A military unit in Madagascar says it is taking control of the country’s security forces as President Andry Rajoelina alleged an “attempt to seize power illegally” was under way.
The CAPSAT contingent, based in the Soanierana district on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo, joined thousands of antigovernment demonstrators on Saturday, calling on security forces to “refuse orders to shoot” and condemning police action taken to quell more than two weeks of youth-led protests that have rocked the Indian Ocean island.
The demonstration in the capital, Antananarivo, was one of the largest since the protest movement erupted on September 25, sparked by anger over power and water shortages.
Police used stun grenades and tear gas in attempts to disperse the crowds of several thousand people. Few left as soldiers from the CAPSAT contingent of administrative and technical officers entered the city in army vehicles to join the demonstrators.
They were greeted with cheers from protesters, who called out, “Thank you!” to the uniformed soldiers, some waving Madagascar flags.
On Sunday, Rajoelina released a statement saying: “An attempt to seize power illegally and by force, contrary to the Constitution and to democratic principles, is currently under way.”
“Dialogue is the only way forward and the only solution to the crisis currently facing the country,” he said while calling for unity.
Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest countries and has experienced frequent popular uprisings since its independence from France in 1960.
Faced with near-daily protests since September 25, Rajoelina dismissed his government on September 30 and appointed an army general as prime minister, but the move failed to quell the uprising.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and members of President Donald Trump’s family spoke to nearly half a million people in Tel Aviv who had gathered to celebrate the imminent return of Israeli captives. The crowd booed every time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was mentioned, who they blame for prolonging the war.
TODAY marks the dawn of a new era of hope for the Middle East.
As US Vice-President JD Vance said yesterday, a truce brokered by Donald Trump has brought the region to “the cusp of true peace”.
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Donald Trump, pictured with Benjamin Netanyahu, has brought the Middle East to ‘the cusp of true peace’Credit: Reuters
While other world leaders postured and bewailed, the US President used his extraordinary power of persuasion to force Hamas and Israel to strike a deal to end two years of bloodshed.
It means thousands of Palestinians will return to what is left of their homes and get the food and medical aid they need, and Israelis can welcome back loved ones taken hostage during the terrorist massacre which started the conflict.
The 19th Century German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck once said that politics is “the art of the possible”.
But hard-nosed businessman President Trump has proved it can also be “the art of the deal”.
The path to lasting peace is still littered with pitfalls.
Oct. 12 (UPI) — Gunfire erupted close to 1 a.m. at Willie’s Bar and Grill in St. Helena Island, S.C., the sheriff’s office said. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene about an hour north of Savannah.
“It was learned that hundreds of people were in the location when the shooting occurred,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said. “Multiple victims and witnesses ran to the nearby businesses and properties seeking shelter from the gunshots.”
When officers arrived on scene, police confirmed that there were multiple gunshot victims.
Of the 20 victims transported to a local hospital, officials confirmed that four were in critical condition. Some of the victims were transported to Beaufort County EMS, and others arrived separately seeking medical help.
A private security guard hired to police an event at the bar was among the deceased victims, police said.
“This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone,” the sheriff’s office statement said. “We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident.”
Police have not made any arrests but confirmed they are pursuing a “person of interest.”
New Zealand’s foreign mininster discusses the decision not to recognise a Palestinian state, shifting geopolitical alliances, and diplomacy.
In a shifting world order, New Zealand’s foreign policy faces new tests, from Gaza to the Pacific. Foreign Minister Winston Peters speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera about why his government has stopped short of recognising a Palestinian state, how small nations can stay neutral amid the United States-China rivalry, and whether multilateralism still protects the weak from the will of the powerful.
“Days of Our Lives” actor Arianne Zucker has reached a settlement with the producers of the show after her 2024 lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and discrimination on the set of the soap opera.
Notice of the settlement was filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. No further details about the settlement were included. Zucker’s attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.
Zucker had starred on “Days of Our Lives” since 1998, playing the character Nicole Walker. In her February 2024 lawsuit, she alleged that now-former executive producer Albert Alarr subjected her and other employees to “severe and pervasive harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment, based upon their female gender.”
Zucker claimed that Alarr would grab and hug her, “purposely pushing her breasts onto his chest” while moaning sexually, according to the lawsuit. She also alleged that he would make “sexually charged comments” to her.
“Our client continues to deny the allegations set forth in the complaint,” Alarr’s attorney, Robert Barta, said in a statement. “However, in order to bring the litigation to the end, he has agreed to settle. This decision was made solely to end the dispute and move forward.”
Zucker’s lawsuit also named Corday Productions, which oversees the show, and its owner, Ken Corday, as defendants in the lawsuit, alleging retaliation. Zucker alleged that her pay was decreased and her travel stipend revoked after she voiced concerns. In June 2023, she said her character was written off the show after 20 years.
Several months later, Corday Productions offered to renew Zucker’s contract but allegedly did not negotiate with her representatives for higher pay, the lawsuit said.
Attorneys for Corday and Corday Productions did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Corday Productions previously told The Times in a statement that Zucker’s claims “are without merit” and that she was offered a pay increase upon an offer to renew her contract. The company said at the time that complaints about Alarr’s on-set behavior were “promptly investigated” and the company “fully cooperated with the impartial investigation and subsequently terminated Mr. Alarr.”
“Days of Our Lives” aired on Comcast-owned NBC from Nov. 8, 1965, to Sept. 9, 2022, before moving to the Comcast streaming platform Peacock in 2022.
Oxfam’s Chris McIntosh explains Israel’s war on Gaza has left Palestinians there with little purchasing power, as aid trucks remain stalled at the border despite a ceasefire.
The Strictly Come Dancing ‘curse’ has taken many victims, but musical theatre contestant Amber Davies is confident that she and Nikita will not be a part of it
Jessica Clarke Digital Reporter
22:54, 12 Oct 2025
For years, the Strictly Come Dancing ‘curse’ has haunted the ballroom(Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA)
For years, the Strictly Come Dancing ‘curse’ has haunted the ballroom, blamed for break-ups, busted engagements, and headline-making scandals. But while the dancefloor has seen its fair share of heartbreak, Amber Davies is confident she won’t be a victim of the ‘curse’.
Lauren has also hit back at viewers who claimed that they wanted Amber and Nikita to succumb to the curse and said: “Please be respectful to the real-life partners and let them have a good experience of the show too.”
Amber and Nikita appear to be going from strength to strength in the competition and scored a whopping 35 for their American Smooth. They danced to the track Sixteen Going on Seventeen from The Sound of Music, which put them second on the leaderboard.
A source has since revealed that Amber is going to be taking the competition ‘one week at a time’ and that she ‘isn’t complacent’. The source also gave an insight into Amber’s thoughts on the ‘Strictly curse’.
They said to The Sun: “As for the curse, she’s madly in love with Ben and he is 100 per cent supportive of her. They are both performers and know how to block out the noise. They have zero doubt the curse won’t touch them. Amber and Lauren get on really well. They swapped numbers early on.”
Amber has been sharing some behind-the-scenes footage on her social media and revealed that her beau Ben has been watching her videos every day.
She said in a TikTok live video: “He is always like ‘let me see the tapes from today’. Sometimes Ben will make me bits and bobs for lunch. Contestants can stay in hotels but I don’t before a live show. I want to be in my own bed with my dog and my boyfriend.”
Amber didn’t even know she was going to be on Strictly until 48 hours before her first dance when she was whisked into the cast of the BBC show as a replacement for fellow Love Island winner Dani Dyer, who had sustained an injury in rehearsals before the first live show.
Just days before she was announced as Dani’s replacement, it was revealed that she will be taking on the tough role of Elle Woods, the part originally made famous by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 classic, in a new UK tour of Legally Blonde.
At least a dozen soldiers died in overnight cross border fighting between Talban and Pakistani forces Saturday into Sunday. It’s the latest spasm of violence to erupt between the two sides as tensions have escalated in recent months. Photo by Basit Gilani EPA-EFE
Oct. 12 (UPI) — Dozens of soldiers are dead following clashes along the Pakistani-Afghan border Saturday night into Sunday morning.
An attack by the Afghan Taliban on Pakistani military installations prompted the heavy exchange of military fire after Afghan troops opened fire along the northwest border and took control of several of the military posts, officials said.
The attacks followed alleged Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory, which included targets in Kabul, the capital earlier in the week.
Pakistan responded Sunday with gunfire and ground raids on Taliban posts at the border.
The Pakistani military said 23 soldiers were killed and at least 29 more wounded in the fighting. Officials said 200 Taliban-backed Afghan terrorists were killed in retaliatory strikes, and that Pakistani forces had dismantled Afghan terrorist training camps.
A spokesperson for Afghanistan‘s Taliban government said Sunday that a “significant amount” of Pakistani weapons had been recovered by Taliban forces in the clash.
The latest spasm of deadly violence marks the sharpest uptick in tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan in months, and surface amid Islamabad’s allegations that Afghanistan is harboring armed militants in Pakistan.
Tom BatemanState department correspondent on Air Force One
Reuters
US President Donald Trump has said “the war is over” as he travels to Israel for the release of hostages from Gaza under the ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking on board Air Force One, he said the ceasefire would hold and a “Board of Peace” would quickly be set up for Gaza, which he said looked like a “demolition site”.
He also praised the roles of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar, one of the mediators.
The deadline for Hamas to release all the hostages it is still holding in Gaza is midday local time (10:00 BST). Later on Monday, Trump will travel to Egypt for an international summit aiming to end the war.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military response, including more than 18,000 children, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
The ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of the 20-point peace plan brokered by Trump, with the next phases still to be negotiated.
Twenty of the Israeli hostages are believed to be alive, and Hamas is also due to hand over the remains of up to 28 deceased hostages.
Israel should also release around 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, while increased amounts of aid should enter the Strip. An Israeli government spokesperson said they would be released once the living hostages reach Israeli territory.
When asked by the BBC whether he believed the ceasefire would hold, he said it would, adding “everybody is happy, and I think it’s going to stay that way”.
On his peace skills, Trump said: “I’m good at solving wars. I’m good at making peace.”
Asked if he would ever visit Gaza, Trump said he would. “I’d like to put my feet on it, at least.” Trump said he thought Gaza would be a “miracle” over the coming decades.
He added that the region would soon “normalise,” with a planned supervisory body – the Board of Peace – to be established “very quickly” to oversee Gaza.
On Saturday hundreds of thousands of Israelis attended a rally in Tel Aviv and chanted their gratitude to the US leader.
Many details for the later phases of the peace plan could be hard to reach agreement on – such as the governance of Gaza, the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal, and the disarming of Hamas.
Trump will land in Israel on Monday, where he will address the country’s parliament the Knesset.
He will then travel to lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip” was expected to be signed.
Leaders from more than 20 countries are expected to attend, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
What do people in the West Bank think about the ceasefire deal?
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that once the hostages were returned, the military would destroy underground tunnels in Gaza built by Hamas.
Aid trucks began entering Gaza on Sunday and hundreds more were queuing at the border.
Palestinians crowded around the convoys arriving in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Speaking to the BBC earlier on Sunday, Unicef’s James Elder said dozens of trucks had entered the Strip but that this fell short of what was needed.
The UN estimates that at least 600 aid trucks are needed every day to start addressing Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
In August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared a famine in parts of the territory, including Gaza City.
Israel, however, rejects the IPC report, and its foreign ministry says the conclusions are “based on Hamas lies”. Israeli military aid body Cogat says the report ignores the “extensive humanitarian efforts undertaken in Gaza”.
EPA
Palestinians take aid supplies from a truck that arrived in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip
Palestinians returning to northern Gaza have described scenes of devastation, with many of them finding their homes reduced to rubble. Rescue workers have warned there could be unexploded ordnance and bombs in the area.
Amjad Al Shawa, who heads a Palestinian organisation coordinating with aid groups, estimated 300,000 tents were needed to temporarily house 1.5 million displaced Gazans.
Hamas has recalled about 7,000 members of its security forces to reassert control over areas of Gaza recently vacated by Israeli troops, according to local sources.
At least 27 people have been killed in fierce clashes between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush family in Gaza City, in one of the most violent internal confrontations since the end of major Israeli operations in the enclave.
In an effort to get her husband to open up she asked: “Do you feel like you are falling for me though? Do you like me?”
Married at First Sight’s best moments
Married at First sight has brought eight explosive series of drama to the small screen. These are some of the best moments
When series 8 couple Rozz Darlington and Thomas Kriaras brought secretly brought a sex toy to the couple’s dinner party. Unbeknownst to their fellow cast members who they were having dinner with, Rozz wore a vibrating egg gadget whilst husband Thomas had the controls.
Nikita’s exit in series 6. Nikita was removed from the show early on due to her behaviour, which led to her husband Ant re-entering the experiment with Alexis.
A slightly more heart warming highlight from series 6 was watching Dan and Matt’s relationship unfold. Dan and Matt were the first same-sex couple on the show, and their relationship was both ground-breaking and adorable.
Emma and James’ wedding in series 1. They were the first couple to ever get married on the UK version of the show. Emma and James, had a beautiful ceremony that set the tone for the series.
The dinner party showdowns are always a MAFs highlight with explosive arguments and unexpected alliances forming.
The question was met with an awkward silence untilReissgiggled and said: “Easy girl. It’s been two days.”
Then during a boat trip she asked: “”Do you visualise me in your future?”
An annoyed Reiss threw an epic strop and responded: “I can’t cope! You’re too much.
“I don’t need pressure yet, it’s so early.
“I don’t like it. I know you’re saying you want to see the real me you aint going to find that out over night.
“You know I’m a closed book. If you’re constantly pressuring me you’re just going to keep me closed.”
Fans will have to wait until tomorrow night to see if the couple can patch things up after their latest row.
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Reiss explains to the group that he felt disrespected by his wife’s actionsCredit: channel 4
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Leisha explains that it has never been a problem before
Israel says it expects to receive all its remaining living captives from Gaza early on Monday, a key step in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas now in effect.
Speaking on Sunday, government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said that Israel anticipates all 20 living captives will be returned together early on Monday.
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As in previous exchanges during Israel’s two-year war on Gaza, the captives will first be handed over to the Red Cross, which will transport them to an Israeli military base inside Gaza for initial medical checks before they proceed to Israel to reunite with their families.
A Hamas source told Al Jazeera Arabic that the captives have been moved to three locations in the enclave ahead of their transfer to Red Cross officials.
Once Israel has confirmed all its captives are inside Israeli territory, it will begin releasing Palestinian prisoners, Bedrosian said.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is to release about 2,000 Palestinians it holds in detention, many without charge. The prisoners include 250 Palestinians serving life sentences. Imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, whose release Palestinians have long sought, will not be among them, Israel has said.
Some detainees will be released in the occupied West Bank, where relatives have been instructed by Israel not to hold celebrations or speak to the media.
Israel is also preparing to receive the bodies of 28 captives confirmed to have died in captivity, according to Bedrosian.
Speaking in a televised address on Sunday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped the captives’ release would be a moment of unity for the country, despite controversy over his handling of the war.
“This is an emotional evening … because tomorrow, our children will return to our borders,” said Netanyahu, quoting a biblical verse. “Tomorrow is the beginning of a new path – a path of rebuilding, a path of healing and, I hope, a path of united hearts.”
Some of the families of captives have criticised Netanyahu for allegedly prioritising military victory over their release. On Saturday, when the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, praised Netanyahu’s leadership at a rally in Tel Aviv, many in the crowd booed.
A billboard in Tel Aviv shows an image of US President Donald Trump during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas [Hannah McKay/Reuters]
‘Trump’s show’
The planned exchange comes three days after Israel’s government approved the first phase of a deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza, and just as United States President Donald Trump, who spearheaded the agreement, visits Israel before a summit in Egypt.
Trump left for Israel from the Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Sunday afternoon, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA chief John Ratcliffe accompanying him on Air Force One.
“This is going to be a very special time,” said Trump on Sunday afternoon before boarding the flight. “Everybody’s cheering.”
On board Air Force One, the US president told reporters that the captives may be released “a little early”, that his relationship with Netanyahu was good, and that Qatar deserved credit for the role it had played in mediating the ceasefire.
“The war is over. You understand that,” Trump added.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, Jordan, because the network is banned in Israel, said: “It is Trump’s show.”
“He will be arriving in Israel, meeting with the families of captives, addressing the Knesset, and then going to Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, where he has summoned the leaders of more than 20 countries.”
As part of the Trump-led ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces have withdrawn from parts of Gaza, including Gaza City and other northern areas, although they still control more than half of its territory.
Palestinians returning to the combat zones they were displaced from have found widespread devastation, or “wastelands” where their neighbourhoods once stood, Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili reported from Gaza City.
Humanitarian aid has begun to trickle into the enclave as part of the ceasefire, with dozens of trucks arriving on Sunday. But distribution remains slow for a population that has endured months of extreme deprivation, said Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary.
“People are not waiting only for food, but also for tents, mobile shelters, solar panels and desperately-needed medical equipment and medicines – items largely unavailable for the past two years,” Khoudary said from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. “Most people have lost their savings, have no access to bank accounts, and are completely dependent on humanitarian aid to survive.”
Leaders to convene in Egypt
The Gaza summit, scheduled for Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, will be co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
More than a dozen world leaders are expected to attend, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said that neither he nor Iran’s president would accept an invitation to the summit because they could not “engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People”, in reference to the US and its strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities earlier this year.
Although both Israel and Hamas said they would not participate, Cairo has hailed the summit as a “historic” event that will seek “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East”.
Egypt said that a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip” is also expected to be signed at the summit.
‘Hard work’ to come
Despite the ceasefire progress, many details on phase two of the deal, which is still to be negotiated, need to be ironed out, including the exact makeup of a post-war administration for Gaza and the fate of Hamas.
The second phase is expected to involve a phased Israeli withdrawal, Hamas’s disarmament, the establishment of new security and governance arrangements, and reconstruction.
“After the big day tomorrow for Trump, after the release of the hostages… then comes the hard work,” Adnan Hayajneh, professor of international relations at the University of Qatar, told Al Jazeera. “If you look at the situation in Gaza, it’s like an earthquake happened… There’s no government. There’s no schools. There’s nothing there.”
US Vice President JD Vance appeared to acknowledge on Sunday that the road to stability would be difficult. “It is going to take consistent leverage and consistent pressure from the president of the United States on down,” he told US broadcaster CBS.
In a separate interview with ABC, Vance said that the 200 US troops reportedly being sent to Israel to monitor the ceasefire are not intended to have a combat role and will not deploy to Palestinian territory.
“The idea that we’re going to have troops on the ground in Gaza, in Israel, that that is not our intention, that is not our plan,” said Vance.
The new government, led by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, must present a 2026 draft budget on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled a new government after holding marathon talks with newly re-appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ahead of a fast-approaching deadline to present next year’s budget to parliament.
In Lecornu’s new cabinet, Jean-Noel Barrot remains as foreign minister, while outgoing Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin takes on the defence portfolio, according to a lineup published by the president’s office on Sunday.
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In a post on X, Lecornu wrote: “A mission-based government has been appointed to draw up a budget for France before the end of the year.”
“I would like to thank the women and men who have freely committed themselves to this government, putting aside personal and partisan interests. Only one thing matters: the interests of the country.”
Macron reinstated Lecornu late on Friday, just four days after the premier had resigned and as his first government collapsed, leading to outrage and pledges from opponents to topple any new cabinet at the first chance.
The former defence minister was tasked with assembling a government to present a 2026 draft budget on Monday, giving parliament the constitutionally required 70 days to scrutinise the plan before the year’s end.
But the right-wing Republicans (LR), a key political ally, complicated matters on Saturday by announcing that the party would not take part in the new government but only cooperate on a “bill-by-bill” basis.
Other allied and rival parties wrestled all weekend over whether to join Lecornu’s new government or vote to topple it.
The premier had pledged to work with all mainstream political movements and to select cabinet members who are “not imprisoned by parties”.
A Macron loyalist, Lecornu agreed after he had quit to stay on for two extra days to talk to all political parties.
He told the French weekly La Tribune that he had resigned “because the conditions were no longer met” and said that he would do so again if that remained the case.
The French president, facing the worst domestic crisis since the 2017 start of his presidency, has yet to address the public since Lecornu’s first government fell.
On Monday, Macron is due to travel to Egypt to support a Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by the United States, a trip that could delay the presentation of the draft budget.
Lecornu’s reappointment comes as France faces political deadlock and a parliamentary impasse over an austerity budget against a backdrop of climbing public debt.
The country faces pressure from the European Union to rein in its deficit and debt, with the fight over cost-cutting measures toppling Lecornu’s two predecessors.
Lecornu has pledged to do “everything possible” to give France a budget by the end of the year, saying that restoring the public finances was “a priority” for the future.
But he is under pressure from parties across the political spectrum, including the Socialists, who have threatened to topple his government unless he backs away from the 2023 pension reform that pushed the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Lecornu said on Saturday that “all debates are possible” over the pension reforms, and that his “only ambition is to get out of this situation that is painful for everyone”.
If Lecornu fails to secure parliamentary support, France would need emergency stopgap legislation to authorise spending from January 1 until a full budget is adopted.
French politics has been deadlocked ever since Macron gambled last year on snap polls that he hoped would consolidate power, but that instead ended in a hung Parliament and more seats for the far right.
Paramount, backed by billionaire Larry Ellison and his family, has officially opened the bidding for rival Warner Bros. Discovery — a potential massive merger that would dramatically change Hollywood.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s board rejected Paramount’s initial bid of about $20 a share, but talks are continuing, according to two people close to the companies who were not authorized to speak publicly.
One of the knowledgeable sources said Paramount was preparing a second bid.
Warner Bros. Discovery owns HBO, CNN, TBS, Food Network, HGTV and the prolific Warner Bros. movie and television studio in Burbank.
Ellison, one of the world’s richest men, is committed to helping his 42-year-old son, David, pull off the industry-reshaping acquisition and has agreed to help finance the bid, two people close to the situation said.
The younger Ellison, who entered the movie business 15 years ago by launching his Skydance Media production company, was catapulted into the major leagues this summer with the Ellison family’s purchase of Paramount’s controlling stake.
Since then, David Ellison and his team have made bold moves to help Paramount shake more than a decade of doldrums. Buying Warner Bros. Discovery would be their most audacious move yet. The merger would lead to the elimination of one of the original Hollywood film studios, and could see the consolidation of CNN with Paramount-owned CBS News.
Representatives for Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment.
Industry veterans were stunned by the speed of Paramount’s play for Warner Bros. Discovery, noting that top executives had begun working on the bid even as they were putting finishing touches on the Paramount takeover.
One of Paramount’s top executives is a former Goldman Sachs banker, Andy Gordon, who was a ranking member of RedBird Capital Partners, the private equity firm that has teamed up with the Ellisons and has a significant stake in Paramount.
Paramount’s interest prompted stocks of both companies to soar, driving up the market value for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Paramount’s offer of $20 a share for Warner Bros. Discovery was less than what some analysts and sources believe the company’s parts are worth, leading the Warner Bros. Discovery board to rebuff the offer, sources said.
But many believe that Paramount needs more content to better compete in a landscape that’s dominated by tech giants such as Netflix and Amazon.
Paramount has reason to move quickly.
Warner Bros. Discovery had previously announced that it was planning to divide its assets into two companies by next April. One company, Warner Bros., would be made up of HBO, the HBO Max streaming service and the Burbank-based movie and television studios. Current Chief Executive David Zaslav would run that enterprise.
The other arm would be called Discovery Global and consist of the linear cable television channels, which have seen their fortunes fall with consumers’ shift to streaming.
The Paramount bid was seen as an attempt to slip in under the wire because other large companies, including Amazon, Apple and Netflix, may have been interested in buying the studios, streaming service and leafy studio lot in Burbank.
However, Netflix’s co-chief executive Greg Peters appeared to downplay Netflix’s interest during an appearance last week at the Bloomberg Screentime media conference. “We come from a deep heritage of being builders rather than buyers,” Peters said.
Some analysts believe Paramount’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery could ultimately prevail because Zaslav and his team have made huge cuts during the past three years to get the various businesses profitable after buying the company from AT&T, which left the company burdened with a heavy debt load. The company has paid down billions of dollars of debt, but still carries nearly $35 billion of debt on its books.
Others point to Warner Bros.’ recent successes at the box office as evidence that Paramount is offering too little.
Despite the tumult at the corporate level, Warner Bros.’ film studio has had a successful year. Its fortunes turned around in April with the release of “A Minecraft Movie,” which grossed nearly $958 million worldwide, followed by a string of hits including Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” James Gunn’s “Superman” and horror flick “Weapons.”
Last week at Bloomberg’s Screentime media conference, Ellison declined to comment on Paramount’s pursuit of Warner Bros. or even whether his company had already made a bid. But he did touch briefly on consolidation in Hollywood, saying, “Ironically, it was David Zaslav last year who said that consolidation in the media business is important.”
“There are a lot of options out there,” he added, but declined to elaborate.
After news of Paramount’s interest surfaced, Warner Bros. Discovery‘s stock jumped more than 30%. It climbed as much as $20 a share, but closed Friday at $17.10, down 3.2%.
Paramount also has seen its stock surge by about 12%. Shares finished Friday at $17, down 5.4%
Warner Bros. Discovery is now valued at $42 billion. Paramount is considerably smaller, worth about $18.5 billion.
Oct. 12 (UPI) — Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was booked into the Marion County, Ind., jail Sunday after being released from the hospital following treatment for stab wounds he received during an altercation with a truck driver.
Sanchez, 38, is facing multiple charges, including felony battery, for his altercation with 69-year-old Perry Tole, in which Sanchez was stabbed multiple times. Tole claimed he was defending himself from the former NFL star. Sanchez was released from jail following his booking Sunday.
Trump told Indianapolis media that he was “focused on his recovery,” and thanked medical professionals for saving his life.
“Right now, I’m just focused on recovery,” Sanchez said. “And I just wanted to thank the first responders, Eskenazi hospital … I just want to thank Dr. [Lindsey] Morrisey, the surgeon. I’m grateful for that. Sorry I can’t answer all your questions.”
Sanchez told reporters that he is recovering slowly and that “it is a long process.”
Tole has sued Sanchez and Fox Sports for his injuries that he said he received in the Oct. 4 incident in Indianapolis.
Local police said they would typically wait until Monday to handle cases that happen on the weekend, but “a high level of public interest” in Sanchez prompted them to take action on Sunday.
Sources say the 28-year-old was killed by members of an Israel-linked ‘militia’ fighting Hamas in the Sabra neighbourhood.
Published On 12 Oct 202512 Oct 2025
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Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi has been killed during clashes in Gaza City, just days after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that the 28-year-old, who had gained prominence for his videos covering the war, was shot and killed by members of an “armed militia” while covering clashes in the city’s Sabra neighbourhood.
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Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency verified footage published by reporters and activists showing his body – in a “press” flak jacket – on what appeared to be the back of a truck. He had been missing since Sunday morning.
Palestinian sources said clashes were taking place between Hamas security forces and fighters from the Doghmush clan in Sabra on Sunday, although this has not been confirmed by local authorities.
A senior source in Gaza’s Ministry of Interior told Al Jazeera Arabic that the clashes in Gaza City involved “an armed militia affiliated with the [Israeli] occupation”.
The source said security forces imposed a siege on the militia, adding that “militia members” killed displaced people as they were returning from southern Gaza to Gaza City.
Despite the recent ceasefire, local authorities have repeatedly warned that the security situation in Gaza remains challenging.
‘I lived in fear for every second’
Speaking to Al Jazeera in January, several days before the start of a temporary ceasefire in the war at the time, Aljafarawi talked about his experiences being displaced from northern Gaza.
“All the scenes and situations I went through during these 467 days will not be erased from my memory. All the situations we faced, we will never be able to forget them,” Aljafarawi said.
The journalist added that he had received numerous threats from Israel due to his work.
“Honestly, I lived in fear for every second, especially after hearing what the Israeli occupation was saying about me. I was living life second to second, not knowing what the next second would bring,” he said.
In the deadliest-ever conflict for journalists, more than 270 media workers have now been killed in Gaza since the start of Israel’s war in October 2023.
United States President Donald Trump is set to gather with other world leaders on Monday in Egypt’s Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for a Gaza summit co-hosted by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
It aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”, according to the Egyptian president’s office.
During the “historic” gathering, a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip” is set to be signed, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. Neither Israel nor Hamas will have representatives at the talks.
Alongside a snap of her with Ross in their Movie Week outfits, Karen penned: “Absolutely gutted. Since the beginning of this show @therossking has been a rock for me and is one of the most genuine and funny people I’ve ever met.
“Have loved every minute of our @bbcstrictly journey and will miss you loads but know I’ll have a mate for life.”
Speaking on the Strictly results show, Ross said about his time on the show: “I have loved every single minute of it.
“I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported us, all the people who voted – they’ve been amazing.
“I want to thank everyone here in this room, backstage, the judges, the crew – every single person here has made me so, so welcome.
“And, I want to thank a very special lady who has been with me through it all and has been absolutely everything: she’s been a mentor, teacher, carer and I could not have wished for a better partner, and I could not have wished to be on a better show. Thank you judges for all your remarks.”
Meanwhile, Jowita shared: “Thank you so much for all of your work. For everything you have done during rehearsals.
“We laugh a lot – but we also cried! Thank you so much, and I hope I’m going to be a little part in your life forever.”
Both Jowita and Ross will appear on It Takes Two on Monday in their first TV interview after their elimination.
Ross also shared a number of snaps from his time on the show on Instagram as he reflected on his journey.
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday 18 October at 6:30pm, with the results show on Sunday 19 October at 7:15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Israel has agreed to release many Palestinian prisoners as the ceasefire holds.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are held in Israeli jails – most of them without charge.
And as the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel is centred on the release of detainees, about 2,000 of them are due to be released.
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But the mistreatment of detainees by Israeli forces has been documented for decades.
So in addition to international law, is Israel breaking its own laws in its arrest and treatment of prisoners? Why did it arrest and torture so many people during its war on Gaza? And is it using mass detention to maintain its occupation?
Presenter: Neave Barker
Guests:
Naji Abbas – Director of the Prisoners & Detainees Department at Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
Ubai Aboudi – Executive director at Bisan Center for Research and Development, held in administrative detention in Israel without trial
Milena Ansari – Israel and Palestine assistant researcher at Human Rights Watch
Crisis has damaged more than 16,000 homes and caused widespread electricity cuts.
Published On 12 Oct 202512 Oct 2025
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Torrential flooding has continued to sweep parts of central and southeastern Mexico, raising the death toll to at least 44 people in less than a week.
Heavy downpours caused by two tropical storms have triggered landslides and flooding across five states, including Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, Queretaro and San Luis Potosi, the government said in a statement on Sunday.
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Floods have killed 18 people in Veracruz state, 16 in Hidalgo, nine in Puebla and one in Queretaro, the statement said.
Mexico’s El Universal newspaper put the death toll even higher — at 48 — and reported that dozens remain missing.
Around 320,000 people have experienced power outages, and at least 16,000 homes have been damaged, according to authorities, who fear that more landslides and overflowing rivers could exacerbate the damage.
‘We will not leave anyone’
President Claudia Sheinbaum said the military has been mobilised to help with rescue operations and aid distributions. “We will not leave anyone without support,” she said in a post on X.
Photos posted by the military showed people being evacuated by soldiers with life rafts, homes flooded with mud, and rescue workers trudging through waist-high waters.
Members of Mexico’s National Guard transport people to Tulancingo after heavy rains in Hidalgo state, Mexico, on October 12 [Alfredo Estrella/AFP]
Mexico has been hit by particularly heavy rains this year, and Mexico City recorded its rainiest June in more than two decades.
Authorities have attributed the latest deadly downpours to the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Rainstorm Raymond, both of which dumped heavy rains on Mexico’s west.
The remnants of Raymond, with wind gusts now at 45km/hr (28mph), were expected to hit the southern part of Baja California on Sunday.
