BBC Monitoring News Diary for Thursday 16 February 2006.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Main stories at 0200 gmt

IRAQ: Watching for reaction after Australian TV station broadcast previously unpublished images of apparent abuse at US-run Abu-Ghurayb prison (as available)

UNITED NATIONS: Publication of UN investigation into US Guantanamo Bay detention centre, which calls on Washington to put prisoners there on trial or close the camp (Sources as available)

Asia-Pacific

VIETNAM: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov visits (-18), meets Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (Russian news agency ITAR-TASS)

CHINA: Burmese Prime Minister Soe Win visits, expected to travel to northern province of Shaanxi and Guangdong in south (-18) (Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website)

NORTH KOREA: Senior government and military officials gather for "Kimjongilia festival" (-20); Kim Jong-il celebrates 64th birthday (North Korean news agency KCNA)

JAPAN: Kobe airport opens for business (Japanese news agency Kyodo)

AUSTRALIA: Parliament votes on whether to strip regulatory control over an abortion drug from the health minister, a staunch abortion opponent; analysts expect yes vote which will clear the way for the drug's approval in Australia (as available)

NEW ZEALAND: Results of referendum in Tokelau on self-determination expected (Radio New Zealand International)

CHINA: Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe visits (-18) (Chinese news agency Xinhua)

CHINA: Cameroon Foreign Minister Laurent Esso visits (-18) (Chinese news agency Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND: First meeting of South Pacific fisheries management group (New Zealand, Australia, Chile) (-17); aims to protect high seas bio-diversity among species other than tuna; other countries in region invited to attend; among issues on agenda is practice of bottom-trawling (New Zealand government press release)

TONGA: Sentencing in Nuku'alofa of former Speaker …