THE WORLD, THIS WEEK !

A look at what could be dominating the headlines around the world this week - and some key background on those events.

MONDAY 15 OCTOBER

LOOK OUT FOR -

China Week: A special series of features and reports as the Communist Party Congress begins including:
Guide to how the country is ruled
Day in the life of a party official
A report from villages emptied by urbanisation
In depth: China Week

In the dock: The trial of associates of the first European suicide bomber in Iraq - Belgian Muriel Degauque - opens in Brussels.
Journey of a bomber

Meeting of minds: European foreign ministers gather in Luxembourg to discuss key issues facing the 27-country bloc.
Mark Mardell's Euroblog

The Communist Party holds its Congress once every five years
Expensive business: US presidential candidates release their campaign funding figures for the last quarter of 2007.
Big money's sway
Central Committee: The 17th Chinese Communist Party Congress opens in the city of Beijing with more than 2,000 delegates expected to attend.
Q&A: China Communist Congress

TUESDAY 16 OCTOBER
Page turner: The winner of the Man Booker Prize for literature is announced in London. Hot contenders include Ian McEwan, Nicola Barker and Mohsin Hamid.
McEwan battles Booker newcomers

Cold front: Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend a summit of leaders of Caspian Sea states, held in the Iranian capital, Tehran. He will be the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit the country since Stalin.
Bush and Putin 'united' on Iran

WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER

Musharraf: president, prime minister and head of the army After the event: Pakistan's Supreme Court resumes hearing challenges to President Pervez Musharraf's right to become president, despite his recent election win.
Has an election win outfoxed the foes?

Smoke screen: The London Film Festival, a celebration of the medium showcasing the best international films begins.
The 51st London Film Festival

Common good: Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan launches a new world humanitarian forum in Geneva, Switzerland. The forum will be similar to Davos for the international aid and development community.
African wars wipe out aid gains

THURSDAY 18 OCTOBER
Long journey home: Former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto is expected to return home after eight years of self-imposed exile.
Benazir Bhutto's extraordinary career

Encore une fois: It is the first day of a series of French transport strikes called by trade unions.
Will the French buy Sarkozy reforms?

Electric life: Fans of virtual competition are meeting in Los Angeles for a world video games summit.
Game worlds show their human side

FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER
Harry in the Big Apple: Children's author JK Rowling, the writer behind the Harry Potter series, hosts a reading at New York's Carnegie Hall.
In depth: Harry Potter

Trading places: The World Bank releases it annual report on global development, looking at economic growth, employment and opportunity.
World Bank urges boost for young

SATURDAY 20 OCTOBER

Meetings of the World Bank and IMF are often controversial
Talking money: The World Bank and its sister organisation, the International Monetary Fund hold talks on the world's purse strings in Washington. Finance ministers from the world's most powerful G7 nations will also attend.
Profile: World Bank and IMF

Mounting anger: Protests are planned in the Czech Republic where the US is planning to situate a missile defence radar.
Czech fears over missile defence radar

Pushing for peace: The government of Chad is expected to sign an accord with rebel forces following talks in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Behind Chad's rebel alliance

SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER
Seventh debate: Republican candidates face each other in a televised debate to be held in the Florida city of Orlando while their Democrat counterparts discuss policy in New Hampshire.
Watching the debate from Iowa

Black sheep: The Swiss begin voting in parliamentary elections. Immigration has been a hot topic in this poll with the Swiss nationalist party's campaign posters stirring controversy.
Swiss row over election poster

Working hard for votes: Voting kicks off in Poland's parliamentary elections. The UK's large Polish community means the country has become a key election battleground and candidates have been flying over to campaign with ex-pats.
Polish election fever grips Britain

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