Diary

ANKARA

Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency’s English Desk plans to cover Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):



TURKEY

ANKARA - Erdogan to chair security meeting at Presidential Palace.

ANKARA - PM Davutoglu to meet Yemeni President Hadi in Ankara.

EUROPE

GERMANY

BERLIN - Chancellor Merkel to address parliament on refugee crisis and EU-UK negotiations, ahead of EU summit on Thursday. ​

SPECIAL REPORTS:

-UK-EU renegotiation enters final stage before the EU summit to be held in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

By Michael Sercan Daventry

LONDON (AA) - On Friday, it was Warsaw and Copenhagen. On Monday, it was Paris. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s whirlwind tour of European capitals continued on Tuesday with a trip to Brussels as he aimed to finalize his renegotiation of Britain’s European Union membership terms.

-Russia targets civilians to fuel refugee crisis

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON - As the refugee crisis keeps Europe in turmoil, analysts and diplomats believe that Russia targets Turkey and Europe by continuing to hit civilian targets in Syria and creating further migrations.

MIDDLE EAST - NORTH AFRICA

SPECIAL REPORTS:

-Syrian hospitals go underground to dodge Russia’s aggression

By Mohamad Misto

IDLIB, Syria (AA) - Some rooms at Rakaya Hospital are six meters deep. They are not being used as temporary morgues. Rather, their purpose is keep patients and doctors alive in a country so used to death.

-Daesh, al-Qaeda compete for influence in Africa

By Ahmed Aziz

ALGIERS, Algeria (AA) - Seeking to expand their influence to new areas, terrorist groups Daesh and al-Qaeda are competing to gain foothold in Africa, analysts say.

AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Amnesty International will release regional state of human rights and international overview.

KENYA

NAIROBI (AA) - Islamic Finance Conference 2016 will take place in Nairobi.

SPECIAL REPORT:

-Ethiopia feeling pinch of illicit financial outflows

By Tesfa Mogessie

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - Alarmed by increasing illicit financial outflows, Ethiopia says it is taking new counter-measures including installing advanced CCTV cameras at airports and establishing a special intelligence unit.

SOUTHEAST ASIA & PACIFIC

SOUTH KOREA

SEOUL - US delivers another show of force to South Korea amid nuclear standoff with North Korea.

PHILIPPINES

ZAMBOANGA CITY - At least four killed, two injured in roadside bombing authorities blame on breakaway Muslim rebels opposed to peace process in southern Mindanao.

INDONESIA

JAKARTA - Indonesian court to try alleged Daesh sympathizers, week after West Jakarta Court jailed seven people for supporting extremist group. (MERITS)