This whole event is getting more and more like a charity Telethon.

Each country has ten minutes of podium time in which to say how much they're going to donate to the Iraq reconstruction effort. They could put their cheques in an envelope, write "James Wolfensohn, President, World Bank, Washington DC" on the front, and stick them in the post. It'd be a lot quicker.

But no.

Each donor country wants its 10 minutes in the spotlight to say how important it is to pomote peace and prosperity in Iraq. As there are dozens of donor countries the speeches will take all day. Each one is greeted by a polite round of applause as the countries reveal the size of their wonga.....Saudi Arabia -- $1bn (clap, clap, clap)...Japan -- $3.5bn (clap, clap, clap). And so it goes on.

All the conference is missing is a Blue Peter style totaliser, on which to to flash the donations as they roll in.

A few more pictures:
Katya talks to the World Service
Satellite City
Getting into the part for my voiceover as a Saudi Sheikh