Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

Israeli military incursions into Syrian territory

Latest developments regarding the ongoing Israeli aggression on Syrian soil, as the army forces raided the Quneitra countryside, southern Syria on Tuesday, for the fifth time in August. Possible military escalation and more global reactions will be monitored.

Egypt to host multinational military exercises with US

A joint Egyptian-US military drill, “The Bright Star 2025,” to take place in Mohamed Naguib Military Base in northwestern Egypt, with the participation of 43 countries, according to the US Central Command and the Egyptian Army. The program will continue until Sept. 10, 2025.

Syrian delegation to visit Lebanon

A Syrian technical delegation to pay an official visit to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, to discuss the security conditions on the shared borders and the status of Syrian detainees held in the Lebanese prisons without trial, according to an Anadolu correspondent in Beirut.

Turkish president to attend TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland event

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland event at the Istanbul Shipyard Command of the National Defense Ministry. The event will feature naval ship model exhibitions, virtual reality experience zones, demonstrations by SAT and SAS commandos, boat races, and a ship design workshop.

Trump to sign executive orders

US President Donald Trump will sign executive orders at the White House and may later address reporters on current issues.

UN chief to hold news conference on Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will hold a press encounter on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Ex-US attorney general to sit for deposition in House Oversight Jeffrey Epstein probe

Former Attorney General and Senator Jeff Sessions will appear for a deposition before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws, especially with regard to crimes committed by serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

NATO chief in Germany

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will attend a meeting of Germany's coalition parties, the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD), in the southern German city of Wurzburg.

German chancellor to inspect naval fleet

Friedrich Merz will make his first visit as chancellor to the German navy, observing exercises of several naval units in the Baltic Sea. The chancellor will be greeted by Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack before flying by helicopter to the frigate "Bayern" where he will gain insights into the navy's diverse operational capabilities. Merz is also scheduled to meet with navy personnel and deliver a press statement aboard the frigate.

Merz-Macron meeting

French President Emmanuel Macron will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for dinner at his summer retreat, the medieval Fort de Bregancon on the Mediterranean coast. Macron and Merz are expected to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine in the framework of a possible peace deal with Russia, the Iranian nuclear issue, and the situation in Gaza, among other issues.

Lavrov to meet his Turkmen counterpart in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to hold talks with his visiting Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov in Moscow. The focus of the talks will primarily be on advancing bilateral relations between the two former Soviet countries.

British, Japanese defense chiefs hold talks in Tokyo

British Defense Minister John Healey meets Japanese Defense Minister Gen. Nakatani in Tokyo for talks. The sides are expected to discuss military cooperation and their joint fighter jet development plan. The meeting is expected to be followed by a joint press conference by the ministers.

APEC energy ministers issue joint statement after 2-day meeting in South Korea

A joint statement is expected to be issued by energy ministers of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation after they conclude their two-day meeting in South Korea. The meeting comes ahead of APEC leaders’ summit slated for the end of October.

THE ECONOMY

Turkish foreign trade

TurkStat to announce monthly foreign trade statistics for July. In June, Türkiye posted a foreign trade deficit of $8.17 billion. Markets expect it to fall to $6.4B in July. TurkStat will also release economic confidence index figures for August.

US GDP growth

US to release gross domestic product (GDP) growth figures for the second quarter. In the first quarter, the US economy contracted 0.5% quarter-on-quarter. Markets expect the GDP to expand 3% in the second quarter. The country will also release initial jobless claims figures for last week.

SPECIAL REPORTS

INTERVIEW - Housing crisis is Europe’s ‘biggest domestic political issue,’ boosting far right: UN rapporteur

Interview with Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, who warns that housing has become “the biggest domestic political issue” in Europe, with the crisis amplifying the rise of far-right parties.

Rajagopal explains how far-right narratives on housing are driven more by racism toward migrants than by facts, and criticizes mainstream parties for adopting similar rhetoric instead of proposing alternative solutions. He stresses that housing continues to be treated as a market asset rather than a right, deepening the problem.

The interview examines how the housing and cost-of-living crises intersect with politics across Europe and how far-right parties exploit them to mobilize support.

Pride and peril: Eswatini’s struggle to protect forest cats

Report on how rural communities in Eswatini are turning to traditional ecological knowledge to safeguard the caracal and serval, two rare wild cats threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and climate change.

The story highlights how villagers in Mambane, once hunters themselves, are now taking responsibility for conservation, launching eco-tourism projects and educating locals to reduce poaching and plant harvesting.

The report features perspectives from longtime hunter Elliot Tfwala, University of Eswatini biologist Dr. Themba Mahlaba, and community leader Sipho Mazibuko of the Phondweni Eco-Tourism Project, alongside wider analysis from the Felidae Conservation Fund.​​​​​​​