Trump thanks Qatar for mediation efforts as talks on Gaza plan continue

As negotiations for the next stage of Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan progress, US President Donald Trump thanked Qatar for its efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

As the US president’s plane made a stop in the Gulf nation on its way to a summit in Malaysia on Saturday, Trump welcomed Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

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Trump and the Qatari leaders both expressed how much they have worked together, particularly recently.

“I just want to thank you for what we’ve accomplished, peace to the Middle East,” the author writes.

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were in Israel this week to check on the top US allies’ compliance with the agreement and discuss the details of phase two of the US-led plan.

According to experts, the agreement’s key provisions, such as Washington’s call for Hamas to disarm and the possibility of deploying an international security force to Gaza, are still ambiguous.

According to Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabari, who was reporting from the Qatari capital Doha on Saturday evening, the first phase has not yet been completed, including the removal of all Israeli prisoners’ bodies from Gaza.

She said that has been a source of contention because Israel claims Hamas has not returned any of those bodies in the past four days.

Hasas, for its part, claimed that more time is needed to access areas that the war and the heavy bombardment on the Strip have rendered impossible.

Israel has continued to carry out deadly strikes across Gaza and to obstruct unhinged humanitarian aid to Palestinians throughout the area, further straining the fragile ceasefire.

Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli forces throughout the day, according to medical sources in Gaza on Saturday.

In a car attacked by Israelis in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, which the Israeli military claimed was targeted an alleged Palestinian Islamic Jihad member, at least four people also suffered injuries.

Hani Mahmoud, a journalist for Al Jazeera in Gaza City, reported that the attack “looks like a break in an already fragile ceasefire.”

Despite the fact that more work is still necessary, US officials have been attempting to convey a positive message to the media this week.

Rubio said speaking separately to reporters on Saturday that American officials would be asked for opinions on a possible UN resolution or international agreement granting permission to the multinational force in Gaza.

The US secretary of state added that he would hold a Sunday meeting with Qatari officials regarding the subject.

According to Rubio, “many of the nations that have expressed an interest in participating at some level, whether it be financially, personnel, or both, will need that [a UN resolution or international agreement] because their domestic laws demand it,”

So that’s why a whole team is engaged in that process.

The Trump administration’s message on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera’s Jabari, was that Qatar has a significant role to play as the negotiations progress.

She said, “The American president has made it clear that this ceasefire would not have been possible in the first place due to their mediating efforts.”

Traitors’ Stephen Fry ‘minutes from death’ after shocking booze and cocaine binge

At a party with comedian Ben Elton, Stephen Fry was “minutes away from suffering permanent brain damage” and even “death” after “whacking cocaine up his nose.”

Celebrity Traitors star Stephen Fry survived a “near-death experience” after a booze and coke binge, his close pal has revealed.

Comedian and telly writer Ben Elton has told how he rushed the actor to hospital in a cab because he was in “extreme danger”.

He claimed that doctors then informed him that Stephen, renowned for his intelligence, was “minutes away from permanent brain damage – and not many more minutes away from death.”

The revelation comes just after Stephen became one of the latest stars to leave Celebrity Traitors as he was voted out despite being Faithful.

Pals Stephen and Ben had been out for dinner in London before an afterparty together at the Islington home of late author Douglas Adams.

READ MORE: ‘I raced rock stars to see who could snort longest line of coke before my crash’

Stephen, who he affectionately calls “Bing,” was the creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy at the time. Ben, 66, said: “You know it’s time to pull the pin, but you don’t, and you instead open a few more bottles.

“We were drinking beer, which Stephen very rarely did, and for some reason he had some weird organic Belgian stuff which he thought we should try. We were smoking fags pretty copiously as we did in those days and, on top of that, Stephen was whacking cocaine up his nose.

“I can say this because he’s been entirely forthright about it in his own memoir and, having admitted to doing it at Buck House, doing it with me is hardly a scandal. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of hard drugs.

“I used to drink beer with my beer while everyone else was using the restrooms while the Groucho was a member of the Groucho during the notorious days of the late 1980s.” I just thought everybody had a weak bladder. “

In his newest book, What Have I Done? Ben claimed that he was scheduled to call it a night and that he had been waiting for a taxi when he realized something was wrong with his partner.

He continued:” Had I decided to have another beer, Stephen almost certainly would have been dead in an hour because shortly after he’d called for the cab, he started to wheeze.

I recognized there was a problem as the wheezing turned into throaty gasping. Bing? Is this a serious matter? “Yes.”

” His head was rolling a bit and his breathing suddenly sounded alarmingly hollow. In a second, it happened. Would you like me to make an ambulance call? ‘ Yes.. ‘ He was beginning to slump in his chair. “

When Ben realized he didn’t know the address and that Stephen couldn’t breathe in his own way, he admitted to having to leave a 999 call. Thankfully, his taxi drove him home.

The cabbie then requested that they be taken to University College Hospital, adding that “it must have been at least two in the morning.”

Ben explained:” I got Stephen out of the cab and virtually dragged him up the steps to the front entrance. Because he was essentially a dead weight (literally), neither of us managed to gain strength. His breath sounded like a death knell, and I had no idea how he was able to breathe without any oxygen.

“At the top of the stairs, I found a wheelchair. I managed to get Stephen to the door and chair. Stephen was almost in the chair as he was slouched like a sack. His long legs were splayed out and I couldn’t get his feet onto the foot plates.

And I couldn’t move the chair without turning it around and dragging it backwards. Stephen yelled at me as I turned it in the corridor, and I blasted his head against the wall.

He didn’t seem to notice, but as I dragged the chair and Stephen into what appeared to be a reception, I felt utterly sick.

Ben claimed that the area was deserted at the time, so he yelled “I have an emergency,” which prompted a nurse to assist him. He continued: “She ran in, took one look at Stephen and called for help.

I was completely alone when a doctor came in and a minute later they had spirited him away. I can’t even recall having a seat there. I just stood there, wishing I hadn’t drunk so much because I knew I had to concentrate. “

Ben admitted in his autobiography that he felt the need to inform doctors that his friend had a habit of drinking coke. He said, “It had occurred to me that I had to tell them something. Urgently.

“Fortunately, the nurse reappeared with a doctor who told me that Stephen was in the emergency room. ‘Has he had much alcohol?’ the doctor asked. ‘Yes, a lot,’ I said, ‘and many cigarettes.’ I took a deep breath. ‘Also, I need to tell you that I think it’s possible – quite probable, in fact certain – that he has had cocaine.’

Have you any idea how difficult that was? Stephen was years and years away from his drug confessions in the early 1990s.

“Since those long-gone innocent days, he and Kate Moss and a host of other white-nostrilled celebrities have established a culture where talking to Jonathan Ross about how much illegal powder you’ve ingested is commonplace.

Spun properly, cocaine can even be used as the protagonist in a heroic battle with personal demons, which has helped to better understand the necessity of concentrating on mental health.

“But at the time, cocaine was a terrifyingly illegal Class A drug, and I was weeding out my former flame to a powerful figure.” I hated doing it but absolutely I felt I had to. I had no idea what was wrong with him or what drugs were being given to him.

Who was aware of the effects of one drug on another? The doctor nodded and made a note. ‘ I don’t bother myself, I weakly stated.

That sounded sopathetic, despite being true. It seemed to me that, at best, an entire hospital would now be telling all their friends that I did cocaine and, at worst, I was going to be spending a night in a police station while Stephen died and avoided all the unpleasantness.

I was concerned for Stephen, and I feigned that the police would come over and make an arrest.

Ben claimed that doctors later assured him that everything would work out, but that the incident had taken place in the Nineties. He added:” I was shown into the emergency room and he certainly didn’t look okay.

He appeared to have gray, translucent skin, no apparent life left in his eyes, and numerous tubes and wires had been attached to his entire body.

The doctor informed me that Stephen was just minutes away from suffering permanent brain damage.

“And not many more minutes away from death. Given the choice, I said that Stephen would have preferred the latter. So there you have it. I saved the most celebrated brain in showbiz.

The cerebral, throbbing hub of national treasure-dom has throbbed on my memory for the past three decades.

Ben also stated that he was “still very concerned” about staying with Stephen and that he wanted to tell him that he had shared his cocaine use with the doctor.

He said:” I imagined that the big ‘ coke ‘ word was all over Stephen’s notes and I felt he needed to know.

In 1992, Stephen taking cocaine would have been extremely significant, entirely unexpected, and probably devastating news to the public. Additionally, it might have led to his arrest and possibly even imprisonment.

” Stephen was pretty woozy and nodding off, but he was conscious enough to hear me. ‘ I whispered, “Bing, mate.” I apologize, but I let them know that you had been drinking coke. I felt I had to because they were medicating you. ‘

He squirted my hand and whispered that everything was alright. He continued, “Don’t worry,” between his gratingly longer breaths. I’ll be writing an entire book about it in 20 years. ‘”

Stephen and Ben and Richard Curtis have been friends for many years, and they both played the roles of Lord Melchett in the second and fourth series of Blackadder.

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The 68-year-old was one of the top stars in hit BBC show Celebrity Traitors but exited the game in Thursday night’s episode.

He said afterwards: “It’s a word that’s overused as people give them as Christmas presents, but it really was an experience. A remarkable experience. And of course, it’s shaped by the rules of the game. No question, the structure of the rules of the game gives it its shape. And I was familiar with those from watching it, but it is formed more, in a way, by the nature of the group who are participating. That was just wonderful to get to know some extraordinary people I would probably otherwise never have met. And some people, of course, whom I knew, that made it very rich and interesting. Every day was astonishing.

‘Leave us alone’: Jemima Pierre on Haiti’s struggle for sovereignty

Jemima Pierre, a scholar, and Marc Lamont Hill discuss Haiti’s crisis, foreign occupation, and struggle for sovereignty.

Haiti is currently facing one of its worst crises in recent memory as foreign troops, private contractors, and international powers tighten their grip on the island. But who is actually to blame?

An ‘unbelievable’ start – how Sunderland are defying expectations

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After defeating Luton Town to top the Championship standings, Sunderland were hoping to win promotion to the Premier League this year.

In a year, the Black Cats have just defeated Chelsea, the club’s champions, to move within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

It would be unfair to refer to Sunderland’s beginning as merely a dream.

They have defied critics who had accused them of signing too many players by deflecting the recent trend of newly promoted sides struggling in the Premier League with 17 points from nine games.

Nobody anticipated Sunderland’s successful debut.

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To put Sunderland’s start in context, it’s important to remember that the Black Cats defied all odds to once again conquer the top flight.

Regis le Bris’ side managed just 58 goals in their 46 games, finishing 24 points clear of Burnley and Leeds in the automatic promotion standings.

They were unaffected heading into the play-off semi-finals against Sheffield United, who finished 14 points clear of the Black Cats, and needed an injury-time winner to beat Coventry.

However, Sunderland showed their resilience again, coming out of the blocks in the final and bringing in Tom Watson for the first time in eight years to claim top flight status.

It increases the scope of this season’s debut season.

The Black Cats’ best Premier League start has been 17 points, which is equal to Sunderland’s best start since 1999-2000, with that score coming from their nine matches.

Only five newly promoted teams have managed to score more points than Sunderland has this season in their first nine games.

In 2000, Sunderland and all five of those teams were able to survive relegation.

After the win at Chelsea, Michael Carrick told BBC Radio 5 Live, “Anyone who is honest enough will say that they never expected Sunderland to start this well.”

They will want to build on the points they have already accumulated, according to the statement.

They appeared to be quite content and composed for a while, but they also appeared dangerous. They simply maintained that belief to win.

We share the suffering.

Beyond their points total, Sunderland’s start is perhaps its most surprising achievement because they have managed to incorporate so many new signings following promotion.

A record amount of money was spent on 15 new players by the club, which was a promoted side, for £161 million.

Leicester, Southampton, and Ipswich were the three promoted teams that spent a combined £267 million in the previous season, but they also had the lowest total points conceded by relegated teams in Premier League history.

Spending a lot is essentially a guarantee of survival.

The Black Cats’ challenge of making too many changes to a squad that has earned promotion makes Sunderland’s start even more of an outlier.

Former Watford captain Troy Deeney called it “an unbelievable start that was well earned.”

“Sunderland were ruthless, but the majority of teams always stick with the players who won.”

They changed the goalkeeper and almost everyone else, and they said, “We will try and stay up,” and being second in this regard, they will think, “Do you reckon we can get in the top 10?” ‘.

Signing so many players might have stifled the spirit of the changing room, leaving those who helped the club regain its position in the top flight resent those who have come in and replaced them.

However, so far, it has been the opposite based on this evidence.

After the Stamford Bridge victory, Le Bris remarked, “We built our identity both before and during the pre-season.”

“The bond, the capacity to suffer and defend together.” Although we had a little trouble finding the right balance in possession, we were good with the ball, found spaces, and tried to press high when possible before blocking deep because they could punish you in the middle.

Because the substitutes were crucial once more, I’m really proud of the team, the staff, the starters, and the finishers. We put in a lot of effort and enjoyed the game.

The off-the-ball work of the Black Cats serves as an illustration of the suffering Le Bris discusses.

Only Crystal Palace, Everton, and West Ham have a lower average, with 42.5% possession in their nine matches this season.

Only Arsenal and Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Sunderland, despite wasting so much time without the ball.

That indicates that Le Bris has a team that is prepared and committed without the ball, with supporting evidence.

The Talismanic Xhaka is the embodiment of excellence

Granit Xhaka has had the most impact among Sunderland’s summer recruits.

When the former Arsenal captain made the decision to leave Bayer Leverkusen for the north east in the summer, he raised eyebrows.

After leaving for Germany in 2023, it was even questioned whether the 33-year-old could still make a name for himself in the Premier League.

But he has spectacularly perplexed the critics.

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Cunha Scores First Man Utd Goal In Win Over Brighton

As Ruben Amorim’s revitalized side rolled to a 4-2 victory against Brighton on Saturday following Matthew Cunha’s first goal for Manchester United.

READ MORE: Sunderland vs. Chelsea To Go Second, and Newcastle vs. Fulham

After moving from Wolves to start paying off his £62.5 million ($83 million) transfer fee in the first half, Brazilian forward Cunha scored in the first half to start paying his £62.5 million ($83 million) transfer fee. He has now played eight games without scoring in all competitions.

On October 25, 2025, Manchester United’s Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha (left) scores the opening goal for Brighton and Hove Albion in Manchester, north of England, at Old Trafford. (Photo by Oli SCARFF/AFP)

Before the break, Casemiro doubled United’s lead, and Bryan Mbeumo scored the winning goal.

For Brighton to salvage a point, it was a late goal from Danny Welbeck against his former club and a stoppage-time effort from Charalampos Kostoulas.

Under Amorim’s successor Erik ten Hag, Mbeumo scored a third successive Premier League victory at the death to give United three straight victories for the first time since February 2024.

United’s confident display was in line with their momentum from last weekend’s win over Liverpool and Sunderland, which were their first victories at Anfield since 2016.

Much-Needed Boost

After a difficult start to the season, Amorim had a much-needed boost thanks to that team’s 2-1 victory over the Premier League champions.

Now that United have won the Premier League, they are now in fourth place ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

In all competitions, Brighton had won in six of their previous eight games against United and had won in three of those three games.

Despite the absence of Harry Maguire, the match-winning hero, in the injured lineup, United put an end to that shocking sequence.

The Portugal midfielder should have scored the opening goal of the game when Bruno Fernandes, who is now in his 300th game for United, should have signaled the occasion.

Unmarked from close range, United’s captain Fernandes dragged his header wide with the only goal available.

United Clinical

In the 24th minute, Fernandes and Casemiro scored a sweet strike that gave Bart Verbruggen no chance as it raced into the far corner, paying tribute to Amorim’s team’s early barrage.

More than any other Premier League player in any other division has scored seven goals outside of the area since the start of the current season.

In the 34th minute, Casemiro added his Brazilian counterpart to the score sheet.

Casemiro needed a little luck to net for the second time this term if Cunha’s goal was superbly crafted and finished.

Verbruggen was caught wrong-footed as it spooked Brighton’s Yasin Ayari with a wicked deflection from Casemiro’s shot as it scurried uncontrollably over the line.

After posting their worst top-flight performance since 1973-74 last year, United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe recently announced that the under-fire Amorim would receive three years to regain control of the organization.

While some questioned Ratcliffe’s commitment to his word if United kept struggling, Amorim would have been happy to see his employer cheering and clapping as the hosts took control.

At halftime, United had a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford, which is never a Premier League loss.

On October 25, 2025, Manchester United’s Cameroonian midfielder Bryan Mbeumo (right) celebrates scoring his second and fourth goals at Old Trafford in Manchester, North West England, to celebrate his goal at 4-2. (Photo by Oli SCARFF/AFP)

Mbeumo ensured that statistic would continue when the Cameroon forward scored in the 61st minute to Brighton’s dismay, who claimed Luke Shaw had a foul in the build-up.

Mbeumo’s fourth goal came after his close-season move from Brentford, keeping the momentum up from his previous effort against Liverpool.

United’s nerves began to jangle when Welbeck delivered a superb free kick in the 74th minute.

After James Milner’s corner came in the final few seconds, their hearts began to race even faster.

Mbeumo, however, sprinted onto Fernandes’ pass and fired home via the crossbar with the final kick to quench the growing anxiety.

U-17 Women’s World Cup: Nigeria Crush Samoa 4–0, Seal Spot In Knockouts

Nigeria defeated minnows Samoa 4-0 to advance to the last 16 of the 2025 U-17 Women’s World Cup. The team put on a strong performance on Saturday.

Read more about Rivers United vs. Black Bulls and the Champions League group stage match.

The Flamingos, one of the best losers, won with a brace from Queen Joseph, one from Azeezat Oduntan, and one from Shakirat Moshood, who added one more to their overall record.

Prior to Group D’s clash with Samoa, Coach Bankole Olowookere’s girls lost to Canada and France in their opening two games.

Nigeria had to score at least two goals against the Oceania side to advance to the next stage.

They did it in style, with Joseph, who was only 13 minutes into the game when he found the net.

Moshood scored the West Africans in Morocco two minutes before the half-hour mark.

After a VAR review, she converted from the spot and fired the wrong way at Samoa’s goalkeeper.

By the time it was 34 minutes, Tabitha Terlumu had provided a brilliant assist to finish Joseph’s brace.

Just two minutes into the second half, Moshood would have scored her brace.

Grace Ae, a Samoan goalkeeper, saved her penalty in the 47th minute, though.

However, in the 68th minute, Oduntan made a stunning strike that sent the ball into the top corner.

The Flamingos put forth a fifth goal attempt on numerous occasions.

But they were able to advance to the Round of 16 by winning the game by 0-4. With a +3 goal difference, Nigeria came to an end.

With a 2-1 victory over France, Canada took the lead in Group D, placing Nigeria third.