Diary

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu’s English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

TÜRKİYE

ANKARA - Following aftermath of Feb. 6 earthquakes in 11 southern provinces.

ANKARA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to hold separate meetings with Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of Thursday’s extraordinary summit of Organization of Turkic States.

US

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden to speak about plan to lower cost of prescription drugs at University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

NEW YORK - UN Security Council to discuss situation in Yemen.

NEW YORK - Vote expected on resolution to extend UN mission in Sudan.

UK

LONDON - Thousands of workers from various sectors to stage protests over cost of living crisis on a day Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will reveal spring budget.

LONDON - Around 70,000 university workers to launch two-day strike over pay.

LONDON - Parliament’s Joint Human Rights Commission to discuss concerns over rights of asylum seekers in the UK.

LONDON - Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to host a meeting of foreign ministers of Commonwealth countries in London.

FRANCE

PARIS - Another day of countrywide protests expected against the French government’s pensions reforms.

GERMANY

BERLIN - Chancellor Olaf Scholz to meet Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for talks on bilateral relations and major international issues.

THE ECONOMY

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

ANKARA - Turkish Treasury and Finance Ministry to publish budget balance data for February.

LUXEMBOURG - Eurostat to release industrial production figures for January.

PARIS - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to publish G20 GDP data.

SPORTS

MADRID/NAPLES, Italy - Real Madrid to host Liverpool and Napoli to take on Eintracht Frankfurt in final Round of 16 fixtures.

ISTANBUL - Turkish side Medipol Basaksehir to host Belgium’s Gent for second leg of UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 tie.

SPECIAL REPORT

Frequent fire, blast incidents create sense of insecurity among people in Bangladesh

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Frequent incidents of fire and explosion in different urban areas, including the capital Dhaka, have created a sense of insecurity and tension among the people of Bangladesh.

SPECIAL REPORT

Crossing the Darien Gap: A treacherous journey for migrants chasing American dream

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Fernando Rodriguez is so sure that going to the US will change his life that he is willing to take the risk of passing through one of the most dangerous places on the planet for the third time.

SPECIAL REPORT

Iran, IAEA move to plug gaps as West ramps up pressure

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - At an event in Tehran on Tuesday, the spokesperson and deputy chief of Iran’s nuclear agency Behrouz Kamalvandi hailed UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi’s recent visit as “fruitful,” stressing that Iran took a “step forward” to resolve outstanding issues.

SPECIAL REPORT

Muslims in US call for global efforts to combat Islamophobia, foster inclusivity

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - The UN has declared March 15 the International Day to Combat Islamophobia with the goal of taking "concrete action in the face of rising hatred, discrimination, and violence against Muslims.”

SPECIAL REPORT

‘Poor soil, residential areas on faults led to devastating impact of Türkiye quakes’

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - Poor soil protection and construction of residential areas near fault lines led to the devastating effects of the Feb. 6 earthquakes that tore through southern Türkiye, according to a seismologist.

SPECIAL REPORT

China-brokered deal with Saudi Arabia is good news but implementation critical: Iranian scholars

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - The deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran brokered by China is “good news” but it is important to wait until it is implemented, Iranian scholars said.

“It is good news,” Setarah Sadeqi, an Iranian scholar on foreign affairs, said about the agreement between Riyadh and Tehran to resume diplomatic relations.