A look at what could be dominating the headlines around the world this week - and some key background on those events.
MONDAY 17 DECEMBER
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LOOK OUT FOR
Mad about Food: a series of features exploring sustainability and food, including:
Tracing Chilean cherries from tree to tills in the UK
A look at what people have in their fridge, around the world
An interactive laptop link-up with Pakistan
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Electing a leader: The Lebanese parliament meets in a new attempt to choose a president. The vote has been delayed several times because the Western-backed government and opposition groups supported by Syria have been unable to agree on a candidate.
Paris for Palestine: France is to hold an international conference of donors to raise funds for the Palestinian people. The event will be led by the country's Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner.
Murder hearing: Amanda Knox, the US student suspected of killing her British flatmate, Meredith Kercher, appears in court in the Italian city of Perugia.
TUESDAY 18 DECEMBER
Gone fishing: As fish stocks continue to decline, European Union agriculture and fisheries ministers meet in Brussels for an annual marathon meeting to haggle over quotas. The climax, usually a late-night affair, comes on Thursday.
Changing Spain: Immigrant groups across Spain are to demonstrate, appealing for a new amnesty for the country's thousands of illegal migrants.
WEDNESDAY 19 DECEMBER
Clean slate: Presidential elections are to take place in South Korea. Frontrunner Lee Myung-bak was cleared of involvement in a major fraud case earlier this month.
Meeting of minds: Members of parliament, civil society leaders and politicians are to meet in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, to discuss a draft new constitution to replace the one
imposed by Britain at independence in 1964.
THURSDAY 20 DECEMBER
Tens of thousands gather in Mecca to mark Eid
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Holy day: Muslims celebrate the first day of Eid ul-Adha, the festival of sacrifice. The second most important festival in the Muslim calendar, it marks the end of the annual pilgrimage - or Hajj - to the Saudi city of Mecca.
China's Las Vegas: It is the eighth anniversary of the handover of the former Portuguese enclave of Macau to China.
Papal meeting: Pope Benedict XVI is to meet France's President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Vatican City, in Rome.
FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER
Chadian authorities say many of the children were not orphans
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Zoe's Ark: The trial begins of French aid group workers accused of kidnapping children from Chad. Six people face charges of child abduction after trying to fly 103 children, who they say were orphans, out of the country.
Breaking up borders: Nine new countries join the 15-country Schengen accord, which allows people to move more freely across borders in most of Europe. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia are the new members.
Bangkok bridge: The leaders of Malaysia and Thailand open a new cross-border bridge. The structure will link Thailand's Narathiwat and Malaysia's Kelantan.
SATURDAY 22 DECEMBER
Royal record: Queen Elizabeth II becomes the oldest-ever British reigning monarch. She overtakes Queen Victoria, who died at the age of 81 years 243 days, in 1901.
Curtain call: Argentine ballet star Julio Bocca steps on the stage for the final time in Buenos Aires before he retires. The dancer has been delighting audiences for 25 years.
SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER
Bangkok vote: Thailand holds it first general election since a coup by army chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin to depose Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September 2006.
This guide to the week ahead is not intended as an exhaustive list, and the events noted may be cancelled or postponed.
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