Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):
Developments in US-Iran conflict
Following diplomatic moves and the situation in the field between Iran and the US.
Relative calm in the field but closely following diplomatic moves and official reactions as UN General Assembly is underway in New York.
Yemen conflict
Following developments in the field in Yemen, particularly areas near Bab al-Mandab as the Houthis frequently launch strikes on the area. On Tuesday, senior official said Yemeni government forces seized a strategic mountain overlooking areas near Bab el-Mandeb after clashes with Houthis.
Fighting in Sudan
Monitoring developments on the ground and the humanitarian situation in Sudan amid conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million people since April 2023.
Regional leaders at UN General Assembly week
High-level diplomatic activity at 81st UN General Assembly in New York, with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian both set to deliver speeches.
Moroccan legislative elections
Morocco heads to the polls on Wednesday for parliamentary election that will determine makeup of the country’s 395-seat House of Representatives.
Some 15.8 million registered voters are eligible to cast ballots in the North African kingdom, with 28 political parties competing.
European leaders at UN General Assembly
Following speeches and meetings of high-level European officials during UN General Assembly in New York. European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas all set to attend, take part in high-level events as well as bilateral meetings.
Top UK diplomat, EU foreign policy chief to co-host climate security event
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas set to host ministerial climate security discussion on sidelines of UN General Assembly.
UK Space Power Conference
Defense Secretary Wes Streeting set to deliver keynote speech at UK Space Power Conference in London.
UK health security authority to hold annual conference
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to hold its annual conference with speakers including its chief executive Susan Hopkins, Patient Safety Commissioner for England Henrietta Hughes, and Oxford Vaccine Group director Andrew Pollard.
German Cabinet meeting
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to chair regular Cabinet meeting followed by press briefing.
Trump to greet China’s visiting president
US President Donald Trump will personally greet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as Xi begins a three-day state visit to Washington.
Rubio, Lavrov to meet on UNGA sidelines
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The talks are expected to address US-Russia relations and the war in Ukraine, following President Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
World leaders to continue addresses at UN General Assembly
World leaders will continue addressing the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on the second day of the annual high-level general debate. Heads of state and government and other senior representatives will outline their countries’ positions and priorities on major international issues. The debate will continue through Sept. 26 and conclude Sept. 28.
Erdogan to attend UN climate event, Turkish-American gathering in New York
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend a climate event at UN headquarters in New York before participating in a gathering at Gotham Hall organized by the Turkish-American National Steering Committee, the Union of International Democrats, MUSİAD business association and the US Council of Muslim Organizations.
UN Security Council to discuss international peace, security
The UN Security Council will hold a high-level briefing on artificial intelligence (AI) and international security under the agenda item “Maintenance of international peace and security.” French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot is expected to chair the meeting. The anticipated briefers are Yoshua Bengio, co-chair of the UN’s Independent International Scientific Panel on AI; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman; Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei; and Hugging Face CEO Clement Delangue.
Putin to hold meeting with government
Russian President Vladimir Putin hold videoconference meeting with members of the government focused on the economy.
Russian foreign minister to hold talks with US secretary of state
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York for discussions focused on the Ukraine war.
Ukrainian president to address UN General Assembly
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address UN General Assembly in New York.
Russia-Ukraine war
Ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to make headlines. Moscow and Kyiv report on frontline developments and exchanges of airstrikes, while discussions of humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges, also continue.
Asian leaders address UN General Assembly
Leaders of Asia-Pacific nations, including Timor-Leste, Palau, and Australia, set to address UN General Assembly in New York.
China’s Xi flies to US on high-stake visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping flies to the US for 3-day state visit and high-stake summit with US President Donald Trump.
Japan battles heavy rains, flooding
Monitoring developments as Japan battles heavy rains and flooding. At least six people have been killed in rain-related incidents, with several others missing.
Malaysian premier to attend WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim, Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet Chairman Adylbek Kasymaliev, and other foreign leaders to attend opening ceremony of WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, which runs through Sunday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry news conference
At news conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry expected to comment on latest regional and international developments, including Thursday summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.
THE ECONOMY
Türkiye’s MUSIAD Expo
Türkiye’s Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) to hold trade expo in Istanbul aiming to generate at least $5 billion trade volume. Event will also feature international business forum.
SPECIAL REPORTS
EXPLAINER – Trump-Xi summit: What’s on the agenda and why does it matter?
Report ahead of President Donald Trump’s Thursday meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, as the world’s two largest economies seek to manage tensions over trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and the Iran conflict.
Story sets out key issues on the table, including extending the US-China trade truce, Chinese purchases of US goods, rare earth and critical mineral supplies, and Washington’s restrictions on advanced chips and AI technology. It also examines a new US-China dialogue on AI risks as technological competition between the two countries intensifies.
Explainer also looks at Taiwan, including Beijing’s opposition to US military support, Washington’s push for China to use its economic ties with Tehran amid the Iran conflict, and what the summit could mean for global trade, supply chains, the AI race, and the broader US-China strategic rivalry.
EU’s ‘associate membership’ offer to Canada offer raises legal, political questions
Report on EU’s unprecedented proposal to make Canada its first “associate member,” and the legal and political uncertainty surrounding a status that has no established definition under existing EU treaties.
Story examines what such a relationship could mean for EU-Canada ties, including deeper cooperation in defense, energy, critical minerals, technology, and economic security.
Report features comments from European lawmaker Damian Boeselager and political expert Amy Verdun, who explain the distinction between associate and full EU membership, whether treaty changes could be required, and whether a new partnership model could eventually be extended to other countries.