Today: Cuban and US officials meet in Havana over child custody dispute. Israeli PM and Palestinian President meet. Postponed indictments against Nawaz Sharif expected. Russian Duma votes on ratification of START II treaty. Bangladeshi workers hold general strike. George W. Bush and Steve Forbes in TV debate. A leader of Portugal's 1974 revolution on trial for involvement in killings during 1980s. European Parliament meets in Strasbourg. EU Environment Council meets in Brussels.
Tomorrow: Ceremony to mark transfer of Panama Canal to Panamanian control. OSCE chief visits Chechnya, North Ossetia and Daghestan. Russia ratifies new union treaty with Belarus. EU-OIC summit in Helsinki. Mayoral election in San Francisco. UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague sentences Bosnian Serb Goran Jelisic. European Parliament hears WTO and European Council summit reports. Bougainville rebels meet PNG officials. Russian defence minister meets Milosevic in Belgrade.
Wednesday: EU-US summit in Washington. Gen Musharaff of Pakistan announces new economic agenda. Serbian opposition announces composition of "transitional government". US-led consortium signs contract to build two nuclear plants in North Korea. Swiss parliament votes for cabinet. Venezuela holds referendum on new constitution. G20 economic forum of world's richest nations meets in Berlin.
Thursday: EU-Canada summit in Ottawa. EU Fisheries Council meets in Brussels. French PM visits Japan. Russian defence minister in Berlin. Talks on Somalia in Nairobi. Panel investigating allegations against Kohl meets. G8 foreign ministers meet in Berlin.
Friday: Al Gore and Bill Bradley in televised debate. IMF managing director visits Ukraine. EU justice and home affairs commissioner visits Macao.
Sunday: Macao reverts from Portugal to China. Federal parliamentary election in Russia. Election for mayor of Moscow.
Ireland
Today: Launch of Unicef annual survey The State of the World's Children. Wednesday: Oireachtas foreign and European affairs committees meet.
Irish events of a world news interest for this column should be received by David Shanks, Foreign Desk, on the Friday before publication.