The BRIC countries hold a summit meeting

• THE leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China (collectively known as the BRICs) are set to hold a two-day summit meeting in Brasilia starting on Thursday April 15th. The four developing-market giants held a first summit in Russia last year, where they flexed their growing international muscle by raising the possibility of a new global reserve currency to replace the dollar. This time the BRICs are likely to renew calls for increased representation and voting rights for emerging economies in international financial organisations such as the IMF.

• SHORTLY after agreeing on a new strategic arms-reduction treaty with Russia Barack Obama is due to play host to over 40 heads of government in Washington, DC, to for a two day nuclear-security summit beginning on Monday April 12th. Mr Obama wants pledges from his guests—including the leaders of Russia, China, India, Israel and Pakistan—to secure nuclear materials around the world and to crack down on those who traffic in them, ahead of next month’s five-yearly review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the world’s main bulwark against proliferation and nuclear terrorism. Mr Obama may be gratified to note that Iran, a country excluded from his meeting for its relentless pursuit of atomic materials, is also joining in the summitry with a meeting on Sunday entitled “Nuclear energy for all, nuclear arms for no one”. …