Category World News

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has told his Azerbaijani counterpart that Moscow will compensate Azerbaijan for its part in accidentally downing an Azerbaijani passenger plane last year, which had damaged relations between the two countries.

The Russian leader made the commitment on Thursday while meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 10 months after the Azerbaijani Airlines crash that killed 38 of the 67 people on board and strained ties between the neighbours.

Azerbaijani authorities had said the jet, en route from Baku to the Chechen capital Grozny, on December 25, 2024, was mistakenly hit by Russian air defence fire. The pilots then attempted an emergency landing in western Kazakhstan, but the plane crashed near Aktau, across the Caspian Sea.

Baku authorities also accused Moscow of denying the distressed aircraft permission to land in Russian territory, forcing the failed landing attempt in Kazakhstan.

Putin apologised for the “tragic incident” at the time but did not directly take responsibility on Russia’s behalf.

On Thursday, however, he acknowledged Russia’s role more explicitly, saying Russian air defence missiles had detonated several metres from the plane after Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace.

He said Russia would provide Azerbaijan with appropriate compensation and ensure an “objective assessment” of the incident.

“Of course, everything that is required in such tragic cases will be done by the Russian side on compensation and a legal assessment of all official things will be given,” Putin told Aliyev in their first face-to-face meeting in a year. “It is our duty, I repeat once again … to give an objective assessment of everything that happened and to identify the true causes.”

Aliyev thanked Putin for monitoring the progress of an investigation into the deadly incident. “I would like to express my gratitude once again for the fact that you deemed it necessary to highlight this issue at our meeting,” Aliyev told the Russian president.

The jet crash had contributed to months of strained relations between the two former Soviet Republics.

EXPLAINER

In the early hours of Wednesday morning in Gaza, United States President Donald Trump announced that Hamas and Israel had agreed on the first phase of his ceasefire and captive-exchange plan.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated : “ALL the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed upon line.”

The “agreed upon line” refers to a vague map shared by Trump on October 4, showing an initial Israeli withdrawal zone marked in yellow, later dubbed the “yellow line” by Trump officials.

After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas. When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next… pic.twitter.com/0VfaMSOqQ1

By Sunday or Monday, Hamas is expected to release about 20 living captives, along with the bodies of about 25 others, while Israel will free some 2,000 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons. Final details have yet to be confirmed.

Where is the initial withdrawal ‘yellow line’?

Israel currently controls more than 80 percent of Gaza’s 365sq km (141sq miles) area, including areas under forced evacuation orders or designated by Israel as military zones.

Once the deal is signed, fighting would be expected to end immediately, and Israeli forces would withdraw to the line marked in yellow.

The final map has not yet been published following negotiations in Egypt, but based on the October 4 map, the area inside the yellow line represents approximately 155sq km (60sq miles), leaving about 210sq km (81sq miles), or 58 percent of Gaza, under Israeli control, as verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad team.

Most notably, Israeli forces will remain in several previously populous Palestinian neighbourhoods, including:

• Beit Lahiya
• Beit Hanoon
• Parts of Gaza City’s Shujayea, Tuffah and Zeitoun
• More than half of the Khan Younis governorate
• Nearly all of the Rafah governorate

In addition, Israel will continue to control all crossings in and out of Gaza, including the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced multiple times throughout two years of war and are desperate to return to their homes, but the continued Israeli presence in these areas makes that unlikely in the near term.

What is supposed to happen next?

According to the 20-point plan announced by Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 29 – developed without any Palestinian input – Israel is to withdraw its forces in three phases, as shown on an accompanying crude map, with each phase marked in a different colour:

• Initial withdrawal (yellow line): In the first phase, Hamas is expected to release all remaining Israeli captives, both living and deceased, while Israeli forces pull back to the line designated in yellow on the map.
• Second withdrawal (red line): During the second phase, an International Stabilization Force (ISF) will be mobilised to oversee security and support Palestinian policing, while Israeli forces retreat further to the line marked in red, reducing their direct presence in Gaza.
• Third withdrawal (security buffer zone): In the final phase, Israeli forces are to pull back to a designated “security buffer zone”, leaving a limited portion of Gaza under Israeli military control, while an international administrative body supervises governance and a transitional period.

Even after the third withdrawal phase, Palestinians will be confined to an area which is smaller than before the war, continuing a pattern of Israel’s control over Gaza and its people.

Many questions remain about how the plan will be implemented, the exact boundaries of Palestinian territory, the timing and scope of Israeli withdrawals, the role of the International Stabilization Force, and the long-term implications for Palestinians across both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

France’s captain Kylian Mbappe says he feels “more relaxed” with his life in Madrid than he did in Paris and is in good shape before his nation’s upcoming qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain last season, has confirmed his availability for the international fixtures.

“The coach [Didier Deschamps] wants me to play. I don’t think there will be a major problem,” Mbappe said on Thursday.

Deschamps added: “It’s not prohibitive; it depends more on his sensitivity regarding his ankle.”

Two-time world champions France will face Azerbaijan in Paris on Friday and Iceland on Monday.

Mbappe had received treatment for a “small niggle” in his right ankle, picked up while playing for Real Madrid last weekend.

The 26-year-old said he has fully settled into life in the Spanish capital since joining the European giants.

“A career can have some slightly more complicated years, years where you have a little more hardship,” he said.

“But in life, I think I’ve adapted well to Madrid. This isn’t an attack on France, but it’s true that I’m more relaxed there. In Madrid, the lifestyle is different. It’s less hectic than in Paris.

“I’ve managed to score goals. But I think that, moreover, in my game I’m also in a good mood, even if I think I can still do better,” he said.

Deschamps urged his players not to underestimate Azerbaijan.

“Certainly, they’re not among the best European teams, but they’re coming off a draw against Ukraine,” said Deschamps.

“Seven of their players play for Qarabag,” which has won its first two Champions League pool matches, added the France coach.