A return-to-office requirement from the World Bank is producing grumbling among its staff, although the development lender is

The Irish government is expected to approve more than £42.7m for several all-island projects today.

This is the bizarre moment Vladimir Putin’s voice appeared to be ‘altered’ as he addressed a summit this week. The pre-recorded video of his opening speech raised eyebrows when it was shown to delegates at the BRICS Business Forum in South Africa. Russian journalists posted a 30-second clip of the video on Telegram, with the caption: “Putin addressed the BRICS Business Council via video link, but not with his own voice.” The original clip, which features his regular speaking voice, was posted on the Russian government’s website. It is unclear whether the altered video was a technical fault or had been changed on purpose. Mr Putin was forced to join the summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa remotely after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest in March. The ICC accused Mr Putin of conducting war crimes by unlawfully deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation. All other members of BRICS attended the summit in South Africa, with President Putin dialling in on a video call. Chinese Premier Xi Jinping made a rare trip overseas to be at the bloc’s first in-person summit since before the Covid pandemic. South Africa and Russia share strong ties and have a historically close relationship, but South Africa is also a signatory to the international court’s treaty. That means it would be obliged to arrest Mr Putin on the ICC warrant if he set foot on South African soil. South Africa lobbied for months ahead of the summit to persuade Putin to stay at home so it could avoid the problem, South African officials say. Deputy President Paul Mashatile said last month that Mr Putin was determined to come before an agreement for him to participate virtually was finally announced. “It’s almost like you invite your friend to your house, and then arrest them,” Mashatile said at the time. “That’s why for us his not coming is the best solution. The Russians are not happy, though. They want him to come.” South Africa, the current chair of BRICS, has denied allegations that the bloc is taking an anti-West turn under the influence of China and Russia amid increased West-East geopolitical tensions. “There’s an unfortunate narrative being developed that BRICS is anti-West, that BRICS was created as competition to the G-7 or the Global North, and that is incorrect,” said Anil Sooklal, South Africa’s ambassador to BRICS. “What we do seek is to advance the agenda of the Global South.” Read More Putin’s hit list: from poisoned tea to mysterious falls, the grisly fate of the Kremlin’s enemies Putin ally says he warned Wagner chief Prigozhin ‘to watch out’ for threats to life – Ukraine-Russia war live Russia's Wagner mercenaries face uncertainty after the presumed death of its leader in a plane crash The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

South Africa’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, while warning that inflationary risks persist and that

By Laura Gottesdiener and Daina Beth Solomon MEXICO CITY Deep in the Panamanian jungle, Venezuelan migrant Franca Ramirez

By Jacqueline Thomsen The nomination of former New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney to a U.S. federal appeals

Morgan Stanley cut its rating on Chinese stocks to equal weight Wednesday, saying investors should capitalize on a

Scenes of war can burst with noise or carry a startling stillness.

As a teenager, Dani Butler, 26, had a "weird" and strained relationship with her body

Speaker Kevin McCarthy returns to Washington this week confronting a twin set of challenges: avoiding a costly government shutdown and addressing growing calls on the right to impeach President Joe Biden, despite resistance from the party's moderates.

Oprah Winfrey has openly spoken about being sexually abused at the hands of family members when she was young

Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr and legislative researcher Erin Reed have emerged as a power couple spreading hope to fellow transgender people