WORLD AGENDA 2007

JANUARY:ÊBulgaria and Romania are admitted to the European Union -- taking membership of the bloc to 27 countries -- on condition that they tackle crime and corruption.

Violent political unrest will intensify when parliamentary elections are held in Bangladesh, one of the worldÕs most impoverished countries.

FEBRUARY:ÊIn an historic shift, the Vatican may announce on the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Donum Vitae -- the document detailing the Roman Catholic churchÕs stance on contraceptives -- that the use of condoms is acceptable to prevent the spread of AIDS.

MARCH:ÊAustralia hopes to retain the cricket World Cup when the West Indies hosts the four-yearly event over 47 days with 16 participating teams.

The 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in the British Empire, the first of the major nations involved to ban the practice.

APRIL: Landmark elections in Nigeria will see the first handover from one democratic government to another since AfricaÕs most populous nation gained independence in 1960.

The 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, AmericaÕs first English settlement.

MAY: Socialist candidate Segolene Royal could become FranceÕs first woman president, succeeding Jacques Chirac, when the country votes for its new leader.

TurkeyÕs secular rule will be a key focus when the overwhelmingly Muslim country elects a new president. Secularists believe there has been a rise in Islamist influence under Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

JUNE: Iraq expects to take over security command from the United States, a move which may precipitate the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

JULY: Fans predict publication of the seventh and final Harry Potter book on the numerologically-significant 7/7/07. The fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will be released on July 13.

AUGUST: Scouting, the worldÕs largest voluntary youth movement, involving 28 million young people in 216 countries and territories, celebrates 100 years.

SEPTEMBER: IranÕs first nuclear power plant, which Tehran says is to meet its energy needs but the U.S. believes is to make nuclear weapons, goes online at Bushehr.

Will the Southern Hemisphere regain the Rugby World Cup after losing it for the first time, to England, four years ago? France plays host.

OCTOBER: The term of office of PakistanÕs President, Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S.Õs so-called war on terror, comes to an end.

Mars Express, the European Space Agency craft which has been circling the Red Planet since June 2003 -- two Martian years -- completes its mission.

NOVEMBER: The International Court of Justice in The Hague hears a dispute between Malaysia and Singapore over sovereignty of the strategically important but tiny Pulau Batu Puteh island.

DECEMBER: A film version of The Rape of Nanking, Iris ChangÕs international bestseller, makes its debut in China as the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese troops, the event on which the book is based, is commemorated.
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