World leaders unite to fight Aids and poverty

World leaders clamped a harmonious face on a summit simmering with Iraq war disputes today, striking a united front with pledges of billions of dollars to fight Aids and hunger in poor nations.

The meeting’s most closely watched moment was the welcoming handshake between French President Jacques Chirac and US President George W Bush, whose wartime differences led to angry recriminations on both sides of the Atlantic. They greeted each other with polite smiles, a brief handshake and small talk before walking into a luncheon with other presidents and prime ministers.