Diary

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main stories that the Anadolu Agency's English News Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, April 15, 2015:

 

--- TURKEY

-- ISTANBUL 

- Penning of protocol to "protect world heritage" in presence of Turkish National Commission for UNESCO (MERITS).

- First Umrah from Istanbul to Jerusalem.

-- ANKARA

- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will depart for Kazakhstan.

- Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to attend an event of the Justice and Development (AK) Party at the Ankara Sports Arena where the party's Election Declaration will be announced and candidates running in the June 7 elections introduced to the public.

- Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmus will be the guest of the AA Editor's Desk.

- Turkish Statistical Institute will announce labor force statistics for the month of January.

 

AMERICAS

 

--- UNITED STATES

-- NEW YORK

- 14th annual Tribeca Film Festival opens with Saturday Night Live documentary.

 

-- WASHINGTON

-  Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan arrives at DC to attend IMF-World Bank Spring meeting.

-  Fed's “Beige Book” will be published.

-  US Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC

-  Global Financial Stability Report will be announced.  

 

EUROPE

--- GERMANY

-- LUEBECK 

- G7 foreign ministers set to discuss conflicts in the Middle East, Ukrainian cease-fire, relations with Russia and nuclear deal with Iran on the second and final day of their summit.

 

--- BRUSSELS

- European Parliament expected to vote on a draft resolution which urges all EU member states to recognize events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.

- Felipe VI, King of Spain and Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro will visit Brussels. 

 

--- GENEVA

- French President Francois Hollande to visit Switzerland to discuss ties between two countries with Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga.

 

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

 

--- SAUDI ARABIA/YEMEN

-- Follow up the ongoing Saudi-led military offensive against Houthi militants in Yemen.

 

--- SUDAN

-- Final day of presidential and parliamentary elections.

 

--- LEBANON 

-- Lebanese PM Tamam Sallam to meet UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres UNICEF to launch regional report on school drop-outs in Middle East, Africa.

 

--- NIGERIA

-- President-elect Buhari's APC meets in Abuja to decide the share of each of Nigeria's six geopolitical zones in government slots.

 

--- GHANA

-- President John Mahama to open a summit on job creation. Director General of the International Labor Organization Guy Ryder expected to attend.

 

--- SPECIAL REPORTS:

How Nigeria's PDP fell from grace to grass? By Rafiu Ajakaye.

LAGOS (AA) – After 16 consecutive years in power, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the presidency, the two houses of parliament and state governorships. Experts and analysts explain to The Anadolu Agency how and why the party fell from grace to grass.

Despite threats, S. African Muslim clerics blast Daesh By Hassan Isilow.

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – Muslim clerics in South Africa have vowed to continue speaking out against the Daesh militant group, despite threats from suspected Daesh sympathizers.

 

SOUTH ASIA

 

SPECIAL REPORT

AFGHANISTAN

Was a surge of violence in Afghanistan's north planned? By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL – Afghan analysts increasingly suggest surge of violence near borders with central Asian states is the work of foreign powers.

 

SOUTH EAST ASIA & PACIFIC

 

--- CHINA

-- BEIJING – China's economic growth slowed to 7 percent in the first quarter of 2015, according to National Bureau of Statistics data, the weakest since the 2009 global financial crisis.

 

--- SOUTH KOREA

-- SEOUL – North Korea marks 103rd birthday -- known as the "Day of the Sun" -- of late leader Kim Il-sung, with current leader Kim Jong-un paying tribute to his late grandfather.

 

--- AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE -- Supermarket chain Woolworths criticized over advertising campaign accused of “commercializing” ANZAC Day and commemoration of Australian, New Zealander soldiers who fought in Battle of Canakkale. 

 

--- INDONESIA

-- JAKARTA – Indonesia protests Saudi Arabia’s execution of Indonesian migrant worker, suspected of having a mental illness, for stabbing to death her employer due to alleged mistreatment.

 

--- HIGHLIGHTS

-- ITALY

- Migrant boat sinks off coast of Libya over the weekend, killing as many as 400 people, according to survivors. Italian coast guard rescued 140 survivors.

 

-- UNITED STATES

- Obama moves to remove Cuba from list of countries supporting terrorism.

- Obama pledges $205 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq -- promised funds during White House meeting with Iraqi prime minister.

- Senate panel OKs bill giving Congress right to approve or reject Iran nuke deal.

- US calls for 'full, frank' recognition of 1915 events - ‘A full, frank and just acknowledgement of the fact is in all our interests,’ says State Department.

 

-- EU

- EU to file antitrust charges against Google: WSJ

 

-- SYRIA 

- UN envoy plans new push to end Syria conflict -- Staffan de Mistura to meet Syrian factions and interested countries to 'operationalise' Geneva Communique.

 

-- EGYPT

- Saudi Defense Minister in Cairo for talks.

 

-- IRAN

- Tehran has suspended Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca after alleged abuse of two Iranian teenage boys by Saudi officials.

 

-- YEMEN

- UN imposes arms embargo on Yemen's Houthis.

 

--- SPORTS

-- Football

   FRANCE
          Paris Saint-Germain meet Barcelona in UEFA Champions League quarter-finals first leg. The match at Parc des Princes will kick off at 20.45 CET (19.45 GMT).
          PORTUGAL
          Porto host Bayern Munich in UEFA Champions League quarter-finals first leg. The match at Estadio do Dragao will start at 20.45 CET (19.45 GMT).

      -- Basketball
         SPAIN
         Anadolu Efes play away to Real Madrid in Turkish Airlines Euroleague playoffs. The game at Barclaycard Center will tip off at 21.00 CET (20.00 GMT).