What's Happening Today - Monday 7 February

Tonga: 

Trial opens in Nuku'alofa of four individuals plus Shipping Corporation of Polynesia corporately, accused of manslaughter over sinking of ferry Princess Ashika in August 2009 with loss of 74 lives 

Japan:

Snow festival takes place in Sapporo

Japan:

PM speaks on return of disputed 'Northern Territories' from Russia (11:20) [Presently the islands are home to over 17,000 people, nearly all Russian, and are surrounded by prime fishing waters]

Cambodia: 

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa visit Cambodia (7), Thailand (8) to try to mediate in border dispute

India: 

Mumbai High Court announces verdict on appeal against death sentence filed by Ajmal Kasab, sole surviving gunman in Mumbai 2008 attack case

India: 

US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke leads trade delegation to explore export opportunities (-11)

Kyrgyzstan: 

Armed forces hold command-and-staff anti-terror exercises (-12) 

Bhutan:

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Council of Ministers concludes meetings in Thimphu; watching developments after foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan, Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir, at meeting on sidelines on Sunday agreed to discuss resumption of peace dialogue that has been stalled since 2008 Mumbai attacks that India blames on Pakistan-based insurgents

Pakistan: 

Pakistan-based militant group Al-Badr Mojahedin observes Kashmir Solidarity Week by organizing seminars and rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

Iran:

Watching for possible continuation of trial of three US hikers arrested in July 2009 and charged with espionage; opening session held behind closed door on Sunday, no timetable set for further sessions

Iran: 

Ten Days of Dawn events continue (-10) leading up to 32nd anniversary of victory of Islamic Revolution (11); according to Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi, four satellites, including Fajr and Rasad will be unveiled today; President Ahmadinejad due to attend ceremony 

Turkey:

Further hearing in Sledgehammer case takes place in Turkey

Turkey:

Trial in murder of Hrant Dink resumes in Istanbul. Dink was a prominent member of the Armenian minority in Turkey. He was best known for advocating Turkish-Armenian reconciliation and human and minority rights in Turkey. Hrant Dink was assassinated in Istanbul in January 2007.

UAE: 

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim So'ng-hwan visits; on to Algeria 

Lebanon: 

Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah due to address rally in Beirut in support of "Egyptian people's revolution against Camp David regime"; starts at 1300g

Egypt: 

Monitoring developments following initial round of talks between Vice President Omar Suleyman and opposition leaders, including banned Muslim Brotherhood 

Nigeria: 

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General, Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, continues visit to discus s forthcoming April elections (-9)

Ivory Coast: 

Five African heads of states members of AU high-level panel starts meeting with Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara camps in an attempt to resolve post-electoral crisis (-10) 

Poland: 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visit to attend summit of Weimar Triangle. The French/German/Polish group was established in 1991 aimed at assisting Poland's emergence from Communist rule and promoting co-operation between the three countries, especially in the area of EU topics.

Romania: 

Finnish European Affairs and Integration Minister Astrid Thors visits for talks with Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi and Administration and Interior Minister Traian Igas on Schengen space enlargement

Hungary:

Prime Minister Viktor Orban to hold annual state-of-nation speech (1400).

Serbia: 

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini visits for talks with President Boris Tadic, Deputy PM Bozidar Djelic and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on Serbia's EU integration process, regional cooperation, Kosovo 

Bosnia:

Sarajevo Winter 2011 Festival is held

Switzerland:

WTO dispute settlement body meets in Geneva from 15:00; discussion includes considering the US/Chinese request to delay the deadline for appeal in the Chinese case over US measures on Chinese tyres

Holland:

Trial of Bosnian Serb military commander Zdravko Tolimir continues at Hague war crimes court

UK: 

Extradition hearing starts for WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange (-8) 

UK:

Church of England General Synod (to Feb 9).

US: 

French Defence Minister Alain Juppe starts visit (-9); today meets UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon (7), due to meet US counterpart Robert Gates

Posted via email from luay's posterous