What's Happening Today - Wednesday 22 September

China:

China's foreign ministry told the United States to stop pushing for a stronger yuan and instead focus on its own economic recovery and maintain stability of its own currency. A statement added that the trade imbalance between China and the US is not decided by exchange rate but by globalization and that yuan appreciation alone cannot solve the US trade deficit.

Russia: 

Two-day International Arctic Forum kicks off at Moscow State University; participants include politicians, scientists and NGOs from Russia and abroad; Prime Minister Vladimir Putin makes address tomorrow

Russia:

Russian grain harvests for 2010 will reach 90 million tons, 13 million tons more than that which is required for domestic consumption, Russian Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik has said 

Russia:

President Dmitry Medvedev meets President of Iceland, Johanna Sigurdardottir.

India: 

Department of Communications deadline for all mobile phone companies to install equipment that can monitor services on BlackBerry handsets as counterterrorism measure; may derail services for its 1m customers as service providers claim they cannot meet deadline

Kyrgyzstan:

Russian Defence Ministry delegation visits for talks on status and continued use of military bases in Kyrgyzstan (-23) 

Tajikistan:

The political council of the opposition Islamic Rebirth Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) has issued an appeal to the Tajik people in response to the deteriorating situation in the country's Rasht district and condemned the attacks on government security forces. Local authorities have introduced a curfew in Rasht district preventing citizens from appearing on the streets from 8 p.m. through 6 a.m.

Tajikistan:

The Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) does not plan to send peacekeeping troops to Tajikistan because there has been no request from that country, General Anatoliy Nogovitsyn, has said

Afghanistan:

The governor of Afghanistan's northern Balkh province has said Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s  Hizb-i-Islami, not the Taliban, is mostly responsible for violence and instability in the north

Afghanistan: 

Preliminary results of 18 September parliamentary election expected to emerge from today after result forms from polling centres are processed at National Tally Centre in Kabul; results "remain subject to resolution of complaints by Electoral Complaints Commission" 

Iran: 

Start of Sacred Defence Week, marking anniversary of start of 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war; military parade held in Tehran today, where "super-advanced" military hardware is to be unveiled

Iran:

The Iranian government has ended fuel subsidies, signaling the first measure of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's plan to save the $100 billion Iran currently pays to subsidize essential goods. Abdolhossein Naseri, a lawmaker in the city of Gorgan said some of his constituents' bills have increased tenfold. 

Iran: 

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has met with the families of Iranian political prisoners and discussed the prisoners' "judicial hardships". Rafsanjani said he will submit their requests for "fair review" of the prisoners' cases to the supreme leader and that he hopes "it will bring results." Rafsanjani currently heads the Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Council.

Iraq:

Leaders from Iraqi Shia political blocs the Iraqi National Alliance and the State of Law Coalition gave themselves five days to pick a prime ministerial candidate.

Iraq: 

Iran's Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei has used prominent Shia cleric Kazem al Haeri to issue a fatwa forcing Muqtada al Sadr to support Nouri al-Maliki for another term as Iraqi prime minister, Al Hayat reported 

Turkey:

The leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has demanded that Israel sever military links with Turkey, calling Ankara a "common enemy”. Murat Karayilan, speaking to Israeli Channel 2 television from northern Iraq, said Turkey's most advanced military equipment comes from Israel

Bahrain: 

Manama hosts meeting of interior ministers from countries neighbouring Iraq (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Syria, Turkey) (-23)

Lebanon

Mahmoud Abbas has told Fatah security forces in Lebanon to surround Fatah al-Islam activisits in the Ain al Hilwa Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon in preparation for an assault on them, according to Stratfor website.

Egypt:

Senior Hamas internal security official Mohammad Dababish, who was arrested two weeks ago by Egyptian security forces, has been falsely accused of posing a security threat to Egypt even though he participated in Hamas-Fatah reconciliation talks in Egypt a few months ago as an official guest.

Somalia:

President Sharif Ahmed has appointed Abdiwahid Ilmi Gonjeh as acting prime minister after the resignation of Umar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, Radio Shabeelle reported

Sudan:

President Umar al-Bashir addresses opening session of parliamentary meeting of Great Lakes region, held at Friendship Hall in Khartoum 
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Mali: 

Celebrations marking 50th anniversary of Republic of Mali held in Bamako; Guinea interim President Sekouba Konate attends; meets counterpart Amadou Toumani Toure

Zimbabwe: 

Trial of Pishai Muchauraya, MP from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, charged with insulting President Robert

South Africa: 

Launch of South African National Space Agency (Sansa)

South Africa: 

Third National General Council of ruling African National Congress (ANC) held in Durban (-24)

Nigeria: 

Follow up as electoral chief Attahiru Jega says Nigeria needs more time to prepare for its presidential election and should postpone the vote to April 2011 from January

Moldova:

Moldova's Constitutional Court ruled that a failure to elect a president in two subsequent elections provides sufficient grounds for the dissolution of parliament. Acting President Mihal Ghimpu will dissolve parliament and set a date for new elections.

Moldova:

Joint peacekeeping forces of Russia, Moldova and its breakaway Dniester region hold exercises; first day of two 

EU:

The European Parliament has approved a law that will send thousands of illegal Pakistani and Afghan immigrants in the European Union back to their home countries, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said 

Austria: 

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference continues in Vienna (-24)

Germany: 

Egyptian President Husni Mubarak visits "for three hours" to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks on Middle East peace process behind closed doors; Egyptian sources deny visit is for medical reasons; Mubarak had gall bladder operation in Germany in March

France:

Economy Minister Christine Lagarde meets Syrian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs Abdullah al-Dardari (1530).

UN: 

Third and final day of UN High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly, focusing on meeting the Millennium Development Goals by the 2015 deadline, US President Barack Obama addresses meeting today .  Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also attends Millennium Development Goals summit, to meet President Barack Obama 

US: 

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen chairs informal meeting of Russia-NATO Council held in New York at level of foreign ministers 

US:

Informal meeting of NATO-Russia Council Foreign Ministers.

Mexico:

Cesar Nava, the president of Mexico's National Action Party, said the Mexican government should make pacts with criminal organizations as a way to end violence and allow security forces to regain ground lost in the past several months, El Diaro reported

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