From Hokkaido to Malabo via Glasgow East, it's the morning news meeting

Among other places, we've got correspondents in Hokkaido, Equatorial Guinea and Glasgow East. That's a G8 summit, a possible sentencing and a by-election.

What more could you possibly want? Super bishops perhaps? Well, we've got that too.

To Africa, where the attorney general in Malabo tells us to expect the sentencing of Simon Mann, accused for his part in a plot to overthrow the government, at around 4.30pm.

We've had word before about sentencing, only for nothing to happen. Nevertheless, Sue Turton is on the ground, standing by.

We understand that Mann won't be given a chance to speak post-sentencing but all cameras will be trained on the old Etonian as this compelling trial finally comes to an end.

Meanwhile, our diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Rugman is in Japan for another meeting of the most powerful men (and woman) in the world. The theme emerging, however, is of powerlessness. From the food to oil, what exactly can national leaders do to influence events? And, as we pose here, what can summits achieve?

Here's the opening line of Jonathan's pre-summit scene setter:

"It has been pouring with rain here all day, a low mist hanging over the forests and volcanoes of Hokkaido island, leaving the leaders of the G8 nations with their heads, quite literally, in the clouds."

You can read it all on the Channel 4 News website later this morning.

Nearer to home, political editor Gary Gibbon is in Glasgow ahead of 24 July Glasgow East by-election. Today, both the Conservatives and the SNP launch their campaigns.

In the words of the programme editor, the Tories theme will be 'broken Britain', while Alex Salmond's party are going for the more pragmatic 'let's give Gordon a kicking'.

The Labour party for its part will try and turn the by-election into a referendum on the SNP's own performance as the party in power north of the border.

One interesting sidebar, is turnout. Traditionally poor - it was under 50 per cent in 2005 - it's expected to be disastrous this time around not least because the by-election has been scheduled for a time when much of Glasgow is on holiday.

Another sidebar is the 'Gaza line'. SNP leader at Westminster Angus Robertson has kicked up a storm for suggesting that life expectancy in Glasgow East is lower than in the troubled Middle East territory.

Sounds like perfect FactCheck material to us - and we'll be number crunching later today.

Finally, to the promised super bishops. This is believed to be the compromise the Church of England General Synod will vote for when they meet in York later today.

The deal would allow women to be consecrated as bishops but would also allow those who object to remain under the ministry of a male bishop.

The vote was originally expected around seven tonight - 'in our time' - but the debate has now been extended to 10pm. Very much out of our time and therefore likely to drop down the running order.

Especially if the Malabo government keep to their timetable and deliver a Simon Mann sentence.

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