Spiralling food and oil prices dominated the first day of the G8 summit in Japan. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, arrived at the summit calling for the launch of a ‘global action plan’ to tackle rising food prices.

Targeted aid is getting good results in Africa, but the G8 are falling further behind on meeting their commitments, a new report from the organisation set up by U2 frontman Bono, has said.

Christian Aid will push for a follow-on agreement to the Kyoto Protocol to include large-scale financial support for developing nations from the rich industrialised world at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali starting tomorrow.

On the day Tony Blair stood down as British Prime Minister, the relief agency Christian Aid joined many others in applauding his achievements but expressing disappointment at "a job half done" on poverty and development.