Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

Israel’s ongoing preparation to occupy Gaza City

The developments of the ground preparation of the Israeli plan to occupy Gaza City after the Israeli army said it launched a “new phase and preliminary operations” to enter the city. The Israeli Cabinet is meeting on Thursday evening and expected to approve the plan.

Reactions to Israel’s approval to major settlement project cutting off West Bank

More international and regional reactions to the Israeli approval of a major illegal settlement project, the so-called E1 project, which would split the occupied West Bank from East Jerusalem and divide the territory into two parts.

Lebanon’s steps to disarm non-state actors

The handing over of the non-state actors’ weapons, which started Thursday in the Palestinian Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp and other camps in Beirut, to the Lebanese army under a government plan to bring arms under state control, including Hezbollah, which strongly rejected it.

UN agencies' briefing in Geneva

The UN Information Service holds a biweekly press briefing for UN bodies, providing updates from UN agencies on the most pressing issues around the world. The latest updates from Gaza are expected to top the agenda.

Europe-wide developments on Russia-Ukraine war

Political developments, official statements, and decisions from European governments and institutions regarding the Russia-Ukraine war amid intensified discussions around potential peace process, future security guarantees, and territorial exchanges.

Trump to make unspecified announcement

US President Donald Trump will deliver an announcement in the Oval Office. No further details have been provided on the event’s content.

UN Security Council to discuss situation in DR Congo

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The US called for the meeting in light of a recent spate of armed group attacks in the region, which left many civilians dead and injured. Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee is expected to brief.

Statements on possible Russia-Ukraine presidential summit

Statements expected from both Russia and Ukraine about a possible presidential meeting.

Kazakh president on official visit to Kyrgyzstan

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to hold talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart President Sadyr Japarov, focusing on strengthening cooperation in political, economic, and regional matters.

Australia, Philippines holding defense talks amid tensions in disputed waters

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles holding high-level defense dialogue with the Filipino Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Manila. Marles and Teodoro are expected to discuss tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea, besides defense and security cooperation. Marles is also expected to visit Australian military personnel taking part in Australia’s biggest military drill Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations with the Philippines.

THE ECONOMY

Germany's GDP

Destatis to share final gross domestic product (GDP) growth figures for the second quarter. Preliminary results showed that the GDP contracted 0.1% on a quarterly basis in the April-June period.

SPECIAL REPORTS

‘Base of what people can do to others’: Leading UK forensic expert decries Israel’s Gaza atrocities

Interview with veteran UK forensic expert Derrick Pounder, who warns that Israel’s war on Gaza has reached “the base of what one people can do to another,” citing thousands of civilian deaths, widespread destruction, and what he calls “effective impunity.”

Pounder explains why the devastation in Gaza is unlike anything he has seen in over five decades of investigating war crimes and political violence, highlighting various deadly incidents, including sniper killings of Palestinian children, as particularly harrowing evidence of systematic abuses.

He warns that Israel’s campaign in Gaza has surpassed past assaults in both scale and impunity, warning that the country “will carry a moral burden for generations.”

AI sweatshops: Kenya’s youth power tech revolution, but at what cost?

Report on how global tech giants are outsourcing artificial intelligence labor to Kenya, where thousands of young workers are employed to annotate data for systems developed by firms such as Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

The story examines the dual narrative of opportunity and exploitation: while digital jobs are touted as part of Kenya’s economic transformation agenda, activists warn of poor pay, precarious contracts, mental health risks, and a lack of transparency around the work. It also explores how Kenya’s role as a digital outsourcing hub mirrors broader structural inequalities in the global AI supply chain.

The report includes interviews with digital rights advocate Angela Chukunzira, as well as testimonies from Kenyan data annotators describing exploitative conditions, emotional strain, and uncertainty over job security.​​​​​​​