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Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including Ukraine's armed forces must remain capable of defending sovereignty, says European leaders; Trump says Thursday ‘appropriate’ deadline for Ukraine's response to US-backed peace proposal; and an Indian jet crashes in Dubai.

TOP STORIES

Ukraine's armed forces must remain capable of defending country's sovereignty: European leaders

Germany, France and the UK stressed that any peace agreement on Ukraine must ensure that Ukrainian armed forces can continue effectively defending the country's sovereignty.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss US President Donald Trump's 28-point peace plan.

A German government spokesman stated that European leaders reaffirmed their “full support” for Ukraine on its path to a lasting and just peace, pledging to maintain close coordination with Washington.

"They agreed to continue pursuing the goal of safeguarding vital European and Ukrainian interests in the long term," Stefan Kornelius said.

“This includes, among other things, ensuring that the line of contact remains the starting point for any arrangement and that the Ukrainian armed forces must remain capable of effectively defending Ukraine's sovereignty,” he stressed.

The spokesman also noted that the leaders emphasized that any agreement affecting European states, the European Union, or NATO requires the approval of European partners or a consensus among allies.

Trump says Thursday remains ‘appropriate’ deadline for Ukraine response to US-backed proposal

US President Donald Trump said next Thursday remains an “appropriate” deadline for Ukraine to respond to a US-backed peace proposal, while signaling the timeline could be extended if negotiations show progress.

In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump was asked about reports about the 28-point peace plan and setting a deadline for Kyiv.

“I’ve had a lot of deadlines,” he said. “If things are working well, you tend to extend the deadlines. But Thursday’s, we think, an appropriate time.”

The date falls on Nov. 27, the US Thanksgiving holiday.

The reported draft includes demands for Ukraine to forgo NATO membership, recognize Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk as de facto Russian-controlled and pull back forces to create a demilitarized zone in Donbas in exchange for security guarantees modeled on NATO’s collective defense principle.

Zelenskyy underlined that Kyiv is coordinating closely with its partners to ensure that its core positions are reflected in the negotiations, adding that he intends to discuss the US proposal directly with Trump. The Kremlin maintains that no new contacts have taken place since the leaders’ meeting in the American state of Alaska in August.​​​​​​​

Indian jet crash kills pilot at Dubai Airshow

An indigenous Indian fighter jet crashed during the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates, killing the pilot, said a statement by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

“An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show, today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident,” it said.

“Deeply” regretting the loss of life, it said the IAF “stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.”

The IAF will “ascertain the cause of the accident,” it added.

Earlier, videos on social media showed the single-seater jet crashing at the Dubai Airshow, billowing out huge smoke.

According to Indian broadcaster NDTV, the crash occurred at around 2.10 pm local time (1210GMT) before thick smoke engulfed the site at Al Maktoum International Airport.

The aircraft is developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and the incident marks the second crash involving a Tejas aircraft in less than two years, said the report.

Last year in March, a Tejas fighter crashed in India's western state of Rajasthan, “the first such accident in the aircraft's 23-year history since its maiden test flight in 2001,” while the pilot ejected safely, it added.

NEWS IN BRIEF

- A 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook Bangladesh, killing at least 10 people, including four in the national capital of Dhaka, and injuring more than 350 across the country, officials said.

- South Korea and Japan are seeing sharp increases in influenza cases, according to media reports.

- Colombia has recovered the first artifacts from the legendary Spanish galleon San Jose, a ship often described as the most valuable wreck in the world due to the enormous treasure it carried when it sank more than three centuries ago.

-Japanese authorities approved the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant, the first such move since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, Kyodo News reported.

-Türkiye criticized the inclusion of an updated Greek maritime spatial planning (MSP) map on the European Commission’s MSP Platform, saying the map unlawfully overlaps with Turkish maritime jurisdiction areas in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Sea.

-Australia has expanded its under-16 social media ban to include Twitch, the popular live-streaming platform popular with teens, the country’s internet regulator said.

- Thirty people were confirmed dead in landslides in two regions of Indonesia's Central Java, and searches for 21 who are missing continued, said media reports.

-Europe must urgently reinforce its defense capabilities as Russia’s war in Ukraine has pushed the continent into a “grey zone” between war and peace, the chair of the EU Military Committee, Gen. Sean Clancy, warned.

- In Gaza, medical needs remain vastly outpacing available services despite a fragile ceasefire, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned, as access denials, supply shortages and blocked routes hinder lifesaving care.

-UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any peace settlement for Ukraine must be in line with UN principles and resolutions affirming the country’s territorial integrity, while noting that a 28-point plan drafted by the US has not been formally presented to any party.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Japanese government approves $135B economic package to help public grapple with rising costs

The Japanese government approved an economic package worth 21.3 trillion yen ($135 billion) to help the public grapple with rising costs, Kyodo News reported.

The package includes a number of measures aimed at bolstering the fourth-largest economy in the world amid worries that higher US tariffs will hurt businesses and average households.

When combined with spending by local governments and the corporate sector, the first stimulus package under Sanae Takaichi, who took office as prime minister a month ago, is predicted to reach $272.3 billion, far more than the $248.1 billion in measures from the previous year, Kyodo reported.

The administration intends to boost investment in shipbuilding and artificial intelligence, which are deemed essential for crisis management and national security, in addition to short-term inflation relief measures.

Takaichi says that calculated investments will boost the nation's long-term economic prosperity.

The Japanese economy shrank for the first time in the last six quarters from July to September, with consumer spending slowing due to higher prices.

As part of the package, the government aims to provide subsidies for electricity and gas bills for the first three months of next year.

The package will also include financial assistance for local governments to implement their own measures, such as rice vouchers to deal with rising prices.

Türkiye attracts 47.25M foreign tourists from January - October

Türkiye hosted 47.25 million foreign tourists in the first 10 months of 2025, according to official figures.

The number of foreign arrivals from January to October was down 0.1% compared to the same period last year, Culture and Tourism Ministry data indicated.

Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city by population and a top tourist destination, welcomed 33.9% of all foreign visitors, or 16.01 million, in the 10-month period.

It was followed by the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya and the northwestern city of Edirne, which borders Bulgaria and Greece.

As for the nationalities of foreign tourists, Russia took first place with a 13.5% share, followed by Germany and the UK.

In October, 5.68 million foreigners visited Türkiye, up 4.3% on a yearly basis.