ISTANBUL (AA) – Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Monday, June 3, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):
EGYPT
Cairo - Efforts to reach a hostage swap deal and a cease-fire in Gaza are underway. Following the Sunday meeting involving Egypt, the US, and Israel regarding the Rafah border crossing, Cairo remains firm on its stance that Tel Aviv must withdraw from the Palestinian side of the crossing for it to be reopened.
Hamas expected to respond to the cease-fire proposal announced by Biden.
PALESTINE
Gaza City - Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip has entered Day 241, with more than 36,400 Palestinians killed and over 82,600 others injured as a crippling blockade has left the majority of the population on the verge of starvation.
The military offensive in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah also continues, with the army taking full control of the Philadelphi Corridor, which separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Israeli attacks in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip have forced nearly 1.7 million Palestinians to flee all UNRWA-run shelters in the city and to take refuge in Khan Younis and central Gaza.
Ramallah – Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank have continued since Oct. 7, 2023, with at least 521 Palestinians so far killed, 5,000 more injured, and at least 8,985 detained, according to Palestinian sources.
IRAN
Tehran - Monitoring the main candidates for the Iranian presidential election after the registration process has concluded. Among the main candidates are Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former president of Iran; Saeed Jalili, former nuclear negotiator; and Abdolnaser Hemmati, a previous candidate in the 2021 presidential election and former governor of the Central Bank of Iran.
The election is scheduled to be held on June 28, having been originally planned for 2025, but they were moved forward following the unexpected death of President Raisi on May 19.
ISRAEL
Tel Aviv - Protests in Israel to pressure government to resign and reach hostage swap deal with Palestinians.
LEBANON
Beirut - Cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel, which began in October, have continued, becoming the deadliest clashes between the two sides since their full-fledged war in 2006.
YEMEN
Sanaa – Tensions in the Red Sea continue to increase amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having ties to Israel and airstrikes by US-led coalition forces on targets in Yemen.
GERMANY
Bonn - UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference starts.
SWITZERLAND
Geneva - Government, employer and worker delegates from the ILO's 187 member states to address a wide range of issues, including the protection of workers against the effects of climate change and biological hazards, the care economy and fundamental principles and rights at work.
UK
Glasgow - Scottish National Party leader John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton participate in live TV debate.
BELARUS
Minsk - A meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union Intergovernmental Council to take place until June 4.
MONGOLIA
Ulanbaatar - Belarusian-Mongolian business forum to take place with the participation of the presidents of the two countries.
US
Washington - President Joe Biden to participate in campaign reception in Greenwich, Connecticut. Desk will monitor Biden's remarks regarding situation in Gaza and developments regarding Gaza cease-fire proposal unveiled late last week.
Washington - House Select Subcommittee on Coronavirus Pandemic to hold first public hearing with Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, since he retired from public service.
New York - Andrea De Domenico, head of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) branch in Occupied Palestinian Territory, to brief on situation in Gaza.
New York - South Korea's UN Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook to brief media on program of work for month of June as term president of UN Security Council.
NIGERIA
Abuja - Workers in the West African nation to embark on an indefinite strike in protest against the government’s refusal to raise the proposed minimum wage.
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg - Twenty-six political parties that have disputed election results expected to file court papers.
CHINA
Beijing - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to hold talks in Beijing.
Beijing - Foreign Ministry to hold routine news conference.
PAKISTAN
Islamabad - Pakistani courts to continue hearing of multiple cases, including appeals of jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan and forced disappearances.
PHILIPPINES
Manila - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pays official visit to the Philippines.
SOUTH KOREA
Seoul - Seoul suspends 2018 inter-Korean tension reduction pact with Pyongyang.
THE ECONOMY
Ankara – Turkish Statistical Institute to release annual inflation figures for May. Rate has been at over 60% for last eight months. Turkish economy administration expects peak level in May, before entering downward period.
Ankara – Türkiye’s Trade Ministry to announce provisional foreign trade data for May.
SPORTS
PARIS - Both men's and women's tennis singles 4th round matches to be played in French Open.
SPECIAL REPORTS
Gaza cease-fire plan: More tactical pressure or the end of US support to Netanyahu?
By Rabia Ali
Istanbul – Report analyzing the implications of the new Gaza cease-fire proposal announced by US President Joe Biden, particularly for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The story gives details of the phased plan and the reactions it has drawn from key players in Israel, including Netanyahu, his allies and other important officials, explaining how these reflect growing divisions within Israel and, more importantly, between Tel Aviv and Washington.
The report includes interviews with Ryan Bohl, a senior American geopolitical analyst at risk intelligence firm RANE; academic and analyst Sami Al-Arian; and H.A. Hellyer, a scholar with the Middle East Program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.
UK election puts controversial Rwanda deportation policy in limbo
By Aysu Bicer
London – Report about the UK’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, focusing on how implementation of the contentious policy faces renewed uncertainty as the country heads to general elections next month.
The story explains the diverging positions taken on the issue by the two major political forces, with the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looking to start the first flights right after the July 4 election and Keir Starmer’s Labour Party vowing to revoke the policy if it comes to power.
The report includes an interview with Peter William Walsh, a researcher from the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, who speaks about the persisting legal challenges and potential hurdles in implementation.
NEW MEDIA
VIDEO – Interview with American geopolitical analyst Ryan Bohl about the new Gaza cease-fire proposal being pushed by the US, focusing on how it possibly reflects Washington’s growing discontent with Benjamin Netanyahu and its implications for the Israeli prime minister.