Diary

ANKARA (AA) – Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

PALESTINE

GAZA CITY – Devastating Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip continues, bringing death toll to at least 18,800 Palestinians, along with 51,000 wounded, most of them children and women.

RAMALLAH – Almost daily incursions of Israeli army take place into cities, towns of occupied West Bank in addition to settlers' attacks. Death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire has risen to 290 while 3,430 others injured and over 4,520 have been detained since Oct. 7.

ISRAEL

TEL AVIV – Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza threaten to stage hunger strike until a prisoner swap deal with Palestinian resistance group Hamas, as Israeli army admits that it has mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza.

LEBANON

BEIRUT – Armed clashes between Israel's army and Hezbollah continue a day after Lebanon-based resistance group announced targeting three Israeli military sites along Lebanon's southern border. Tensions have flared along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

KUWAIT

KUWAIT CITY – Developments continue in Kuwait a day after Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber named as the country's new emir, succeeding Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who died at the age of 86.

SERBIA

BELGRADE – Snap parliamentary elections set to take place in Serbia, the third ballot in three-and-a-half years. President Aleksandar Vucic called the elections in October following protests sparked by two mass shootings in May, which killed 17 people. Lawmakers are elected to four-year terms. Last election was held on April 3, 2022, and saw Vucic's SNS coalition won 120 seats, losing its majority in the National Assembly.

JAPAN

TOKYO – Tokyo hosting ASEAN-Japan summit, marking 50 years of friendship and cooperation. Leaders of the Southeast Asian nations already arrived as the three-day summit kicked off on Saturday. Japanese Premier Fumio Kishida will hold bilateral meetings with visiting leaders on the sideline of the summit.

SPORTS

LIVERPOOL, UK – English leaders Liverpool to face Manchester United in home match in English Premier League. Liverpool have 37 points in 16 matches. Visitors Manchester United are 10 points behind them.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Iconic London protester's latest act of resistance: Advocating for Palestine with coffin

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) – In a dramatic and poignant display of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, a 66-year-old man from London has taken his activism to a new level by participating in protests using a wheeled coffin.

Wojtek Dmochowski, who was born in Ealing, the heart of London's Polish community, has become a symbol of resistance against Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip.

Dmochowski, like many passionate Londoners, has been a familiar face at protests in the capital, advocating for causes from anti-racism to environmental issues.

Ozone hole at record size, posing grave threats to Earth, humanity, warns scientist

ISTANBUL (AA) – The hole above the Earth's ozone layer on the Antarctic "will have adverse impacts on the planet and human life," an expert told Anadolu, as the hole is among the largest recorded, about three times the size of Brazil.

The ozone layer acts as a natural shield, efficiently filtering harmful solar radiation, particularly ultraviolet rays.

The hole's size variability is influenced by a strong wind band around Antarctica, a result of Earth's rotation and temperature differences. The band acts as a barrier, isolating air masses over polar latitudes.