Diary

Here are the main topics Anadolu’s English Desk plans to cover on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

PALESTINE/ISRAEL

GAZA/TEL AVIV - Monitoring ongoing war between Israel, Palestinian resistance groups as Israeli warplanes continue to launch airstrikes on Gaza Strip amid rising tensions following surprise Hamas attack into Israeli towns.

EUROPE

UK

LONDON - Public hearings begin in independent inquiry relating to Afghanistan, focusing on whether British forces carried out carried out extrajudicial killings in 2010-2013.

LONDON - UK-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign planning large protest near Israeli Embassy in show of solidarity with Palestine.

GERMANY

HAMBURG - German, French cabinets to hold joint meeting to discuss bilateral ties, EU issues, industrial transformation in two-day closed meeting to be chaired by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Emmanuel Macron.

RUSSIA

MOSCOW - Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to hold meeting with head of Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Meeting to focus on Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

US

WASHINGTON - Desk to monitor repercussions of escalating tensions between Israel, Palestinian group Hamas.

NEW YORK - UN Security Council to hold session on maintenance of peace, security of Ukraine.

AFGHANISTAN

KABUL - Following developments in aftermath of devastating earthquake on Saturday. Official figures put death toll at around 2,500. Interim administration called for international assistance to mitigate humanitarian crisis.

UGANDA

KAMPALA - Uganda to celebrate its 61st independence anniversary with President Yoweri Museveni addressing nation. Country gained independence from Britain in 1962.

THE ECONOMY

BERLIN - Germany's statistical department Destatis to reveal industrial production index for August. Production had declined in June and July by 1.83% and 2.25%, respectively.

SPORTS

ANTALYA, Türkiye - Stage 2 in 58th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye to be held.

SPECIAL REPORT

European Political Community: Spain meeting marks failure of mass diplomacy

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS - Analysis of the recent summit of the European Political Community, a pan-European cooperation platform initiated by the EU, was held last week in the Spanish city of Granada.

The report details the key outcomes of the summit and the major statements made by European leaders during the meeting.

It explains how and why the summit failed to fulfill its objectives of pushing forward dialogue to resolve conflicts between countries like Serbia and Kosovo or Azerbaijan and Armenia.

SPECIAL REPORT

Alarm bells ring louder as Iran teeters on brink of aging crisis

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran - Report about Iran’s aging population and changing demographics, based on recent official data that shows around 30 million people will be categorized as elderly in less than 30 years.

The report details how life expectancy has increased in Iran in recent decades, but the fertility rate has plummeted rapidly, fueling the aging crisis.

It includes interviews with Seyed Mohammad Seyed Mirzaei, a professor of population studies, and Daniyal Mehmoodi, a social scientist and researcher, about the impact of the aging population, its causes, and possible consequences if the issue is not addressed.

The report also touches on initiatives taken by the government to boost birth rates and promote the concept of bigger families, as well as the reasons for their limited success.

SPECIAL REPORT

UN force could ‘shift balance of power’ in Haiti gang violence: Expert

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia - Report about the recent decision of the UN Security Council to approve the deployment of a special force to help combat spiraling gang violence in Haiti.

The report gives details of the proposed force, an armed multinational group that will be led by Kenya and has support from the US and several Caribbean nations. It also explains the scale of the gang violence crisis in Haiti with recent figures and data.

The report includes an interview with Diego Da Rin, a Haiti expert for the International Crisis Group, who speaks about the possible impact of the decision, as well as the challenges that lie ahead in ensuring the force’s success.

SPECIAL REPORT

Sirbaz Khan: Pakistani mountaineer’s journey from cook to ace climber

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan - Profile of Sirbaz Khan, who is the first Pakistani mountaineer to scale 13 peaks above 8,000 meters.

The story gives details of how he started his career as a ‘kitchen boy’ on mountaineering expeditions and went on to become one of the country’s leading names in the field.

It includes an interview with Khan about his journey in mountaineering, where he talks about his inspirations, challenges and plans for the future.

SPECIAL REPORT

Tour of Türkiye: Jasper Philipsen credits teamwork for opening leg win

By Emre Asikci

ANTALYA, Türkiye - Interview with Jasper Philipsen, the Belgian cyclist who won the first stage of the Tour of Türkiye on Sunday.

Philipsen speaks about the conditions and the challenges his team overcame to sprint to victory, stressing that the win was a testament to their planning and spirit of teamwork.

He also details his objectives for the next stages, while also sharing his experiences racing in Türkiye for the third time.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEOS - Latest developments in Israel-Palestine conflict

Reports covering developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict from different angles, including timelines and casualty figures, the growing scale of the fighting and responses from the international community.