Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

PALESTINE

GAZA STRIP - Israel continues its military offensive on the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian death toll surging to 19,453, along with 52,286 others injured amid US pressure on Israeli leaders to transition to a new phase of the war in Gaza after weeks of heavy strikes and a ground offensive.

RAMALLAH - Tension continues to escalate across the occupied West Bank amid daily Israeli military raids into Palestinian towns, with at least 301 Palestinians killed and thousands injured by Israeli army gunfire and settler attacks in the occupied territory since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

ISRAEL

TEL AVIV - Reports emerge of new Qatar-mediated negotiations for a possible deal between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip. A previous swap deal 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.

YEMEN

SANAA - Amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, an increase in the number of attacks on cargo ships near Bab al-Mandab Strait by Yemen’s Houthi rebels is forcing shipping and oil companies to halt their shipments through the Red Sea, with British Petroleum stopping its gas and oil shipments in the region indefinitely due to the deteriorating security situation there.

FRANCE

PARIS - UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron to visit France for talks on the situation in Gaza, Ukraine and illegal migration. Cameron's schedule includes meetings with his counterpart Catherine Colonna and French President Emmanuel Macron.

UK

LONDON - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to appear before the Commons Liaison Committee, which is made up of the chairs of other select committees.

ITALY

ROME - Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to hold a joint press conference with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron. Cameron will attend a two-day conference of Italian ambassadors that began on Monday. Their media appearance will come just ahead of a session to be virtually attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

SWITZERLAND

GENEVA - The UN Information Service to hold its bi-weekly briefing for journalists.

GENEVA - The World Health Organization (WHO) to hold a press conference addressing Ukraine’s second winter under war, health system challenges and the way forward.

CHINA

BEIJING - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to commence a 2-day working visit to China, where he will meet with President Xi Jinping and his counterpart Li Qiang.

RUSSIA

MOSCOW - A meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to be held without the participation of an Armenian delegation.

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold an extended meeting with the Board of the Ministry of Defense.

UKRAINE

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hold a final press conference of 2023.

KOREAN PENINSULA

SEOUL/PYONGYANG - Back-to-back launch of ballistic missions by North Korea has triggered reaction from the US, Japan and South Korea. Pyongyang has accused the US for deteriorating situation on the peninsula. Monitoring the evolving situation.

SOUTH CHINA SEA

MANILA/BEIJING - After Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said relations with China have slid down, Beijing laid full blame on Manila for tensions in disputed South China Sea. It has asked Manila to remove the rusted warship from disputed waters. Monitoring the developments.

CHINA

BEIJING - China’s Foreign Ministry to hold daily news conference.

GANSU - At least 11 people were killed while hundreds others were injured after a strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit northwestern regions of China. Death toll may rise while authorities are working to rescue the trapped and injured people.

UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to deliver eulogies at funeral of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

NEW YORK - UN Security Council expected to vote on draft resolution calling for cessation of hostilities to allow unhindered access to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza.

THE ECONOMY

LUXEMBOURG – Eurostat to release inflation figures for November. The inflation is in a downward trend since April. November’s estimated rate was at 2.4% last week and it is expected to be at same level.

WASHINGTON - US to reveal provisional building permit figures for November. In the previous month the country’s building permits were at around 1.5 million but they are expected to drop to 1.47 million in November.

SPORTS

JEDDAH - FIFA Club World Cup semifinal game between Urawa Reds, Manchester City to be followed.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Sacking, censorship, threats: Workers face backlash for pro-Palestine stance

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL - Report about increasing discrimination against workers with a pro-Palestine stance in countries around the world, including dismissals from jobs, suspensions and threats.

The story lists some of the significant cases of sackings and suspensions, as well as instances of intimidation and censorship, mostly in Western nations like the US, Canada and Germany.

The report also includes an interview with Farah Afify, research and advocacy coordinator at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who speaks about the particular situation being seen in the US.

She speaks about the wave of repression against proponents for Palestinian human rights, giving figures and data to paint a clearer picture, as well as the impact on Muslim and Palestinian communities in the US.

Migrants ‘living in fear’ as xenophobia rises ahead of South Africa elections

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG - Report about rising incidents of xenophobia in South Africa, spurred by increasingly aggressive rhetoric by far-right political forces ahead of next year’s general elections.

The report gives details of recent major incidents and the reasons for the alarming trend, including the role of ‘Operation Dudula,’ a movement that aims to shut down unregistered businesses owned by foreign nationals.

It includes comments from business owners who have faced direct threats and other people forced to relocate due to intimidatory tactics.

The story also has interviews with Dale McKinley, spokesperson for advocacy group Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia, Hassan Logart, an official from NGO People’s Media Consortium, and Mametlwe Sebei, president of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa.

NEW MEDIA

VIDEO - Interview with Farah Afify, research and advocacy coordinator at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, about the wave of repression in the US against workers and people with a pro-Palestine stance during Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

VIDEOS - Videos on ongoing Gaza crisis, including packages developed from on-the-ground footage and social media content related to the issue.