Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) — Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

Israeli onslaught on Gaza

Humanitarian and military developments in Gaza, where Israel has killed over 40,470 Palestinians and injured over 93,600 since Hamas' Oct. 7 incursion. The situation worsens as Israeli attacks continue and aid becomes increasingly scarce in the besieged enclave.

On Tuesday, at least 16 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across several areas in the Gaza Strip, including Khan Younis, Rafah, Gaza City, and Deir al-Balah.

EU call for three-day Gaza cease-fire for polio vaccinations

Reactions to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's call for an immediate three-day cease-fire in the Gaza Strip to allow children to be vaccinated against poliovirus after the Gaza Health Ministry received 1.26 million doses of the injection.

On Aug. 16, the ministry announced the first confirmed case of polio in the Gaza Strip in 25 years, in the city of Deir al-Balah.

Hezbollah-Israel escalation

Continued border clashes between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah, which carried out a major attack on Israeli military targets Sunday that Israel claimed to have thwarted. Both sides proceeded to exchange fire, as has been taking place since Oct. 8.

On Tuesday, four people were injured in separate Israeli raids targeting the towns of Majdal and Chihine in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it carried out two operations against Israeli military sites and buildings in the Natua settlement and newly set up espionage equipment near the Doviv barracks in northern Israel.

Lebanese media reported that Israeli artillery shelled the southern Marj area, southeast of Meiss El Jabal, with phosphorus shells, causing a fire in the area.

Reactions against Ben-Gvir's call to build synagogue in Al-Aqsa Mosque site

More domestic, regional, and international reactions to Israel's extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's call to build a synagogue inside the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. On Monday, he claimed that Jews have the right to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque, saying that he would build a synagogue at the flashpoint site.

Since Monday, his statement triggered condemnations from the Palestinian Authority, Israeli officials, ultra-Orthodox Jews, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

The UN also warned that Ben-Gvir's statements "are highly counterproductive and risk inflaming a situation which is already bone dry."

In a related development, the Israeli government said it would finance, for the first time, the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied East Jerusalem, according to local media.

Cease-fire talks between Israel, Hamas

The latest on the cease-fire and hostage swap talks between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, though their chances have dimmed due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on continuing the war in the strip.

On Monday, Egyptian media quoted an informed Egyptian source that rejected any presence of the Israeli army in the Philadelphi Corridor border area between Gaza and Egypt.

The Philadelphi Corridor issue is one of the main sticking points in the cease-fire talks. Israel insists on staying in the area, while the Palestinians insist on Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor.

West Bank raids

Israeli military raids on Palestinian cities and towns in the occupied West Bank since last October have killed at least 652 people and injured 5,400 others, with over 10,000 taken into custody.

On Tuesday, Hamas urged Palestinians in the occupied West Bank to escalate confrontations with Israeli forces and illegal settlers in response to the escalating attacks by settlers, the latest of which resulted in the death of 11 Palestinians in raids on multiple northern cities in the territory early on Wednesday.

Protests against Israeli government

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

Israeli protesters, including relatives of captives held in Gaza, blocked a main highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to demand a prisoner swap deal with Palestinians.

Regional Middle East military escalation

Reports of the decreased escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, especially after the major exchange of fire between the two sides on Sunday.

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Charles Brown, at the end of his visit to Israel, said the risk of a broader war in the Middle East has somewhat subsided following the exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah without further escalation.

However, he noted that Iran still poses a significant threat, particularly in the absence so far of a retaliation from Tehran to the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Red Sea tensions

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

Humanitarian and security situation in Sudan

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

German, British premiers meet in Berlin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will host British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for talks on bilateral relations, international trade, and security issues.

US reactions to developments in Middle East

US reactions to developments in the Middle East after Israel and Hezbollah exchanged their heaviest round of cross-border fire since Oct. 8, and as negotiations for a cease-fire and prisoner swap deal continue in Cairo, Egypt.

Kamala Harris' visit Georgia amid presidential campaign

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will begin a two-day visit to battleground state of Georgia, culminating in a political rally in Savannah on Thursday.

UN Security Council to discuss renewal of UNIFIL mandate

The UN Security Council will meet to address the future of UN's peacekeeping force in Lebanon. UNIFIL’s mandate is set to expire Aug. 31, with the council set to weigh a one-year renewal amid persistent cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah.

Continued fighting in Kursk between Russian, Ukrainian troops

Russia and Ukraine continue fighting in the Kursk region, where Kyiv launched an "operation" on Aug. 5-6. Ukraine claims it has captured 100 settlements since then, including the town of Sudzha. Russian authorities have said that 31 people have been killed, 143 injured, and over 133,000 evacuated since the start of Kyiv's incursion.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the aim of the operation was to establish a "buffer zone," while Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned it as a "terrorist attack."

Press briefing by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold a new briefing on current foreign policy issues in the capital Moscow. She will present Russia's assessment of the major international developments and answer questions from the media.

US under secretary of state's visit to Kenya

Bonnie Jenkins, the US' under secretary of state for arms control and international security, will be paying a two-day visit to Kenya for talks with African policymakers and industry leaders on the future of nuclear energy on the continent. She is the third senior US government official to visit Kenya since anti-government protests broke out in June.

Monitoring latest on mpox situation

Developed nations are expected to donate more vaccines and pledge increased assistance to African nations to help contain the outbreak of the mpox virus that has been spreading on the continent.

US highlights Tanzania-DRC investments project

Helaina Matza, the acting special coordinator for the US Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, will hold a virtual news conference to discuss her recent week-long working trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania ending on Wednesday.

Matza will address opportunities to expand the Lobito Corridor project in the DRC, integrate Tanzania with existing Lobito Corridor investments, and make progress toward the vision of a Trans-Africa Corridor connecting the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

US national security adviser meets with Chinese officials

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who is on a the second day of a three-day visit to China, is scheduled to meet with Chinese officials.

Traders, political parties observe countrywide strike in Pakistan

Pakistan's main religious-political party Jamaat-e-Islam will observe a countrywide strike with traders on Wednesday against the new taxes and high electricity costs in the country

Powerful typhoon expected to hit western Japan

A powerful Typhoon Shanshan is expected to make landfall in western Japan on Wednesday, with possible transportation disruptions in the region. Train services between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo stations in the country's southwest will be suspended late Wednesday and not run on Thursday.

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SPORTS

UEFA Champions League playoffs 2nd leg

The UEFA Champions League's playoff stage will end with second leg matches, with the winners to advance to the tournament's league phase. In the match of the night, Lille will visit the Czech Republic's Slavia Prague at Eden Arena. The French club won the first leg 2-0 at Valenciennes' Stade du Hainaut.

Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to start with opening ceremony

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will begin with its opening ceremony in the heart of the French capital.

The organizers confirmed that Paris' historic square Place de la Concorde and famous Champs-Elysees Avenue will host the opening ceremony as 4,400 Paralympic athletes from 184 delegations will join the parade.

2024 US Open

The 2024 US Open, this year's fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament is being held in New York City, with men's and women's singles second-round matches to be played.

SPECIAL REPORTS

EXPLAINER – Telegram founder’s arrest: What is the ‘unprecedented’ controversy?

By Rabia Ali

Istanbul – Report on the arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov by French authorities.

The story lays out details of the charges against Durov and the controversies surrounding Telegram, explores the debate on free speech and social media sparked by his arrest, and addresses the idea of potential political motivations in France’s decision to move against the billionaire. The story also discusses concerns about implications for other tech giants.

The story includes comments from Alessandro Accorsi, senior analyst for social media and conflict at the International Crisis Group, and Harry Halpin, a former research scientist and a co-founder at a privacy startup.

Mpox unlikely to be a COVID-19 situation but must be nipped in the bud: WHO Europe response lead

By Leila Nezirevic

London – Interview with Marc-Alain Widdowson, head of the High Threat Pathogens team at World Health Organization (WHO) Europe and the UN health agency’s regional mpox response lead.

Widdowson shares his views on the level of threat posed by mpox, stressing that it is different from the COVID-19 pandemic and unlikely to develop into a similar situation.

The expert, however, emphasizes that the outbreak still warrants action to “nip it in the bud as soon as possible,” warning that “we can’t be too complacent.”

He lays out various possible scenarios for mpox spread in Europe, while also emphasizing the need for collaborative global efforts.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO – Interview with Marc-Alain Widdowson, mpox response lead for WHO Europe, who shares his views on the current threat level and dismisses fears of a COVID-19-like situation, while also warning against complacency and stressing the need for quick collaborative global action.