Iran launches national AI assistant to accelerate scientific research
New platform aims to streamline data analysis, academic writing and access to advanced computing tools

TV BRICS

4 February 2026

Iran has introduced a new artificial intelligence assistant designed to support researchers and modernise scientific workflows across the country. The platform has been developed to empower the national research community by providing integrated access to advanced AI tools within a single digital environment.

UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to restitution of African cultural heritage
Cultural cooperation and shared responsibility take centre stage in discussions on heritage and identity

TV BRICS

UNESCO reiterated its firm commitment to the restitution of African cultural heritage, emphasising that the return of displaced cultural property is a cultural right, an act of historical justice, and an essential element of people's identities, according to ENA, a partner of TV BRICS.  

SA’s accession to Afreximbank a turning point for continental economic integration

5 February 2026

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described South Africa’s accession to the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) as a major milestone in advancing Africa’s economic integration, industrial development and intra-continental trade.

SA Medical Research Council conducts groundbreaking HIV vaccine trial in humans

5 February 2026

The first participant in the BRILLIANT 011 first-in-human clinical trial for the HIV vaccine has been enrolled at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) site at the Groote Schuur Hospital.

Zimbabwe expands summer cereal plantings beyond 100,000 hectares
TV BRICS

4 February 2026

Agricultural authority strengthens strategic grain reserves and advances rural development goals⁠

Zimbabwe’s Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) has surpassed 101,000 hectares under maize and traditional grains for the 2025/26 summer season, marking the highest cereal hectarage in its history. This is reported by The Herald, a partner of TV BRICS. 

The result supports the country’s Strategic Grain Reserve and reinforces national food security efforts as implementation of National Development Strategy 2 (2026–2030). Officials noted that ARDA’s production drive highlights the country’s growing capacity to secure grain supplies for both strategic reserves and market needs. 

CMG completes third rehearsal for 2026 Spring Festival Gala
Culture

4 January 2026
CGTN

China Media Group (CMG) successfully completed the third rehearsal for its 2026 Spring Festival Gala on Saturday. Alongside the main venue in Beijing, four sub-venues in the cities of Harbin, Yiwu, Hefei and Yibin, located in Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Anhui and Sichuan provinces respectively, made their debut during the latest rehearsal and enhanced the gala's overall coherence.

Featuring original music, dance, opera and martial arts, the show continues to take shape in a festive and uplifting atmosphere, vividly reflecting the dynamism of China in a new era.

Russia once again invites young actors from BRICS+ countries to take part in theatre arts fellowship
TV BRICS

3 February 2026

The programme includes masterclasses led by leading instructors, attendance at performances, and a final creative showcase

In 2026, young drama theatre actors from BRICS+ countries will once again come to Moscow to participate in the InteRussia Theatre Arts Fellowship programme. The programme is organised by the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts – GITIS in cooperation with the Gorchakov Fund, the TV BRICS International Media Network and the Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation "Mezhdunarodniki". The fellowship is held as part of Rossotrudnichestvo’s flagship initiative “New Generation” with the support of the Presidential Grants Foundation.

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Reset - Stability Through Participation, Sovereignty Through the People

By Kirtan Bhana

3 February 2026

The publication of Kazakhstan’s draft new Constitution on 31 January marks a pivotal moment in the country’s post-independence political evolution. More than a legal document, the proposed Constitution represents a conscious recalibration of the relationship between state, society and citizen, one that seeks to anchor stability not in concentration of power, but in participation, legitimacy, and human-centred governance.

Calls for renewed push to ramp up Africa’s infrastructure

2 February 2026

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for renewed political commitment, stronger institutional support and sustainable financing to fast-track Africa’s infrastructure development. 

Communities important to wetland conservation

2 February 2026

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Deputy Minister Narend Singh, in partnership with the City of Cape Town, is today marking World Wetlands Day at the Rondevlei section of the False Bay Nature Reserve -- one of South Africa’s internationally recognised RAMSAR sites.

Relief for consumers as fuel prices decrease

2 February 2026

Petrol and diesel prices will drop between 50c and 65c from this Wednesday, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) has announced.