BRICS News: This week’s BRICS Roundup covers all 11 member states, from China’s 140th Canton Fair and India’s IDBI Bank sale to a joint naval exercise off Cape Town, a new museum show in Abu Dhabi and Indonesia’s decision to accept foreign help against forest fires. Each item below is drawn from official or national sources published between 8 and 16 October 2026.
Key facts
- China’s Canton Fair opened its 140th session on 15 October with about 32,000 exhibitors.
- India approved the sale of a 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank to Fairfax for Rs 52,878 crore.
- The Indian, Brazilian and South African navies are holding IBSAMAR IX off South Africa from 12 to 22 October.
- Saudi surgeons separated Fijian conjoined twins in a 12-hour-45-minute operation, the 74th under the kingdom’s programme.
- Indonesia will accept fire-fighting help offered by Malaysia and Singapore.
Brazil
Brazil’s services sector slipped 0.1% in August after a flat July, the statistics office IBGE said on 14 October. Year on year, volume rose 0.6%. Services to families was the only segment to grow, up 2.1%, while the tourism activity index climbed 2.5% for a second straight monthly gain. Separately, the Brazilian Navy frigate BNS Barroso is taking part in the IBSAMAR exercise with India and South Africa.
Russia
Russia shipped grain through the Arctic port of Murmansk for the first time in October, with a first lot of about 40,000 tonnes of wheat from the Stavropol region, according to Russian media reports summarised on 13 October. Murmansk, about 2,700 km from Novorossiysk, has adapted fertiliser-loading equipment for grain. “Russian producers have several reliable options for export logistics,” port operations director Andrei Riznichenko told Reuters.
India
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 14 October approved the sale of 60.72% of IDBI Bank to Canada’s Fairfax Financial for Rs 52,878 crore, at Rs 81 per share. The government sells 30.48% and LIC 30.24%; together they keep 34%. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called it a “milestone”. The privatisation was first cleared in May 2021, and Emirates NBD was the other final bidder.
China
The China Import and Export Fair, better known as the Canton Fair, opened its 140th session in Guangzhou on 15 October, its 70th anniversary year. About 32,000 exhibitors are taking part, and green products make up a record 26% of exhibits. Premier Li Qiang described China as both a “super seller” and a “super buyer”. Over seven decades the fair has recorded about $1.6 trillion in deals. It runs until 4 November.
South Africa
South Africa is hosting IBSAMAR IX, the ninth India-Brazil-South Africa maritime exercise, from Simon’s Town between 12 and 22 October. The South African Navy has committed SAS Amatola, SAS King Sekhukhune I, SAS Adam Kok III and the submarine SAS Manthatisi. The theme is “Stronger Together Towards a Shared Future in the Maritime Domain”. Drills cover anti-submarine warfare, anti-piracy and search and rescue.
Egypt
Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk told investors at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok that perceived risk on Egypt is at its “lowest level since 2014”. He cited 5.1% growth and a 4.9% primary surplus for the fiscal year to June 2026. The World Bank’s October outlook is more cautious, with government debt at 79.2% of GDP, down from 82.5%, and external financing needs near $28 billion.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s House of Peoples’ Representatives approved Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s new 22-member cabinet on 8 October, Fana and ENA reported. Fitsum Assefa becomes finance minister, Temesgen Tiruneh deputy prime minister and Gedion Timothewos keeps foreign affairs. Women lead nine ministries, about 41% of the total. Four ministries were renamed, including a new Ministry of National Strategy replacing Planning and Development.
Iran
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi on 14 October about Yemen and regional stability, IRNA reported. At his weekly briefing on 12 October, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had “repeatedly expressed readiness to use our good offices” to support dialogue between the parties in Yemen. Oman has long served as a channel for talks involving Iran.
Saudi Arabia
A 34-member team at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in Riyadh separated Fijian conjoined twins, joined at the abdomen and pelvis, in a 12-hour-45-minute operation, Arab News and KSrelief said on 15 October. The surgery was led by Dr Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and was the 74th under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme. Over 35 years it has assessed 159 cases from 28 countries.
UAE
Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi announced its first temporary exhibition, “Tracks Through Time: The Camel in Society, Trade and Art”, opening in early December for the museum’s first anniversary. It traces about 7,000 years of camel history, with archaeological loans from the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Dubai Culture. Director Peter Magee said it “celebrates the camel’s profound significance”.
Indonesia
Indonesia will accept foreign help against its worst fire season in more than a decade, Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir confirmed on 15 October after President Prabowo Subianto approved it. Malaysia and Singapore have offered assistance, and the disaster agency BNPB is working out details. “This is a very serious matter,” Nasir said. Fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, worsened by El Niño, have sent haze across the region.
What links these stories?
Trade routes. Grain heading north to the Arctic, Chinese exporters courting buyers from nearly 200 countries, a Gulf bank bidding for an Indian lender and three navies drilling together off Africa. More context is in our IMF outlook report and the Culture section.
FAQ
How many countries are BRICS members in 2026?
Eleven: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia. India holds the 2026 presidency.
When does the 140th Canton Fair close?
It runs in three phases from 15 October to 4 November 2026 in Guangzhou.
Sources: Xinhua; CGTN; The Federal; DD India; The Rio Times (IBGE); Reuters via gCaptain; The Rio Times (Egypt); The Rio Times (Ethiopia); IRNA via IANS; Arab News; The National; The Nation.
