Diary

ANKARA

Here are the main topics that Anadolu Agency’s English Desk plans to cover on Friday, September 18, 2015:

TURKEY

ANKARA - President Erdogan to receive German Foreign Minister Steinmeier at the presidential palace amid the ongoing refugee crisis.

SPECIAL REPORTS:

Making the hard yards: Rugby football in Turkey

By Nilay Kar Onum

ISTANBUL – "Football is a gentleman's game played by ruffians, and rugby is a ruffian's game played by gentlemen," runs a British idiom, contrasting soccer with rugby. Given Turkey’s love of ball games – coupled with its international success in uncompromising sports like wrestling – you would expect the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England and Wales today to have gripped the attention of Turkish sport fans.

Fed decision gets muted reaction in emerging markets

By Andrew Jay Rosenbaum

ANKARA - Reaction to the U.S. Federal Reserve's announcement to hold interest rates was muted on Friday, as emerging-market stocks and indexes changed little.

EUROPE

UNITED KINGDOM

LONDON - U.K. Prime Minister Cameron to meet Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades.

LONDON - U.S. Secretary of State Kerry expected to visit the U.K.

SPECIAL REPORT:

Israel prevents Oxford student's return to Gaza

LONDON - University of Oxford student Rawan Yaghi from Gaza explains how he has been prevented by Israel from returning to see his family for two years.

"Despite Britain intervening I haven't been to Gaza for two years, I haven't seen my family. Israel doesn't allow it. I couldn't believe it when I got my letter of acceptance from Oxford University. I re-read it several times," Yaghi said.

Analysis: Scotland, a year after independence referendum

LONDON - An analysis of the state of Scotland one year on after the Scottish independence referendum.

CROATIA

ZAGREB - Croatia National Security Council to discuss the current refugee crisis.

SERBIA

BELGRADE - Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sijarto to visit Belgrade, where he will meet the head of Serbian diplomacy Dacic and Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs Stefanovic.

UNITED STATES

NEW YORK - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to hold press conference about Millennium Development Goals.

MIDDLE EAST

PALESTINE

GAZA - Egyptian army begins flooding Gaza tunnels with water from the Mediterranean Sea.

SPECIAL REPORT:

Russia intensifies arms deliveries to Syria

By Zaki Shaikh and Andrew Jay Rosenbaum

LONDON - Having already delivered anti-aircraft systems and tanks to Syria, the Russian government is now in discussions for the delivery of submarines and fighter jets, experts told Anadolu Agency on Friday.

SOUTH EAST ASIA & PACIFIC

JAPAN

TOKYO – Parliament poised to pass security legislation, as opposition promises more delaying tactics.

THAILAND

BANGKOK – Series of explosions shake province of Narathiwat in insurgency-plagued south.

BANGKOK – Thai police bemoan media coverage as bomb probe appears to stall.