Genoa issues

Impact of US slowdown on world economy Relaunching global trade talks Launching $1bn global health fund to tackle Aids and other diseases Easing poverty in developing countries Efforts to combat global warming

"The death occured during a violent assault on a carabinieri vehicle which led to the injury of some troops inside," said an Italian interior ministry statement.

Witnesses said a young woman was seriously injured after being run over by a police vehicle in the same incident. And a policeman is reported to have suffered serious injuries in the clashes.

The Italian authorities expressed shock at the demonstrator's death and appealed for the protesters to withdraw from the city centre.

Virtual fortress

The BBC's Barney Mason says the death has darkened the mood of the summit and has reawoken questions about whether such meetings can go on being held inside a virtual fortress amid serious violence.

Clashes have marred similar international gatherings in the past two years, including summits in Seattle and Gothenburg.

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US President George W Bush called the demonstrator's death "tragic".

The French President, Jacques Chirac, said global institutions needed to listen to the voices of the protesters.

A hundred thousand people don't take to the streets unless something has seized their hearts and minds

Jacques Chirac

Protesters dressed in black started fires, smashed windows, looted shops, broke into banks and post offices and pulled up cobblestones to hurl at the security forces.

Police responded with tear gas, water cannon and baton charges, leaving several people with blood streaming from head wounds.

The authorities say more than 50 protesters and at least 30 police officers were injured in the clashes.

Health fund

Plumes of smoke hung over the city as the G8 leaders met behind a ring of steel and concrete.

Protesters wrecked shops and set fire to property

They were not expected to heed the protesters' calls for the cancellation of poor countries' debts.

But the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, said the G8 agreed to create a $1bn fund to fight Aids and other diseases worldwide.

He praised the pledge, but said much more was needed.

Global slowdown

The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US noted that the world economy had slowed more than expected over the past year and they promised to remain "vigilant".

For the first time, we are seeing the emergence of a response to this deadly disease that begins to match the scale of the epidemic itself

Kofi Annan

But they said "sound economic policies and fundamentals provide a solid foundation for stronger growth," downplaying fears of a global recession.

The political leaders condemned the violence in Genoa and said they would not allow it to prevent meetings like the G8 going ahead.

The demonstrators - protesting over what they see as the adverse effects of globalisation on poorer countries - held banners reading "Zero Debt" and "People Not Profits".

The clashes erupted about 1.5km (one mile) from the medieval palace - the Palazzo Ducale - where the G8 summit is being held, just outside the "red zone" exclusion area surrounding the summit venue.

BBC staff were instructed to leave the riot area after a camera crew was attacked by a group of anarchists.

The BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Genoa says the violence has drowned out the message of peaceful protesters in a sea of petrol bombs, tear gas and now blood.

Developing countries invited

In an effort to make the summit look less like a "rich man's club," the G8 leaders dined with heads of developing countries on Friday evening.

African leaders, including South African President Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, are in Genoa to present their plan for Africa's renewal, the New Africa Initiative.

Mr Mbeki has warned that over a five-year period Africa will need at least $10bn - just to tackle Aids.

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Map shows "red zone", the exclusion area for the summit, and the outer "yellow zone", which has been breached by protesters.