Globalise Not!

Meanwhile, having Africa on the agenda has been a headache for the German government. Their concern is that the only story on the G8 and Africa will be about broken promises and how delivery of the 2005 pledges is disastrously off track. In the past few weeks, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has been looking for a good news story - an announcement of an increase in German aid of around €2bn (£1.35bn) is likely - to mask the fact that the G8's agreement in Gleneagles is in danger of falling apart. It has gone to the wire, with still no agreement on how to word the commitment to the 2005 deal. More "sherpa" meetings of officials will be held today and tomorrow ahead of the summit opening on Wednesday.