Eurotopics.net

At their summit in South Africa, the five Brics countries have selected six new members from among a number of applicants. On 1 January 2024, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Argentina and Ethiopia will join the group of states, which sees itself as representing the "Global South" and will be called Brics+ in future. What to make of the expansion?

According to a new report by Human Rights Watch, Saudi border guards have killed several hundred migrants since the beginning of 2022. Most of them came from Ethiopia and were trying to flee their war-torn country and cross into Saudi Arabia via Yemen. For commentators, this, together with other serious human rights violations, means it's high time for a different approach vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia.

The Central Bank of Turkey has raised the key interest rate from 17.5 to 25 percent. For years, President Erdoğan resisted high interest rates even as the Turkish lira went into a downwards spiral. But in the last few months the country's finance ministry and central bank have changed tack. The national press discusses the economic prospects that are now emerging.

Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has vetoed a government bill aimed at combating the country's housing crisis on the grounds that proposals put forward by the opposition have not been seriously discussed. The veto forces the Socialists, who govern with an absolute majority, to present the law to parliament for discussion again, but not to make any changes. The national press would like to see the bill reviewed.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and several members of his entourage have apparently been killed in a plane crash. Russian authorities reported the crash on Wednesday evening but have not officially confirmed Prigozhin's death. International reactions make it clear that hardly anyone is surprised by the news. Many commentators in Europe's press also have their doubts about whether this was an accident.