In Germany, the Interior Ministry said it had set up a cross-ministerial crisis committee, while security was increased at government and U.S. and Israeli installations across the country.

CNN: Attacks spark global red alert

Other than the naming of a new Director-General (afternoon of 15 October) and the adoption of the 2010-2011 Programme and Budget, the agenda of the 35th session features a Ministerial Forum on strategies to overcome the economic crisis and on the future of UNESCO as a multilateral organization, on 8 October.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

Next to all this, Mr Hollande, a Socialist hack who led a fractious party for 11 years and has never had a ministerial job, is a debutant: his biggest crisis was a 2005 party split over the draft European Union constitution.

ECONOMIST: France��s presidential election

To read the world press and hear the ministerial mutterings at official summits, you'd sense a crisis of confidence about globalization.

FORBES: Sidelines

These topics will be discussed in ministerial meetings ahead of the summit along with urgent issues like the crisis in Syria.

BBC: UK assumes presidency of G8 group

On Monday , MPs convene at 2.30pm for an hour of Education questions, and, assuming no ministerial statements or urgent questions - and an update on the Algerian hostage crisis must be likely - they then turn to the committee of the whole house and third reading of the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill.

BBC: Week ahead