What's Happening Today - Thursday 3 February

China: 

Start of lunar new year 

India: 

Afghan President Hamed Karzai on second and final day of visit for talks with counterpart Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; addresses Sustainable Development Summit in Delhi today 

India: 

Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav continues "goodwill visit" (-5) for talks with counterpart Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 

India: 

High-level team of Nepal Army on week-long visit (-5) to study administrative, training and welfare activities of Indian military

India:

Former telecoms minister Andimuthu Raja, who was arrested over irregularities in the allocation of mobile licences and spectrum, would be presented before a special court.

Bangladesh:

Trial of border guards charged with mutiny resumes in Bangladesh – [there’s 800 guards charged, accused of killing 70 officers]

Pakistan: 

Pakistan-based militant group Al-Badr Mojahedin observes Kashmir Solidarity Week (-7) by organizing seminars and rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

Nepal: 

Parliament makes first attempt under new rules to elect prime minister to succeed caretaker Madhav Kumar Nepal; limited to three rounds with parties no longer allowed to abstain; second and third if needed scheduled for 4th and 6th Feb; six-month marathon under previous rules ended mid-January after 16 abortive rounds 

Russia:

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis holds a news conference (1400).

Kyrgyzstan: 

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

Iran: 

Ten Days of Dawn events continue leading up to 32nd anniversary of victory of Islamic Revolution (11); new military hardware, satellites expected to be showcased 

Turkey: 

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan concludes two-day visit after talks with counterpart Abdullah Gul; agenda dominated by economic issues

Turkey:

World Conference on Educational Sciences takes place in Istanbul

Yemen: 

Opposition holds Day of Rage rallies across Yemen 

Egypt: 

Watching developments after major street clashes in Cairo between pro- and anti-Mubarak activists yesterday 

Sudan: 

Joint North-South military unit begins deployment to oil-rich region of Abyei following recent referendum on South's independence; the region is contested between North and South

Kenya:

Speaker of Kenyan parliament Kenneth Marende to rule on dispute between President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga over appointment of three judicial officers proposed by Kibaki

Kenya:

US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg visits Kenya.

France: 

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad starts visit (-4), meets President Nicolas Sarkozy

Poland: 

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych begins two-day trip for talks with counterpart Bronislaw Komorowski 

Poland:

EU interior ministers from G6 group meet in Cracow – [G6 includes France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and the UK is scheduled to meet in Cracow, ie the six largest in the European Union]

Germany:

Belarusian opposition leader speaks in Berlin [Alaksandar Milinkievic]

Belgium:

Environment activists protest over nuclear waste in Mol, Belgium

France:

Economy Minister Christine Lagarde holds a news conference on France's G20 agenda (0700).

France:

Catherine Ashton meets high-level officials in Paris, including French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, followed by dinner with Palestinian president Salam Fayyad, Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

UK: 

London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies publishes report on Iran's nuclear, chemical and biological capabilities 

UK: 

Extradition hearing in UK for Mongolian intelligence officer Bat Hurts (Khurts) who is wanted in Germany on suspicion of involvement in alleged abduction of Mongolian dissident from France in 2003

UK:

Ban Ki-moon speaks at maritime piracy conference in London

Spain: 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero 

Canada: 

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits

US:

UN special representative for children and armed conflict gives press briefing at UN in New York [Radhika Coomaraswamy starts talking at 12:00 in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium.]

US:

Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke addresses the National Press Club.

Posted via email from luay's posterous