BROWN'S G8 PLEDGE.

G8 WORLD leaders will be urged by Gordon Brown today to boost aid to Africa and curb soaring oil prices.

A fresh commitment to meet previous aid pledges and radical plans to end petrol dependency are top of the UK's agenda at the summit in Japan.

Talks between the leading industrial nations will focus on the poor state of the world economy-including the impact of soaring oil and food prices.

The Prime Minister wants them to use the opportunity to reaffirm a commitment made at the 2005 Gle-neagles summit to double international aid by 2010.

With the G8 off track to meet that pledge, charities fear the global slowdown could push rich countries to cut help still further. But Mr Brown will argue they should intensify efforts in developing nations to stimulate recovery globally.

He is also looking for a signal of real intent to switch to greener cars and other fuel efficiencies to reduce the price of oil.

The leaders of the G8 - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, America and Russia - are meeting in a mountain-top hotel on Japan's northern Hokkaido island.

Other issues under the spotlight include Zimbabwe, on which they are expected to back tougher sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime - and climate change.

Last year's G8 secured an agreement for all nations, including the US, to "seriously consider" cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050. US president George Bush, at his final G8 summit, will resist pressure to go further without the inclusion of emerging nations such as China, India and Brazil, whose leaders, along with Mexico's, will join the G8 for talks tomorrow. It is the widest summit yet as the new global picture forces it to look beyond its 1970s-era membership.

Australia, South Korea and Indonesia will also be added to that list for the closing stages as the major economies gather for what is being dubbed the G8+8.

The leaders faced criticism after it was revealed they tucked into a lavish dinner following talks with African leaders about tackling soaring food prices and shortages.

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G8 D-DAY: From left, Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, EC President Jose Manuel Barroso, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, US President George Bush, Japanese PM Yasuo Fukuda, Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel