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A Turkey-registered plane crashed in western Croatia on Thursday, police said, with local media reporting that the pilot had died. The Air Tractor AT-802 disappeared from the radar shortly before 5 p.m. local time, an Interior Ministry statement said. Some 20 minutes later emergency services were informed that a plane was on fire near the town of Senj, close to the Adriatic Sea coastline, the statement said. Police said the plane was flying from the northern port of Rijeka to the capital Zagreb and back. No other details were immediately available. Air Tractor AT-802 planes are usually used in agriculture or for fire-fighting. Croatia's HRT public broadcaster said the plane belonged to Turkey's forestry administration. The HRT report said rescue teams found the pilot's body after they extinguished the fire. No one else was on the plane, the report added.  

The BBC apologized Thursday to U.S. President Donald Trump for a misleading edit of his Jan. 6, 2021 speech but said it had not defamed him, rejecting the basis for his $1 billion lawsuit threat. The broadcaster said Chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House expressing regret for the edited version of Trump’s speech delivered before some of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress prepared to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, which Trump falsely claimed was stolen. The publicly funded network added that it has no plans to rebroadcast the documentary, which had spliced together portions of Trump’s remarks that were originally nearly an hour apart. “We accept that our edit unintentionally created the impression that we were showing a single continuous section of the speech, rather than excerpts from different points in the speech, and that this gave the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action," the BBC wrote in a retraction. Trump’s lawyer had sent the BBC a letter demanding an apology and threatened to file a $1 billion lawsuit for the harm the documentary caused him. It had set a Friday deadline for the BBC to respond. While the BBC statement doesn’t respond to Trump’s demand that he be compensated for “overwhelming financial and reputational harm," the headline on its news story about the apology said it refused to pay compensation. The dispute was sparked by an edition of the BBC’s flagship current affairs series “Panorama,” titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” broadcast days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The third-party production company that made the film spliced together three quotes from two sections of the 2021 speech into what appeared to be one quote in which Trump urged supporters to march with him and “fight like hell.” Among the parts cut out was a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully. Director-General Tim Davie, along with news chief Deborah Turness, quit Sunday, saying the scandal was damaging the BBC and “as the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me.” The letter from Trump's lawyer demanded an apology to the president and a “full and fair” retraction of the documentary along with other “false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading or inflammatory statements” about Trump. Legal experts have said that Trump would face challenges taking the case to court in the U.K. or the U.S. They said that the BBC could show that Trump wasn’t harmed because he was ultimately elected president in 2024. Deadlines to bring the case in English courts, where defamation damages rarely exceed 100,000 pounds ($132,000) expired more than a year ago. Because the documentary was not shown in the U.S., it would be hard to show that Americans thought less of him because of a program they could not watch. While many legal experts have dismissed the president’s claims against the media as having little merit, he has won some lucrative settlements against U.S. media companies and he could try to leverage the BBC mistake for a payout, potentially to a charity of his choice. In July, Paramount, which owns CBS, agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over a “ 60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump alleged that the interview was edited to enhance how Harris, the Democratic nominee for president in 2024, sounded. That settlement came as the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation that threatened to complicate Paramount’s need for administration approval to merge with Skydance Media. Last year, ABC News said it would pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit over anchor George Stephanopoulos ’ inaccurate on-air assertion that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. A jury found that he was liable for sexually abusing her. The apology and retraction came as BBC said it was looking into a report in the Daily Telegraph that its Newsnight program in 2022 had similarly spliced together parts of the same speech by Trump.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his long-running corruption trial, prompting debate over potential U.S. influence in Israeli internal affairs. In a letter, Trump described the case against Netanyahu as a “political, unjustified prosecution” and praised him as a “formidable and decisive wartime prime minister” now leading Israel toward peace. Trump had previously called for a pardon during a speech to the Knesset last month while promoting his Gaza ceasefire plan. Netanyahu, charged with fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases, has denied wrongdoing and labeled the trial a media-orchestrated witch hunt. He expressed gratitude to Trump on X, calling the support “incredible” and reaffirming their partnership on security and peace. Israel’s presidency is largely ceremonial, though the president can grant pardons. Herzog acknowledged receiving the letter but noted that any pardon request must follow formal legal procedures. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and legal experts warned that a pardon without a formal request or admission of guilt would be highly unusual and could undermine the rule of law. The Trump intervention has raised broader concerns about American influence over Israeli policies, particularly regarding Gaza security. Visits by senior U.S. officials earlier this year sparked media scrutiny, though both Netanyahu and U.S. officials dismissed claims of interference.  

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday described U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to boycott next weekend’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa as “their loss,” while urging Washington to reconsider the effectiveness of boycott politics. Speaking to reporters outside the South African Parliament, Ramaphosa said, “The United States needs to think again whether boycott politics actually works, because in my experience it doesn’t. It is unfortunate that the United States decided not to attend the G20. Their absence will not affect the summit. The G20 will go on, and all other heads of state will be present. In the end, fundamental decisions will be taken, and their absence is their loss.” The U.S. decision comes after Trump cited widely disputed claims that members of South Africa’s white minority, the Afrikaners, are being violently persecuted and having their land seized because of their race. The president announced last week on social media that no U.S. government official would attend the Nov. 22-23 summit in Johannesburg. Ramaphosa added that the boycott means the U.S. is “giving up the very important role that they should be playing as the biggest economy in the world.” Trump had raised similar claims during a May meeting with Ramaphosa at the White House, despite evidence refuting widespread anti-white violence in South Africa. He also criticized the South African government over its decision to accuse Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza at the United Nations’ top court. The G20, formed in 1999, brings together 19 of the world’s largest economies and the European Union to address global economic and development issues. The United States is scheduled to take over the G20 presidency from South Africa at the end of the year. Trump described the summit on Truth Social as “a total disgrace” and alleged that Afrikaners “are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated.” While he had already confirmed he would not attend, U.S. Vice President JD Vance had been expected to represent the country. Trump’s claims echo narratives pushed by conservative U.S. media since 2018 and are linked to criticisms of South Africa’s affirmative action policies, designed to redress historical inequalities faced by the Black majority under apartheid. Elon Musk and others have also accused the South African government of being anti-white. Ramaphosa’s administration has dismissed these allegations as misinformation and misunderstanding of the country’s policies. U.S.-South Africa relations, once robust, are at their lowest since the end of apartheid in 1994, and tensions escalated in March when Washington expelled the South African ambassador over remarks regarding Trump. The Trump administration has consistently criticized South Africa’s G20 hosting, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipping a February G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Pretoria, calling South Africa’s policies “anti-American” and questioning its focus on climate change and global inequality.   With inputs from AP

The Indian government on Wednesday described Monday's Delhi car blast as a "heinous terror" act perpetrated by anti-India forces. The federal government took more than 48 hours to dub the car blast as a terror act. In a resolution adopted by the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government said, "The country has witnessed a heinous terror incident, perpetrated by anti-national forces, through a car explosion near the Red Fort on the evening of 10 November 2025. The explosion resulted in multiple fatalities, and caused injuries to several others." It also reiterated India's unwavering commitment to a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Australia’s High Court on Wednesday dismissed Russia’s legal challenge against a law that revoked its lease for a new embassy site in Canberra, ruling that the government acted lawfully on national security grounds but must pay compensation. The court’s seven judges unanimously upheld the government’s authority to cancel the lease but said Russia is entitled to compensation and half of its legal costs for bringing the case. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland welcomed the ruling, saying it confirmed the government’s right to act in defense of national security. “Australia will always stand up for our values and our national security,” she said, adding that the government would consider its next steps regarding compensation. The Russian Embassy did not immediately comment on the decision. Russia was granted the lease in 2008 for land located just 300 meters from Parliament House to build a new embassy, though it continues to operate from its older Soviet-era compound in the Griffith suburb. In 2023, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government had received “very clear security advice” against allowing a new Russian diplomatic presence so close to Parliament. The same day, Parliament passed emergency legislation canceling the lease, following a lower court ruling in Russia’s favor against local Canberra authorities. The disputed site remains mostly undeveloped except for a small consular structure. Moscow has condemned the eviction as “Russophobic hysteria.” In court, Russian lawyers argued the law was unconstitutional, claiming there was no concrete evidence of a security threat and that the government was obliged to compensate Russia for the loss. Australia’s Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had advised the government privately, though the classified details were not disclosed in court. Government lawyer Stephen Donaghue countered that Canberra was within its legal powers to strip the lease, saying compensation should not be owed to a nation “for problems they cause themselves.” Russia’s lawyer Bret Walker said it was “disturbing” to justify taking land on national security grounds without proving a specific threat, arguing that property should not be confiscated without compensation.  

Nearly nine in 10 Afghan families are skipping meals or sinking into debt as millions of returnees strain already scarce resources in one of the world’s poorest nations, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The UNDP report, released Wednesday, said Afghanistan — reeling from aid cuts, sanctions, and a series of natural disasters including a deadly earthquake in August — is struggling to absorb about 4.5 million returnees since 2023. This year alone, some 1.5 million Afghans have been forced back from Pakistan and Iran as the two countries ramped up efforts to expel refugees. The report found that more than 90 percent of returnee households have taken on debt, ranging from $373 to $900, while the average monthly income stands at just $100. Over half of the families surveyed said they are skipping medical treatment to afford food. Housing conditions have also deteriorated sharply, with rent costs tripling in many areas. More than half of returnees reported inadequate living space or bedding, and 18 percent said they had been displaced again within the past year. In the western provinces of Injil and Guzara, most returnees are living in tents or damaged shelters, the report said. UNDP Resident Representative Stephen Rodriques called for urgent, area-based recovery efforts to strengthen livelihoods and services in high-return regions. “By linking income opportunities, basic services, housing and social cohesion, it is possible to ease pressure on high-return districts and reduce the risk of secondary displacement,” he said. Afghanistan’s aid-dependent economy has been in free fall since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Donor funding has dropped significantly, with only a fraction of the $3.1 billion sought by the UN this year being met. The Taliban authorities have appealed for greater humanitarian support, especially following this year’s earthquake, and have condemned Pakistan’s mass deportation of Afghan nationals. The UNDP also highlighted that restrictions on women’s work and movement are worsening the crisis, as many returnee families depend on female breadwinners. Women’s participation in the labour force has plunged to just 6 percent — among the lowest globally. “In some provinces, one in four households depend on women as the main income earners,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “When women are prevented from working, families, communities and the country all lose out. Cutting women out of front-line teams also means cutting off vital services for returnees and disaster victims.”   With inputs from Al Zazeera

More than 70 athletes, including football stars Paul Pogba and Hakim Ziyech, have joined a growing call for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel over what they describe as grave human rights violations against Palestinians. In a letter sent to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin on Tuesday, the group Athletes for Peace—supported by human rights organisations such as the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Gaza Tribunal—urged the governing body to cut ties with the Israel Football Association (IFA). “No shared venue, stage, or arena in international civil society should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid, and other crimes against humanity,” the letter stated. It was penned by the advocacy group Game Over Israel, which has been leading campaigns to bar Israel from international sports and cultural events. The signatories include French World Cup winner Paul Pogba, Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech, Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi, and Spanish player Adama Traoré. They argue that Israel has used football to legitimise its occupation of Palestinian territories, including by allowing clubs from illegal West Bank settlements to compete in its leagues—contravening FIFA regulations. “UEFA’s continued relationship with the IFA—through funding and by allowing Israeli teams in international tournaments—means the body may be complicit in these violations,” the letter said. The petition follows mounting pressure from rights groups and football federations. In September, the Turkish Football Federation supported a call to suspend Israel, while earlier this month, the Football Association of Ireland passed a similar resolution. Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza and the occupied territories have drawn condemnation from global rights groups and UN investigators, who have described the campaign as genocidal. Reports say more than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed, including 421 footballers, while the war has devastated Gaza’s sports infrastructure. The letter also noted that UEFA and FIFA have previously suspended nations for serious breaches of international law, citing apartheid-era South Africa, post-war Germany, Yugoslavia, and, most recently, Russia. “It is time UEFA upholds the same moral and legal standards and suspend Israel immediately,” it concluded.   With inputs from Al Zazeera

Turkey’s defense minister confirmed Wednesday that all 20 military personnel aboard a Turkish cargo plane that crashed in Georgia have died. The C-130 aircraft had departed from Ganja, Azerbaijan, and was en route to Turkey when it went down Tuesday in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality, near the Azerbaijani border. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. A Turkish investigation team arrived at the site early Wednesday to examine the wreckage in cooperation with Georgian authorities, according to the National Defense Ministry. Footage from Turkish broadcaster NTV showed the crash debris scattered across farmland surrounded by hills. Pieces of the aircraft were found across several locations. “Our brave comrades were martyred on November 11, 2025, when our C-130 transport aircraft, returning from Azerbaijan, crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border,” Defense Minister Yasar Guler wrote on X, sharing photos of the fallen personnel. On Tuesday, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency cited Georgia’s aviation authority as saying that radio contact with the plane was lost shortly after it entered Georgian airspace. No distress signal had been sent. The C-130 model is a key aircraft for Turkey’s military, used mainly for troop transport and logistics operations. Turkey and Azerbaijan share strong military ties. Just days earlier, on November 8, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended Azerbaijan’s Victory Day celebrations in Baku, marking its 2020 military victory over Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It was not immediately clear whether the crew members on the crashed plane had participated in those events. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili expressed condolences to Turkey over the tragedy. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our Turkish brothers in the accident on Georgian soil,” Aliyev said in a statement reported by Anadolu. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also offered condolences, honoring the victims and reaffirming solidarity with Turkey. Details regarding funeral arrangements and the repatriation of the victims’ remains have not yet been released.   

BBC Director General Tim Davie has urged staff to “fight for our journalism” after US President Donald Trump threatened to sue the corporation for $1 billion over an edited Panorama programme. The controversy arose after a leaked internal BBC memo claimed that the documentary had misled viewers by editing parts of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech in a way that suggested he had incited the Capitol Hill riot. Davie, who resigned on Sunday along with BBC News CEO Deborah Turness amid growing criticism over the issue, told staff on Tuesday that although the broadcaster “made some mistakes,” it must “fight for our journalism.” “This narrative will not just be given by our enemies — it’s our narrative,” he said, stressing that despite recent challenges, “the BBC does good work, and that speaks louder than any newspaper or weaponisation.” Trump’s legal team has demanded a “full and fair retraction” of the Panorama episode by Friday, calling the broadcast “false, defamatory, and misleading.” The BBC said it will respond in due course. BBC Chair Samir Shah told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Monday that the edit was an “error of judgment” that wrongly gave the impression of a direct call for violence. He said the broadcaster would like to apologise for the mistake. During a staff meeting, both Davie and Shah avoided direct mention of Trump’s lawsuit but acknowledged an editorial breach had occurred. Davie said he accepted responsibility, adding that he wanted to give his successor “a clear runway” before the upcoming charter renewal. Media lawyer Mark Stephens said Trump may struggle to pursue the case in the United States since the programme was neither aired there nor available on BBC iPlayer. Meanwhile, political leaders in the UK have defended the BBC’s independence. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office dismissed claims that the broadcaster was “institutionally biased,” while Culture Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the incident raised “serious questions” but did not justify political interference. The Panorama programme, first aired in October 2024, has since been removed from iPlayer as it is over a year old.   Source: BBC