While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Nov 14, 2025

Britain’s BBC apologises to Trump over speech edit

Britain’s BBC apologised to Donald Trump on Nov 13 for editing a speech to make it look like he had advocated violence, seeking to ward off the US president’s threat of legal action, but the broadcaster rejected the basis for a defamation claim.

In a statement, the BBC said its chairman, Mr Samir Shah, sent a personal letter to the White House making clear to Mr Trump that he and the corporation were “sorry” for the edit, adding that the broadcaster has no plans to rebroadcast the Panorama documentary on any of its platforms.

The leaking of internal accusations of bias at the BBC, including in the way it edited a 2021 speech by Mr Trump on the day his supporters overran the US Capitol, has forced its top two leaders to quit and for Mr Trump to threaten a US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the broadcaster on Nov 13 said it was looking into fresh allegations - published in The Telegraph newspaper - over the editing by another of its programmes, Newsnight, of a speech by Mr Trump.

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Zelensky sanctions associate as scandal rocks Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Nov 13 ordered sanctions on a former business partner at the heart of a corruption scandal that has sparked outrage in a nation exhausted by nearly four years of war.

The sanctions on Mr Zelensky’s alleged friend came a day after he asked two ministers to resign, an attempt to distance himself from allies implicated in a massive money-laundering scheme.

Anti-graft authorities said the scheme saw US$100 million (S$130 million) in funds syphoned off from the energy sector, which has been battered by Russian attacks, resulting in devastating power outages.

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Abe shooter’s mum devoted to Unification Church

The mother of the man standing trial for assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 apologised on Nov 13 for the act committed by her son over a grudge towards the Unification Church, while insisting that the large donations she made to the group was for the sake of her family.

At the seventh hearing on the case of Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, at the Nara District Court, his mother said in a quivering voice: “I am truly sorry that my second son, Tetsuya, committed a terrible crime. I sincerely apologise to all the people in this country.”

The focus of the high-profile trial under the lay judge system is on whether the court will grant leniency to Yamagami, as the defence argues that his personality and behaviour were shaped by an upbringing marked by religious abuse.

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‘Bleak’ future for seals decimated by bird flu

The world’s largest species of seal has been devastated by bird flu, which has wiped out half of all breeding females at a key wildlife haven near Antarctica, scientists warned on Nov 13.

The remote island of South Georgia is home to a majority of all southern elephant seals. Males of these blubbery giants can grow up to 2m in length, weigh nearly four tonnes, and have a distinctive elephant-trunk-like proboscis on their face that earned the mammals their name.

Bird flu arrived on South Georgia in 2023 during an outbreak that has seen the virus spread across the world like never before, killing millions of birds and infecting many mammals, including several humans.

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Carlos Alcaraz to end year as tennis world No. 1

Carlos Alcaraz will end the year as world number one after beating Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals 6-4, 6-1 on Nov 13.

A double-Grand Slam winner this season, Alcaraz will be ahead of rival Jannik Sinner in the updated men’s rankings on Nov 17 thanks to his success over Musetti, which also sealed first place for the Spaniard in the Jimmy Connors Group at the season-ending tournament.

Alcaraz, who has won 70 matches so far this season, could lose his semi-final on Nov 15 and still finish 2025 top of the pile, even if Sinner retains his Finals title on home turf.

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