What's Happening Today - Wednesday 9 March

Japan:

PM expected to take office, State Foreign Secretary Takeaki Matsumoto and former Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Masayuki Naoshima are the names floated as possible successors to Maehara.

Japan:

Toyota President Toyoda speaks about global plans.

South Korea: 

The South Korean National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee could approve the South Korean-EU free trade agreement.

South Korea: 

Shinsuke Sugiyama, director-general of Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanic Affairs Bureau visits for talks with Wi Sung-lac, South Korea's chief nuclear envoy on issues such as the North's uranium enrichment programme; third and final day 

Indonesia:

Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo starts Asian tour in Indonesia, also travels to Vietnam, Taiwan

Pakistan:

Tajik president wraps up three-day visit, meeting prime minister.

Pakistan:

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi visits Pakistan to attend 18th meeting of joint economic commission 

Pakistan: 

Five-day international naval exercises codenamed Peace-2011 continues; 47 countries invited to participate, including UK, USA and China (-12)

Russia:

US Vice-President Joe Biden ends visit as part of preparations for President Barack Obama's impending visit to Russia later this year

Azerbaijan:

Nardaran, near Baku, to hold a protest on social conditions and lack of government’s ability to tackle problems

Iran:

Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Itri visits Iran at invitation of First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi.

Iran: 

Second and final day of biannual meeting of Assembly of Experts, supreme religious institution; yesterday, its head Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani was replaced with Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani 

Lebanon:

Annual forum of the Arab Hospitals Federation takes place in Beirut

Lebanon:

Lebanese bishops will meet to elect a new spiritual head for Lebanon’s Maronite church.

Qatar: 

Dutch Queen Beatrix, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima, along with a Dutch trade mission, will visit Qatar.

Sudan:

The [opposition] alliance of Juba forces to stage protests next at Al-Ahliya school in Omdurman and Abu-Jinzir Square in Khartoum to support uprisings in Arab countries, police said demonstration would be illegal and warned protesters not to take to the streets

Libya: 

Watching developments after fierce fighting between Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi's forces and rebels continued yesterday

Zimbabwe:

After first Facebook arrest last week, Vikas Mavhudzi will face charges of "subverting a constitutional government" over a post he made on the social networking site about events in Egypt.

Rwanda: 

Third meeting of parliament speakers from Economic Community for Great Lakes region (Rwanda, Burundi, DRCongo); second and final day

Cyprus:

Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot presidents meet to complete negotiations on property issue 

Ukraine:

Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Volodymyr Lytvyn will visit Croatia and meet with Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Luka Bebic, Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Gordan Jandrokovic, along with representatives of the Ukrainian minority in Croatia.

Austria:

Czech and Slovak human rights activists are expected to block the Slovak-Austrian border crossing at Jarovce and Kittsee on the outskirts of Bratislava to protest the trial of 13 Austrian environmental activists.

Switzerland:

Georgia and Russia will resume talks over Moscow's bid to join the World Trade Organisation (to March 10).

Germany:

Further round of wage negotiations between unions and employers takes place 

Germany:

Two alleged Islamic terrorists appear in court in Berlin. One of the accused is the 29-year-old wife of one of the members of the 'Sauerland group', which is accused of plotting terrorist attacks on targets across 
Germany.

Belgium:

Kosovo Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi attends Belgrade-Pristina talks in Brussels

Ireland:

Irish parliament scheduled to reconvene following elections (1200).

Portugal:

President Anibal Cavaco Silva sworn in for second five-year term

Portugal:

Treasury and Government Debt Agency is scheduled to buy back government bond lines and issue new debt in the amount of 750 million euros and 1 billion euros.

UK:

The British All Party Parliamentary Group for Cyprus and the Cypriot High Commission in the United Kingdom are expected to discuss the political and economic problems of Cyprus in the House of Commons.

US:

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivers an address to a joint meeting of Congress.

US:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opens the first Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

US:

Forbes to release its 2011 world's billionaires list.

US:

Space shuttle Discovery is due back at the Kennedy Space Center following a nine-day visit to the International Space Station.

US:

2011 Media Summit takes place in New York

Ecuador: 

National Electoral Council has prohibited state financing of political propaganda after this date

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