عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Macron Says Only Ukrainian President Zelenskiy Can Negotiate Peace for His Country

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the International Conference on Syria at the Ministerial Conference Center, in Paris, France, 13 February 2025. (EPA)
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the International Conference on Syria at the Ministerial Conference Center, in Paris, France, 13 February 2025. (EPA)
TT
TT

Macron Says Only Ukrainian President Zelenskiy Can Negotiate Peace for His Country

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the International Conference on Syria at the Ministerial Conference Center, in Paris, France, 13 February 2025. (EPA)
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the International Conference on Syria at the Ministerial Conference Center, in Paris, France, 13 February 2025. (EPA)

French President Emmanuel Macron said only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could negotiate on behalf of his country with Russia to end the war, warning a "peace that is a capitulation" would be "bad news for everyone", including the US, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

"The only question at this stage is whether President Putin is genuinely, sustainably, and credibly willing to agree to a ceasefire on this basis. After that, it’s up to the Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia," Macron said in an interview with the newspaper at the Elysee Palace.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday separately discussed the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy and told US officials to begin talks on ending the nearly three-year-long conflict.

The phone calls came shortly after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Ukraine's military allies in Brussels that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders - before Russia annexed Crimea - was unrealistic and that the US does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution.

Ukrainians on Thursday worried that Trump was preparing to sell out their country following his phone call Putin.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, said Ukraine would have a seat at the table during any peace negotiations with Russia over ending the war.

Macron told the Financial Times that Trump had created a "window of opportunity" for a negotiated solution, where "everyone has to play their role", adding that it is now up to Zelenskiy to discuss territorial and sovereignty issues.

He said that "it is up to the international community, with a specific role for the Europeans, to discuss security guarantees and, more broadly, the security framework for the entire region. That is where we have a role to play."

Macron described Trump’s return as an "electroshock" that should force Europe to secure its own future as well as Ukraine’s, the Financial Times report added.

Separately, Macron said to the newspaper that expelling Gazans would be "extremely dangerous", adding that Trump’s designs on Gaza and Greenland were examples of the "extreme strategic uncertainty" the world was now living in.

The commentary is aimed at Trump's shock announcement that the US intends to remove Gaza residents and transform the war-ravaged territory into what the president billed as a "Riviera of the Middle East". He had also said he wants to take over the Panama Canal and Greenland.

Macron reiterated that Europe should build its defense capabilities so it can act even when the US is not involved.

"We must also develop a fully integrated European defense, industrial and technological base," Macron said.

In January, at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris, Macron said: "After the inauguration of a new administration in the United States, it is necessary more than ever for Europeans and for our two (France and Germany) countries to play their role of consolidating a united, strong and sovereign Europe."

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Hundreds of French Schools Stay Closed ahead of Nationwide Day of Student Protests

A pedestrian walks past damage in the aftermath of clashes occurred between riot police and demonstrators during a high school students' protest against education conditions in Paris, France, 02 October 2026. EPA/Firas Abdullah
A pedestrian walks past damage in the aftermath of clashes occurred between riot police and demonstrators during a high school students' protest against education conditions in Paris, France, 02 October 2026. EPA/Firas Abdullah
TT
TT

Hundreds of French Schools Stay Closed ahead of Nationwide Day of Student Protests

A pedestrian walks past damage in the aftermath of clashes occurred between riot police and demonstrators during a high school students' protest against education conditions in Paris, France, 02 October 2026. EPA/Firas Abdullah
A pedestrian walks past damage in the aftermath of clashes occurred between riot police and demonstrators during a high school students' protest against education conditions in Paris, France, 02 October 2026. EPA/Firas Abdullah

Hundreds of French high schools will begin a second week of closures on Monday as protests over dilapidated schools and classrooms, overcrowding and teacher shortages precede a nationwide day of demonstrations on Tuesday.

The nationwide demonstrations and blockades underline a fraught social atmosphere as France's government embarks on trying to pass a deficit-narrowing 2027 budget. France's 10-year bond yield briefly topped 5% last week, its highest since 2002, as the protests compounded investor concerns over the country's fiscal outlook, said Reuters.

About 400 to 500 high schools are expected to remain completely or partially closed on Monday ‌in France, ‌out of a total of 3,700, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said on Sunday ‌evening, Reuters said.

The ⁠protests began in ⁠late September at a high school in a Paris suburb over teacher shortages before spreading nationwide.

"Our priority is to restore order," government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told CNews television on Monday.

Geffray said that 24 schools had been burned or ransacked and that 78 teaching staff had been injured since the beginning of the demonstrations.

POLICE AND STUDENTS CLASH, TEAR GAS USED

On Monday, BFMTV showed images of police and students clashing in Lille in northern France, tear gas being used in Toulouse in the southwest and of ⁠a fire being lit as people tried to break into a school ‌in central Paris.

Carole Zerbib, head of the vandalized Lycee ‌Vauquelin in the 13th district of Paris, said her school had been attacked by a "very determined" group ‌wearing hoods and masks who tried to break through the school's entrance door and then ‌lit a fire.

Police and firefighters quickly put out the fire and the school was evacuated and classes suspended.

"It was very violent and happened very quickly," she said, adding that the attack lasted 15-20 minutes.

"It was terrible for students who witnessed this outburst of violence," she said, adding those behind the attack on her school ‌were not students of the school.

Since last Monday, around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested nationwide and dozens injured. Teachers and members of ⁠the public have ⁠been attacked, while damage to property is estimated in the tens of millions of euros.

Bregeon said the French government would fast-track a bill in parliament on October 27 to make those found to have damaged property during protests financially liable.

Paris police chief Patrice Faure, in an open letter published on X on Saturday, said those who had launched the protests no longer controlled them and called on students to abandon blockades in favor of peaceful protest.

Student unions have nevertheless called for a national day of demonstrations on Tuesday. Security officials fear that an organised protest in central Paris in particular could see further violence amid concerns that far-left and anarchist groups could try to take over the protests.

CGT union head Sophie Binet told TF1 television on Monday that CGT union members will attend Tuesday's demonstrations "to protect high school students."

"We've been appalled by what we have seen over the past 10 days and by the unprecedented crackdown that the government has organized against the protests by high school students," she said.

World

Israeli Officials: Co-pilot Planned Flydubai Attack before Joining Airline

30 September 2026, Israel, Tel Aviv: A replacement Flydubai plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen/dpa
30 September 2026, Israel, Tel Aviv: A replacement Flydubai plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen/dpa
TT
TT

Israeli Officials: Co-pilot Planned Flydubai Attack before Joining Airline

30 September 2026, Israel, Tel Aviv: A replacement Flydubai plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen/dpa
30 September 2026, Israel, Tel Aviv: A replacement Flydubai plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen/dpa

The flydubai co-pilot who stabbed his captain in a suspected attempt to crash the plane has told UAE interrogators he planned the attack before he was hired by the Dubai state-owned airline, according to two Israeli officials with knowledge of the probe.

A third source briefed on the UAE probe said the co-pilot, an Omani national, had planned to crash last Wednesday's flight into Ben-Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. He had also operated a flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year and intended to hijack and crash the plane then, but opted not to, the source added.

It was not immediately clear why the co-pilot changed his mind on that previous flight, although the co-pilot ‌is thought to have ‌known someone onboard, the source said.

All of the sources spoke on condition of ‌anonymity ⁠to discuss the investigation.

The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, which had been bound for Israel from Dubai, attacked the pilot with an emergency crash axe, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has said, calling the incident a "terrorist attack".

Two sources have said the co-pilot is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami. Israeli officials have not named the co-pilot but have said he is from Oman. UAE authorities and flydubai have not publicly disclosed the co-pilot's identity.

The UAE has ⁠not announced any formal charges against him and it is not known if he ‌has appointed legal counsel. Oman has not commented on the incident.

The two Israeli officials said the co-pilot told interrogators that he had applied for ‌a job at Dubai state-owned flydubai after searching for airlines that fly to Tel Aviv.

A multi-agency Australian counterterrorism unit is also investigating links to Australia of the co-pilot, who was once enrolled at RMIT University in Melbourne, Victoria. A fourth source said the co-pilot had studied there around a decade ago.

Disaster on board flight FZ1073 was averted after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot. The pilot, Indian national Smit Machchhar, survived the attack and has been hailed as a hero for managing to open the cockpit door. The plane was carrying more than 170 passengers and crew, most of them Israeli.

A reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the ‌flight took control of the aircraft and landed it at a regional airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities and later transferred ⁠to the UAE on Thursday.

World

Germany Announces $1.5 Billion in Military Aid for Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pay tribute at the makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian defenders, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 4, 2026 (EPA) 
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pay tribute at the makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian defenders, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 4, 2026 (EPA) 
TT
TT

Germany Announces $1.5 Billion in Military Aid for Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pay tribute at the makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian defenders, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 4, 2026 (EPA) 
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pay tribute at the makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian defenders, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 4, 2026 (EPA) 

Ukraine and Germany have signed a $1.5 billion arms deal to help counter a surge in Russian drone attacks, as a solidarity visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday coincided with fresh strikes and air-raid sirens in Kyiv.

The aid for weapons includes combat drones and supporting Ukraine's battered energy sector, which Russia is targeting to cut off heating and power during the freezing winter months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his X account.

The new package was announced after Merz arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, where he reaffirmed European support for Ukraine.

Air raid sirens blared across the Ukrainian capital throughout the morning, as Kyiv's mayor announced one of the city's bridges had been hit by a Russian drone.

Speaking alongside Ukrainian President at the badly damaged building of Ukraine's Academy of Sciences, where at least two people died in a drone strike last week, Merz said, “We are ‌ready to discuss bringing this war to an end, but these barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop. I can only repeat once again: Mr Putin, put an end to this senseless war.”

Russia Attacks Bridge in Kyiv

One of the Russian strikes on Sunday hit the Northern Bridge across the Dnipro River, damaging its roadway, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. The explosion injured two people and damaged a hot water supply system in the area, he said.

Klitschko has said the capital – largely spared from the devastation wrought near the front line in more than four years of conflict – should now be on a war footing.

Round-the-clock attacks have hit residential areas, petrol stations, schools, rail and communications infrastructure, while the near-constant air raid sirens disrupt daily life and put people on edge.

Zelensky said US peace envoy Steve Witkoff has messaged him to urge a return to ⁠trilateral talks as soon as possible. He said Ukraine was willing to meet this month and hoped Russia would join, but he said Western allies needed to apply more pressure to Moscow to bring the war to an end.

Upon arrival, Merz said Germany remained Ukraine's strongest backer.

“We do this not only to protect Ukraine's territorial integrity; we do it ⁠deeply in our own interest, for it is a matter of Europe's security,” he said, noting that Russia was carrying out cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns that struck at Europe's democratic order.

“If Russia is not stopped, it will turn its war machine against us sooner or later,” Merz added.

Joint Drone Production

The latest deal provides for the joint production of anti-jet drones, Merz told a joint news conference with Zelensky.

“Significant technical breakthroughs have already been achieved in this area in recent weeks,” he added.

“Production is now being ramped up. This strengthens Ukrainian air defense quickly and significantly. We are supplying standoff weapons, combat drones and satellite technology so that Ukraine can also target Russian launch sites,” the German chancellor said.

Last week, Merz called for NATO and European unity against Russia, as well as in his own country, where the far-right, Moscow-friendly AfD opposition is on the rise.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday it would intensify its strikes against military-industrial facilities and related infrastructure in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine, in response to Zelensky’s comments in an interview with Reuters published Saturday that Ukraine would escalate its attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Also, Russia warned foreigners and diplomats to leave Kyiv, saying “massive” new airstrikes would hit the city.

Leaders from countries allied to Ukraine have continued to make visits despite a similar threat made in May.

“The EU Delegation is staying,” European Union ambassador Katarina Mathernova wrote on X on Sunday.

“Threatening us will not stop Europe's support for Ukraine,” she added. “It only reminds us why that support matters!”

Merz told reporters he was unfazed by the threat but did not know if it had been made to coincide with his visit.

In Kyiv, home to some three million people, residents are mulling what to do if that happens again, and there have been calls for the vulnerable and disabled to consider leaving.

Merz said Berlin's winter support program will help provide generators, transformer stations and for grid repairs.