Colombia joins BRICS development bank as Iran rolls out Mir card acceptance
According to webangah News Agency, Colombian President Gustavo Petro met with BRICS Bank President Dilma Rousseff in Shanghai. Colombia will initiate its accession process to this financial institution by making its first membership payment within six months.
Rousseff emphasized the BRICS Development BankS role in advancing Global South objectives, announcing expanded use of national currencies in the bank’s operations. The institution remains the first multilateral financial entity exclusively established by developing nations, dedicated to funding projects aligned with their developmental priorities.
Chinese President Xi Jinping held official talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his state visit. The leaders signed 20 cooperation agreements and issued two joint statements.
India confirmed plans to launch its first manned deep-sea exploration mission by late 2026. Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director of India’s National Institute of Ocean Technology, stated the expedition will deploy a vehicle capable of descending 6,000 meters underwater.
Brazil and Russia agreed to collaborate on uranium extraction and jointly develop small modular reactors, leveraging Russia’s advanced nuclear technologies.
The Islamic Republic of Iran took another step toward payment system integration with Russia by accepting Russian Mir payment cards. Officials confirmed both nations will fully merge their payment infrastructures by 2025. Russian tourists can now make contactless payments via smartphones using these cards throughout Iran.
South african Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille inaugurated the second G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Durban,focusing on investment attraction,innovation strategies,and deeper integration between Africa and global tourism economies.
The UAE climbed 11 positions to rank 15th globally in the UN’s latest Human Development index (2025), attributing progress primarily to healthcare advancements under its forward-looking national vision.
indonesia plans sugarcane palm cultivation expansion to boost bioethanol production and reduce dependence on imported fuels as part of broader energy security measures.
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