Diary

Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

US

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden to host his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks at the White House. Zelenskyy is expected to visit Congress and meet Congressional leaders.

NEW YORK - European Council President Charles Michel to address UN General Assembly.

NEW YORK - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to speak to the Council on Foreign Relations on the margins of the UN General Assembly.

NEW YORK - UN Security Council members expected to discuss situation in Karabakh, Azerbaijan.

NEW YORK – China's Vice President Han Zheng to address the 78th United Nations General Assembly.

CHINA

BEIJING - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrives in Beijing. This is his first visit to China since the Syrian civil war broke out more than 12 years ago.

AZERBAIJAN

YEVLAKH - Meeting of Azerbaijani authorities and the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh.

GERMANY

BERLIN - Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to travel to France to meet his French counterpart Sebastian Lecornu. The ministers are expected to discuss bilateral defense projects, regional and international issues.

FRANCE

PARIS - King Charles III continues France visit. Charles to address senators and members of the National Assembly at the French Senate.

SWITZERLAND

GENEVA - UN Human Rights Council session to continue. Today's agenda includes a discussion with the Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia followed by a debate on Russia.

GREECE

ATHENS - A countrywide general strike organized by labor unions to be held against the new labor bill. Severe disruption in land, maritime and air travels is expected during the action, which will also be joined by doctors and teachers.

KENYA

NAIROBI - Principal Secretary for Internal Security Raymond Omollo to preside over a ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the Westgate Mall terror attack which claimed 71 lives in capital Nairobi a decade back.

NIGERIA

ABUJA - Protests are anticipated in northwest Kano State after a court ordered the removal of the state governor late Wednesday.

SOUTH AFRICA

PRETORIA - South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency for Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to host a Transmission Financing Seminar with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and energy industry experts to discuss the country’s energy security amid the ongoing electricity challenges.

LIBYA

TRIPOLI – Monitoring rescue efforts in Libya’s Derna city following the Sept. 10 deadly floods amid dim hopes for new survivors. Thousands are believed to have died in the floods, prompting the country’s Tripoli-based High Council of State to call for an international investigation into the disaster.

SOUTH KOREA

SEOUL - Voting in parliament expected on two separate motions seeking the arrest of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and the dismissal of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

INDIA

NEW DELHI - Monitoring India's ongoing special parliament session.

THE ECONOMY

NEW DELHI - UP International Trade Show to begin in Indian province of Greater Noida with high-profile attendance. The first edition of the fair is hosting local producers and international business delegates from all around the world.

ANKARA - The Central Bank of Türkiye set to announce interest rate decision. In its latest meeting, the bank hiked its policy interest rate by 750 basis points to 25%. It pledged to continue the monetary tightening process for disinflation. According to an Anadolu survey last week, economists expected a 500-basis-point interest rate hike, with the lowest estimate at 250 basis points and the highest at 600.

ANKARA - Turkish Statistical Institute to reveal consumer confidence index for September. In August, Türkiye's consumer confidence index plunged to 68, marking the lowest reading in a year.

SPORTS

AMSTERDAM - 2023-24 UEFA Europa League campaign to start. Tournament's first matchday will see 16 games, including big clash between Dutch powerhouse Ajax and France’s Olympique Marseille.

ISTANBUL / BRUGGE, Belgium - Fenerbahce to host Danish club Nordsjaelland while Besiktas to visit Belgium's Club Brugge in their UEFA Europa Conference League group openers. Europe's third-tier club football tournament starts Wednesday with Lille vs. Olimpija Ljubljana match in France.

SPECIAL REPORT

Attacks on environmental defenders aimed at silencing them: Advocates

By Burak Bir

LONDON – Report on the growing number of deadly attacks targeting environmental activists around the world, including interviews with Laura Furones, a senior adviser at Global Witness, and Indian climate and environmental activist Licypriya Kangujam.

They speak about the sobering figures regarding attacks on activists unveiled in a recent Global Witness report, measures that environmentalists can take to counter the trend, and other possible solutions.

SPECIAL REPORT

Daughters become mothers as they care for parents with Alzheimer’s

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL – Personal stories of individuals who have taken on the role of caregivers for family members diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

The report, in connection with World Alzheimer’s Day observed annually on Sept. 21, includes interviews with three women whose mothers have the disease.

They narrate their personal experience of navigating the emotionally challenging task, giving a better understanding of the impact that the disease has on the lives of both caregivers and their loved ones.

SPECIAL REPORT

Expert breaks down reasons why Türkiye’s inclusion will benefit IMEC

By Emre Basaran

ISTANBUL – Report about the geopolitical dynamics of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the mega project unveiled at the recent G-20 summit and seen as the West’s direct challenge to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The report focuses on Türkiye’s stand over the issue, with Ali Oguz Dirioz, an academic and international relations expert from Ankara’s TOBB University of Economics and Technology, detailing reasons why the country’s inclusion in the corridor will be more beneficial than keeping it out.

SPECIAL REPORT

Calls grow for release of brown bear suffering in Pakistani zoo

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan – Report about the controversy over a female Himalayan bear kept in captivity at the Karachi Zoo in Pakistan.

The bear’s health condition has been deteriorating and wildlife activists are demanding that she be moved out to a sanctuary in northern Pakistan that would be a more suitable habitat. However, some officials are resisting the demand as they contest the bear’s place of origin.

The report includes comments from Mahera Omar, a leading wildlife activist and co-founder of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society, veteran wildlife expert Sarwar Jamali, senior wildlife department official Javed Mahar, and Aamir Ismail Rizvi, a deputy director at Karachi Zoo.

SPECIAL REPORT

Libyan swimmer braves floods to save sister, nephew in Derna

By Muataz Wannes

TRIPOLI, Libya – Report detailing the personal experience of Anwar al-Shalawi, a survivor of the devastating recent floods in Libya.

Al-Shalawi, a swimmer, put his own life on the line to save his sister and nephew from their flooded house. The story gives details of the heroic rescue and the overall situation in the city of Derna, where thousands of people have died.

SPECIAL REPORT

Morocco quake takes toll on historical buildings

By Soukaina Esdar, Safiye Karabacak and Halime Afra Aksoy

MARRAKESH, Morocco – Report about the damage inflicted on Morocco’s historical sites by the powerful Sept. 8 earthquake, which killed and injured thousands of people.

The report has comments from Hassan Taouchikht, an expert from the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage, who gives details about the losses and calls for immediate efforts, including from UNESCO, to survey and assess the extent of the destruction.

SPECIAL REPORT

Gipsy Kings frontman Andre Reyes hails Turkish audience: It feels like home in Türkiye

By Omer Faruk Yildiz

ISTANBUL - Andre Reyes, the frontman of the legendary Flamenco music group Gipsy Kings, praised Turkish audiences and said he feels at home in Türkiye.

“We love the Turkish audience very much. They also love us very much,” Reyes told Anadolu before the band played a concert Tuesday at Istanbul’s Zorlu PSM as part of Piu Entertainment 10th Anniversary Concerts.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO – ‘Attacks on environmental defenders aimed at silencing them’

Interview with Laura Furones, a senior adviser at Global Witness, about the increasing targeting of climate activists around the world.

She speaks about the reasons for the attacks and the other forms of intimidation that activists face in their line of work, as well as measures that environmentalists can take to counter the trend and other possible solutions.

VIDEO – How effective is the UN in today’s world?

Street interviews with people in Istanbul about the current state of the UN.

It includes comments on the efficacy, or lack thereof, of the global body, particularly in the context of the ongoing UN General Assembly, as well as the need for reforms and changes to improve its role in tackling global issues such as conflicts, climate change and food security.