ISTANBUL (AA) – Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Friday, May 17, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):
PALESTINE
Gaza City - The Israeli army sent an additional brigade to Gaza Strip's southernmost city of Rafah.
The ongoing Israeli offensive in the blockaded enclave, now on its 224th day, has killed more than 35,270 people and injured over 79,200 others amid a crippling blockade that has left most of the population on the verge of starvation.
Ramallah - Israeli raids in West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023 have killed 503 Palestinians, injured around 5,000 others, and led to the arrest of at least 8,755, according to Palestinian sources.
ISRAEL
Tel Aviv - Protests continue in Israel to pressure government to resign and reach hostage swap deal with Palestinians.
EGYPT
Cairo - Indirect talks underway between Israel and Hamas aimed at reaching hostage swap deal and cease-fire in Gaza.
LEBANON
Beirut - Continuing cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that flared up last October, in deadliest clashes between two sides since their full-scale war in 2006.
Two people were reported dead after an Israeli drone struck a car in southern Lebanon on Thursday, according to local media.
YEMEN
Sanaa - Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of ties to Israel and retaliatory US airstrikes.
US
Washington - President Joe Biden to deliver remarks at National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Washington - Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet with Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino at State Department.
Washington - South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to hold press conference to discuss border security and effects of cartel presence on South Dakota tribal lands. Noem is currently banned from several native tribes over her 'derogatory' comments.
Washington - National Rifle Association, US' powerful body that aims to protect citizens' right to bear arms and lobbies against gun control, to meet for its annual conference in Texas.
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend the Ziraat Bank Agricultural Ecosystem Meeting, which will be held at the Halic Congress Center with the theme "Sustainable Agriculture and Branding in Agriculture."
THE NETHERLANDS
The Hague - The International Court of Justice to continue with a two-day hearing as part of the case brought by South Africa against Israel, specifically alleging Israeli violations of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israeli legal team will respond in today’s session.
GERMANY
Berlin - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to meet Moldovan President Maia Sandu for talks on bilateral ties, Moldova’s EU membership bid, and regional security challenges.
SWITZERLAND
Geneva - The UN Information Service to hold its bi-weekly briefing for journalists.
LATVIA
Riga - Council of Europe foreign ministers to meet for Session of the Committee of Ministers.
SOUTH AFRICA
Pretoria – South African Muslims to hold public debate on the upcoming May 29 elections.
Johannesburg – Number of students erecting tents at an encampment in solidarity with Palestine at the University of the Witwatersrand is increasing.
INDONESIA
West Sumatra - Search for missing 20 persons is still going on a week after cold lava floods hit residential areas in West Sumatra which killed 67 people.
CHINA
Beijing - On concluding day of his 2-day state visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin visits northeastern city of Harbin, where he attended China-Russia Expo. He is set to visit Harbin Institute of Technology, known as “China’s MIT,” which is one of the Chinese institutions targeted by US with sanctions.
Beijing - Foreign Ministry to hold news conference.
THE ECONOMY
Ankara – Turkish Statistical Institute to reveal house sales figures for April.
Ankara – Turkish Central Bank to share short-term debt figures for March.
Beijing – China to share unemployment and industrial production figures for April.
Luxembourg – Eurostat to reveal inflation figures for April.
SPORTS
Bangkok - Last day of 74th FIFA Congress which started on Monday. Palestine's proposal to suspend Israel from FIFA due to the ongoing war in Gaza to be discussed.
SPECIAL REPORTS
Why Israel should face an Olympics boycott like apartheid South Africa
By Rabia Ali
Istanbul – Report about the calls for Israel to be banned from the upcoming Olympics on the same lines as South Africa during the apartheid era.
The story gives the history of the Olympics ban on South Africa, with historians and academics speaking about on the significance of sports boycotts and why Israel should be barred from major sporting tournaments.
It includes interviews with South African historian Saul Dubow, Peter Alegi, professor of history at the Michigan State University, and Rob Nixon, professor at Princeton University.
‘Angel of Mostar’ comes to the aid of Gaza’s children
By Aysu Bicer
London – Interview with Sally Becker, a British aid worker renowned for her efforts during the Bosnian war where she saved countless lives, earning her the moniker Angel of Mostar.
Becker speaks about her recent mission to evacuate children from the Gaza Strip, explaining how the operation was planned and executed despite several obstacles and last-minute hurdles.
She also narrates her past experiences in other conflict zones around the world, while also sharing her views on the current humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Where reggae meets the Himalayas: The allure of Nepal’s Bob Marley Hotel
By Faisal Mahmud
Kathmandu, Nepal – Report about the unique Bob Marley Hotel in Muktinath, a sacred pilgrimage site nestled high in the Mustang region of Nepal.
The story gives details of the hotel, including its origins and how the evolution of the facility ties into the wider cultural transformation of Nepal.
It includes interviews with travelers, locals and Karma Chhiring Gurung, the owner of the hotel.
NEW MEDIA
VIDEO – Interviews with South African historian Saul Dubow, Princeton University’s Rob Nixon and Peter Alegi of Michigan State University about the growing calls for Israel to be banned from the upcoming Olympics like apartheid South Africa.
VIDEO – Interview with Sally Becker, a British aid worker known as the Angel of Mostar, about her recent mission to evacuate wounded children from the Gaza Strip.