Diary

Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Friday, April 12, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

PALESTINE

Gaza City - The humanitarian and military situation in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues its relentless offensive despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the besieged enclave.

The Israeli offensive, in its 189th day, killed over 33,500 people and injured nearly 76,100 others since last October amid a crippling blockade that has exposed most of the population to starvation.

Ramallah - Security tensions continue in the West Bank as Israel has stepped up military raids on Palestinian towns in the occupied territory, which have resulted in at least 460 Palestinian deaths since Oct. 7, 2023. The number of arrests has risen to a six-month record of 8,165, exceeding those recorded on an annual basis in previous years.

A group of Israeli settlers on early Thursday set ablaze a Palestinian home and a vehicle in a village near the city of Nablus in the occupied northern West Bank.

EGYPT

Cairo - Indirect talks between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas for a hostage swap deal and cease-fire in Gaza.

Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Thursday reiterated its demand that any deal with Israel be conditioned on the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes and a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Hamas said earlier it was studying Israel’s response to a proposed cease-fire deal in Gaza, following a new round of indirect talks between the two sides in Egypt.

ISRAEL

Tel Aviv - Protests in Israel to pressure the government to resign and reach a hostage swap deal with Palestinians. Relatives of Israeli hostages being held by the Palestinian group Hamas demonstrated outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on Thursday, clashing with police.

LEBANON

Beirut - Cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that broke out last October, in the deadliest clashes between the two sides since their full-scale war in 2006. The Israeli army on Thursday struck three towns in Tyre district, southern Lebanon, on the second day of Eid al-Fitr.

YEMEN

Sanaa - Growing tension in the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of ties to Israel and US retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen amid fears of a significant disruption to maritime traffic in one of the busiest global routes for oil and fuel transport.

EUROPE

GERMANY

Berlin - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to meet Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze for talks on bilateral relations, EU and international issues.

BELGIUM

Brussels - UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic to meet in Brussels.

SWITZERLAND

Geneva - The UN Information Service to hold its bi-weekly briefing for journalists. Statements on latest situation in Gaza Strip are likely.

IRELAND

Dublin – Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris to meet with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez to discuss situation in Gaza.

US

Washington - Secretary of State Antony Blinken to deliver remarks at second annual Minority Serving Institutions Conference at State Department.

Washington - Former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson expected to make a 'major' announcement on election integrity.

Washington - House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Strategic Forces to hold hearing, titled FY25 Budget Request for Missile Defense and Missile Defeat Programs.

New York - UN Security Council to convene for open briefing under 'Threats to international peace and security' agenda item. Russia requested meeting to discuss supply of Western weapons to Ukraine.

New York - Pro-Palestine group Within Our Lifetime to hold rally in solidarity with Gaza in Manhattan, New York City.

EURASIA

RUSSIA

Moscow - President Vladimir Putin to take part in an event devoted to the International Day of Human Space Flight together with his Belarusian counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenko who is on a working visit to Russia.

BELARUS
Minsk - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to chair a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Foreign Ministers Council. The ministers will exchange views on current international and regional matters and discuss building up security cooperation in the CIS region.

MOLDOVA

Chisinau — President Maya Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean, Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi will meet with Maltese Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Minister Ian Borg, who also serves as the chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA

Johannesburg - More African countries are expected to recall a batch of Johnson & Johnson children's cough syrup, linked to deaths of dozens of children in Gambia.

THE ECONOMY

Beijing – China’s trade balance for March to be revealed.

Tokyo – Japan’s industrial production for February to be announced.

Berlin – Destatis to release second reading of Germany’s consumer inflation rate for March.

SPORTS

Piraeus - Fenerbahce Beko to face Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 34 of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague at Peace And Friendship Stadium.

SPECIAL REPORT

Fed should lower interest rates, economist says: 'US commercial real estate in crisis'

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US should begin to lower interest rates immediately, because the country's commercial real estate is in crisis due to high rates, US-based economist Max Gillman said.

Citing the recent developments in central bank moves, he said every country has a different situation with respect to interest rate monetary policy and current inflation rates.

Recalling that the US led the trend after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks of forcing down interest rates below the inflation rate, the then-Fed quickly raised interest rates from 2004-2006 as inflation rose steadily up to 5% from close to zero.