Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, July 25, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

Israeli onslaught on Gaza

Humanitarian and military developments in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has killed over 39,100 Palestinians and injured nearly 90,300 since Oct. 7, 2023. Situation continues to worsen by the day amid attacks and minimal aid.

An aid worker for World Central Kitchen charity group was injured after his vehicle came under Israeli fire on Salah al-Din Street, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, medical sources said.

The Israeli army for the fourth consecutive day continues its ground operation in the eastern Khan Younis areas in the southern Gaza Strip amid heavy firing and destruction of Palestinian homes.

Cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas

The developments in the Gaza Strip regarding a potential cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas.

The Israeli negotiating team will head to Doha Thursday to resume talks on a hostage swap and cease-fire deal with the Palestinian factions, Netanyahu said Sunday.

In the past months, Cairo and Doha hosted most of the Gaza cease-fire talks with the involvement of the CIA.

West Bank raids

Israeli military raids on Palestinian cities and towns in the occupied West Bank have killed nearly 590 people and injured 5,400 more, with nearly 9,700 taken into Israeli custody since last October.

The Israeli army early on Wednesday killed three Palestinians and demolished a home during raids across the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu’s speech to US Congress

International and regional reactions over the Israeli premier’s visit to the US and speech to the Congress.

Protests against Israeli government

Mounting protests in Israel to pressure the Netanyahu government to either negotiate a hostage-prisoner swap deal with Hamas, or resign.

Israel-Hezbollah escalation

Continued border clashes between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah amid fears of a full-blown war.

Hezbollah on Wednesday released detailed drone footage of the Israeli Ramat David military airbase in northern Haifa. The Lebanese group described it as one of “the most important airbases” in Israel and “only military airbase in the north.”

Humanitarian and security situation in Sudan

Sudan's humanitarian and security situation is deteriorating as clashes between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continue in various parts of the country.

Italian Premier Meloni to host Israeli President Herzog

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosts Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Macron welcomes leaders for Olympics opening

French President Macron hosts reception for leaders attending the opening ceremony on Friday for the Olympic Games.

Clean Air Zone campaign to be launched

Clean Air Zone campaign, It's in the air, will be launched in Paris. The campaign will launch a worldwide marathon celebrating clean air zones, giving people more space to breathe, walk and connect with nature. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using an inclusive, science-based and collaborative approach to cut their fair share of emissions in half by 2030, help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C, and build healthy, equitable, and resilient communities. London Mayor Sadiq Khan to hold a press conference on the first details of the impact of London's Clean Air Zone.

Three regional blocks start implementing Free Trade Area Agreement

A Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) Agreement involving the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, East African Community, and Southern African Development Community comes into force. The objective of establishing the trade area among the three regional blocs is to enhance market access, cooperation, and coordination of policies among members.

Kenyan youth to continue protests

Kenyan youth vow to continue protests by carrying the national flag, flowers and photos of those killed during recent confrontations with police. Protesters expected to present their petition at Harambee house, the office of the president then proceed to parliament to lay flowers for those who were killed.

South Africa’s HSRC to unveil final HIV Prevalence survey results for 2024

The Human Sciences Research Council to release final executive summary of the latest South Africa HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behavior Survey conducted in 2022/23. The report will include key behavioral indicators, HIV incidence, and HIV drug resistance.

US

Biden-Netanyahu meeting

Meeting between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which takes place a day after Netanyahu's address to Congress. After their meeting, the two leaders are due to meet with families of Americans held hostage by Hamas. Netanyahu is also due to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Defense chief briefing

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Charles Brown Jr. brief the media at the Pentagon.

UN events

UN Security Council to discuss the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine. Later, UN secretary-general to hold a press briefing at the UN headquarters.

Security briefing on Democratic National Convention

US Secret Service and the Chicago Police Department to hold news conference to release the comprehensive public safety map and other security measures for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Philippines bishops hold prayers to calm tensions in South China Sea

People hold prayers in the Philippines seeking to calm down tensions with China in disputed South China Sea. The obligatory prayers for peace will be held at all churches across the Southeast Asian nation.

Typhoon disrupts normal life in Taiwan

Authorities have ordered closure of schools and offices across all 22 cities and counties as Typhoon Gaemi disrupted normal life and work in the island nation.

China’s top diplomat travels to Laos

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi to travel to Laos to attend several bilateral as well as multilateral meetings in the context of ASEAN as well as East Asia.

Curfew ends in Bangladesh

Authorities are expected to lift curfew and other restrictions as life began to return to normalcy in Bangladesh. At least 201 people have died while thousands of others were injured during anti-quota protests in South Asian nation.

Top ASEAN diplomats meet in Laos

Foreign Ministers of Association of Southeast Asian Nations meet in Laos for annual meetings. War in Gaza, internal conflict in Myanmar as well as tensions in South China Sea are expected to be discussed.

THE ECONOMY

Turkish manufacturing capacity utilization rate

Türkiye’s Central Bank to reveal capacity utilization rate for manufacturing industry for July.

SPORTS

PARIS 2024

The 2024 Olympic Games, the world's biggest sporting event, began on Wednesday two days before the Opening Ceremony in Paris, and will last for 17 days until Aug. 11

The Paris 2024 Olympics archery events to start on Thursday.

Archery, Handball, Rugby Sevens, football to be followed.

SPECIAL REPORTS

FACTBOX - Sporting solidarity: Athletes through Olympic history refuse to take on Israeli opponents

By Muhammed Enes Calli

Istanbul - Report on the history of Olympic boycotts against Israeli athletes in response to Tel Aviv’s policies towards Palestinians.

The story details several instances of athletes from different countries withdrawing from competitions to avoid facing Israeli opponents, spanning from the 2004 Athens Olympics to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It explores their motivations and the consequences of their decisions, highlighting current calls to bar Israel from the Paris 2024 Games over the country’s deadly Gaza offensive.

The day internet stumbled: Lessons learned from CrowdStrike outage

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

Istanbul - Report on the July 18 global IT outage caused by a faulty update in the Falcon software by cybersecurity technology company CrowdStrike.

The story details the consequences of the widespread disruptions across multiple sectors and the technical cause of the outage. It focuses particularly on the financial and operational impacts, exploring the consequences for health care, transportation, and daily life.

The report includes an interview with Timothy Lethbridge, a British-Canadian computer science professor at Ottawa University, who provides insights into the technical aspects of the incident and potential measures to prevent future outages.

Russian kremlins: Guardians of heritage and architectural marvels

By Elena Teslova

Moscow - Report on the significance and history of fortified complexes, also known as kremlins, found in historical Russian cities.

The story focuses on the origins, architectural features, and cultural importance of kremlins. It delves into the possible Greek, Russian, or Turkic roots of the term “kremlin,” its, and its evolution from wooden structures to stone fortresses.

It highlights notable kremlins like the Moscow Kremlin, the official residence of the president, and others in Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, and Tula, showcasing their unique architectural styles and historical roles.

The report includes interviews with historians, like Maxim Loginov, discussing the kremlins' roles in Russian history and their current status as cultural heritage sites.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO - Explainer about the global tech outage on July 18, particularly on the impact of the disruption on various sectors, with remarks from British-Canadian computer science professor Timothy Lethbridge on how the incident unfolded and methods to avoid similar incidents in the future.