Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

MIDDLE EAST

PALESTINE

GAZA CITY - Israel continues its military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has left nearly 15,900 people dead and more than 42,000 others injured amid worsening humanitarian conditions and lack of sufficient aid despite growing calls for protection of civilians and unimpeded entry of aid into the blockaded seaside enclave.

RAMALLAH - Tension continues to mount in the occupied West Bank with Israeli forces staging daily military raids into Palestinian cities, which have left at least 265 Palestinians dead, while more than 3,540 others were detained since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

LEBANON

BEIRUT - Cross-border attacks continue between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which claimed responsibility for a spate of missile attacks on Israeli military outposts near the border with Lebanon. The intermittent exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah is the deadliest since the two sides fought an all-out war in 2006.

QATAR

DOHA - The 44th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit is set to open in the Qatari capital, Doha, to discuss a host of Gulf and regional issues, including the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to participate in the summit.

UAE

DUBAI - During the sixth day of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, issues of “energy, industry, just transition, and indigenous peoples” will be discussed.

EUROPE

UK

LONDON - Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron to appear at the House of Lords for his first session of departmental questions since his appointment last month.

LONDON - Istanbul Photo Awards London Exhibition to open with the attendance of Anadolu President and CEO Serdar Karagoz at the Yunus Emre Institute.

FRANCE

STRASBOURG - European Court of Human Rights to rule in the case of a man of Palestinian origin born in the Ein El-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon who is fighting his expulsion from the UK. He requested asylum and humanitarian protection. One of the grounds he made for his case was that he was at risk of harm if he refused attempts to recruit him to extremist armed groups in the camp.

SWITZERLAND

GENEVA - UN Information Office in Geneva to hold its bi-weekly press briefing

GERMANY

MUNICH - Chancellor Olaf Scholz to deliver a speech following a visit to German carmaker BMW's headquarters in Munich.

SLOVENIA

LJUBLJANA - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will visit Slovenia on Tuesday and meet with her Slovenian counterpart Tanja Fajon.

EURASIA

RUSSIA

MOSCOW - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will chair a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian states, namely Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan.

US

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden to participate in three campaign receptions in greater Boston area of Massachusetts. Biden's likely remarks on Gaza to be monitored.

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray.

ASIA – PACIFIC

INDIA / BANGLADESH

NEW DELHI / DHAKA - Severe cyclone storm to likely hit Indian southern coast on Tuesday. Heavy Rainfall has thrown life out of gear in southern Chennai city. The cyclone may affect neighboring Bangladesh too.

INDONESIA

JAKARTA - Indonesian authorities are searching for 12 missing climbers after volcano erupted on Mount Merapi on Sunday in West Sumatra. Eleven hikers have been declared dead while 12 others were rescued.

AUSTRALIA

CANBERRA - Australia has proposed a new law to redefine citizenship which may cost people their nationality if found guilty of crimes.

CHINA

BEIJING - China's Foreign Ministry to hold regular news conference.

THE ECONOMY

LUXEMBOURG - Eurostat to reveal producer prices index for October. The index is in negative side since May and it is expected to drop around 9.5% in October.

PARIS - OECD to release inflation report.

SPORTS

LUTON, UK - English Premier League leaders Arsenal to visit Luton Town. Arsenal are on 33 points. Luton Town, who are 17th in standings, have 9 points in 14 matches.

ISTANBUL / PIRAEUS, Greece - Turkish basketball club Anadolu Efes to face Greek opponents Panathinaikos in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 12 game. Leaders Real Madrid to visit Greek club Olympiacos.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Israel clearly committing 3 of 5 acts defined as genocide: Palestinian-American lawyer

By Burak Bir

LONDON - Interview with Palestinian-American lawyer Lara Elborno focusing on the legal aspects of the ongoing Gaza crisis and the possibility of Israel being held accountable for its deadly offensive. She speaks about the mounting evidence of genocidal intent and actions by Israel, citing more than 100 statements from people at the highest levels of the military and government. She also delves into details of where its actions fall under international law, saying that Israel is “clearly committing three of the five genocidal acts under the international treaties.” Elborno also addresses US complicity in the entire crisis and explains how efforts are being made to hold the Biden administration accountable for its support to Israel.

‘Irrefutable, indisputable, unassailable’: Science clear world needs to be non-carbon to limit warming, says UN Environment Program chief

By Nuran Erkul

DUBAI - Interview with Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Program, on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, in Dubai. She reiterates the urgent need to eliminate emissions to limit the scale and impact of global warming, asserting that the science on the matter is “irrefutable, indisputable and unassailable.” Andersen goes into detail about the immediate steps that must be collectively agreed upon and implemented, while sharing her assessments on various measures such as the much-touted Loss and Damage Fund.

Dutch society, coalition partners will not allow Geert Wilders to ‘get rid of Muslims’: Retired bureaucrat

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON - Interview with Theo Veltman, a retired Dutch bureaucrat, about the recent election win of far-right leader Geert Wilders and its potential implications for Muslims in the Netherlands. Veltman says Wilders will not be able to follow through on his anti-Muslim and Islamophobic rhetoric, particularly because the parties he needs to form a coalition will oppose any such policies. He also shares his views on other aspects of Wilders’ political agenda, saying the far-right politician is also unlikely to be able to fulfill his aim of forcing the Netherlands’ exit from the EU.

‘Anthrobots’: Turkish scientist in US leads study creating tiny biological robots from human cells

By Dilara Zengin and Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON - Interview with Turkish scientist Gizem Gumuskaya, who has led a study in the US creating tiny biological robots from adult human cells to help heal wounds or damaged tissue. Gumuskaya, who just completed her PhD studies at Tufts Biology Department and Harvard University Wyss Institute, explains the utility and functions of the ‘anthrobots.’ She also shares details of the study and its future implementation, including potential use in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO - Interview with Palestinian-American lawyer Lara Elborno focusing on the legal aspects of the ongoing Gaza crisis, Israel’s “genocidal” actions and intent, and the possibility of it being held accountable for its deadly offensive.

VIDEO - Interview with Theo Veltman, a retired Dutch bureaucrat, about the recent election win of far-right leader Geert Wilders and its potential implications for Muslims in the Netherlands.

VIDEO - Interview with Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Program, at COP28, where she reiterates the urgent need to eliminate emissions to limit the scale and impact of global warming, asserting that the science on the matter is “irrefutable, indisputable and unassailable.”

VIDEO - Interview with Turkish scientist Gizem Gumuskaya, who has led a study in the US to create ‘anthrobots,’ which are tiny biological robots made of adult human cells that can help heal wounds or damaged tissue.