Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

Gaza ceasefire, hostage swap deal

Developments in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threat to cancel the deal if Israeli hostages in the enclave are not released by Saturday noon.

The first phase, which includes a hostage-prisoner exchange, started on Jan. 19 and is set to last for 42 days.

Egypt and Qatar are ramping up diplomatic efforts to salvage the agreement between Israel and Hamas, an Egyptian source said on Wednesday.

Netanyahu's threat came after Hamas said it would delay the sixth hostage release in response to Israeli "violations" of the truce agreement.

Humanitarian and security situation in Gaza

The humanitarian and security situation in the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire.

A Palestinian was killed and another injured in an Israeli drone strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday despite the ceasefire, a medical source said.

Palestinian medics and rescue teams also recovered two bodies from the rubble, bringing the overall death toll in Israel's war since October 2023 to 48,222, according to the Health Ministry.

Israeli raids in West Bank

Nearly daily Israeli military raids on Palestinian cities and towns in the occupied West Bank, especially in Jenin, accompanied by illegal settler violence against Palestinians and their property.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army ordered Palestinian residents in the Nur Shams refugee camp to evacuate amid a military offensive in the area, witnesses said.

The army raided the camp on Sunday, in the latest escalation in the northern West Bank military operations that have killed more than 30 people and displaced thousands since Jan. 21.

Israel has killed at least 911 people in the occupied territory since October 2023 and injured over 6,700 others, with more than 14,300 taken into custody.

Developments in Syria under new administration

Latest developments and updates in Syria under the new post-Bashar al-Assad administration.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued a decree forming a preparatory committee for the National Dialogue Conference, comprising seven members, including two women.

Sharaa also discussed bilateral relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in their first conversation since the fall of the Assad regime in December.

US envoy Witkoff expected visit to Israel and Qatar

US Special Envoy to Middle East Steve Witkoff's expected visit to Israel and Qatar to discuss the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Witkoff plans to make the trip before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Israel on Saturday.

Israeli violations of Lebanon ceasefire

Israel's violations of November's Lebanon ceasefire deal after extension in deadline for troop withdrawal until Feb. 18.

Israeli forces burnt down several homes and a farm in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, bringing the total number of violations to nearly 900.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Tel Aviv had asked for an extension in the deadline until Feb. 28.

World Government Summit 2025 in Dubai

The third and final day of the World Government Summit 2025 in Dubai, which aims to discuss major global trends and future transformations.

The summit features participation from over 30 heads of state and government, 140 government delegations, and more than 80 international and regional organizations.

On Thursday, the event will cover several topics related to future of health, tourism and cultural diplomacy and human-centric futures and creativity.

Turkish President Erdogan's Islamabad visit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. He reached the Pakistani capital after official visits to Malaysia and Indonesia.

Erdogan will also attend the seventh meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, signing ceremony of agreements, joint press conference, and the Türkiye-Pakistan Business Forum.

NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels

NATO defense ministers set to meet in Brussels to discuss major operational issues. The gathering marks the first NATO ministerial meeting since Donald Trump became US president for the second time last month, and the first for new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Defense spending, global security challenges and suggestions from the US administration on steps in ending the Ukraine war on the agenda.

France hosts international ministerial Syria conference

France hosts international conference on Syria. New Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is expected to attend the gathering expected to focus on political transition, humanitarian aid, lifting of sanctions and rebuilding the war-torn country following the fall of Assad regime.

German election event with chancellor candidates

Candidates from the main German parties (SPD's Olaf Scholz, CDU's Friedrich Merz, The Greens' Robert Habeck and AfD's Alice Weidel) will answer questions from members of the public during a ZDF Klartext event.

UK-China Strategic Dialogue in London

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosts his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi for the first UK-China Strategic Dialogue since 2018. The two ministers will lead delegations to talk about bilateral ties, trade issues besides issues of international security and the war in Ukraine. Ongoing tariff war is also expected to be discussed.

Trump hosts Indian prime minister at White House

President Donald Trump will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talks at the White House. The two leaders will later hold a joint press conference.

FBI Director nominee Kash Patel's committee vote

Senate Judiciary Committee will meet to vote on the nomination of Kash Patel to be the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Vote had been postponed from Feb. 6.

US Senate committee hearing on NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM heads

US Senate Committee on Armed Services will hold a hearing to receive testimony from US Southern Command Commander Admiral Alvin Holsey and US Northern Command Commander General Gregory Guillot on the posture of their respective areas of responsibility.

Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon's confirmation hearing

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold hearing to consider the nomination of Linda McMahon to be the US education secretary.

US Senate committee hearing on Syria

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing, After Assad: Navigating Syria Policy. Witnesses include Michael Singh and Dana Stroul from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

UN Security Council to discuss Yemen

UN Security Council will hold its monthly open briefing and closed consultations on Yemen. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher will brief council members.

Top Tajik diplomat to visit Russia

Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin to pay an official visit to the Russia. He will have talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to review the implementation of the agreements on strengthening the alliance and strategic partnership.

Africa CDC to hold weekly briefing

The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention to address weekly media briefing on health emergencies in the continent, including the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania and the mpox situation. The health body is also expected to comment on the deteriorating health and humanitarian situation in Goma, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

South African army to hand over bodies of 14 peacekeepers killed in DR Congo

The South African National Defense Force is expected to hand over the remains of 14 soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last month, to their families during an event at the Air Force Base in Swartkop. South Africa contributes nearly 3,000 troops as peacekeepers serving under the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DR Congo and the UN Organization Stabilization Mission.

World’s oldest serving president Paul Biya celebrates 92nd birthday

Cameroon is expected to hold a birthday celebration for its President Paul Biya, who turns 92. Biya is the oldest serving leader in the world, as well as the second-longest-ruling president in Africa. He has been governing Cameroon for over four decades. Before his presidency, he served as the prime minister from 1975 to 1982.

Nigerian army chief to preside over de-radicalization exercise of 800 ex-Boko Haram militants

Nigerian army chief Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa to oversee the rehabilitation process of 800 former Boko Haram fighters in the city of Maiduguri, Borno state. The former fighters voluntarily surrendered to the military and are currently undergoing rehabilitation which includes skilling to enable them make a decent living. Northern Nigeria has been plagued by violence and instability for many years and the rehabilitation of former militants is seen as a critical step towards achieving peace and stability.

South Korean President Yoon's last hearing in martial law trial

Incarcerated South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends his final hearing of the impeachment trial. Yoon has been indicted for insurrection and abuse of power over the Dec. 3 martial law declaration. The result of the review is expected to be announced early next month.

Mongolian prime minister to visit China

Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene is expected to start his official visit to China that will continue until Feb. 15. During the visit, he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and other senior leaders. The two sides are expected to discuss cross-border railways, coal trade, as well as air pollution.

China's Foreign Ministry briefing

China’s Foreign Ministry will hold its daily news briefing in Beijing.

Türkiye's current account balance

The Turkish Central Bank to release current account balance figures for December 2024. The current account balance saw a deficit of $2.88 billion in November.

UK GDP figures

UK’s Office for National Statistics to release GDP growth figures for the fourth quarter of 2024. It showed a year-on-year growth of 0.9% in the third quarter. The market forecast is a growth of 1.1%.

UK industrial production

The UK's Office for National Statistics to reveal industrial production figures for December. It showed a decline of 0.4% in November. The market expectations is a growth of 0.2%.

German inflation rate

German Destatis to release consumer inflation rate for January. Annual inflation was 2.3% in December. The market expects no change for the figure.

US producer prices index

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics to release producer price index for January. It was at 3.5% in December. The market forecast for the figure is 3.3%.

OECD unemployment rates

Paris-based OECD will release unemployment figures for December.

UEFA Europa League last 16 play-off round first matches to be played.

Fenerbahce vs. Anderlecht

Galatasaray vs. AZ Alkmaar

Porto vs. Roma

SPECIAL REPORTS

Trump’s Gaza plan a ‘major war crime’: German chancellor’s aide

Interview with Nils Schmid, foreign policy spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, about the country’s upcoming elections and the party’s stance on major international issues.

Schmid offers a clear rejection of US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over the Gaza Strip, saying it would constitute a “major war crime,” and calls for efforts toward a two-state solution.

He also speaks about the Social Democrats’ strategy for navigating German-US relations under the second Trump administration, its proposals for resolving the Ukraine conflict, and the party’s approach to German-Turkish relations and broader European affairs.

DeepSeek dilemma: Why is the Chinese AI app facing a global backlash?

Report on the growing number of countries banning China’s AI system DeepSeek, examining the reasons behind these restrictions and the security risks cited by governments.

The story explores the concerns over data privacy, potential misuse, and geopolitical tensions surrounding Chinese AI technology, and DeepSeek’s broader impact on global AI competition and regulation.

The report includes comments from Harin Sellahewa, dean of the Faculty of Computing, Law and Psychology at the University of Buckingham; Dana McKay, associate dean for Interaction, Technology & Information at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology; and Deepak Padmanabhan, senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast.

As Trump threatens trade war, Europe stands weaker with internal fault lines: Expert

Interview with George Lagarias, chief economist at financial consultancy Forvis Mazars, about the implications of EU’s possible trade war with a Trump-led US.

Lagarias warns that internal divisions within the EU could lead to a shift in Europe toward bilateral negotiations with the US rather than acting as a united bloc. He highlights Europe’s economic fragility, with Germany in recession and France slowing down, but argues that the EU has tools to counter a trade war.

He suggests that Trump’s tariff threats are a tactic to push NATO allies into higher defense spending, which could paradoxically aid struggling European economies, and shares his views on why a full rupture in transatlantic ties remains unlikely.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO – Interview with Nils Schmid, foreign policy spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, about the country’s upcoming elections and the party’s stance on major international issues, including Trump’s Gaza takeover plan.