The week ahead

What may make the headlines

• GEORGE BUSH plays host to two of Europe’s most important leaders. On Tuesday November 6th he begins two days of talks with Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, arrives on Friday. Among other things, they will discuss Iran, a current preoccupation for all three. But Germany and France have different ideas about how to tackle the problem. Mr Sarkozy’s government is keen to press on with European sanctions against Iran. Germany, however, does not want the European Union to act without further resolutions from the United Nations. But this gives Russia and China a veto. Mr Bush may try to talk Ms Merkel around.

• AN IMPORTANT period for the Balkans begins on Tuesday November 6th when the European Commission reports on how EU applicants are doing in their quest for membership. At the moment only Croatia is close to becoming a member, having met the main political and economic criteria. It may join as soon as 2009. Separately, a top Serb will go on trial in The Hague for war crimes committed during the break up of Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s and another round of negotiation will begin over Kosovo’s future. Kosovo is still nominally part of Serbia; America and most European countries support independence, but Serbia, backed by Russia, rules this out.

A SENATE committee is expected to approve the nomination of Michael Mukasey as America's attorney-general on Tuesday November 6th. Mr Mukasey is considered independent and impressive, unlike his hapless predecessor, Alberto Gonzales. But he had described the CIA interrogation technique of waterboarding (simulated drowning) as “repugnant to me”, but not as torture, in a written answer to Democrats on the judiciary committee. As a result, some said they would vote against him. The last-minute support of Chuck Schumer, a voluble and partisan Democrat, and Dianne Feinstein, another influential Democrat, made his approval all but certain.

• SURGING oil prices will keep speculators watching next week. A barrel of the black stuff is close to breaching $100 for the first time. Prices are increasing because of a marked drop in stockpiles, another interest-rate cut in America that could make its economy grow more quickly and brewing trouble in the Middle East. And while supply is tight smaller disruptions have a disproportionate effect on oil prices.