19 on drug smuggling charges - plea and case management
5 December 2008 at Woolwich Crown Court, 2 Belmarsh Road, London, SE28
19 defendants, arrested during a series of dawn raids February 13, appear via videolink charged with various offences, including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime. They are: Eyad Iktilat (DOB 04/11/63); Aslan Ibrahim (19/01/84); Stuart Wright (29/11/61); Tina Mullins (23/09/67); Jean Claude Frigieri (24/07/54); Patrick Dowling (02/01/61); Eugene Maguire (16/06/63); David Clohessy (30/11/68); Richard Hill (08/08/44); Simon Ford (27/09/69); James Ainscough (19/10/75); Maythem Al Ansari (01/04/68); Dennis Carpenter (25/04/54); David Scofield (09/06/59); Kevin Panrucker (13/12/71); Stephanie Sin Ting So (25/09/86); Keith Tayler (15/08/55); Amman Salhan (17/10/82); Rajesh Shah (13/04/68). Case number: T2008 7086.
Bank of America takeover of Merrill Lynch - shareholder vote
5 December 2008 at USA
Shareholders from both companies vote on the proposed takeover.
Web: www.ml.com
OJ Simpson guilty of sports memorabilia robbery - sentencing
5 December 2008 at Clark County Court, 200 Lewis Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Former NFL star was found guilty, October 3, of 12 counts, including robbery with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon, in relation to an alleged robbery at a Las Vegas casino hotel, September 2007. Simpson's codefendant Clarence Stewart, was also found guilty on all 12 counts. They face a maximum of life in prison. Case number: 07C237890C.
British Comedy Awards 2008
6 December 2008 at London Television Studios, London, SE1
Star-studded ceremony, presented since 1991 by Jonathan Ross. Broadcast live on ITV1. Hosted by Angus Deayton. Jonathan Ross was due to host but pulled out because of the 'Sachsgate' phone calls.
Hajj
6 December 2008 at Mina, Muzdalfa, Mount Arafat & Mount Jumarap, Saudi Arabia
Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia to celebrate the Hajj festival (Hijjah). The Hajj takes place at four venues: two of open ground - Mina and Muzdalfa; and two mountains - Mount Arafat and Mount Jumarap. As in recent years, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has sent an official British Hajj Delegation to provide consular support for UK nationals taking part. Runs until December 9.
Web: www.saudinf.com
Nicolas Sarkozy and the Dalai Lama - meeting
6 December 2008 at Poland
The French President and the Tibetan spiritual leader meet in Poland. Both attend a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Lech Walesa, the anti-communist union activist who later became President.
Web: www.elysee.fr
Ulster Unionist Party Conference - David Cameron speaks
6 December 2008 at Ramada Hotel, Belfast
Conservative Leader addresses annual political conference.
Web: www.uup.org
Ghana - Presidential and Legislative elections
7 December 2008 at Ghana
Elections to presidency - winner serves four-year term - and to parliament, which has 200 members also elected for four-year term in single-seat constituencies. Voting for presidency is based on absolute majority while for legislature the system is plurality vote.
Web: www.parliament.gh
London Underground power-worker pay dispute - 36-hour strike
7 December 2008 at London Underground network, 7.59pm to 7.59am
RMT shift workers responsible for fault-finding and maintaining the electrical supply to the Tube strike for the second time in a dispute with employer EDF Energy Powerlink over pay parity to day workers. First 36-hour strike took place November 16-18. Runs until December 9.
Web: www.rmt.org.uk
Children dead in Land Rover river crash - trial
8 December 2008 at Lincoln Crown Court, Lincoln
Nigel Gresham, 37, appears charged with four offences of causing death by dangerous driving following an accident in which four of his seven children died. Keavy, eight, Thor, six, Angel, four, and Willow, two, all died when the Land Rover which Gresham drove went into the River Witham on September 16, 2007, after an accident on Witham Bank, near Tattersall Bridge, Lincolnshire. Case number: T2008 7130. Runs until December 15.
LGA Finance Conference
8 December 2008 at Local Government House Conference Centre, Smith Square, London, SW1
Annual conference organised by the Local Government Association, around the time of the announcement of the annual finance settlement for local authorities.
Web: www.lga.gov.uk
Six-party talks on North Korean nuclear issues - sixth round, third phase
8 December 2008 at Daiyutai State Guesthouse, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Representatives from China, North Korea, Japan, South Korea, Russia and US resume discussions on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, normalisation of DPRK-US relations and DPRK-Japan relations, economic and energy cooperation, and Northeast Asian peace and security. Phase three entails abandonment of all DPRK nuclear programmes and weapons, and follows the submission of a full declaration of its nuclear programme from North Korea. Sung Kim, Director, Korean Affairs, US State Department concluded a visit to North Korea, May 13, bringing with him over 18,000 pages of documents submitted by his North Korean counterparts. These were not considered a full declaration.
Web: www.fmprc.gov.cn
Somalia - EU naval operation deployed
8 December 2008 at Coast of Somalia
EU conduct a military operation in order to contribute to the deterrence, the prevention and the repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast. Aims to contribute to the protection of vessels of the World Food Programme delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia; and the protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast, and the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery.
Population Trends - winter 2008
9 December 2008 at England & Wales
Quarterly publication providing a statistical analysis of demographics including population size, population change, births/deaths, life expectancy, abortions, migration and marriages.
Web: www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=6303&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=422
RICS Housing Market Survey
9 December 2008 at nationwide, UK
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors publication.
Web: www.rics.org
2008 Pre-Budget Report - Alistair Darling at select committee session
10 December 2008 at Wilson Room, Portcullis House, London, SW1, 2.30pm
Treasury Committee hears from Chancellor, and Treasury officials.
Nobel Peace Prize
10 December 2008 at City Hall, Oslo, Norway
£730k price awarded to Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish President, nominated for his international peace work.
Web: www.nobel.no
State Of Healthcare - Healthcare Commission annual report
10 December 2008 at nationwide, UK
Health inspectorate makes yearly report to Parliament on provision of healthcare by NHS.
European Council
11 December 2008 at Justus Lipsius Building, rue de la Loi 175, Brussels, Belgium
Prime Minister Gordon Brown joins fellow EU heads of government and/or state to establish general political guidelines for the Union's development and approve Presidency conclusions. Top of the agenda is the future of the Lisbon Treaty and the implementation of the European Economic Recovery Plan, announced on November 26. Runs until December 12.
Royal Variety Performance
11 December 2008 at London Palladium, Argyll Street, London, W1
Annual fundraising performance. Proceeds go to the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund. The Prince Of Wales and The Duchess Of Cornwall attend; George Sampson, Take That, Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, John Barrowman, Naturally 7, Sir Cliff Richard, The Shadows, Josh Groban, Only Men Aloud!, Brian May, Peter Kay, Jimmy Carr, Michael McIntyre, Rhod Gilbert, Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller perform.
Web: www.eabf.org.uk
