The world this week

MONDAY 17 DECEMBER

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

One day in Pakistan

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.

Lebanon delays presidential vote

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.

Kouchner: Hardline humanitarian

Murder hearing: Amanda Knox, the US student suspected of killing her British flatmate, Meredith Kercher, appears in court in the Italian city of Perugia.

Flatmate 'heard Meredith scream'

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.

Europe bans bluefin tuna fishing

Changing Spain: Immigrant groups across Spain are to demonstrate, appealing for a new amnesty for the country's thousands of illegal migrants.

Spain begins anti-migration ads

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.

Probe clears S Korea frontrunner

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.

Profile: Zambia

THURSDAY 20 DECEMBER

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.

In pictures: Hajj begins in Mecca

China's Las Vegas: It is the eighth anniversary of the handover of the former Portuguese enclave of Macau to China.

Profile: Macau

Papal meeting: Pope Benedict XVI is to meet France's President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Vatican City, in Rome.

Benedict the unlikely pin-up pope

FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER

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.

Profile: Zoe's Ark

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.

Q&A: Schengen Agreement

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.

Country profile: Thailand

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.In-depth: The Queen at 80

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.Listen to an interview (in Spanish) with Julio Bocca

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.

Thai PM deposed in military coup

This guide to the week ahead is not intended as an exhaustive list, and the events noted may be cancelled or postponed.