ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):
MIDDLE EAST
PALESTINE
GAZA STRIP - Israel continues to pound the Gaza Strip from the air and land with the Palestinian death toll mounting to 21,672 and 56,165 others injured amid catastrophic humanitarian conditions and hunger in the seaside enclave.
RAMALLAH - The Israeli army continues its military raids into Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, with at least 318 Palestinians killed, 3,300 others injured, and nearly 4,860 others detained by Israeli forces in the occupied territory since Oct. 7.
ISRAEL
TEL AVIV - As the Israeli military ground operation in Gaza continues, the army announced that one of its officers was killed in battle, and another soldier died from his injuries after being injured in southern Gaza. This brings the total number of Israeli officers and soldiers killed in the besieged enclave to 170 since the army launched an offensive on Oct. 7.
LEBANON
BEIRUT - Armed clashes between Israel's army and Hezbollah continue a day after the Lebanon-based resistance group announced the death of four of its members in a gun battle on Lebanon's southern border, bringing the death toll since Oct. 8 to 133.
EUROPE
UK
LONDON - Legislation to remove 587 pieces of retained EU law due to take effect.
ASIA-PACIFIC
CHINA
BEIJING - President Xi Jinping to deliver a national address on the eve of New Year.
SPECIAL REPORTS
Major sports events of 2023: Significant triumphs, famous deaths, retirements
By Can Erozden, Selcuk Bugra Gokalp and Emre Asikci
ANKARA / ISTANBUL - As in the past, the world of sports has experienced another busy year in 2023, including notable victories, famous deaths and big names' retirements from the games as well as the Israel-Gaza war's effect on sports.
World economy barely bounces back post-coronavirus pandemic
By Anadolu staff
BRUSSELS - The biggest crisis in the world economy in almost a century was caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the effects of which are being recovered from only after four years.