Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Saturday, March 30, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):
MENA
PALESTINE
Gaza city - Humanitarian and military situation in Gaza Strip as Israel continues its unabated offensive despite UN Security Council resolution demanding immediate cease-fire in besieged enclave.
Continued Israeli onslaught, now in day 176, having killed 32,623 people and injured over 75,00 others since last Oct. 7, amid crippling blockade that has left most of population on verge of starvation.
Ramallah - Constant tension in West Bank amid almost daily Israeli military raids on Palestinian towns in occupied territory, which resulted in death of nearly 454 Palestinians since last Oct. 7. Number of arrests has risen to nearly 7,845, reaching record highs over nearly 6 months, more than seen annually in previous years.
ISRAEL
Tel Aviv - Escalating protests in Israel to pressure Israeli government to reach prisoner swap deal with Palestinians.
Netanyahu okayed sending Mossad and Shin Bet officials for talks in Cairo and Doha over prisoner swap deal and cease-fire in Gaza.
QATAR
Doha - Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel continue in Doha, with technical-level teams, according to Qatari and Israeli sources. No breakthroughs reached so far as points of contention still exist.
LEBANON
Beirut - Cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that broke out last October, in deadliest clashes between two sides since their full-scale war in 2006.
Israeli army on Friday announced it had killed Hezbollah's deputy rocket unit commander, further escalating fighting across Israeli-Lebanese border areas.
YEMEN
Sanaa - Growing tension in Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of ties to Israel along with US retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen. Significant disruption to maritime traffic in one of world’s busiest global routes for oil and fuel transport is feared.
EUROPE
GERMANY
Berlin - Traditional Easter peace marches to be held in various cities to call for an end to nuclear disarmament.
UK
London - National “Ceasefire Now - Stop Genocide in Gaza” protest to be held in London, with thousands expected to take part.
EURASIA
ARMENIA
Yerevan - First international Armenia-BRICS forum dedicated to country’s cooperation with 9-nation economic bloc.
SPORTS
Munich - Reigning champions Bayern Munich to host Borussia Dortmund in German Bundesliga week 27 game.
ASIA-PACIFIC
PAKISTAN
Islamabad - Pakistani and Chinese investigators jointly probing recent suicide bombing attack on convoy of workers which left 5 Chinese engineers and one Pakistani citizen dead. Team is expected to visit site of attack in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for inquiry as Chinese workers have stopped work in at least 2 areas.
AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg - Politicians to use long Easter holiday to campaign during church services and other gatherings ahead of May 29 provincial and national elections.
Emergency services on standby as thousands of holidaymakers travel for Easter weekend. On Friday, bus transporting worshipers from Botswana to Moria, where an annual Easter religious event is held, crashed, killing 45 people. Several other crashes have been reported.