BBC Monitoring News Diary for Saturday 9 September 2006.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Main stories at 0100 gmt

AUSTRIA: European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana expected to meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani in Vienna (as available)

GEORGIA: Watching developments after reports of overnight firing by Georgian forces on Tskhinvali, capital of breakaway region of South Ossetia (as available)

MIDEAST: British Prime Minister Tony Blair expected to begin regional tour; arrives in Israel in evening for talks with counterpart Ehud Olmert; travels on to Ramallah to meet Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas; then on to Lebanon (regional sources)

Asia-Pacific

CHINA: US Assistant Secretary of State and chief delegate to six-way talks on North Korea, Christopher Hill, visits Shanghai; part of tour as efforts to restart talks have taken on new urgency amid speculation that North Korea planning nuclear test (South Korean newspaper Choson Ilbo)

VIETNAM: Tanzanian Prime Minister Edward Lowassa ends visit to gain insights into their progress in poverty eradication and economic development; meets local businessmen to urge them to invest in Tanzania's irrigation, agriculture and oil extraction sectors (Tanzanian newspaper Mwananchi)

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