What's Happening Today - Wednesday 13 October

Philippines:

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has said he will grant amnesty to soldiers who participated in coup attempts against his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

North Korea:

Looking for reaction after Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, said he opposes a hereditary transfer of power to a third generation of his family during an interview in Beijing that was aired last night by Japan's TV Asahi. 

South Korea: 

Russia's top nuclear negotiator Aleksey Borodavkin wraps up talks with newly-appointed Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac over North Korea's nuclear programme

South Korea: 

Multinational maritime exercises Eastern Endeavour held off port city of Busan; 15 nations participate, including USA, Japan, Australia (-14)

Russia:

According to a statement from the Russian Agriculture Ministry, the recent drought and string of forest fires destroyed 13.3 million hectares of the country's grain crop, about one-third of the expected harvest, costing roughly 41.5 billion rubles ($1.4 billion), the ministry said.

Russia: 

Representatives of security agencies from Caspian states meet in city of Astrakhan to discuss ways to combat trafficking of drugs from Afghanistan; attendees include officials from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan; second and final day

Russia: 

Final day of World Chechen Congress in Groznyy 

Russia: 

British Foreign Secretary William Hague visits to meet President Dmitriy Medvedev, counterpart Sergey Lavrov today; first trip to Russia since taking office

Pakistan: 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits for talks with President Asif Ali Zardari, counterpart Yusuf Raza Gillani; also makes trip to flood-stricken areas; second and final day

Pakistan:

Supreme Court begins hearing government's appeal against its November 2009 decision to strike down amnesty law protecting several senior politicians, including President Asif Ali Zardari, from prosecution for corruption allegations; National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) was introduced under then military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007 and allowed much of current political leadership to return from exile

Pakistan: 

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists observes Black Day to protest over dismissal of journalists; sit-in outside parliament planned

Kyrgyzstan:

Kyrgyzstan's Ata-Jurt party is ready to form a coalition in parliament with all parties that won parliamentary seats in an attempt to maintain peace in the country. Calling interim Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva "the mother of the country," he said his party, which won elections, will cooperate with her.

Kyrgyzstan:

The Ata-Jurt party, the majority winner in the Kyrgyz parliamentary elections, intends to raise the issue of the U.S. withdrawal of its military base at Manas airport in Bishkek

Tajikistan:

President Emomali Rakhmon will not institute criminal proceedings against members of illegal armed groups in eastern Rasht Valley if they voluntarily lay down their arms, according to the prosecutor-general

Kazakhstan:

Looking ahead to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) counterterrorism conference in Astana tomorrow, which focuses suppression of terrorism and will include NATO, the U.N. Counterterrorism Committee, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Regional Antiterrorist Structure, and the Commonwealth of Independent States Anti-Terrorist Center.

Kazakhstan:

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said he supports Iran's right to use peaceful nuclear energy and believes that it is Tehran's undeniable right to have this energy, adding that the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway project will provide Kazakhstan with access to international waters and connect Iran to China and Russia.

Azerbaijan:

Baku plans to boost its military spending in 2011 to 2.5 billion manats ($3.0 billion) from 1.6 billion manats projected for 2010, around 19.6 percent of the country's total budget spending in 2011 

Turkey:

The Turkish parliament has extended the military's mandate to carry out operations against Kurdish militant bases in northern Iraq by one year following a closed-door debate

Iraq:

The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) armed group has threatened to kidnap family members of Iraqi politicians unless the wife and children of its slain leader, Abu Ayub al-Masri, are released from prison

Syria:

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will visit Syria today to meet with Syrian President Bashar al Asad

Lebanon: 

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad begins two-day visit to show support against Israeli threat, renew offer of military assistance; meets counterpart Michel Sulayman; tomorrow visits scene of 2006 clashes between Hezbollah, Israeli army in southern Lebanon 

Egypt:

Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna concludes three-day visit after discussing cooperation in technology, agriculture, tourism 

Sudan: 

Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif visits to meet Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit in regional capital Juba; 9 January 2011 referendum on Southern Sudan's independence on agenda

Sudan: 

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

Sudan:

Following up after President Omar al Bashir said he will not accept an alternative to unity ahead of a referendum on southern independence, adding that despite his commitment to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, he would not accept an alternative to unity. He said unity is the "probable outcome for the south if it is given freedom of choice in a fair, free election." 

Nigeria:

Raymond Dokpesi, owner of the Africa Independent Television network, has filed a lawsuit against Nigeria's State Security Service, accusing investigators of smearing his name by arresting him over his alleged involvement in the October 1 car bombings that struck the capital

Mauritania:

Start of trial of some 30 suspected Salafist militants

Mali:

Meeting of G8 officials in Bamako to address anti-terrorism issues.

Romania: 

Final day 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 (EU sources)

Kosovo: 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits as part of regional tour (-14) which already took her to Bosnia-Hercegovina, Serbia

Belgium: 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov begins visit to Brussels for talks on association agreement with EU, free trade (-14))

Belgium:

Europe's energy chief Guenther Oettinger to propose for a temporary ban on new deepwater drilling for oil until a probe is completed into the causes of BP's spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Ironically, Washington lifted the moratorium on deepwater oil drilling that was installed after the BP oil spill in April yesterday, U.S. Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar said

Mexico:

A Mexican police commander tasked with investigating the reported pirate attack on Falcon Lake has been killed and his head delivered to the Mexican military. Rolando Flores was the chief of state investigators in Ciudad Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas state

Mexico:

Nine Mexican state governors signed a security agreement to create the first unified command state police units within six months

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