Diary

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

Israel's relentless onslaught on Gaza enclave

Entering its second year, the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip which continues to devastate Palestinian lives, claiming countless victims and plunging the region into even harsher living conditions.

At least six Palestinians, including two children, were killed on Sunday in fresh Israeli airstrikes in the central Gaza Strip, a medical source said.

More than 1,000 doctors and nurses have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since last year, local authorities said on Sunday.

At least 35 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bringing the overall death toll since last year to 44,211, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Sunday.

Escalating Israeli blockade, ground invasion in northern Gaza Strip

Israel's incursion and bombardment of northern Gaza Strip that has been taking place since Oct. 5, have exacerbated shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine, leaving most of the population there on the verge of imminent famine.

Israeli aggression in Lebanon

Israel's deadly attacks on Lebanon and the Hezbollah group's targeting of Israel with rockets and drones.

At least two people were killed and 20 others injured in a new Israeli airstrike in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon on Sunday, local media said.

A Lebanese soldier was killed and 18 others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a military post in southern Lebanon, the army said on Sunday.

Hezbollah launched around 250 rockets from Lebanon toward northern Israel on Sunday, Israel's Channel 12 reported.

Three Israelis were injured in a new rocket barrage from Lebanon on Sunday as escalation continues to rise between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli media said.

The overall death toll in Lebanon since October last year soared to 3,754, with over 15,600 others injured, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Sunday.

Netanyahu’s testimony before Israeli court on corruption trial

Anticipated developments as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again requested a postponement of his testimony in his corruption trial, scheduled for Dec. 2, citing the recent arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as justification.

Israeli Channel 13 reported on Sunday that Netanyahu submitted another request to the Jerusalem District Court to postpone his testimony for 15 days.

On Thursday, the ICC issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.

West Bank raids

Almost daily Israeli military raids on Palestinian cities and towns in the occupied West Bank, and illegal settlers' violence against Palestinians and their properties.

A Palestinian was injured on Sunday evening by Israeli army gunfire in northern West Bank, while illegal settlers attacked a Palestinian community and damaged olive trees in the northern territory.

Israel has killed over 795 people since October last year, including 160 children, and injured nearly 6,450 others, with more than 11,700 taken into custody.

Türkiye-NATO meeting

Turkish President Erdogan will receive NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Ankara and then chair the Cabinet meeting.

G7 foreign ministers-Italy meeting

G7 counterparts gather in Italy, hosted by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Agenda includes discussions on the situation in the Middle East, specifically the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the situation in Lebanon and the Red Sea, as well as the war in Ukraine and a discussion on the stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Tajani welcomes his counterparts in the Italian town of Anagni and later in the day, G7 ministers are joined by counterparts from Arab countries in the town of Fiuggi.

Meeting comes after Thursday's ICC arrest warrants for Israeli Premier Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant.

Mediterranean Dialogue conference (Nov. 25-27), hosted by Italy in Rome

Top Italian diplomat Tajani and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies host annual conference on issues affecting the Mediterranean. Speakers include Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen, and Libya's top diplomat Taher al-Baour. This year's forum may include discussions on the situation in Lebanon and illegal migration.

German defense minister meets with European counterparts in Berlin

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to host his counterparts from France, Poland, Britain, and Italy to discuss regional and international security issues. Key topics include joint military procurement initiatives and coordinated response strategies to emerging security challenges in Eastern Europe.

Germany's SPD is expected to nominate Scholz as chancellor candidate

Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Germany is expected to nominate Olaf Scholz as its chancellor candidate for the early elections scheduled for Feb. 23, 2025. Scholz's left-liberal coalition collapsed last month after disagreements over fiscal policy and spending priorities, ultimately forcing Chancellor Scholz to call for early elections. The SPD is currently trailing in polls behind the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, and the far-right AfD party.

UNESCO and UNOSAT briefing in Geneva

UNESCO and the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) will be presenting to the press their work in monitoring damage to cultural heritage in Lebanon and Gaza.

The session will focus on presenting the joint process of UNESCO and UNOSAT to monitor the state of conservation and carry out a first remote assessment of damage to heritage in Lebanon and Gaza. This methodology was developed in 2022, in the context of the war in Ukraine, and is now used by UNESCO and UNOSAT in other conflict zones.

US President Joe Biden - Thanksgiving turkey 'pardoning' ceremony

President Joe Biden to pardon two turkeys, Peach and Blossom, during annual Thanksgiving turkey "pardon" ceremony at the White House.

Middle East - UN Security Council meeting

Briefing and consultations on “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,” at which Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is scheduled to brief.

Canadian premier's address in Montreal

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to attend and deliver remarks at the 70th annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Montreal. Trudeau will also meet with Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.

Escalating violence in Haiti

Developments in Haiti amid escalating gang violence in and around Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince. Haiti has faced instability since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which left thousands of people dead and displaced.

Yamandu Orsi's election win in Uruguay

Developments after leftist candidate Yamandu Orsi won the second round of Uruguay's presidential elections against Alvaro Delgado of the ruling center-right coalition.

Top Russian diplomat to meet with participants of think tank program

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to hold a traditional meeting with the participants of the research and educational program Dialogue for the Future of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. This year’s program will be devoted to the role of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other institutions in the development of the multipolar world.

Georgian parliament to give vote of confidence to new government

The first session of the 11th convocation of the Georgian parliament to meet in order to set the date for the election of a new Georgian president, as the term of incumbent Salome Zurabishvili expires in December, and give a vote of confidence to the new government and its program following last month's parliamentary election.

Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of missile attacks

Since early this week, Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of using long-range Western missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), respectively. The accusations erupted when Russia claimed last week that it downed US-made ATACMS and UK-made Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory. Later in the week, Russia said it struck a plant in Ukraine using a new ballistic missile. Official remarks and statements on the issue from both Moscow and Kyiv are expected.

South Africa to mark International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people

The South African government, Embassy of Palestine, and the UN office in Pretoria, to host an event to mark the 47th United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The day is observed annually to remind the world of the ongoing struggles faced by the Palestinian people and reaffirm international solidarity with them.

African Union to host Infrastructure Development week

The African Union will host a weeklong event at its headquarters in Ethiopia to accelerate the implementation of the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa. Several continental organizations are expected to attend.

Conference aimed at advancing African development underway in Botswana

A three-day African Economic Conference, jointly organized by the African Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Africa, and the UN Development Programme, is expected to conclude in Gaborone, Botswana with proposed outcomes for the continent's development.

Senegal to announce final results of legislative elections

Senegal’s Constitutional Council is expected to announce final results of the Nov. 17 legislative elections. The ruling Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity party won the majority seats in parliament after securing 130 of the 165 seats, according to the provisional results. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye called the election after dissolving the opposition-led National Assembly in September amid tension between the legislature and the executive.

Pakistan's opposition continues protests march toward capital

Situation remains tense in Pakistan as the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party supporters struggle to enter the capital Islamabad to stage a sit-in near Parliament House to seek release of ex-Premier Imran Khan. Over 1,000 workers have been arrested from different parts of the country by security forces to foil the march amid teargas shelling and stone-pelting. The opposition, however, vows to continue its protest till Khan's release. Meanwhile, the situation in the northwestern Kurram district also remains tense following killing of 85 people in sectarian clashes in past four days.

Chinese Foreign Ministry to hold briefing in Beijing

China’s Foreign Ministry to hold regular news briefing in Beijing. The ministry is expected to deliver statements about the incoming Trump administration in the US, wars in Gaza, Lebanon, as well as Ukraine conflict, Taiwan, besides other issues of international importance.

Developments in Korean Peninsula

North and South Koreas are likely to deliver statements on the situation on the Korean Peninsula amid allegations that Pyongyang has sent troops to Russia.

South Korea’s Yoon to host Malaysian Premier Anwar

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to host Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for bilateral talks in Seoul. Yoon and Anwar are expected to discuss plans to bolster bilateral cooperation and issues of global concern.

Belarusian leader Lukashenko visits Pakistan

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko will arrive in Islamabad on an official visit. A ministerial delegation of Belarus led by Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov already arrived in Islamabad on Sunday. Lukashenko will hold talks with Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Afghanistan hosts 1st international conference on green revolution and self-sufficiency

Afghanistan is hosting first international conference on ‘green revolution and self-sufficiency,’ organized by Kabul University. This conference will bring together agricultural experts, politicians, and industrialists from various countries including Canada, Nigeria, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Qatar, Bangladesh, Egypt, Türkiye, and Iran, alongside Afghan officials. The Afghan and international experts are scheduled to share insights and propose viable solutions for enhancing agricultural development in Afghanistan with a focus on promoting self-sufficiency.

THE ECONOMY

Türkiye’s capacity utilization

Turkish Central Bank to share capacity utilization rate for manufacturing industry for October. Capacity utilization rate dropped slightly by 0.7 points month-on-month to 75.2% in October.

SPORTS

FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers (Basketball)

Turkish men's national basketball team to visit Hungary in FIBA EuroBasket 2025 qualifying Group B match in Szombathely. Türkiye beat Hungary 92-66 at Istanbul's Basketball Development Center last week.Group leaders Italy, which are going 3-0, to host Iceland in Reggio Emilia.

Holders Spain to host Slovakia in another group game in Ourense. Third in Group C, Spain have 1-2 win/loss record.

SPECIAL REPORTS

ICC warrants could open legal floodgates for Israel, Western allies: Experts

Report on more possible consequences for Israel and its Western allies after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The story lays out assessments from legal experts who explain how the ICC move could pave the way for additional cases and warrants for other Israeli officials, as well as domestic cases in European countries against governments who have been supporting Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

It includes interviews with Israeli academic and law professor Neve Gordon and Mike Becker, assistant professor of international human rights law at Trinity College Dublin and a former staffer at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In Africa, Trump’s return revives fears of infamous Muslim ban

Report on views in African nations about Trump’s second term in office and how his policies could be a continuation of the steps he took during his first tenure.

The story focuses particularly on fears about a revival of Trump’s “Muslim ban” that impacted citizens from various African countries such as Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, and Tanzania, with experts sharing their expectations for US policies in his new term.

It includes interviews with Mohamed Husein Gaas, the founding director of the Raad Peace Research Institute, and Anwar Abdifatah Bashir, the executive director of the East African Institute for Peace and Governance.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO - Interview with Israeli academic Neve Gordon about more possible consequences for Israel and its Western allies in the aftermath of the ICC’s warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.