WORLD AGENDA SEPTEMBER 2012
 
September 5, Vladivostok: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is held in the coastal city after billions of dollars have been spent building bridges and hotels there. The move is designed to signal Russia’s interest in Asia and fuel growth in its eastern regions.

September 5, Munich: The 40th anniversary of the Munich massacre when Palestinians took hostage and eventually killed 11 members of the Israeli team during the Olympic Games. Five of the eight terrorists and a German police officer died during a failed rescue attempt.

September 8, UK: A bible that belonged to Elvis Presley and contains annotations by the legendry singer is expected to fetch £20,000 at auction in Manchester. The gift from his uncle is among Elvis memorabilia being sold 35 years after he died.

September 14, Berlin: Officials decide whether to delay, for a third time, the opening of the German capital’s flagship project. Berlin-Brandenburg Airport was due to open in 2011, then June 3 and, currently, March 17, 2013 but safety concerns have triggered setbacks.

September 17, Myanmar: A government commission to investigate violent clashes in June between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, which left dozens dead and tens of hundreds displaced, is due to submit its findings. The 27-member commission includes former political prisoners and opposition politicians.

September 27, West Bank: Palestinians renew efforts to upgrade their United Nations status to strengthen their statehood claims. They will ask to be made a “non-member observer state” which would allow them to join a number of UN agencies and the International Criminal Court.

September 27, Colorado: The pre-trial hearing begins of James Holmes, accused of opening fire at a midnight screening of the new Batman film in July, killing 12 people. The 24-year-old is charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder and 116 of attempted murder.

September (undated), Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s late deposed dictator, is tried for war crimes, possibly in the mountain town of Zintan where he faces almost certain execution by hanging. The trial would defy International Criminal Court demands.

September (undated), Athens: The EU and IMF decide whether to release a further €31.5bn in loans to Greece which needs the funds to avoid a default. The lenders will assess how far off-track Greece is in implementing reforms agreed under its second bailout.

September (undated), Brussels: Greek, Italian and Albanian ministers are expected to sign an accord agreeing to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline to transport gas from Turkey to Europe. The project would reduce EU reliance on gas from Russia which supplies a quarter of its needs.
ENDS