July 10

[mood]

♠ Warm up Questions

1. What happened inside and outside of our country over the week?
   Please be a nice reporter who doesn't cheat the script and delivers useful tips to our         members.    

2. I can't remember exactly when Ms. Lim said to us, " I really enjoyed swimming  in the nude under the moonlight in that island." While listening to her story, I could  draw a picture of that moment. Of course, the picture in my imagination was focused  on the beauty of the island, not her figure itself.  Today I'd like to listen to your story that happened under the moonlight. It might be beautiful romance, embarrassing moments, or cherishable memories.
   ( Please prepare another story except swimming, boss.)

♠ Main Questions 

1. Can you tell us about the history of G8 including the name, members, aims, and 2005    summit agenda?
  Are there any specific characteristics compare to other international institutes?

2. What is your message for the G8?  I mean what do you want to tell the G8 leaders?
 President George W Bush ruled out the possibility of US backing for any Kyoto-style   deal on climate change at the summit, during an interview on Monday with British  broadcaster ITV.

 Do you have a message for the G8 leaders? What concerns you the most? Is it  poverty, climate change or maybe something else?

   ( For better understanding, I'll leave a message.

      My biggest concern is poverty. I am 15 and strongly believe that we are the new generation and it is now our chance to make poverty history. If we cannot -then who can? It's time now to step into the shoes of the 30million African children who die every year from hunger and disease, it's time to make a difference, before it is too late.      from Laura, Sheffield  )

3. Do you have anything to add which is related to G8 stories?

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<More protests ahead of G8 meeting >

Anti-poverty protests have been continuing ahead of next week's G8 summit at Gleneagles.
Protest group G8 Alternatives held what it labelled the "biggest day of political debate and discussion" in Scottish history, in Edinburgh.

Youngsters from all over the world have also been taking part in Unicef's first children's "C8" summit in Dunblane.

Police said Saturday's anti-poverty march in Edinburgh, which attracted about 225,000 people, was trouble-free.

Meanwhile, a small flotilla of yachts, without any protesters on board, sailed into Portsmouth after Bob Geldof's call for boats to bring people over from France to join demonstrations around the summit.

The Sail 8 boats had set sail for Cherbourg from UK ports on Friday but only a handful of vessels reached Portsmouth on Sunday afternoon.

Sail 8 spokesman Don Brind admitted: "It is disappointing. You have to try things. Some work, but others do not, and we have to concede that this didn't.

"Still, being positive, this was a valuable contribution to the Live 8 events," he maintained.

'Great cause'

On Saturday, an estimated 225,000 protesters marched in Edinburgh as part of the Make Poverty History campaign as musicians performed in Live 8 concerts around the globe.

The marchers in Edinburgh called for the G8 leaders meeting at Gleneagles from Wednesday to make a commitment to tackle poverty in Africa.

It coincided with the Live 8 concerts in 10 cities around the world, including London.

Lothian and Borders Police paid tribute to the crowd for the trouble-free atmosphere and organisers for their "meticulous planning and co-operation".

On Sunday Chancellor Gordon Brown told the BBC that progress has been made in tackling poverty but it would take more than one G8 meeting to determine Africa's long-term future.

Children's summit

More than 5,000 people were expected to attend eight G8 Alternatives sessions across Edinburgh on subjects ranging from the future of Africa to war and globalisation.
More than 200 international speakers were due to take part, including Ken Wiwa, son of the executed Nigerian novelist Ken Saro-Wiwa; former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Moazzam Begg; Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector and MP George Galloway.

In Dunblane, children from all over the world who have visited Ethiopia with Unicef to see poverty at first hand gathered for the charity's first C8 summit.

Over three days the delegates will draw up a manifesto about issues they think the G8 should address.

A similar event, the J8, was taking place in Edinburgh drawn from pupils from eight schools across the UK.

Hundreds of demonstrators took part in a march organised by the Stop the War coalition from the Mound to Calton Hill in Edinburgh on Sunday.

It was led by the Respect MP George Galloway and culminated in an "Iraq Naming the Dead" ceremony.

Police are concerned about the Carnival for Full Enjoyment, due to be held on Monday, because of the prospect of anarchists disrupting the centre of Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, Live 8 organisers Geldof, Richard Curtis and Bono have written an open letter to G8 delegates urging them to "be great".

"For God's sake, take this seriously - don't behave normally," they write.

"Don't look for compromises."

<Protesters in court ahead of G8 >
 
Long road to justice? Bob Geldof gets on a train to Edinburgh
Protesters arrested on Monday are appearing in court in Edinburgh as fresh protests get under way ahead of the G8 summit.

Live8 organiser Bob Geldof has called violent protesters "idiots" and said Monday's clashes were a side issue.

The summit starts on Wednesday, with climate change, global trade, aid for Africa and debt relief on the agenda.

African leaders meeting in Libya have appealed to G8 leaders for full cancellation of Africa's debts.

A resolution, approved by African Union heads of state, calls on G8 leaders to "fully embrace" the recommendations of the UK-backed Commission for Africa - which include 100% debt relief - and "to act expeditiously on them".

In other key developments:

  * British Prime Minister Tony Blair opened a London business event, saying "the         private sector is the engine for growth in Africa".
  * South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel questions G8 leaders' commitment to      Africa as the continent does not pose a threat to their future or security.
  * UK Chancellor Gordon Brown said the summit will be a chance to bring the whole      world together - but acknowledged to the BBC that campaigners might be              disappointed with the results.
  * Breakthroughs have been reached on debt cancellation and aid ahead of the meeting,      but progress has yet to be made on fair trade and climate change.
  * President Bush has said the US will not agree to a Kyoto-style deal on climate         change as it will damage the US economy.

Protester anger

Earlier on Tuesday police set out their plans to ensure a peaceful protest in the town of Auchterarder, near the summit venue, on Wednesday.

Tayside chief constable John Vine said months of preparation had taken place for the march, which will be licensed for only 5,000 people. He said the police would take "robust action" if they encounter people who are prepared to break the law. Earlier, there was a brief bomb scare in Auchterarder.

In Edinburgh, three anti-poverty activists chained themselves to the top of a crane to highlight their objections to Mr Brown's promotion of free-market solutions for Africa.

About 150 environmental activists are staging a peaceful protest at an oil refinery in Grangemouth, about 30 kilometres from Edinburgh.

On Monday, demonstrators fought running battles with 1,000 police in Edinburgh. Nearly 100 protesters were arrested and are now appearing in court, facing charges related to breach of the peace, alleged drugs and weapons offences and obstructing the police.

It is unclear who caused the violence and while the police have been accused of using "heavy-handed" tactics, they insist their response was "proportionate".

One world?

For many, the meeting is a defining moment in current world politics, as an upswell of popular support is calling on the G8 leaders to make fundamental changes to the way rich countries deal with poorer nations.
 
"We have got to bring the whole of the world together. What Britain says is one thing; what we can persuade the rest of the world to do together is what we will get, is the outcome from Gleneagles," Chancellor Gordon Brown said ahead of the meeting.

Some breakthroughs have been made, with G8 nations agreeing to double aid for poor countries and offer 100% debt relief.

Other key topics are fair trade and climate change and leaders are also likely to talk about the impact of high oil prices and exchange rates on economic stability.

President George W Bush downplayed expectations over trade deals and climate change in an interview with ITV on Monday.

Five big developing countries will take part in the talks on climate change - China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

Mr Bush said a deal on dropping its farm subsidies - which African states say is vital for fair trade - would only happen if the EU ditched its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
 
<Africa calls on G8 to scrap debt>
 
African leaders want to see all of the continent's debt cancelled 
Leaders at the African Union summit in Libya have called for full debt cancellation for all African nations on the eve of the G8 meeting in Scotland.

They welcomed last month's $40bn debt relief package already agreed by the G8, but said they wanted all of Africa's debt to be written off.

The summit statement called for fairer trade with the developed world and an end to agricultural subsidies.

The leaders pressed for two permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

A decision on which two countries these should be was put off.

The leaders said debt forgiveness "must be applied by all creditors (multinational, bilateral and commercial), including the African Development Bank" and that "all African countries must benefit from this measure".

The end-of-summit statement also called for "the abolition of subsidies that stand as an obstacle to trade" and for the adoption of a "calendar" for the abolition of these subsidies.

The leaders pledged to step up their efforts to end war and political instability and improve standards of governance to attract investment to the continent.

Several of the heads of state have been invited to G8 summit which opens on Wednesday in Gleneagles and which will, among other things, look at ways of helping Africa out of poverty.

Fair trade

African Union chairman and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo told the 53 delegates at the summit in the coastal town of Sirte that the continent was moving from a past of military coups to a future of good governance.

Mr Obasanjo, who will be attending the G8 summit called for "massive" financial help from the West.

"This is not the time for a lot of talk but more of a time for serious and concerted action," he told the gathering.

Mr Obasanjo's remarks contrasted with those of Col Muammar Gaddafi on Monday, who said Africa should refuse all conditional aid and some offers of help from former colonial powers.

In a 30-minute speech which received muted applause from African leaders, the Libyan leader said: "We are not beggars at the doorsteps of the rich.

"If you give a poor man money, you don't ask him to change his clothes or the way he prays."

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told reporters in Sirte most countries would prefer to use trade to lift themselves out of poverty than live on handouts.

He said the challenge beyond aid would be the abandonment of restrictive trade embargoes and subsidies so that the countries of Africa could compete more fairly.

Meanwhile, a conference of international business leaders and six African presidents is under way in London, charged with drawing up an action plan for development in Africa to present to the G8.

<Bush rejects Kyoto-style G8 deal> 
 
Bush says new technologies are the way forward
President George W Bush has ruled out US backing for any Kyoto-style deal on climate change at the G8 summit.

Speaking to British broadcaster ITV, he said he would instead be talking to fellow leaders about new technologies as a way of tackling global warming.

But he conceded that the issue was one "we've got to deal with" and said human activity was "to some extent" to blame.

Tony Blair is hoping for agreements on climate change and Africa when he hosts the summit in Scotland this week.

Mr Bush said he would resist measures that were similar to the 1997 UN Kyoto Protocol, involving legally binding reductions on carbon emissions, which Washington never ratified.

"If this looks like Kyoto, the answer is no," he said in an interview with ITV's Tonight With Trevor McDonald programme to be broadcast on Monday.

"The Kyoto treaty would have wrecked our economy, if I can be blunt."

He said he hoped the other G8 leaders would "move beyond the Kyoto debate" and consider new technologies.

He said the US was investing in developing clean energy techniques such as sequestration of carbon dioxide in underground wells, hydrogen-powered cars and zero emission power stations.

Divided opinion

UK Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett told the BBC's Today programme that negotiations were likely to "go to the wire".

"I think what matters more than the exact theology is where people end up," she said.

"What we hope for is quite an ambitious action plan on steps that the international community can take and also agreement to try to take forward discussion and dialogue about the future."

French President Jacques Chirac has said he is hopeful of reaching a deal on climate change, but German environment minister Juergen Trittin said he was "very sceptical on the willingness of the US to move".

One of Mr Bush's main domestic critics on global warming, Senator John McCain, called the president's approach on the issue "disgraceful".

"I'm not quite sure how you'll bridge the gap," he told the BBC's Today programme, but he said he hoped the president and Mr Blair would be able to forge a compromise.

Farm subsidies

In the ITV interview, Mr Bush showed signs of coming into line with general world opinion by describing climate change as "a significant, long-term issue that we've got to deal with".

He has previously opposed action on climate change in favour of further studies on the issue.

But he rejected the idea he should support the British prime minister's G8 plan in return for his support over Iraq.

"Tony Blair made decisions on what he thought was best for keeping the peace and winning the war on terror, as I did," he said.

"So I go to the G8 not really trying to make him look bad or good, but I go to the G8 with an agenda that I think is best for our country."

On the issue of tackling African poverty, President Bush signalled he was ready to abandon US farm subsidies - but only if the European Union was prepared to scrap its Common Agricultural Policy.

Farm subsidies are said to unfairly distort the world market faced by African farmers.

"We've got agricultural subsidies, [but] not nearly to the extent that our friends in the EU have," he said.

The G8 leaders - from Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US - meet in Gleneagles on Wednesday for the start of the three-day summit.

<Millions rock to Live 8 message >
 
The world's biggest music stars have united in concerts around the globe to put pressure on political leaders to tackle poverty in Africa.
Concerts in 10 cities, including London, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg, Rome and Moscow played to hundreds of thousands of people.

A TV audience of several hundred million were watching the gigs, ahead of the G8 summit of leaders next week.

Bob Geldof said the day had been "full of hope and possibility and life".

In London Madonna, U2, Coldplay, Sir Elton John and Sting all performed.

Almost all of the singers involved took the opportunity to explain their reasons for performing.

Taking to the stage Madonna asked the crowd: "Are you ready to start a revolution? Are you ready to change history? I said, are you ready?"

She was joined on stage by 24-year-old Birhan Woldu, one of the starving children featured in the original Live Aid concert who was helped thanks to money raised 20 years ago.

In Philadelphia, Destiny's Child, Jay Z and Bon Jovi were among the big name performers.

Actor and singer Will Smith who hosted the concert said: "More than 200 hundred years ago, just down the block, America declared its independence.

"Today we all gather here to declare our interdependence. Today we hold this truth to be self-evident; We are all in this together."

In Canada, Bryan Adams and Neil Young entertained the crowd, while the Pet Shop Boys played in front of Red Square in Moscow.

In Tokyo, which had been the first of the concerts to start, Bjork performed, while in Berlin Green Day were among the big name stars.

In Johannesburg the biggest cheer of the night was for former leader Nelson Mandela.

He told the crowd that the G8 leaders had a "historic opportunity to open the door to hope and the possibility of a better future for all".

More than 200,000 people were at the concert in Hyde Park, London, while thousands more watched via big screens at locations around the UK.

Will Smith hosted the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia

The Who and Pink Floyd, who had reformed with original singer Roger Waters, were the final two bands to take to the stage.

The concert climaxed with a finale of Paul McCartney and all the other performers singing the chorus to the Beatles' hit Hey Jude.

Sir Paul said: "Everybody who's come along today has come for the right reason. We hope that the people, the heads of G8, are listening hard.

"They can't avoid this, they cannot have missed it and all you people who've come along for this message - we love you."

Other London performers included The Scissor Sisters, Keane, Travis, UB40, the Stereophonics and REM.

Earlier U2's Bono , who opened the London concert with Sir Paul McCartney, told the crowd: "This is our moment, this is our time, this is our chance to stand up for what is right.

"We are not looking for charity, we are looking for justice."

The concerts have not been without their critics, however, with some arguing that the campaign is over-simplifying the issue of global poverty.

Some anti-poverty charities and African leaders believe the event is too focused on money, rather than the problems of unequal trade, and good governance in Africa itself.

But Geldof told BBC News: "There's one plan. It's debt; trade and aid and governance. Prime, pump an economy, create good government and we'll get people out of poverty.

"That's what this is about. We'll jump if you jump and we're all jumping on behalf of those who can't even crawl."

More than 26.4 million people from around the world sent text messages on Saturday in support of the Live 8 campaign to cancel the debts of the poorest countries, setting a world record, organisers said.

The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told the crowd in London: "This is really a United Nations. The whole world has come together in solidarity with the poor.

"On behalf of the poor, the voiceless and the weak I say thank you."

In Scotland, where the G8 leaders will meet, more than 200,000 protesters took place in a peaceful march urging the politicians to take action on poverty in Africa.

[mood]

Please read it when you're awake. I don't know if I can finish reading all the articles and how to lead this topic on Sunday. One thing I know is this material is good for upgrading our knowledge toward world problems. Sorry *^*