The Israeli government is facing what it calls a “public relations disaster” after a video surfaced showing soldiers torturing and sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner – a clear war crime under any legal system. Public outrage in Israel has focused less on the abuse itself and more on the leak. And the military’s chief prosecutor, who admitted leaking the footage, has been arrested and branded a traitor. The saga is yet another example of Israeli society’s unwillingness to confront what it has become.
Contributors: Chris Doyle – Director, Council for Arab-British Understanding Mairav Zonszien – Senior Israel analyst, International Crisis Group Ori Goldberg – Academic and political commentator Yara Hawari – Co-director, Al-Shabaka
On our radar:
After an 18-month siege, the Sudanese city of el-Fasher has fallen to the RSF, triggering mass atrocities under a near-total media blackout. With journalists killed, captured, or missing, satellite imagery has become one of the few remaining windows into the violence. Ryan Kohls reports on the city’s fall and the growing evidence of a potential genocide in Darfur.
Kenya’s most nicknamed president
In Kenya, political satire often takes the form of sharp, witty nicknames – and President William Ruto has earned plenty. As his popularity wanes, young Kenyans online are using these nicknames to mock and challenge his leadership in ways that traditional media cannot. The Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead reports on Ruto’s long, growing and politically problematic list of nicknames.
Featuring: Paul Kelemba (Maddo) – Cartoonist Nanjala Nyabola – Political analyst and writer Wandia Njoya – Professor of literature, Daystar University
The title sponsor of Israel-Premier Tech has ended its association with the cycling team with immediate effect after protests against the team’s participation in races and despite the outfit saying it would undergo a full rebrand for the 2026 season to operate under a new name.
Canadian company Premier Tech said on Friday it had broken off its sponsorship deal after the team was targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters at several races this year, with stages of the Vuelta a Espana grand tour in August and September disrupted by demonstrators before the race was abandoned by organisers.
The sponsors removed their full name from riders’ jerseys at the Vuelta.
The team, owned by Canadian-Israeli property developer Sylvan Adams, was created in 2014 by Ron Baron and Ran Margaliot and is based in Israel.
It was also subject to isolated protests during the sport’s other two main stage races: the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, and had been accused of sportswashing by pro-Palestine groups.
After the Vuelta, the Canadian multinational Premier Tech called for the team to change its name to remove “Israel” and to adopt a new identity and brand image.
The team agreed to move away from its “Israeli identity”.
However, the Canadian-based manufacturer and horticulture firm Premier Tech said it would step down as co-title sponsor of the team with immediate effect.
“Although we took notice of the team’s decision to change its name for the 2026 season, the core reason for Premier Tech to sponsor the team has been overshadowed to a point where it has become untenable for us to continue as a sponsor,” the company added.
“We want to thank the team – riders and staff – for the four unforgettable seasons by their side, and to acknowledge their incredible accomplishments and professionalism, both on and off the road.”
Canadian cyclist Derek Gee, who finished fourth overall at this year’s Giro d’Italia, also left Israel-Premier Tech shortly before the Vuelta over what he described as “personal beliefs”.
Last month, Gee said he was facing a damages claim of 30 million euros ($35m) from the team.
In September, a United Nations inquiry found that Israel’s war on Gaza was a genocide and held the Israeli government responsible for the war that has killed at least 68,875 Palestinians.
Although the team is privately-owned rather than state-run, Adams had dubbed himself an unofficial ambassador for Israel, and the outfit had been hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for refusing to quit the Vuelta ahead, despite protests, until the race was eventually abandoned.
In October, Adams stepped back from his day-to-day involvement with the team and no longer speaks on its behalf.
The team joined the World Tour elite level of road racing before the 2020 season and in July that year recruited four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome.
Amid the pro-Palestine protests at the Vuelta, Spanish Sports Minister Pilar Alegria had called for a ban on Israeli sports teams in the same way that Russian sides broadly were banned in 2022 after the country invaded Ukraine, highlighting a “double standard”.
“It is difficult to explain and understand that there is a double standard,” Alegria told Spanish radio station Cadena SER in September.
“Given that there has been such a massacre, a genocide, such an absolutely terrible situation we are living through day-by-day, I would agree that the international federations and committees should take the same decision as in 2022,” she added.
Who: Manchester City vs Liverpool What: English Premier League Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester When: Sunday at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Games between Manchester City and Liverpool have often been regarded as key battles in Premier League title races in recent seasons, but Sunday’s encounter may merely point to which of the two clubs is best equipped to try to chase league leaders Arsenal.
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By the time the weekend’s big game kicks off at the Etihad Stadium, Arsenal – who visit surprise-package Sunderland on Saturday – could be 10 points clear of champions Liverpool and nine ahead of Pep Guardiola’s City.
That scenario would increase the pressure on City and Liverpool, who head into the last round of fixtures before another international stoppage second and third respectively.
There are signs that both clubs are finding form. City have lost only once in their last 13 games in all competitions and on Wednesday pummelled Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the Champions League with Erling Haaland scoring his 18th club goal this season and a rejuvenated Phil Foden bagging a brace.
Liverpool have also emerged from a run of six defeats in seven matches in all competitions to beat Aston Villa and Real Madrid in their last two games.
Guardiola ‘desperate to play against Liverpool’
City lost home and away to the Reds last season as they were dethroned as champions, and City boss Pep Guardiola admitted he was surprised at Liverpool’s stumbles this season.
“Of course, but sometimes it’s about momentum,” Guardiola stated. “All the clubs are there except Arsenal, who are more consistent than anyone.
“But the season is long, so we try to be there and see what happens. To be hones,t I’m so excited and happy to prepare for Sunday. I’m desperate to play against Liverpool.”
Guardiola on the touchline during his side’s 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund [Oli Scarff/AFP]
Foden is ‘back’ warns City’s boss
The City and England forward lit up the win over Dortmund, scoring twice to register his first European goals this season and double his tally in all competitions.
City’s star academy graduate struggled for much of last season, opening up about off-field issues and injuries that affected him, but the signs are that the 25-year-old is back to his best, having been the stand-out player in City’s Premier League-winning 2023/24 campaign.
“Phil is back,” Guardiola said. “How many times have we seen Phil score these type of goals? We miss this a lot last season but this season I think he is going to help us a lot.”
Guardiola added, “He’s a special player [and] we need his goals and hopefully today was the first step to do it. It’s important to have him for the big, big match on Sunday [against Liverpool].”
Foden grabbed a brace against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday [Carl Recine/Getty Images]
Van Dijk says Liverpool must build from the back
Prior to a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, Liverpool had gone 10 matches without a clean sheet.
“It is easy to say now because we won twice in a row. In a world of chaos you have to stay calm and see perspective of things,” captain Virgil van Dijk said. “We all know how football works – it can change overnight.”
Liverpool face another huge test of their title defence on Sunday when Van Dijk faces Haaland, who has struck 26 times this season for club and country.
“You can see at the moment Arsenal are flying, and it is down to clean sheets and not conceding chances,” added Van Dijk.
“We have the quality to hurt anyone on the break – it starts with the defending. Today, you saw the hard work.
“We have to keep going. Sunday is going to be another difficult one.”
Van Dijk celebrates as Alexis Mac Allister, not pictured, scores against Real Madrid [Carl Recine/Getty Images]
Slot looking forward to ‘Clasico’ against City
Liverpool boss Arne Slot said he was not surprised by his team’s return to form to win their last two games, but warned that playing at Manchester City would pose a far more difficult challenge.
“Our main focus is on consistency at the moment, as you know we’ve lost a few games, much more than we usually do … We were consistent but we were consistently losing. That wasn’t the idea,” a laughing Slot told reporters ahead of Sunday’s clash.
“It wasn’t a surprise for me how the last two games went. It was helpful that the other team did what we expected them to do,” he added.
Slot said Guardiola’s City were his immediate focus rather than the league table.
“Similar to the ‘Clasico,’ these are the few games everyone is looking forward to,” he said.
“What I like about Pep Guardiola’s teams is that 10 out of 10 times you get what you are hoping for – a great game of football, no time wasting or those kinds of things that I start to dislike more and more about football,” Slot said.
Head-to-head
Liverpool boast by far the better win ratio from the two clubs’ 218 encounters, with the Reds winning 110 matches, City winning 60, and 58 ending as draws.
The Reds’ league double over City last year included a 2-0 win at the Etihad in February, courtesy of goals from Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, that sent the eventual champions 11 points clear of City.
City’s last win over the Reds was a 4-1 thrashing at the Etihad in April 2023, on a tense day that included an apparent attack by Liverpool fans on the City team bus and Guardiola being accused of disrespectfully celebrating directly in front of Liverpool substitutes.
City’s team news
Guardiola seems to have the luxury of a fully-fit squad to choose from, with talismanic midfielder Rodri set to come into the team after recovering from injury to likely form a double-pivot with Nico Gonzalez.
While left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri has recovered from injury, Nico O’Reilly has excelled in his absence and may be the one tasked with trying to shackle Salah.
The Reds’ first choice keeper Alisson Becker remains injured, but Liverpool have the impressive Giorgi Mamardashvili to rely on between the sticks instead.
Slot confirmed that record signing Alexander Isak may be fit enough to make the squad following a groin problem but he may not be risked, while Curtis Jones is back in training after also suffering a groin injury.
Conor Bradley put in a sensational defensive display against Real Madrid in midweek and will surely retain his spot at right-back with Jeremie Frimpong ruled out for another six weeks, while Andy Robertson also impressed at left-back and may start again as new signing Milos Kerkez continues to adjust to life at Liverpool.
Leaders from countries suffering some of the most catastrophic effects of the global climate crisis, from hurricanes, floods and more, have urged the United Nations climate conference in Brazil, COP30, to take action.
World leaders are gathered on the edge of the fast-dwindling Amazon rainforest in advance of Monday’s official kickoff, with many focusing on better balancing the gap between developing nations and richer countries that produce most of the world’s harmful gas emissions.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has emphasised the need for a concrete roadmap to “undo deforestation, overcome fossil fuels and mobilise the resources needed”.
Another initiative aims to create a shared global carbon market, where those who produce less emissions than their required targets could potentially receive credit and sell it to those who overshoot commitments.
Richer countries pledged $300bn to help poorer nations deal with the wide-ranging impacts of the warming climate at last year’s summit, but no money has been distributed.
Moreover, developing countries and international advocacy groups maintain that the figure is woefully insufficient to meet the needs, eyeing a goal of $1.3 trillion in various forms of government and private assistance.
‘Hold our heads down in shame’
During the leaders’ meeting on Friday, Haitian diplomat Smith Augustin said Hurricane Melissa devastated his country, while small island states are the least responsible for climate change.
Kithure Kindiki, Kenya’s vice president, said “a previously once-in-a-century cycle of extreme droughts alternating with devastating floods continues to wipe out lives” in the East African country, which experienced a deadly landslide last week.
The prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, said leaders at the summit must “hold our heads down in shame” as a loss and damage fund established in the 2022 conference in Egypt still has a capital base of less than $800m, “while Jamaica reels from damage in excess of $7 billion US, not to mention Cuba, Haiti or the Bahamas”.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the chairman of the African Union Commission, said leaders from countries suffering the most harmful impacts of the climate crisis are not asking for charity, but for “climate justice”.
Several leaders also criticised the United States, which under President Donald Trump has branded climate change a “hoax” and has refused to send an envoy to the talks while digging deeper into fossil fuels.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in its latest report earlier this week that it is “very likely” the world will exceed the 1.5C (2.7F) global warming mark – an internationally agreed-upon target set under the Paris Agreement – within the next decade.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the officials gathered in Brazil that they can choose to lead or be led to ruin.
“Too many corporations are making record profits from climate devastation, with billions spent on lobbying, deceiving the public and obstructing progress, and too many leaders remain captive to these entrenched interests,” he said.
Guterres also said overshooting 1.5C is inevitable in the short term, “but what matters is how high and for how long”.
Typhoon Kalmaegi has left a trail of devastation across Southeast Asia, killing hundreds in the Philippines and at least five in Vietnam, flattening homes, uprooting trees and knocking out power to millions, but there could be more suffering to come.
Rescue operations were suspended and mass evacuations began on Saturday as another storm, Typhoon Fung-wong, approached the Philippines, just days after Kalmaegi killed at least 204 people.
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Authorities warned that Fung-wong, expected to strengthen into a super typhoon before landfall, could blanket nearly the entire country. “Its radius is so wide it could cover almost the whole Philippines,” a government meteorologist said.
Officials have urged residents in coastal and low-lying areas to seek safety, fearing more flooding and landslides after last week’s destruction.
Emergency shelters were prepared nationwide as the country braces for what could be one of the season’s most powerful storms.
In the Philippines, grief and exhaustion swept through the province of Cebu in Kalmaegi’s destructive and deadly wake. Families gathered around rows of white coffins, mourning loved ones lost to floods and landslides.
Jimmy Abatayo, who lost his wife and nine relatives, was overcome with guilt as he touched his wife’s coffin. “I told my family to swim, be brave and keep swimming,” he said, breaking into tears. “They did not hear what I said because I would never see them again.”
Climate crisis
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of national emergency as the country braces for Typhoon Fung-wong, which is expected to strike early next week. Marcos said the sheer volume of rainfall had overwhelmed flood defences, forcing residents to flee to rooftops for safety.
According to the Office of Civil Defense, Kalmaegi displaced more than half a million people. Nearly 450,000 sought shelter in evacuation centres or with relatives, as rescue crews continued to search for more than 100 missing people.
In Vietnam, state media reported five deaths, three in Dak Lak province and two in Gia Lai, and three people missing in Quang Ngai city. The storm destroyed or damaged nearly 2,600 homes and cut power to more than 1.6 million households. In Quy Nhon, residents emerged to find metal roofs and furniture scattered across streets, while shopkeepers laid out soaked goods to dry.
A resident looks on next to the debris of a structure destroyed in high winds in Nhon Hai fishing village near Quy Nhon in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Gia Lai province, central Vietnam, on November 7, 2025 [nhac Nguyen/AFP]
Authorities said more than 537,000 Vietnamese had been evacuated before the storm hit, with Kalmaegi dumping up to 600mm (24in) of rain before weakening into a tropical storm and moving into Cambodia.
The Philippines and Vietnam, two of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, face typhoons almost yearly. But scientists warn that climate change is causing stronger and more frequent storms.
