African Union joins G20 as a permanent member

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The African Union (AU) has been invited to join the G20 as a permanent member.

The G20 summit is being held in South Asia for the first time, with Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron attending,

Two big names – Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping – aren’t at the summit, with representatives attending on their behalf.

The leaders will discuss issues including climate change, food security and debt restructuring for poorer countries.

Indian PM Narendra Modi hopes a successful summit will boost the image he wants of India as a global powerhouse ahead of general elections next year.

But disagreements over Ukraine could make it tough for leaders to agree on a joint declaration.