WORLD AGENDA DECEMBER 2010

December 2, Zurich: FIFA announces the soccer World Cup host nations for 2018 and 2022. Belgium with the Netherlands, England, Russia, and Spain with Portugal are in the running for 2018, while Australia, Japan, South Korea, Qatar and the United States hope to host 2022.

December 5, Baghdad: Kurds are threatening to boycott Iraq's first full census in 23 years if a question on ethnic identity is dropped. The count, originally due in 2007, has been deferred several times because of wrangling over Kurdistan territory.

December 5, Iran: Tehran has said it will attend talks with six world powers on its nuclear programme for the first time in more than a year. Its decision comes after June's tightening of sanctions on the country, suspected of developing nuclear weapons.

December 6, Pontoise: A French court gives its verdict over the Concorde crash that killed 113 people in Paris in 2000. The ruling could mean a hefty fine for U.S. carrier Continental Airlines and a suspended sentence for Henri Perrier, former head engineer of the French Concorde programme.

December 7, London: The Rochefoucauld Grail, a 14th century book of King Arthur tales, is expected to fetch £2 million at auction. The manuscript, on animal hide with hand-painted pictures, is one of the earliest surviving accounts of the fabled king's life.

December 7, Dublin: Fianna Fail announces its 2011 budget, including an EU/IMF bailout, amid uproar across Ireland that the package represents a loss of sovereignty. The ruling party, whose roots lie in independence from Britain, is seen as the embodiment of Irish nationalism.

December 10, Cancun: The latest efforts to agree new global greenhouse gas targets come to a close in Mexico. Environment ministers from almost 200 countries gather from November 29 in an attempt to toughen the world's response to climate change.

December 14, Rome: The future of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi hangs in the balance on the day he faces two confidence votes and a court ruling. The 74-year-old leader's credibility has plummeted following a series of financial and sexual scandals.

Mid December (undated), Brussels: Visa requirements on travellers from Albania and Bosnia are lifted by the European Union to encourage democratic reform. Some bloc members fear the move will increase illegal immigration and drug trafficking from Asia.

Late December (undated), Washington: Barack Obama's review of his Afghanistan war strategy will be closely watched by allies keen for an exit strategy from the intensifying nine-year conflict. U.S. officials have warned there will be no major changes.

December (undated), Caracas: Venezuela opens a state-run stock and bond exchange, a move designed to finance public companies and woo middle class voters. President Hugo Chavez said the new "socialist exchange" would be a blow to "vampire" capitalism.
/ENDS