The Week Ahead: November 26-December 02

Led Zeppelin plays a historic concert, Korean defence ministers meet, European airlines are blacklisted, Indonesia plants 79m trees, Nelson Mandela hosts Aids benefit concert, and Vladimir Putin makes a bid to prolong his hold on power in Russia

November 26

Middle East peace meeting
George W Bush, US president, hosts Ehud Olmert, Israeli prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, for talks on the Middle East peace process in Maryland. Delegates from Syria, Saudi Arabia and Russia will attend (to November 27).

UN discusses Sudan
The United Nations Security Council is due to discuss Sudan with Jan Eliasson, the UN secretary general’s special envoy to Darfur.

Report on nuclear Iran
Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, reports to the P5+1 group – the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China – on Iran’s nuclear programme. A UN Security Council resolution is expected this month.

Mobile phone advertising
A conference in Budapest, Hungary, is to look at how to exploit commercial opportunities through mobile phone advertising (to November 29).

Check on nuclear fuel
The International Atomic Energy Agency is scheduled to visit Novosibirsk (to November 29) to inspect the sealing of a container of fuel to the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran.

Food safety addressed
China is scheduled to host an international conference (to November 27) on food safety in Beijing following global concerns over the safety of its export items.

Red Cross conference
The 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is due to take place in Geneva (to November 30).

CBI conference
The CBI is scheduled to hold its annual conference, CBI Interactive, in London (to November 27). Keynote addresses will be delivered by Alistair Darling, UK chancellor, and David Cameron, the Conservative party leader.

Led Zeppelin reunion
The surviving members of Led Zeppelin, with original drummer John Bonham replaced by his son Jason, play a full concert together for the first time since 1980. More than 1m people registered for a chance to buy one of the 20,000 tickets for the London concert.

November 27

Pan-Korean meeting
Kim Il Chol, North Korean defence minister, hosts Kim Jang-soo, his South Korean counterpart, for talks on ending hostile legislation and creating a joint fishing area (to November 29).

British Fashion Awards
The British Fashion Awards 2007 are scheduled to take place in London.

Nordic business
Ministers from the Nordic region are to meet in Copenhagen to discuss business and energy matters (to November 28).

AU discusses migration
The African Union is scheduled to meet in Addis Ababa to discuss the “Free Movement of Persons in Africa” (to November 29).

Oil magnate sentenced
Oscar Wyatt, the Texas oil magnate, is scheduled to be sentenced for illegal dealings with Saddam Hussein under the UN’s oil-for-food programme.

Hedge funds event
Zurich is due to host Hedge Funds World 2007 (to November 29), looking at best practice, market developments, transparency and risk issues.

Tigers leader talks
Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the Tamil Tigers, makes his annual speech to Sri Lanka’s Tamil population.

Fastest-growing companies
Based on revenues from 2002-06 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, independent auditor Deloitte gives its list of the fastest growing companies.

November 28

EU-China summit
José Sócrates, prime minister of Portugal, which holds the EU’s presidency, will meet top Chinese officials including Hu Jintao, president, as part of the 10th EU-China summit in Beijing. He will also attend the closing ceremony of an associated business summit.

Kosovo independence
Serbia’s southern province of Kosovo is expected to declare its secession on Albania’s independence day. Years of negotiations has seen Serbia block moves for independence by Kosovo’s Albanian majority.

European airline blacklist
The European Commission is due to adopt an airline blacklist, encouraging airlines to comply strictly with EU safety standards.

N Rock investors meet
The UK Shareholders’ Association will hold a meeting for Northern Rock shareholders, which will discuss steps that should be taken to protect assets in the mortgage lender.

Israel-Lebanon report
The Winograd commission into Israel’s attack on Hizbollah in Lebanon in July 2006 is expected to criticise Israel’s military.

Energy summit
The Middle East and Asia Energy Summit is due to be held in Singapore (to November 29). Organised by the Gulf Research Center and IBC Gulf Conferences, the event is being backed by the Singaporean foreign ministry and will address topics such as trade and oil.

Billboard music awards
The eighth annual Billboard R&B and hip-hop awards are scheduled to take place in Atlanta.

Medicine workshop
The European Commission is due to host a workshop in Brussels on the simplification of medicine regulation between Europe and the US.

Blake’s birthday
The 250th anniversary of the birth of William Blake, the English poet and painter, is to be marked.

Indonesia plants 79m trees
Ahead of a UN climate change meeting in Bali, Indonesia plans to plant 79m trees as part of a global campaign against deforestation.

November 29

Bush holds talks with Saca
Elias Antonio Saca, president of El Salvador, is due to meet George W Bush, US president, to discuss recent regional developments on organised crime, drug smuggling and international terror.

Algeria holds local election
Local elections are due to take place in Algeria. The Islamic Salvation Front has been excluded.

Energy emergency plans
The International Energy Agency is due to report on its response system for energy emergencies and supply disruptions.

Secret service
Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, is due to hold a secret communion service for gay clergy and their partners under the Chatham House rule, which means the sources of comments at the meeting will not be revealed. The service will add further controversy to the church which has been split since the 2003 ordination in the US of gay bishop Gene Robinson.

Afghan judge makes speech
Abdul Salam Azimi, chief justice of Afghanistan’s supreme court, is to address the US Institute of Peace on progress in installing the rule of law in Afghanistan.

November 30

EU-India summit
An EU-India summit is due to take place in New Delhi. The EU delegation, headed by José Sócrates, prime minister of Portugal, holder of the EU presidency, and José Manuel Barroso, European Commission president, will meet Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister.

Mobile phones on aircraft
Ofcom, the communications regulator, is to announce plans enabling airlines to offer mobile services on UK-registered aircraft. The proposals have been developed jointly with other EU countries and are intended to cover all European airspace.

December 1

Thain takes over at Merrill
John Thain is due to replace Stan O’Neal as chief executive of Merrill Lynch.

Deadline for Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf is due to step down as Pakistan’s army chief by this day. Mr Musharraf says he will stand down once the supreme court rules he can stay on as president.

World Aids Day concert
Nelson Mandela is due to host a World Aids Day charity concert in Johannesburg.

European film awards
The European Film Academy is scheduled to present its 20th annual awards in Berlin. The Last King of Scotland, The Queen and Control are nominated for awards.

Russians leave
The last Russian soldiers are due to leave Georgian soil. Russia currently maintains two military bases in the country, leftovers from the Soviet era.

Miss World
More than 125 delegates are due to compete in the 57th annual Miss World beauty contest in China.

December 2

Putin contests Duma vote
Russia is to hold parliamentary elections. President Vladimir Putin, unable to stand for a third presidential term,will head the United Russia party’s list for the Duma in an attempt to become prime minister when his term as president expires. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe has cancelled observation plans due to what it calls “unprecedented” restrictions.

Venezuela referendum
The South American country is due to hold a referendum, championed by President Hugo Chávez, to remove term limits on its presidency, a move criticised by former defence minister Raul Baduel.

UAE celebrates independence
The United Arab Emirates are to celebrate their National Day, marking independence from Britain.

Berlusconi leads protest
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian opposition leader, is scheduled to lead an anti-government demonstration in Rome.

Footballer Of The Year award
France Football, the football magazine, presents the European Footballer Of The Year award. Nominees this year include Iraqi Younis Mahmoud, Manchester United’s Carlos Tevez and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.