What's Happening Today - Monday 10 January

China: 

US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates visits for talks with Defence Minister Liang Guanglie; comes ahead of US trip by President Hu Jintao on 19 January 

China: 

US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt M Campbell meets Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing to discuss North Korea, other issues (11)

China: 

Maldivian Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid visits to meet top legislator Wu Bangguo (-16) 

South Korea: 

Japanese Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa visits for talks with counterpart Kim Kwan-jin; discuss strengthening military ties, proposed agreement to protect bilaterally shared military secret

Pakistan:

Mumtaz Qadri, accused of assassinating Punjab governor Salman Taseer over his call for softening country's blasphemy law, appears before anti-terror court in Rawalpindi; on Sunday more than 40,000 people rallied in southern city of Karachi in support of Qadri 

Pakistan: 

Deadline given by main opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party for government to meet its demands like reversal of recent fuel, electricity price hikes 

Georgia:

The administration of Leningori (Akhalgori) District governed by the separatist South Ossetian government since the Georgian-Russian war in 2008 has decided to withdraw Georgian currency lari from circulation [To be replaced by Russian ruble?]

Iran:

Syrian parliament Speaker Mahmud al-Abrash concludes four-day visit 

Iran:

Iran has agreed to receive payments for 12bn dollars worth of crude oil it sells to India in rupees. [Oil shipment reachs Essar Oil's Vadinar Refinery in the western Indian state of Gujarat]

Iran:

The Cyrus Cylinder, on loan from the British Museum, was sent to Iran for a four-month exhibition which is supposed tol end today, but a number of non-governmental organizations have asked cultural officials to extend the exhibition of Cyrus Cylinder in the Iranian capital Tehran. Looking for UK reaction

UAE: 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits as part of Middle East tour that will also take her to Qatar and Oman; today in Abu Dhabi; on Sunday Clinton urged countries in the Gulf to stay focused on implementing sanctions against Iran

UAE: 

Mongolian Prime Minister Suhbaataryn Batbold concludes three-day visit

Oman: 

Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar concludes two-day visit 

Kuwait: 

Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues three-day visit; to meet Emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, Premier Nasir Muhammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Speaker Jasim al-Khurafi (-11) 

Yemen: 

Turkish President Abdullah Gul visits with a large delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul, Health Minister Recep Akdag; meets President Ali Abdlallah Salih, Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Mujawar and Foreign Minister Abu-Bakr al-Qirbi; addresses the Turkey-Yemen Business Forum. He is the first Turkish president to visit Yemen (-11) 

West Bank: 

Monitoring developments/reaction as Israel demolishes hotel in predominantly Arab part of East Jerusalem to make way for Jewish homes, Palestinian side says move has ended any possibility of return to peace talks with Israel, US says move undermines Middle East peace efforts

Sudan:

Misseriya fighters attacked Maker and Miokol villages, with one dead and an unknown number of casualties, Abyei's chief administrator stated, adding that some northern Sudan Armed Forces were also identified

Tunisia:

Following as at least 20 people were killed in clashes with police in two cities

Tanzania:

National Defence College built by a Chinese construction company, Xing Xing, and co-funded by the government of China and Tanzania opens in capital.

Zambia: 

Chinese Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu visits as part of regional tour that will also take him to Mauritius, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Senegal (-19)

Rwanda:

The outgoing commander of the controversial US Africa Command (Africom) Gen William Ward is scheduled to be in Kigali

Uganda: 

Police have summoned Aswa county MP Reagan Okumu over the formation of militia groups in Acholi subregion

Poland:

Prime Minister Donald Tusk appoints Janusz Wlodarski president of the National Atomic Energy Agency PAA.

Poland:

The Polish military prosecution will prolong its inquiry into the 10 April Smolensk air disaster until 10 April of this year [ was supposed to end today]

Bosnia:

Serb Council of Peoples to consider on Bosniak motion for protection of vital national interest over representation of constituent ethnic groups in forming Council of Peoples.

Bosnia:

Political leaders meet to discuss the formation of central government.

UK:

Chinese Vice Premier, Li Keqiang meets his counterpart Nick Clegg and signs commercial deals during an official ceremony. Li is also expected to meet Prime Minister David Cameron and Finance Minister George Osborne.

US:

Federal charges were filed against Jared Lee Loughner, the suspected gunman in an Arizona shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 13, including US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

US:

North American International Auto Show (to Jan. 23).

US:

Lebanese situation and G20 to be discussed during the Obama-Sarkozy meeting 

US:

Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara ends five-day trip to the United States 

US: 

Alleged Russian arms trafficker Viktor But (Bout) appears in Manhattan court following extradition from Thailand; charges include conspiracy to supply arms to terrorist groups, conspiracy to kill US nationals

Argentina:

Brazil's Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota visits to Argentina 

Peru: 

Deadline to register for presidential elections. Keiko Fujimori's political movement, Force 2011 (Fuerza 2011), registered yesterday.

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