Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

MIDDLE EAST

PALESTINE

GAZA STRIP - Israel continues to pound the Gaza Strip, with the Palestinian death toll surging to 19,667, along with 52,586 others injured, amid growing pressure on Israel to transition to new phase of the war in Gaza after weeks of heavy strikes and a ground offensive.

RAMALLAH - Tension continues to escalate across the occupied West Bank amid daily Israeli military raids into Palestinian towns, with at least 301 Palestinians killed and thousands injured by Israeli army gunfire and settler attacks in occupied territory since outbreak of Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

ISRAEL

TEL AVIV - Israeli officials call for new truce in Gaza Strip to secure release of hostages held by Hamas, with Palestinian group insisting on moves to end conflict in return for any new agreement with Tel Aviv. Previous swap deal saw the release of 84 Israelis and 24 foreigners by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinians from Israeli jails, including 71 women and 169 children.

LEBANON

BEIRUT - Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah continue to exchange cross-border fire as fears grow that situation will escalate into an all-out war between the two sides since their last showdown in 2006.

YEMEN

SANAA - Yemen’s Houthi rebels vow to continue their drone and missile attacks on Israeli-bound ships in Red Sea as the US launches multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the area, with major shipping companies diverting their shipments from Suez Canal to Cape of Good Hope at Africa’s southern tip, raising concerns that tension will disrupt global trade.

EUROPE

UK

LONDON - Junior doctors who are members of British Medical Association set to go on strike for 3 days in ongoing dispute over pay.

SWITZERLAND

GENEVA - International Labor Organization to release latest estimates of impact of ongoing Gaza war on labor market and livelihoods in occupied Palestinian territory.

LUXEMBOURG

LUXEMBOURG - European Court of Justice to issue judgment in case brought by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich over his inclusion in list of persons subject to restrictive measures introduced by European Union in response to Russia-Ukraine war.

EURASIA

AZERBAIJAN

BAKU - Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, visit Honorary Khiyaban, Khiyaban of Martyrs, and Baku Turkish Martyrdom, meet with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova, and pay visit to Turkish Embassy in Baku.

RUSSIA

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin to take part in meeting of Council of Lawmakers marking 30th anniversary of Russian Federation Federal Assembly.

MOSCOW - Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to hold weekly news conference.

AFRICA

KINSHASA - 43 million people in Democratic Republic of Congo set to head to polls to elect new president and legislators, amid insecurity in eastern Congo.

ASIA – PACIFIC

AUSTRALIA

CANBERRA - New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to pay first visit to Australia since taking office last month. He is expected to discuss security and economic issues with Australian counterpart.

CHINA

GANSU - Death toll in earthquake which hit northwestern China on Monday night has climbed to 118. Rescue and relief operations still ongoing to evacuate trapped people amid chilly winter.

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping receives visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who is on 2-day official trip to China. Mishustin and his Chinese counterpart held bilateral meeting Tuesday.

BEIJING - Foreign Ministry to hold regular news conference.

SPORTS

ISTANBUL/MUNICH - Fenerbahce Beko to face Zalgiris Kaunas while Anadolu Efes to take on Bayern Munich in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

THE ECONOMY

ANKARA - Turkish Statistical Institute to release consumer confidence index for December.

ANKARA - Turkish Treasury and Finance Ministry to release central government’s debt figures for November.

TOKYO - Japan to release foreign trade figures for November. The country’s trade balance is expected to rise to $6.75 billion.

TOKYO - Bank of Japan to announce interest rate decision. The rate has long been at minus 0.1 and bank is expected to keep it steady.

BERLIN - Germany’s Destatis to announce producer inflation for November. Producer inflation has recently been falling by double digits and this is expected to continue in November.

LONDON - UK to announce annual inflation figures for November. Since February, rate has been in a downward trend. It was at 4.6% in October and is expected to drop to 4.4% in November.

WASHINGTON - US to release housing sales figures for November.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Red Sea coalition: Why are major Arab nations absent?

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL - Report analyzing formation of US-led 10-nation force to counter attacks by Houthis in Red Sea.

Report focuses on particulars of multinational force and its aim and objectives, as well as potential impact it could have on region.

Story includes interview with Joost Hiltermann, MENA Program director at International Crisis Group, and Ibrahim Jalal, non-resident scholar with Middle East Institute’s Arabian Peninsula Program.

They speak about various aspects of the issue, including the absence of major Arab nations, and share assessments of economic impact of Red Sea shipping crisis, as well as risks for escalation and link with Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

Global economic situation: What to expect in 2024

By Nuran Erkul

LONDON - Report on global economic projections for 2024, focusing on growth, inflation, and interest rate decisions.

Story includes comments from five leading economists from various institutions: Ken Wattret, Global Economics vice-president at S&P Global Market Intelligence; Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch Ratings; Ahmet Ihsan Kaya, principal economist at National Institute of Economic and Social Research; Alexander Plekhanov, director of Transition Impact and Global Economics at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; and Antonio Alonso, professor of economics at Lisbon School of Economics and Management.

Experts offer their assessments for what they expect to be difficult year ahead for global economy, warning that markets’ current expectations for deep interest cuts in 2024 are premature.

Explainer: What’s at stake in DR Congo elections?

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda – Report on Wednesday’s presidential and legislative elections in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Story outlines key contenders in race for president, including incumbent Felix Tshisekedi, who is seeking a second and final term in office.

Report also explains voting process and lays out major issues that could impact voter behavior, including growing insecurity in eastern Congo and spiraling poverty and living costs.

‘We’re not going anywhere’: Truckers vent frustration at Poland-Ukraine border

By Jo Harper

WARSAW – Report on ongoing protests by Polish truck drivers against EU scheme that allows more Ukrainian trucks into Poland.

Story includes interviews with protesting drivers in Polish border areas about their concerns and steps they are demanding from EU, such as reimposing limits on number of Ukrainian drivers allowed to enter Poland in a year.

Report also has comments recently made by Polish government officials that indicate how it plans to placate striking drivers and avert the brewing crisis.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO - Interview with Joost Hiltermann, MENA Program director at International Crisis Group, about formation of US-led 10-nation force to counter attacks by Houthis in Red Sea, focusing on issues such as absence of major Arab nations and force’s potential impact.

VIDEOS - Videos on ongoing Gaza crisis, including packages developed from on-the-ground footage and social media content related to issue.