WORLD AGENDA JULY 2012

July 1, Mexico: The Institutional Revolutionary Party, whose 71-year rule that ended in 2000 was tainted by corruption and authoritarianism, is set to regain power. Its leader, the movie-star handsome Enrique Pena Nieto, is the clear frontrunner in presidential elections.

July 3, London: The Lock, a masterpiece by John Constable, the British painter born in 1776 and largely unrecognised in his lifetime, is estimated to fetch £25 million (pounds) at auction. Fifteen sketches forgotten in a cupboard for 60 years may sell for £50,000 (pounds).

July 3, Paris: President Francois Hollande's promise to cut France's budget deficit amid a stagnant economy takes shape at a special session of parliament. The new Socialist government is expected to announce tax increases for big business and the loss of exemptions.

Jul 6, Paris: The Friends of Syria group of countries, which wants to end the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, holds its third meeting as international tensions rise over the shooting down of a Turkish military jet by Syria.

July 8, Tokyo: Foreign donors decide how much extra aid they will give Afghanistan after NATO troops pull out in 2014. Ten years into the war, more than 90 percent of the country's $17.1 billion budget already comes from foreign donations.

July 9-16, Addis Ababa: The international spotlight falls on Ethiopia as it hosts Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese leader wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. The African Union Summit was moved from Malawi which had refused al-Bashir admission.

July 10, London: A free photographic exhibition at Somerset House documents a half-century of the Rolling Stones' career 50 years after their debut performance at London's Marquee Club.

July 10, London: Letters, papers and photos relating to Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi and belonging to his friend Hermann Kallenbach go under the hammer at Sotheby's. The relationship was the subject of a controversial book last year that suggested it was intimate.

July 27 - August 12, London: The Olympic Games sees 10,500 athletes from 205 nations taking part in 300 events, competing in 26 sports, watched live by 8.8m spectators. London, which hosted the Olympics in 1908 and 1948, becomes the first city to host the Games for a third time.

July 9, Brussels: A 500 billion-euro rescue fund, making it easier for troubled countries to access credit, comes into force as Greece and Spain struggle to stay in the 17-nation monetary union. The European Stability Mechanism is designed to shore up the embattled currency.

July (undated), Yangon: Myanmar is expected to enact an eagerly awaited foreign investment law as its programme of economic reform continues apace. Privatisation and a law on the minimum wage are also on the cards.
/ENDS