Diary

ANKARA (AA) – Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency’s English Desk plans to cover on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

TURKIYE

ANKARA - Following Russia-Ukraine border tensions as many countries urge their nationals to leave Ukraine amid fears of Russian invasion.

GERMANY

MUNICH - Turkiye's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to address at Defense Policy and Innovation Forum as part of Munich Security Conference.

MUNICH - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will open 58th Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of global leaders on international security policy.

RUSSIA

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin to meet with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

MOSCOW - Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to meet with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.

BELGIUM

BRUSSELS - Second day sessions of EU-African Union Summit to be held.

SPORTS

BEIJING – Following Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

ECONOMY

ANKARA -Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges to share data for January of established and liquidated companies.

ANKARA - Turkish Statistical Institute to release house sales figures for January.

ANKARA - TurkStat to announce consumer confidence index for February.

ANKARA - Turkish Central Bank to reveal international investment position for Q4.

SPECIAL REPORT

Normalizing relations with Israel still lacks popular support in Egypt, says analyst

By Salam Abu Sharar

GAZA, Palestine (AA) – As Israel observes the 42nd anniversary of opening its embassy in Egypt, the first in any Arab country on Friday, in the last two years many Arab countries have lined up to normalize relations with Tel Aviv.

SPECIAL REPORT

Experts encourage everyone to get enough rest for World Sleep Day

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, Texas (AA) - As the world approaches the two-year mark of the coronavirus pandemic, one factor has been affected in just about everyone’s life: sleep.

SPECIAL REPORT

China, India, tout martial arts, yoga to bolster soft power in Tanzania

By Kizito Makoye

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AA) – Similar to Kung Fu Yoga, a 2016 Hollywood film about a mission to uncover an ancient Indian treasure in Tanzania using historical knowledge and Chinese martial arts, the two Asian giants are essentially doing the same thing to jostle strategic economic interests by imparting yoga and kung fu skills to enhance their soft image in the country.

SPECIAL REPORT

Somali opposition presidential candidates fret over election process

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - With Somalia failing to meet a timeframe for holding parliamentary elections several times, opposition presidential candidates say they are unhappy over the way the process has been conducted as a new deadline of Feb. 25 looms.