Diary

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency’s English Desk plans to cover on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

TURKEY

ANKARA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend centennial anniversary celebration program of Sakarya Victory, also to head Justice and Development (AK) Party Central Executive Board meeting.

ANKARA - Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop to meet with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic. Following one-on-one meeting, delegations to hold talks.

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

BELGIUM

BRUSSELS - Plenary sittings of European Parliament to begin.

BRUSSELS - Following news conference of spokespersons of EU Commission.

GUINEA

CONAKRY - Monitoring developments after soldiers announce detention of president, dissolution of government.

AFGHANISTAN

KABUL - Monitoring developments in Afghanistan after Taliban formed interim government.

US

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Antony Blinken to testify before House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Afghanistan withdrawal.

THE ECONOMY

ANKARA - Turkish Statistical Institute to release turnover, retail sales and industrial production indices for July.

ANKARA - Turkish Central Bank to reveal balance of payment statistics for July.

WASHINGTON - US Department of Treasury to release federal budget balance for August.

SPECIAL REPORT

Pakistan's Thar Desert boasts rich architecture

By Aamir Latif

UMERKOT, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan's southern Thar desert, which otherwise is infamous for frequent famine spells, and treacherous weather, boasts a spectacular architectural treasure, which authorities are finally trying to preserve.

SPECIAL REPORT

OPINION - Regional forums meet in Dushanbe to discuss Afghanistan

By Zaki Shaikh

LONDON (AA) - The heads of states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization member nations will meet for the first time in Tajik capital Dushanbe, where they will discuss Afghan issues, a spokesman of Tajik Foreign Ministry has announced. Apart from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, five of the eight states of SCO -- China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, and Pakistan -- border with Afghanistan (also a SCO observer state). This will be the first major exchange of regional countries since the Taliban announced their interim government in Kabul on Sept. 7.