Diary

ANKARA (AA) – Here are the main topics Anadolu’s English Desk plans to cover on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

MIDDLE EAST

PALESTINE

GAZA CITY – Israeli war continues in Gaza Strip, killing more than 15,500 people, 70% of whom are children and women, while injuries surpass 41,000. Humanitarian situation was devastated by lack of sufficient aid allowed into enclave. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians suffer from displacement and conditions even worsen as Israel continues its military operations asking civilians to evacuate neighborhoods in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip. Thousands of victims remain stuck under rubble of destroyed buildings.

RAMALLAH – Tensions continue to mount in occupied West Bank with Israeli incursions into Palestinian cities in which many people are killed or detained. Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah announced on Sunday that death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in West Bank has increased to 253, with 3,100 injured individuals since Oct. 7.

ISRAEL

TEL AVIV – Tensions reportedly rise between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu has recently held news conference without Gallant, casting shadows of apparent dispute between them.

LEBANON

BEIRUT – Cross-border attacks continue between Israel and Hezbollah, with Lebanese group claiming responsibility for recent rocket attack that injured 11 people, including eight soldiers, in northern Israel.

YEMEN

SANAA – Tensions mount in Red Sea as Yemen’s Houthi group targets vessels affiliated with Israel, which risks maritime traffic, especially near Bab al-Mandab Strait.

TÜRKİYE

ISTANBUL – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend opening ceremony of 39th ministerial meeting of Standing Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation of Organization of Islamic Cooperation at Istanbul Congress Center.

US

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu at State Department.

NEW YORK – UN Security Council members to hold meeting on threats to international peace and security. In afternoon, they will discuss Middle East, including Palestine question.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

DUBAI – Activities of UN climate change conference COP28 in Dubai, which started on Thursday and continues until Dec. 12, with participation of over 200 countries and 70,000 people including aim to fast-track transition to clean-energy future.

EUROPE

GERMANY

BERLIN – Chancellor Olaf Scholz to host Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and members of his Cabinet for German-Brazilian government consultations.

SWITZERLAND

GENEVA – UN Human Rights Council to hold intersessional meeting to mark 75th anniversary on Convention on Prevention and Punishment of Crime of Genocide. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk will deliver opening remarks of full-day meeting.

UK

LONDON – MEPs and UK parliamentarians to debate on latest developments in EU-UK relations and state of play regarding implementation, application and interpretation of Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Grouping was established in 2021 and meets twice yearly in London and either Brussels or Strasbourg.

EURASIA

CHINA

BEIJING – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of official visit to China which began on Sunday.

RUSSIA

MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin to accept credentials of 21 newly appointed ambassadors, including ambassadors of Türkiye, UK and Germany.

MOSCOW – Putin to chair annual meeting of Council for Civil Society and Human Rights via video conference.

THE ECONOMY

ANKARA – Turkish Statistical Institute to reveal inflation figures for November. Inflation rate saw a slight decline last month and is expected to be at around 63% in November.

BERLIN – Germany’s Destatis to share foreign trade figures for October. Country’s exports and imports decreased for couple of months but are expected to increase in October.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Gaza war about ‘Israeli expansion at expense of Palestinian people’: Ex-UK opposition leader Corbyn

By Burak Bir

LONDON – Interview with Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of UK’s main opposition Labour Party, on the ongoing Gaza crisis. He strongly condemns Israel’s “abominable” attacks on the besieged Palestinian enclave, saying that its aggression is aimed at “Israeli expansion at the expense of the Palestinian people.” Corbyn also criticizes potential Israeli plans to expel the entire population of Gaza and push them into Egypt. He slams all countries and world leaders who have been against a complete cease-fire, dismissing the idea of humanitarian pauses as “simply appalling.”

As winter sets in, deadly smog chokes Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

LAHORE, Pakistan – Report about the deteriorating air quality and smog in Pakistan, an issue that is being exacerbated with the onset of winter in major cities such as Lahore and Karachi. The report focuses on the reasons for the worsening crisis and its deadly impact, while explaining how the situation is getting more dangerous for people by the day. It includes interviews with environmentalist Imrana Tiwana and Nazia Jabeen, director of the Disaster Management Authority for the northeastern Punjab province, about possible measures to address the spiraling issue.

Transition timeline: How will Gabon return to democratic rule?

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon – Report about Gabon’s possible path to a democratic handover, where the military junta has announced that it plans to hold elections in mid-2025. The report explains the steps that need to be taken to hold elections, the possible hurdles and challenges in executing the plan, as well as the general public sentiment in the country over the issue. It includes interviews with Gabonese politician Petit-Lambert Ovono and security and defense expert Abdias Codjo Orisha, who share their assessments about the military’s plan for a democratic transition and the chances of its successful implementation.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO – Interview with Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of UK’s main opposition Labour Party, where he strongly condemns Israel’s “abominable” attacks on Gaza, while also calling out the countries and world leaders who have been opposing a complete cease-fire.