NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, an analyst with a US defence contractor, is seen in this still image taken from video during an interview by The Guardian in his hotel room in Hong Kong, in this June 6, 2013 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]
An unusually heavy downpour hit Durban for two days before the BRICS summit's debut on African soil, but interest for a better platform for emerging markets were still sparked at the summit.