Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) – Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

PALESTINE

Gaza City – The developments of the humanitarian and military situations in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli onslaught on its 137th day which resulted in killing at least 29,092, injuring 69,028 others, and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The evolving threat of famine on the Palestinians in Gaza. The famine endangers the people's lives due to the shortage of humanitarian aid and Israeli restrictions on its entry, amid warnings from the government media office that residents of the northern governorates are now unable to even find fodder to eat.

The wave of reverse displacement from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to the central governorates amid Israeli preparations to expand its ground offensive into Rafah city, home to around 1.4 million Palestinian residents seeking refuge from war after warnings of humanitarian catastrophe in the city from the planned Israeli onslaught.

Ramallah - The daily, growing military incursions by the Israeli army into the cities and towns of the occupied West Bank, which killed nearly 398 Palestinians and injured over 4,500 others since Oct. 7. The number of arrests has risen to 7,100, reaching record highs over the last 4 months, exceeding those recorded on an annual basis in previous years.

LEBANON

Beirut – The developments of the significant escalation on the Lebanon-Israel border since the beginning of the war on Gaza.

ISRAEL

Tel Aviv – Israel's evening rallies demanding the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza and the resignation of Netanyahu’s government in the main streets and squares.

Reactions by Israeli officials on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing sessions seeking advisory opinion on the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

ALGERIA

Algeria – Reactions on UN Security Council vote on Tuesday on Algerian resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

YEMEN

Sanaa – The escalating and continuous tension in the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having links with Israel and US retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen.

TÜRKİYE

Ankara - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to discuss bilateral relations, regional and international developments, particularly the Balkans.

Erdogan and Rama to co-chair the first meeting of the Türkiye-Albania High-Level Cooperation Council. Various legal documents that would contribute to the contractual basis of the Türkiye-Albania relations will be signed on the occasion of the council meeting. The leaders are also expected to hold a news conference.

Ankara - Communications Director Fahrettin Altun to attend the "New Evidence: Gaza Genocide" panel organized by Anadolu at the agency's headquarters.

THE NETHERLANDS

The Hague – The ICJ public hearings on Israeli practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to continue. The proceeding begins with interventions from South Africa followed by Algeria and Saudi Arabia, as well as a number of other nations.

UK

London – High Court appeal hearing of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange against his impending extradition to the US to be heard. High Court Judge Jonathan Swift unilaterally rejected an appeal of Assange's extradition order on all grounds in June last year. A final appeal was granted by the court in December.

SWITZERLAND

Geneva - The UN Information Service holds biweekly press briefing for UN bodies headquartered in Geneva.

FRANCE

Paris - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit France.

GERMANY

Berlin - Lufthansa ground staff to go on strike at major airports, including Frankfurt and Munich hubs, after an ongoing dispute over pay. Verdi trade union is demanding a 12.5%, and no less than €500 ($540), monthly wage hike to offset the cost of living crisis.

CHINA

Beijing - Foreign Ministry to hold regular news conference

INDIA

West Bengal - A court in eastern India to hear a petition filed by a Hindu organization challenging the decision of authorities to name two lions after a Hindu deity and a 16th-century Muslim emperor.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Jammu - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay an official visit to Jammu and Kashmir region. The visit is significant as it comes ahead of the upcoming general elections.

US

Washington - Statements from the Biden administration regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza as Israel mulls operation in Rafah and potential protests in solidarity with Palestine.

Washington - President Joe Biden to participate in campaign reception in Los Angeles, California.

New York - UN Security Council to vote on Algerian push for the 15-member body to demand an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, with the US expected to use its veto to prevent a resolution being adopted.

THE ECONOMY

Ankara – Turkish Central Bank to release international investment position data for December.

Ankara – Turkish Treasury and Finance Ministry to release the central government’s debt stock figures for January.

Luxembourg – European Central Bank to reveal the current account balance figures for December.

Brussels - ACEA to announce Europe's new passenger car registrations in January.

SPORTS

UEFA Champions League round 16 first leg to be played.

MILAN/ EINDHOVEN - Inter to face Atletico Madrid at Stadio San Siro while PSV Eindhoven to take on Borussia Dortmund at PSV Stadion.

SPECIAL REPORTS

World court hearing on Israeli occupation could lead to ‘vindication of Palestinian rights’: Expert

By Rabia Ali

Istanbul – Report on the ongoing hearings at the International Court of Justice about Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, where more than 50 states will present their views over a week.

The story explains the procedure and importance of the proceedings, as well as possible outcomes.

It includes an interview with Victor Kattan, author and professor of international law at the University of Nottingham, who shares his views on the hearings and their significance, laying out the potential impact of any sort of opinion in favor of Palestinians.

From extinction to overcrowding: Booming black rhino population gives Kenya a welcome headache

By Andrew Wasike

Nairobi, Kenya - Report about Kenya’s efforts to accommodate its increasing black rhinoceros population.

The story explains how conservation strategies brought the animal back from the brink of extinction to a point where special translocation plans are now being implemented to ensure they have enough space to live.

It includes comments from experts and conservationists, including Erastus Kanga, the director-general of the Kenya Wildlife Services, and Tom Lalampaa, a renowned African wildlife expert and award-winning CEO of the Northern Rangelands Trust.

OpenAI vs Google: Battle for AI supremacy heats up

By Ovunc Kutlu

Istanbul - Report about the intensifying race between OpenAI and Google in the field of artificial intelligence.

The story gives details of latest developments in AI technology by both firms, such as Sora, the text-to-video model put out by OpenAI last week and Google’s new Gemini 1.5.

The report also gives technical details of projects being pursued by both companies, while also shedding light on the economic side of their AI competition.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO – Interview with Victor Kattan, author and professor of international law at the University of Nottingham, about the ongoing hearings at the International Court of Justice on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, where he speaks about their significance and the potential impact for the Palestinian cause.

VIDEO – Report about the translocation plans being used in Kenya to accommodate the increasing number of black rhinos, an animal that has been brought back from the brink of extinction through successful conservation methods. It includes interviews with conservationists and wildlife experts.