The Gaza ceasefire agreement is preparing to enter phase two, even as the first phase fell short of its promises; with Israel limiting aid deliveries and continuing to kill hundreds of Palestinians in strikes across the Strip. Al Jazeera’s Simon Speakman Cordall explains what we know.
RB Leipzig on Wednesday named Tatjana Haenni as the club’s new chief executive, making her the first woman club boss in German football history.
The 59-year-old Swiss will take over on January 1 and will head Leipzig’s management board.
A former footballer, Haenni made 23 appearances for the Swiss national team. Since retiring, she has taken up sports administration roles at UEFA, FIFA and the Swiss Football Association (SFV).
“I can’t wait to get started in January and to get to know the club on a deeper level,” Haenni said in a statement released Wednesday.
“Together, we want to continue on what is already a successful path, and achieve our ambitious goals.”
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Former CEO and current Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff praised Haenni’s “specialist knowledge, leadership and strategic thinking”, adding she would “successfully shape the club’s next stages of development”.
Founded in 2009 by taking over a club in Germany’s fifth tier, RB Leipzig rose through the ranks and was first promoted to the top flight in 2016.
Since then, the club have won two German Cups and made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2020.
Best-selling author Sophie Kinsella tragically died at just 55 after she was diagnosed with a form of aggressive brain cancer that has a number of concerning symptoms to be aware of.
Kinsella was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain tumor more common in older adults, at the end of 2022. The NHS stated that this particular form of brain cancer “is the most common and most malignant primary brain tumour.”
It continued: “Glioblastoma multiforme usually spreads quickly to other parts of the brain. For this reason, these tumours are difficult to treat. It is not uncommon for them to recur after initial treatment.”
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The Shopaholic book series creator, whose real name is Madeleine Sophie Wickham, announced she had been diagnosed with cancer in April 2024. She also announced then that she had been receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
According to Brain Tumour Research, glioblastoma is the most commonly diagnosed high-grade brain tumour in adults, with a short average survival rate of between 12 and 18 months, with limited treatment available.
Symptoms often begin abruptly and seizures are also relatively common for this cancer. The NHS states that symptoms include:
Tumors in specific areas can cause more unusual symptoms. Frontal lobe tumors can cause changes in mood and personality and asymmetrical weakness and seizures causing jerking.
Temporal lobe tumors can cause déjà vu, odd tastes and smells as well as dissociation and panic. Seizures may see patients looking vacant, chewing, swallowing or making hand movements. Memory and speech can also be affected.
Parietal Lobe Tumours can cause loss of sensation and or power on one side. Seizures may see people struggle to speak or understand
Cerebellar Tumours cause problems with balance and co-ordination, swallowing, double vision and weakness in the limbs.
Surgical removal remains the first port of call for treatment. However, this tumor looks very similar to normal brain tissue which makes it very difficult to completely remove.
Radiotherapy rarely cures glioblastoma, but studies show that it doubles the median survival of patients, compared to supportive care alone.
Philip Rivers has come out of retirement to rejoin the Indianapolis Colts, five years after the 44-year-old grandfather last played in the NFL.
The Colts faced a sudden need to fill their quarterback room after picking up two injuries during Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Daniel Jones was ruled out with a season-ending Achilles injury and his replacement, third-string rookie Riley Leonard, picked up a knee problem.
Back-up quarterback Anthony Richardson was already out with a facial injury, so Rivers worked out for the Colts on Monday – his 44th birthday.
The father of 10, who has been serving as the head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, has now been added to the team’s practice squad.
That makes Rivers the oldest current player in the NFL, surpassing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who turned 42 last week.
After spending the first 16 years of his NFL career with the Chargers franchise, Rivers joined the Colts in 2020 and led them to an 11-5 record, falling at the first hurdle in the play-offs.
The Colts, who were this season’s pacesetters before losing their past three games to slip to 8-5, have promoted Brett Rypien from their practice squad to their active roster, making the 29-year-old eligible for Sunday’s game at the Seattle Seahawks.
Rivers is seventh on the NFL’s all-time list for passing yards (63,440) and sixth for touchdown passes (421).
Colts head coach Shane Steichen served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach while Rivers was with the Chargers.
Rivers’ eldest child is two months older than Colts rookie Leonard and leading up to this year’s draft – when he was a sixth-round pick by Indianapolis – the 23-year-old worked with Rivers as the veteran lives in his hometown of Fairhope, Alabama.
Rivers’ return could also affect his Hall of Fame status. Players become eligible five years after ending their career and, in his first year of eligibility, Rivers has been named a semi-finalist for the class of 2026.
Analysis by NFL pundit Phoebe Schecter
I love it. I think it’s fantastic. I mean, it says a lot about what this league thinks and feels about their current quarterbacks, right, because he’s not played for so long, and yet you think he’s going to be the best one for the job to be able to just pop back in.
You know, the Colts saw what happened with Joe Flacco coming off the couch [at the Browns in 2023], so I think they’re thinking that he could bring a little extra spark, but even having him in the practice squad, they could see where he’s at speed-wise, decision-wise.
Imagine if Philip Rivers is the reason that the Colts make a deep play-off run. I mean, that would be the most phenomenal storyline.
Philip Rivers has come out of retirement to rejoin the Indianapolis Colts, five years after the 44-year-old grandfather last played in the NFL.
The Colts faced a sudden need to fill their quarterback room after picking up two injuries during Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Daniel Jones was ruled out with a season-ending Achilles injury and his replacement, third-string rookie Riley Leonard, picked up a knee problem.
Back-up quarterback Anthony Richardson was already out with a facial injury, so Rivers worked out for the Colts on Monday – his 44th birthday.
The father of 10, who has been serving as the head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, has now been added to the team’s practice squad.
That makes Rivers the oldest current player in the NFL, surpassing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who turned 42 last week.
After spending the first 16 years of his NFL career with the Chargers franchise, Rivers joined the Colts in 2020 and led them to an 11-5 record, falling at the first hurdle in the play-offs.
The Colts, who were this season’s pacesetters before losing their past three games to slip to 8-5, have promoted Brett Rypien from their practice squad to their active roster, making the 29-year-old eligible for Sunday’s game at the Seattle Seahawks.
Rivers is seventh on the NFL’s all-time list for passing yards (63,440) and sixth for touchdown passes (421).
Colts head coach Shane Steichen served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach while Rivers was with the Chargers.
Rivers’ eldest child is two months older than Colts rookie Leonard and leading up to this year’s draft – when he was a sixth-round pick by Indianapolis – the 23-year-old worked with Rivers as the veteran lives in his hometown of Fairhope, Alabama.
Rivers’ return could also affect his Hall of Fame status. Players become eligible five years after ending their career and, in his first year of eligibility, Rivers has been named a semi-finalist for the class of 2026.
Analysis by NFL pundit Phoebe Schecter
I love it. I think it’s fantastic. I mean, it says a lot about what this league thinks and feels about their current quarterbacks, right, because he’s not played for so long, and yet you think he’s going to be the best one for the job to be able to just pop back in.
You know, the Colts saw what happened with Joe Flacco coming off the couch [at the Browns in 2023], so I think they’re thinking that he could bring a little extra spark, but even having him in the practice squad, they could see where he’s at speed-wise, decision-wise.
Imagine if Philip Rivers is the reason that the Colts make a deep play-off run. I mean, that would be the most phenomenal storyline.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that China is moving to “intensify cooperation” with Russia, particularly in the military-industrial sphere, amid deepening ties between the strategic partners since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
In comments on social media on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said a report from the head of Kyiv’s foreign intelligence had noted the dependence of the Russian state on “Chinese investment, technologies, and political priorities”.
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The Ukrainian leader said that Kyiv’s partner intelligence services had also noted the moves by Beijing and Moscow to ramp up their cooperation in the military-industrial sector, adding he had instructed Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service to monitor the cooperation “more substantively” for how it related to Ukraine’s and its Western allies’ interests.
“Global security must not be undermined because Russia’s appetite for aggression remains unabated,” he said.
The report also observed a growing trend of the “de-sovereignisation of parts of Russian territory” in Beijing’s favour – primarily through the use of resource-rich land, and the sale of precious resources to China, he said.
Despite pressure from the West, Beijing, Moscow’s key strategic partner, has drawn closer to Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
It has claimed neutrality in the conflict, maintaining a low profile amid international efforts to negotiate peace, despite calls for it to use its influence over Moscow – which relies heavily on China to blunt the impact of Western sanctions – to help bring an end to the conflict.
In September, the Chinese and Russian leaders outlined their vision of a new, multilateral international order at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, while last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to expand investment and deepen economic relations between the countries in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, describing the enhanced ties as a “shared strategic choice”.
Xi highlighted industries including aerospace, energy, agriculture, and the digital economy as sectors where the countries could cooperate.
Zelenskyy’s warning came as he said Ukrainian officials were expected to hand US negotiators their latest proposals to end the war shortly, amid US President Donald Trump’s push for a settlement.
Zelenskyy is due to discuss the status of those negotiations in a video call on Thursday with the leaders of about 30 of Ukraine’s allies, members of the so-called “coalition of the willing” led by France and the United Kingdom. The French presidency confirmed on Wednesday that the call would take place.
Ukraine’s European allies are backing Zelenskyy’s effort to ensure that any deal to end the war is fair and deters future Russian aggression in Europe, amid concerns that Trump’s push for a swift settlement will result in an outcome heavily weighted in the Kremlin’s favour.
Responding to comments from Trump that suggested the Ukrainian president was using the war as an excuse not to hold an election, Zelenskyy also said the country would be ready to hold a vote within three months if its partners guaranteed security during wartime, and provided its electoral law could be altered.
“To hold elections, two issues must be addressed: primarily, security – how to conduct them, how to do it under strikes, under missile attacks; and a question regarding our military – how they would vote,” Zelenskyy said.
“The second issue is the legislative framework required to ensure the legitimacy of elections,” he said, referring to the fact that elections cannot be held during times of martial law.
Meanwhile, as efforts continued to reach a settlement in the war, hostilities continued to play out on the battlefield.
In a Russia-controlled part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, three people were killed and two wounded by Ukrainian shelling of a hospital, a Russia-installed governor, Vladimir Saldo, said on Telegram.
He said all the victims worked at the facility, and one of the injured was in intensive care.