LIVE 8 - GELDOF AND BONO INVITED TO G8 SUMMIT

LIVE 8 organiser SIR BOB GELDOF has been invited to address the G8 group of world leaders when they meet in Scotland next week (06JUL05).

BONO is likely to join Geldof at the summit at the Gleneagles Hotel near Edinburgh and the pair have asked former South African president NELSON MANDELA to accompany them, when they meet the leaders of the UK, France, Russia, Germany, USA, Japan, Italy, Canada and the European Union.

Geldof says, "It is going to happen but we still have to negotiate the when and the how. It will probably be July 6 or 7.

"We will say to these eight men sitting at a table to just do this thing.

"They have the largest ever democratic mandate to change things. It would be arrogant to ignore it."

Geldof also wants Mandela to take to the stage at the Scottish Live 8 concert at Edinburgh's Murrayfield stadium on 6 July, to coincide with the start of the summit - but he fears the 86-year may be too frail to travel.

He adds, "We are trying to persuade him to be at Murrayfield. We want him to be there because it is more politically symbolic than the London gig. That's where the political message comes home.

"The reality is that, frankly, I think he is too old and too frail but we are still trying to persuade him. I would love him to be there."