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India has said it “hopes” all G20 leaders, including Vladimir Putin, are able to attend this year’s summit in person amid increasing questions over the Russian leader’s participation. India, which walks a tightrope between placating the West and maintaining decades-old ties with Russia, is hosting this year’s G20 summit. It has sought the physical participation of leaders, with the awkward possibility emerging that if Mr Putin were to attend, he would be in the same room with Western leaders for the first time since he called for the invasion of Ukraine. India’s foreign ministry said the G20, to be held on 9-10 September, will take the form of a physical summit in Delhi. Signals to Mr Putin’s potential India visit will be closely watched as the Russian leader has continued to avoid many such meetings since the Ukraine war. His attendance would become a significant occasion, as it would be the first time since Russia’s war that he would be face to face with world leaders like Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak and others who have condemned the invasion. “The invitations have gone out to all the G20 members, invitee countries and international organizations,” foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday. “This is a physical summit and we would hope that all the invitees are able to participate in person.” He said there have been confirmations for the summit, but did not share specifics on any world leaders. India becoming the G20 host has given rise to speculation that Mr Putin could travel there because of Moscow’s longstanding ties with Delhi. He had skipped the summit last year when it was hosted by Indonesia. The Kremlin had earlier cleared up Mr Putin’s schedule at the same time as the G20 summit in September to allow the possibility of him flying to India by cancelling a scheduled event. In March, Mr Putin’s aides reportedly pushed the dates by a week for an annual economic forum in Vladivostok, from its earlier 9-10 September date. Russia’s deputy chief of mission Roman Babuskin had earlier told The Hindu newspaper that G20 is “one of the most important events” for Russia. The speculation comes after it emerged that Mr Putin will not attend the Brics summit in South Africa to be held in late August and will send his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov instead. The decision, however, was made because South Africa is a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and if Mr Putin steps on South African soil, there is a chance he could be arrested. The ICC had issued an arrest warrant for him in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.. Russian state media said Mr Putin will instead dial in via video link, while Mr Lavrov will fly down to Johannesburg. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said the decision was “by mutual agreement” as any attempts to arrest Mr Putin would be a declaration of war against Russia. Meanwhile, India last month confirmed Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky will not attend the main G20 conference as invites for the summit this year were sent only to members. “G20 participation is for members of G20,” foreign minister S Jaishankar had said at a press conference marking nine years of the foreign policy of the Narendra Modi government. “And for countries and organisations who we have invited and that list we had declared as soon as we assumed presidency of the G20.” The G20 ministerial meetings held this year in India have revealed the country’s reluctance in referring to the Ukraine invasion. Under the Indian presidency, no clear, joint communiques for the G20 meetings have been issued as officials disagreed in calling the invasion a “war”. In the absence of a joint communique, the G20 chair has been publishing a “chair’s summary” as the main outcome document. On Thursday, India’s foreign ministry said it has “optimism” that G20 leaders would be able to agree to a joint communique at the upcoming meeting. “There have been differences in paragraphs related to Ukraine. But largely, there has been a high degree of convergence among the participants on other issues and that’s a very positive thing,” Mr Bagchi stated. Read More India’s Modi stakes reputation on bringing together a G20 beset by international crises G20 nations raked in $50bn in debt repayments from poor countries since Covid, report finds Vladimir Putin to skip South Africa summit where he faced risk of arrest The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

New Jersey Lt Gov Sheila Oliver has died one day after being hospitalised for treatment for an undisclosed medical issue while serving as acting governor. Ms Oliver was taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston on Monday, while Governor Phil Murphy was in Italy on a family vacation. Her family confirmed her death at the age of 71 in a statement on Tuesday. “It is with incredible sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver, Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey,” the family said in a statement to ABC7. “She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero.” No cause of death has been released. In a statement, Gov Murphy said he and his family were “incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, colleague, and partner in government.” Ms Oliver, a Democrat, was selected as Gov Murphy’s running mate in 2017, and was a “trailblazer in every sense of the word”, he said. In 2010, she became the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the General Assembly, and was the second Black woman in US history to lead a house of a state legislature. “I knew then that her decades of public service made her the ideal partner for me to lead the State of New Jersey. It was the best decision I ever made.” Democratic Senate President Nicholas Scutari is serving as acting governor, the governor’s spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna said. The governor will be returning to the US “soon”, Mr Gunaratna added. Along with serving as Gov Murphy’s top lieutenant, Ms Oliver also oversaw the Department of Community Affairs, which coordinates state aid to towns and cities and supervises code enforcement. She had been twice elected to the lieutenant governor’s role in 2017 and 2021, becoming the second person to hold the post in New Jersey. Born and raised in Newark, Ms Oliver earned a degree in sociology from Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University before being elected to the Essex County board of chosen freeholders in 1996. Ms Oliver had served on the New Jersey assembly since 2004. “She brought a unique and invaluable perspective to our public policy discourse and served as an inspiration to millions of women and girls everywhere, especially young women of colour,” Gov Murphy said in a statement. “Beyond all of that, she was an incredibly genuine and kind person whose friendship and partnership will be irreplaceable.” Ms Oliver’s family requested privacy, and said details of a memorial service would be provided at a later date. Read More New Jersey sues federal highway officials in bid to stop New York City's plan to charge big tolls Manhattan architect, family man and accused serial killer: Who is Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann? Chris Christie slams Trumps as ‘Corleones with no experience’ New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, first Black woman to serve as state Assembly speaker, dies at 71 The first generation of solar panels will wear out. A recycling industry is taking shape Blue blood from horseshoe crabs is valuable for medicine, but a declining bird needs them for food

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Bella Hadid has shared a candid post reflecting on her health journey as she has lived with Lyme disease since 2012. The 26-year-old supermodel shared a health update with her 59.3 million followers on Instagram on Sunday (6 August) and said she is “finally healthy” after more than a decade of struggling with her health. She shared a number of photographs taken during her treatments over the years, showing her receiving drips and injections, laying in hospital beds as nurses gave her medication, and health documents from her medical record. In her lengthy caption, Hadid wrote: “The little me that suffered would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself. Living in this state, worsening with time and work while trying to make myself, my family and the people who support me, proud, has taken a toll on me in ways I can’t really explain.” “To be that sad and sick with the most blessings/privilege opportunity/love around me was quite possibly the most confusing thing ever,” she reflected. She reassured fans that she was “OK and you do not have to worry”, and said that despite her struggles, she “wouldn’t change anything for the world”. “If I had to go through all of this again, to get here, to this exact moment I’m in right now, with all of you, finally healthy, I would do it all again. It made me who I am today,” Hadid continued. The model, who was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world this year, “promised” fans who were also struggling that things “will get better”. “Take a step away, stay strong, have faith in your path, walk your truth and the clouds will start to clear up,” she wrote. “I have so much gratitude for and perspective on life, this 100+ days of Lyme, chronic disease, [co-infection] treatment, almost 15 years of invisible suffering, was all worth it if I’m able to, God-willing, have a lifetime of spreading love from a full cup and being able to truly be myself, for the first time ever.” Hadid explained that she chose photos that were “the most positive” throughout her health journey in an attempt to illustrate how it has been “the most enlightening experience of my life filled with new friends, new visions and a new brain”. She thanked her mother, Yolanda Hadid, who was also diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012 alongside her son and Hadid’s younger brother Anwar, for “keeping all of my medical records, sticking by me, never leaving my side, supporting, but most of all, believing me through all of this”. Hadid also thanked the brands and companies she has worked with, her agents for “protecting me”, and her medical team, adding: “I love you SO much!!!” She told fans that she would be “back when I’m ready”, adding: “I miss you all so much. I love you all so much.” Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks and if usually diagnosed based on symptoms, which include fever, headache, fatigue or skin rash, or laboratory testing. Earlier this year, Hadid spoke about some of the symptoms she gets when her Lyme disease flares up. In a TikTok video, she said: “My skin changes colour, I break out randomly, I get (what feels like) lesions, lethargy, chronic anxiety, zero motivation or purpose, leaky gut, adrenals, depression.” She added that she “hates looking in the mirror or taking pictures” of herself because of how the disease impacts her appearance. “If I’m all dolled up, maybe I’ll try for the girls but, man, is it hard to do this as your profession while also feeling/looking sick like this,” she said. Read More Doing things alone isn’t ‘self-love’ – we don’t need to make everything empowering Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Aniston issue statements over ‘antisemitic’ Instagram post Will Smith says daughter Willow’s ‘mutiny’ changed his view on success Is it heat exhaustion or are you just tired? Will Smith says Willow ‘mutiny’ changed his view on family success Health expert Dr Michael Mosley shares two tips for avoiding osteoporosis

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