What's Happening Today - Thursday 9 December

Japan:

US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm Mike Mullen visits from Seoul for meetings with military leaders 

Japan:

Joint US-Japanese military exercise Keen Sword continues in Sea of Japan (-10) (Japanese news agency Kyodo)

China:

Turkey's transportation minister Binali Yildirim discuss a high-speed railway planned to be constructed between the northwestern province of Edirne and eastern province of Kars; attends the Seventh World Congress on High-Speed Rail of the International Union of Railways (UIC) 

China:

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmad Karti continues visit (-10); 

South Korea: 

Large-scale artillery firing exercises continue in seas around Korean peninsula (-12)

Indonesia:

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Bali for around 12 hours; meets Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss Korean Peninsula Crisis, participates in Bali Democracy Forum

Thailand:

Constitution Court rules on whether will accept case in which ruling Democrat Party has been accused of accepting undisclosed donation of 258m baht (8.5m dollars)

Laos:

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva leads an entourage on a visit to attend the inauguration of the multi-purpose Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric project

India:

Russia's top commander wraps up visit to India to discuss bilateral military cooperation ahead of the up coming INDRA-2011 joint drills and a visit BrahMos Aerospace - a Russia-India joint venture manufacturing supersonic cruise missiles

Russia:

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon wraps up visit

Russia:

Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) foreign ministers meet in Moscow ahead of CSTO summit and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) jubilee summit later in day; Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union summit meets at session of governing body of Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC); President Dmitriy Medvedev among presidents attending

Russia:

Leaders of the Former Soviet republics Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia to meet to discuss Customs' Union issues.

Russia:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will take part in the Intergovernment Council of Euroasian economic community.

Russia:

Watching as Russian NATO Ambassador Dmitry Rogozin demanded that NATO's defense plan for the Baltics and Poland, that mentions Russia as a potential aggressor, be confirmed or denied

Turkmenistan: 

Afghan President Hamed Karzai visits to finalize pipeline project to transport gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan 

Iran:

Opposition Green Movement marks first anniversary of reformist Ayatollah Montazeri's death by gathering at his tomb in Qom

Turkey:

Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani wraps up visit

Bahrain:

Trial of alleged members of an alleged 25-member Shia terror network resumes; to face charges of forming and belonging to an illegal network seeking to undermine Bahrain's security and stability.

Saudi Arabia:

Riyadh hosts last day of the international symposium on the "Relations of the Arabian Peninsula with Greek and Byzantine worlds, from 5th century BC to 10th century AD"

Yemen:

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) completes repatriation of  hundreds of Ethiopian migrants stranded in northern Yemen last week.

Egypt: 

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas visits for talks with counterpart Husni Mubarak on Middle East peace process, latest Palestinian developments; Abbas said yesterday that Middle East peace talks were in crisis following Israel's refusal to stop building in settlements 

Sudan: 

Expert-level meetings in Khartoum to prepare for Higher Kuwaiti-Sudanese Ministerial Committee set to meet on 21 December; meeting come after 20-year hiatus

Tunisia: 

Second and final day of 34th conference of top Arab police and security officials; fight against terrorism, human trafficking on agenda 

Ivory Coast: 

Watching developments as stand-off over who has won presidential election continues: UN Security Council yesterday endorsed opposition leader Alassane Ouattara as winner 

Ethiopia: 

African Union Peace and Security Council meets in Addis Ababa to discuss situation in Guinea but Cote d'Ivoire situation also likely to come up (Regional sources)

South Africa: 

Third and final day of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP17) in Durban; heads of state, government officials, businessmen, others in attendance 

Namibia: 

Aviation security chief Nehemia Shafuda, accused of planting bomb-like security test package on Munich-bound plane appears in court

Greece: 

EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn to speak at a one-day Economist conference "Keeping the euro alive: Greece's economic recovery."

Lithuania:

Parliament to hold the final vote on its budget 2011.

Latvia:

Parliament to vote on passing 2011 budget in the first reading.

Belarus:

Presidential candidate Nyaklyayew will meet with Vital Rymashewski, the presidential nominee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, to discuss a strategy of defending the real voting results.

Bulgaria: 

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman visits from Bosnia-Hercegovina

Croatia:

Amnesty International launches report on war crimes impunity in Croatia - 0001 GMT 

Kosovo: 

Campaigning for 12 December snap parliamentary election continues (-10); Pristina has said yesterday's shooting of a Bosnian Muslim poll official will not stop first elections since declaration of independence

Germany:

Launch of Transparency International's 2010 Global Corruption Barometer (0600).

Germany:

The "Werthebach Commission" created by Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere to give recommendations for a completely new security architecture in Germany. (NB Expected to propose new Federal Criminal and Financial police forces)

Belgium:

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to visit Belgium (to Dec. 10).

Belgium:

The European Parliament's committee on foreign affairs to discuss Turkey's 2010 progress report.

Belgium:

European defence ministers meet – to discuss how to pool resources and cut military budgets

France:

Syrian President Bashar al-Asad meets counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss security cooperation, tensions in Lebanon ahead of first indictments by UN tribunal in 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri 

UK:

Britain's parliament to vote on plans to raise tuition fees for university students, an issue which has split the Liberal Democrats, the junior partner in the Conservative-led coalition.

Ireland:

Parliament holds second vote on austerity budget.(NB Finance minister Lenihan has been named Europe's worst finance minister for second year running in survey of economists by Financial Times)

Spain: 

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero addresses parliament on government's imposition of 15-day state of alert which placed air traffic controllers under military command thus halting weekend wildcat strike to protest about working hours and benefits 

UN: 

International Anti-Corruption Day

US:

Hong Kong finance minister Tsang arrives in New York to visit the Federal Reserve Bank 

US:

Nigeria and United States hold high-level talks in Washington DC on the forthcoming general election between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister Odein Ajumogobia.

US: 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton due to give speech at Brookings Institution in Washington; some speculation that may use opportunity to outline new US thinking on Middle East peace efforts; meanwhile, chief Palestinian negotiator Sa'ib Urayqat and Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Baraq both reported to be heading to Washington for talks with Obama

US:

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski concludes visit focused on military cooperation, possible deployment of Falcon, Hercules aircrafts in Poland, visa-free travel, Polish shale gas deposits; Komorowski met Obama 
yesterday 

Venezuela:

Looking for reaction after Venezuelan National Assembly approved the 2011 budget, totaling 204.2 billion bolivars (about $47.4 billion), Globovision reported Dec. 7. The 2011 budget represented a 28 percent increase from the one approved for 2010 and was calculated at an assumed oil price of $40 per barrel and daily oil production of 3.17 million barrels.

Posted via email from luay's posterous