French President Sarkozy energises normally sedate gathering, pushes for a stronger stance on climate change Port of Spain: As the 2009 meeting of the heads of government of the Commonwealth began on Friday — inaugurated in a colourful ceremony by Queen Elizabeth II — the normally sedate gathering of heads of former British colonies was energised by the presence of an unexpected guest, French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Along with the U.N....

Some 800 million people in the world were malnourished even before the food and economic crises hit.  Now a push to confront this longer-term problem is picking up steam. Leaders at recent global gatherings agreed to back a multibillion dollar initiative to boost agriculture and food security in low-income countries. Discussions on the overall design and level of funding are continuing. In September, the G20 asked the World Bank to...