> International > North America > Canada
DIARY - Americas holidays to December 2008
Reuters: [2008-05-26 11:58:00]
Market holiday - Markets and exchanges closed.
Public holiday - Government offices, banks and ordinary businesses closed.
Double-click in brackets for Asian holidays [HOL2/DIARY], European holidays [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East and Africa holidays [HOL4/DIARY]
Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country.
REUTERS DIARY OF HOLIDAYS IN THE AMERICAS
************************************************************
2008 MARKET HOLIDAYS
************************************************************
** MORE COUNTRIES WILL BE ADDED AS AND WHEN THE DATES ARE CONFRIMED
MAY
MONDAY, MAY 19
CANADA - Victoria Day - Market Holiday
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21
CHILE - Iquique's Battle - Market Holiday
THURSDAY, MAY 22
BOLIVIA - Corpus Christi - Market Holiday
BRAZIL - Corpus Christi - Market Holiday
CHILE - Corpus Christi - Market Holiday
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Corpus Christi's Day - Market Holiday
ECUADOR - Corpus Christi - Market Holiday
SATURDAY, MAY 24
ECUADOR - Pichincha's Battle - Market Holiday
SUNDAY, MAY 25
ARGENTINA - May Revolution Day - Market Holiday
MONDAY, MAY 26
BERMUDA - Bermuda day - Market Holiday
UNITED STATES - Memorial Day - Market Holiday
VENEZUELA - Corpus Christie - Market Holiday
JUNE
MONDAY, JUNE 16
ARGENTINA - Flag Day - Market Holiday
BERMUDA - Queen's Birthday - Market Holiday
TUESDAY, JUNE 24
VENEZUELA - Carabobo Battle - Market Holiday
JULY
TUESDAY, JULY 1
CANADA - Canada Day - Market Holiday
FRIDAY, JULY 4
UNITED STATES - Independence Day - Market Holiday
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9
ARGENTINA - Independence Day - Market Holiday
BRAZIL - State Holiday - Market Holiday
WENESDAY, JULY 16
BOLIVIA - La Paz Day - Market Holiday (ONLY APPLICABLE FOR LA PAZ)
THURSDAY, JULY 24
VENEZUELA - Bolivar's Birthday - Market Holiday
FRIDAY, JULY 25
ECUADOR - Guayaquil Foundation - Market Holiday (Only applies to Guyaquil)
THURSDAY, JULY 31
BERMUDA - Emanciption Day & Somers Day - Market Holiday
AUGUST
FRIDAY, AUG 1
BERMUDA - Emanciption Day & Somers Day - Market Holiday
MONDAY, AUG 4
CANADA - Civic Day - Market Holiday
WEDNESDAY, AUG 6
BOLIVIA - National day - Market Holiday
SUNDAY, AUG 10
ECUADOR - Independence Day - Market Holiday
TUESDAY, AUG 12
VENEZUELA - Virgin's Ascension - Market Holiday
FRIDAY, AUG 15
CHILE - Virgin Mary Ascention - Market Holiday
COSTA RICA - Mother's Day - Market Holiday
PANAMA - Panama's Day - Market Holiday
MONDAY, AUG 18
ARGENTINA - San Martin Day - Market Holiday
DIARY - Major Central Bank events for 2008
Reuters: [2008-05-26 11:10:00]
For other related diaries, please see;
DIARY - U.S. Federal Reserve [FED/DIARY]
DIARY - Polling Unit Diary [POLL/DIARY]
DIARY - Key World Financial Events [KEY/DIARY]
DIARY - Political and General news [POL/DIARY]
DIARY - Index of all Diaries [IND/DIARY]
DIARY - G7 Economic Indicators <ECON>
DIARY - Emerging Markets Cen Banks [CEN/EMRG]
Please find below a list of dates of interest rate and
other major announcements in 2008 from key central banks around
the world.
========================================================
U.S. FEDERAL OPEN MARKET COMMITTEE
2008
Jun 24 - Two-day meeting on interest rates (to Jun. 25).
Jun 25 - Decision on short-term interest rates and policy
statement at close of meeting 1815 GMT.
Aug 5 - One-day meeting on interest rates - 1815 GMT.
Sep 16 - One-day meeting on interest rates - 1815 GMT.
Oct 28 - Two-day meeting on interest rates (to Oct. 29).
Oct 29 - Decision on short-term interest rates and policy
statement at close of meeting 1815 GMT.
Dec 16 - One-day meeting on interest rates - 1915 GMT
2009
Jan 27 - Two-day meeting on interest rates (to Jan. 28).
Jan 28 - Decision on short-term interest rates and policy
statement at close of meeting 1915 GMT.
========================================================
EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK
(Held in Frankfurt unless otherwise stated).
2008
Jun 5 - ECB Governing Council meeting, followed by interest
rate announcement 1145 GMT. News conference follows at 1230 GMT.
Jun 19 - ECB Governing Council and General Council meeting.
No interest rate announcements scheduled. Any announcement about
other issues to be released at 1230 GMT.
Jul 3 - ECB Governing Council meeting, followed by interest
rate announcement 1145 GMT. News conference follows at 1230 GMT.
Jul 17 - ECB Governing Council meeting. No interest rate
announcements scheduled. Any announcement about other issues to
be released at 1230 GMT.
Aug 7 - ECB Governing Council meeting. No interest rate
announcements scheduled. Any announcement about other issues to
be released at 1230 GMT.
Sep 4 - ECB Governing Council meeting, followed by interest
rate announcement 1145 GMT. News conference follows at 1230 GMT.
Sep 18 - ECB Governing Council and General Council meeting.
No interest rate announcements scheduled. Any announcement about
other issues to be released at 1230 GMT.
Oct 2 - ECB Governing Council meeting, followed by interest
rate announcement 1145 GMT. News conference follows at 1230 GMT.
Oct 23 - ECB Governing Council meeting. No interest rate
announcements scheduled. Any announcement about other issues to
be released at 1230 GMT.
Nov 6 - BRUSSELS - ECB Governing Council meeting, followed
by interest rate announcement 1245 GMT. News conference follows
at 1330 GMT.
Nov 20 - ECB Governing Council meeting. No interest rate
announcements scheduled. Any announcement about other issues to
be released at 1330 GMT.
Dec 4 - ECB Governing Council meeting, followed by interest
rate announcement 1245 GMT. News conference follows at 1330 GMT.
Dec 18 - ECB Governing Council and General Council meeting.
No interest rate announcements scheduled. Any announcement about
other issues to be released at 1330 GMT.
2009
Jan 15 - ECB Governing Council meeting, followed by interest
rate announcement 1245 GMT. News conference follows at 1330 GMT.
=====================================================
BANK OF JAPAN
2008
Jun 12 - MPM meeting
Jun 13 - MPM rate decision.
=====================================================
BANK OF ENGLAND
2008
Jun 4 - MPC meeting (to Jun. 5).
Jun 5 - MPC announces interest rate decision - 1100 GMT.
Jul 9 - MPC meeting (to Jul. 10).
Jul 10 - MPC announces interest rate decision - 1100 GMT.
Aug 6 - MPC meeting (to Aug. 7).
Aug 7 - MPC announces interest rate decision - 1100 GMT.
Sep 3 - MPC meeting (to Sep. 4).
Sep 4 - MPC announces interest rate decision - 1100 GMT.
Oct 8 - MPC meeting (to Oct. 9).
Oct 9 - MPC announces interest rate decision - 1100 GMT.
Nov 5 - MPC meeting (to Nov. 6).
Nov 6 - MPC announces interest rate decision - 1200 GMT.
Dec 3 - MPC meeting (to Dec. 4).
Dec 4 - MPC announces interest rate decision - 1200 GMT.
========================================================
BANK OF CANADA
2008
Jun 10 - Key interest rate policy announcement
Jul 15 - Key interest rate policy announcement
Sep 3 - Key interest rate policy announcement
Oct 21 - Key interest rate policy announcement
Dec 9 - Key interest rate policy announcement
=======================================================
BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS (BIS)/G10 - All
bi-monthly meetings take place in Basel, Switzerland, except
where indicated;
2008
Jun 28 - BIS AGM
Sep 7/8 - Global Economy Meeting (GEM) of central bank
heads from leading industrial and emerging economies, held at
the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Nov 9/10 - (BRAZIL) Global Economy Meeting (GEM) of central
bank heads from leading industrial and emerging economies, held
at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
2009
Jan 11/12 - Global Economy Meeting (GEM) of central bank
heads from leading industrial and emerging economies, held at
the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
=======================================================
SWISS NATIONAL BANK
2008
Jun 19 - Quarterly monetary policy assessment
Sep 18 - Quarterly monetary policy assessment
Dec 11 - Quarterly monetary policy assessment
========================================================
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA
2008
Jun 3 - RBA Board meeting
Jul 1 - RBA Board meeting
Aug 5 - RBA Board meeting
Sep 2 - RBA Board meeting
Oct 7 - RBA Board meeting
Nov 4 - RBA Board meeting
Dec 2 - RBA Board meeting
=======================================================
RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND
2008
Jun 5 - Monetary Policy Statement and Official Cash Ratio
(OCR) announcement.
Jul 24 - Official Cash Rate (OCR) announcement.
Sep 11 - Monetary Policy Statement and Official Cash Ratio
(OCR) announcement.
Oct 23 - Official Cash Rate (OCR) announcement.
Dec 4 - Monetary Policy Statement and Official Cash Ratio
(OCR) announcement.
========================================================
SWEDEN'S RIKSBANK
2008
Jul 2 - Executive Board monetary policy meeting
Jul 3 - Monetary rate decision.
Sep 3 - Executive Board monetary policy meeting
Sep 4 - Monetary rate decision.
Oct 22 - Executive Board monetary policy meeting
Oct 23 - Monetary rate decision.
Dec 16 - Executive Board monetary policy meeting
Dec 17 - Monetary rate decision.
=======================================================
NORGES BANK
2008
May 28 - Norwegian central bank's policy-setting executive
board holds meeting on interest rates (rate decision 1200 GMT,
news conference 1245 GMT).
Jun 25 - Norwegian central bank's policy-setting executive
board holds meeting on interest rates (rate decision 1200 GMT,
news conference 1245 GMT).
Aug 13 - Norwegian central bank's policy-setting executive
board holds meeting on interest rates (rate decision 1200 GMT,
news conference 1245 GMT).
Sep 24 - Norwegian central bank's policy-setting executive
board holds meeting on interest rates (rate decision 1200 GMT,
news conference 1245 GMT).
Oct 29 - Norwegian central bank's policy-setting executive
board holds meeting on interest rates (rate decision 1300 GMT,
news conference 1345 GMT).
Dec 17 - Norwegian central bank's policy-setting executive
board holds meeting on interest rates (rate decision 1300 GMT,
news conference 1345 GMT).
=======================================================
CENTRAL BANK OF ICELAND
2008
Sep 11 - Iceland Central Bank interest rate decision.
Dec 20 - Iceland Central Bank interest rate decision.
=======================================================
DANISH NATIONAL BANK
Denmark's National Bank does not have regularly monetary
policy meetings. The Board of Governors convenes whenever
necessary but these meetings often coincide with the ECB.
--------------------------------------------------------
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NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily
mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event.
DIARY - Political and General News Events from May 26
Reuters: [2008-05-26 10:42:00]
** Please note Reuters will issue this diary at an
additional new time of 0330 GMT daily, followed by 0900 GMT,
then 1430 GMT
All times in GMT unless otherwise stated.
Items marked ** denote new or amended listings.
Media clients will also receive around 0700 GMT a daily
REUTERS WORLD NEWS OUTLOOK which highlights key events for the
coming week.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
MAY 2008 (UNDATED)
ANKARA - Israel and Syria will resume indirect peace talks
in a week or in 10 days (from May 23).
MALABO - Trial expected to start of former British special
forces officer Simon Mann for leading a failed 2004 coup.
WASHINGTON - The United States is expected to delist North
Korea as a terrorism sponsoring nation and will lift a ban on
trade under the U.S. Trading with the Enemy Act, by the end of
May.
MONDAY, MAY 26
BRUSSELS - EU foreign ministers meet, including defence and
development ministers (to May 27). EU foreign ministers are
expected to rubber-stamp a long-delayed mandate for negotiations
on a new partnership agreement with Russia after Lithuania
dropped its objections.
KOBE, Japan - Final day of G8 environment ministers meeting.
BRUSSELS - EU - Gulf Cooperation Council meeting.
** HONG KONG/NANJING, China - Wu Poh-hsiung, the chairman of
Taiwan's ruling Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), visits
Hong Kong and China (to May 31).
PRISTINA - (TENTATIVE) The British government is to send a
600-strong reserve battalion to bolster an alliance of NATO
peacekeepers in Kosovo (to June 30).
GENEVA - WTO delegates are expected to meet to discuss the
revised text distributed by New Zealand's WTO ambassador
Crawford Falconer, the chairman of agriculture talks.
GENEVA - Diplomats will meet again to try to agree on a
venue for a follow-up meeting to an acrimonious 2001 conference
on racism in Durban.
** MOSCOW - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs his
first-ever meeting of the Russian government since leaving the
presidency last month.
** BERLIN - SPD party leaders will meet to decide whether to
support incumbent Horst Koehler, the CDU's candidate, in next
May's election in the federal assembly -- or nominate their own
candidate, Gesine Schwan. News conference (1100).
BRUSSELS - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and
European Commission President Barroso speak at a conference on
the State of the Union, which is likely to focus on implementing
the Lisbon Treaty, and on the priorities of the France's EU
presidency from July 1.
** TBILISI - Opposition plans a big demonstration to protest
against parliamentary election that gave President Mikheil
Saakashvili a majority.
** PARIS - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to meet French
President Nicolas Sarkozy (1630).
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at the spring
conference of NATO Parliamentary Assembly (1800).
OTTAWA - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko begins visit
to Canada.
MUNICH - Trial begins of Reinhard Siekaczek, who worked at
Siemens for almost four decades, accused of expanding a system
of slush funds for bribes to win contracts worldwide and setting
up a network of front firms to allow for the transfer of cash.
THE HAGUE - World Court to hold public hearings into
admissibility of case brought by Croatia accusing Serbia of
genocide (0800).
EUROPEAN UNION/SARAJEVO - (TENTATIVE) The European Union is
aiming to sign an agreement with Bosnia on closer ties.
** ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan to meet
Tunisian counterpart Abdelwaheb Abdallah, joint news conference
(0830).
GLOUCESTER - Annual 'Double-Gloucester' cheese-rolling
competition.
TUESDAY, MAY 27
BEIJING - U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher
Hill, the top U.S. negotiator with North Korea, to brief Chinese
officials on efforts to get North Korea to give up its atomic
programs (to May 29).
YANGON - Military will announce whether to release
opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi or
extend her detention another year. Suu Kyi has been under house
arrest or in prison for more than 12 of the last 18 years.
BEIJING - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visits China
(to May 30).
IDAHO - Republican presidential primary.
BERLIN - Opening ceremony of the Berlin Air Show (to June 1)
with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Economy Minister
Michael Glos (1030).
ILULISSAT, Greenland - Denmark has invited high-ranking
officials from Norway, Russia, the United States and Canada to
meet in Greenland to discuss competing claims to the Arctic (to
May 29).
** BEIJING - Wu Poh-hsiung, the chairman of Taiwan's ruling
Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), is expected to meet
Chinese President Hu Jintao on May 27 or 28.
** KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's top committee on inflation will
review the country's mounting fuel subsidies at a meeting.
** TEHRAN - Iran's newly elected parliament holds its first
meeting.
BERLIN - NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session continues
(final day); German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and
NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer speak.
** HARARE - The Southern African Development Community, which
is due to monitor the Zimbabwean presidential run-off vote on
June 27, will hold a meeting to discuss preparations for the
election.
** PARIS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets Canadian Prime
Minister Stephen Harper (1600).
** PRAGUE - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner visits
Czech Republic.
BERLIN - Germany unveils a memorial to homosexuals
persecuted by the Nazis, which will sit in Berlin's central
Tiergarten near the memorial to murdered Jews and a new memorial
to gypsies.
TIARET, Algeria - A court in southern town of Tiaret is due
to rule on a 36-year-old Algerian woman who is accused of
practising Christianity, in a case which has caused an uproar
among Algerian liberals who argue that there is no legal basis
for the prosecution.
PORTLAND, Or., - (TENTATIVE) Extradition hearing of
India-born surgeon Jayant Patel, facing charges of manslaughter
and negligence for the death of 17 patients in Australia, is
scheduled to take place at Portland district court in Oregon.
GENEVA - International Committee of the Red cross (ICRC)
presents annual report.
BRUSSELS - EU - Moldova Cooperation Council meeting.
WASHINGTON - Global Health Council - Annual International
Conference (to May 31). Link: www.globalhealth.org
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28
YOKAHAMA, Japan - Fourth Tokyo International Conference on
African Development (to May 30). African heads of State expected
to attend.
GENEVA - 97th International Labour Conference (to Jun. 13).
Link: http://www.ilo.org/
LEIPZIG, Germany - International Transport Forum 2008.
Transport and Energy: The Challenge of Climate Change, organised
by the OECD International Transport Forum (to May 30). News
conference on final day.
BONN, Germany - Convention on Biological Diversity continues
(to May 30), speakers include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, EU
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and the President of
U.N. General Assembly Srgjan Kerim (0750).
WARSAW - French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Poland.
CAMP PENDLETON, California - Trial begins of First Lt. Andrew
Grayson, accused of destroying evidence in the 2005 killings of
24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha.
HELSINKI - EU ambassador to Iraq, Ilkka Uusitalo, holds a
news conference on the situation in Iraq and the EU's role in
Iraq.
KISANGANI, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Government
representatives are due to meet with a delegation from the
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) to discuss
solutions to the conflict in the Kivus, including the possible
relocation of the FDLR elsewhere in Congo.
CHARLEVILLE-MEZIERES, France - Verdict is expected by
Wednesday or Thursday in the murder trial of Michel Fourniret
and his wife Monique Olivier. Michel has admitted to sexually
assaulting and killing seven girls and women aged between 12 and
22 over 15 years from 1987. Monique is accused of helping him
select his victims, capture them and hide their bodies.
VILNIUS - 37th Interpol European Regional Conference (to May
30).
HONG KONG - A 101.27 carat diamond the size of a squash
ball, the largest colourless diamond to appear on the auction
market in 18 years and one of only three colourless diamonds of
over 100-carats to have ever been auctioned, will be sold by
auction house Christie's.
LONDON - Amnesty International Annual report. Link:
www.amnesty.org.uk
THURSDAY, MAY 29
STOCKHOLM - Sweden will host an international conference on
Iraq's development and the role of the United Nations in the
war-torn country. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Iraqi
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice are expected to attend.
PARIS - Release of the joint 2008 OECD-FAO Agricultural
Outlook.
MOSCOW - U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill,
the top U.S. negotiator with North Korea, to brief Russian
officials on efforts to get North Korea to give up its atomic
programs (to May 31).
BRUSSELS - The Lisbon Council holds 2008 Robert Schuman
Lecture on "Climate change challenges and the 450 stabilisation
case: Capping CO2 emissions".
HELSINKI - Azerbaijan President Ilham Alijev visits Finland.
LEIPZIG, Germany - German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a
speech at the International Transport Forum (1030).
PARIS - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits France
(to May 30), meets President Nicolas Sarkozy (1700).
LONDON - Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga visits
Britain, speaks at Oxford Union.
CAIRO - Egypt to choose international consultants for its
planned nuclear power station.
BRUSSELS - European Parliament conference on places of
worship and religious symbols in the public sphere.
SOLUKHUMBHU, Nepal - "Everest Day" celebrations, the day
when New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Nepali climbing mate
Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first climbed the 8,850-metre-high
(29,035-feet-high) Mount Everest in 1953.
LOS ANGELES - BookExpo America 2008 (to June 1).
WASHINGTON - The Aravind Eye Care System based in Tamil Nadu
in southern India will receive the $1 million Gates Award -- the
world's largest prize for international health -- at the Global
Health Council annual meeting.
FRIDAY, MAY 30
VIENNA - French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets Austrian
Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and counterpart Heinz Fischer.
REYKJAVIK - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits
Iceland.
BOUZNIKA, Morocco - Morocco's Socialist USFP party holds
annual congress (to June 1).
COPENHAGEN - Copenhagen Consensus 2008, where more than 55
international economists, including 4 Nobel Laureates, will
assess more than 50 solutions and assemble a list of priorities
for everyone involved in solving the world's biggest challenges.
The global challenges being addressed are: Air pollution,
subsidies and trade barriers, malnutrition and hunger,
conflicts, terrorism, global warming, diseases, water and
sanitation, education and women and development.
CAPE TOWN - African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General
Gwede Mantashe talks on concerns about change in ANC leadership
and economic policy (0830).
BRUSSELS/ROME - Deadline for the new Italian government to
give the European Commission an explanation of why a 300 million
euro loan to ailing airline Alitalia should not be regarded as
illegal state aid.
SATURDAY, MAY 31
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Democratic Party's rules committee will
meet to discuss on how presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
can seat delegates from Michigan and Florida, where she won
contests in January that are not recognized by the national
party because of a dispute over when they were held.
GLOBAL - U.N. World No-Tobacco Day.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., - Launch of NASA's space shuttle
Discovery (STS-124) (2102) -- devoted to deliver the Pressurized
Module and robotic arm of the Japanese Experiment Module, known
as "Kibo" (hope), to the International Space Station.
RIGA - Gay pride march.
** CAIRO - An emergency law that grants police sweeping powers
of arrest expires at the end of May. The government will present
to parliament a bill to extend the emergency law after failing to
prepare in time an anti-terrorism law that would encapsulate
similar powers.
HONG KONG - U.S. wine seller Acker Merrall & Condit will hold
what it dubs Asia's largest ever wine auction in Hong Kong,
following the city's decision to scrap duties on wine in a bid
to become an Asian wine hub.
JUNE 2008 (UNDATED)
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and peace envoy
Tony Blair will jointly organise a Middle East security
conference to discuss the strengthening of the Palestinian
police force and justice apparatus (beginning of June).
GERMANY - The next round of U.N. climate change talks; will
address the issue of funding and technology to mitigate climate
change, a key demand of developing nations who argue that rich
countries should foot much of the bill.
** TBC - Envoys of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual leader,
and Chinese officials are expected to hold the next round of
talks in second week in June, the seventh round of dialogue
since 2002.
BRUSSELS - European Union is expected to sign Stabilisation
and Association Agreement (SAA) with Bosnia in June.
TBC - Regional powers are expected to resume talks in early
June with North Korea on ending the secretive state's
development of nuclear weapons.
MOSCOW - Moscow will host an international conference on the
Middle East.
ANKARA - Turkey's Constitutional Court may discuss in the
first week of June a challenge to a government reform which
allows female university students to wear the Muslim headscarf.
GENEVA - The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) plans it's first
atom collision around June. The aim is to smash protons moving at
99.999999 percent of the speed of light into each other and so
recreate conditions a fraction of a second after the big bang.
TOKYO - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd vists Japan.
TOKYO - Japan, the world's fifth biggest polluter, will
announce a target in June for cutting domestic greenhouse gas
emissions by 60-80 percent from current levels by 2050.
MOROCCO - Western Sahara's independence movement Polisario
due to hold hold its next congress in June or July, where it
will vote on whether to resume an armed struggle with Morocco
over the desert territory.
NEW DELHI - India will unveil in June a national plan to deal
with the threat of global warming.
MONGOLIA - General Elections.
TARIJA/BENI/PANDO, Bolivia - Bolivian regions of Tarija,
Beni and Pando plan to hold autonomy referendums before the end
of June.
PARIS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy is due to formally
approve a white paper in mid-June stating France's defence
priorities for the years ahead. Sarkozy will also decide whether
France should acquire a second aircraft carrier, bearing in mind
the project's significant cost.
BRITAIN - Prince William is due to start an attachment to the
Royal Navy in June.
KHARTOUM/DARFUR - Around 1,600 additional African troops
expected to join Darfur's U.N.-African Union peacekeeping
mission in June.
BOLOGNA, Italy - Annual Gay Pride march.
BUENOS AIRES - Former Argentine President Carlos Menem is
scheduled to go to trial in July in a case involving illegal
arms sales to Ecuador and Croatia during his rule.
SUNDAY, JUNE 1
MACEDONIA - Parliamentary elections.
MUMBAI - SPORT - CRICKET - Indian Premier League Twenty20
Finals (1430).
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Japanese prime
Minister Yasuo Fukuda (1500), news conference (1615).
AFRICA - The U.N. Security Council will tour Africa to try to
better understand and address some of the continent's crises,
including Darfur and Somalia (to June 10). British Ambassador
John Sawers, the current council president, and South African
Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo will lead the mission to Kenya, Sudan
-- including the semi-independent south and the violence-torn
western region of Darfur -- Chad, Democratic Republic of the
Congo and Ivory Coast.
PAKISTAN - Pakistan to move it's clocks forward an hour, to
GMT+6 to reduce the impact of acute power shortages.
ROMANIA - Local elections.
BRUSSELS - New EU rules for the testing of chemicals, known
as REACH, comes into force.
ATLANTIC - 2008 Atlantic hurricane season starts around this
time and expected to end by Nov. 30, around 15 tropical storms
and 8 hurricanes are predicted by the Colorado State
Forecasters.
MONDAY, JUNE 2
VIENNA - IAEA Board of Governors meet (to June 6).
SPACE - NASA's space shuttle Discovery, STS-124, expected to
arrive at the International Space Station to deliver the
Pressurized Module and robotic arm of the Japanese Experiment
Module, known as "Kibo" (hope).
BANGKOK - Trial resumes of Canadian Christopher Neil on
charges of molesting under-age children in Thailand.
NEW YORK - Sentencing of Jack Jordan, convicted of stalking
actress Uma Thurman.
TUESDAY, JUNE 3
RIGA - Seventh Baltic Sea States Summit (to June 4). Leaders
or representatives from Russia, Poland, Germany, Denmark,
Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
expected to attend. Link: http://www.cbss.st/calendar/
UNITED STATES - New Mexico holds Republican presidential
caucuses. South Dakota and Montana hold presidential primaries.
HELSINKI - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso
meets Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen to discuss the EU
Lisbon Treaty, climate and energy issues, the EU Baltic Sea
Strategy and EU-Russia relations.
ROME - High-Level Conference on World Food Security and the
Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy (to June 5).
Confirmed speakers include U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Brazilian President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de
Kirchner and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez
Zapatero. Link: http://www.fao.org/foodclimate/
ANKARA - Turkish President Abdullah Gul visits Japan (to June
8).
ROME - French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Italy.
BRDO, Slovenia - EU Troika - South Africa meeting.
SUDAN - U.N. Security Council members visit Sudan as part of
their African tour (to June 5).
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., - NASA will launch the Gamma-Ray Large
Area Space Telescope (GLAST) aboard a Delta II rocket (between
1545 to 1740). Link:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GLAST/main/index.html
LOS ANGELES - 2008 MTV Movie Awards.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4
BEIJING - 19th anniversary of military crackdown on Tiananmen
Square pro-democracy protests. Around 30,000 people expected to
hold a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong.
PARIS - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) annual ministerial meeting (to June 5). OECD
ministers to discuss climate change, trade and global economy.
ATHENS - International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive
Board meeting (to June 6), will discuss the Iraqi government's
decision to disband the Iraqi Olympic Committee because it
lacked a quorum and had failed to hold new elections.
LONDON - Orange prize for fiction award ceremony. link:
http://www.orangeprize.co.uk
THURSDAY, JUNE 5
BERLIN - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to visit Germany
and hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ali Abdul
Aziz Ali, Ramzi Binalshibh, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi and Walid
bin Attash are tentatively scheduled to appear before a
Guantanamo war court judge. They are accused of conspiring with
al Qaeda to murder civilians and with 2,973 counts of murder,
one for each person killed when hijacked passenger planes
crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a
Pennsylvania field.
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush meets Dutch Prime
Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
SEOUL - Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen meets Korean
President Lee Myung-bak.
MUNICH, Germany - 7th Munich Economic Summit (to June 6),
aimed at bringing together academic scholars and decision-makers
in politics, industry and finance to discuss vital European
issues.
UNITED NATIONS - The prosecutor of the International Criminal
Court (ICC) Luis Moreno Ocampo reports to the U.N. Security
Council on the situation in Darfur.
GLOBAL - United Nations World Environment Day.
HANOI - Global Summit of Women, theme is "Women and Asia -
Driving the Global Economy", (to June 7).
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
ST PETERSBURG - (TENTATIVE) Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev and Georgia's Mikheil Saakashvili could meet on the
sidelines of St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which
runs from June 6-8, for talks that might thaw the chill between
their countries.
ATHENS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Greece.
ST PETERSBURG - Azerbaijan President Ilham Alijev visits
Russia, expected to meet counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.
MINNEAPOLIS - 2008 National Conference for Media Reform (to
June 8).
LOS ANGELES - The Coalition on Political Assassinations
(COPA) holds a regional meeting in Los Angeles to mark the 40th
anniversary of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Forensics
experts and scholars will present scientific, legal and
historical evidence "regarding the presence of a second gunman
in the Ambassador pantry," where Robert F. Kennedy was
assassinated on June 6, 1968 (to June 8).
WASHINGTON - Deadline set by Joe Barton, the top Republican
on the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce
Committee, for Google <GOOG.O> to detail the search engine's
privacy practices since it acquired rival DoubleClick.
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
BASEL, Switzerland - SPORT - FOOTBALL - Euro 2008 opens (to
June 29). Link: http://www.euroteam2008.com/
AOMORI, Japan - G8 energy ministers' meeting (to June 8).
CASTRILLO DE MURCIA, Spain - Annual Baby-Jumping Colacho
Festival.
LONDON/MILAN/BARCELONA/LOS ANGELES - Annual World Naked Bike
Ride takes place in various cities.
LONDON - Second Red Bull 'Flugtag' where participants design
manpowered flying machines and launch themselves from a ramp
into the Serpentine, at Hyde Park. Link:
http://www.redbullflugtag.co.uk/#
KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
officiates the 3rd International Conference on the Muslim World
and the West (to June 10).
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
AOMORI, Japan - Final day of G8 energy ministers' meeting.
GLOBAL - 16th Annual World Ocean Day (WOD) 2008.
HONG KONG - Annual Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng).
BANGKOK - International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) 2008
awards.
PARIS - Election for French Muslim Council.
MONDAY, JUNE 9
LJUBLJANA - European Union-United States Summit (to June
10). U.S. President George W. Bush attends.
LJUBLJANA - U.S. President George W. Bush attends the
EU-U.S. Summit in Slovenia and travels to Germany, Italy, France
and Britain (to June 16).
STRAUBING, Germany - German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets
French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
SAN DIEGO, Ca., - SPORT - GOLF - 2008 U.S. Open Golf
Championship (to June 15). Link: http://www.usopen.com
UNITED NATIONS - The HIV-TB forum, a U.N. meeting to examine
the worrisome links between tuberculosis and HIV and how best to
help millions of people who have both diseases.
LONDON - The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2008 (to
Aug. 17), the world's largest contemporary art exhibition of
paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and architectural
models.
THE HAGUE - U.N. war crimes tribunal hears closing arguments
of the prosecution in case against former Bosnian Muslim army
head Rasim Delic, accused of allowing the rape, torture and
murder of dozens of Croats and Serbs by his troops and foreign
Islamic fighters during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
NEW YORK - The New York State Restaurant Association will
argue before a federal appeals court to throw out New York
City's new rule requiring fast food restaurants to post calorie
information on menu boards.
LOS ANGELES - Arraignment of Lawanda Jackson, a former
low-level administrative specialist at UCLA Medical Center in
Los Angeles, charged with illegally obtaining medical
information for sale.
TUESDAY, JUNE 10
PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy is due to host a national
disability conference when he will outline government plans.
BERLIN - (TENTATIVE) U.S. President George W. Bush is
expected to visit Germany.
PAKISTAN - Pakistani lawyers' movement will hold a major
protest to champion the restoration of judges dismissed by
President Pervez Musharraf last November.
WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, who had been one of U.S. President
George W. Bush's top aides, to testify before a congressional
panel investigating the administration's firing of nine federal
prosecutors.
TOKYO - Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen meets Japanese
counterpart Yasou Fukuda.
JOS, Nigeria - Resumption of trial of Niger Delta militant
Henry Okah on charges of treason and gun-running.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11
TOKYO - G8 Justice & Home Affairs' meeting (to June 13).
BRUSSELS - The European Union is expected to launch a
disciplinary procedure against Britain as the country is poised
to exceed the bloc's budget deficit ceiling this year and next.
NAIROBI - Kenya holds parliamentary by-elections in five
constituencies.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
PARIS - France hosts a conference aimed at raising funds for
Afghanistan and reviewing that strategy.
IRELAND - Ireland's government to hold a referendum on the
European Union's new reform treaty.
DUBLIN - Dublin Literary Award 2008, the world's richest
literary prize. Link: http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/News.htm
GLOBAL - World Day against Child Labour.
ORLANDO, Fl., - U.S. Catholic bishops meet (to June 15).
NEW YORK - Human Rights Watch 2008 International Film
Festival (to June 26).
MOSCOW - Former French President Jacques Chirac, who won a
Russian state award for his humanitarian activities, will be
honoured at a Kremlin ceremony.
TORONTO - Deadline for Corey Glass, a U.S. soldier who
fought in Iraq before deserting and coming to Canada, to
willingly return to the United States or be deported.
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
GAZA - ANNIVERSARY - 1st anniversary of Hamas takeover of the
Gaza strip from Fatah.
JERUSALEM - The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON),
being organised by a worldwide team of Anglican archbishops and
bishops (to June 22).
SHANGHAI, China - 11th Shanghai International Film Festival
(to June 22). Link: http://www.siff.com/Articleen/
SUNDAY, JUNE 15
PARIS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets U.S.
counterpart George W. Bush.
KOSOVO - The U.N. mission that has run Kosovo since 1999 to
hand over its remaining powers when the Kosovo constitution
comes into force.
UNITED NATIONS - Mandate expires of a U.N. probe into the
killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
NEW YORK - The 62nd annual Tony Awards. Link:
http://www.tonyawards.com/
SICHUAN, China - Olympic torch relay begins in the quake-hit
province of Sichuan (to June 18).
MONDAY, JUNE 16
LUXEMBOURG - EU foreign ministers meet (to June 17).
SILVER SPRING, Md., - Annual Silverdocs film festival (to
June 23); organized by the American Film Institute and Discovery
Communications, which has become a major showcase for
documentary movies.
NEW YORK - 67th annual Peabody Awards ceremony, one of the
annual prizes that recognize achievement in electronic media.
TUESDAY, JUNE 17
PETRA, Jordan - Fourth annual summit of Nobel Prize winners
(to June 19); will discuss solutions to the world's problems,
including the food crisis affecting many nations.
SAN DIEGO, California - Singer George Michael begins his
first North American tour in 17 years to promote his new record
set "Twenty-Five". Michael will play 22 shows over seven weeks.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18
WASHINGTON - Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev meets
President George W. Bush.
BRASILIA - Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito visits Brazil to
celebrate 100 years of Japanese immigration and help boost trade
ties.
GENEVA - 60th Executive Council of the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) (to June 27).
UNITED STATES - Results of the Reuters/Zogby Index, a
measure of American voter sentiment leading up to the U.S.
presidential election in 2008.
KAMPALA - 35th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers
of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (to June 20).
THURSDAY, JUNE 19
BRUSSELS - European Council meeting (to June 20).
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Government Accountability Office, the
nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, due to rule by June
19 on a case filed by Boeing Co <BA.N> against the U.S. Air
Force's decision to award Northrop and Europe's EADS <EAD.PA> to
build 179 refueling tankers. Boeing argues that the Air Force
changed the terms of the competition to favor the larger
Northrop-Airbus refueling airplane.
ATHENS - Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina
Thanou, disgraced after failing to take doping tests ahead of
the 2004 Olympics, expected to stand trial over an allegedly
staged motorcycle accident on the eve of the Athens Games.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20
** LHASA, Tibet - (TENTATIVE) The Beijing Olympic flame arrives
in the Tibetan region of Lhasa as part of it's 130-day relay.
BRUSSELS - Final day of European Council meeting.
GLOBAL - United Nations World Refugee Day.
MUNICH, Germany - 26th Munich Film Festival (to June 26).
SATURDAY, JUNE 21
SAO PAULO - Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito attends a ceremony
in Sao Paulo as part of his visit to Brazil.
STONEHENGE, England - Summer solstice at Stonehenge, the
longest day of the year, is celebrated at dawn at the ancient
monument.
MONDAY, JUNE 23
SANTIAGO - International Whaling Commission's 60th annual
meeting (to June 27). Link: http://www.iwcoffice.org/
THE HAGUE - Trial starts of Congolese militia leader Thomas
Lubanga, accused of using child soldiers in his country's
1998-2003 war, the first person to be tried by the International
Criminal Court.
NIAMEY - Donor round table for nine-member Niger Basin
Authority intended to raise funds to implement the 1.38 billion
euro five-year investment plan to protect and develop the
region's natural resources.
TUESDAY, JUNE 24
SARAJEVO - Bosnia's leaders due to discuss the progress in
reforms with political directors of the Peace Implementation
Council (PIC) for Bosnia, an international body gathering major
world governments and financial agencies to oversee the Balkan
country's postwar recovery.
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt - Meeting of African Union experts to
prepare for AU summit (to June 25).
BERLIN - 60th anniversary of The Berlin Blockade beginning.
Communist forces cut off all land and water routes between West
Germany and West Berlin prompting the United States to organise
a massive airlift.
GENEVA - World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dispute Settlement
Body.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
TALLINN - World Health Organisation's (WHO) European
conference on "Health Systems: Health and Wealth" (to June 27).
NEW YORK - Transparency International due to publish its
2008 Global Corruption Report (1400).
THURSDAY, JUNE 26
KYOTO, Japan - G8 foreign ministers meeting (to June 27).
Link: http://www.mofa.go.jp/
SIBERIA, Russia - EU-Russia summit (to June 27).
** PAKISTAN - By-elections for Pakistani National Assembly and
provincial assembly seats.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of
staff, David Addington, subpoenaed to testify in a congressional
probe of the administration's treatment and possible torture of
enemy combatants.
STRASBOURG, France - EU Parliament Plenary Session (to July
10).
GLOBAL - International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking.
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's national police chief Jackie
Selebi returns to court when he is expected to face charges of
corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering.
ESSAOUIRA, Morocco - Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music
Festival (to June 29).
FRIDAY, JUNE 27
KYOTO, Japan - Final day of G8 foreign ministers meeting.
TOKYO - Fifth Meeting of the Legislators Forum of the G8+5
Climate Change Dialogue will convene in the Japanese Diet
(Parliament) (to June 29). Link:
http://www.globeinternational.org/
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt - Meeting of African Union experts to
prepare for AU summit (to June 25).
ZURICH - 2008 World Wealth Report. Link:
http://www.us.capgemini.com/worldwealthreport07/
THE HAGUE - The International Criminal Court holds
confirmation of charges hearing for former Congolese warlords
Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo. Both Katanga and Ngudjolo
face prosecution on charges of murder, sexual slavery and using
child soldiers.
SOMERSET, England - Glastonbury Music Festival (to June 29).
SATURDAY, JUNE 28
VATICAN - Ceremonies to mark the opening of a year dedicated
to Saint Paul.
NEBRASKA - Presidential primary.
SUNDAY, JUNE 29
ASTANA - 17th Annual Session of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly
(to July 3). Link: http://www.oscepa.org/
VIENNA - SPORT-FOOTBALL - Euro 2008 finals.
MONDAY, JUNE 30
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt - African Union summit (to July 1).
SARAJEVO - Bosnian peace overseer post expected to close.
UNITED NATIONS - United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights Louise Arbour's term expires.
UNITED NATIONS - U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie
Guehenno, who has overseen the doubling of the world body's
peacekeeping forces in eight years in the job, will step down at
the end of June.
LOS ANGELES - The Screen Actors Guild's (SAG) current
three-year contract covering 120,000 film and television actors
expires. The date is being treated by Hollywood as a de facto
strike deadline that is already disrupting the film industry.
CARACAS - Deadline for Argentina's Ternium <TX.N> to
completely hand over steelmaker Sidor to Venezuela after
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed a law nationalizing
Sidor on May 12.
JULY 2008 (UNDATED)
GENEVA - The next meeting of Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons (CCW), which gathers all the major
producers and consumers of cluster weapons.
IRAQ - The U.S. expected to complete a limited withdrawal of
combat troops from Iraq by July.
OSLO - Norway will host the firt European Bocuse d'Or, an
offshoot of the renowed French gourmet cooking contest.
BUENOS AIRES - Former Argentine President Carlos Menem is
scheduled to go to trial in July in a case involving illegal
arms sales to Ecuador and Croatia during his rule.
TUESDAY, JULY 1
SOMALILAND - Local government elections due to be held in
Somaliland, the northwestern corner of Somalia bordering
Ethiopia, that broke away from the rest of the country in 1991.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 2
GLOBAL - World UFO day on anniversary of the Roswell
incident.
JOHANNESBURG - South African court will set a murder trial
date for convicted drug smuggler Glenn Agliotti, who is at the
centre of corruption allegations against national police chief
Jackie Selebi.
SIENA, Italy - Annual Palio di Siena - Horse Race.
THURSDAY, JULY 3
ROSKILDE, Denmark - Roskilde Festival 2008 (to July 6).
FRIDAY, JULY 4
UNITED STATES - Independence Day.
KIEV - Ukraine has until July 4 to ratify the policies it
agreed to as part of its WTO membership bid. It would then
officially become a member 30 days later.
CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. - Annual Coney Island 4th of July 'Hot
Dog' eating competition.
CALGARY, Alberta - Annual Calgary Stampede and Exhibition (to
July 13). Link: http://calgarystampede.com/
KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic - The 43rd annual Karlovy Vary
International Film Festival (to July 12).
SATURDAY, JULY 5
BREST, France - Tour de France Cycle race starts (to July
27).
PAMPLONA, Spain - Start of week-long Annual San Fermin Bull
Running festival.
SONKAJARVI, Finland - Annual wife-carrying championships
2008. Link: http://www.sonkajarvi.fi/?deptid=15136
BOGNOR, England - (SUSPENDED) 30th International Bognor
Birdman - competition for human powered flying machines (to July
6). LINK: http://www.birdman.org.uk/latest-information.html
MONDAY, JULY 7
HOKKAIDO, Japan - G8 Summit (to July 9). Japan will host a
meeting on African development on the sidelines of the G8
summit. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev plans to meet British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the sidelines of the summit.
LAPLAND - SPORT - FOOTBALL - Second Viva World Cup for
unrecognised countries (to July 13).
LONDON - Third anniversary of the attacks on London's
transport network, killing more than 50 and injuring 700.
ISTANBUL - Hearing in trial of suspects accused of murdering
Turkish Armenian editor Hrant Dink in January 2007.
TUESDAY, JULY 8
HOKKAIDO, Japan - G8 Summit continues (to July 9).
LONDON - "La Surprise", a painting by French master
Jean-Antoine Watteau missing for 160 years and found in a
private house in England and will go on sale.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9
HOKKAIDO, Japan - Final day of G8 Summit. Leaders from 16
countries including the Group of Eight (G8), China, India,
Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, South Africa and
Mexico will gather to discuss climate change on the sidelines of
the G8 summit.
NEW YORK - Sentencing of Bradley Stinn, found guilty of
engaging in an accounting fraud designed to improperly inflate
the company's financial results.
THURSDAY, JULY 10
LONDON - A one-off "Best of the Booker" award winner due to
announced, marking the 40th anniversary of one of the literary
world's most prestigious prizes.
WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, who had been one of U.S. President
George W. Bush's top aides, to testify before a congressional
panel investigating the administration's firing of nine federal
prosecutors.
LONDON - John Lennon's hand-written lyrics of the anti-war
anthem "Give Peace a Chance" will be sold by Christie's auction
house. Lennon wrote the song during the Bed-In, a 1969 anti-war
protest in which he and Yoko Ono spent eight days in a bed in
Room 1742 Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel, opening their doors
to a parade of journalists and political figures.
FRIDAY, JULY 11
MUMBAI, India - Second anniversary of deadly bomb attacks on
Mumbai's commuter rail network that killed at least 180 people.
UNITED NATIONS - World Population Day.
SUNDAY, JULY 13
PARIS - Heads of State and Government of EU and Mediterranean
countries meet (to July 14).
MONDAY, JULY 14
FARNBOROUGH, England - Farnborough International Air Show (to
Jul. 20). LINK: http://www.farnborough.com/
PARIS - Bastille Day.
NEW YORK - Waiters in New York celebrate France's Bastille
Day with their annual race.
MIAMI - Sentencing of Uruguayan Rodolfo Wanseele Paciell,
who pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to taking part in a
Venezuelan plot to cover up the source of $800,000 smuggled into
Argentina to fund a presidential election campaign.
TUESDAY, JULY 15
GENEVA - 24th United Nations' Universal Postal Union (UPU)
Congress (from mid-July to early August).
SYDNEY - World Youth Day 2008 (to July. 20), six-day
gathering of young Catholics from around the world.
LONDON - BBC Four - 10th Annual Samuel Johnson Prize for
Non-Fiction 2008 to be announced.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16
UNITED STATES - Results of the Reuters/Zogby Index, a
measure of American voter sentiment leading up to the U.S.
presidential election in 2008.
CANTERBURY, England - Lambeth Conference, Anglicanism's
largest gathering held once every ten years (to Aug 3). Link:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/
THURSDAY, JULY 17
SYDNEY - Pope Benedict arrives in Australia to preside at the
World Youth Day 2008, an international meeting of young
Catholics.
UNITED NATIONS - World Day for International Justice, which
commerates the adoption of the founding treaty of the
International Criminal Court, the Rome Statute, on July 17,
1998.
FRIDAY, JULY 18
JOHANNESBURG - Former South African President Nelson
Mandela's 90th birthday celebrations.
NEW YORK - New York City will begin imposing fines after
midnight on July 18 on restaurants that do not comply with the
new rules requiring fast food restaurants to post calorie
information on menu boards.
SATURDAY, JULY 19
SYDNEY - World Youth Day 2008 continues (to July 20); around
600,000 worshippers participate in an evening Vigil with Pope
Benedict and "sleep out under the stars."
SUNDAY, JULY 20
SYDNEY - Pope Benedict will hold the Final Mass at the World
Youth Day 2008, culminating a six-day gathering of young
Catholics from around the world.
MONDAY, JULY 21
GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba - Trial starts of Salim
Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's driver, on charges of conspiring with
al Qaeda and providing material support for terrorism.
TUESDAY, JULY 22
BRUSSELS - EU foreign ministers meeting (to July 23).
FRIDAY, JULY 25
BAYREUTH, Germany - Annual Bayreuth festival of classical
music and opera.
SUNDAY, JULY 27
KANDY, Sri Lanka - 15th South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) Summit (to Aug. 3).
CAMBODIA - General elections.
MONDAY, JULY 28
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/NEW DELHI/PYONGYANG/HAVANA - Sanctions
imposed by the United States on seven firms from Russia, India,
North Korea and Cuba for selling restricted items to Iran
expected to expire. Washington fears Iran is trying to make
nuclear weapons.
TUESDAY, JULY 29
GENEVA - World Trade Organisation (WTO) General Council
meeting (to July 30).
SEBOKENG, South Africa - Trial of Virginia Makgobo, former
dormitory matron of U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey's girls
academy, who has been charged with abusing minors.
THURSDAY, JULY 31
IRAQ/JAPAN - Mandate of Japanese air force mission in Iraq
is due to expire.
ABIDJAN - Deadline for Ivory Coast to stop the abuse of child
labour on its cocoa farms. The country faces sanctions on its
exports to the United States if it misses the deadline, set by
U.S. lawmakers.
EUROPEAN UNION/NOUAKCOTT - The bilateral fishing agreement
between the European Union and Mauritania expires at the end of
July.
LOS ANGELES - Jamie Spears' "temporary conservatorship" over
pop star Britney Spears' affairs -- which gives him control over
her business, finances and some personal affairs -- expires.
Jamie is the father of Britney.
AUGUST 2008 (UNDATED)
LOS ANGELES - U.S. law firm Milberg LLP is expected to go on
trial on accusations it paid illegal kickbacks to clients.
BRUSSELS - Reform of the European Union wine sector agreed
at a meeting of the EU on Dec. 19, 2007 expected to start in
August 2008.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
MINNESOTA - First anniversary of the collapse of a major U.S.
interstate bridge over the Mississippi River in the state of
Minnesota.
CHICAGO - Lollapalooza 2008, a three day music festival
begins (to Aug. 3). Link: http://www.lollapalooza.com/
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
COWES, Isle of Wight - SPORT-SAILING - Cowes Week (to Aug.
9), largest and longest-running international sailing regatta in
the world.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
KIEV/GENEVA - Ukraine expected to become a WTO member.
EDINBURGH, Scotland - Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Festival,
world's largest arts festival (to Aug. 25). Link:
http://www.edfringe.com/
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6
HIROSHIMA, Japan - The city of Hiroshima commemorates the
dropping of the Atom bomb in 1945.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7
WASHINGTON - Sentencing of Zachary Jenson, who pleaded
guilty for planning to attack targets including the U.S. Forest
Service Institute of Forest Genetics, the Nimbus Dam and Fish
Hatchery, cellular telephone towers and electric power stations.
BRISTOL, England - Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (to
Aug. 10). Link: http://www.bristolfiesta.co.uk/
WASHINGTON - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) hurricane forecast.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8
BEIJING - 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (to Aug 24). U.S.
President George W. Bush to attend the olympic games at the
invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao. Link:
http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/beijing/index_uk.asp
KILLORGLIN, Ireland - Puck Fair, Ireland's oldest street
festival. Link: http://www.puckfair.ie/
EDINBURGH, Scotland - Edinburgh International Festival 2007
(to Aug. 31). Link: http://www.eif.co.uk/
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9
NAGASAKI, Japan - The city of Nagasaki commemorates the
dropping of the Atom bomb in 1945.
EDINBURGH, Scotland - Edinburgh International Book Festival
(to Aug. 25). Link: http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10
BOLIVIA - Bolivian President Evo Morales to face a recall
vote, asking Bolivians whether Morales should remain in power.
The nationwide vote will coincide with regional balloting to
decide whether Bolivia's nine regional governors remain in
office.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12
WORLDWIDE - International Youth Day>
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14
PAKISTAN - 61st anniversary of Pakistan independence from
British rule.
BEIRUT - Hezbollah marks the second anniversary of its
"divine victory" -- the end of its war with Israel.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15
ASUNCION - Fernando Lugo will be sworn in as Paraguay's new
president.
JAPAN - Anniversary of country's surrender in World War Two.
INDIA - 61st anniversary of Indian independence from British
rule.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16
GRACELANDS, Tn., - 31st anniversary of the death of rock 'n
roll legend Elvis Presley.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17
GLOBAL - World Water Week (to Aug 23).
MONDAY, AUGUST 18
SYDNEY - Annual DIVA Drag Queen awards. Link:
http://www.divaawards.com.au/diva2006.htm
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20
UNITED STATES - Results of the Reuters/Zogby Index, a
measure of American voter sentiment leading up to the U.S.
presidential election in 2008.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean
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Keywords: WORLD DIARY/=6
UPDATE 2-G8 environment ministers: halve emissions by 2050
Reuters: [2008-05-26 08:43:00]
(Adds quotes, additional information)
By Linda Sieg
KOBE, Japan, May 26 (Reuters) - Environment ministers from the G8 rich nations on Monday urged their leaders to set a global target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a small but vital step in the fight against climate change.
But they stopped short of suggesting specific interim targets ahead of 2050, a key demand of developing countries in tough U.N.-led talks to forge a new treaty on global warming by the end of next year.
Germany's secretary of state for the environment, Matthias Machnig, said the ministers had sent an important signal to their leaders on the direction in which talks needed to go.
"We made a step here today, a small one, but a very important one," he told a joint news conference.
About 190 nations have agreed to negotiate by the end of 2009 a successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol, which binds 37 advanced nations to cut emissions by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.
But wide gaps exist inside the G8 and between rich and poorer nations over how to share the burden for fighting the climate change that causes droughts, rising seas and more severe storms.
Ministers from the Group of Eight and major emerging countries had sought in weekend talks in western Japan to build momentum ahead of a July summit in Toyako, northern Japan.
The G8 agreed last year in Germany to consider halving global emissions by mid-century, a proposal favoured by Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada but opposed so far by the United States and Russia.
"On climate change, we strongly expressed the will to try to come to an agreement at the Toyako summit (in July) so we can have a target of at least halving emissions by 2050," Japanese Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita told a news conference.
"To halve emissions, advanced countries should exercise leadership to achieve major cuts."
Emerging and developing countries want the G8 to take the lead by setting numerical targets for emissions cuts by 2020, a stance also backed by the European Union.
WHO GOES FIRST?
"As for mid-term targets, it is necessary to set effective targets and advanced countries should lead the way," Kamoshita said, but he added it might not be appropriate to specify numbers now and added that developing countries with rapidly increasing emissions also needed to curtail their increases.
How far G8 leaders will be able to go in July, when they get together with leaders from big emerging countries, is still in some doubt given that the United States insists that major emerging economies like China and India help curb emissions.
"For these goals to have meaning, we need to include not just the G8 countries but all countries that have significant emissions," said Scott Fulton, deputy head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Bickering over who goes first raises the danger that the planet will run out of time, said British Environment Minister Hilary Benn.
"If we play who goes first, we are sunk," he told Reuters in an interview, noting that U.S. climate change policy was likely to change after a new president is elected in November.
Some environmental activists said the ministers had made progress -- but not very much.
"We're at the point where there needs to be a very ambitious message out of the G8 summit for international talks on climate change to move forward," said Mika Obayashi of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies, an NGO.
"So in that sense, this meeting was just a quarter of a step forward. They didn't specify where they would set targets in the long-term, nor did they go beyond saying that mid-term targets should be effective."
The G8 ministers also stressed the need for funds to help developing countries adapt to climate change and limit their emissions.
But they said private sector investments were needed in addition to government funds to pay for efforts that top U.N. climate negotiator said would require "hundreds of billions of dollars a year" would be needed over the longer term.
"Finance will help to unlock contributions from developing and emerging economies to solving the problem, without which we can't do it for reasons of the science and the maths," Benn said. (Additional reporting by Chisa Fujioka; Editing by John Chalmers) ((linda.sieg@reuters.com; 81-3-6441-1881; Reuters Messaging: linda.sieg.reuters.net@reuters.com))
Keywords: CLIMATE/G8
Australia links organised crime to illegal fishing
Reuters: [2008-05-26 07:53:00]
By James Grubel
CANBERRA, May 26 (Reuters) - Organised crime groups around the world and even motorcycle gangs are becoming involved in illegal fishing, lured mainly by demand from China for prized fish species, a study by Australian crime experts said.
The groups from China, Australia, Russia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Japan have all been linked to illegal fishing, with fish stocks either sold illegally or used to launder money, the Australian Institute of Criminology said.
The institute's report on illegal fishing called for greater international cooperation to fight the black market, and said criminal groups targeted prized species in demand in Asia, such as abalone, shark fins and beche-de-mer, or sea cucumber.
"It is clear that overseas illicit markets in seafood products such as abalone, beche-de-mer and shark fin are flourishing, due in part to a steadily increasing demand from mainland China," the institute said.
The Australian-government funded institute said profits from illegal fishing could be high, with the rich in China willing to pay up to $5,000 for meals with top quality abalone, and with demand for shark fin growing an estimated five percent a year.
It said in New Zealand, several coastal abalone fishing areas have been closed, with the official catch of 1,057 tonnes a year estimated to be matched by 1,000 of poached abalone.
The report said as crime groups increased their interest in illegal fishing, there was evidence of growing cooperation between crime groups and motorcycle gangs in different countries.
It said the illegal fish trade could be used to pay off other criminal activities, such as drugs and arms sales, people smuggling and sex slavery.
"A wide range of criminal activities may be associated with the illegal trade, including the concealment of financial transactions and profits," the report said.
"These crimes include violence, corruption, fraud and money laundering, with the transfer of the proceeds of crime across networks and national borders."
It said Australian abalone, shark fin and seahorses were attractive to international poachers, while abalone, lobster, mud crabs, snapper and reef fish were vulnerable to poaching for the domestic market.
Australia's exclusive fishing zone covers 11 million square kilometres (4.2 million square miles), with the commercial fishing harvest worth about A$2.3 billion ($2.2 billion) a year, with about A$1.85 billion worth of seafood exports. ($1=A$1.04) (Editing by Michael Perry and Sanjeev Miglani) ((james.grubel@reuters.com; +612 6273 2730; Reuters Messaging: james.grubel.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: CRIME FISHING/GANGS
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