POLITICS

Thousands of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh streamed into Armenia on Monday ahead of a summit between the leaders of Azerbaijan and ally Turkey marking Baku's victory over the rebel enclave last week.

"We consider African countries as strategic in developing the African continent for several reasons. For us, Nigeria is a strategic partner in pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation and development of the African continent," Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Candith Mashego-Dlamini said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a "strategic partnership" with Syria on Friday during talks with President Bashar al-Assad, who is seeking financial support to help rebuild his devastated country.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday denounced the billions of dollars spent on war instead of development as he renewed his call for diplomacy in Ukraine.

The European Commission's digital chief said Tuesday that murky Chinese laws were fuelling concerns among foreign firms in the country, following discussions with Beijing officials about critical areas such as AI and data governance.

Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa has seen a major influx of migrants with some 8,500 people arriving between Monday and Wednesday last week. The European Union vowed action and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has called the arrivals an "act of war."

Gabon's military rulers on Thursday appointed Raymond Ndong Sima, a prominent opponent to ousted president Ali Bongo Ondimba, as interim prime minister following the country's coup on August 30.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv Wednesday after another night of Russian strikes on Ukraine, with Washington set to unveil more than $1 billion in fresh aid to battle Russia.

Kenya next week hosts a flagship climate conference designed to showcase Africa as a potential powerhouse for green energy, in the first of a flurry of big meetings ahead of crunch UN talks.

"We've agreed that we will look into the issues that they have raised. But a commitment to move forward to complete the peace process and have the election is agreed to," Deputy President Paul Mashatile said.

The graft-tainted former secretary-general of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) launched a new leftwing party on Wednesday ahead of general elections next year.

Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state of Gabon announced on Wednesday they had seized power following disputed elections in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power since 2009, had been declared victor.

Japan summoned China's ambassador on Monday to protest against a flood of nuisance calls from China to local businesses following the release of water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Deputy President Mashatile is visiting South Sudan as a Special Envoy alongside the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Naledi Pandor.

A brief look at the six countries which will be admitted in January 2024 to the club of large and populous emerging economies known as the BRICS:

Asked in a 2018 documentary if he was able to forgive people's mistakes, Vladimir Putin thought for a split second.

BRICS leaders on Wednesday will debate admitting new members to their five-nation bloc as it pursues a bigger role in shaping world affairs it sees as dominated by western powers.

BRICS leaders meeting in South Africa this week will consider expanding the five-nation bloc at a time of great interest in the group that accounts for a quarter of global wealth.

South Africa's hosting of a BRICS summit next week has turned a spotlight on ties between Pretoria and the Kremlin that are cosy and, for some, a puzzle.

Military chiefs from the West African bloc ECOWAS will meet in Ghana on Thursday and Friday to discuss possible intervention in Niger, military and political sources in the region said Tuesday.

Religious leaders and politicians in northern Nigeria have opened back-door channels in a frantic attempt to stave off military intervention in coup-stricken Niger.

The event will be held under the "Human and financial capital: The key drivers for sustainable industrialization of the SADC Region" theme.

Two separatist militants were killed Sunday when they attacked a convoy carrying Chinese workers to a Beijing-financed port project in Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials said.

Western naval forces operating in the Gulf have warned ships sailing in the strategic Strait of Hormuz against approaching Iranian waters to avoid the risk of seizure.

President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi is also expecting to visit South Africa to meet his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss Iran's interest in joining BRICS and how both countries can collaborate further.

"The president of Iran is certainly invited – I believe there is a strong possibility that he will attend the outreach and BRICS Plus meeting. But this is not, by any means, an intention to build some form of a bloc that is anti-Western [countries]," Minister Pandor said at a press briefing on Monday.

"New Zealand's ties with South Africa range from trade and tourism, agriculture, disarmament, fisheries, environment, indigenous and human rights issues as well as sports," DIRCO wrote.

Indian Prime Minister is unlikely to attend the summit in person and might participate virtually, according to a Reuters report. However, no official statement has been issued yet. India might be opting out to attend in person due to increasing tension between India and China over territorial disputes.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday that next month's BRICS summit, which Vladimir Putin has been invited to attend, will be held in-person despite an arrest warrant on the Russian leader.