South African government.

    Xi made brief comments at the event, saying China was ready for more co-operation with Africa's most advanced economy "to take our comprehensive strategic partnerships to new heights."

    BRICS officials have pushed back at suggestions the the bloc is taking an anti-West turn under the influence of China and Russia, saying it is rather looking out for the interests of the Global South.

    But the BRICS stance is at odds with the United States and its western allies on a number of issues, not least over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The European Union called on Xi, Lula, Modi and Ramaphosa to use this week's gathering to condemn Russia and Putin for the war in Ukraine, but that's unlikely to happen.

    If anything, BRICS has been a forum for Russia to express its anti-western rhetoric, with Lavrov using a BRICS foreign ministers meeting in June to lambast the West for its "hegemony" and using "financial blackmail" to serve its "selfish interests."

    A small protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine was held Tuesday at a public park more than 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) from the summit venue.

    The U.S. and EU will be closely monitoring events in Johannesburg, with the long list of countries lining up to join BRICS suggesting that the bloc's calls for a reorganization of the global governance structure might be hitting home with many.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    The ongoing count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.

    A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.

    Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney is underway Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with both entering a not guilty plea.

    Canada

    • A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.

    • Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney is underway Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with both entering a not guilty plea.

    • Montreal's mayor says a welcome sign depicting a woman wearing a veil that adorns a lobby at city hall will be taken down in the name of secularism.

    • A major amusement park is part of Ontario's grand vision to turn the Niagara region into Las Vegas north, but Marineland may not fit the bill, the provincial tourism minister says.

    • Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.

    Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.

    New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      The ongoing count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.

    • A B.C. man who went missing nearly 15 years ago, while facing multiple sexual abuse allegations, has been declared dead by the court 鈥 which found he likely died when a fire engulfed the airplane hangar where he was last seen.

    • A Coroner鈥檚 inquest has been scheduled to look into the circumstances around a man鈥檚 death during a confrontation with the RCMP in Whistler, B.C., more than four years ago.

    • New home sales in the Greater Toronto Area remained sluggish last month, but a new report suggests that the market is now primed for buyers following four consecutive interest rate cuts.

    • Peel Regional Police say investigators have arrested five suspects and seized dozens of guns and illegal devices used to convert firearms into automatic weapons.

    • RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.

    • Calgary鈥檚 Mission Bridge will be closed to motorists for several months as city crews complete rehabilitation work.

    • A Liberal member of Parliament says he's baffled by the Alberta United Conservative government's response to his private member's bill about pandemic preparedness.

    • Grief counsellors are at Perth and District Collegiate Institute in Perth, Ont. today, as family, friends and the community mourn the death of 15-year-old Reese Stanzel.

    • OC Transpo says it will be confirming the launch timeline for Ottawa's much-anticipated north-south line this week.

    • Suspended Ottawa lawyer James Bowie has been ordered to pay $235,000 in damages to a former client after he repeatedly suggested she pay for his legal services with oral sex and released personal details about her online after the allegations were reported by 愛污传媒 Ottawa.

    • A new study suggests Montrealers are going downtown less often with four in 10 saying they go less often than before the pandemic.

    • Montreal's mayor says a welcome sign depicting a woman wearing a veil that adorns a lobby at city hall will be taken down in the name of secularism.

    • The National Director of Youth Protection, Catherine Lemay, resigned at the request of the minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, after institutional scandals.

    • Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.

    • A Bonnyville woman has been accused of trying to lure a boy and his friends to her hotel room.

    • Police are looking for help identifying an armed robber in a costume.

    • A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.

    • The Saint John Police Force is asking for the public鈥檚 help in locating a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant in connection with a shooting incident in the city over the weekend.

    • Halifax Regional Police is investigating two break-and-enters in parking garages early Sunday morning.

    • Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has honoured first responders for their actions following a fiery bus crash on the Trans-Canada Highway last year that killed 17 people.

    • Three youths were arrested after a senior was shot in the head with a BB gun early Monday morning.

    • Advocates say new data showing record food bank usage across Canada marks a somber milestone, while the Manitoba organization helping to feed those in need said they are being pushed to the brink by the unprecedented demand.

    • Candidates across Saskatchewan have made their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 campaign comes to a close and election day arrives.

    • With multiple polls suggesting a tight race to the finish for Saskatchewan's major political parties 鈥 here are the ridings where some extra attention may be required.

    • Election day has arrived in Saskatchewan. With it, the last wave of voters prepare to cast their ballots and decide who will form government in the province.

    • What role does ideology play in the sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty to four charges in an attack at the University of Waterloo?

    • The Guelph Police Service is planning to dedicate more resources to ensuring public safety in the city鈥檚 downtown area as part of an ongoing initiative.

    • Police say just before 5 p.m. Friday, the suspects went to an address near Dawson Road and Shelldale Crescent and banged on the door.

    • Candidates across Saskatchewan have made their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 campaign comes to a close and election day arrives.

    • With multiple polls suggesting a tight race to the finish for Saskatchewan's major political parties 鈥 here are the ridings where some extra attention may be required.

    • A construction worker who was robbed, shot and left for dead last week remains in a Saskatoon hospital awaiting more surgeries.

    • Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Sudbury on Monday afternoon to make an infrastructure funding announcement at a wastewater facility.

    • Two people were busted in Nipissing First Nation trying to use fake money to buy machinery, Anishinabek Police Service says.

    • For eight decades 鈥 yes, eight decades 鈥 a London veteran has distributed poppies to Canadians. 87-year-old Sam Newman began distributing poppies as a boy.

    • The closure between Florence Street and Hale Street is expected to end Friday afternoon. Detours are in place until the construction ends.

    • London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph鈥檚 hospitals are reintroducing masking guidelines. Starting Thursday, patients at both hospitals with a fever or respiratory symptoms will be required to wear a mask except in inpatient rooms.

    • Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney is underway Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with both entering a not guilty plea.

    • On Monday, the Ontario government revealed it had awarded a major contract to Miller/Brennan to manage construction of the western section of the Bradford Bypass in Simcoe County.

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • Windsor police officers are asking for the public鈥檚 help to identify two suspects related to the death of a 69-year-old man in south-central Windsor.

    • A man is facing several charges after a five-hour standoff with Windsor police over the weekend.

    • A worker has been injured at the NextStar Energy Plant in Windsor.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      The ongoing count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.

    • Police with the British Columbia Highway Patrol have arrested a 28-year-old man after 73 kilograms of cocaine were allegedly found inside a vehicle near the resort city of Revelstoke.

    • A minor earthquake shook off the coast of B.C. Monday morning, which registered at a magnitude of 4.1, according to federal officials.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.

    • A tentative agreement has been reached between the City of Lethbridge and more than 900 employees belonging to CUPE Local 70.

    • The Hurricanes will be happy to be back home in Lethbridge Saturday night after losing their third in a row on the road Friday night, a 4-1 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current.

    • One person has been charged after police in the Sault received a report of someone asleep at the wheel last weekend in a parking lot on Bay Street.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three people have been charged with arson following a fire at a Sioux Lookout apartment building Friday night.

    • Last week, tariffs surrounding Chinese steel and aluminum products went into effect and stakeholders in northern Ontario and abroad say it's good news.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒