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ForesightNews world briefing: upcoming events 4-10 July

A weekly round up of world events from Monday, 4 July to Sunday, 10 July from ForesightNews

Following this week's announcement of arrest warrants against Muammar Gaddafi and co., The Hague continues its stint in the limelight next week with the high-profile hearing on Monday for former Bosnian Serb Commander Ratko Mladic at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

Meanwhile, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen lead a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in Sochi, the first since military action began in Libya. Russia has been increasingly vocal about its opposition to the NATO action.

Focus shifts back to Greece on Tuesday as the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany hears challenges to the constitutionality of a law adopted last year which guarantees the maintenance of Greece's financial stability and solvency, authorising up to €22.4bn in loans.

8,500km away, Chavez-watchers are keeping an eye out to see whether the President Hugo Chavez will return for Venezuela's bicentennial. Chavez has been in Cuba since he travelled there on 8 June to undergo surgery, and, until a video aired on 28 June showing him with Fidel Castro, he had not been seen since.

The International Olympic Committee takes a break from its four-day AGM in Durban on Wednesday to announce whether Munich, Annecy or PyeongChang will host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Closer to home, American news site Huffington Post launches its UK version, following the arrival of Huffington Post Canada in May. Founder Arianna Huffington has promised the website will be live in 12 countries by the end of the year.

On Thursday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon leads the latest round of discussions between Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and his Turkish counterpart Dervis Eroglu in Geneva. Back in New York, the UN launches its annual Millennium Development Goals report, assessing MDG progress worldwide.

In London, families mark the sixth anniversary of the 7 July bombings, which killed 56 people on the Tube and bus network.

Egyptian activists return to Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, just under five months after the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. Protesters say elections planned for September should not go ahead under the current constitution.

In France, the Cour de Justice de la République is expected to rule on whether to initiate a judicial inquiry into new IMF Managing Director (and erstwhile French Finance Minister) Christine Lagarde's role in the 2007 Tapie Affair. The decision was delayed from 10 June.

Saturday marks the official independence of South Sudan, following a referendum in January and despite ongoing violence in the Abyei region.

Back to the Arab Spring on Sunday, as Syria's National Dialogue Commission holds a consultative meeting to discuss constitutional amendments, including changes to Clause 8, which enshrines the leadership of President Bashar al Assad's Baath Party.

In Israel, the final hearing is scheduled to take place in a case brought against the state by the family of Rachel Corrie, and American activist who was killed in 2003 when an Israeli bulldozer poured soil over her while she tried to block the demolition of Palestinian homes in the Gaza strip.

Highlights: Mladic hearing and NATO-Russia Council (4 July); German court hearing on Greece and Venezuelan independence day (5 July); 2018 Olympics host and Huffington Post UK launch (6 July); UN activity and 7/7 anniversary (7 July); Egypt protests and Christine Lagarde decision (8 July); South Sudan independence (9 July); Syrian National Dialogue and Rachel Corrie trial (10 July).