Brown threatening Mugabe boycott

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he will boycott a summit of European and African leaders if Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attends the event.

Mr Brown says Mr Mugabe's presence at the conference in Portugal will "divert attention" from important issues such as poverty, climate change and health.

He told the Independent newspaper that Mr Mugabe has an EU travel ban for a reason - "the abuse of his own people".

The European Union-African Union summit will take place in Lisbon in December.