What's Happening Today - Monday 20 September

China:

China will suspend meetings of ministerial-level officials with Japan over Tokyo's detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain whose vessel collided with Japanese patrol boats near the disputed Diaoyu islands

Russia: 

Trade unions meet in Moscow to discuss creating alternative organization to progovernment Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia

Russia: 

Russia's announcement that it will deliver P-800 Yakhont cruise missiles to Syria soon has led to Israel threatening to sell weapons to Russia's "areas of strategic importance" in response, (i.e. Georgia etc)

India: 

All-party delegation headed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal visits Indian-administered Kashmir to assess situation after recent violence (-22)

India: 

The Indian Mujahideen militant group has issued a statement threatening to stage attacks during the Commonwealth Games, set to begin October 3 in India, Samay Live reported. The message denounced the killing of civilians in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Pakistan: 

National Assembly session summoned by President Asif Ali Zardari (1200 gmt)

Kazakhstan: 

Regional media forum held in Almaty

Tajikistan: 

Fighting in Tajikistan's northern Rasht region is continuing, and has killed at least 23 Tajik soldiers thus far.  A column of military trucks came under heavy submachine gun fire in the Komarob gorge. 

South Ossetia:

Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega to visit break-away Georgian region of South Ossetia.

Iraq:

Following up after at least 29 people were killed and between 80 and 110 were wounded by two car bombings in Baghdad yesterday.

UAE:

Trial starts against 4 al-Qaida suspects (including 1 German and 1 Syrian) accused to be behind April attacks in Sanaa against British ambassador in the country.

Israel:

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said during a weekly Cabinet meeting that Israel's borders should be withdrawn to make Israeli Arab towns part of a future Palestinian state, while illegal Jewish colonies in the West Bank should be made part of Israel and that Arabs who are Israeli citizens should be transferred to Palestinian rule under the exchange.

Kenya: 

Parliamentary by-elections held in Makadara, Juja and Starehe constituencies 

South Africa:

ANC National General Council (to Sept. 24).

Nigeria:

Nigerian National Security Adviser Aliyu Gusau has resigned his post in order to run for president in the ruling party's primary elections set for October

Moldova: 

Unofficial consultations on Dniester settlement in five-plus-two format start in Chisinau (-21)

Czech State: 

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman visits for talks with Prime Minister Petr Necas, counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg

Austria: 

IAEA General Conference 54th session in Vienna, Arab countries expected to present a resolution to Israel, demanding that it signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (-24) (IAEA website)

Norway: 

Turkish Labour Minister Omer Dincer attends political forum on youth employment organised by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Norwegian Labour Ministry in Oslo; expected to hold talks with Norwegian counterpart Hanne Bjurstroem and OECD officials (-21)

UN: 

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hosts Development Millenium Goals summit focusing on ending poverty, attended by world leaders (-22)

UN: 

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev makes speech at 65th session of UN General Assembly in New York (-30)

US: 

Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York; attendees include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Baraq; Qatar Prime Minister Hamad Bin-Jasim Bin-Jabr Al Thani; Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan; Rwandan President Paul Kagame; Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili (-23)

US: 

Philippines President Benigno Aquino 3rd visits, first overseas visit since taking office in June; United Nations General Assembly (-27)

US: 

Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma visits to boost relations between the two militaries, meets Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Pacific Command Chief Admiral Robert Willard (-26)

US:

Stuart Levey, Treasury undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, speaks on whether sanctions on Iran can create needed leverage before the Center for Strategic and international Studies - 1900 GMT

US: 

United States to host a meeting of the world's biggest economies to discuss climate change 

Colombia: 

At least 22 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) militants have been killed by an air strike and assault by Colombian special operations forces in Putumayo province near the Ecuadorian border. Colombian Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera said in a radio announcement that the raid was a severe blow to FARC's 48th Front division based in the area.

Posted via email from luay's posterous