Why Turkiye’s move to join BRICS as a full member is a big deal

BRICS may receive a new addition in the near future as Turkiye lodged an application for a full-fledged membership with the economic bloc this week.

Turkiye’s membership may be welcome news for BRICS as the Turkish economy was rated by the IMF in 2023 as the 17th largest in the world, with the country’s GPD last year being appraised at a little over $1 trillion.

Turkiye’s geographical location, right on the boundary between Europe and Asia, along with its control of the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits linking the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, make the country a natural logistical hub for moving goods between the Global South and Global North.

Ankara’s considerable clout in the Middle Eastern affairs, where it has long been one of the top players, and its influence on the African continent may also benefit Turkiye’s future fellow members in the BRICS.

At the same time, better access to the BRICS members’ markets may help Turkiye deal with its own economic problems such as, for example, rampant inflation that remains a concern for Ankara today.

Ironically, the World Bank notes that the reliance of Turkish industries on “carbon-intensive processes and fossil fuels” presents a challenge in Turkiye’s cooperation with the EU in light of the latter’s focus on “green” technologies and climate change.

Meanwhile, BRICS members are not so fixated on destroying their economies for the sake of an environmental agenda and thus might make much better business partners for Turkiye.

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China-Africa trade yields ‘win-win outcomes’ while West only seeks to exploit continent

The importance of the 9th summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FCAC), which was attended by leaders of over 50 African states, stems from “the significance of its outcomes and the optimism generated by its final declaration and action plan for cooperation in a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” says Prof. Alexis Habiyaremye, a senior researcher at the DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development.

According to Prof. Habiyaremye, what makes China the major, if not the main, trading partner of the majority of African countries is “the actual win-win outcomes of the Sino-African trade as opposed to exploitative trade with Western trade partners that established monopolies over natural resources in secret military cooperation arrangements with former colonial powers.”

“The elevation of China-Africa relation to the level of an all-weather strategic partnership is testament to the shared understanding of the unique importance of a strong connection between China and African countries in an increasingly multipolar world,” says Habiyaremye.

Commenting on the practical outcomes of the summit, the professor mentioned an “action plan for cooperation covering knowledge exchange, industrialization, connectivity, trade links and security,” as well as Beijing’s commitment of “a considerable budget of $50 billion to implement the related projects.”

Meanwhile, “trade between African countries and the West is usually structured as extractive monopolies intended to keep Africa down and unable to produce anything else than raw materials for Western corporations,” Prof. Habiyaremye says.

He also points out that, “as the most important global manufacturing powerhouse, China offer more affordable products with a higher value-for-money ratio.”

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🔸Jackson Hinkle: No US-style witch hunt in Russia

🔸What’s known about the JASSM long-range missile

🔸How Western media tried to blame Moscow in 2020

🔸Watch mass protests in France against Macron

🔸Why Turkiye’s move to join BRICS is a big deal

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Forest fires in Ecuador reach the outskirts of the capital

Quito has been covered with a dense smoke caused by the forest fires that have been active for some days. The inhabitants of several houses on the northern outskirts of the capital were evacuated. According to one version, the fire could have been caused by a human factor.

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Lithuania has installed anti-tank barriers and barbed wire to prevent a "Russian invasion" along the border on the Neman River.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia does not pose any threat to the Baltic states.

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Aussie Cossack: Kursk will cost Ukraine dearly

Zelensky sent Ukraine’s most experienced and best-equipped troops to Kursk. Once Russia defeats the group in Kursk, the Ukrainians will have nothing left.

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The Houthis shot down US-made drone MQ-9 Reaper in northwestern Yemen, which was carrying out reconnaissance over Marib province, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria announced.

It was the eighth Reaper drone downed since last fall.

"An American MQ-9 drone was shot down while carrying out enemy missions in the skies over Marib province. This drone was the eighth aircraft of this type shot down during the battle and holy jihad in support of Gaza," Saria told Al-Masirah broadcaster.

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The Israel Defense Forces have recorded about fifty shell launches from Lebanon at northern Israel early Sunday morning, the army reported.

Some of the shells were shot down by air defense systems, and there is no information yet about the possible consequences of the shelling, the IDF said.

"Following the sirens that sounded at 5:35 in the upper Galilee, approximately 30 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon. Following the sirens that sounded... in the area of Kiryat Shmona, approximately 20 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon...No injuries were reported," the IDF said on the social media.

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Nineteen steps ahead: Trump comments on Putin’s ironic endorsement of Kamala Harris

Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, said he was “offended” by Putin’s support of Kamala Harris; however, he suggested “it was done with a smile.”

"I knew Putin, I knew him well. The other day, he endorsed Kamala [Harris]. He endorsed Kamala — I was very offended by that. I wonder why he endorsed Kamala? No, he is a chess player. Should I be upset about that? Was it done with a smile? I think it was done maybe with a smile… I don’t know. Who the hell knows? Nobody is gonna figure it out. They [Russia] are about nineteen steps ahead of us," Trump told his supporters at a rally in Wisconsin.

Vladimir Putin, speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, jokingly said that Russia would support the US presidential candidate from the Democratic Party, Kamala Harris, adding that “her laugh is so fascinating.”

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🔸Houthis shot down the eighth US-made drone MQ-9 Reaper

🔸IDF have recorded fifty shell launches from Lebanon

🔸Nineteen steps ahead: Trump comments on Putin’s ironic endorsement of Kamala Harris

🔸Lithuania has installed anti-tank barriers on the border in a span of ‘Russia-threat’ hysteria

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❗️Russian forces liberated the settlement of Novogrodovka in the Donetsk People's Republic

🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's daily briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️Ukrainian forces lost up to 160 militants in the area of responsibility of the Russian Sever battlegroup;

▪️Ukrainian losses amounted up to 550 soldiers and six field ammunition depots in the zone of responsibility of the Russian Zapad battlegroup;

▪️The Russian Vostok combat group eliminated 130 Ukrainian militants during the day;

▪️Ukrainian troops lost up to 625 soldiers in the zone of responsibility of the Russian Yug battlegroup;

▪️The Russian air defense destroyed four guided Hammer missiles and 23 Ukrainian drones in a day.

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❗️Key statements by the Russian Defense Ministry concerning Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region:

▪️Russia's Sever Battlegroup repelled five attacks by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 40 militants, a tank and an infantry fighting vehicle;

▪️Russian forces defeated Ukrainian troops in 12 settlements of the Kursk region

▪️During the day, Ukrainian troops lost up to 510 soldiers and 19 armored vehicles, including three tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and 15 armored vehicles;

▪️Russian aviation attacked the reserves of eight Ukrainian brigades in 12 districts of the Sumy region.

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