Wednesday’s global agenda: Russia trade bill gets its day

{mosads}Palau gets its day: The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s panel on Asia and the Pacific marks up legislation providing terms for a continuation of the free association between the United States and Palau. 

Tibetan visit: Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) host a meeting and a discussion about Tibet this afternoon with the Tibetan government in exile’s prime minister – or Kalon Tripa – Lobsang Sangay, who is on a five-day tour of Washington, DC.

In other news: 

Syria‘s defense minister is reported to have been killed in a Damascus suicide bombing amid reports of escalating violence in the capital. [CNN]

An alliance of liberal parties left the Muslim Brotherhood’s islamists in the dust in Libya‘s legislative elections. [Associated Press]

Israel‘s centrist Kadima Party quit the coalition government it formed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just two months ago, squelching hopes for peace with the Palestinians. [Reuters]

Thousands of people are fleeing the harsh justice of the Islamists who have gained control of northern Mali. [The New York Times]

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