Michael Cohen and Ben Meiselas discuss bad news before for Donald Trump as he crashes out on Friday as the backlash against him grows following Thanksgiving. All that and more on a new episode of Political Beatdown.

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A year ago, the US was offering a $10 million reward for the arrest of the commander of a Syrian armed group, previously linked to al-Qaeda. Yet on Monday, President Donald Trump hosted him at the White House. As Syria's leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa has positioned his country as a regional player - formally joining the global coalition against ISIL. Trump has also suggested he wants Sharaa to join the Abraham Accords. However, the Israeli military is carrying out air strikes on Syria. So, how might the new US-Syria relationship reshape power dynamics in the Middle East?

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After nearly four years of war between Kyiv and Moscow, fighting is heating up on the frontlines of eastern Ukraine. But with drones spotted at sensitive sites across the European Union, its leaders have declared Russia is fighting a hybrid war beyond Ukraine's borders. They say the bloc will protect "every centimetre" of its territory, as member states scale up military spending to heights not seen for decades. And although only Ukraine and Russia are officially at war, the continent has now entered an arms race that's reshaping its economies, rattling governments and reframing relationships within the union itself. All this comes as Ukraine is losing territory to Russia, one kilometre at a time. So, is war really edging closer to Europe's borders and is the continent prepared?

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showing Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian prisoner has shaken Israel’s military and judiciary, leading to the arrest of the prosecutor who leaked it. But as the fallout centers on the leak, and not the events in the video, what does it mean for the victim of the so-called Sde Teiman affair? 








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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.

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A long siege by al-Qaeda-linked fighters has left Bamako low on fuel, food and power. Life has stalled and fear is growing across Mali. The crisis now tests a military government that has promised safety yet cannot break the blockade. What does this mean for Mali and the wider region?

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Kenyan President William Ruto talks to Al Jazeera about the nationwide protests that left dozens dead, accusations of police brutality and enforced disappearances, and whether he’s betrayed the “hustler” generation that helped elect him.

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The US is seeking to strengthen ties in Central Asia which has long been dominated by Russia. President Donald Trump met five leaders from the resource-rich region. He wants deals on critical minerals, trade and energy. Washington wants to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals. The leaders of the C5 face a delicate balancing act - make deals with the US without annoying Moscow or Beijing.

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After years of hype and sky-high bets, artificial intelligence (AI) may be heading for a crash. Jobs, investments, and faith in the technology could all suffer. But could a burst bubble be good for the field’s long-term outlook? We speak to an AI industry insider.

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After two weeks of being held in a US immigration detention center, British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi is back home in the UK. In an interview recorded hours before his release, we hear from his wife, Soumaya Hamdi, about Sami's pro-Palestine advocacy, her family's ordeal and what her husband's detention says about free speech under Donald Trump."

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