The World This Week

Today: New US Ambassador to UN and White House negotiator on Cyprus, Richard Holbrooke, visits Athens

Today: New US Ambassador to UN and White House negotiator on Cyprus, Richard Holbrooke, visits Athens. European Court of Human Rights hears case of 12-yearold British boy beaten by stepfather. IMF delegation visits Moscow. Corruption inquiry into former administration in St Lucia resumes. Latvian parliament debates citizenship law. Nuclear inspection team reports on safety of plant in Slovakia. OECD releases Employment Outlook. EU research council meets in Luxembourg. White House delegation visits Hong Kong. Japanese trade minister visits Malaysia. Chinese National Peoples' Congress meets in Beijing. Council of Baltic Sea States meets in Denmark. EU agriculture council meets in Luxembourg. Tomorrow: Pan-European Con ference of Environment Ministers in Denmark. Negotiations between Swiss banks and Jewish organisations resume. Talks between UN command and North Korean army. President Yeltsin presents anti-crisis programme. WEDNESDAY: President Clinton visits China. Vice-President Al Gore visits Moscow. OPEC meets in Vienna. 1998 World Disasters Report published. EU transport council meets in Brussels. Dr Kohl receives honorary degree from Cambridge University. Editor of Nigeria's Sunday Tribune in court accused of inciting anti-Government riots. THURSDAY: Russian foreign minister visits London. Palestinian Legislative Council debates no-confidence vote in Council of Ministers. Belgrade District Court hears libel case brought by opposition leader Vuk Draskovic. President Izetbegovic of Bosnia visits European Commission in Brussels. FRIDAY: South Korean and Japanese foreign and defence ministers meet in Seoul. German Free Democrat Party party congress in Leipzig. Jacques Chirac visits South Africa. SATURDAY: Eight NATO ships visit Bulgarian Black Sea port of Varna. Dr Kohl visits China. SUNDAY: Abortion referendum in Portugal. Israel's Council of Torah Sages meets. NATO-Russia permanent joint council meets in Brussels. APEC trade ministers meet in Auckland.

Ireland

Today: Barry Scheck, Louise Woodward's lawyer, gives lecture in TCD: "The Innocence Project" on DNA post-conviction testing in the US. President McAleese and Minister for Foreign Affairs leave for US. Diversity Dance Theatre, international Baha'i youth dance project a'i church, begins Irish visit to Cork and Limerick.

Wednesday: Council of Europe discusses Northern Ireland. Launch by US ambassador and RTE of Long Journey Home, a six-part TV history of the Irish in the US.

READ MORE

Friday: Return of the President.

Saturday: Start of "Caretakers of the Environment" international conference, Newtown School, Waterford.

Irish events of a world news interest for this column should be received by David Shanks, Foreign Desk, on the Friday before publication.