The 17th Brics summit has begun in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and leaders, including Prime Minister Modi and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa are in attendance. However, for the first time since taking power in 2012,

A summit of leaders from the BRICS group of major emerging economies kicks off in Brazil Sunday – but without the top leader of its most powerful member.

By Lisandra Paraguassu RIO DE JANEIRO -Leaders of the growing BRICS group of developing nations were set to gather in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, calling for reform of traditional Western institutions while presenting the bloc as a defender of multilateralism in an increasingly fractured world.