What's Happening Today - Tuesday 12 October

Japan: 

Jordanian Prime Minister Samir al-Rifa'i begins three-day visit for talks with counterpart Naoto Kan 

South Korea: 

Russia's top nuclear negotiator Aleksey Borodavkin visits for talks with newly-appointed Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac over North Korea's nuclear programme (-13)

China:

Chinese investors sold a record 2 trillion yen ($24.4 billion) in short-term Japanese bills in August, according to the official newspaper Shanghai Securities News 

Vietnam: 

Hanoi hosts Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers Plus Eight meeting; includes Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, USA; US Defence Secretary Robert Gates attends

Cambodia:

Cambodia denies it provided military or weapons training to members of the Thai Red Shirt movement despite rumors to the contrary, a Cambodian government spokesman has said 

Pakistan: 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives from Syria for talks with President Asif Ali Zardari, counterpart Yusuf Raza Gillani; also makes trip to flood-stricken areas; first day of two 

Kazakhstan: 

Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani completes three-day visit

Russia:

Opposition holds monthly Day of Wrath rally in Moscow 

Russia: 

Moscow hosts meeting of chiefs of Eurasian Economic Community (Successor to CIS Customs Union), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (member states are China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) and Collective Security Treaty Organization (involving Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)

Russia: 

German President Christian Wulff continues trip (-15); meets counterpart Dmitriy Medvedev today

Russia: 

Two-day World Chechen Congress kicks off in Groznyy

Pakistan:

New trade routes will be established after new checkpoints at the Pakistani border are built by December in Nawapas, Bajaur agency; Angor Adda, South Waziristan; Ghulam Khan, North Waziristan; and Shaheedan Dhand, Kurram agency. The routes are intended to ensure that NATO supplies, which were halted during the recent Torkham closure, will be able to get through in the event of future protest closures.

Tajikistan:

Sherkhan Bandar customs officials on the Tajik-Afghan border in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province said the amount of NATO supplies going through the customs department increased over the past week

Afghanistan:

NATO plans to transfer security responsibility to Afghan forces beginning in early 2011 or at the latest in July 2011, and will likely endorse the plan at the NATO summit in Lisbon from November 19-20, according to NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Azerbaijan: 

Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi visits to discuss military cooperation; second and final day

Georgia: 

Parliament expected to approve new draft constitution in third reading; it would decrease president's powers in favour of prime minister and parliament 

Iran:

Iranian armed group Jundallah has threatened to release what it called a confession from an Iranian nuclear official the group claimed it captured in recent days unless Iran releases 200 jailed members of Jundallah. (NB The “senior nuclear official” is Amir Hussein Sherani Bin Mohammad Sherani – whom Tehran says was a welder)

Turkey:

Looking for reaction after seven members of Turkey's Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) resigned from their posts following discussions on the structure of the board. HSYK Deputy Chairman Kadir Ozbek said he and his colleagues decided to resign when they realized it was useless to be part of a body that has no agenda, cannot express its views, or hold meetings or make decisions. 

Turkey: 

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner visits, meets counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu; agenda includes France's upcoming presidency of G20 

Kuwait:

Hearing in case of six men and a woman facing trail accused of spying for Iran.

UAE:

Canadian troops are withdrawing from a military base in the United Arab Emirates due to a dispute over landing rights for UAE jetliners in Canada. The base supports Canada's mission in Afghanistan. 

Yemen:

One person was killed and at least eight were injured when twin bombs exploded in a sports centre in the southern Yemeni port city, which is scheduled to host part of the 20th Gulf Football Championship in November.

Yemen:

The chief of “al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula” , Qasim al-Rimi, said in an Internet audio recording that an "Aden-Abyan army" was being established to rid the country of "crusaders" by maintaining a presence in mountainous areas, deserts and coastlines. It is conducting a "war of attrition," he said. 

Lebanon:

Preparations underway for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's first visit to Lebanon. Ahmadinejad is expected to meet with senior state officials and visit southern Lebanon where Iran has funded several reconstruction projects following Lebanon's 2006 war with Israel.

Lebanon:

Profile of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which threatens “retaliation” if Ahmadinejad comes to Lebanon tomorrow, saying the whole country would "tremble" were he to step foot in it

Israel:

Finish President Tarja Halonen arrives in the region for a four-day visit. Will meet Israeli officials and travel to the West Bank

Egypt: 

Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna continues visit to discuss cooperation in technology, agriculture, tourism and culture (-13) 

Sudan:

Looking for reaction after Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti said Sudan People's Liberation Movement officials are dismantling equipment meant for demarcation of north-south borders

Sudan: 

President Umar al-Bashir addresses opening of second sitting of National Legislative Assembly 

Somalia:

Heavily armed pirates in Somalia's Puntland region have abducted the regional Fisheries and Seaports Minister, Said Muhammad Rage, en route to a meeting in the stronghold town of Garaad, a Puntland security official said 

Mali:

Former Tuareg rebels are ready to join Malian troops to rid the North African desert of al-Qaida-linked fighters who are believed to be holding seven French hostages. An official in the Kidal regional administration said creation of the special military units should launch in several weeks.

Nigeria:

Nigeria's ruling party to hold primaries to select candidates for state assemblies, state governorship and national parliamentary elections, due to be held in January.

Romania: 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits for talks with President Traian Basescu

Romania:

Start of conference held to raise awareness of EU funds available to aid integration of Roma community; Romanian authorities, European Commission representatives in attendance; follows controversy over French expulsions of Roma migrants

Slovakia:

Unions to stage a protest meeting against austerity measures approved by the government of Prime Minister Iveta Radicova.

Hungary:

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to visit Hungary.

Serbia: 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits as part of regional tour (-14); goes on to Kosovo tomorrow

Kosovo:

European Union-backed talks between Serbia and Kosovo will be delayed until a new government is elected in Pristina in early 2011.

France:

French Unions plan 24-hour strike in protest at President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to raise the minimum retirement age.

France:

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh meets French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

France: 

Trade unions hold day of nationwide strikes against government's pension reform plan

Mexico:

Follow up after a convoy of suspected drug cartel members killed eight traffic police officers in Sinaloa state 80 kilometers from the capital, Culiacan

UN:

Security Council elections. The General Assembly will elect five countries to two-year terms on the Security Council.

US:

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian national, who has been charged with conspiring in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya that killed 224 people goes on trial.

Posted via email from luay's posterous