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The Libyan army’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, has been killed in a plane crash in Turkiye while returning from an official visit to Ankara.

Turkish officials said the private aircraft, which was heading back to Tripoli on Tuesday, requested an emergency landing due to an electrical failure just minutes after takeoff, but then lost contact.

The crash, which also killed four senior Libyan military officials and three crew members, has sent shockwaves across Libya, where General al-Haddad was seen as a unifying figure amid deep political divisions. The Libyan government has announced three days of national mourning.

Here is what we know so far:

Who was Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad?

General al-Haddad was Libya’s chief of the General Staff, the highest-ranking military officer in the country’s armed forces.

General al-Haddad worked within the United Nations-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli to bring together competing armed factions.

Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina said people in Libya were mourning al-Haddad, whom he said was a key figure in efforts to unify the country’s fractured military. “He really was someone who tried to build up the military institutions, especially in western Libya, a place that is divided with powerful armed groups and militias controlling vast areas of land,” Traina, reporting from Tripoli, said.

“You have powerful armed groups, militias controlling different parts of land. They hold a huge influence on the government. He refused to let these militias hold sway on the government,” Traina added, and was seen as “someone that people could rally behind and support to try to bring some kind of unity to Libya.”

General al-Haddad had served in that post since 2020 and was seen as a key figure in efforts to unify Libya’s divided military structures, a crucial element of broader attempts to stabilise the country, which descended into chaos following the toppling of its long-term leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Al Jazeera’s Traina said General al-Haddad was one of the first military officials who joined the rebel forces in the revolution that toppled Gaddafi.

Libya is currently divided between the internationally recognised government based in Tripoli and the rival administration in the east led by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

“He was a very charismatic and strong leader. General Mohammed was someone who was respected by all sides,” Al Jazeera’s Traina said. “He was someone who believed in the rule of law, always talked about values of democracy, and wanted to transition Libya into civilian rule.”

Al-Haddad’s death is being mourned in the eastern part of Libya governed by a rival administration, including Haftar, who expressed sorrow and offered his condolences.

During his Turkiye trip, al-Haddad held talks in Ankara with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler, and his Turkish military counterpart, Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Ankara has cultivated close military and economic ties with the Tripoli-based administration, but recently, Ankara has moved to strengthen relations with the eastern administration led by Haftar.

What do we know about the plane crash?

Burhanettin Duran, Turkiye’s head of communications, said the Dassault Falcon 50 jet departed Ankara Esenboga Airport at 17:17 GMT on Tuesday, bound for Tripoli.

At 17:33 GMT, it notified air traffic control of an electrical malfunction and declared an emergency, according to his statement. The jet was 37 years old, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.

Controllers directed the aircraft back towards Esenboga and initiated emergency protocols, but it vanished from radar at 17:36 GMT while descending to land, and communication was lost, Duran said.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said had earlier reported that the plane requested an emergency landing while flying over Ankara’s Haymana district.

Yerlikaya added that the wreckage was later located near Kesikkavak village in the area. Search and rescue teams reached the crash site after operations were launched by the Interior Ministry.

The Interior Minister later said that authorities had recovered cockpit voice and flight data recorders, collectively known as black boxes. An investigation is under way to “fully clarify” the cause of the crash, he told reporters in Ankara.

Investigations into the cause are continuing with the participation of all relevant agencies, Duran said. Turkiye has appointed four prosecutors to lead the probe, and Yerlikaya noted that 408 personnel were deployed for the search and recovery effort.

A group of military officials from Libya is carrying out inspections at the crash site, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.

Were other people killed in the crash?

Yes. All people on board died in the crash. In addition to al-Haddad, seven others died in the crash, including four senior Libyan military officials and three crew members.

Among the Libyan officials killed were:

• General al-Fitouri Ghraibil, head of Libya’s ground forces.
• Brigadier General Mahmoud al-Qatawi, director of the Military Manufacturing Authority.
• Muhammad al-Asawi Diab, senior military adviser.
• Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer.

What are the reactions to al-Haddad’s death?

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah described the incident as a “tragic loss”.

“This great tragedy is a great loss for the nation, the military establishment, and all the people,” he said. “We have lost men who served their country with sincerity and dedication and were an example of discipline, responsibility, and national commitment.”

In a statement from the eastern Libyan armed forces, commander Haftar expressed “deep sorrow over this tragic loss” and offered condolences to General al-Haddad’s family, tribe, and city, as well as “to all the Libyan people”.

What’s next?

In a statement, Libya’s Government of National Unity announced a three-day mourning period, during which flags will be flown at half-staff across all state institutions, and all official ceremonies and celebrations will be suspended.

Austria’s former defence attache to Libya, Wolfgang Pusztai, said the death of al-Haddad was “very significant” and a major blow for Dbeibah.

“Al-Haddad hails from Misrata, an important merchant city about three hours east of Tripoli, just like Dbeibah, and the key role of al-Haddad was to ensure the loyalty of the mighty militias of the city of Misrata to the government,” Pusztai told Al Jazeera.

“Misrata is the most important military power in western Libya, and this might really trigger some problems for Dbeibah, if this loyalty is broken in the future.”

Libya’s Presidential Council has appointed General Salah Eddine al-Namrush as the acting chief of staff for the Libyan army until General al-Haddad’s replacement is announced.

Palestinian Christians fear that Israeli violence and settlement expansion will squander their place in Bethlehem’s Christmas celebrations. Nida Ibrahim of Al Jazeera reports from Bethlehem, where Jesus’ birthplace is threatened by illegal settlements.

Using an Indian-made launcher, India claims to have lifted the heaviest satellite ever from the nation. The largest commercial communications satellite in orbit, the BlueBird Block-2, is designed to provide smartphones with space-based cellular broadband.

Captain Ben Stokes said protecting England players’ welfare was his top concern amid claims of excessive drinking on a mid-Ashes beach break, without directly addressing the allegations.

Stokes was peppered with questions on Wednesday ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne about the team’s behaviour at Noosa between the second and third Tests after British media reports compared it with a “stag-do”.

Unverified social media footage appeared to show opener Ben Duckett drunk and disoriented.

Their disastrous five-Test tour, which has seen Australia take an unassailable 3-0 lead, took another hit on Wednesday when pace spearhead Jofra Archer was ruled out of the rest of the series with a side strain.

England cricket chief Rob Key on Tuesday pledged to investigate the drinking claims, while the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement it was intent on establishing the facts.

Stokes, whose team have already lost the Ashes, said his main concern was the players’ mental welfare and to ensure they were ready for the Melbourne Test starting Friday.

“I’m obviously aware of the reports and everything circulating around right now,” Stokes said.

“My main concern is my players, and how I handle this moment is the most important thing to me.

“The welfare of everyone in there, and probably some certain individuals as well, is the most important thing to me right now as England captain.

“It’s never a nice place to be in when not only the media world, but also the social media world, is piling on top of you,” he added.

“It’s a very tough place to be in as an individual. As an individual, when you know you’ve got the support of the people who are sort of leaders, in a sense, it’s very good to know that you’ve got that support.”

Asked directly whether his teammates had “done anything wrong in Noosa”, Stokes replied: “I’ve just answered everything there.”

Stokes calls for focus as spotlight increases on England

England went to Queensland tourist resort Noosa after losing the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane heavily.

They spent several days on the sand and around restaurants and bars before travelling to Adelaide, where they lost the third Test as Australia retained the Ashes.

Britain’s Daily Telegraph reported that “after drowning their sorrows after the Brisbane Test, it is no exaggeration to say some, certainly not all, players drank for five or six days”.

It added that players “did nothing outrageous in Noosa” but there was concern over the level of drinking, with England’s professionalism already under the microscope after their limited preparations.

Stokes conceded that when a side was losing, there would be scrutiny, and “rightly so”.

“When you are 3-0 down you don’t really have a leg to stand on but we’ve got two games of cricket to play. That’s what we have to focus on,” he said.

“We haven’t won a game in Australia for a long, long time.”

England have gone 18 Tests since winning a match in Australia, dating back to their last series victory there in 2010-11.

Their capitulation in this series in 11 days of play is the joint second quickest in more than a century, since the 1921 Ashes was completed in eight days.

Making matters worse, Archer will take no further part in the tour, with Gus Atkinson replacing him in Melbourne.

The under-performing Ollie Pope paid for his poor form at number three, with Jacob Bethell taking over in the only other change.

England’s Test woes in contrast to Australia’s Ashes high

Bowling with the ‌wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps can bruise a fast bowler’s ego, ‍but Australia paceman ‍Scott Boland said Alex Carey’s stellar glovework in the ongoing Ashes series has helped him grow comfortable with it.

Carey’s wicketkeeping masterclass has been a key factor in Australia’s unassailable lead in the five-match series, and the ⁠34-year-old was particularly impressive in the second Test at the Gabba, where he stood ​up to Boland and Michael Neser.

With the wicketkeeper breathing down their ‍necks, English batters were pretty much confined to the crease, which meant the home bowlers did not really need to vary their length.

“I’ve just never really bowled to the keeper up to the ‍stumps before,” Boland ⁠told reporters ahead of the fourth Test.

“Everyone wants to be a fast bowler, and you don’t really like the keeper up to the stumps.

“But I’ve seen over the last month how effective it is and how still I can keep their batters by Alex being up to the stumps.”

Wicketkeepers typically stand farther back from the stumps when facing fast bowlers to give ​themselves more time to react to the high speed ‌and bounce of the ball, reducing the risk of missed catches.

Even from close range, Carey showed tremendous reflexes to pouch a thick edge from Ben Stokes after the England captain had nicked a Neser delivery ‌in the second innings.

Dismissals like that gave confidence to Boland that he could continue bowling his edge-inducing length balls regardless ‌of where Carey stood.

“I just need to trust that ⁠the length balls I bowl to try and nick guys off is the same length I bowl when he’s up to the stumps or back,” the 36-year-old said.

“The Gabba was pretty bouncy and he ‌was up to the stumps for a bit of it and catching balls above waist-high and I bowled a bouncer and he caught that, so I have full trust ‍in him up there.”

Nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded a meeting with US counterpart Donald Trump to discuss “sensitive issues.”

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Zelenskyy claimed that negotiators from the US and Ukraine had come to an agreement on several issues aimed at ending the war, but that issues like territorial control of Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland remained unresolved.

“We are prepared to hold a meeting with the leaders of the United States to discuss contentious issues.” The leaders’ level should be deliberating issues like territorial ones, according to the Ukrainian leader in remarks made on Wednesday by his office.

As Russia reviewed the most recent draft, Zelenskyy’s briefing came after marathon discussions on the 20-point plan in the US state of Florida. Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, according to the Kremlin on Wednesday, and Moscow was developing a plan.

Donbas’s “most challenging point”

Kiev has been pressing Washington to change Trump’s peace plan, which had initially been criticized as a Kremlin wish list, including demands that Ukraine cede more territory, halt its military might, and forbid joining the NATO military alliance.

With Ukraine maintaining its current 800, 000 military at peacetime and additional documents agreed with US and European allies providing robust security guarantees, Zelenskyy claimed the most recent 20-point framework draft was a significant improvement over the earlier plan.

Despite the advancements, Ukraine and the US still struggle to reach agreement on territorial issues, particularly those relating to the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions’ disputed territorial claims. Zelenskyy called this “the most challenging point.”

Moscow wants to withdraw troops from the entire eastern Donetsk region despite Kyiv’s plea to “to stay where we are” and put an end to fighting at the current battle lines. About a quarter of the area is still under Ukrainian control, and it has rejected demands to renounce it.

The US has proposed a compromise agreement that would create free economic zones as the Kremlin’s maximalist territorial demands are unlikely to abate. Any arrangement must be conditioned on a referendum, according to Ukraine.

Additionally, Zelenskyy noted that there is still no consensus regarding the nuclear power plant’s fate. Near the front line, near the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, is located the country’s largest nuclear power plant under the control of the Russian military. According to the president, Kyiv proposed creating a small economic zone there.

We are saying that we will reach an agreement if all of the regions are included and we stay where we are, Zelenskyy said. There are two options, however, if we choose to stay where we are: Either the war will continue, or a decision will need to be made regarding all potential economic zones.

Additionally, the agreement calls for the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions to be withdrawn from the country, and international troops are stationed along the contact line to monitor the progress made.

The Russian contact line is becoming a de facto free economic zone because there is no faith in them, and they have repeatedly broken their promises, Zelenskyy said. International forces should be present to avert anyone from entering there under any pretense.

According to Audrey MacAlpine, a reporter from Kyiv, the key territorial question still appears to be “on the table,” adding that “there hasn’t been anything fully developed regarding exactly how to answer that question.”

She continued, “What it provides is a little more color in the form of sub-clauses of how peace might be achieved.”

They suggest things like a front-line surveillance system, for instance. There have always been issues over how to monitor ceasefire infractions between Russia and Ukraine, so this has historically been a source of contention if we look back at the Minsk agreements from around 2015.

He added that “he]Zelenskyy[/quote] also said that there are some things Russia is probably not ready for, specifically Ukraine, and that he is certain that both sides may need to make concessions on these crucial issues.

EU membership and funding for reconstruction

Additionally, the draft makes sure Ukraine receives “strong” security guarantees in line with NATO’s Article 5, which requires Ukraine’s partners to take action if a Russian assault is to occur again.

These guarantees will be included in a separate bilateral agreement with the US, according to Zelenskyy. A mechanism to follow the ceasefire will be established in this agreement, along with more information about the requirements for security to be provided. To ensure efficient oversight and quick response capabilities, the mechanism will use early warning systems and satellite technology.

The United States of America is in the mood that this is a first-hand diplomatic response to Ukraine. They think they are providing solid security guarantees, he said.

Other provisions of the draft include accelerating a free trade agreement with the US, allowing Ukraine to join the European Union at a specific time, holding elections following the signing of the deal, and accelerating elections.

Funds for economic investment and reconstruction are also included.