Diary

Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

AUSTRIA

VIENNA - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to meet Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Salzburg. They will discuss bilateral ties, Russia-Ukraine war, and regional issues.

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden to host Japanese, South Korean counterparts for landmark trilateral summit at Camp David as Washington seeks to strengthen regional alliances amid North Korean ballistic missile tests, great power competition with China.

CHINA

BEIJING - Following trip to China by a 25-member delegation of Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Representatives of Muslim bloc held talks with Chinese officials, planning to visit Xinjiang province, home to ethnic Uyghurs.

UKRAINE

KYIV - Developments and statements in context of Russia-Ukraine war are being followed.

KYRGYZSTAN

BISHKEK - First international congress on endoscopic surgery to be held in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, between 18-19 August.

SPECIAL REPORT

Already in midst of dire climate crises, US faces prospect of worsening disasters

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - This year has seen wave after wave of extreme weather batter the US: from mass flooding in drought-stricken California to record-shattering heatwaves in the Southwest, and wildfires in Hawaii that have produced death tolls not seen in over a century.

SPECIAL REPORT

US-Iran prisoner swaps: Key exchanges in history

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US and Iran last week reached a tentative agreement which will see the release of five Americans from a Tehran prison and several Iranians detained in the US, and free up $6 billion in state assets frozen in South Korea to be transferred to Qatar.

SPECIAL REPORT

UNESCO’s warning about Venice’s risks reignites debate about its fragility

By Giovanni Legorano

VENICE, Italy (AA) - UNESCO recommended putting Venice in its world heritage site blacklist reigniting a debate over the city’s long-standing problems: over-tourism and the effects of climate change on its structural fragility.

SPECIAL REPORT

What has sparked clashes in Ethiopia’s Amhara region?

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) Heavy clashes have been reported in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region for weeks now, between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and the Fano Militia group with increased reports of civilian casualties.