ANKARA
Here are the main stories that The Anadolu Agency's English News Desk is planning to cover on Friday, March 13, 2015.
TURKEY
ANKARA – President Erdogan to meet with Turkey's intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, after Fidan withdrew his candidacy for the Justice and Development (AK) Party in upcoming general elections. Erdogan will also meet Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki.
ANKARA – Prime Minister Davutoglu to meet Syrian National Coalition and members of the country’s caretaker government.
Davutoglu to also meet U.S. ambassador John Bass.
ANKARA – Foreign Minister Cavusoglu to meet Macedonian counterpart Nikola Poposki and hold joint press conference.
Cavusoglu to also meet Afghan counterpart Selahuttin Rabbani and chairman of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party in Syria, Abdul Hakim Bashar.
ISTANBUL – Coverage of nationwide health workers’ strike. Trade union members are unhappy about working conditions, sub-contracted labor and are calling for universal health care.
SPECIAL REPORT:
US and UK in battle over China investment bank
by Andrew Jay Rosenbaum
ANKARA (AA) – The U.S. and the U.K. are locked in a diplomatic battle over Britain's bid to join China's Asia Investment Bank project – the aim is to create a rival institution to the World Bank.
UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON – Assembly of Turkish-American Associations holds its 35th annual conference.
WASHINGTON – Bipartisan Policy Center holds a discussion on "Prospects for Turkey's Economy in 2015."
EUROPE
SWITZERLAND
GENEVA – Human Rights Watch to release new research on Iraq – "From ISIL (Daesh) war crimes to pro-government militia abuses in the fight against ISIL" – at UN Geneva headquarters
BELGIUM
BRUSSELS – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will be in Brussels to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz.
BALKANS
Events to be held to mark 40th anniversary of Nobel Prize-winning Yugoslav novelist Ivo Andric’s death.
CROATIA
ZAGREB – After the re-arrest of the mayor of Zagreb in corruption case, supporters launch campaign to "political" detentions.
SOUTH ASIA
SRI LANKA
COLOMBO – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins three-day visit to Sri Lanka, 28 years since the last official visit by an Indian prime minister. Modi will seek to repair ties with Sri Lanka, which were damaged under the island’s previous president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
BANGLADESH
DHAKA – Bangladeshi opposition leader Khaleda Zia will brief journalists regarding the current political instability for the first time since her party began enforcing a nationwide transport blockade and a series of regional and nationwide shutdowns on Jan. 5.
SE ASIA-PACIFIC
SOUTH KOREA
SEOUL – Joint Chiefs of Staff say North Korea test-fired seven missiles into East Sea in opposition to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises.
SEOUL – Seoul police planning to ask prosecutors to charge attacker of U.S. envoy with attempted murder amid investigations into alleged links to North Korea.
CAMBODIA
PHNOM PENH – Australia’s immigration minister releases statement after quiet visit to Phnom Penh over deal to resettle refugees seeking asylum in Australia
JAPAN
TOKYO – Japan’s stock exchange climbs to new high in almost 15 years after Wall Street gains.
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
NIGERIA
LAGOS – Follow up of ongoing military operations against Boko Haram after Nigeria announced that the entire northeast Adamawa state has been rid of the extremist rebels.
EGYPT
CAIRO – A major conference on Egypt’s economic future begins in Sharm el-Sheikh.
ZIMBABWE
HARARE – High Court hears urgent application to compel whoever is holding abducted anti-regime activist Itai Dzamara to bring him before court to determine if he should be in detention.
SPECIAL REPORTS:
Child defilement troubles Uganda
By Halima Athumani
KAMPALA (AA) – Child defilement is becoming a worrying phenomenon in Uganda, with many blaming parents who have numerous children when they can't meet their basic needs for food, clothing and shelter.
Delay, strong kwacha overshadow Malawi tobacco season
By Moses Michael-Phiri
BLANTYRE, Malawi (AA) – A delay in the opening of the selling market and a better-performing kwacha, the local currency, are overshadowing Malawi's tobacco-selling season.
