WORLD AGENDA FEBRUARY 2011

February 5, Munich: The Mideast Quartet of mediators -- Russia, the European Union, the United Nations and the United States -- attempt to resuscitate the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks which collapsed late last year over Israel's settlement building in the West Bank. The latest effort comes amid the disclosure of leaked documents purporting to show major Palestinian concessions to Israel in previous negotiations.

February 5, London: John Lennon's first car goes under the hammer at British auction house Bonhams. The Beatles legend's 1965 Ferrari GT 2+2 Coupe is expected to fetch $180,000 to $264,000.

February 6, Juba: Full results of Southern Sudan's referendum are expected to show overwhelming support for a split from the north. A vote for secession would lead to the formation of Africa's newest nation on July 9.

February 7, London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appears in court for a full hearing on Sweden's efforts to extradite him over alleged sex crimes. The 39-year-old Australian computer expert, who published hundreds of thousands of confidential U.S. documents on his website, denies claims of sexual misconduct.

February 8, Havana: Venezuela connects Cuba to a high-speed fibre optic cable in a strategically significant joint venture between the Latin American allies. The project undermines U.S. sanctions and vastly increases Cuba's data transmission speed.

February 8-16, Chile: One of the world's toughest sporting contests, the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race, takes place. Competitors kayak, mountain bike and trek 600km across one of Earth's most isolated spots.

February 15-21, Oslo: The first formal peace talks in eight years take place between the Philippine government and Maoist rebels. Four decades of separatist rebellion in the southeast Asian republic have killed 120,000 people and displaced two million.

February 17, Dhaka: Will Australia win a fourth consecutive Cricket World Cup? The answer will not be known until later in the tournament but in the meantime Bangladeshi capital Dhaka has the honour of hosting the opening ceremony of the 14-nation contest, staged jointly with India and Sri Lanka.

February 18, Kampala: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, once hailed as a democratic leader but now accused of authoritarianism, is expected to win a fourth term in presidential elections. The opposition fears vote-rigging while analysts warn of increased violence during polling.

February 18-19, Paris: Proposals for better transparency and regulation of commodities markets will dominate a G20 summit. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is leading calls in favour, warning that the world risks food riots and weaker growth if leaders fail to act.

February (undated), Sri Lanka, Brazil, Philippines, Australia, Colombia: Countries struck by January's floods, some of the world's worst ever, continue to deal with the aftermath of washed-away villages, mudslides, crop devastation and disease. The deluge is forecast to continue in Australia and Colombia.
/ENDS