BRICS health claims spark scrutiny after India summit

BRICS health claims have sparked scrutiny after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa became unwell following the summit in New Delhi. His office confirmed that doctors advised him to rest and recover after he returned to South Africa. Meanwhile, social media users circulated unverified claims about Chinese President Xi Jinping's health after his early departure from India. Indian authorities have rejected broader claims that several leaders fell ill because of the summit. Read more : Iran and UAE back joint BRICS statement urging restraint in war Ramaphosa returned home on Monday after attending the BRICS summit and later withdrew from public engagements. His office said he would rest on medical advice while ministers represented him at scheduled events where necessary. The presidency did not disclose details about his illness. His confirmed health issue helped fuel wider online speculation about other leaders who attended the meeting. Xi's departure also generated speculation after he left India before other leaders and skipped the summit dinner. The Chinese president had attended the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. Social media posts later made unsupported claims about his health, including allegations of a serious medical emergency. However, there has been no official confirmation that Xi suffered such an illness. India's Ministry of External Affairs fact-checking unit has warned against posts claiming that multiple BRICS leaders became sick after the summit. The ministry described the circulating claims as misleading and urged users to avoid spreading them. The clarification came as online posts linked the alleged illnesses to food served during the gathering. No verified evidence has established that summit food caused illness among participating leaders. The BRICS summit brought together leaders and representatives from the expanded 11-member grouping in New Delhi. The meeting focused on economic cooperation, development, global governance and other international issues. India hosted the summit as the bloc continued efforts to strengthen cooperation among its increasingly diverse members. The gathering ended with the adoption of a joint declaration covering several areas of international concern. The health rumours have continued to attract attention because of the high-profile nature of the summit. Ramaphosa's illness remains the only confirmed case among the claims cited in the supplied report. At the same time, authorities have rejected suggestions that multiple leaders fell ill because of the event. Further information about individual leaders' health will depend on official statements from their respective governments.