Who are Premier League title favourites: Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Utd?
The new Premier League season kicks off on Friday, August 15, when champions Liverpool entertain Bournemouth. Arne Slot’s Reds will be favourites to lift the trophy once more, but can Arsenal improve on three consecutive second-placed finishes? Manchester City are expected to bounce back from an uncharacteristically quiet season under Pep Guardiola, while Chelsea are the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) champions. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the likely candidates. Liverpool Slot’s side stormed to a record-equalling 20th Premier League title last season. The Reds finished 10 points clear of Arsenal – and that after taking their foot off the gas in a winless four-game run to finish. Florian Wirtz is the big name summer arrival from Bayer Leverkusen and comes with a hefty price tag of $156m. The German midfielder follows French forward Hugo Ekitike and Dutch wide man Jeremie Frimpong through the Anfield gates. The latter will be utilised both in covering for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has joined Real Madrid, and Mohamed Salah, who will depart midseason to represent Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. Securing the ongoing services of both Salah and Virgil van Dijk, however, was undoubtedly the biggest piece of business the Reds needed. Egyptian forward Salah was heavily linked with the Saudi Pro League and, having topped the goalscoring charts against last season with 29 goals, would have been a huge loss. Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates with the trophy after winning the Premier League as the now-departed Trent Alexander-Arnold, centre, watches on [Phil Noble/Reuters] Dutch defender and Liverpool captain van Dijk has been the rock upon which the Reds’ fortunes have been built since his arrival from Southampton in 2018. Advertisement The pursuit of Aleksander Isak from Newcastle United has been ongoing for some time. Slot has teased the Reds may return with a second bid, and if one position has been in question, it is an out-and-out striker – Isak’s 23 goals last season proved he is one of the hottest talents in that role. “Every team in the Premier League is spending money,” Slot said in the run-up to the new campaign. “So if we are only favourites because we’ve spent a bit, I would see that as weird because we’ve lost a lot as well. But that we are favourites because we won it last season and we played so well, that’s clear.” The tragic death of Diogo Jota, in a car crash in Spain in July, supersedes all concerns of success. Coming to terms with his loss will be painful in training and in matches, with his absence felt in ways far beyond the gap the Portuguese forward leaves in the starting XI each week. Arsenal Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have been the form team of the last three seasons in the Premier League, but three second-place finishes in a row are starting to burn deeply in north London. Substantial reinforcements have been sought to help the Gunners end their 22-season wait to lift the Premier League title once again. Viktor Gyokeres is the headline news, given Arteta made little secret of his frustration with the club’s lack of striking options last season. Viktor Gyokeres is pictured in the stands during Arsenal’s preseason tour of Singapore [Caroline Chia/Reuters] The signing of the Swedish striker from Sporting Lisbon for 63 million pounds ($85m) will be seen as the best chance to close the gap on Liverpool. Noni Madueke’s capture from Chelsea, meantime, divided Arsenal fans. The England international does, however, bring further depth and additional quality to a forward line, whose top scorer last season was Kai Havertz with a paltry nine goals. The arrival in midfield from Real Sociedad of Martin Zubimendi, a Euro 2024 winner with Spain, can only solidify the already meticulously manufactured system Arteta has arranged. Chelsea Chelsea will surely hit the ground running following their stunning FIFA Club World Cup success against European champions Paris Saint-Germain last month. Enzo Maresca’s side stormed to a 3-0 win against the Parisians, who swept through the UEFA Champions League – culminating in their own 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan – to complete the treble. Joao Pedro’s three goals across the semifinal and final at the CWC have already gone a long way towards validating his 60-million-pound ($80.7m) signing from Brighton before the tournament. That move came on top of the capture of fellow strikers, Liam Delap from Ipswich and Estevao from Palmeiras. Chelsea captain Reece James was presented with the trophy by US President Donald Trump after winning the FIFA Club World Cup [Hannah Mckay/Reuters] Estevao scored against the west London club in his last game with his Brazilian outfit during the quarterfinals of the CWC. Advertisement Disjointed has long been a word associated with Chelsea on and off the pitch, certainly since their last Premier League title win in 2017. Whether Maresca can continue to tie the team together following the CWC triumph, and whether that tournament will test the legs of the Blues players later in the season, could well be deciding factors in Chelsea’s title challenge. Manchester City Will Pep Guardiola’s team bounce back to the form that saw them claim a record fourth consecutive Premier League title only a season ago? Or will the light blues of Manchester continue to feel the heavy burden of a side that conquered all before them, only to seemingly lose control of their own success last season? The injury to Ballon d’Or holder Rodri undoubtedly hit City hard last term, and the news that he will miss the start of the new campaign will also come as a huge concern to Guardiola. For a team that won an unprecedented five trophies in 2023, and the record-setting Premier League title the following year, to fall so far last season came as a huge shock to all, not least their manager. Indeed, many believed last season may well have been Guardiola’s final term. Even with a two-year contract extension signed midway through the last campaign, a slow
Nagasaki marks 80th anniversary of US atomic bomb attack on Japan
Restored bell to ring at Nagasaki’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral for the first time since A-bomb devastated the city in 1945. Twin cathedral bells will ring in unison in Nagasaki for the first time in 80 years, as the Japanese city commemorates the moment the United States decimated it with an atomic bomb eight decades ago. Crowds are set to gather at Nagasaki’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral on Saturday morning, as the church’s two bells will ring together for the first time since 1945. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the southwestern port city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, at 11:02am local time, three days after it dropped a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima. About 74,000 people were killed in Nagasaki, while 140,000 were killed in Hiroshima. On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, marking the end of World War II. The church in Nagasaki, widely known as Urakami Cathedral, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the monstrous atomic explosion, the hypocentre of which was just a few hundred metres from the religious building. Only one of two church bells was recovered from the rubble. But, funded by Catholics in the US, a new second bell has been constructed and restored to the tower. It will chime on Saturday for the first time in 80 years at the exact moment the bomb was dropped. Nearly 100 countries are set to attend this year’s commemorations in Nagasaki. Among the participants will be a representative from Russia, which has not been invited since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Israel, whose ambassador to Japan was not invited to the memorial last year over the country’s war on Gaza, is also expected to attend. Advertisement “We wanted participants to come and witness directly the reality of the catastrophe that a nuclear weapon can cause,” a Nagasaki official said last week. Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, centre, prepares to lay a wreath during the annual memorial ceremony for the victims of the US atomic bomb attack, at the Peace Park in Nagasaki on Saturday [Philip Fong/AFP] Spearheading the fundraising campaign for the new church bell was James Nolan – a sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, whose grandfather participated in the Manhattan Project, which developed the US’s first nuclear weapons. While doing research in Nagasaki, a Japanese Christian told him he would like to hear the cathedral’s two bells ring together once again. Inspired, Nolan embarked on a yearlong series of lectures about the atomic bomb across the US, primarily in churches, ultimately raising approximately $125,000 to fund a new bell. It was unveiled in Nagasaki earlier this year. “The reactions were magnificent. There were people literally in tears,” Nolan said. The cathedral’s chief priest, Kenichi Yamamura, said the bell’s restoration “shows the greatness of humanity”. “It’s not about forgetting the wounds of the past but recognising them and taking action to repair and rebuild, and in doing so, working together for peace,” Yamamura told the AFP news agency. Adblock test (Why?)
Singapore celebrates success on 60th anniversary but challenges loom ahead
Singapore – As Singapore’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations draw to a close on Saturday night, a huge fireworks display will illuminate the city’s extraordinary skyline. The numerous skyscrapers and futuristic buildings stand as a tribute to the country’s remarkable development after separating from Malaysia in 1965. This tiny Southeast Asian state, with a population of just over six million people, has one of the highest rates of wealth per capita in the world. Its advanced economy also attracts workers from across the globe. The financial hub is famed for its stability, high standard of living, forward-thinking approach and infamous for its centralised style of governance. While Singapore will bask in some success this weekend, once the flags are taken down and the SG60 merchandise is removed from the shelves, the island-nation will get back to work and begin contemplating its future. Plans are already in motion to continue Singapore’s growth, with its most famous landmark – Marina Bay Sands – set to house a new fourth tower of hotel rooms in 2029, while a 15,000-seat indoor arena will also be built at the site. Changi international airport, which was ranked this year as the world’s best for the 13th time, will also gain a fifth terminal by the mid-2030s. Residents of the “Lion City” clearly have plenty to look forward to, but the road ahead may also contain some potholes. Al Jazeera has been taking a look at some of the challenges that Singapore could face in the next 60 years and how they might be tackled. Singapore’s iconic Merlion statue with the business district in the background in 2019 [File: Vincent Thian/AP Photo] Climate change As a low-lying island, sitting just north of the equator, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to the threat of a changing climate. The country’s former prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, once described it as a matter of “life and death”. Advertisement Rising seas and increased rainfall could lead to flooding, with extreme weather events set to be a more common occurrence. While the city-state has so far dodged the kind of weather disruption that plagues many of its neighbours, the government is preparing for the worst. Rising sea levels are of particular concern, with alarming estimates that the waters around Singapore could rise by more than a metre (3.2ft) by 2100. To counter the threat, plans are being considered to build three artificial islands off the country’s east coast. These areas of reclaimed land would be linked by tidal gates and sit higher than the mainland, acting as a barrier. Benjamin Horton, former director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, said the country could come to a standstill if catastrophic rain were to combine with a high tide. “If it flooded a lot of the infrastructure in Singapore, closing down MRTs [mass rapid transit], shutting down emergency routes, flooding a power station and the electricity went down – Singapore would be crippled,” Horton said. The already-sweltering Southeast Asian financial hub will also have to cope with even hotter conditions. Pedestrians shield from the sun with an umbrella as they walk in front of the parliament building in Singapore in May 2025 [File: Vincent Thian/AP Photo] A 2024 government study found that the daily average temperature could rise by up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. Horton, who is now dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong, said this could impact the country’s economic productivity. “Singapore is always developing and is reliant on immigrant labour that works outside during the day. Climate change is going to impact that significantly,” he said. Yet, Singapore, Horton said, has “the potential to be the lead in how you adapt to climate change and to be the leader in coastal protection”. Demographic time bomb Singapore’s population is ageing at a rapid rate. By 2030, it’s estimated that almost one in four citizens will be aged 65 and above. The life expectancy for a Singaporean born today is a little under 84 years, with residents benefitting from a high quality of life and a world-class healthcare system. But this demographic shift is set to challenge the city-state over the next six decades. An ageing population will inevitably require more investment in the medical sector, while the country’s workforce could face shortages of younger workers. Older Singaporean women practice Tai Chi, a Chinese form of meditative exercise, in 2013 [File: Wong Maye-E/AP] “The resulting strain will not only test the resilience of healthcare institutions but also place significant emotional, physical, and financial pressure on family caregivers,” said Chuan De Foo, a research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Advertisement While the authorities are looking to expand and strengthen healthcare facilities, they are also urging citizens to make better lifestyle choices in order to stay healthier for longer. New marketing campaigns encourage regular health check-ups, allowing for early intervention, while new technology is also being utilised. “AI-driven tools are being developed to support mental wellbeing, detect early signs of clinical deterioration and assist in diagnosis and disease management,” Foo told Al Jazeera. Fewer babies Alongside living longer, Singaporeans – like many advanced Asian economies – are also having fewer babies, adding to the country’s demographic woes. The fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, fell below 1.0 for the first time in 2023 and shows little sign of increasing. That figure is even lower than Japan’s fertility rate of 1.15. This week, Japan reported its 16th consecutive year of population decline, with nearly a million more deaths than births in 2024. Kalpana Vignehsa, a senior research fellow at NUS’s Institute of Policy Studies think tank, said the Singapore government is “swimming against a cultural tide” in its efforts to reverse the decline in births. “Now is the time for expansive action to make parenting less expensive, less stressful, and most
Adidas accused of cultural appropriation by Mexico over new footwear design
Mexican officials say sportswear giant took design idea from Indigenous community in country’s southern Oaxaca state. Mexico’s government is seeking compensation from Adidas, accusing the sportswear giant of cultural appropriation for launching a new shoe design strikingly similar to traditional Indigenous footwear known as huaraches. Adidas’s new Oaxaca Slip-On was created by United States fashion designer Willy Chavarria, who has Mexican heritage. But the footwear has drawn strong pushback from officials in Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca, who say no authorisation was given by the Indigenous community, in the village of Villa de Hidalgo Yalalag, behind the original design. “It’s collective intellectual property. There must be compensation. The heritage law must be complied with,” Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her regular news conference on Friday. “Big companies often take products, ideas and designs from Indigenous communities,” Sheinbaum said. “We are looking at the legal part to be able to support them,” she said. The government said that Adidas representatives had agreed to meet with Oaxaca authorities. Mexico’s Undersecretary of Cultural Development Marina Nunez Bespalova, right, alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum, left, at a news conference to condemn Adidas and US designer Willy Chavarria in Mexico City, Mexico, on August 8, 2025 [Handout/Presidency of Mexico via Reuters] In a public letter to Adidas, Oaxaca state governor, Salomon Jara Cruz, criticised the company’s design – which has a sneaker sole topped with the weave of huarache sandals – saying that “creative inspiration” is not a valid justification for using cultural expressions that “provide identity to communities”. Advertisement “Culture isn’t sold, it’s respected,” he said. Mexican news outlet Periodico Supremo said the country’s National Institute of Indigenous Peoples will launch a legal challenge over the Adidas design, and asked followers on social media: “Are you going to buy them?” 🔴 Están “padres”….🩴 Gobierno de #México defiende propiedad intelectual indígena, en contra de la reconocida marca ADIDAS (@adidas) El INPI (@INPImx) reclamará legalmente el uso indebido del diseño tradicional de guaraches originarios de Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, #Oaxaca ¿Vas a… pic.twitter.com/KPtrfZMLGC — PERIÓDICO SupreMo 🔴 (@Diario_Supremo) August 8, 2025 Translation: The government of Mexico defends Indigenous intellectual property, against the well-known brand ADIDAS. The INPI will legally challenge the improper use of the traditional design of huaraches originating from Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, Oaxaca. Are you going to buy them? The controversy is the latest instance of Mexican officials denouncing major clothing brands or designers using unauthorised Indigenous art or designs from the region, with previous complaints raised about fast fashion juggernaut Shein, Spain’s Zara and high-end labels Carolina Herrera and Louis Vuitton. Mexico’s Deputy Culture Minister Marina Nunez confirmed Adidas had contacted Oaxacan officials to discuss “restitution to the people who were plagiarised”. Neither Adidas nor the designer Chavarria, who was born in the US to an Irish-American mother and a Mexican-American father, immediately responded to requests for comment from reporters. Chavarria had previously told Sneaker News that he had intended to celebrate his cultural heritage through his work with Adidas. “I’m very proud to work with a company that really respects and elevates culture in the truest way,” he said. Handicrafts are a crucial economic lifeline in Mexico, providing jobs for about half a million people across the country. The industry accounts for approximately 10 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of states such as Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacan and Guerrero. For Viridiana Jarquin Garcia, a huaraches creator and vendor in Oaxaca’s capital, the Adidas shoes were a “cheap copy” of the kind of work that Mexican artists take time and care to craft. “The artistry is being lost. We’re losing our tradition,” she said in front of her small booth of leather shoes. Sandals known as ‘huaraches’ are displayed for sale at a market in Oaxaca, Mexico, on August 8, 2025 [Luis Alberto Cruz/AP Photo] Adblock test (Why?)
‘No plans’ to recognise Palestinian state, US vice president says
NewsFeed The US has “no plans” to recognise a Palestinian state, according to US Vice President JD Vance, who blamed the lack of a “functional government” to recognise. Vance was speaking during a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in southern England. Published On 8 Aug 20258 Aug 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Bayern Munich veers from Rwanda sponsorship after criticism
German football club to shift away from ‘Visit Rwanda’ sponsorship after criticism from fans. Bayern Munich has signalled it will cut down on “Visit Rwanda” branding as it moves “away from a commercial sponsorship” with the African nation facing a backlash over alleged support for rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Bayern dismissed allegations of “sportswashing” when it signed a five-year deal with Rwanda in 2023. It included advertisements in the stadium and what Bayern called events “to promote tourism and investment opportunities in Rwanda”. At the time, it replaced a sponsorship deal with Qatar. Rwanda has similar sponsorships with European football giants like Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid. Some Bayern fans displayed a large banner at a game in February protesting against the deal amid accusations from the United Nations that Rwanda has backed rebels in the DRC. Now the German football champions say they have reached a new deal with Rwanda that turns the existing sponsorship into a three-year agreement focusing on developing young football players at a Bayern-affiliated academy in the country. “In constructive talks about our future direction, we agreed that a very special part of our relationship with [the Rwanda Development Board (RDB)] was the developmental nature of our work in Kigali through the FC Bayern Academy,” Bayern Chief Executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said on Friday in a statement. “We are therefore transforming our commercial partnership into a talent programme and expanding the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali together with the RDB as both a football and social initiative. This remains perfectly aligned to our strategic objective of developing playing talent in Africa.” Advertisement Bayern didn’t specify how soon it would drop “Visit Rwanda” branding as part of the move, which it described as a transition. As of Friday afternoon, the branding was still displayed under a section of the Bayern website listing club sponsors and partners. RDB Chief Executive Jean-Guy Afrika was quoted by Bayern as saying the changes to the partnership aimed to “accelerate sports development”, adding: “This continued partnership with FC Bayern helps ensure that talent development remains anchored in our broader vision to position Rwanda as a global hub for tourism, investment, and high-performance sport.” Rwanda’s presence in European football has grown steadily since 2018 when it first partnered with Arsenal to put “Visit Rwanda” branding on the London club’s shirt sleeves. An agreement with PSG was signed in 2019 and renewed in April this year. It covers branding in the stadium and included shirt-sleeve sponsorship at the Club World Cup. A three-year deal to sponsor Atletico was agreed in April, including branding on training and warm-up shirts. Rwanda is accused of supporting the M23 rebel group, the strongest of more than 100 armed groups vying for dominance in the mineral-rich eastern DRC just across the border from Rwanda. Rwanda also has been accused of exploiting the eastern DRC’s minerals, used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. Rwandan authorities alleged that some of the people who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide fled to the DRC and are either working with or are being protected by the Congolese army. They have denied involvement in the DRC’s minerals sector and said any security action taken is to protect its own territory. Adblock test (Why?)
China welcomes new US-Russia contact as Trump seeks end to Ukraine war
China’s President Xi Jinping has told Russia’s Vladimir Putin he is pleased to see Moscow maintain contact with the United States to advance a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis. The remarks during a phone call between the two leaders on Friday come after the Kremlin said President Putin would meet US President Donald Trump in the coming days. During the phone call, Xi said China would maintain its stance on the need for peace talks and a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine war, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. The Kremlin said Putin had called his Chinese counterpart to update him on the latest US-Russia talks, during which Xi expressed support for a “long-term” solution to the Ukraine conflict. The call between Xi and Putin was their second in less than two months. Putin is expected to visit China in September for events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The two countries have further bolstered their economic, trade and security cooperation since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which triggered a sharp deterioration in Moscow’s relations with the West. China has never denounced Russia’s war nor called for it to withdraw its troops, and many of Ukraine’s allies believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow. Beijing insists it is a neutral party, regularly calling for an end to the fighting while also accusing Western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine. Trump has voiced growing frustration with Putin over the lack of progress towards peace in Ukraine and has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, including China. Advertisement The US president on Wednesday said he could announce further tariffs on China similar to the 25 percent duties he has already imposed on India over its purchases of Russian oil. In response to those remarks, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday that Beijing’s trade and energy cooperation with Russia was “just and legitimate”. “We will continue to take reasonable measures to ensure energy security based on our own national interests,” Guo Jiakun said in a statement. Calls with other allies Putin and Trump are set to hold talks, although no firm date or venue has been set. Both sides have confirmed preparations for a summit are under way and have suggested that a meeting could take place next week. China has been mentioned in media reports as a possible venue for the Putin-Trump summit, with speculation that Trump could join Putin there in early September. The Kremlin also said Putin had spoken to the leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and briefed them on talks he held with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday. Putin also discussed Ukraine in a phone call with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday, the Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported. Indian President Narendra Modi also held a phone call with Putin to discuss the situation in Ukraine and bilateral relations. “Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine,” Modi said on X. The Indian president added that he looked forward to hosting Putin in India later this year, without specifying the date. Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine. We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2025 Pause in conflict may be ‘close’ The calls came amid rising hopes for a breakthrough in the Ukraine war, now in its fourth year. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday that a pause in the conflict could be close, after speaking to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tusk said Zelenskyy was “very cautious but optimistic” and that Ukraine was keen that Poland and other European countries play a role in planning for a ceasefire and an eventual peace settlement. “There are certain signals, and we also have an intuition, that perhaps a freeze in the conflict – I don’t want to say the end, but a freeze in the conflict – is closer than it is further away,” he told a news conference on Friday. “There are hopes for this.” Advertisement Trump’s efforts to pressure Putin into stopping the fighting have so far delivered little progress. Russia’s bigger army is slowly advancing deeper into Ukraine while it relentlessly bombards Ukrainian cities. Russia and Ukraine are far apart on their terms for peace. Almost two weeks ago, Trump moved up his ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia, as well as introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil, if no Kremlin moves towards a settlement were forthcoming. The deadline expired on Friday. It was unclear what steps Trump intended to take as a consequence. Adblock test (Why?)
Why are Israelis ‘not at all troubled’ by starvation in Gaza?
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday to demand that their government reach a deal to release two Israeli captives held in Gaza who have been shown as starving in Hamas footage. The video showed that captives have been as badly affected by the blockade Israel imposed on Gaza in March as the rest of the population trapped there. So far, at least 197 people have starved to death in Gaza, 96 of them children and global outrage about the famine Israel is imposing on Gaza has mounted. However, a poll from the Israel Democracy Institute (PDF) found more than half of Jewish Israeli respondents were “not at all troubled” by the reports of Palestinians starving and suffering in Gaza. Front pages of international newspapers previously accused of backing Israel’s war on Gaza have carried images showing the massive human cost of Israel’s actions. Yet, in the past 24 hours, gangs of far-right Israeli agitators have blocked aid trucks from reaching a starving Gaza, in apparent defiance of global anger. Formerly stalwart allies, such as Canada, France and the United Kingdom, have condemned Israel and its actions in Gaza, committing to recognising Palestinian statehood if some kind of resolution is not reached. I guess Israeli settlers are stopping and destroying aid meant for starving Palestinians, so that Israel-first politicians in the West can accuse Hamas of stealing the aid… pic.twitter.com/6ECMP23g8r — Trita Parsi (@tparsi) August 6, 2025 Domestically, two of Israel’s leading NGOs – B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, Israel – have labelled Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide, and protests against the war have grown. Advertisement But a week ago, hundreds of demonstrators led by wounded soldiers and the families of some of the captives marched on the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem, demanding that the war on Gaza be continued. Widespread awareness of the extent of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and their government’s role in inflicting it, has yet to dawn upon the bulk of Israeli society, Orly Noy, journalist and editor of the Israeli Hebrew-language magazine Local Call, told Al Jazeera. This is particularly the case because Gaza’s suffering has not been featured in mainstream media. “I avoid Israeli TV,” Noy told Al Jazeera. “However, I was round at my mother’s yesterday, and they were covering the story of the video of the two captives. “So, for once, starvation and famine in Gaza was finally on Israeli news,” she said, adding that, instead of denying that starvation existed in Gaza, the wider Israeli public was being told that the only two people starving there were the captives in the Hamas film. For months now, the mainstream media narrative in Israel has been that the widespread hunger documented by numerous aid agencies is “a Hamas-orchestrated starvation campaign”. This perception runs deeper than the framing by Israel’s nationalistic television channels, political analyst and former government adviser Daniel Levy told Al Jazeera. “It comes from decades of self-justification and dehumanisation,” Levy said. “Most Israelis would be uncomfortable setting out some kind of moral critique of the country, but still have the feeling that something has gone very seriously wrong. There’s a kind of cognitive dissonance at play that helps them make sense of it.” Then there is the language used by politicians, the media and, ultimately, the public to discuss the war, Israeli sociologist Yehouda Shenhav-Shahrabani said. “They’ve corrupted language. Instead of ‘concentration camps‘, they say ‘humanitarian city’. Instead of talking about ‘killing’, they say ‘elimination’. Every military operation has a biblical name, which we now use to measure time. “We don’t say ‘such and such a thing’ happened in June. We say, ‘during Operation Whatever’. It helps people make sense of everything. The jargon’s become a new type of speech. It’s become Orwell’s 1984,” he said, referring to the dystopian novel in which language is dictated by the state. Changing tides However, while most Israelis have continued to see Gaza’s starvation through the lens of its media and politicians, there are signs that, at its fringes, the mood is beginning to shift, observers say. Standing Together’s Alon-Lee Green is arrested while protesting near Gaza [Courtesy of Standing Together] “This isn’t going to hold up,” Aida Touma-Suleiman, a member of the Israeli parliament representing the left-wing Hadash-Ta’al party, said. Advertisement “More and more, people are beginning to understand that there is real hunger in Gaza, and if Israel is making such a big deal of sending food now, then how can it not have been responsible for the hunger before?” Meanwhile, activists such as Alon-Lee Green of the Israeli-Palestinian group Standing Together say resistance to the war is growing across all parts of Israeli society – albeit for often widely differing reasons. “We don’t care why people are protesting the war. We don’t care if it’s because you don’t want to do another tour with the army, or you don’t want your children to go to Gaza and kill people. If you’re against the war, you’re welcome,” he said. However, despite the killing of more than 61,000 Palestinians since October 2023 – and thousands more lost under the rubble and presumed dead – much of Israeli society has yet to accept that the suffering Israel is inflicting on Gaza is real. “From my perspective, we’ve reached the point where the Israeli state and society has lost whatever moral claims they had as a result of the Holocaust,” Shenhav-Shahrabani said. “They’ve spent whatever symbolic capital that was associated with it.” Adblock test (Why?)
Netanyahu says Israel intends to take control of Gaza in interview
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, In an interview with Fox News, Israeli PM says Israel wants to take control – but not govern – the Strip. Correction Aug. 7, 2025: This article originally stated that Netanyahu wanted to hand Gaza over to armed forces. He said Arab forces. In an interview with Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel intends to take control of the entire Strip, but does not want to govern it. His comments came on Thursday shortly before Israel’s cabinet meets to consider his proposal to take over the Strip. “We intend to [take over] in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas [from] there, enable the population to be free of Gaza and to pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas and not anyone advocating the destruction of Israel,” he said. He said in the interview that Israel wants a security perimeter, and that they want to hand it over to Arab forces to govern Gaza. “We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.” The Israeli security cabinet meeting comes as international outrage over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has ratcheted up pressure on Israel, with UN agencies warning of famine in the devastated territory. Gaza’s hospitals have recorded four new deaths “due to famine and malnutrition over the past 24 hours”, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, raising the total number of hunger-related deaths to 197, including 96 children, since Israel’s war on Gaza after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel. Israeli media say Netanyahu is set to seek approval to expand military operations, including in densely populated areas where captives are believed to be held. This comes despite growing concern among Israelis about the fate of the remaining captives, some of whose families set sail from the port of Ashkelon on Thursday seeking to approach the Gaza Strip. Advertisement In the run-up to the meeting, rumours have been rife in the Israeli press about disagreements between the cabinet and Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who is said to oppose plans to fully reoccupy Gaza. On Wednesday, Defence Minister Israel Katz had weighed in on social media, saying that “it is the right and duty of the chief of staff to express his position”, but the military must ultimately respect any policies adopted by the government. In a statement released by the military on Thursday, Zamir underscored his independence, promising to “continue to express our position without fear”. “We are not dealing with theory — we are dealing with matters of life and death, with the defence of the state, and we do so while looking directly into the eyes of our soldiers and citizens,” Zamir said in the statement. More to come. Adblock test (Why?)
Nine PSG players dominate Ballon d’Or 2025 nominee list
Nine players from treble-winning Paris Saint-Germain have been nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or this year, along with the club’s coach Luis Enrique, as France Football announced its list of nominees. Ousmane Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha are all on the list of 30 players nominated on Thursday for the big prize. Dembele scored 35 goals and claimed 16 assists in all competitions as PSG won the Ligue 1 title, French Cup and Champions League and were Club World Cup runners-up to Chelsea. Other nominees include Barcelona’s Raphinha (34 goals, 25 assists), Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (34 goals, 23 assists), who was named Premier League Player of the Season, and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (34 goals, five assists). Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele celebrates with the trophy after winning the Champions League [Peter Cziborra/Reuters] Scott McTominay, who won Serie A’s Most Valuable Player after guiding Napoli to the title, was also nominated as the first Scotsman in 38 years to make the shortlist. Barca’s Lamine Yamal (18 goals, 25 assists) made the cut while the 18-year-old winger was also nominated for the Kopa Trophy for best Under-21 player, an award he won last year. Five England players were nominated for the women’s Ballon d’Or after their Euros triumph, including goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly and Leah Williamson. Marta, who came out of retirement to lead Brazil to the women’s Copa America title at the age of 39, was also nominated. Along with Luis Enrique, Enzo Maresca, who guided Chelsea to the Club World Cup title, and Liverpool’s Arne Slot, who won the Premier League crown in his first season at the club, were nominated for the men’s Coach of the Year award. Advertisement Spanish midfielders Rodri and Aitana Bonmati are the current holders of the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards, respectively. The former spent most of last season injured with Manchester City, while Bonmati was a defeated finalist at Euro 2025 as England overcame Spain. Current Ballon d’Or Women’s holder Aitana Bonmati looks dejected after Spain’s Euro 2025 defeat by England [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters] The women’s coach nominees are led by Sonia Bompastor, who won a domestic treble at Chelsea, Renee Slegers, who took Arsenal to their second Champions League crown, and Sarina Wiegman, after she helped England retain their Euros title. Ballon d’Or nominations in full Men: Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Desire Doue, Denzel Dumfries, Serhou Guirassy, Viktor Gyokeres, Erling Haaland, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Robert Lewandowski, Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe, Scott McTominay, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Michael Olise, Cole Palmer, Pedri, Raphinha, Declan Rice, Fabian Ruiz, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Vinicius Jr, Vitinha, Florian Wirtz, Lamine Yamal Women: Sandy Baltimore, Barbra Banda, Aitana Bonmati, Lucy Bronze, Klara Buehl, Mariona Caldentey, Sofia Cantore, Steph Catley, Temwa Chawinga, Melchie Dumornay, Emily Fox, Cristiana Girelli, Esther Gonzalez, Caroline Graham Hansen, Hannah Hampton, Pernille Harder, Patri Guijarro, Amanda Gutierres, Lindsey Heaps, Chloe Kelly, Frida Leonhardsen-Maanum, Marta, Clara Mateo, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Caroline Weir, Leah Williamson Men’s coach of the year: Antonio Conte, Luis Enrique, Hansi Flick, Enzo Maresca, Arne Slot Women’s coach of the year: Sonia Bompastor, Arthur Elias, Justine Madugu, Renee Slegers, Sarina Wiegman Men’s club of the year: Barcelona, Botafogo, Chelsea, Liverpool, Paris St Germain Women’s club of the year: Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, OL Lyonnes, Orlando Pride Yashin trophy men: Alisson Becker, Yassine Bounou, Lucas Chevalier, Thibaut Courtois, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Emi Martinez, Jan Oblak, David Raya, Matz Sels, Yann Sommer Yashin trophy women: Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Daphne van Domselaar Men’s Kopa Trophy: Ayyoub Bouaddi, Pau Cubarsi, Desire Doue, Estevao, Dean Huijsen, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Rodrigo Mora, Joao Neves, Lamine Yamal, Kenan Yildiz Women’s Kopa Trophy: Michelle Agyemang, Linda Caicedo, Wieke Kaptein, Vicky Lopez, Claudia Martinez Ovando Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)