The 17:00 report · 27.10.2026

Mbappé Apologizes After Mao 'Dictator' Joke Sparks China Backlash and Lost Deals

French soccer star Kylian Mbappé apologized after calling China's former revolutionary leader Mao Zedong a "dictator" in a video discussing online memes, but his apology failed to stem a fierce backlash in the country. Following the uproar, driven by widespread nationalist sentiment, major commercial firms in China, including beverage and dairy producers, announced the immediate cancellation of their sponsorship and advertising contracts with the Real Madrid player. Concurrently, authorities in Beijing suspended all broadcasts of Spanish league matches. These measures jeopardize the player's commercial income and threaten heavy financial losses for La Liga, once again illustrating Beijing's acute political sensitivity and its ability to rapidly exert economic pressure on international sports and commercial entities.

Eisenkot Casts Ballot, Urges Public 'Not to Be Intimidated' by Netanyahu

MK Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the "Yashar!" party, cast his ballot in the elections for the 26th Knesset and launched a sharp attack against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that after Netanyahu presented a simulation of an atomic bomb in Tel Aviv, the public should not be alarmed by his scare tactics. His remarks follow earlier reports by Tevel on election day: from the morning opening of polling stations for more than 7.3 million eligible voters, to Eisenkot's visits to Ofakim and Nir Oz, to the ballots cast earlier by Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, who called on citizens to vote. Foreign reports noted that Eisenkot projected confidence ahead of the vote count. The remarks underscore high political tensions as the Israeli election day approaches its climax.

All coverage: Election Day Weather Storm in Israel

GM to Move Stock Listing from NYSE to Nasdaq

American automaker General Motors (GM) has decided to transfer its stock listing from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to Nasdaq. The move makes GM the first traditional automaker to trade on Nasdaq, a venue historically identified with technology and growth companies. According to reports, a primary objective of the transition is to enable GM to qualify for the Nasdaq 100 index, which includes the largest and most influential firms on the exchange. The transfer could expand the automotive giant's exposure to institutional investors and index-tracking funds, signaling its broader ambition to reposition itself amidst sweeping technological shifts across the global automotive industry.

NVIDIA and Ford Honored in JFrog Software Security and AI Awards

Software company JFrog, alongside tech industry judges, presented recognition awards to a roster of global brands working to strengthen trust in the software supply chain in the artificial intelligence era. Chipmaker Nvidia and automaker Ford were among nine companies recognized in categories covering software security and enterprise AI adoption. The conjunction of major hardware and automotive players around software security reflects the rapid expansion of AI-driven systems in core industries, underscoring the growing emphasis placed by global corporations on safeguarding their digital development pipelines and software supply chains against emerging threats and systemic vulnerabilities.

Israeli Ad Tech Firm Accused of Tracking Starlink Users Worldwide

Israeli adtech company Discover-Tech has been accused of tracking Starlink satellite internet users worldwide through online advertising campaigns. Researchers from the TrendAI division at Japanese cybersecurity firm Trend Micro identified the Israeli firm as one of the primary sources of digital advertisements delivered to Starlink users, in what is suspected to be an espionage operation. The allegation involves a serious misuse of commercial advertising infrastructure for intelligence collection and global surveillance over a sensitive satellite network. The case may heighten international scrutiny over adtech firms operating at the nexus of digital marketing and cyber surveillance, while raising questions regarding the security of SpaceX's satellite platform.