ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Friday, March 1, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):
PALESTINE
Gaza City – The reactions and responses to the Israeli massacre that killed on Thursday at least 104 Palestinians and injured 760 others as they crowded waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City. The developments of humanitarian and military situations in the Gaza Strip amid unabated Israeli onslaught, which resulted in the death of more than 30,000 people and injuring over 70,400 amid conditions for famine as aid flows into the enclave dropped by 50% this month, according to UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
Ramallah – Daily, growing military incursions by the Israeli army into Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank, which killed at least 412 Palestinians and injured over 4,600 others since Oct. 7. The number of arrests has risen to 7,325, reaching record highs over the past 4 months, exceeding those recorded on an annual basis in previous years.
QATAR
Doha – Mediation efforts to reach a cease-fire deal and hostage swap between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip amid reports of a possible agreement ahead of the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, due next week. Hamas, believed to be holding more than 130 Israeli hostages, demands an end to Israel’s ongoing onslaught on Gaza in return for any hostage deal with Tel Aviv.
ISRAEL
Tel Aviv - The battlefield situation of the expected plan of the Israeli army to expand its aggressive to Rafah City in the southern Gaza Strip. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that a ground offensive in Rafah would be a “risk we can’t afford to take.”
LEBANON
Beirut – Cross-border clashes between Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel amid appeals for both parties to halt hostilities to prevent further escalation. The clashes are the worst between the two sides since they fought a full-scale war in 2006.
YEMEN
Sanaa – Continuous, escalating tensions in the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having links with Israel and US retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen amid concerns about a deadly impact on shipping traffic in one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments. A Yemeni official warned Wednesday that a British ship is in danger of sinking off Yemen’s western coast after being hit by Houthi missiles in early February.
TÜRKİYE
Antalya - Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz will attend a conference to be held with the participation of Turkmenistan People's Council President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which begins on Friday under the theme "Elevating Diplomacy Amidst Crises."
GERMANY
Berlin - Environmental group Fridays for Future to stage protests across Germany as part of a country-wide climate strike action. The group is demanding urgent measures to tackle climate change, more investments in public transport to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The ver.di trade union, which has called for warning strikes this week in local transport, will also join demonstrations.
Berlin - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit Rome to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. He will be received by Pope Francis on Saturday.
SWITZERLAND
Geneva - The UN Information Service to hold its bi-weekly briefing for journalists.
US
Washington - President Joe Biden to host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for a bilateral meeting at the White House.
Washington - The Biden administration is expected to release a statement on the latest Israel attacks on malnourished Palestinians awaiting aid delivery. The White House has called for a thorough investigation.
New York - Japan's UN Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki set to brief media on program of work for March after taking term presidency of the Security Council.
RUSSIA
Moscow - Funeral of the opposition politician Alexey Navalny.
CHAD
N'Djamena - The latest on the security and political situation in Chad after opposition politician Yaya Dillo, a leading critic of President Mahamat Deby, was killed in a shootout with security forces.
SENEGAL
Dakar - President Macky Sall will write to the Constitutional Council asking the body to nominate an interim president who will succeed him on April 2, when he steps down.
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg - Election campaigns that have started across the country ahead of the May 29 elections.
GHANA
Accra – Interview with Cocoa growers in Ghana to find out why the price of cocoa is doubling leading to high chocolate prices globally.
PAKISTAN
Islamabad - The National Assembly of Pakistan will meet on Friday to elect the new speaker and deputy speaker for the next five years, while parliament will elect the leader of the house on Sunday.
CHINA
Beijing - The Foreign Ministry to hold regular news conference.
SOUTH KOREA
Seoul - The deadline for protesting medics to resume work has ended, and the government is expected to take action, including the cancellation of their licenses, from Friday. Thousands of junior doctors have walked off work to scuttle the government’s move to increase medical seats.
THE ECONOMY
Tokyo – Japan to release unemployment rate for January. It was 2.4% at the end of last year.
Luxembourg – Eurostat to share provisional annual inflation figures for February. It was 2.9% in December and 2.8% in January. The downward trend is expected to continue in February.
SPORTS
MONACO - French Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to visit 3rd-place Monaco. PSG have 54 points, while Monaco have 41 points in 23 league matches.
BARCELONA - Second in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Barcelona to face 4th-place Monaco in Round 27. Turkish basketball club Fenerbahce Beko, 7th in standings, to play against Spanish opponents Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Istanbul.
SPECIAL REPORTS
Research group debunks Israel’s ‘misleading’ visual evidence at ICJ
By Emre Basaran
Istanbul - Report about an analysis from the multidisciplinary research group Forensic Architecture that challenges the visual material Israel presented at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as evidence in its defense in South Africa’s genocide case.
The story explains in detail the assessment report and how the group reviewed the Israeli legal team’s visual evidence, which it found to be “misleading” in at least eight instances.
The report also sheds light on the methodology of the investigation, which was carried out according to the following criteria: authenticity, annotation, and interpretation.
Economy to accountability: Experts lay out reasons for rise of far-right in Europe
By Ahmet Gencturk
Athens - Report exploring the surge in popularity of far-right movements in countries across Europe.
The story lays out reasons for the increase in far-right sentiments and populist governments on the continent, with experts sharing their assessments on how economic conditions, migration, and identity politics have fueled the surge.
The report has interviews with Filippa Chatsiztravrou, a professor of political science at the University of Athens, and Valeria Giannotta, scientific director of the think tank CeSPI’s Observatory on Türkiye.
Indonesia-Australia defense pact: What does it mean for regional rivalries?
By Riyaz ul Khaliq
Istanbul - A report about the new bilateral defense agreement between Australia and Indonesia is expected to be signed within the next few months.
The story includes some details of the pact and explains its significance for both sides and the region, particularly in the context of escalating geopolitical maneuvering by the US and China to assert their influence in this part of the world.
The report includes interviews with Jingdong Yuan, a professor from Stockholm International Research Institute, David Andrews of the National Security College Australia, and Einar Tangen of Taihe Institute in China.
‘Karabakh infrastructure reconstruction likely to be completed next year’
By Gokhan Ergocun
Istanbul – Interview with Cenk Eynehan, the head of a Türkiye-based investment bank, about the ongoing drive to rebuild infrastructure in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region.
Eynehan, the chief executive officer of Pasha Bank, speaks about the role of Turkish contractors in the reconstruction phase, saying the current progress has been faster than expected and completion is likely to be achieved by the end of 2025.
He also shares his assessment of the estimated costs, as well as the strong business and economic links between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
NEW MEDIA
VIDEO – Interviews with Filippa Chatsiztravrou, a professor of political science at the University of Athens, and Valeria Giannotta, the scientific director of think tank CeSPI’s Observatory on Türkiye, about the reasons for the surge in popularity of far-right movements in countries across Europe.