The June G8 meeting in Evian, France may not, after all, feature the once-anticipated spoils-of-war squabbles between the warmongering coalition (US, UK and Italy) and their ephemeral opponents (Germany, France, Russia, Japan and Canada). But China's invitation to attend will distract attention from a promise by French premier Jacques Chirac to loosen up Northern agricultural barriers to trade which hold back African exports. Where, then, asks Patrick Bond from Wits University, does the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) fit? Is it, as many commentators now agree, yesterday's news?