The World This Week

Today: UN chief weapons inspector Richard Butler in Baghdad. Arafat in Cairo. Ecofin Council meets. Hungarian PM in Britain

Today: UN chief weapons inspector Richard Butler in Baghdad. Arafat in Cairo. Ecofin Council meets. Hungarian PM in Britain. Appeal of National Front Mayor of Vitrolles in southern France. War crimes hearings in The Hague. Spanish PM in Poland. United Front coalition in India launches election campaign. Yeltsin returns to work in Moscow. UN conference on disarmament opens in Geneva.

Tomorrow: Czech parliament elects president. Paris court issues judgment against Brigitte Bardot. Clinton meets Netanyahu in Washington. Yeltsin chairs defence council meeting.

Wednesday: Pope John Paul arrives in Cuba. US Defence Secretary arrives in Seoul. South Korea, US and Japan talks in Seoul. EU Standing Veterinary Committee meets. Trial of Berlusconi on tax evasion. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia.

Thursday: Arafat leads delegation to US. Former Hong Kong legislator Emily Lau receives human rights award. NASA launches Endeavour spacecraft in mission to Mir. Japanese deputy foreign minister visits Moscow.

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Friday: Parades and marches marking "international Jerusalem day", on last Friday of Ramadan. WHO team investigating Hong Kong "bird flu" visit China. Talks between Council of Europe, OSCE and UN in Geneva. P. W. Botha appears in court.

saturday: New air base becomes operational in Paphos, Cyprus. Endeavour to dock at Mir.

Sunday: World Leprosy Day. Brazilian Democratic Movement Party holds conference. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Japan.

Ireland

Today "Citizens First - Phase Two" conference on European citizenship, at European Union House, Dublin. Wednesday: Public meeting on "The Urgent Situation in Kosova" following meeting between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the director of the Kosova Information Centre, Mr Iza Zymberi: 7.30 p.m. at 133 North Circular Road.

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