Diary

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency's English Desk plans to cover on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

TURKEY

ANKARA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend ceremonies at National Defense University.

ANKARA - Following COVID-19 normalization process in Turkey, virus variants, worldwide pandemic situation.

US

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden to deliver remarks on end of 20-year war in Afghanistan.

AFGHANISTAN

KABUL - Monitoring developments after US completes pullout from Afghanistan.

SERBIA

BELGRADE - Following Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s official visit to Serbia.

GERMANY

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet her Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz for talks on bilateral relations, EU, international issues.

THE ECONOMY

ANKARA - TurkStat to announce foreign trade statistics for July.

MONTREAL - International Air Transport Association (IATA) to announce air freight figures for July.

ANKARA - Treasury and Finance Ministry to reveal borrowing strategy for September-November period.

SPORTS

PLOVDIV, Bulgaria - Turkish women's national volleyball team to play against Poland in 2021 CEV EuroVolley quarterfinals.

MIES, Switzerland - 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers' draw to be held, Turkish men's national basketball team will enter.

NEW YORK - Following 2021 US Open, last Grand Slam of season.

SPECIAL REPORT

Zimbabwean bird lover demystifies myths around owls

By John Cassim

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AA) – While the owl is considered a symbol of wisdom in the West, in many countries in the East, it is associated with misfortune, witchcraft, and foolishness. In many parts of Africa, the poor nocturnal bird is reviled as a harbinger of death.

SPECIAL REPORT

Family of slain Palestinian woman fights for return of her body

By Salam Abu Sharar

JERUSALEM (AA) - Five-year-old Sulaf escapes from her grandmother's lap to play with her friends for hours in the courtyard of her home in Abu Dis in East Jerusalem. Her family says she does this whenever they meet in the living room because she gets annoyed at being in a place that reminds her of her mother, Mai.

SPECIAL REPORT

Blast fishing persists in Tanzania despite ban

By Kizito Makoye

RUFIJI, Tanzania (AA) - Critical fish habitats off the coast of Tanzania are increasingly threatened by blast fishing – a technique which involves dropping explosives into the water to increase the daily fish catch.