Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Friday, August 16, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

Cease-fire talks between Israel, Hamas

Latest in potential cease-fire agreement and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

A new round of indirect negotiations on a cease-fire and hostage swap began in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday.

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said: "Washington will unveil a new proposal during talks and will exert significant pressure to push agreement through."

Anadolu also confirmed, citing Hamas official Suhail Hindi, that the movement will not be part of tomorrow’s negotiations. He stressed that Hamas demands Israel’s commitment to what was agreed upon on July 2 (to support Biden-backed proposal). “Hamas is ready to engage in implementation mechanisms of the agreement,” he added.

The talks are attended by CIA Director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Egyptian Intelligence Chief General Abbas Kamel, and Israeli Mossad Chief David Barnea, according to Israeli media.

An Egyptian source said on Thursday the mediators are cooperating “to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire deal.”

Military escalation in Mideast

Israel on high alert for possible military attack from Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, and Iranian-backed armed militias in Iraq and Syria, following last month’s assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Israel has not taken responsibility for Haniyeh's assassination, but did claim responsibility for earlier assassination of prominent Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr in a Beirut suburb.

International reports suggest that Iran might delay its response to the assassination of Haniyeh if an agreement between the two sides is reached in light of the new round of negotiations in Qatar. No official statement has been made by the Iranian government regarding these reports.

Israeli onslaught on Gaza

Humanitarian and military developments in Gaza, where Israel has killed over 40,000 Palestinians and injured more than 92,400 since Oct. 7 Hamas incursion. Situation continues to worsen amid continuing attacks and minimal access to aid.

On Thursday, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said three Palestinians were killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a home of the Khzeiq family in the al-Sabra neighborhood in southern Gaza City.

The Israeli army also carried out a limited incursion into the southern areas of the city’s southeastern Zeitoun neighborhood amid firing of heavy artillery shells.

Wafa added that three other Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Bani Suhaila, east of the city of Khan Younis.

Israel-Hezbollah escalation

Continued border clashes between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah amid fears of full-blown war following Tel Aviv’s July 30 assassination of senior Hezbollah military commander Fouad Shukr in Beirut.

Rockets continued to fall on northern Israel from southern Lebanon. The Israeli army said on Thursday that it had detected five rockets and a drone launched from Lebanon toward Western Galilee in northern Israel.

A military statement said some of the rockets fired toward the Ma'ayan Baruch settlement were intercepted by air defense systems.

Hezbollah said its fighters targeted the Israeli army's Ma'ayan Baruch outpost with artillery shells.

Separately, the Israeli army published footage of the interception of a drone fired from South Lebanon toward Western Galilee, which caused rocket sirens to sound in several areas in northern Israel.

West Bank raids

Israeli military raids on Palestinian cities and towns in occupied West Bank since last October have killed at least 632 people and injured 5,400 more, with over 10,000 taken into custody.

The Israeli army on Thursday morning killed two Palestinians and injured four others in a drone strike on the Balata refugee camp in the city of Nablus city in the northern occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces have been conducting regular raids across various areas of West Bank, which have escalated since onset of Gaza conflict last Oct. 7. Palestinians have also faced violent attacks by illegal Israeli settlers.

Protests against Israeli government

Mounting protests in Israel to pressure government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to either negotiate hostage-prisoner swap deal with Hamas or resign.

Scores of Israelis staged protests in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Thursday to demand an agreement with Palestinians to release Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip. The protests occurred as cease-fire talks in Doha resumed on Thursday.

Palestinian President Abbas's announcement of his intention to visit Gaza

Expected international and regional reactions to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s announcement that he plans to visit the Gaza Strip.

In an unprecedented move amid the deadly war and during a significant address to the Turkish parliament, Abbas announced on Thursday his intention to visit Gaza, accompanied by the full Palestinian leadership. He did not specify when he would make the visit.

The president urged Arab and Muslim leaders, along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, to take similar steps.

Red Sea tensions

Continued Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having links with Israel in Red Sea and US-led coalition airstrikes on group's positions in Yemen.

Humanitarian and security situation in Sudan

Humanitarian and security situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate amid clashes between army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Sarajevo Film Festival

The 30th Sarajevo Film Festival will open in the Bosnian capital with the world premiere of “My Late Summer” by local filmmaker Danis Tanovic.

US

US comments on developments in the Middle East amid ongoing cease-fire talks, and the prospect of an Iranian reprisal following an attack in Tehran that killed Hamas’ former political leader late last month.

US President Joe Biden to be joined by civil rights leaders and community members at the White House to sign proclamation to designate the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument.

Vice President Kamala Harris to hold campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina in what will mark her first major policy speech since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. Possible Gaza-related announcements or protests.

Clashes between Russian and Ukrainian troops continue in Kursk region

Russia and Ukraine continue to clash in the Kursk region, where Kyiv initiated an incursion on Aug. 6. Ukraine claims it has captured more than 80 settlements since then, particularly the town of Sudzha. Russian authorities have said 12 people were killed and 121 injured in the region, including 10 children, since the start of Kyiv’s incursion

South Sudan’s Cabinet meets to discuss upcoming elections, security

South Sudan’s unity government to convene and discuss some of the pending issues related to the implementation of the peace agreement ahead of the country’s first post-independence elections in December.

South Africa’s opposition EFF faces litmus test as second in command quits

The Marxist opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party led by Julius Malema faces a litmus test after its Deputy President Floyd Shivambu resigned Thursday joining former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe party. Political experts are speculating that EFF members of parliament and provincial leaders loyal to Shivambu may soon join him.

Rights defenders call on Zimbabwe to release activists ahead of SADC summit

Human rights experts are appealing to Zimbabwean authorities to release rights defenders who were arbitrarily detained for over two weeks and drop charges ahead of the 44th Summit of the Southern African Development Community scheduled for Aug. 17 in the capital Harare.

Thailand elects new prime minister

Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party was elected as Thailand's 31st prime minister.

Paetongtarn secured more than the required 247 votes in the lower house of Parliament, which consists of 497 lawmakers in the Southeast Asian nation. At 37, Paetongtarn, the daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is now the youngest leader of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.

Bangkok hosts regional meet

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will co-chair 9th meeting of foreign ministers of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation and meet counterparts from Thailand and other member nations in Bangkok.

India launches earth observation satellite

Indian space agency launches Earth observation satellite EOS-08.

Indian Election Commission announces poll dates

India's Election Commission to announce dates for polls for legislative assemblies. Several Indian states are headed to polls this year. Dates for elections in Jammu and Kashmir are also likely to be discussed.

SPORTS

2024-25 English Premier League season to kick off with Manchester United vs. Fulham match at Manchester’s Old Trafford Stadium.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Mpox outbreak: What is the viral disease behind the world’s new health emergency?

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL - Report on the Mpox outbreak as it continues to spread through several African countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare it a global health emergency.

The story focuses on the source and symptoms of the viral disease, as well as previous outbreaks and their impact, highlighting the current threat that Africa and the rest of the world face.

It includes comments by Michael Marks, professor of medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who elaborates on the new strain of the disease and possible measures against its spread.

Is the UK's criminal justice system buckling under the weight of far-right unrest?

By Aysu Bicer

London - Report about the UK's criminal justice system and how it is struggling with a surge in far-right riots.

The story highlights the vulnerabilities of the system after years of austerity cuts, highlighting the challenges police face as they endeavor to restore order despite major staff shortages and the time-consuming work of analyzing digital evidence.

It also includes information on the decline in the number of experienced legal professionals in the country, as well as a looming crisis in prison capacity. The story includes an interview with Hannah Quirk, a reader in criminal law at King’s College London, on the immense pressure that criminal justice system faces.

EXPLAINER - As Gaza war rages, Israeli violence in West Bank reaches deadly new levels

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

Istanbul - Explainer on attacks that Tel Aviv has conducted in the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7, where the Palestinian death toll from clashes and raids by Israeli forces has surpassed that of the deadliest year of the Second Intifada uprising.

The report highlights that Israel’s military raids and settler violence have reached new levels of intensity in the West Bank, despite the absence of resistance group Hamas, which Tel Aviv has used to justify its brutal offensive in the Gaza Strip.

It also covers Israel’s military presence in the West Bank, along with the expansion of illegal settlements, which are obstructing peace efforts and displacing Palestinians, pushed through by the country’s far-right government as it seeks to solidify Tel Aviv’s control over the region.

NEW MEDIA

Video - Interview with Hannah Quirk, reader in criminal law at King’s College London, who discusses the severe strain on the UK’s criminal justice system in the wake of recent far-right riots, highlighting police understaffing, case backlogs, and lengthy trial wait times.