Nearly 20 countries are on the list of potential candidates, Sergey Ryabkov has said An increasing number of nations are moving towards joining the BRICS bloc, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said. Nearly 20 candidates are currently in the pipeline, with current member states deciding on how to organize the expansion, he said.

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A large lightning bolt struck the spire of the One World Trade Center building in New York City on Saturday night, illuminating the sky over the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The National Weather Service had warned about powerful thunderstorms and severe winds in the New York City area.