Monday 17th June 2013 the G8 summit of world leaders meets in Northern Ireland.

EU and US agree to launch negotiations on a trans-Atlantic trade deal worth £10bn to UK.
Source: twitter.com

The breakdown of power at the G8 summit. (CNBC)

Why trade?

Trade is key to economic growth and job creation. But in late 2008, global trade saw its steepest fall since the Great Depression. More than four years on trade has still not fully recovered; trade growth fell to 2% in 2012 - well below the 20-year average of over 5% per year.

The European Union is currently negotiating free trade agreements with G8 partners, including Canada and Japan. The EU and US are on track to start negotiations shortly.

Together, they make up around a third of all global trade. An EU-US trade deal could add over £100 billion to EU GDP and over £80 billion to US GDP.

The rest of the world would benefit too, with potential gains of £85 billion worldwide. Overall, this trade agenda could create over two million jobs across the European Union.

Other G8 countries are negotiating ambitious trade agreements. For example, the United States is leading efforts on free trade with the Trans Pacific Partnership, which also includes Canada. Japan is scheduled to participate shortly.

If G8 countries complete all of their current and proposed trade deals it could boost the income of the whole world by more than $1,000 billion.

Learn more ›
Source: gov.uk

G8NotWelcome

People dressed as the leaders of the G8 countries take part in a photocall to raise awareness about the global hunger crisis in front of the Belfast City Hall, Northern Ireland, ahead of the G8 Summit.

The leaders they are dressed as are (L-R) U.S. President Barack Obama, Italy’s Prime Minister Enrico Letta, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, France’s President Francois Hollande, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The IF campaign’s ‘G8 heads’ have made their most dramatic appearance yet, sailing into Lough Erne on a flotilla of longships bearing the message ‘End Tax Dodging’. A very visible reminder to the world leaders meeting nearby that we need them to take decisive action during their two-day summit.

Keep up with the latest developments on our IF@G8 live blog:http://enoughfoodif.org/g8/blog

Obama: Northern Ireland peace will be tested

From USA Today 17 June 2013 - 

Obama: Northern Ireland peace will be tested. President Barack Obama

View Post

I am thinking about G8

Check-in to G8 on GetGlue.com

G8 Summit Twitter Feed

Here’s a feed of top tweets tagged #G8

Tweets about “#G8”

US President Obama arrives for G8 Summit in Northern Ireland

US President Barack Obama and his family arrive at 38(Irish)Brigade Flying Station, Aldergrove in Northern Ireland for the G8 Summit being held at the Lough Erne in Co. Fermanagh. The President was met by Lord Leiutenant Joan Christie, Minister of State for Northern Ireland Mike Penning, Arlene Foster MLA and Michelle O’Neill MLA.

Learn more at www.gov.uk/g8

xxxx

LIVE: IF at the G8

World leaders meeting in Northern Ireland have the power to tackle tax dodging and land grabs and help stop the silent scandal of hunger. We’ll keep you up to date with the latest developments.

Follow the IF@G8 live blog

reuters:

Photo gallery: inside the G8 Summit

We just take the pictures. 

reuters:

U.S. President Barack Obama sparred with Russia’s Vladimir Putin over how to end the war in Syria during an icy encounter at a G8 summit where divisions over the conflict eclipsed the rest of the agenda.

Putin said Moscow and Washington had differing views over Syria but agreed the bloodshed must stop and that the warring parties should be brought to the negotiating table. Both leaders looked tense and uncomfortable, with Putin staring mostly at the floor.

“Our positions do not fully coincide, but we are united by the common intention to end the violence, to stop the number of victims increasing in Syria, to resolve the problems by peaceful means, including the Geneva talks,” Putin said.

“We agreed to push the process of peace talks and encourage the parties to sit down at the negotiation table, organize the talks in Geneva.”

Obama tried to lighten the mood by discussing judo but Putin, a black belt in the martial art, replied the U.S. president was simply trying to get him to relax.

Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

nbcnews:

Obama and Putin cite differences on Syria but say they want violence to end

(Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters)

President Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin, on opposite sides of a civil war, used delicate language about wanting to stop the bloodshed in Syria.

Continue reading