The G-8 summit that US President George Bush and seven other world leaders are attending next weekend in Russia is often billed as a gathering of the world’s leading economic powers.

Iran will respond in mid-August to the Western incentives for a rolling back of its nuclear programme, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today.

President Vladimir Putin today dismissed calls for Russia’s dismissal from the Group of Eight as a product of a Cold War mentality and said leaders of the G-8 nations support Russia’s presidency.

British Prime Minster Tony Blair said today his plan to ease African debt was making good progress among G8 leaders.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today that Washington was hoping to make progress toward more open inspections of Russian nuclear installations before a May meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President George Bush.

George Bush appealed to his big-power allies on today to do more to guide Iraq’s transformation into a stable democracy, saying the “Iraqi people need help” to defend themselves, rebuild their country and hold elections.

President George Bush, bolstered by the prospect of allied support for a new UN resolution on Iraq, hopes to use the annual summit of powerful countries to heal the rift with Europe over American policies in the Middle East.

After winning new funds for fighting Aids, world leaders at the G8 summit turned their attention today to global problems like terrorism, nuclear proliferation and the world economy.

An Italian police officer is being investigated for possible manslaughter after a protester was shot dead at the G8 summit.

She’s done it so many times, it takes Chiara Cassurino only a few minutes to get ready.