Diary

ISTANBUL 

Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

Situation in Gaza amid warnings of severe weather conditions

The Gaza Municipalities Union has warned of serious consequences as a new low-pressure weather system approaches the territory.

Indian external affairs minister’s visit to Israel

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Israel on Tuesday, according to media reports.

He will meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hold bilateral talks with his counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar.

US to host conference on Gaza force plan in Doha

The US Central Command will hold a conference in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday with representatives from over 25 countries to plan the International Stabilization Force for Gaza, according to media reports.

16th Ambassadors Conference

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address Turkish ambassadors at the Presidential Complex in Ankara during the 16th Ambassadors Conference.

This year's conference, themed "Foreign Policy Promoting Peace, Stability, and Prosperity," will allow ambassadors to address regional and global issues, as well as institutional issues.

The speaker of the Turkish parliament, Numan Kurtulmus, will receive the ambassadors.

Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting

UK Defence Secretary John Healey co-chairs a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius, where they deliver opening remarks on the latest situation in the Russia-Ukraine war and military support to Kyiv. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also attend the meeting.

Ukraine peace talks

US-European talks on a Ukraine peace plan continue, following this week's meeting between European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelensky with US officials to discuss ceasefire proposals. Kyiv insists on security guarantees and no territorial concessions, while Moscow says it is willing to negotiate but has yet to receive concrete proposals from Washington, DC.

EU affairs ministers gather in Brussels

EU affairs ministers will meet to continue preparations for the December European Council and to discuss the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The ministers are also expected to approve the joint declaration on EU legislative priorities for 2026, as well as the enlargement conclusions. The Danish presidency and the incoming Greek Cypriot Administration presidency will present their respective plans for the upcoming term.

Iranian foreign minister visits Russia

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will pay an official visit to Russia from Dec. 16 to 17 as part of Tehran's ongoing diplomatic engagements with key regional partners. Official announcements state that the visits will focus on bilateral relations, regional developments, and international issues of mutual concern.

Kazakhstan marks Independence Day

Kazakhstan celebrates Independence Day on Dec. 16, the anniversary of the country's independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Official ceremonies and public events are expected to take place throughout the country, emphasizing Kazakhstan's statehood, political development, and national identity.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to chair regional cooperation council meeting

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will chair the 45th meeting of the Council of Heads of the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation under the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. The meeting's main focus will be on developing international interregional cooperation in the Arctic, which Moscow considers to be strategically important.

Trump to attend Hanukkah reception

US President Donald Trump will attend a traditional reception at the White House to mark Hanukkah.

Congress briefing on US military actions in Caribbean

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will brief senators on the latest developments in the Caribbean, including the so-called “double-tap” boat strikes on Sept. 2.

Security Council meeting

The UN Security Council will hold an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on the situation in the Middle East, including the “Palestinian question.” Ramiz Alakbarov, UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, is expected to brief on illegal Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

Indian premier to visit Ethiopia

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ethiopia on Dec. 16-17, following his visit to Jordan. Modi's scheduled visit, at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, will be the first by an Indian prime minister since 2011.

Developments around Australia’s Bondi Beach shooting

The latest developments in the mass shooting on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Dec. 14, which killed 15 people. In the wake of the killings attributed to two shooters, one of whom was fatally shot, Australia has promised to enact stricter gun laws.

Thailand-Cambodia border clashes

Tense situation along the Thailand-Cambodia border, with renewed deadly clashes that have killed at least 40 people on both sides. The clashes continue despite US President Donald Trump's call for peace.

THE ECONOMY

Euro area foreign trade

Eurostat to share monthly foreign trade statistics for October. In September, the eurozone posted a foreign trade surplus of $22.6B.

US employment change

The US will release nonfarm payroll employment figures for November. In October, the US economy added 119,000 jobs. The country will also share unemployment rate data.

SPECIAL REPORTS

INTERVIEW – Some asylum policies breaching or pushing legal limits, outgoing UN refugee chief Grandi

Interview examining the state of global refugee protection as UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warns that some asylum policies are breaching or pushing the limits of international law amid record displacement and shrinking humanitarian aid.

Grandi shares his assessment of a sharply deteriorating global landscape, with the number of forcibly displaced people above 117 million, humanitarian funding cuts leaving millions without assistance, and asylum debates becoming increasingly polarized. While criticizing policies that risk undermining legal protections, Grandi also stresses the resilience of the international refugee system and points to regional cooperation, responsibility-sharing, and inclusion in labor and education systems as essential to avoiding long-term dependency.

He also highlights Türkiye’s role in hosting millions of Syrian refugees and the significance of recent voluntary returns following political change in Syria, underscoring that displacement need not be permanent when conditions improve.

Reunion to rupture: Lives caught in Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions

Report on how renewed political tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are once again straining families split by a border that cuts through shared history, identity and kinship.

The story revisits the moment of hope following the 2018 peace deal, when border openings allowed long-separated relatives to reunite after decades, and contrasts it with today’s sharp rhetoric over Red Sea access that risks hardening divisions once more.

Through personal accounts from journalists and diaspora voices, the report shows how geopolitical disputes repeatedly translate into everyday human loss. It has comments from regional political analyst Mukerrem Miftah and Belay Zemechael, a researcher at Ethiopia’s Gonder University, on the growing fear that renewed confrontation could destabilize the Horn of Africa again.