Melbourne, Australia — 9 December, 2008— During his first weeks in office, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called for a national summit in Canberra on the 19th- 20th April 2008 to explore the challenges facing the nation up to 2020.

Approximately 15 professors, deans and other professionals in the computing sciences from the People's Republic of China came to Arlington, Va. last month for a summit with their U.S. counterparts.

The Federal Government's youth 2020 summit has started in Canberra, with the Youth Minister defending the choice of delegates.

The disappointing performance of U.S. teenagers in math and science in recent years has sparked calls for a sweeping overhaul of science-based education in American schools. A summit on the issue, held in New York City this week, stressed that scientific literacy of youths is essential if the United States is to stay competitive in the global economy.

The first India-Africa summit has concluded with a pledge to work as partners to address economic and development challenges. They also vowed to ensure food security for their developing regions, where poverty is widespread.

India is preparing to host a two-day summit of leaders of key African countries in a bid to deepen engagement with the continent. The meeting that starts Tuesday is an effort by India to raise its political profile in the resource-rich region.

The NATO summit has convened in formal session in Bucharest, Romania. Members are focusing on military operations in Afghanistan and how and when to enlarge the alliance.

Macedonia's delegation says it is leaving the NATO summit in Bucharest early to protest the alliance's failure to invite it to begin membership talks because of a dispute over the country's name.

As NATO leaders gathered in Romania for summit talks, U.S. President George W. Bush urged the alliance to continue to expand eastward and to increase its presence in Afghanistan.

As talks among NATO leaders get under way in Bucharest, much of the emphasis will be on what the alliance can and should do to help stabilize Afghanistan. France is expected to announce additional troop deployments and U.S. President George W. Bush has appealed to NATO allies to step forward with more forces as well.

Leaders from the 26-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization hold their summit this week in Bucharest, Romania. Topping the agenda will be what to do to help stabilize Afghanistan and what additional countries NATO may invite to join the alliance.

U.S. President George W. Bush has arrived in Romania for this week's NATO summit after pledging to strongly press the allies to initiate the membership process for Ukraine and Georgia.