Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle was killed in a plane crash along with his wife, two children and three others at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning, NASCAR confirmed.

The plane, owned by Biffle, crashed and exploded into flames while attempting to land.

NASCAR said the victims were Biffle, his wife Cristina Grossu Biffle, their 5-year-old son Ryder and his 14-year-old daughter Emma from a previous marriage, as well as Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton and his son Jack Dutton.

The Biffle, Grossu, Dutton and Lunders families confirmed the fatalities in a joint statement on Thursday afternoon.

“We are devastated by the loss of our loved ones,” the statement read. “This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words. Greg and Cristina were devoted parents and active philanthropists whose lives were centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma (mother — Nicole Lunders). Emma was a wonderful human being with a kind soul who was loved by many people. Ryder was an active, curious and infinitely joyful child.

“Dennis Dutton and his son Jack were deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them. Craig Wadsworth was beloved by many in the NASCAR community and will be missed by those who knew him.

“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the statement continued.

“We ask for privacy, compassion and understanding as we grieve and begin to process this unimaginable loss. We are grateful for the kindness and support that has been extended to our families during this incredibly difficult time. At this moment, our focus is on honoring their lives and supporting one another.”

The Statesville Regional Airport said the crash occurred at 10:15 a.m. local time, adding officials from the Federal Aviation Administration were en route to the crash site. The National Transportation Safety Board will be in charge of the investigation.

The plane, a Cessna C550, had just taken off from the airport but the pilot attempted to turn the aircraft around and land it.

Biffle, who would have turned 56 next week, won 19 Cup Series races over 14-plus seasons. He is a nominee for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

His final race on the circuit was the 2022 Geico 500 at Talladega. He was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

“Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said in a statement. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.

“On the track, Greg’s talent and tenacity earned him championships in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, as well as numerous wins and accolades in the NASCAR Cup Series. Beyond his racing career, he gave of himself for the betterment of our community. Most notably, Greg spent countless hours of his time helping the citizens of North Carolina during the disasters that followed Hurricane Helene. His tireless work saved lives.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Greg’s entire family, friends, and all who were touched by his life.”

Biffle, a native of Vancouver, Wash., also owns a helicopter and used it as part of the rescue effort to help people in Western North Carolina stranded by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.

North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson said on social media that he was devastated by Biffles’ deaths.

“They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others,” Hudson said. “Greg was a great NASCAR champion who thrilled millions of fans. But he was an extraordinary person as well, and will be remembered for his service to others as much as for his fearlessness on the track.

“The Biffles flew hundreds of rescue missions in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene,” Hudson added. “The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s who the Biffles were.

“Our prayers are with their family, friends, and everyone grieving this unimaginable loss.”

Former driver Clint Bowyer shared his shock over the tragedy.

“Absolutely crushed about the loss of Greg Biffle and his beautiful family,” Bowyer said on social media. “An unbelievable talent behind the controls of literally anything. Checked all the boxes … Great guy, helped people in need, and most importantly was a great family man. Devastated for everyone!”

Statesville is located about 40 miles north of Charlotte.

• Interim govt announces mourning, special prayers nationwide.
• Police launch manhunt, offer reward for suspects’ arrest.
• Muhammad Yunus says attack aims to derail upcoming polls.

A leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 uprising who was wounded in an assassination attempt and flown to Singapore for treatment has died in the city-state, officials said on Friday.

Masked attackers shot 32-year-old spokesperson for student protest group Inqilab Moncho, Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, a week ago as he was leaving a mosque in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, wounding him in the ear.

“Despite the best efforts of the doctors…, Mr Hadi succumbed to his injuries,” Singapore’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement, adding that it was assisting Bangladeshi authorities with repatriating his body.

Inqilab Moncho first announced Hadi’s death in a Facebook post, stating: “In the struggle against Indian hegemony, Allah has accepted the great revolutionary Osman Hadi as a martyr.”

Hadi was a candidate in the February 2026 elections, the first parliamentary polls since a student-led uprising toppled the autocratic rule of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina last year.

He was airlifted to Singapore on Monday for treatment.

In Dhaka, the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus confirmed Hadi’s death.

“I express my deepest condolences. His demise is an irreparable loss for the nation,” Yunus said.

“The country’s march toward democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed,” he said in a televised speech.

The government also announced special prayers at mosques after Friday prayers and a half-day’s mourning on Saturday.

Hadi was a senior leader of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha and has been an outspoken critic of India — Hasina’s old ally, where the ousted prime minister remains in self-imposed exile.

Manhunt for gunmen

Police in Bangladesh have launched a manhunt for the attackers who shot Hadi, releasing photographs of two key suspects and offering a reward of five million taka (about $42,000) for information leading to their arrest.

Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading Bangladesh until the February 12 elections, said last Saturday that the shooting was a premeditated attack carried out by a powerful network, without providing a name.

He said that “the objective of the conspirators is to derail the election”, adding that the attack was “symbolic — meant to demonstrate their strength and sabotage the entire electoral process.”

Muslim-majority Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people, will directly vote for 300 lawmakers for its parliament, with another 50 selected on a women´s list.

A referendum on a landmark democratic reform package will be held on the same day.

Tensions are high as parties gear up for the polls, and the country remains volatile.

Hasina, convicted in absentia last month and sentenced to death, refused to return to attend her trial. She remains in hiding in India, despite Dhaka´s repeated requests for New Delhi to hand her over.

The last elections, held in January 2024, gave Hasina a fourth straight term and her Awami League 222 seats, but were decried by opposition parties as a sham.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by three-time former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is widely tipped to win the upcoming vote.

Zia is in intensive care in Dhaka, and her son and political heir Tarique Rahman, is set to return from exile in Britain after 17 years on December 25.

UK teachers will be trained to tackle misogyny in the classroom under a new strategy aimed at halving violence against women and girls over the next decade, a minister told parliament on Thursday.

The new strategy would deploy “the full power of the state” to introduce a joined-up approach to cracking down on violence against women and girls, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips told MPs.

The 20 million pounds plan comes as latest statistics showed over 40% of young men held a positive view of so-called manosphere influencer Andrew Tate, a government statement said citing research by NGO Hope Not Hate.

Over the last year alone, one in every eight women was a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, said Phillips.

“For too long the scale of violence against women and girls has been treated as a fact of life in our country,” she added.

Tackling ‘radicalisation’

Under the strategy, all secondary schools in England will have to teach students about healthy relationships.

Teachers will receive specialist training to talk to pupils about issues such as consent and the dangers of sharing intimate images.

The most worrying attitudes would be tackled early with schools able to send high-risk individuals for support focused on challenging misogyny.

Phillips said the battle would no longer be left to crime-fighting departments alone to tackle in isolation.

Taking the fight into classrooms would help “stop the violence before it starts”, she said, adding “the proliferation of content with the potential to poison young minds” had never been greater.

“Our strategy tackles radicalisation and confronts concerning behaviour long before it spirals into abuse or violence.

“We must empower teachers to challenge harmful attitudes and act before they escalate,” she said.

A new helpline would be launched, targeted at pupils concerned about their own behaviour.

Ban on ‘nudification’ tools 

The government would also ban so-called “nudification” tools that allow users to strip clothes from those in photographs.

It will also work with tech companies to make it impossible for children to take, view or share nude images through “nudity detection filters”, Phillips said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the strategy was about “driving forward education and conversation with boys and young men”.

“I want my daughter to grow up in a Britain where she feels safe in school, online, and in relationships,” he said on X.

“Every young girl deserves that, and every young boy should be protected from harmful misogynistic influences. My government is making that happen, by backing teachers,” he added.

The strategy comes after Starmer earlier this year said the searing Netflix drama “Adolescence” would be shown in secondary schools.

The drama about a 13-year-old boy who stabs a girl to death after being radicalised on the internet sparked widespread debate about the toxic and misogynistic influences young boys are exposed to on the internet.