Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

PALESTINE

Gaza City - Israeli offensive in Gaza Strip has entered its 243rd, with 36,550 Palestinians killed and over 82,950 others injured as a crippling blockade has left the majority of the population on the verge of starvation.

Ramallah - Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank have continued since Oct. 7, 2023, with at least 527 Palestinians so far killed, 5,000 more injured, and at least 8,985 detained, according to Palestinian sources.

ISRAEL

Tel Aviv - Protests in Israel to pressure government to resign and reach hostage swap deal with Palestinians. More reactions from Israeli officials on US President Joe Biden's cease-fire proposal announcement on Friday.

EGYPT

Cairo - Efforts to reach a hostage swap deal and a cease-fire in Gaza are underway.

LEBANON

Beirut - Cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel, which began in October, have continued, becoming the deadliest clashes between the two sides since their full-fledged war in 2006.

YEMEN

Sanaa - Tensions in the Red Sea continue to increase amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having ties to Israel and airstrikes by US-led coalition forces on targets in Yemen.

IRAN

Tehran - Developments in the Iranian early presidential elections, which are scheduled for June 28. On Monday, the presidential candidate registration period closed, with 80 candidates registered, including Iran's parliament Speaker Baqer Qalibaf and former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Updates and statements from the candidates as well as special profiles for them.

TÜRKİYE

Ankara - Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz to attend Türkiye-Uzbekistan Business Forum.

Ankara - Yilmaz to attend economic and financial cooperation agreement signing ceremony along with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Unal Ustel. They will later hold a joint press conference.

GERMANY

Berlin - Chancellor Olaf Scholz to open ILA Berlin, the largest aerospace trade show in Germany.

Berlin - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to respond to lawmakers’ questions in the parliament.

FRANCE

Paris - US President Joe Biden will begin a five-day visit to France, his first state visit to the country.

UK

London - King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to attend the national commemoration event marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

London - New banknotes featuring the portrait of King Charles III formally go into circulation.

SWITZERLAND

Geneva - The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to hold a press briefing on global climate predictions for the next 5 years. There is an 80% likelihood that the annual average global temperature will rise by 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in at least one of the next five years, according to a new WMO report.

Geneva - WHO will release a paper on how climate change affects the health of pregnant women, children, and the elderly.

RUSSIA

St. Petersburg - The four-day 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will begin.

SOUTH AFRICA

Johannesburg - The weather service has warned that heavy rains will continue in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, where flooding has already killed 11 people and displaced hundreds more.

Johannesburg - Senior African National Congress (ANC) officials are meeting to decide which political party they will form a coalition government with after losing their majority.

RWANDA

Kigali - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to continue his African tour a day after visiting Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

NIGERIA

Abuja - Millions of people will return to work after trade unions called off a strike that had halted economic activity earlier this week.

US

Washington - Statements about President Joe Biden's proposal for a Gaza cease-fire, announced last week.

New York - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to deliver a major climate change address at the UN Headquarters.

New York - Briefing at the UN Security Council on the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group. Ana Peyro Llopis, acting special advisor and head of the UNITAD, is expected to give a briefing.

PAKISTAN

Islamabad - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif continues his official visit to China, hoping that Beijing will speed up work on the multibillion-dollar CPEC project and attract more Chinese investment.

INDIA

New Delhi - Developments following the ruling National Democratic Alliance's third consecutive victory in the general election to form a new government.

CHINA

Beijing - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visits Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province, during his three-day official visit to China.

Beijing - Cuban Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla to arrive on an official visit.

Beijing - The Foreign Ministry’s regular news conference.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Enga - The search for 2,000 people who went missing after landslides continues. People have struggled to access humanitarian aid due to the difficult terrain.

NORTH KOREA

Pyongyang - Pyongyang is likely to respond to Seoul after South Korea decided to resume all military activities along its border with archrival North Korea for the first time in more than five years, effectively suspending a 2018 inter-Korean tension-reduction pact.

PHILIPPINES

Manila – The latest situation after the Philippines ordered people to evacuate following the eruption of the Kanlaon Volcano on the island of Negros.

THE ECONOMY

Luxembourg - Eurostat will release producer inflation data for April. Eurozone industrial producer prices fell more than expected in March, by 7.8% from the previous year, following a revised 8.5% drop in February.

Istanbul - Türkiye-Tunusia Investment and Business Forum to be held in Istanbul. Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat will attend the event.

SPORTS

Paris - Both men's and women's tennis singles quarterfinal round matches to be played in French Open.

SPECIAL REPORTS

WITH INFOGRAPHIC - India elections: What challenges lie in store for new government?

By Rabia Ali

Istanbul - Report on the results of the general elections in India and the main challenges ahead for the next government.

The story gives details of the results, which have thrown up some shocks and surprises, leading to a changed political landscape in the country. It breaks down the major issues to be addressed by the next government, including economic problems, other domestic grievances and geopolitical issues.

The report includes an interview with Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst on India for the International Crisis Group.

ANALYSIS - European elections: Deeper divisions and discord in a more far-right Parliament?

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

Geneva - Report about the potential outcomes of the European Parliament elections and their implications for the continent’s political landscape.

The story lays out the various scenarios that could be seen in the June 6-9 vote, such as the likely increase in far-right presence, and the reasons for this shift away from traditional parties.

It also explains the expected ramifications of these changes, including legislative deadlocks, more restrictive immigration policies, increased nationalistic and populist rhetoric, and a pushback against deeper EU integration.

Coalition conundrum: South Africa’s ANC faces dilemma after historic election loss

By Hassan Isilow

Johannesburg - Report about the outcome of South Africa’s general elections, where the ruling African National Congress lost its majority for the first time in 30 years.

The story explains the reasons for the decline in support for the party once led by global icon Nelson Mandela and gives details of its ongoing negotiations with other parties to form a coalition government.

It includes comments from Jan Hofmeyer, head of policy and analysis at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, and South African political analyst Ebrahim Fakir.

NEW MEDIA

INFOGRAPHIC - Visualization of the final results of the 2024 general elections in India, with comparative data from previous polls to illustrate the gains and losses for major political parties.