Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at what to expect at this year’s BRICS leaders’ summit, the legacy of 9/11 a quarter century later, and the Houthis’ lightning offensive on the Red Sea coast.

In a world long dictated by U.S. hegemony, who leads the other side? That is the issue defining this weekend’s BRICS summit, as the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and other member countries gather in New Delhi to discuss what a counterweight to Washington’s influence should look like.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at what to expect at this year’s BRICS leaders’ summit, the legacy of 9/11 a quarter century later, and the Houthis’ lightning offensive on the Red Sea coast.

In a world long dictated by U.S. hegemony, who leads the other side? That is the issue defining this weekend’s BRICS summit, as the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and other member countries gather in New Delhi to discuss what a counterweight to Washington’s influence should look like.

BRICS was established in 2009 as a direct response to the U.S. dollar’s dominance in international trade as well as Washington’s leverage over the United Nations and what was then the G-8. But the bloc’s ability to make significant headway has long been stymied by internal dissent, especially between India and China. This weekend, New Delhi and Beijing will jockey for dominance over the bloc’s agenda going forward.

On Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the mood for the two-day summit by agreeing to strengthen his country’s special relationship with Russia. According to India’s foreign ministry, Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Russia-Ukraine and Iran wars as well as vowed to continue negotiations over defense and energy issues.

India is the second-largest buyer of Russian oil after China. New Delhi previously vowed to increase bilateral trade with Moscow from nearly $70 billion in 2025 to $100 billion ​by 2030, despite repeated U.S. threats against countries that trade with the Kremlin or continue to purchase Russian crude. At the same time, New Delhi has managed to maintain its close ties with Washington in a way that most other BRICS governments, including Beijing, have........

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