International
Azerbaijani government sources say AZAL plane was hit by Russian missile
The Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people, was hit by a Russian anti-aircraft missile, two Azerbaijani government sources told EFE on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
According to sources, Flight 8432, from Baku, was hit by shrapnel from a surface-to-air missile while it was in the airspace of the Russian city of Grozny, its destination.
They also said that the authorities did not allow the emergency landing requested by the pilots of the Embraer 190 at Russian airports and diverted it towards the city of Aktau, in Kazakhstan, for which it had to fly over the waters of the Caspian Sea.
According to the pro-government agency Caliber.Az, the missile used against the plane was a Pantsir-S.
The same media outlet reports that Russian sources acknowledge that Russian anti-aircraft defences were trying to shoot down Ukrainian drones in the skies over Chechnya, where the AZAL plane was flying.
In addition, the head of the Center for Combating Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Andri Kovalenko, said that the plane was shot down by a Russian air defense system.
“The explosion of an air defense missile damaged the plane and disabled its systems,” Kovalenko wrote on Telegram.
The black boxes are found
The black boxes of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people, have been found at the scene of the tragedy, Kazakh officials said today.
“During the inspection of the crash site, two flight recorders were discovered, which will be handed over to the Air Accident Investigation Department,” Abilaibek Ordabaev, the transport prosecutor of Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, told a press conference.
He added that inspection work at the site of the accident, which covers more than 4,000 square meters, is “in the final stage.”
According to Kazakh sources, specialists from the Brazilian company Embraer will be in charge of decoding the black boxes. They will arrive in the Central Asian country tomorrow to join the investigation.
Attacks on Grozny
The holes in the plane’s fuselage that appeared during the flight and can be seen in the passengers’ images could not have been caused by birds, as initially reported by Russian sources, he said.
“Russia had to close the airspace over Grozny, but it did not do so,” Kovalenko stressed, referring to the risks created by the drone attack that was taking place in Grozny at the same time.
The Russian city was attacked by drones on Wednesday morning, according to the secretary of the Chechen Security Council and nephew of the head of the region, Jamzat Kadyrov.
“Everything that flew was shot down,” he said on Instagram.
The Ukrainian official said the plane “was damaged by the Russians and sent to Kazakhstan instead of making an emergency landing in Grozny and saving lives.”
The Kremlin calls for not rushing into hypotheses
Only the professionalism of the plane’s pilots prevented Russia from “turning this story into a Russian provocation against Ukraine,” he said, warning that Russia will do everything possible to hide its own responsibility for the plane crash and the deaths of people.
On Wednesday morning, 38 of the 67 people on board the plane died in the accident near the city of Aktau (Kazakhstan), after failing to land in the Russian city of Grozny (Chechnya).
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency earlier said the plane “hit birds” after which its captain decided to land at an alternate airfield in Aktau, Kazakhstan.
The Kremlin today called on people not to rush to conclusions about the causes of the crash.
“It would be a mistake to formulate hypotheses before the conclusions of the investigation. We, of course, will not do so and no one should do so,” said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov at his daily telephone press conference.
Peskov insisted that it was necessary to “wait until the investigation is over.”
NATO calls for a “thorough” investigation
Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office spokesman Kanan Zeinalov said Thursday that Azerbaijani and Kazakh specialists are working together to clarify the causes of the tragedy, and Brazilian experts are also expected to join them.
Several pro-war Russian military bloggers, including Fighterbomber, have added their support to the theory that the aircraft was possibly shot down by Russian air defenses, noting that alleged shrapnel impacts can be seen in images of the wreckage of the plane.
NATO has called for a “thorough” investigation into the crash.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and victims of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243. We wish those injured in the accident a speedy recovery and call for a thorough investigation,” NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah said in a message on social media.
International
Gates Foundation to close by 2045 as Bill Gates pledges to donate $200 Billion
When Bill and Melinda French Gates established the Gates Foundation in 2000, they envisioned an organization that would continue its work for decades after their deaths. But now, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says he doesn’t want to wait that long to give away most of his fortune.
On Thursday, Gates announced that he plans to donate “virtually all” of his estimated $200 billion fortune over the next 20 years and will dissolve the foundation on December 31, 2045.
The announcement comes amid deep cuts by the Trump administration to funding for health, foreign aid, and public assistance programs — the very causes the Gates Foundation supports. The shift raises concerns about setbacks in global health research and critical development initiatives.
Gates says he wants to accelerate the foundation’s work in global health and equity, and hopes the move will inspire other billionaires to follow suit. In a blog post published Thursday morning, he emphasized that the foundation’s final phase should serve as a model for large-scale philanthropic impact.
This new pledge builds on Gates’s long-standing commitment to philanthropy. Alongside French Gates and Warren Buffett, he co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010, which encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth either during their lifetimes or in their wills. The campaign now has more than 240 signatories worldwide.
International
Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of endangering the world’s poorest children
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft turned global health philanthropist, sharply criticized Elon Musk in a recent interview with The New York Times, saying the tech billionaire is “the richest man in the world and is involved in the deaths of the world’s poorest children.”
At 69, Gates announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will cease operations by 2045, and he urged the next generation of billionaires to step up. However, he expressed concern that today’s wealthy individuals are less committed to humanitarian work than they were two decades ago.
He cited Elon Musk as a prime example: “He’s the one who cut the USAID budget. He shredded it — all because he didn’t attend some party that weekend.”
Gates argued that Musk “could have been a great philanthropist,” but instead, “the richest man in the world is now contributing to the deaths of the world’s poorest children.” He pointed to how cuts to USAID have disrupted essential programs fighting HIV, malaria, and polio.
Gates called on the global elite to do more: “It’s not that we’re running out of rich people. There will be more, and they’ll reflect on what AI has done — or hasn’t — and what governments have done — or haven’t.”
Looking ahead, he urged future billionaires to commit to greater philanthropy, especially as his own foundation phases out: “The rich of today should do more. The rich twenty years from now should do more.”
Despite his criticisms, Gates maintained his trademark optimism. He dismissed fears that repeated U.S. administrations will continue cutting humanitarian budgets: “I don’t think there will be administration after administration slashing these things. If we look 20 years ahead, I believe we’ll continue reducing child mortality.”
Gates also expressed faith in artificial intelligence, suggesting it can provide medical expertise in remote regions on par with doctors with decades of experience — potentially even better than what’s available in wealthy countries.
International
VP JD Vance to World Cup visitors: “Enjoy the game, then go home”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance issued a light-hearted but firm warning to international visitors planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“We know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to a hundred countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to enjoy the games,” said Vance during a press conference on Tuesday focused on the organization of upcoming major sporting events in the U.S.
“But when it’s over, they’ll have to go home,” he added.
Vance, speaking in a joking tone, also mentioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “Otherwise, they’ll have to speak with Secretary Noem.”
The comment came during the first joint working session aimed at preparing for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 national teams and take place across multiple cities in North America.
Gates Foundation to close by 2045 as Bill Gates pledges to donate $200 Billion
Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of endangering the world’s poorest children
VP JD Vance to World Cup visitors: “Enjoy the game, then go home”
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