The Latest: Prime Minister Modi invites pope to visit India

The Latest connected the radical of 20 acme taking spot successful Rome:

VATICAN CITY — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Pope Francis to sojourn the country, aft plans for a sojourn successful 2017 fell apart.

Modi made the invitation Saturday during a lengthy gathering astatine the Vatican earlier helium headed to articulation the Group of 20 acme successful Rome.

In a tweet, Modi wrote: “Had a precise lukewarm gathering with Pope Francis. I had the accidental to sermon a wide scope of issues with him and besides invited him to sojourn India.”

The Vatican’s authoritative communique said lone that Modi’s sojourn with the Vatican’s caput of authorities was little and that “the cordial relations betwixt the Holy See and India were discussed.”

Francis had hoped to sojourn India and Bangladesh successful 2017. After negotiations with the Indian authorities dragged on, Francis went alternatively to Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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ROME — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the U.K. volition donate 20 cardinal doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to processing countries arsenic portion of efforts to stock vaccines with countries that sorely deficiency them.

Johnson made the announcement arsenic helium arrived successful Rome for a acme of Group of 20 leaders, which starts Saturday.

The U.K. says 10 cardinal doses person been sent to the United Nations-backed COVAX vaccine-sharing program, and 10 cardinal much volition travel successful the coming weeks.

They articulation 10 cardinal doses that person already been delivered, and signifier portion of Britain’s committedness to stock 100 cardinal doses with needier nations by mid-2022.

Johnson urged the nine of economical powers to propulsion to vaccinate the satellite by the extremity of 2022, saying that “our archetypal precedence arsenic the G-20 indispensable beryllium to property up with the rapid, equitable and planetary organisation of vaccines.”

Britain and different affluent nations person been accused of hoarding much vaccines than they need, portion immoderate countries, particularly successful Africa, person fewer oregon none. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a World Health Organization wellness envoy, has urged G-20 nations to velocity things up and airlift unused doses to the processing world.

The British person besides is hoping to absorption the G-20’s minds connected clime commitments arsenic helium prepares to big a U.N. clime acme successful Glasgow, Scotland, starting Sunday.