Diary

ANKARA

Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency’s English Desk plans to cover Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

TURKEY

ANKARA - Turkish President Erdogan to meet with Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government President Barzani and discuss how to enhance coordination in the fight against Daesh.

ANKARA - Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Kurtulmus to attend Anadolu Agency's Editors Desk.

ISTANBUL - Turkish deputy prime ministers and several cabinet ministers to attend the ongoing Sixth Bosphorus Summit.

ISTANBUL - Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu to speak at UN-backed event on ending violence against women.

ISTANBUL - Coverage of Turkish-Swiss economic forum in Istanbul.

EUROPE

UNITED KINGDOM

SPECIAL REPORTS:

Russian tourism ban on Turkey ineffective, experts say

By Zaki Shaikh and Andrew Jay Rosenbaum

LONDON - The Russian government claims that restrictions on tourists visiting Turkey will hurt industry revenue at the most popular destination for Russian tourists, but experts say that Russia will suffer more.

Europe moves ahead on taxing financial trading

By Andrew Jay Rosenbaum

ANKARA - European finance ministers are pushing through a proposal to tax all financial transactions, including trading in stocks, bonds and foreign exchange.

GERMANY

BERLIN - Zschaepe, the only surviving member of neo-Nazi terror group NSU, is expected to testify in German court, which will be the first time since the group was uncovered in 2011.

SWITZERLAND

GENEVA - Launch of a new UN report on the human rights situation in Ukraine.

UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON - An attorney with Amsterdam & Partners LLP is expected to announce new legal action against Pennsylvania-based preacher Fetullah Gulen and his Gulen (Hizmet) movement.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Defense Carter and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Selva to testify before Senate committee on Daesh strategy and U.S. Iraq and Syria policy.

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Obama to host Israeli President Rivlin.

SPECIAL REPORT:

Contribution to economy by Syrian refugees outpace US natives

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON - A spate of high-profile terror attacks have fueled anti-refugee sentiments in the U.S. against Syrians, but statistics show that those same refugees have made greater economic contributions than their native-born American counterparts.

MIDDLE EAST

IRAN

TEHRAN - Iran says it may launch its own airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, but did not specify against whom.

EGYPT

CAIRO - Picture showing deteriorating health condition of jailed Saad al-Katatni, former speaker of Egyptian parliament, sparks outrage on social media.

SYRIA

DAMASCUS - Syrian Network for Human Rights says Assad regime dropped more than 3,000 barrel bombs on opposition-held areas since Russia’s military intervention began in September.

UAE

DUBAI - Retail giant stops sale of Trump products after presidential candidate’s “Muslim ban” remarks.

AFRICA

SPECIAL REPORTS:

Nigerian banks pressured by low oil price

By Rafiu Ajakaye

NAIROBI, Kenya - The low price of oil has led to a sharp increase in non-performing loans at Nigerian banks.

Uganda: British-American Tobacco profit falls, stock price rises

By Halima Athumani

KAMPALA - Despite an expected drop in profit, British American Tobacco Uganda's stocks keep going up.

SOUTH ASIA

PAKISTAN

KARACHI - Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu to attend Fifth "Heart of Asia" conference in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

SPECIAL REPORT:

Indian blockade causes medicine shortage in Nepal

By Deepak Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Nepal - The UN and six international aid agencies in Nepal warn of critical shortfalls of life-saving medicine due to India’s ongoing blockade of its small Himalayan neighbor.

SE ASIA-PACIFIC

INDONESIA

JAKARTA - Indonesians go to polls for first simultaneous nationwide regional elections.

JAPAN

TOKYO - South Korean arrested in connection with blast at Tokyo shrine for Japan’s war dead.

CAMBODIA

PHNOM PENH - Representatives from global union Industriall meet to raise the issue of fair wages for garment workers.