What's Happening Today - Tuesday 28 September

Japan:

Russian Armed Forces General Staff chief General Nikolai Makarov will visit Japan today to meet with officials regarding military ties between the two nations and security in the Asia-Pacific region, and will visit the Asaka military base in Tokyo's Nerima ward tomorrow.

North Korea

Korean Workers' Party holds special delegates' conference to elect party's supreme leadership; first such gathering in 30 years; Kim Jong-un, third son of leader Kim Jong-il, expected to be elected to senior position to bolster his power and pave his way to succeed father

North Korea:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il named six people generals, including his son and sister. Among those appointed are Kim's son, Kim Jong Un; his sister, Kim Kyong Hui; and Choe Ryong Hae, former chief secretary of the North Hwanghae Provincial Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.

South Korea:

UN's Food and Agriculture Organization regional conference in Gyeongju; agricultural officials and experts from 44 Asia-Pacific member countries discuss regional food shortages (-1 Oct)

South Korea: 

Second and last day of Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) talks on Jeju Island; aim to expand preferential duties and fuel cross-border commerce

China: 

Russia will begin commercial oil deliveries to China starting January 1, 2011, and supplies could double in the future, the head of the Russian Transneft oil company, Nikolai Tokarev, said. The oil price is changing constantly and the contract was signed for 20 years, he said. It is technologically possible to increase the amount to 30 million tons a year.

China: 

First round of preliminary free-trade talks with South Korea held in Beijing (-29)

Vietnam: 

Seventeenth summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) kicks off in Hanoi, also separate ASEAN summits with Russia, India (-30) 

Australia: 

Parliament sits for first time since August election; Labour retained power but needed to secure support of one Green and three of the four independents for 76-74 majority over Liberal-National coalition plus one independent; tightest margin in decades

India: 

Supreme Court to decide whether to postpone ruling by Allahabad High Court on future of Ayodhya mosque site; ownership is claimed by Hindu and Muslim groups; demolition of 16th century Babri Mosque in 1992 by Hindu activists led to sectarian violence which killed 2,000; ruling may be deferred until Commonwealth Games over

Tibet:

Construction has started on a 13.3 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) extension to the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the Straits Times reported Sept. 27, citing reports from Chinese state media. The 253-kilometer (157-mile) extension, which will link the Tibetan capital of Lhasa to the Himalayan region's second-largest city, Xigaze, should be finished in four years

Afghanistan:

The Afghan Taliban asked Bangladesh to reject a U.S. request that it send troops to Afghanistan,  saying that the Bangladeshi leader "has enough Islamic knowledge and political wit not to involve his people in the fight against Islam and against the Afghan people" 

Tajikistan:

Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov said Uzbekistan's energy blockade has worsened Tajikistan's energy crisis, a Tajik source said, Regnum news agency reported 

Uzbekistan: 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visits to discuss information exchange and cooperation between security services, sign trade and economic cooperation plan until 2015; second and final day

Iran:

Following up as the party Islamic Iran Participation Front and the Islamic Revolution Mujahideen Organization, two political parties that backed presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in the 2009 election, were banned by a court from holding any further activities

Iran:

The Stuxnet computer virus has mutated and is spreading, the deputy chief of Iran's Information Technology Company said, IRNA reported. Hamid Alipur said the exact level of contamination is unclear. He said the Information Technology Company had expected to be able to root out the virus in one to two months, but three new versions of it have been spreading. 

Ukraine:

At the request of Russian energy giant Gazprom, Naftogaz Ukrainy has refused to transport natural gas to Poland for Germany-based E.On Ruhrgas, in a move  by Gazprom to maintain operational control of the Yamal-Europe natural gas pipeline. 

Yemen:

Yemen’s Interior Ministry ordered increased patrols and security checkpoints in Sanaa to arrest suspects and detain vehicles, as public security in the country continues to deteriorate.

Gaza: 

Following up after three men belonging to the Islamic Jihad group were killed by an Israeli strike on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip according to Palestinian medics

West Bank: 

US Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell meets Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah to discuss Israeli decision not to continue with settlement freeze

Israel: 

Tenth anniversary of outbreak of second Palestinian intifada (

Egypt:

Euromoney conference attended by Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif, other senior government officials, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Musa (-29)

Sudan:

The Sudanese government might not recognize the results of the upcoming Southern Sudanese referendum on independence, Sudanese Youth and Sports Minister Haj Majid Suwar said, claiming southern officials are cracking down on supporters of Sudanese unity. Suwar said if southern officials do not move their troops and allow open campaigning ahead of the referendum, the north could choose not to recognize the referendum's results.

Kenya: 

International Criminal Court investigators visit (-29) to investigate post-election violence of 2008, when more than 1,500 people died

Guinea: Anniversary of attack by junta soldiers on people at opposition rally in Conakry, which left 157 dead, 1,000 injured and hundreds of women raped; despite UN and International Criminal Court condemning what happened as "crimes against humanity", no government soldier has been brought before courts

Romania:

At least 10,000 trade union members due to rally in Bucharest in support of demands for government action, including creation of investment programme and targets for labour market 

Moldova: 

Acting President Mihai Ghimpu dissolves parliament after it failed to elect president; date for snap parliamentary election also expected to be set 

Cyprus:

Watching developments after Turkish patrol boats fired warning shots at a Greek-Cypriot fishing vessel off the northern coast of Cyprus

Kosovo

Eighty thousand Serbs in central and southern Kosovo are without mobile and fixed telephone service, B92 reported, after Kosovar Albanian authorities destroyed equipment belonging to Serbian telecommunications company Telekom Srbija, which they said was operating illegally. 

Kosovo

Following up after Kosovar President Fatmir Sejdiu resigned at a press conference in Pristina. Kosovo's Constitutional Court decided Sejdiu violated the constitution by remaining at the head of the Democratic League of Kosovo party.

Austria: 

Second round of informal talks on settlement in Moldova's breakaway Dniester region in five-plus-two format (involving Moldova, Dniester region, Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, EU, US); first round was held on 21 September in Moldova 

Belgium: 

South African President Jacob Zuma visits (-29); meets King Albert II, Prime Minister Yves Leterme; attends South Africa - European Union Summit today

UN: 

General debate continues at 65th session of UN General Assembly (-30); among speakers today is Argentinean President Cristina Kirchner; she is likely to reiterate Argentina's claim to sovereignty over Falkland Islands/Malvinas

Global: 

Fourth World Rabies Day; aims to raise awareness about impact of rabies and how can be prevented; more than 55,000 people across world die from this each year, most in Asia and Africa; World Health Organization and Global Alliance for Rabies Control promoting events internationally 

Cuba:

Cuba increased petrol prices by 10 percent due to rising international prices, the Communist Party newspaper Granma said 

Brazil:

Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said the world is in an "international currency war" as developed countries attempt to manipulate the value of their currency to improve exports

US:

Washington placed final duties as high as 61 percent on Chinese copper pipe and from 24.89 percent to 31.43 percent on Mexican copper pipe and tube, according to a Commerce Department announcement. 

US:

Federal prosecutors in New York opened a criminal probe of Mahmood Karzai, a brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, The Wall Street Journal reported. Mahmood Karzai is a U.S. citizen and is the focus of a corruption probe for tax evasion, racketeering or extortion, U.S. officials said. 

Mexico:

Mexican police discovered the bodies of Tancitaro interim Mayor Gustavo Sanchez Cervantes and his secretary, Rafael Equihua Cervantes, near the town of Angahuan in Michoacan state, El Universal reported. Both men had been killed with stones and were bound and blindfolded.

Venezuela: 

President Hugo Chavez's socialist party won at least 90 of the 165 seats in the National Assembly, while the opposition coalition won at least 59 seats, National Electoral Council chief Tibisay Lucena said 

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