What's Happening Today - Thursday 14 October

Japan:

Jordanian Prime Minister Samir al-Rifa'i winds up three-day visit after meeting counterpart Naoto Kan 

China:

Looking for reaction after a group of 23 high-ranking individuals released a letter days before the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) plenum, condemning the lack of free speech in China. Signatories included Li Rui, former deputy head of the CCP Organization Department and former secretary for Mao Zedong; Hu Jiwei, former editor-in-chief of People's Daily; Li Pu, former vice-president of Xinhua News Agency; and Zhong Peizhang, former chief of the CCP Central Propaganda Department News Bureau. 

China:

China is doing its best to avoid a currency war, but it requires the efforts of all the G-20 members, Chinese negotiator Cui Tiankai said . (China's exports rose 25.1 percent in September from a year earlier to $144.99 billion despite the 11.1 percentage point drop from August's 34.4 percent surge. The trade surplus for 2010 totaled $120.6 billion to date, down 10.5 percent from last year)

Russia: 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez begins two-day visit for talks with counterpart Dmitriy Medvedev; tour also expected to take him to Belarus, Ukraine, Iran, Syria, Portugal

Russia: 

National census kicks off (-25)

India: 

Final day of Commonwealth Games in New Delhi

Pakistan:

The Pakistani Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, General Ashfaq Kayani, pledged to target North Waziristan, his U.S. counterpart, Admiral Mike Mullen, said, calling the region "the epicenter of terrorism". Mullen also said the military is hampered by Islamabad's failure to install civilian control in areas where the army has defeated the Taliban, Mullen said, pointing to the Swat Valley.

Armenia: 

Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namju visits; inaugurates hydroelectric power plant 

Iran:

Dispelling rumours that some Russian employees are leaving, Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant project manager, Mahmoud Jafari, said the facility is set to receive an additional 100 Russian personnel and that there are now 2,500 Russian employees working at Bushehr, Jafari added.

Iran: 

TENTATIVE Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrives from Syria; may go on to visit Jordan, Turkey

Iran:

Iranian Expediency Council chairman Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has called on government officials to create an environment that allows freedom of speech and thought as a way to benefit the Islamic system

Chechnya:

The rebel Chechen Cabinet of ministers has suspended its activity in order to allow Khuseyn Gakayev, the new commander and head of the state defense committee appointed unanimously by rebel commanders last week, to name a new Cabinet.

Turkey:

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he would visit Brussels today to discuss NATO's plans to establish a U.S. missile defense system in Europe

Iraq:

Al-Iraqiya List plans to compete with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with an axis of 130 members of parliament,  and will support Adel Abdel Mahdi should the Kurds be compatible with the new axis stance.

Bahrain:

Bahrain has charged 23 Shia activists with terrorism and conspiring against the government, Bahraini Prosecutor-General Abdul Rahman al-Sayed said. The trial will begin October 28, i.e. after the parliamentary elections.

Lebanon: 

Second and final day of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad's trip; today visits scene of 2006 clashes between Hezbollah, Israeli army in south of country

Sudan: 

Conference of Southern Sudan's political parties continues (-15) 

Uganda: 

Nomination of candidates for 2011 presidential election kicks off (-15)

Nigeria: 

Hundreds of Nigerian troops in armored tanks and trucks were deployed into the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri. About 240 police reinforcements also arrived in the city. The increased security is in response to a suspected Boko Haram attack on a police station 

Ivory Coast:

Campaigning begins ahead of 31 October presidential election 

Mali: 

G8 Counterterrorism Action Group meets in Bamako to study combating threat from al-Qa'idah in Land of Islamic Maghreb (AQLIM) in Sahel region; second and last day

Ukraine:

British Minister of State for European issues and NATO David Lidington visits to meet Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Hryshchenko, government officials for talks on Ukraine's European integration; second and last day

Greece: 

Greece, Israel hold military drill off island of Crete; fourth and last day; Greece withdrew from joint air force exercise Minoas-2010 earlier this year following Israeli raid on Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May

Greece:

Turkish State Minister Egemen Bagis, chief European Union negotiator, meets Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas.

Poland:

The next U.S. Patriot missile battery to arrive in Poland will be first stationed in the city of Morag before being deployed to Torun, a Polish Defense Ministry spokesman says. 

Hungary:

Hungary will impose a temporary "crisis" levy on energy, telecommunications and retail firms in order to meet budget deficit targets, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced. The temporary measure will be in effect for up to three years and is expected to bring in 161 billion forints ($826 million) annually

Serbia:

A Serbian extremist group known as Dveri demanded that those arrested during the gay pride parade riots be released and warned of a "bloodbath" if the government failed to comply with the demand. According to the Dveri statement, Serbia should have a public debate about the "pro-European" direction in which the country is headed, a debate that should include arguments of those who believe there is an alternative to the European Union.

Serbia: 

The Dutch parliament voted unanimously to postpone debate on Serbia's bid for EU membership until the next report by Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, requesting that Serbia's membership application and other moves made toward EU integration be tied to Serbia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. 

Serbia:

Violence in Genoa, Italy, and Belgrade is linked to organized groups opposed to Serbia joining the European Union, according to Serbian Justice Ministry official Slobodan Homen. He said it was possible the rioters are financed by and linked to accused drug boss Darko Saric and Russian extremists. 

Austria:

157th (Ordinary) OPEC Meeting.

Switzerland: 

Georgia, Russia hold another round of talks in Geneva following 2008 conflict over Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia, Abkhazia

Holland:

The Queen swears in the new minority coalition Dutch government.

Belgium: 

NATO foreign, defence ministers meet in Brussels to discuss new "strategic concept" ahead of NATO summit in November; US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends

EU: 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov wraps up visit after discussing association agreement with EU, free trade 

UN:

UN Security Council to hear a briefing on its recent mission to Africa -- primarily Sudan.

Posted via email from luay's posterous