Return to growth is a must, Sarkozy and Brown warn

Nicolas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown expressed a "total convergence" of views in their meeting ahead of this week's G8 summit in Italy, with both leaders warning that rising oil prices and declining public investment could spoil the chances for recovery of the world's economy.

Meeting in the French town of Evian on Monday (6 July), Mr Brown, the UK's prime minister, argued that governments must keep spending to return to growth.

"If we can get growth, if we can get unemployment down,...