The G8 summit gathered the most disparate agenda and collection of world leaders in an attempt to tackle problems ranging from food security to climate.

G8 summit

Thursday 9 July 2009

US President Barack Obama (C) and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (R) take their places with junior G8 delegates, including Brazil's 16-year-old Mayora Tavares (L), for a family photo at the summit

Thursday 9 July 2009

Angela Merkel, German chancellor, makes her way to the stage where the leaders of the G8 nations and five big developing nations including Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (B-C) pose for a 'family photo' before embarking on difficult discussions on climate change

Thursday 9 July 2009

US first lady Michelle Obama, (back-C) stands with Sarah Brown (back-L), wife of the UK prime minister, and other spouses of G8 leaders as they tour earthquake damage in L'Aquila, which was chosen as the summit venue after disaster struck the town in April

Thursday 9 July 2009

Still homeless survivors of the L'Aquila earthquake echo US President Barack Obama's election campaign slogan 'Yes we can' in a summit protest to remind the world of their plight. 'Yes we camp' says their banner, highlighting the fact they continue to live in a tent city on the outskirts of town.

Thursday 9 July 2009

Japanese prime minister Taro Aso (R) reaches out to shake hands with his Australian counterpart, Kevin Rudd (C) as US President Barack Obama (L) looks on. A meeting of 17 countries chaired by Mr Obama later failed to agree intermediate targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Thursday 9 July 2009

Barack Obama, US president, holds up an autographed Brazilian soccer jersey given to him by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, during a meeting on the sidelines of the summit

Thursday 9 July 2009

George Clooney, the US movie star and campaigner for development and other good causes, visits L'Aquila to lobby G8 leaders

Friday 10 July 2009

Gordon Brown, UK prime minister, holds a bilateral meeting with Muammer Gaddafi, the Libyan leader who is one of the non-G8 guests at the summit hosted by Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi

July 10 2009

G8 leaders conclude their summit with a pledge to spend $20bn to boost food security after aid campaigners, pictured above, urged them to focus on world hunger