Facundo Fernndez Barrio

BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry Donald Trump's hardline trade policies, but are struggling to bridge divides over crises roiling the Middle East. Emerging nations representing about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output are set to unite over what they see as unfair US import tariffs, according to sources familiar with summit negotiations.

BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry Donald Trump's hardline trade policies, but are struggling to bridge divides over crises roiling the Middle East. Emerging nations representing about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output are set to unite over what they see as unfair US import tariffs, according to sources familiar with summit negotiations.

With two months to go, the "COP30 Hotel," spruced up and renamed after the UN climate conference due to take place in the Amazonian city of Belem in November, has zero bookings. The owners had been hoping to cash in on the conference by filling all the rooms with foreign delegates. But the hotel's eye-watering initial rates -- a cool $1,200 per night, which it later lowered to try to drum up business -- were a turnoff.