Fellow-BRICS road: a club expands

<p>The alliance was always based more on common fortunes than common interests. We ask what to make of the six new members, and whether the bloc’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/08/17/the-brics-are-getting-together-in-south-africa?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">motley nature</a> undermines its purpose. Regulation has struggled in an era when children can become “influencers”, but it is starting to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/07/27/regulation-could-disrupt-the-booming-kidfluencer-business?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">catch up</a> (9:36). And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/08/24/bindeshwar-pathak-realised-that-indias-future-depended-on-toilets?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bindeshwar Pathak</a>, who realised India’s future depended on toilets (16:28).</p><br /><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="https://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>