What's Happening Today - Tuesday 8 February

Japan: 

Uzbek President Islom Karimov visits to meet Prime Minister Naoto Kan (9), Emperor Akihito (- 10) 

Koreas: 

Working-level inter-Korean defence talks to be held in border truce village of Panmunjom; first such meeting since North deadly bombed South's Yeonpyeong Island in November; brought forward from 11 February

Thailand: 

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa visits to mediate in Thailand's border dispute with Cambodia after at least five people were killed in clashes over weekend and thousands of civilians fled; Natalegawa was in Phnom Penh yesterday

Myanmar: 

New government named at session of parliament 

Bhutan:

Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expected to meet on the sidelines of the SAARC regional meeting to carry forward their stalled peace process.

India:

German defence minister visits India and Pakistan

Kyrgyzstan: 

Command-and-staff anti-terror exercise continues throughout country (- 12) 

Afghanistan: 

Another attempt by lower house of parliament, Wolasi Jerga, to elect its Speaker; follows inconclusive votes on 29 January, 2 and 5 February

India: 

US trade mission led by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke continues visit to explore export opportunities (-11) 

Russia:

Senegalese foreign minister meets Russian counterpart in Moscow

Iran: 

Ten Days of Dawn celebrations continue, marking victory of Iranian revolution (11); new military hardware expected to be showcased

Iran: 

Air Force Day

Iran: 

Ashura and Az-Zahra battalions of local Basij militia holds military exercises in Dashti County, Bushehr Province (-10) 

Turkey: 

Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad al-Khalifa visit to meet President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan 

Kuwait: 

Opposition rally held to demand cabinet's dismissal

Qatar:

Qatar Projects 2011 to be held in Doha, examines developments in the Qatari energy and non-energy sectors and brings together regional and international decision-makers and stakeholders to discuss new projects, issues and trends. 

Egypt: 

Watching developments; two weeks after major anti-government protests began, thousands of demonstrators are still occupying Tahrir Square in central Cairo, insisting on immediate departure of President Mubarak

Sudan: 

President Umar al-Bashir attends ceremonies marking opening of road, broadcasting complex in central North Kordofan state; addresses public rally in state's capital Al-Ubayyid

Seychelles: 

UN-backed conference on piracy; various navies, judges, legal experts from Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Maldives in attendance (-9)

Botswana: 

British Foreign Secretary William Hague visits to meet counterpart Phandu Skelemani, President Ian Khama (-9) 

Senegal: 

World Social Forum continues in Dakar; attendees include Bolivian President Evo Morales, former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former French presidential candidate Segolene Royal (-11)

Moldova: 

OSCE chairman-in-office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis visits for meetings with officials in Moldova, breakaway Dniester region ahead of informal settlement talks in Vienna on 14-15 February

Moldova: 

Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe President Mevlut Cavusoglu visits, meets acting President Marian Lupu, Prime Minister Vlad Filat to discuss election of new head of state

Holland:

Closing prosecution arguments delivered in trial of Liberian ex-president Charles Taylor

Holland:

Trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic continues at the Hague

Holland:

Trial of Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic resumes at the Hague; both charged with four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violation of the laws or customs of war – specifically ‘ethnic cleansing’.

UK: 

Extradition hearings for WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange held at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in London; second and last day 

US: 

French Defence Minister Alain Juppe continues visit to meet counterpart Robert Gates; he met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon yesterday

US:

Tea party town hall meeting takes place in Washington; speakers are due to include Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), along with Representatives Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Steve King (R-Iowa). The event begins at 19:00.

US:

Former defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld publishes memoirs entitled:'Known and Unknown'

US:

EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy give press briefing at UN Security Council in New York;; event begins at 11:30.

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