Far-right former TV pundit campaigned on severing relations with Beijing, but he won with backing from ex-president who warned against doing so.

Xi Jinping tells Brics summit attacks on civilians must end and the hostages must be released.

During an extraordinary summit of the Brics group of nations, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, the deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide.

‘We do not understand the interest’ in the bloc of leading emerging markets including China, despite membership being poised to start from January.

Scepticism towards Beijing and expanded Brics bloc would mark government of far-right opposition politician, says potential foreign minister.

More trade expected to be done in Chinese yuan as interest rates and geopolitical tensions make belt and road investors wary.

It is the Russian leader’s first foreign visit since the International Criminal Court issued its March warrant over the deportation of Ukrainian children, slamming the door to much of the world.

Addressing the general assembly, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva says: ‘When institutions reproduce inequalities, they are part of the problem.’

The two countries occupy an important strategic position and have long-standing political and economic ties with Beijing.

The Chinese leader’s absence from the India-hosted summit has sparked doubts about a possible November meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden.

A personal meeting with Xi is seen as an opportunity to pitch Eurocentric views of key issues, starting with Ukraine, that he is unlikely to hear from his small group of advisers.