Correspondents say the unrest will come as a shock to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled the republic since before independence and kept a tight rein on public protest
Proceedings are expected to last around five days, after which recommendations will be made to a military general, who will decide whether to proceed to a full trial, according to Mr Coombs.
Fears were compounded by unconfirmed reports from South Korean news agency Yonhap that the North had test-fired a missile off its eastern coast before the announcement of Kim Jong-il's death
Following news of Mr Kim's death, South Korea put its armed forces on high alert and said the country was on a crisis footing. Japan's government convened a special security meeting.
North and South Korea are still technically at war, and the US has nearly 30,000 troops stationed in South Korea. Last year the North was accused of sinking a South Korean patrol boat and the two countries exchanged fire across the disputed maritime border.
Brandy Yanchyk experiences a guided heli-hike in the mountains of British Columbia - an adventure which encompasses travelling by zip-lines, climbing a via ferrata, and visiting glaciers
Gavin Terry, lead officer for Intellectual Property for the Trading Standards Institute, took part on a raid in Cheetham Hill, which is seen as an assembly and distribution hub for the fake goods trade throughout the UK.
Most Americans love a British accent, especially in the South. People really have cornered me in elevators hoping to elicit just "one more phrase" before they get out on their floor
But there is a widespread view, fuelled by mobile phone videos and accounts on internet social networking sites, that there was wholesale election fraud and that Mr Putin's party cheated its way to victory
But there is a widespread view, fuelled by mobile phone videos and accounts on internet social networking sites, that there was wholesale election fraud and that Mr Putin's party cheated its way to victory.
BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the fact the Queen had visited her husband so promptly suggested it was a "moment of real anxiety" for the Royal Family, albeit one which appeared to have passed
Boko Haram militants had suffered heavy casualties in a lengthy gun-battle in the town of Damaturu, said army chief of staff Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika.
The idea for Raspberry Pi came from video game veteran David Braben who was searching for a way to inspire young people to start a career in technology.
