DIARY - Political and General News Events From Feb 22

Reuters will issue this diary daily at around 1000 GMT. All times in GMT unless otherwise stated. Items marked ** denote new or amended listings. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22 BRUSSELS - NATO Defence Ministers meeting (FINAL DAY) WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ** PARIS - French investigators hand in their conclusions of an investigation into how horsemeat found its way into ready meals in Europe. ** WASHINGTON DC - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at the State Department. ** MOSCOW - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi. ** KIEV - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich holds a live televised Q&A session. HAVANA - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev continues to tour Cuba. ** BUENOS AIRES - Argentines mark the one-year anniversary of a train crash that killed 51 people and injured more than 700. ** BEIJING - U.N. Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliason holds a news conference in Beijing during his first visit to China. He is expected to talk about the situation on the Korean peninsula. BERLIN - German president Joachim Gauck is to give speech on Europe RIGA - Austrian central bank governor Edwald Nowotny and Estonian Prime minister Andrus Ansip are expected to attend the conference, "Experience and preparations for the introduction of euro conference. BUDAPEST - Prime Minister Viktor Orban to hold annual state of the nation speech - - - - - - - - - - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 HOLLYWOOD - 33rd Annual Razzie Awards. ** VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict will meet with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. ** LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - The annual Razzie Awards for the worst films and performances of 2012 handed out to unfortunate winners in an antidote to the glitz and puffery of the Oscars the next day. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24 ITALY - Parliamentary elections (to Feb. 25). CYPRUS - Presidential run-off election. TALLINN - Independence Day. HOLLYWOOD - 85th annual Academy Awards (Oscars). Link: http://www.oscars.org/- ** ADDIS ABABA - A delayed U.N.-mediated peace deal aimed at ending two decades of conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is due to be signed in Addis Ababa. ** VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI holds angelus for the last time from his window at the Vatican before he retires. ** SHARJAH - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the opening session of the second annual Sharjah Government Communication Forum (GCF). ** BOGOTA - Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross visits Colombia. - - - - - - - - - - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25 ANKARA - German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits Turkey. ** LONDON - U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry meets with his British counterpart William Hague in London on his first overseas trip in his new role. ** ALMATY - Delegates from Iran and six powers -- the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany -- arrive in Kazakhstan to hold talks on the Iranian nuclear programme. GENEVA - WTO General Council meeting (to Feb. 26). ** ITALY - Second and final day of General election. ** MOSCOW - Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem visits Moscow, meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. ** SEOUL - South Korea's President-elect Park Geun-hye takes an oath at the inauguration ceremony. ** WASHINGTON DC - U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a gathering of the nation's governors. ** NAIROBI - The second round of Kenya's presidential debate. ** HONG KONG - Hong Kong's court of final appeal starts a three-day hearing that will decide whether 300,000 foreign maids, mostly from The Philippines, can apply for residency ** NEW DELHI - Human Rights Watch's releases report on "Sexual Violence against Tamils by Sri Lankan Security Forces". Sri Lankan security forces are responsible for severe torture including rape and sexual abuse according to Human Rights Watch's new report. ** NEW DELHI - The Delhi gang rape trial continues for the five accused, framed with thirteen charges including murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death. - - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 CHICAGO, IL - Primary election to fill the U.S. congressional seat. ALMATY - World powers to hold a new round of talks with Iran over Tehran's nuclear work. WASHINGTON - U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will deliver two days of congressional testimony on monetary policy and on the economy(to Feb. 27). ** BERLIN - Newly-appointed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle and Chancellor Angela Merkel during his first overseas trip JAKARTA - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance and Central Bank Deputies' Meeting (to Feb. 27). ** TOKYO - Bank of England Governor Mervyn King speaks in Tokyo on 'Recovery and Rebalancing in Industrialised Economies' and as the Bank forecasts a gloomier outlook for the U.K. economy. ** MOSCOW - Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans visits Moscow, meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. ** NEW DELHI - Parliament decides on crucial budget of state owned Indian Railways one of world's largest and most colourful, if not the most efficient. GEELONG, Australia - Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition 2013 (to March 3). Link: http://www.airshow.com.au/airshow2013/trade-exhibition/trade-visitors/program.html - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 BRUSSELS - European Parliament Plenary Session (to Feb. 28). ** VATICAN CITY - Hundreds of thousands of faithful are expected to attend Pope Benedict's last ever general audience. ** PARIS - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry continues his first overseas trip to Europe and the Middle East. On Wednesday he will meet with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius for talks on Mali, Mideast peace process, Syria, Iran's nuclear programme as well as North Korea and Afghanistan, before he leaves for Rome. ** ALMATY - Iran and P5-plus-1 (Russia, France, Britain, US, China plus Germany) convene for a second day for talks on the Iranian nuclear programme. ** MOSCOW - Russian and French presidents Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande meet in Moscow. ** MOSCOW - Cameroon's Foreign Minister Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo visits Moscow, meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. ** CARACAS - Venezuelans commemorate anniversary of 1989 wave of unrest against then President Carlos Andres Perez. ** HONG KONG - Hong Kong's financial secretary John Tsang delivers the 2013-14 budget speech as the city's property prices continue to rocket and support for leader C.Y. Leung hits an all-time low ** HONG KONG - Hong Kong's highest court gives final ruling on whether the city's 300,000 foreign maids, mostly Filipino, can apply for the right of abode. ** NEW DELHI - Indian Finance Minister unveils the country's economic survey and prospects at the parliament - - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28 RIGA - The Prime Ministers from the five Nordic states, three Baltic states, and the British Prime Minister David Cameron to meet for the annual regional "Northern Future Forum". DUBLIN - Europe 2020 Conference. BRUSSELS - European Competition Forum 2013. PARIS - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Forum on Competition (to March 1). VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict to leave office. ** ROME - On his second day in Rome U.S. secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Syrian opposition leaders. ** DELHI - Finance Minister Chidambaram is expected to unveil the country's budget, the most austere spending plan in years, a few months before general elections. ** NEW DELHI - The juvenile court will frame charges against the minor, the sixth accused in the Delhi gang rape case. - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, MARCH 1 ** CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - SpaceX dragon capsule lifts off to bring supplies to the International Space Station ** BUENOS AIRES - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez opens 2013 Congressional session with annual speech. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, MARCH 3 ** WASHINGTON DC - The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which advocates on behalf of Israel in Washington, holds its annual policy conference. GLOBAL - International Day for Ear and Hearing. - - - - - - - - - - MONDAY, MARCH 4 KENYA - Presidential and Parliamentary elections. PARIS - International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles: Safe Technologies and Sustainable Scenarios (FR13) (to March 7). VIENNA - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors Meeting (to March 8). - - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, MARCH 5 BRUSSELS - (TBC) Eurogroup Meeting. MOSCOW - 60th Death anniversary of Soviet leader Josef Stalin. - - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, MARCH 7 GENEVA - 83rd Geneva International Motor Show (to March 17). SAN FRANCISCO - 10th Annual San Francisco Ocean Film Festival (to March 10). - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, MARCH 8 MOSCOW - G20 Sherpas' Meeting (to March 9). GLOBAL - International Women's Day. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, MARCH 10 ** FALKLAND ISLANDS - The government of the Falklands holds a referendum on the island's status as the Argentine government intensifies sovereignty claims (to March 11). TIBET - 54th anniversary of Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fleeing into exile after a failed uprising. - - - - - - - - - - MONDAY, MARCH 11 BRUSSELS - European Parliament Plenary Session (to March 14). STOCKHOLM - Turkish President Abdullah Gul to visit Sweden (to March 13). SENDAI, Japan - 2nd anniversary of Sendai earthquake and tsunami. - - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 LOMBOK, Indonesia - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers Process Working Group I Meeting (to March 14). - - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, MARCH 14 BRUSSELS - European Council meeting (to March 15). - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, MARCH 15 GLOBAL - World Day of Action against Seal Hunting. DAMASCUS - Syria marks the Second anniversary of an increasingly bloody uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. BEIJING - FINA/MIDEA Diving World Series 2013 (to March 17). - - - - - - - - - - SATURDAY, MARCH 16 HALABJA, Iraq - 24th anniversary of 5000 civilian Kurds being killed in Iraqi chemical weapons attack. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, MARCH 17 IRELAND - St. Patrick's Day. SHANGHAI - 16th Shanghai International Film Festival (to April 2). Link: http://www.german-films.de/festivalguides/festival-calendar/?mode=calendar - - - - - - - - - - MONDAY, MARCH 18 LOS ANGELES - Actress Lindsay Lohan will stand trial on charges she lied to California police about a June car crash and violated probation. - - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, MARCH 19 NAIROBI - 122nd Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). HONG KONG - Asian Aerospace 2013 (to March 21). EGYPT - 2nd anniversary of Egyptian referendum on constiutional reforms. - - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 MIAMI, FL - Miami Beach International Fashion Week (to March 24). JERUSALEM/ WEST BANK - U.S. President Barack Obama to visit Israel and Palestinain territories to restart long-stalled Israel-Palestinian peace efforts. - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, MARCH 22 GLOBAL - World Water Day. PARIS - Paris Book Fair (to March 25). - - - - - - - - - - SATURDAY, MARCH 23 GLOBAL - World Meteorological Day 2013. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, MARCH 24 GLOBAL - World TB Day. - - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, MARCH 26 SEOUL - (TBC) 2013 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a pair of cases challenging laws that define marriage as a union of a man and a woman. The court will review a California ban on gay marriage, which voters narrowly approved in 2008. KUALA LUMPUR - Aerospace Meeting Kuala Lumpur 2013 "The International Gathering for the Aerospace Industry of the Year" (to March 30). Link: http://www.bciaerospace.com/malaysia/ LONDON - Announcement of 2013 Laurence Olivier Awards nominations. - - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 ISTANBUL - First International Conference on Air&Space Power 2013. INDIA - Holi religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus, by splashing each other with coloured powder and water colours. LONDON - (TBC) Amnesty International publishes 2012 global death penalty statistics. LANGKAWI, Malaysia - Aerospace & Maritime Meetings LIMA Malaysia 2013 (to March 28). Link: http://www.bciaerospace.com/malaysia/index.php - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, MARCH 29 GLOBAL - Good Friday - Christian religious holiday. - - - - - - - - - - SATURDAY, MARCH 30 CAPE TOWN, South Africa - 5th BRICS Summit. DUBAI - HORSE RACING - 2013 Dubai World Cup. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, MARCH 31 LONDON - Annual Oxford-Cambridge University Boat Race. Link: http://www.theboatrace.org/ - - - - - - - - - - APRIL (UNDATED) IRAQ - Provincial elections. - - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, APRIL 2 GLOBAL - World Autism Awareness Day. BUENOS AIRES - Argentina marks 31st anniversary of start of Falklands war. - - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3 AFRICA - African Cultural Renaissance Day. INDIA - CRICKET - Sixth edition IPL 2013 (to May 26). - - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, APRIL 4 GLOBAL - International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, APRIL 5 WASHINGTON - 2013 Meeting of Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) (to April 7). SAHARA DESERT, Morocco - Desert Marathon Des sables (to April 15). - - - - - - - - - - SATURDAY, APRIL 6 LIVERPOOL, UK - HORSE RACING - Grand National 2013. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, APRIL 7 DOHA - Qatar to host donor conference (to April 8). GLOBAL - World Health Organisation observes World Health Day. - - - - - - - - - - MONDAY, APRIL 8 WASHINGTON/MOSCOW - 3rd anniversary of signing a new bilateral treaty between the Russia and United States on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, START-2 (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). OTTAWA, Canada - International Conference on Effective Nuclear Regulatory Systems (to Apr. 12). AUGUSTA, Ga - U.S. Masters Golf 2013 (to April 14). OSLO - International Labour Organization's European regional meeting (to April 9). - - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, APRIL 9 CHICAGO, IL - Special election to fill the U.S. congressional seat. SINGAPORE - World Nuclear Fuel Cycle 2013 (to April 11). HAMBURG - Aerospace Testing 2013 (April 11). Link: http://www.aerospacetesting.com/- - - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 SMOLENSK, Russia/CRACOW, Poland - 3rd Anniversary of the Smolensk Tragedy to be held in Smolensk, Russia, as well as in Poland. - - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, APRIL 11 FRANCE - 2nd Anniversary of the French law banning the burqa and niqab. ABIDJAN - 2nd Anniversary of arrest of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo by supporters of president-elect Alassane Ouattara with support from French forces thereby ending the 2010-2011 Ivorian crisis and civil war. - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, APRIL 12 GLOBAL - International Day of Human Space Flight. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, APRIL 14 TUNIS - World Social Forum 2013 (to April 17). - - - - - - - - - - MONDAY, APRIL 15 BELFAST/NEW YORK - 101st Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. BOSTON - 2013 Boston Marathon. - - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, APRIL 16 VATICAN CITY - 86th birthday of Pope Benedict. WASHINGTON - 13th Annual World Vaccine Congress (to April 18). - - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 BRUSSELS - European Economic and Social Committee plenary session (to April 18). WASHINGTON - G20 Seminar on International Financial Architecture Reforms. MAKASSAR, Indonesia - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers Process (FMP) Working Group II Meeting (to April 18). - - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, APRIL 18 WASHINGTON - G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' Deputies Meeting. WASHINGTON - G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' Meeting (to April 19). - - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, APRIL 19 WASHINGTON - 2013 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (to April 21). - - - - - - - - - - SATURDAY, APRIL 20 SURABAYA, Indonesia - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting (to April 21). UNITED STATES - 3rd anniversary of Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill which flowed unabated until July 15. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, APRIL 21 LONDON - Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 87th birthday. PARIS - 52nd anniversary of the first manned mission to space. LONDON - 2013 London Marathon. - - - - - - - - - - MONDAY, APRIL 22 GLOBAL - Earth Day. - - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, APRIL 23 LIMA - World Economic Forum on Latin America 2013 (to April 25). GLOBAL - U.N. World Book and Copyright Day. - - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 GLOBAL - World Immunization Week 2013 (to April 30). - - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, APRIL 25 GLOBAL - World Malaria Day. - - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, APRIL 28 LONDON - 2013 Laurence Olivier Awards ceremony. PORT ARTHUR, Tasmania - 17th anniversary of Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania. - - - - - - - - - - MONDAY, APRIL 29 LONDON - 2nd wedding anniversary of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. For Content related query/feedback please Contact Diaries@thomsonreuters.com For Technical Issues Please contact Thomson Reuters Customer Support (TRCS) link: https://customers.reuters.com/kccontactus/telephone.aspx Screen clients can see a full list of Reuters Diaries by clicking on