Diary

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency's English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

TURKEY

ANKARA - Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to meet with Georgian counterpart Davit Zalkaliani. They are also due to hold joint news conference.

ANKARA- Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop to receive Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Ersan Saner.

ANKARA - Health Minister Fahrettin Koca to chair Coronavirus Scientific Committee meeting via video link.

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency’s Editors’ Desk to host Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul.

GERMANY

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet state prime ministers on COVID-19 response, to hold news conference afterwards.

BELGIUM

BRUSSELS - NATO chief to deliver key note address in Inter-Parliamentary Conference on common foreign, security policy, organized by Portuguese Parliament as part of Portugal’s Presidency of Council of EU.

UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Antony Blinken to deliver speech on US foreign policy at State Department.

WASHINGTON - Washington DC's National Guard commander Maj. Gen. William Walker to testify during Senate hearing about attack on US Capitol.

NEW YORK - UN special envoy for Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener to hold news conference.

PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD - Key polling on 37 vacant seats of Senate underway, tough contest expected between ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement.

LIBYA

TRIPOLI - Efforts underway to convene Libyan parliament to vote on government formation.

YEMEN

SANAA - Confrontations between government forces, Houthis continue on several fronts, mainly in eastern Marib.

THE ECONOMY

ANKARA - TurkStat to release inflation figures for February.

PARIS - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to announce inflation figures for February.

SPECIAL REPORT

Turkey: State-run lenders post $2.1B net profit in 2020

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Three major conventional state-run banks in Turkey -- Ziraat, VakifBank, and Halkbank -- posted 15.43 billion Turkish liras ($2.1 billion) in net profit last year.

SPECIAL REPORT

Zimbabwe: Easing restrictions bring hope to Vic Falls

By John Cassim

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AA) - Leadus Dube, 25, a former hotel employee in Zimbabwe’s tourist city of Victoria Falls is elated at the announcement of relaxations in the COVID-19 related restrictions. Like many others, the restrictions pushed him to rags from a decent living.

SPECIAL REPORT

Why is EU lagging behind in COVID-19 vaccinations?

By Rabia Iclal Turan

ANKARA (AA) - Amid concerns over the spread of new coronavirus variants, the EU has expressed determination to speed up its vaccination program, which began on Dec. 27.

SPECIAL REPORT

Family ruined after YPG/PKK recruitment of underage son

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA/DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) - One day in 2014 during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Turkey’s Siirt province, Saadet Odumlu was planning to cook for her family and enjoy their company while breaking her fast.