Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories)

PALESTINE

Gaza – Israel continues its offensive on the Gaza Strip, with the army laying a siege around Khan Younis city in Gaza’s south, in a deadly onslaught that killed nearly 25,500 people and injured 63,354 others since Oct. 7 amid appeals for protections of civilians and patients as the army laid siege to medical facilities in the area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday told his Cabinet ministers that the 3rd phase of the Gaza war will take around six months.

Ramallah – The Israeli army continues its almost daily incursions into Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, which resulted in the death of 370 Palestinians and injured 4,200 others since Oct. 7 amid rising tensions over Tel Aviv’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip.

ISRAEL

Tel Aviv – Negotiations for a Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap deal between Hamas and Israel are reportedly ongoing, with Tel Aviv saying that it has not received a negative response yet from Hamas. Qatar on Tuesday confirmed that mediation efforts for a cease-fire in Gaza and prisoner exchange are still taking place. Hamas, which is believed to be holding nearly 136 Israelis, demands an end to the Israeli war on Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces in return for any deal. A previous deal in November saw the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women and 169 children.

LEBANON

Beirut – Cross-border fire continues between Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah on Tuesday struck an Israeli air defense base in northern Israel, resulting in minor damage. Nearly 200 people have been killed, including 30 civilians, on the Lebanese side while 16 Israelis have been killed since Oct. 8. The border clashes are the deadliest since the two sides fought an all-out war in 2006.

YEMEN

Sanaa – Tension continues to escalate in the Red Sea over mutual attacks between Yemen’s Houthis and the United States over attacks on commercial ships. Houthis on Tuesday vowed to retaliate against the US and UK following overnight airstrikes targeting their sites inside Yemen. Houthi attacks on ships have raised concerns of a disruption of supplies and a new wave of inflation as the Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

TÜRKİYE

Ankara - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to welcome his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi to discuss bilateral relations, regional and international issues. The leaders are expected to hold news conference.

UK

London – Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to respond to questions from lawmakers in the House of Commons.

London – Members of the House of Commons to hold a debate on the UK’s military response to Houthis in Red Sea area.

FRANCE

Strasbourg – Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly to hold a debate on allegations of systemic torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in places of detention in Europe, as well as urgent/current affairs.

BELGIUM

Brussels - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell to speak at the European Space Conference. The annual conference will also see Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher, European Defense Agency chief executive Jiri Sedivy, and French Space commander Major General Philippe Adam as speakers.

GERMANY

Berlin - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to deliver a speech at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Hamburg. He is expected to make comments on current security challenges, Russia-Ukraine war, growing tensions in the Middle East.

Berlin - German train drivers to begin a 6-day long strike in an escalating row with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn over pay and working conditions. Massive disruptions are expected in long-distance, regional and suburban rail services.

US

Washington- President Joe Biden to deliver remarks at political event in US capital.

Washington - Monitoring developments after former President Donald Trump won Republican primary in New Hampshire. His victory intensifies pressure on his last remaining rival Nikki Haley to drop out of race.

KAZAKHSTAN

Almaty - President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to inspect consequences of earthquake that took place Monday night and city’s readiness to possible new tremors.

Astana — The 21st talks in the Astana format on the Syrian crisis to be held in the Kazakh capital. Turkish, Russian and Iranian delegations, as well as representatives from the Syrian opposition and the Assad regime, to take part in talks set to end on Thursday.

RUSSIA

Moscow — President Vladimir Putin to hold talks with transitional Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby.

CHINA

Beijing - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is expected to hold bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as part of his 3-day official visit to China.

Beijing- Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi to arrive on his 3-day visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Beijing - A strong earthquake of Magnitude 7.1 hit China's northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region early Tuesday. So far, 3 people were killed and 6 others injured while dozens of houses collapsed.

Beijing - The death toll from a landslide in China's southwestern Yunnan province rose to 31, as 13 people are still missing. Some 1,000 rescue workers carrying out rescue operations in affected area to search for the missing.

JAPAN

Tokyo - Luxembourg’s Vice Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Xavier Bettel, to arrive on his 3-day official visit on Wednesday. During his stay, he is expected to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Luxembourg Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo in Osaka, and hold meetings with government officials.

THE ECONOMY

Tokyo – Japan to reveal foreign trade figures for December.

In November, Japan's trade gap fell to 776.94 billion yen ($5.2 billion). Exports dropped 0.2% annually to 8.8 trillion yen, due to weak demand from China while imports plunged 11.9% to 9.6 trillion yen, the eighth consecutive month of decline, due to lower energy cost.

SPORTS

Ivory Coast - South Africa to face Tunisia in Africa Cup of Nations Group E. Morocco to play against Zambia in Group F.

Melbourne - Australian Open women's, men's singles quarterfinal matches to be played.

London - Liverpool to visit Fulham in English League Cup's semifinal second leg. Liverpool won the first leg 2-1 in January.

SPECIAL REPORTS

WITH VIDEO – Biggest threat to Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future comes from within Israel: Experts

By Rabia Ali

Istanbul – Report about the growing uncertainty regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future.

The story focuses on the possible outcomes for Netanyahu as his popularity dwindles and divisions deepen within his government, as well as with the US, Israel’s main backer in its deadly ongoing war on Gaza.

It also touches on how Netanyahu’s insistence on prolonging the Gaza war might be linked to his own position.

The report includes interviews with Israeli academic Neve Gordon, professor of international law and human rights at Queen Mary University of London, and Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program.

EXPLAINER – Burundi-Rwanda row: Another escalation in regional tensions?

By James Tasamba

Kigali, Rwanda – Report about the intensifying diplomatic spat between neighbors Burundi and Rwanda.

The story explains the reasons why Burundian authorities have decided to cut ties and close borders with Rwanda, including allegations of it supporting rebels and other political sticking points.

It also delves into the wider issue of similar accusations against Rwanda made by Uganda, the possible impact on regional stability and the potential of larger conflict.

The report includes comments from Rwanda-based political analyst Louis Gitinywa and Harold Acemah, a political scientist in Uganda’s capital Kampala.

INTERVIEW – Top scientists hail promising advancements in cancer vaccines

By Ahmet Gencturk

Athens – Report about the latest developments in cancer treatments around the world.

The story focuses on cancer vaccines and the progress made in that realm over recent years, primarily in research aimed at boosting the efficacy of mRNA-based cancer vaccines.

It includes interviews with Anastasis Perrakis, senior structural biologist at The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), and Meletios Dimopoulos, senior oncologist at the University of Athens’ Medical School, about the potential implications and applications of the recent breakthroughs.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO – Interviews with Israeli academic Neve Gordon and Chatham House expert Yossi Mekelberg about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future, where they explain the various factors that could determine the duration of his time in office.