Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

MIDDLE EAST

PALESTINE

Gaza Strip - Israel continues its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians and injured 59,410 others since Oct. 7 amid catastrophic humanitarian conditions. According to the UN, 85% of Gaza’s population is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.

Ramallah - The Israeli army continues its almost daily military raids into Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, with at least 350 Palestinians killed, nearly 4,000 others injured and 5,875 others detained since Oct. 7 amid a deadly Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip.

LEBANON

Beirut - Tension continues to escalate along Lebanon’s border with Israel with the Lebanese group saying that it is ready for “unrestricted war” with Tel Aviv amid an exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in the deadliest clashes between the two sides since their all-out war in 2006. At least 200 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 29 civilians, since the outbreak of the border clashes in October.

YEMEN

Sanaa - Tension continues to flare in the Red Sea amid US and UK attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks on commercial ships believed to be linked to Israel amid fears that the tension in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes would create a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption. Houthis say they attack ships in the Red Sea to pressure Israel to end its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, which killed nearly 24,000 people since Oct. 7.

EUROPE

SWITZERLAND

Davos - World Economic Forum to kick off with the attendance of world leaders, representatives of business, civil society, media, academia and the arts in partnerships designed to shape the global, regional and industry agendas.

Geneva - UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Marin Griffiths and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi to hold a press conference to launch the Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and Regional Refugee Response Plan 2024.

Bern - Swiss President Viola Amherd to host Chinese Premier Li Qiang ahead of Li's visit to Davos for the World Economic Forum.

UK

London - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to make a statement on Yemen following airstrikes by the US, UK forces.

London - Oxfam to publish its annual global inequality report to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos.

London - Ministers from the Home Office to respond to questions in the House of Commons. Lawmakers are likely to ask about the controversial Rwanda Plan, with which the government want to send asylum seekers to Rwanda until their claims are processed, and the anti-boycott bill.

GERMANY

Berlin - German farmers to protest government’s plan to cut agricultural subsidies, rising energy prices.

EURASIA

RUSSIA

Moscow - North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Song-hui to pay a three-day official visit to Russia at the invitation of his counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Moscow - The Defense Ministry is expected to present a report on the implementation of President Vladimir Putin’s order on refining Russia’s conscription system.

ASIA - PACIFIC

PAKISTAN

Islamabad - Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to participate in the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

CHINA

Beijing - Chinese Premier Li Qiang continues his official visit to Switzerland for official talks where he will also address World Economic Forum in Davos.

Beijing - Foreign Ministry to hold regular news conference. Presidential election held in Taiwan over the weekend to be main focus.

KOREAN PENINSULA

Seoul / Pyongyang - South Korea to likely to react after North Korea fired a ballistic missile in the East Sea over the weekend.

Pyongyang - North Korea to hold parliamentary meeting to discuss budget 2024.

US

Washington - President Joe Biden to visit US state of Pennsylvania to participate in an event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Washington - Family members of Martin Luther King Jr. to participate in annual DC Peace Walk to support calls to strengthen voting rights.

Washington - Presidential primaries for the Republicans to begin with caucuses in US state of Iowa.

THE ECONOMY

Ankara - Turkish Treasury and Finance Ministry to share central government’s budget balance table for December.

Berlin - Germany to share wholesale prices for December.

Luxembourg - Eurostat to share trade balance data for November.

SPORTS

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast - CAF Africa Cup of Nations to be followed.

LONDON - Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony to be held in London.

MELBOURNE - Australian Open tennis tournament to be followed.

SPECIAL REPORTS

US presidential race: Iowa caucus kicks off heated primary season

By Michael Hernandez

Washington - Report about the build-up to the US presidential election scheduled to be held in November, focusing on the official start of the primaries season with the Iowa caucus.

The report explains the key events leading up to the election, such as the caucuses and primaries, where parties select their candidates for the nationwide contest later this year. It includes details of recent schedule changes that could lead to tiffs with state authorities.

The report also gives the latest updates regarding confirmed and potential candidates, along with general information about the process of the US presidential election.

North Korea uses missile launches to be taken seriously by US: Expert

By Emre Basaran

Istanbul - Report about the recent flurry of missile launches by North Korea and how they have escalated tensions in the region, particularly with South Korea and other US allies.

The report presents a comprehensive overview of North Korea’s activities since the start of the new year, including the firing of artillery shells near a disputed western sea boundary with South Korea, which led to a similar response from Seoul.

It includes analysis from David Campbell, an international relations expert at the University of Vienna, who says North Korea is ramping up its inflammatory actions and rhetoric as a way of pressuring the US, possibly to push it toward the sort of diplomatic reengagement seen during ex-President Donald Trump’s tenure.

‘Racist, xenophobic’: Lawmakers join mass protests against contentious French immigration law

By Anadolu staff

Paris - Report about protests held in several French cities against a controversial immigration law, which drew thousands of demonstrators and support from lawmakers.

The report explains the contentious points in the law and the reasons for objections, with more than 400 collectives, associations, unions and political parties, including La France Insoumise (LFI), calling for more demonstrations.

It includes interviews with protesters and lawmakers, including LFI’s Andy Kerbrat and Aurelie Trouve, and activist Aboubacar Dembele, who express strong reservations to the law and its impact on migrants in France.

NEW MEDIA

INFOGRAPHIC - Visualization of the US presidential election scheduled for November this year, with information about key events leading up to the nationwide contest, confirmed and potential candidates and processes of the electoral battle.​​​​​​​

VIDEO – Interviews with French lawmaker Andy Kerbrat and activist Aboubacar Dembele about a controversial immigration law in France that has sparked massive protests in the country.