WORLD AGENDA DECEMBER 2007

Dec 2, Moscow: A resounding victory for Vladimir PutinÕs United Russia Party is expected in parliamentary elections. The President has said a convincing win will give him the Òmoral authorityÓ to influence government after he is obliged to step down next spring.

Dec 3, Bali: World governments launch discussions on finding a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change which expires in 2012. The new deal on cutting carbon emissions will seek to include outsiders, such as the United States and Australia.

Dec 3, London: The worldÕs oldest surviving Rolls Royce is due to be auctioned at Bonhams. Car 20154, a 10 horsepower open-topped two-seater built in 1904, was the fourth vehicle to be produced by the Charles Rolls and Henry Royce collaboration.

Dec 6, Cape Canaveral: EuropeÕs Columbus laboratory launches to the International Space Station in the final NASA mission of 2007. A further 10 construction missions remain before completion of the $100 billion 16-nation station, due in 2010.

Dec 10, Kosovo: The deadline for international mediators to report inevitable failure of negotiations on the status of the breakaway Serbian province. New leader Hashim Thaci has vowed to declare independence after this date.

Dec 16, South Africa: The ruling African National Congress elects its party leader with President Thabo Mbeki and Deputy President Jacob Zuma as frontrunners. Zuma currently faces corruption charges, allegations his supporters say are a conspiracy to prevent him winning the leadership.

Dec 21, European Union: The border-free Schengen zone is extended to nine more states. Passport checks are scrapped in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta.

Dec 22, London: Queen Elizabeth II becomes BritainÕs oldest ever reigning monarch. At 81 years and 241 days, the sovereign surpasses the record hitherto held by Queen Victoria.

Dec 31, Pyongyang: The deadline for North Korea to disable its main reactor complex at Yongbyon and other nuclear facilities. The United States has said compliance will be rewarded with the countryÕs removal from a list of nations that sponsor terrorism.

Mid-Dec, Iraq: British forces are due to hand over security of the oil-rich province of Basra, making it the ninth of 18 provinces to be transferred to Iraqi control. Iraqi authorities also expect to take control of Babel province, south of Baghdad, from U.S. forces but the Pentagon says no date has yet been set.
/ENDS