Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

MIDDLE EAST

PALESTINE

GAZA STRIP - Israel continues its 76-day offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has left at least 19,667 people dead and 52,586 others injured since Oct. 7 with more than 90% of the territory’s population displaced and 60% of infrastructure destroyed or damaged.

RAMALLAH - Tension continues to grow across the occupied West Bank amid Israeli military raids and settler attacks, which left at least 302 Palestinians dead and thousands injured since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

EGYPT

CAIRO - Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh holds talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo on a possible hostage swap deal with Israel as Tel Aviv prepares citizens to accept “concessions” with Hamas for securing the release of captives held in Gaza. Nearly 130 Israelis are held by Palestinian factions in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

ISRAEL

TEL AVIV - Calls grow for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down amid concerns over the lingering Gaza war, rising military deaths and his failure to take responsibility for the Hamas attack.

LEBANON

BEIRUT - Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah continue to exchange cross-border fire with Israeli forces starting to use incendiary bombs in striking Lebanese border towns as fears grow that the situation will go into an all-out war between the two sides since their last war in 2006.

JORDAN

AMMAN - French President Emmanuel Macron to pay a two-day visit to Jordan.

TUNISIA

TUNIS - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Tunisia's capital, where he is scheduled to have a number of bilateral meetings.

EUROPE

SWITZERLAND

GENEVA - World Health Organization to hold a virtual press briefing on health situation in Gaza.

EURASIA

ARMENIA

YEREVAN - Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan to meet with Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Imangali Tasmagambetov.

RUSSIA

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin to hold a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects.

ASIA - PACIFIC

PAKISTAN

ISLAMBAD - Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to receive nomination papers from Election Commission to contest elections from three seats in Feb. 8 polls. Khan stands disqualified by the Election Commission for five years in a case that accuses him of concealing details of foreign gifts he received during his tenure as prime minister.

SOUTH KOREA

SEOUL - South Korea and Japan to resume bilateral economic talks after a hiatus of eight year. Seoul and Tokyo have relations marred by historic issues but over the time, the two countries have seen relations warm amid their shared security concerns related to North Korea.

CHINA

BEIJING - China’s Foreign Ministry to hold regular news conference.

US

WASHINGTON - Statements from Biden administration on Gaza conflict and possible protests in solidarity with Palestine.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Antony Blinken to participate in Defense Cooperation Agreement signing ceremony with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen at State Department.

NEW YORK - UN Security Council members to meet to discuss Syria, with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson due to brief.

NEW YORK - UN Security Council expected to vote on resolution calling for suspension of hostilities in Gaza to deliver aid after being postponed for third day in row.

THE ECONOMY

BAKU - Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat to visit Azerbaijan to attend Azerbaijan-Türkiye Investment Forum.

ANKARA - Turkish Central Bank to reveal international reserve figures for November. Increasing reserves, around above $140 billion level in the recent period, hit record levels.

ANKARA - Turkish Central Bank to share interest rate decision. The bank is increasing the rate since June from 8.5% to 40% gradually and it is expected to raise the rate to 42.5% in December meeting.

WASHINGTON - US to release GDP figures for third quarter and initial weekly jobless claims figures. Quarter-on-quarter rate was at 5.2% in third quarter as provisional figure and it is expected to be at same level.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Modern warfare: How Israel is using artificial intelligence in its war on Gaza

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL - Report about Israel’s use of artificial intelligence during its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

The story includes comments by defense analyst Sam Cranny-Evans on the workings, role, and effectiveness of Israel’s AI systems, including the controversial Gospel system used to identify mass targets.

Cranny-Evans gives details about how Israel has integrated the AI systems into its military operations, while also shedding light on the role of technology companies in the process.

He also weighs in on AI’s potential impact in future armed conflicts, as well as concerns about how it could be used by certain countries to develop surveillance systems targeting their own population.

Red Sea LNG tanker disruptions may bear long-term political, economic risks: Analysts

By Sibel Morrow

ANKARA - Report about the economic implications of the maritime movement disruptions in the Red Sea and Suez Canal because of the recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group.

It includes interviews with Jay Maroo, lead crude analyst for the Middle East and North Africa region at Vortexa, Alex Froley, LNG market analyst at Independent Commodity Intelligence Services, and Francesco Sassi, research fellow in energy geopolitics and markets at Ricerche Industriali ed Energetiche in Italy.

The experts speak about various aspects of the issue, giving details of how the forced change in routes is affecting global supply chains and markets, as well as the wider geopolitical risks of the entire crisis.

Pakistan in danger of losing fauna of only marine protected island

By Aamir Latif

ISLAMABAD - Report about the rising numbers of feral cats and other animals on Pakistan’s southwestern Astola Island and how that is posing serious threats to several marine species.

The story includes interviews with Muhammad Moazzam Khan, a technical adviser to World Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan; Shabina Faraz, a Karachi-based environmentalist; and Sharifuddin Baloch, chief conservator of Balochistan’s Wildlife and Forest Department.

The experts speak about the reasons for the phenomenon and its impacts on the island’s natural habitat, while also sharing their assessments for possible conservation strategies.

‘Like the ocean is thanking us’: Kenya community breathes new life into marine ecosystem

By Andrew Wasike

LAMU, Kenya - Report about sustainable fishing practices in Kenya and their vital role in preserving marine life and carbon sequestration.

The story focuses on a marine program in Kiunga Marine National Reserve on Kenya’s Lamu archipelago, where fishermen are being trained to use sustainable fishing gear.

It includes interviews with local fishermen, along with activist Nuru Amina, and Hassan Mohammed, an official of The Northern Rangelands Trust, a group involved in the conservation project.

They speak about the objectives of the program, its achievements so far, and plans for the future.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO - Interview with defense analyst Sam Cranny-Evans about Israel’s use of artificial intelligence during its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, particularly focusing on its workings and effectiveness.

VIDEO - Video report about sustainable fishing practices in Kenya’s Kiunga Marine National Reserve, including interviews with local fishermen, activist Nuru Amina, and Hassan Mohammed, an official with The Northern Rangelands Trust, a group involved in the conservation project.