Diary

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

⁠Egypt's foreign minister pays official visit to Türkiye

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty will pay an official visit to Türkiye on Wednesday for the inaugural meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group, which will be co-chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Trapped fighters in southern Gaza, possible prisoner-body exchange

Developments surrounding the fate of trapped fighters in southern Gaza’s Rafah, as well as efforts to locate the remaining bodies of Israeli captives in Gaza and a possible exchange involving Palestinian prisoners or bodies under Gaza ceasefire deal.

Tension in Sudan amid RSF attacks on civilians

Developments in the field and the humanitarian plight in Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan as more people are fleeing Rapid Support Forces-attacked areas. Head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan orders army forces to advance on the western Darfur region to liberate it from the rebel group.

Iraq awaiting official parliamentary election results

Developments in Iraq’s parliamentary elections, completion of counting, and anticipation of final results from the electoral commission.

President Erdogan's meeting with party officials

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to deliver speech at a meeting with Justice and Development (AK) Party provincial heads. He is expected to speak on local and regional issues, including Gaza.

Turkish military plane crash on Azerbaijan-Georgia border

Following developments after a Turkish C-130 military cargo plane with 20 military personnel on board crashed Tuesday after taking off from Azerbaijan en route to Türkiye. Ankara said search and rescue operations were launched in coordination with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities.

UK court judgment on challenging Israel weapons sales

The Court of Appeal hands down judgment on Wednesday in relation to an appeal of a High Court ruling in a legal challenge against the government granting export licenses for the sale of weapons to Israel.

Al Haq, a Palestinian non-governmental human rights organization, claims the government is in breach of Export Licensing Criteria, which states a license will not be granted if there is a clear risk that the weapons sold will be used to commit acts that contravene international humanitarian law.

French president to visit space command center in Toulouse

French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Space Command center, located at National Center for Space Studies (CNES) in Toulouse.

He is expected to present the national space strategy for 2040. Macron will also participate in a debate on the links between social media and democracy during his visit to Toulouse.

German court to hear case on arms exports to Israel

Berlin Administrative Court to hear a case filed by Palestinian civilians from Gaza challenging German arms exports to Israel. The hearing on Nov. 12 will examine whether these exports violate Germany's War Weapons Control Act and international law obligations.

Ontario G7 meeting of foreign ministers concludes

Top diplomats of countries in the Group of Seven will hold a second and last day of talks in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada, chaired by Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will attend the talks, which will include sessions on Ukraine, security and maritime prosperity, and energy security and critical minerals.

US House vote expected on package to end shutdown

Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives to vote on a modified resolution to end the ongoing federal shutdown. The bill funds the government through Jan. 30, and includes a three-bill “minibus” package that includes full-year funding for the Department of Agriculture. The Senate already passed the bill, which President Donald Trump is expected to sign.

Ahead of the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to swear in Arizona Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva. Once sworn in, she is set to sign a discharge petition that would force a House vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files.

UN to hold elections for International Court of Justice vacancy

The UN Security Council and General Assembly will hold simultaneous elections for a vacancy on the International Court of Justice, the organization’s top judicial body.

The vote will be held between candidates Olufemi Elias of Nigeria, Charles Jalloh of Sierra Leone, Pheobe Okowa of Kenya, and Paul Kuruk of Ghana to replace Judge Abdulqawi Yusuf until the end of his term by February 2027. Yusuf, a Somali national, had resigned as of Sept. 30.

Trump to host private dinner

US President Donald Trump to host a private dinner at the White House. Media reports indicate that the guest list will include top figures in the financial industry, including the CEOs of the Nasdaq and JPMorgan Chase, the largest commercial bank in the country. The companies themselves have not confirmed their attendance.

Day 3 of COP30

The 30th UN climate change conference, or COP30, continues in Belem, Brazil, for a third day. The conference will focus on efforts to limit global warming to the critical 1.5C target. Key agenda items include the presentation of new national action plans for emissions reduction and reviewing the progress of finance pledges made at COP29 to support developing nations.

Russian, Kazakh presidents to hold bilateral talks in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Moscow. The leaders will sign bilateral documents, address the Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum via videoconference, and attend a state dinner hosted by Putin.

Probes into separate blasts in India, Pakistan

Monitoring developments amid probes into two separate blasts in India and Pakistan. At least 12 people were killed and 27 others injured in a suicide attack outside a court complex in Islamabad, while 12 people were killed in New Delhi after an explosion near Red Fort.

Philippines battered by typhoons

Developments as typhoons wreak havoc in the Philippines with death toll surpassing 400 over past week. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced due to torrential rains, floods and heavy winds. Authorities and locals continue rescue and relief operations.

THE ECONOMY

Germany's inflation

Destatis to announce final monthly inflation figures for October. Preliminary estimates showed that inflation eased to 2.3% in October.

SPECIAL REPORTS

INTERVIEW - ‘What has been seen cannot be unseen’: Rashid Khalidi on Gaza, censorship, and shifting US politics

Interview with renowned Palestinian-American historian Rashid Khalidi, reflecting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza, free speech, and a historic political realignment in the US.

Khalidi speaks about how the past two years have “shredded the veil” around Zionism, exposing its realities to a global audience, and “irreparably damaged” Israel’s narrative.

He also discusses the deepening academic censorship in the US, citing Columbia University’s “draconian” new disciplinary rules and the growing criminalization of dissent. On Gaza’s future, the historian warns that reconstruction efforts risk failure unless Palestinian political agency is placed at the center.

Turning point: Muslim Americans claim record representation across US

Report on the growing political representation of Muslim Americans following recent local elections across the US.

The story highlights how Zohran Mamdani’s historic New York City mayoral win was part of a broader surge, with at least five other Muslims elected as mayors in Michigan, Maryland, and New Jersey, and dozens more securing seats in state and local offices.

The report presents details of the key winners and their path to success, and includes latest figures and comments from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), framing the victories as a testament to growing Muslim political engagement and resilience amid ongoing Islamophobia in the US.

Hurricane Melissa a warning sign of ‘warmer seas fueling stronger storms’: Experts

Report on Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful hurricane in Jamaica’s history and one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic, raising global concern over how climate change is intensifying storms and altering weather patterns.

The story examines how unusually warm ocean waters and weakening Atlantic currents fueled Melissa’s record-breaking strength and slow movement, turning it into a storm of unprecedented destructiveness. Hurricane researchers explain that these changing ocean dynamics are making storms stronger, slower, and more catastrophic – a trend expected to worsen in 2026 and beyond.

The report includes analysis from James Baldini, professor of Earth sciences at Durham University, and Robert Marsh, professor of oceanography and climate at the University of Southampton.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO - Interview with Palestinian-American historian Rashid Khalidi on a range of issues, including Israel’s genocide in Gaza, growing global repression of free speech, and a historic political realignment in the US.