AID for Africa — and whether enough was coming from the world’s biggest economic powers — was in the spotlight as the Group of Eight nations met with seven African leaders at its annual summit.

US President George Bush labelled Zimbabwe’s election a sham today as G8 leaders kicked off their annual summit.

The G8 leaders pledged today to lift Africa out of poverty and proposed a $60bn plan to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s pledge to ban militant Islamic groups will be seen by Muslims as “stifling legitimate political dissent”, a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir said today.

French President Jacques Chirac congratulated rocker Bob Geldof and Bono for their tireless campaigning against poverty in Africa, as they met at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the US Embassy in Copenhagen today to protest a visit by President George Bush amid one of the biggest security operations Denmark has ever seen.

Katie Fry, Singapore

Tony Blair will today recognise the “critical role” to be played by the private sector in combating poverty in Africa.

The G8 summit risks disappointing anti-poverty campaigners like Bob Geldof and Bono, Chancellor Gordon Brown admitted today.

President George Bush begins his fourth trip to Europe this year in Denmark, dining with royalty and saying thanks to a wartime ally.

French President Jacques Chirac took a moment during a weekend meeting with the leaders of Russia and Germany to make jokes about British food and mad cow disease, according to a French newspaper today.

IT was a day when hope and history rhymed, when, to paraphrase, the-once-in-a-lifetime longed for tidal wave of justice rose. And we all believed in miracles and cures and healing wells.

Pope Benedict XVI expressed hope today that leaders at the G-8 summit will take concrete action to help wipe out poverty in Africa and share the costs of reducing the continent’s foreign debt.

THE cuts in European Union sugar subsidies announced yesterday are likely to end Ireland’s sugar industry and put 3,750 beet growers out of work.

ARCHBISHOP Desmond Tutu yesterday called on leaders of the world’s eight richest nations to show the world cares about Africa.

Paul Wolfowitz, who will soon take his first trip to Africa as head of the World Bank, said a case can be made for more development aid to flow to the struggling continent.

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