What's Happening Today - Sunday 31 October

China: 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon continues visit; attends closing closing ceremony at Shanghai Expo 2012 

Koreas: 

North's Mt Kumgang resort hosts a second day of reunions between North and South Korean families separated since Korean War (-5)

Vietnam: 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends closing ceremony of ASEAN summit; later heads to China's Hainan island for talks to prepare for President Hu Jintao's visit to USA next year; on to Cambodia (31), Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia (-8)

Malaysia:

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard visits Kuala Lumpur, meets counterpart Najib Razak for talks on economic, security cooperation (-1 Nov)

Russia: 

Two rival opposition rallies in defence of Article 31 of Russian constitution granting freedom of assembly held in Moscow's Triumfalnaya Square, one authorized by city government, the other, not; earlier on same day pro-Kremlin youth group Young Russia holds blood donor event in same place

Russia: 

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle arrives for two-day visit, holds talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov (1 Nov) , Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, expected to meet Russian civil society activists Europe

Ukraine: 

Local council elections; postponed from 30 May; first polls since Viktor Yanukovych was elected president in February (-31)

Iran: 

Tehran hosts Iraq reconstruction conference, attended by officials, businessmen from Iran, Turkey, Syria (-31)

Iran:

Iranian crude oil production has risen by 30 thousand barrels per day (bpd) in October, in yet another indication that sanctions are proving in effective, according to Fars News Agency. Monthly oil production reached 3.66 million bpd, up from 3.63 million bpd in September.

Kuwait: 

Second day of Kuwait Financial Forum (-1 Nov); speakers include Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'd al-Hariri, Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Shaykh Muhammad Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah

Kuwait: 

Czech President Vaclav Klaus arrives for three-day visit, meets Emir Shaykh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, Prime Minister Shaykh Nasir Muhammad al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, head of Kuwait's National Assembly, Jassem al-Kharafi (-2)

UAE: 

World Freezone Convention begins in Ra's al-Khaymah; Speakers include; UAE Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ra's al-Khaymah Sa'ud Bin-Saqr al-Qasimi, World Free Zone Convention Chairman and President of European Policy Forum Graham Mather (-2)

Yemen:

Following up after a woman is detained in Sanaa, Yemen, suspected of sending the explosive devices found on US-bound cargo planes

Israel: 

First international Homeland Security Conference begins in Tel Aviv; interior ministers, mayors, police chiefs attend (-4 Nov) (Official website)

Israel:

Talks between labour unions and the government to avert a public sector strike next week over pay rise expected to resume. Unions have indicated they may call a strike as early as Tuesday, which could shut down public transport, government offices and some government-owned companies.

Somalia:

Somali pirates have hijacked a Panama-flagged 72,000-ton tanker with 24 crew members nearly 1,100 kilometres  off the Somali coast. (The crew comprises a Romanian, three Greeks, four Montenegrins and 16 Filipinos)

Algeria:

Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia to speak in parliament where he will respond to lawmakers questions (0900).

Ethiopia: 

Leaders of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states in Addis Ababa were to discuss referendum over independence of Southern Sudan in January 2011; but appears to have been postponed until 6 or 7 November. Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir expected to attend, alongside leaders of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, Kenya and Somalia; summit venue was moved from Nairobi after Kenya came under pressure from International Criminal Court to arrest President Al-Bashir if he attended

Tanzania: 

Presidential, parliamentary elections; President Jakaya Kikwete seeking re-election to his second and final five-year term

Ivory Coast: 

Presidential elections; originally scheduled to be held five years ago when President Laurent Gbagbo's mandate ran out; postponed several time

Niger: 

Referendum on proposed new constitution

Vatican:

Victims of abuse by Roman Catholic priests will try to march on the Vatican despite the lack of a police permit, to demand the Church do more to protect children and hold abusers accountable.

UK: 

Second and final day of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Britain, meets British Prime Minister David Cameron at his country residence, Chequers

UK:

Watching as police in Northern Ireland destroyed a bomb allegedly planted by nationalist militants south of Belfast in Lurgan in the long-term parking lot at Belfast International Airport. Northern Ireland's security forces are on high alert due to nationalist splinter group activities.

Brazil: 

Presidential election runoff between Dilma Rousseff of Workers' Party, Social Democratic Party's Jose Serra 

US:

President Barack Obama campaigns for Democratic candidates in Ohio, days before the Nov. 2 elections.

Posted via email from luay's posterous