Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing / breaking stories):

Israel’s destructive assault on Gaza

Relentless Israeli bombardment, causing rising Palestinian casualties in the face of worsening humanitarian conditions.

At least nine people, including children, were killed in two Israeli airstrikes in a designated “safe zone” in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to a medical source.

Israeli gunboats also opened fire on the western part of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, leaving two people dead, another medical source said Wednesday.

The overall death toll in the Gaza enclave since last year soared to 43,712, with 103,258 others injured, the Health Ministry in the strip said on Wednesday.

Israel’s broadening blockade, ground invasion of northern Gaza Strip

Israel's over month-long siege, incursion, and bombardment of northern Gaza Strip continues, exacerbating shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine.

Five people lost their lives and several others were injured on Wednesday when Israeli forces shelled a group of people outside Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, a medical source said.

Eleven people were also killed in a series of strikes targeting several homes in northern Gaza, the source added.

Israeli onslaught in Lebanon

Israel's attacks on Lebanon and the simmering conflict with Hezbollah, as the group targets Israel with rockets and drones.

The Israeli army said Wednesday that it detected the launch of 20 rockets and four drones from Lebanon into northern Israel as escalation continues to rise with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah said Wednesday that it targeted the headquarters of the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv with a squadron of drones, in the first such attack since the outbreak of cross-border warfare between the two sides last year.

At least eight people were killed in an Israeli airstrike early Wednesday on a residential apartment in the Mount Lebanon province, east of Beirut, Lebanese media said.

The Israeli army has begun the second phase of its ground operation in southern Lebanon, which the army says involves advancing toward Hezbollah’s second line of defense, Israeli daily Maariv reported late Tuesday.

Scandals in office of Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu

Developments on several unfolding scandals linked to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The scandals include attempts to alter documents regarding early warnings before the October 2023 Hamas attack, efforts to blackmail a senior officer for classified information, and a video showing former Defense Minister Gallant being blocked from entering Netanyahu's office after the Gaza war started.

Israeli finance minister’s pledge to annex West Bank

More international and regional criticism of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s remarks vowing to “apply Israeli sovereignty” on the occupied West Bank, in violation of international law.

Smotrich said Monday that 2025 will mark the year of applying Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, thus ending “the threat” of a Palestinian state.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait joined a wave of condemnations of Smotrich’s call to annex the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu’s testimony before Israeli court on corruption trial

Anticipated developments after Jerusalem District Court rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to postpone testimony in his corruption trial.

Netanyahu asked the court on Monday to delay his testimony for some 80 days, citing preoccupation with the current Israeli wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

"We were not convinced that a substantial change in circumstances has occurred which would justify a change to the date we set in our decision,” the court said on Wednesday, as cited by the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

West Bank raids

Israel’s almost daily military raids on Palestinian cities and towns in the occupied West Bank, and illegal settlers' violence against Palestinians and their properties.

A Palestinian was killed by Israeli army forces on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to take a soldier’s weapon in the occupied West Bank, local media said.

At least 12 more Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces in military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups on Wednesday.

Israel has killed 780 people since last October, including 160 children, and injured nearly 6,300 others, with over 11,700 taken into custody.

NATO chief visits Latvia

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to visit Latvia, where his schedule includes meetings with President Edgars Rinkevics and Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, as well as a visit to the NATO Multinational Brigade exercise Resolute Warrior at the Adazi Military Base, where he will address troops. A press conference at the base alongside Rinkevics is planned.

Airline pilots in France set to strike

France's National Union of Airline Pilots plans strikes over their working conditions and flight schedules, which may cause serious disruptions in air traffic and affect thousands of passengers through Sunday.

Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza - HRW report

Human Rights Watch to publish new report alleging that Israeli authorities caused a massive, deliberate forced displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza since October 2023 and are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Tensions run high in Paris ahead of France-Israel football clash

Tight security measures will be in place in Paris as it hosts a France-Israel UEFA Nations League, Group A2 game. Tensions are running high in the city in wake of last week’s incidents in Amsterdam sparked by visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attacking people and tearing down Palestinian flags. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to be at the game in the capital, where around 4,000 police will be deployed.

Turkish, Qatari leaders to meet in Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will welcome Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex. Following their bilateral meeting and the 10th Türkiye-Qatar High Strategic Committee session, an agreement signing ceremony and official dinner will take place.

Russian, Colombian foreign ministers to hold talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to meet with his Colombian counterpart Luis Gilberto Murillo.

The two top diplomats will exchange of views on pressing issues of global, regional, and bilateral affairs.

Millions vote in Sri Lanka to elect new parliament

At least 17 million people are eligible to cast their vote to elect lawmakers for Sri Lanka’s parliament. Polling in the island nation will continue all day.

North Korea may retaliate after South Korea, US, Japan hold trilateral military drills

North Korea may retaliate by stern statements or firing missiles after South Korea, the US, and Japan held large-scale trilateral drills on the Korean Peninsula. The situation remains tense as reports of combat engagement between North Korean soldiers with Ukrainian rivals come from war zone with Russia.

Dozens of illegal miners remain trapped underground in South Africa

Police expected to give an update on situation of dozens of illegal miners who remain holed up in an abandoned mining shaft in South Africa’s North West province. The miners fear they will be arrested after coming up. Police and the military have been deployed at points that exit the surface. Last week, 500 illegal miners came out from disused mines in the province due to starvation and dehydration as police intensified operations against illegal miners.

African public health agency to provide updates on mpox, Marburg outbreaks

Africa Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC) head Jean Kaseya to hold joint media briefing with Rwanda’s Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana with latest news and steps being taken to combat the mpox outbreak in Africa as well as the ongoing Marburg outbreak in Rwanda.

THE ECONOMY

Euro area GDP

Eurostat to release provisional GDP figures for the third quarter. It expanded by 0.6% in the second and 0.4% in the first quarter. Market expectation was at 0.9% for the third quarter.

Euro area industrial production

Eurostat to release industrial production figures for September. Even it raised in August, market expectations for September is at minus 1.2%.

US jobless claims and producer prices

US to share initial weekly jobless claims figures. The country will also share producer prices for October. It rose by 1.8% in September.

OECD unemployment

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development will release unemployment figures for its region for September. In August 2024, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.9% in the OECD area, having been at or below 5.0% since April 2022.

SPORTS

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 10

Anadolu Efes - Real Madrid

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv - Olympiacos Piraeus

UEFA Nations League Matchday 5

Belgium - Italy (League A Group A2)

France - Israel (League A Group A2)

SPECIAL REPORTS

Trump should benefit from Türkiye’s ‘excellence in diplomacy’ to end wars: US economist Jeffrey Sachs

Interview with American economist Jeffrey Sachs about expectations for the new administration of Donald Trump, who will take over as US president in January.

Sachs speaks about the potential impact of Trump’s second presidential term across the globe in terms of foreign policy and economic relations, highlighting the crucial areas of concern and possible problems.

He also shares his views on Turkish-US ties in Trump’s upcoming term, stressing that Washington should look to capitalize on Ankara’s “excellence in diplomacy” to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Mass deportations, pardons, firings: Trump’s day 1 pledges

Report on expectations for US President-elect Trump’s first day in office and steps he is likely to take in the first few hours of his return to power.

The story explains why Trump’s new administration is already shaping up to be a harbinger of a tectonic shift in the direction of American society, particularly given his public pronouncements.

The report will detail the various pledges Trump made on the campaign trail and the more recent ones after winning the election, such as vowing to initiate mass deportations, issuing executive orders to pardon people convicted for the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots, and possibly sacking federal government employees.

‘This is to permanently acquire territory’: Experts sound alarm over Israel’s plan to reshape Gaza

Interview with Palestinian human rights lawyer Zaha Hassan and international law advisor Itay Epshtain, who voice deep concerns over Israel’s reported plans to annex parts of the Gaza Strip.

The experts warn of grave violations of international law and explain why such a move by Israel is specifically aimed at consolidating control over Palestinian territories, effectively eroding the rights of Palestinians as a people, and negating any future possibility of a Palestinian state.

Epshtain argue that Israel is intent on retaining permanent control and forcibly relocating Palestinians into smaller, isolated enclaves, while Hassan also shares her criticism of Tel Aviv’s plans and concerns over how Trump’s return to the White House could help Israel permanently occupy Gaza.

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO – Interview with American economist Jeffrey Sachs about expectations for Trump’s second term in office, the potential implications for global foreign policy and the economy, and US relations with countries including Türkiye.

VIDEO – Interview with Palestinian human rights lawyer Zaha Hassan and international law expert Itay Epshtain, where they voice concerns over Israel’s reported plans to annex parts of the Gaza Strip and explain the fallout of such a move for international law and Palestinians.