George Bush
Trilateral summit
Australia, Japan and the United States are scheduled to hold their first trilateral summit in Sydney. The aim is to strengthen security ties. At the talks, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and US President George Bush will discuss North Korea's nuclear disarmament and how to deal with China's military buildup. The first summit takes place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit meeting.
Smoking ban
Stubbing out
A partial smoking ban is scheduled to take effect in Germany. It covers public buildings and railway stations, and similar venues.
Amnesty offer
Olive branch
A government sponsored amnesty offer for Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka is scheduled to begin. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake announced the programme on August 13. The programme will give the Tamil rebels amnesty and offer rehabilitation and job training. The amnesty programme comes amid the governments offers to continue peace talks, if the rebels stop attacks, especially against civilian and economic targets. Irasiah Ilanthirayan, the spokesperson for the Tamil separatist party LTTE, said that the government's offer is simply a political move to boost the current president.
Nelson Mandela
Charity event
Nelson Mandela is scheduled to visit Monaco, where he is due attend a private dinner. Hosted by Prince Albert II, the event will raise funds for charities. Funds raised on September 1-2 will benefit Amade Mondiale, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
Christopher Hill
US-North Korea parley
The next meeting of the US-North Korea bilateral working group is scheduled to take place in Geneva. Christopher Hill, the assistant secretary of state for east Asian and Pacific affairs, will lead the US delegation, while Kim Gye Gwan, his counterpart in the overall six-party talks, will represent the North Korean side.
Javier Solana
Middle East visit
Javier Solana, the European Unions high representative for the common foreign and security policy, is scheduled to visit the Middle East. Solana will travel to Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Jordan during his visit.
Vladimir Putin
Whistlestop tour
Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and then Australia. It is expected that during his time in the UAE, Putin will meet Sheikh Khalifa, president of the UAE. Putin's final stop is Australia, where he will take part in the aforementioned Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.
Gordon Brown
Early election?
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is provisionally expected to decide on whether to call a snap general election in October. The speculation about the early date was recently fuelled by a good performance by the Labour party in the polls, as well as by suggestions that Labour donors and trade unions are prepared to clear the party's debts.
Cartographer
Marking out territory
The UN is scheduled to send a cartographer to visit the disputed Shaba Farms territory. Both Israel and Lebanon claim rights to the land; Israel claims that the land was won from Syria during the six-day war. US and French allies have encouraged Israel to concede the territory to Lebanon as a good-will gesture, but Israeli defence officials remain of the opinion that such an action could endanger Israeli national security.
Brazilian military
Home sweet home?
Brazil's government is expected to decide this month whether to prolong the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Haiti. Brazil first sent soldiers to Haiti in 2004, in response to the UN call for the Latin American force to keep peace in the Caribbean nation. Brazil currently has a force of 1,050 soldiers in Haiti.
Nicolas Sarkozy
Top brass meet
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to visit Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the visit at the G8 summit in June. Putin and Sarkozy met for the first time in June since Sarkozy was elected president. The president proposed that French and Russian military specialists meet to discuss Russia's proposed alternative to the missile shield.
WTO
Trade policy review
A delegation from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is scheduled to visit Pakistan in preparation for a trade policy review that is due to take place in January 2008. The delegation will be led by Clemens Boonekamp, director of the WTO Trade Policy Review Division.
Bernard Kouchner
State visit
French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner is scheduled to pay his first official state visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories this month.
Vladimir Bukovsky
Risky trip
Former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky is scheduled to return to Russia, where he is to announce his candidacy for the presidential nomination of the opposition Other Russia party. Bukovsky, 64, a retired neurophysiologist currently in Cambridge, served 12 years imprisoned in psychiatric and labour camps for 'anti-Soviet activities'.
Demonstration
Anti-Musharraf
The All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) opposition alliance is scheduled to hold a demonstration in Karachi. It is one of several anti-Musharraf rallies planned.
Michelle Bachelet
Japan visit
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is scheduled to visit Japan. She is due to meet the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 3. The visit coincides with the entry into effect of a bilateral free trade agreement between the two countries.
Ban Ki-moon
Africa trip
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to visit Sudan, Libya and Chad. The focus of the visit will be Sudan, where Ban hopes to petition for a speedy deployment of the UN-AU hybrid force in Darfur. During his time in Sudan, Ban is expected to meet with Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir, where he has promised to discuss his concern over new attacks in the Darfur region.
Donald Mahley
India dialogue
A US state department delegation is scheduled to visit India to continue the 'Next Steps in Strategic Partnership' dialogue between the two countries. Donald Mahley, the deputy assistant secretary of state for non-proliferation, is expected to lead the delegation.
Hu Jintao
Talking trade
Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to visit Australia. The focus of talks between Hu and the prime minister, John Howard, will be trade issues, including the liberalisation of the service industry in China and its agricultural industry. Hu will also sign deals on energy and natural resources. The trip also includes the APEC summit.
NATO
Bold Avenger
NATO is scheduled to hold military exercises in Norway to test multinational air operations. Exercise Bold Avenger 2007 takes place at Ørland Main Air Station.
Angela Merkel
Party address
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to speak to her Christian Democrat party in Hanau. She is due to address party activists on the new party programme for the coming political season, which sees regional elections early next year.
Tony Blair
Remember him?
The Quartet's special envoy, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is tentatively scheduled to return to the Middle East. During his visit, Blair is expected to visit Israel, the West Bank and Egypt.
Arab League
Cairo agenda
The foreign ministers of the Arab League member states are scheduled to convene their 128th session in Cairo. The agenda is expected to cover a wide variety of topics, including the report by the fact-finding commission on the Hamas takeover of Gaza. Other agenda items will include a report on the dialogue surrounding Arab national security, conditions in Jerusalem, supporting the Palestinian budget, solidarity with Lebanon, and conditions in the Golan Heights.
TV debate
Republican stand-off
A television debate between the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination is scheduled to take place in Durham, New Hampshire. Candidates are expected to include Rudy Giuliani, Senator John McCain and Mitt Romney.
Tassos Papadopoulos
Awkward meeting
Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat are scheduled to meet in Nicosia, the island’s capital.
Shimon Peres
Audience with the Pope
Israeli President Shimon Peres is scheduled to visit Italy. Peres will meet Pope Benedict XVI in his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. Peres will also meet Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, and the Prime Minister Romano Prodi.
Japan
Explanations demanded
Japan and North Korea are scheduled to hold bilateral talks in Mongolia. The agenda is due to include Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme and the abductions of Japanese citizens. The talks between the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations, are among several 'working group' sessions required under the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament. Japan and North Korea last held bilateral talks in March in Hanoi, Vietnam, but without progress. North Korea admitted in 2002 that it kidnapped 13 Japanese citizens and sent five of them home, saying the remaining eight were dead. Japan has demanded proof of the deaths, and says more of its citizens may have been taken.
Car
Auto exhibition
Tianjin, China's third largest city, is scheduled to host the second Iran-China Auto Exhibition. The aim of the event is to showcase Iranian automotive products and to make known their latest achievements in the spare parts and auto industries. The Chinese organiser, Yan Jianlai, stated that an aim of the exhibit is to enhance the ties between the two countries in the auto-sector.
Poland parliament
Dissolving the Sejm
The Polish parliament is scheduled to meet in Warsaw. Members are expected to vote on a motion for the Sejm to dissolve itself and trigger early elections.
APEC
APEC Summit
APEC meets in Sydney to discuss economic issues, including energy security and climate change
