Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) – Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, May 9, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

PALESTINE

Gaza City – The Israeli army's imminent continuation of attacks on Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, after the Israeli military issued immediate evacuation orders for Palestinians in Rafah's eastern areas on Monday, directing them to the al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza.

The armed wings of the Palestinian resistance groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Wednesday said their fighters were engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces in eastern Rafah.

Humanitarian and military developments in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues its relentless onslaught for the 216th day, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding immediate cease-fire in the besieged enclave.

Since last October, the Israeli offensive has killed over 34,800 people and injured over 78,400 others amid a crippling blockade that has left most of the population on the verge of starvation.

Ramallah – Ongoing Israeli raids in the West Bank since Oct. 7 have killed 498 Palestinians, injured around 4,950, and arrested more than 8,610, according to Palestinian sources.

ISRAEL

Tel Aviv – Protests in Israel aim to put pressure on the government to resign and reach a hostage swap deal with the Palestinian group Hamas.

EGYPT

Cairo – Indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Cairo aimed at reaching hostage swap deal and cease-fire in Gaza.

LEBANON

Beirut – Continuing cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel, which erupted last October in the deadliest clashes between the two sides since their full-fledged war in 2006.

YEMEN

Sanaa – Rising tensions in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having ties to Israel and US airstrikes on Houthi targets inside Yemen, promoting concerns about significant disruptions to maritime traffic in one of the world's busiest oil and fuel transport corridors.

UK

London – Foreign Secretary David Cameron to address the Lord Mayor’s Easter Banquet.

London – Train drivers from six train operating companies who are members of the ASLEF union to go on strike for 24 hours as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

HUNGARY

Budapest – Chinese President Xi Jinping to hold talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

US

Washington – President Joe Biden to host the Las Vegas Aces basketball team at the White House to celebrate their record-breaking season and victory in the 2023 WNBA Finals. Later, he will visit California, where he will hold two campaign receptions.

Washington - Secretary of State Antony Blinken to deliver remarks at World Food Prize Laureate announcement ceremony at State Department.

Washington – Chinese Special Envoy for Climate Change Liu Zhenmin to arrive for a meeting of the bilateral Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action. Working Group is co-led by Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta.

UAE

Abu Dhabi - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to pay an official visit to United Arab Emirates.

MOLDOVA

Country – The Swift Response-2024 exercise to be held on Moldovan territory until May 16, led by the American command in Europe and Africa.

RUSSIA

Moscow – A military parade to take place in Red Square to commemorate the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in WWII.

Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with his Cuban, Lao, and Guinea-Bissau counterparts, Miguel Diaz-Canel, Thonglong Sisulit, and Oumaru Sisoku Embalo, respectively.

UKRAINE

Country – Ukraine to celebrate Europe Day for the 1st time since President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree to align the holiday with other EU member states.

DR CONGO

Goma – Heavy clashes between M23 rebels and Congolese army continue in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as insurgents advance toward the town of Sake, near Goma.

SOUTH AFRICA

George – Rescue workers continue to search for 39 people who were trapped after a building collapsed in George, Western Cape.

PHILIPPINES

Manila – Developments in bilateral relations between China and the Philippines after Beijing threatened to reveal phone conversations with a Filipino commander to resolve maritime disputes peacefully.

PAKISTAN

Islamabad – The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan plans to hold nationwide demonstrations on May 9, the anniversary of violent protests and attacks on military installations following Khan's brief arrest in a corruption case.

The protests sparked a nationwide crackdown on PTI supporters, with Khan denying that his party's workers were involved in the violence.

Islamabad – Qatar's Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi to pay a one-day official visit.

THE ECONOMY

Beijing – Chinese customs agency to announce China’s foreign trade figures for April.

Ankara – Turkish Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan to hold a meeting to reveal the bank’s 2nd inflation report of this year.

SPORTS

GERMANY

Leverkusen – Second-tier UEFA Europa League semifinals 2nd legs to start as Germany's Bayer Leverkusen to face Roma at home. Leverkusen won 1st leg 2-0 in Rome.

ITALY

Bergamo – Italian football club Atalanta to play Olympique Marseille in UEFA Europa League semifinals 2nd leg following 1-1 draw at France's Marseille.

GREECE

Piraeus – Olympiacos to meet England's Aston Villa in third-tier UEFA Europa Conference League semifinals 2nd leg. Greek club previously stunned Aston Villa 4-2 in Birmingham will have a big advantage.

SPECIAL REPORTS

End complicity and stop Israel’s war on Gaza, UK lawmaker urges government

By Burak Bir and Zuhal Demirci

London – Interview with Labour Party lawmaker Zarah Sultana about Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

Sultana reiterates her call for the British government to pressure Israel for an immediate cease-fire and put an end to its “seven months of war crimes.”

She also speaks about the UK’s complicity through arms sales to Israel, stressing that the government needs to make it stop.

Billionaire capital: How India’s Mumbai topped Asian rich list

By Ahmad Adil

New Delhi – A report on the rise of Mumbai, India's financial hub, as Asia's billionaire capital.

The story reports on the most recent rankings in a global rich list published by a Shanghai-based group, which ranked Mumbai first in Asia, ahead of Beijing.

The report includes an interview with Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher at Hurun India, who explains the various reasons that have spurred Mumbai’s growth.

It also includes comments from Abhijit Mukhopadhyay, an economic expert based in New Delhi, on the country's socioeconomic conditions, including growing economic disparities.

Coltan mining: Is global supply at risk after capture of key DR Congo town?

By James Tasamba

Kigali, Rwanda – Report on the significance of the fall of Rubaya, a coltan mining town in DR Congo recently captured by the M23 rebel group.

It explains how important the town is to the global supply of coltan, a key mineral used in the production of mobile phones.

It contains interviews with Congolese activist Theogen Baramwika and Rwandan economic analyst Teddy Kaberuka.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO – Interview with Labour Party lawmaker Zarah Sultana about Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, in which she reiterates her call for the British government to put pressure on Israel for an immediate cease-fire and admits its complicity through continued arms sales.

VIDEO – Interview with Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher at Hurun India, about how India’s financial hub Mumbai has replaced Beijing as Asia’s billionaire capital.