At first glance, the planned BRICS expansion seems unlikely to radically reshape the geopolitical status quo. But against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and mounting tensions between China and the US, the move may well have wider implications for the existing global order, writes Rachel Richards

While global powers jostle for position in the hopes that the greenback’s time at the top of the monetary table is over, one thing remains clear: the US will ultimately decide its fate

In 2009, the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China formed the BRIC association, with South Africa joining a year later. Despite taking some positive steps in the decade since, the disparate economies have not always functioned effectively as a unit