Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

IRAN

Tehran - Developments in Iran following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, and the political developments after the appointment of an interim president.

Global reactions and statements, especially from the MENA region, on Raisi's death.

PALESTINE

Gaza City - Israeli army's military operation in Gaza Strip's southernmost city of Rafah.

On Monday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Israel is expanding its ground offensive in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Ongoing Israeli offensive in the blockaded enclave, on its 228th day, has killed over 35,500 people and injured nearly 79,600 amid a crippling blockade that has left most of the population on the verge of starvation.

Escalating clashes and confrontations between Palestinian resistance factions and the Israeli army in the incursion areas of the Gaza Strip, including Jabalia in the north and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Ramallah - Israeli raids in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, which have led to the killing of at least 506 Palestinians, injuries of around 5,000, and arrest of at least 8,775, according to Palestinian sources.

ISRAEL

Tel Aviv - Protests in Israel to pressure the government to resign and reach a hostage swap deal with Palestinians.

Reactions and statements on the ICC announcement of seeking to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Premier Netanyahu and Gallant.

EGYPT

Cairo - Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at reaching a hostage swap deal and cease-fire in Gaza.

LEBANON

Beirut - Continuing cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that flared up last October, in the deadliest clashes between the two sides since their full-scale war in 2006.

YEMEN

Sanaa - Growing tension in the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of ties to Israel and retaliatory US airstrikes on targets inside Yemen.

TÜRKIYE

Ankara - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to officially welcome Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu at the presidential complex. Leaders will hold bilateral talks and co-chair the first meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council between the two countries.

Erdogan and Ciolacu are expected to hold a news conference following signing ceremony of several agreements.

UK

London - Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell and Minister for Industry and Economic Security Alan Mak to give evidence to the Business and Trade Committee session on UK arms exports to Israel.

London - Foreign Secretary David Cameron to respond to questions at House of Lords.

London - An important, early bronze portrait medallion of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, the Conqueror, is expected to find a seller for up to £2 million ($2.5 million) in an auction by the Bonhams.

GERMANY

Frankfurt - Proceedings begin in the Frankfurt trial of alleged ringleaders of the far-right Reuss Group that allegedly plotted to attack the German parliament and overthrow the government.

BELGIUM

Brussels - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to co-chair the 8th EU-Moldova Association Council to discuss bilateral relations, Moldova’s EU accession process, and receive Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Recean.

SWITZERLAND

Geneva - The UN Information Service to hold its bi-weekly briefing for journalists.

PAKISTAN

Islamabad - An official day of mourning to be observed to express solidarity with Iranian people following the death of President Raisi and others in a helicopter crash.

INDIA

New Delhi - India to observe one-day mourning in the wake of Iranian president's death.

CHINA

Beijing - Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Guanghua, and China’s National Energy Administration chief Zhang Jianhua. Following the talks, a memorandum of understanding on 'Energy Transformation' will be signed between Türkiye and China.

KAZAKHSTAN

Astana - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Foreign Ministers Council meeting.

Astana - The foreign ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan to meet in the Kazakh capital on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's Foreign Ministers Council meeting.

Astana - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers Council meeting in Kazakhstan.

Turkistan - Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus to attend a conference, titled The Place of the Turkic World in the 21st Century, to be held at the Hoca Ahmet Yesevi International Kazakh-Turkish University.

MALAYSIA

Kuala Lumpur - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to address the nation where he is expected to shed light on domestic and international affairs.

US

Washington - President Joe Biden to travel to the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Biden will attend two campaign receptions in Boston, Massachusetts.

Washington - Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold a budget hearing with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In the afternoon, Blinken will speak at the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing on the budget.

New York - UN Security Council to hold meeting on protection of civilians in armed conflict.

SOUTH AFRICA

Johannesburg - As the polling date draws closer, opposition parties are using anti-immigrant rhetoric which could fuel xenophobic violence.

Pretoria - Deputy President Paul Mashatile to launch the National Youth Service Initiative aimed at eradicating the 3.6 million youth unemployment in the country.

THE ECONOMY

Luxembourg - Eurostat to reveal international trade figures for March. In April, the 27-member bloc’s exports totaled €210.6 billion and imports amounted to €188.5 billion, with a trade surplus of €22.1 billion. This month, the bloc expected to see a surplus of around €20 billion.

Berlin - Germany’s Destatis to reveal producer inflation for April. In March, producer prices decreased by 2.9% in the country and the downward trend is expected to continue in April. The index has been decreasing since July 2023.

SPECIAL REPORTS

AI can prove ‘most transformative’ but ‘relatively disappointing’ so far: Oxford expert

By Burak Bir

London - Interview with University of Oxford expert Carl Benedikt Frey about the potential impact of artificial intelligence technologies.

Frey, a professor of AI & Work at Oxford, evaluates the current state of AI tech in comparison with previous technological milestones such as the industrial revolutions.

He speaks in detail about AI tech’s potential pros and cons for humanity, particularly how they could alter workforces in various sectors, saying its impact so far on productivity and the economy has been “relatively disappointing.”

Pet owners band together as rabid hyena attacks surge in Kenya’s capital

By Andrew Wasike

Nairobi, Kenya - Report about the recent spate of attacks by rabid hyenas in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, focusing on measures being taken by pet owners to protect their furry companions.

The story gives details of the recent attacks and the community initiatives that have sprung up in Nairobi, such as free veterinary clinics where pets are being vaccinated against rabies.

It includes interviews with pet owners, veterinarians Ella Stekly and David Njoroge, and John Macharia, a volunteer working on a trap-neuter-return program for stray animals.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO - Interview with University of Oxford expert Carl Benedikt Frey about the potential impact of artificial intelligence technologies on the world, particularly how they could alter workforces and influence productivity.

VIDEO - Report about the recent rabid hyena attacks in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, focusing on measures being taken by pet owners to protect their furry companions, including interviews with citizens and veterinarians.