Archive November 3, 2025

‘We’re Proud Of You,’ Tinubu Welcomes Bayelsa Gov Diri To APC

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State was officially welcomed into the All Progressives Congress (APC) by President Bola Tinubu, who referred to his defection as a sign of progress and unity.

At the ceremony held on Monday in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, Vice President Kashim Shettima stepped up to represent the president.

Diri’s leadership and commitment to development were praised by Tinubu.

The All Progressives Congress is a group of “the people who think progress can only be achieved by working together,” the party said.

Your story, Governor Duye Diri, echoes that of your people. Politics is about development, not opposition or noise.

We are enormously proud of you. He claimed, “You have chosen the right course of action.”

The state’s governor praised Diri for promoting peace and unity through the state’s overall infrastructure development.

You have led with sassociety and a strong commitment to peace and development. You’ve built bridges where there were barriers, opened roads to remote communities, and provided light where there was darkness. Tinubu addressed the governor, “This is what it means to govern with empathy.”

He referred to Diri’s defection as “a homecoming to the progressive family.”

“You now belong to a family that thinks and acts together.” We welcome you and pledge to continue to support you as a true champion, he continued.

Read more: Shettima, Akpabio, and APC governors in Bayelsa as Diri joins the ruling party.

Nentawe Yilwatda, President Bola Tinubu, and Douye Diri, COMBO

Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC National Chairman, who also took the stage, demanded that Governor Diri mobilize large numbers of voters for President Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

The party’s chairman urged the governor to expand its base throughout the region and referred to Bayelsa as a crucial state for the ruling party.

APC supporters chanting slogans and waving party flags at large crowds during the ceremony. Governors Godswill Akpabio, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, and Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom were among the top APC figures under the leadership of Shettima.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has long been viewed as a stronghold in Bayelsa, with Governor Diri’s departure a significant political shift.

On November 3, 2025, Bayelsa APC governors officially welcomed Douye Diri to the party.

After what he called “extensive consultations,” Diri resigned from the PDP on October 15, 2025.

The Bayelsa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere, approved his defection.

Prior to the 2027 general elections, Diri’s choice is just one more defection from the PDP to the APC.

Turkiye hosts summit on Gaza, says Israel must stop ceasefire violations

Turkey has urged Israel to halt its repeated violations of the United States’ ceasefire in Gaza and allow for urgent humanitarian assistance to enter the troubled Palestinian enclave.

Following a meeting with senior diplomats from various Arab and Muslim nations in Istanbul on Monday to discuss a UN mandate for an international stabilization force in Gaza, as suggested in US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to put an end to the conflict, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the statement.

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At the summit, Turkiye hosted the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, and Jordan.

After the meeting, Fidan claimed that Israel has “regularly violated the ceasefire” and prevented Palestinians in Gaza from receiving food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid as a result of “regularly violating the US plan.”

We want the ceasefire to be in effect, the genocide to stop in Gaza, and there should be a two-step, permanent peace solution, according to Fidan.

According to him, “We do think that the international community should continue to put pressure on Israel,” noting that nearly 250 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli attacks since the ceasefire ended on October 10. At least 236 of these deaths have been tracked by Al Jazeera’s own coverage.

The top diplomat from Turkey emphasized that his country wants to see a post-war pact between Palestine and Palestine. He added that the comments reflected the “joint view” of the nations present at the summit on Monday.

He urged that any offensives against Palestinians be stopped as soon as possible.

ceasefire is teetering.

The meeting on Monday was held as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza and an ongoing blockade of humanitarian supplies, including food and medicines.

After discovering that one of the 13 captives that Hamas had taken from Israel as part of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a strike operation across Gaza last week. In less than 24 hours, more than 100 people were killed, including 46 children.

Palestinians mourn the passing of loved ones during Israeli bombings on October 29, 2025 at the Gaza Hospital. [Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]

Israel’s attacks continue, with three more fatalities reported on Monday, despite its promise on Wednesday to resume the deal.

According to a UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) survey released this week, half of Gaza’s households reported seeing the same or worsening food access since the ceasefire. Since mid-September, no food aid convoy has crossed the border into the north via a direct crossing, according to OCHA.

Just a quarter of the 600 trucks authorized by the ceasefire agreement were tracked by the Gaza Government Media Office, which reported an average of 145 aid-bearing trucks entering the Gaza Strip every day between October 10 and October 31.

Nothing is “clear” about the Gaza mandate.

A so-called international stabilization force (ISF), an international organization designed to oversee security inside Gaza, was suggested in Trump’s Gaza deal. According to the plan, the US would “work with Arab and international partners” to “train and support vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza” after consulting with Jordan and Egypt.

As potential participants in the UN Security Council’s detailed definition and requirements are still a mystery, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu reported from Istanbul.

What “international partners” would Israel permit joining the ISF would complicate matters even more. Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, said last week that Israel would not accept the presence of armed Turkish forces, posing questions about the availability of or rejection of peacekeepers.

Even as he consented to the plan, Netanyahu’s attitude appeared to diverge from Trump’s. The Israeli prime minister stated to reporters that “Israel will continue to bear security responsibility, including a security perimeter, for the foreseeable future,” during a press conference with Trump.

Former UN Special Coordinator’s Office for the Middle East Peace Process senior political advisor Miroslav Zafirov claimed that in order for ISF to operate effectively, it must be defined under “very clear standards under international law.”

Zafirov claimed that there are too many questions unanswered in the peace proposal.

Foreign Minister of Turkiye Fidan claimed that the international community had “overestimated” Israel’s willingness to support a two-state solution.

Are we closer to a Gaza international peace force after Istanbul meeting?

In Istanbul, the biggest city in Turkiye, foreign ministers from seven Arab and Islamic-majority nations met to discuss the possibility of establishing an international stabilization force in Gaza as well as the ceasefire there.

The meeting on Monday aimed to bring the nations closer to establishing the force, which would help keep the ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, which has been difficult to maintain since it started in October.

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Israel has repeatedly broken the ceasefire during that time, most recently when it launched another round of deadly attacks, killing more than 100 people, including 46 children, before “resuming” it. Since the ceasefire started, Israel has killed at least 236 Palestinians in Gaza overall.

Along with their Turkish counterparts, they also had foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Some of them may join a stabbing force with their troops.

What information is necessary, as follows.

What is the status of the international stabilization force in Gaza?

After the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that discussions were still ongoing regarding the 20-point Gaza peace plan, which included the proposed international force.

The organization’s responsibilities have not yet been made known to the general public, and security inside the Gaza Strip is still expected to be managed by it.

According to Fidan, the nations participating in the meeting would “decide, based on the contents of this definition, whether to send soldiers or not.”

If they want to be involved, several nations have previously requested a UN Security Council resolution establishing the force. Additionally, potential members of the force want a clear definition of their duties.

In late September, they had a “fruitful” meeting with Trump, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

What is preventing the formation of the international force?

Between Israel and the Arab and Islamic countries involved, there is still a fundamental lack of trust. Israel’s actions since the ceasefire’s initiation and its ongoing attacks on Gaza have a major impact on this.

Israel has largely failed to fulfill its obligations under the ceasefire agreement up until now. Hunderte more people have been hurt, in addition to the fatalities. Israel also forbids the agreed-upon number of aid trucks from entering the besieged enclave and refuses to allow Palestinians in Gaza to rebuild their homes.

Israel makes its own claim that Hamas hasn’t quickly returned the bodies of dead captives. Hamas claims that the project is challenging because of the enormous amount of rubble that Israeli attacks and Israel’s search for bodies require in its search for bodies have created. Hasso points out that Israel has stopped importing new machinery into the Strip since the ceasefire started.

Fidan claimed that the Israelis were using excuses to try to end the ceasefire and that they were breaking their obligations under the agreement, adding that this was the people’s point of view.

Another subject that was discussed at the meeting was calling on Israel to end its frequent ceasefire violations and grant access to humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Members of the proposed stabilization force are primarily concerned about Israel’s complete commitment to the ceasefire, and are concerned about sending troops there. Soldiers from the international forces would therefore be at risk of being attacked and policing on the ground as Israel continues to bomb.

What position does Turkey hold regarding the ceasefire?

According to Fidan, Turkiye is working toward peace because there are still significant differences between Hamas and Israel that may not be resolved in the near future.

Erdogan has expressed extreme disapproval of Israel’s numerous ceasefire violations.

In remarks made by Turkiye’s president, “We all see that Israel’s record on this matter is very poor,” the statement read.

Erdogan continued to cite the administration’s occupation and attacks on the West Bank as evidence that it has massacred more than 200 innocent people since the ceasefire agreement.

We object to attempts to impair the integrity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the annexation of the [occupied] West Bank, or the change in Jerusalem’s status.

How do Turkiye and Israel’s relations stand?

Turkey is close to Israel for a long time, and it was the first state to recognize it in 1949.

However, the two countries’ ties fell dramatically as a result of Israel’s conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 69, 000 Palestinians.

Erdogan has harshly criticized Israel’s actions during the conflict, and some analysts think Israel may be attempting to win Turkiye over time.

In the ceasefire negotiations, Turkiye has played a key role by encouraging Hamas to support Trump’s peace plan.

Coach Trott to leave Afghanistan after T20 World Cup

Getty Images

Former England batter Jonathan Trott will leave his job as head coach of Afghanistan after next year’s men’s T20 World Cup.

The 44-year-old has been in charge of Afghanistan since July 2022 and has overseen a successful period including guiding the team to the semi-finals of last year’s T20 World Cup.

An Afghanistan Cricket Board statement said the decision was part of their “long-term strategic planning” for the “next phase of the national team’s growth”.

Trott said it had been “privilege” to coach the side and to “witness their passion, resilience, and hunger to achieve greatness”.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I will always remain a supporter of Afghan cricket,” added Trott.

Trott has coached Afghanistan for over three years but has never visited the country and still lives in Birmingham.

He travels when the players meet for camps in the United Arab Emirates, which is home to their main training base and hosts many of their fixtures.

The majority of the players live in Afghanistan and play in the domestic cricket leagues.

Ex-Warwickshire player Trott played 52 Tests and 68 one-day internationals for England, scoring 6,654 runs across both formats.

Related topics

  • Afghanistan
  • Warwickshire
  • Cricket

More on this story

    • 16 August
    BBC Sport microphone and phone

Coach Trott to leave Afghanistan after T20 World Cup

Getty Images

Former England batter Jonathan Trott will leave his job as head coach of Afghanistan after next year’s men’s T20 World Cup.

The 44-year-old has been in charge of Afghanistan since July 2022 and has overseen a successful period including guiding the team to the semi-finals of last year’s T20 World Cup.

An Afghanistan Cricket Board statement said the decision was part of their “long-term strategic planning” for the “next phase of the national team’s growth”.

Trott said it had been “privilege” to coach the side and to “witness their passion, resilience, and hunger to achieve greatness”.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I will always remain a supporter of Afghan cricket,” added Trott.

Trott has coached Afghanistan for over three years but has never visited the country and still lives in Birmingham.

He travels when the players meet for camps in the United Arab Emirates, which is home to their main training base and hosts many of their fixtures.

The majority of the players live in Afghanistan and play in the domestic cricket leagues.

Ex-Warwickshire player Trott played 52 Tests and 68 one-day internationals for England, scoring 6,654 runs across both formats.

Related topics

  • Afghanistan
  • Warwickshire
  • Cricket

More on this story

    • 16 August
    BBC Sport microphone and phone