WORLD AGENDA OCTOBER 2009

October 1, Beijing: Tight security surrounds a huge military parade in Tiananmen Square on National Day, the 60th anniversary of the founding of communist China. The celebrations come at a sensitive time, with simmering unrest, particularly in Xinjiang in the northwest.

October 1, Ankara: Iran begins talks with six world powers, probably hosted by Turkey, in an attempt to defuse the stand-off over its nuclear ambitions. Tehran says it wants to fuel power plants but the West suspects it intends to produce weapons.

October 2, Dublin: Irish voters decide the fate of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty on decision making in the 27-member bloc. The Czech Republic and Poland, the other countries yet to ratify, are expected to say yes if Ireland does.

October 2, Copenhagen: United States First Lady Michelle Obama heads to Denmark to promote her and her husba  nd's hometown as a venue for the 2016 Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee chooses between Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

October 2, Rangoon: Judges in Burma decide on Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal against extended house arrest. The pro-democracy icon, locked up for 14 of the past 20 years, was given an extra 18 months after an American man swam to her house in May.

Early October, Pyongyang: Western observers monitor an expected visit to North Korea by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao celebrating 60 years of communist alliance. Despite being the isolated state's only major ally, Beijing agreed to UN sanctions after its nuclear test in May. 

October 20, Niamey: Parliamentary elections take place in Niger amid growing disquiet over alleged abuses of power by president Mamadou Tandja. The leader of the desperately poor uranium-exporting nat  Xion is accused of muzzling opponents and removing constitutional limits on his term in office.

October 23, Paris: A new president is elected to motor racing's world governing body following a stormy year for Formula 1. Former world rally champion Ari Vatanen is pitched against ex-Ferrari boss Jean Todt to succeed the controversial Max Mosley. 

October (undated), United Nations: The World Food Programme slashes its services in Kenya, Somalia and Bangladesh. A drop in donations and surge in demand, caused by the global economic crisis, has put the WFP's food aid at a 20-year low. 

October (undated), Banda Aceh: Aceh province in Indonesia, which has just introduced stoning to death for adultery, swears in a new parliament which may tone down the new law. The world's most populous Muslim country is considered a beacon of moderate Islam.
/ENDS