Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Monday, Dec. 25, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

MIDDLE EAST

PALESTINE

GAZA STRIP - Israel’s air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip continue unabated, with the Palestinian death toll surging to at least 20,424 along with 54,036 others injured as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue the war despite its “very heavy price” on the Israeli army after 14 soldiers were killed in fighting with Palestinian fighters in Gaza. At least 489 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

RAMALLAH - Israeli military raids into Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank continue with more than 300 Palestinians killed and nearly 4,700 others detained by Israeli forces in the occupied territory since Oct. 7 amid the ongoing onslaught on the Gaza Strip

EGYPT

CAIRO - A delegation from the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad is holding talks in Egypt on a possible hostage deal with Israel amid Palestinian demand for an end to a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip before the release of Israeli hostages. Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh held similar talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo last week. Nearly 130 Israelis are believed to be held by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. A previous swap deal last month 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 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. Nearly 150 people, including at least 26 Lebanese civilians, have been killed since the clashes first erupted on Oct. 8, according to Lebanese figures.

YEMEN

SANAA - Tension continues to grow in the Red Sea amid drone and missile attacks by Houthi rebels against ships sailing to Israel amid rising concerns about disrupting global trade after major shipping companies diverted their shipments from the Suez Canal to the Cape of Good Hope of Africa’s southern tip to avoid attacks as the United States accuses Iran of involvement in the attacks, an accusation denied by Tehran.

EUROPE

VATICAN

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis to deliver Christmas message.

UK

LONDON - King Charles III to deliver Christmas message.

EURASIA

RUSSIA

ST. PETERSBURG - President Vladimir Putin to take part in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

ST. PETERSBURG - Putin to host an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders (until Dec. 26).

ASIA PACIFIC

INDIA

NEW DELHI - Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to commence an official visit to Russia which will include contacts in Moscow and St. Petersburg (until Dec. 29).

CHINA

BEIJING - The fourth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting to be held via videolink. China's Premier Li Qiang and leaders of five Mekong countries including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam to attend the meeting.

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

JAPAN

TOKYO - Amid raging political funding scandal, senior figures from ruling Liberal Democratic Party face police questioning amid Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's attempts to steer away from the controversy.

US

WASHINGTON - Possible statements from the Biden administration on the Gaza conflict.

SPECIAL REPORT

Trump set for unprecedented 2024 campaign as legal jeopardy mounts

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON - Report elaborating the current state and possible implications of five major legal cases that former US President Donald Trump faces at the state and federal levels as the 2024 presidential race fast approaches.

The story focuses on the dates and deadlines of the cases, with an emphasis on how they align with the upcoming election and campaign season, as well as on the measures that the legal team of Trump, who is also the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, have taken to mitigate their possible effects on his presidential aspirations.

It also includes information on the charges brought against Trump, prominent individuals involved in the cases, the strategies that his legal team has pursued in the wake of the judicial proceedings, and possible future turns that they may take.

SPECIAL REPORT

2023 'one of most difficult' years for children worldwide: UNICEF

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA - Report on challenges faced by children globally in 2023 due to conflicts and climate issues, with a focus on the severe impact of conflict on children in Gaza and Sudan.

Report includes interview with Ted Chaiban, deputy executive director of the UN International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), evaluating the year of 2023 while stressing the unprecedented difficulty children have had to face and warning of the danger posed by ongoing conflicts as they carry on into 2024.

Chaiban also emphasizes the impact of insufficient funds that have hindered humanitarian operations for children in need of life-saving assistance, especially in ongoing conflict zones. He also outlines the details of UNICEF’s plans for next year.

SPECIAL REPORT

Year of Aegean rapprochement: Turkish-Greek ties take turn for better in 2023

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS - Report explaining how bilateral relations between Türkiye and Greece have warmed in 2023, breaking from heightened tensions and disputes over the past several years.

Story outlines key junctures and events in this process that have brought the countries closer together, including earthquakes of Feb. 6, while placing key emphasis on high-level diplomatic contacts between countries’ top officials, particularly the visit by Turkish President Erdogan to Athens earlier in December.

It also includes information on documents and agreements signed by the two countries to undergird the progress they made improving relations and boosting cooperation in areas from political confidence-building to education, trade, and tourism.

NEW MEDIA

INFOGRAPHIC - Trump set for unprecedented 2024 campaign as legal jeopardy mounts

Infographic with details of legal cases faced by former US President and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as 2024 election draws closer, including timeline with key court and election dates and deadlines.