Bob Geldof has been in Rome accepting that previously reported Man Of Peace honour, awarded by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the opening of this year's World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. In accepting the award he spoke of the need for fair trade, which must have gone down a treat with a crowd of Nobel peace prize winners. "Africa must be allowed to trade itself out of poverty," he said, describing the continent's situation as "not only intellectually absurd but also morally repulsive."
He also called on the European Union to take the initiative at World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong next month, saying "the EU must break the deadlock and as of today it has failed to do so. We live in a broken world which has never been healthier or wealthier, but some 500 kilometres south of here they die of want."
Previous recipients of this award include the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam, and Italian actor and director Roberto Benigni. On hearing that he was receiving the award, Geldof said last month that it was "more than an honour, it's almost ridiculous. It's almost too big, all the Nobel Peace Prize winners voting for you as their Man of Peace."