AFP World News Agenda

What's happening around the world on Wednesday:

-- TOP STORIES --

+ Chavez in 'delicate' state, Venezuela blasts enemies

+ Kenyans await results in close election race

+ US, China ask UN to strengthen N.Korea sanctions

+ EU unveils result of Microsoft anti-trust probe

CARACAS: Monitoring the health of cancer-stricken Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez after the government blasts the country's enemies for causing his illness and expels two US military officers for alleged conspiracy (VENEZUELA-POLITICS-HEALTH-CHAVEZ)

NAIROBI: Kenyans await results for tightly fought presidential elections, the first since disputed polls five years ago triggered a wave of bloodletting, with deputy prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta taking an initial lead (KENYA-VOTE)

SEOUL: Monitoring for reaction after the United States and China called on the UN Security Council to sanction North Korean diplomats and "illicit" cash transfers to step up pressure on Pyongyang's nuclear program as the North threatened to scrap an armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War (NKOREA-UN-NUCLEAR)

BRUSSELS: EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia announces results of an anti-trust investigation into US software giant Microsoft over choice of Web browser on Windows 7. From 1130 GMT (EU-US-COMPETITION-MICROSOFT)

----- OTHER AGENDA ITEMS -----

DAMASCUS: President Bashar al-Assad says his regime has defeated the "conspiracy" against Syria, even as rebels overrun a provincial capital and capture its governor in the biggest coup of their revolt (SYRIA-CONFLICT-WRAP)

KUALA LUMPUR: Full coverage from the state of Sabah where Malaysian forces launched a ground and air offensive against 300 followers of a self-proclaimed Filipino sultan, who have invaded to press a territorial claim. The militants' supporters say they have escaped and are alive and well (MALAYSIA-PHILIPPINES-CRIME-SECURITY-ISLAM)

BEIJING: China's annual gathering of the National People's Congress, the country's parliament, enters its second day, when a press conference will be held by the head of Beijing's top economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) (CHINA-ECONOMY-POLITICS-CONGRESS-NPC)

MOSCOW: Following developments after Russian police detain three suspects, including celebrated dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko, over the acid attack against the Bolshoi ballet's artistic director Sergei Filin (RUSSIA-BALLET-CRIME-ENTERTAINMENT)

DOHA: John Kerry wraps up visit to Qatar to end his maiden Gulf tour as US secretary of state, with the Syrian conflict and Iran's disputed nuclear programme topping the agenda (US-GULF-DIPLOMACY-POLITICS)

ROME: The head of Italy's centre-left coalition, Pier Luigi Bersani, meets with key members of his Democratic Party (PD) to debate the possibility of forming a minority government to unblock the country's political deadlock (ITALY-POLITICS)

VATICAN CITY: Cardinals from around the world meet for a third day of pre-conclave talks (from 0830 GMT) to debate who is best suited to become future pope, followed by prayers at 1600 GMT in St. Peter's Basilica (VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE)

DAVEYTON, South Africa: Memorial for Mozambican national Mido Macia who died in South African police custody after officers dragged him behind their van. From 0900 GMT (SAFRICA-POLICE-DEATH-MOZAMBIQUE)

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http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130305/afp-world-news-agenda