Charity concerts aim high

Live 8 concerts organised by Bob Geldof to raise awareness of African poverty could become the largest global broadcast, drawing more than the 3.9 billion viewers who were able to watch the Athens Olympic Games.

Organisers said they were confident they could beat that figure after attracting 140 television networks around the world to show this week's anti-poverty concerts. They said millions would also watch the likes of U2, Madonna, Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow via the internet.

Geldof has organised eight free concerts to raise the profile of African poverty and increase pressure on world leaders to act. The concerts will be this weekend, days before a Group of Eight (G8) summit of the world's leading industrialised nations opens at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.