HT Morning Brief September 13: New Delhi Declaration at BRICS; XI's peace plan; India faces Sri Lanka in Asia Cup final

Good morning! Here’s a quick catch-up on today’s top stories. From the India-led BRICS Summit and major global developments to the latest from the worlds of sports and entertainment, stay up to date with everything you need to know in our news brief.

BRICS leaders on Saturday unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th Summit in New Delhi. The document outlined the group’s position on global conflicts, terrorism, trade, climate, technology and development.

The 140-point declaration, titled “New Delhi Declaration — Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” backed India and Brazil for a bigger UN role, opposed the Israeli war in Gaza, pushed for local-currency trade and endorsed India-led initiatives on financial risk, AI and big-cat conservation. Read More .

BRICS must chart the course of global reform to ensure that the Global South has a greater say in decision-making and the existing “pyramid of privilege” in global governance makes way for a “platform of partnership”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the BRICS Summit on Saturday amid growing geopolitical fragmentation.

Modi unveiled a 10-point roadmap for global governance reform under the BRICS framework and proposed a “Seafarers’ Emergency Support Network” to safeguard mariners facing heightened risks due to regional conflicts. Read More .

BRICS member states should be pioneers in maintaining global peace and stability, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday, outlining four proposals for peace in West Asia, where the conflict has caused severe losses for the region.

Urging BRICS states to be pioneers in maintaining peace and stability, Xi said change and chaos are increasing because of the fracturing of the post-war global order and the failure to uphold the UN Charter. “The BRICS countries should stand firm, uphold justice and strive to eliminate conflict and maintain peace,” he said. Read More .

Two years on, the wound remains. In 2024, Sri Lanka lifted the Women’s T20 Asia Cup trophy in Dambulla, but for India the memory of that night has not faded. On Sunday, the two sides clash again for the title in Dubai, India chasing an eighth continental title across both white-ball formats—three of them T20 crowns—and Sri Lanka determined to defend the title.

India has arrived with the firepower to reclaim their crown. Sri Lanka have the confidence of defending champions and the memory of having already beaten India when it mattered most. Read More

The Venice Film Festival awarded its top prize on Saturday to a Danish-made drama about a woman trying to hide a wartime relationship with a Nazi, the only feature film with a female director in the competition.

"Unknown Woman" had been a major talking point of the festival due to its subject matter, which has rarely been explored in film, and because director May el-Toukhy was almost alone as a woman director in the event. Read More .

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