The coming days

The week ahead

What may make the headlines

• SOUTH AFRICA'S ruling party, the African National Congress, is set to elect a new party leader at a five-yearly conference that ends on Thursday December 20th, with big implications for who gets to be the country's next president. The incumbent, Thabo Mbeki, appears to be poised to lose out to his rival, the country's former deputy president, Jacob Zuma. Neither candidate is appealing, but a victory for Mr Zuma, who would expect to be the ANC candidate in the 2009 presidential election, could mean much wrangling and political upheaval to come.

• SOUTH KOREANS are set to vote for a new president on Wednesday December 19th. Polls suggest that Lee Myung-bak of the conservative opposition, the Grand National Party, will get a thumping victory over his nearest rival, Chung Dong-young, the liberal heir to the outgoing president, Roh Moo-hyun. Voters are more preoccupied with economic revival than relations with North Korea, a paramount issue for the outgoing president.

• LONG-AWAITED European plans to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions from cars are due to be unveiled on Wednesday December 19th. Despite much lobbying by the car industry the European Commission is set to introduce tough limits on emissions (a proxy for fuel efficiency) of 130 grammes per kilometre in 2012. Average emissions across carmakers’ ranges are now at around 160g/km. German carmakers are particularly displeased as they mainly produce big and profitable gas guzzlers.

For background, see article

• SOME European Union borders will come down on Friday December 21st. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Malta and several other eastern European countries will join the passport-free “Schengen” area that already includes 13 EU members as well as Norway and Iceland. But the scare stories about the new outer borders being the only line of defence against smuggling and migrants may be unfounded. Similar fears when Greece and Italy joined have proved unjustified.

• THAILAND will hold a general election on Sunday December 23rd. The poll looks likely to serve as a referendum on Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. Although Mr Thaksin is currently exiled in London, members of his now defunct Thai Rak Thai party make up the bulk of the People’s Power Party, which looks set to win the most seats in parliament. But the army will not take kindly to the prospect of a PPP government.