|
 |
| The world's
biggest leaders are getting ready to come to
Scotland |
World leaders are set to arrive in Scotland for this week's G8 summit.
The meeting will discuss a variety of topics including climate change,
global trade, aid for Africa and debt relief.
Thousands of protesters will converge on Edinburgh and the summit venue
at Gleneagles following a spate of violent clashes with police on Monday.
At a summit in London Tony Blair will call for greater investment in
Africa. He is expected to urge businesses to do more to drive African
growth.
The prime minister will also ask them to help promote a more balanced
view of the continent.
The G8 summit, which includes leaders from the UK, US, France, Germany,
Japan, Russia, Italy and Canada, opens on Wednesday and is set to be
dominated by Africa and global poverty.
Mr Blair, who is chairing the three-day meeting, has pushed the issue
to the top of the agenda and the summit has declared that among its goals
are doubling aid to poor nations and cutting debt.
There have already been some breakthroughs and G8 nations have agreed
to double aid for poor countries and offer 100% debt relief.
Another key topic will be climate change, and leaders also are likely
to talk about the impact of high oil prices and exchange rates on economic
stability.
For many observers and campaigners, the meeting is a defining moment in
current world politics.
An upswell of popular support is calling on the G8 leaders to make
fundamental changes to the way rich countries deal with poorer nations.
Tensions have already surfaced outside of the meeting, with police in
riot gear clashing with hundreds of protesters.
It is unclear who exactly has been causing the trouble, with some
reports blaming black-clad anarchists and anti-capitalist protesters, and
others attributing the trouble to people unconnected with demonstrators.
What is not in doubt is that more protesters are expect to arrive and
make their voices heard at the G8 meeting in Gleneagles.
The BBC's home affairs correspondent Andy Tighe said that in
Gleneagles, demonstrations will be "within earshot of the politicians" and
may stretch police resources even further.
(BBC) | 
Updated: 2005-07-05 09:09
