Gleneagles

As Britain reeled with shock following Thursday’s bomb attacks in London, campaigners feared that the Group of Eight’s (G8) lofty ambitions on Africa and Earth’s climate would be pushed aside amid the outpouring of grief. Campaigners fear that their causes now face being dispatched back to the wilderness.

Britain is painting a misleadingly flattering picture of its commitments to do more in the fight against poverty in Africa, a leading development group said on Tuesday. ”The British government is very good at PR, at spinning what really is going on,” said Peter Hardstaff from the World Development Movement.

Leaders of the world’s eight richest and most powerful nations converge on a heavily-guarded luxury Scottish golf resort on Wednesday, facing the daunting twin challenges of pulling Africa out of dire poverty and slamming the brakes on global warming.