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Trump bashes Zelensky, ‘confident’ on Ukraine deal

Trump bashes Zelensky, ‘confident’ on Ukraine deal
US President Donald Trump speaks during signing of executive orders at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 20 February 2025

Trump bashes Zelensky, ‘confident’ on Ukraine deal

Trump bashes Zelensky, ‘confident’ on Ukraine deal
  • Zelensky previously criticized the US-Russia talks for excluding Kyiv, saying efforts to end the war must be “fair and involve European countries

PALM BEACH: US President Donald Trump has effectively blamed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia’s invasion, as French President Emmanuel Macron prepares for another round of talks with EU and non-European partners on Wednesday.
Zelensky previously criticized the US-Russia talks for excluding Kyiv, saying efforts to end the war must be “fair and involve European countries.
The Ukrainian leader’s comments appeared to incense Trump, who launched a series of verbal attacks on Zelensky.
“I’m very disappointed, I hear that they’re upset about not having a seat,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday.
“Today I heard, ‘oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years... You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
Trump also suggested he could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of the month in ֱ as he overhauls Washington’s stance toward Moscow — a shift that has alarmed European leaders.
Earlier Tuesday, Russia and the United States had agreed to establish teams to negotiate a path to ending the war in Ukraine after talks that drew a strong rebuke from Kyiv, with Zelensky postponing his own trip to ֱ.

France’s Macron announced another meeting in Paris on Ukraine after the US-Russia talks, adding that Trump “can restart a useful dialogue” with Putin.
Trump also increased pressure on Zelensky to hold elections — echoing one of Moscow’s key demands.
Trump wants Ukraine election
Asked whether the United States would support demands that Russia wanted to force Zelensky to hold new elections as part of any deal, Trump began by criticizing what he said were the Ukrainian’s approval ratings.
“They want a seat at the table, but you could say... wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have a say? It’s been a long time since we’ve had an election,” said Trump.
“That’s not a Russian thing, that’s something coming from me, from other countries.”
Zelensky was elected in 2019 for a five-year term, but has remained in office as Ukraine is still under martial law.
Trump’s latest remarks are unlikely to allay fears among some European leaders, already worried that Washington will make serious concessions to Moscow and re-write the continent’s security arrangement in a Cold War-style deal.
Washington noted European nations would have to have a seat at the negotiating table “at some point.”
The US-Russia talks — the first high-level official talks between the two countries since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine — drew a fiery response from Kyiv.
“This will only be feeding Putin’s appetite,” a Ukrainian senior official requesting anonymity told AFP, referring to the launch of talks without Ukraine.
Trump for his part said he was “much more confident” of a deal after the Riyadh talks, telling reporters Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate: “I think I have the power to end this war.”
’Heard each other’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to “appoint respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible,” the State Department said.
Washington added that the sides had also agreed to “establish a consultation mechanism” to address “irritants” to the US-Russia relationship, noting the sides would lay the groundwork for future cooperation.

Riyadh marks a diplomatic coup for Moscow, which had been isolated for three years under the previous US administration of Joe Biden.
Moscow’s economic negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, said Western attempts to isolate Russia had “obviously failed.”
“We did not just listen but heard each other, and I have reason to believe the American side has better understood our position,” Lavrov told reporters.
The veteran diplomat noted that Russia opposed any deployment of NATO-nation troops to Ukraine as part of an eventual ceasefire.
European allies publicly diverged this week over whether they would be open to sending truce peacekeepers to Ukraine.
Macron, in an interview with French regional newspapers, appeared open to the idea of sending troops to Ukraine but only in the most limited fashion and away from conflict zones.
He said new talks would take place “with several European and non-European states,” after an emergency meeting on Monday in Paris which brought together a small number of key European countries.
Moscow has long called for the withdrawal of NATO forces from eastern Europe, viewing the alliance as an existential threat on its flank.
The Kremlin on Tuesday said Ukraine had the right to join the European Union, but not the NATO military alliance.
It also said Putin was “ready” to negotiate with Zelensky “if necessary.”


BRICS leaders denounce protectionism, tariff ‘blackmail’

BRICS leaders denounce protectionism, tariff ‘blackmail’
Updated 11 sec ago

BRICS leaders denounce protectionism, tariff ‘blackmail’

BRICS leaders denounce protectionism, tariff ‘blackmail’
  • Trump is punishing Brazil for what he calls a ‘witch hunt’ against his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro
  • Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also used the summit to denounce a US military build-up in the Caribbean
BRASILIA: Leaders of the 11-member BRICS bloc railed against economic protectionism and “tariff blackmail” during a virtual meeting Monday held amid a damaging trade war with US President Donald Trump.
The group of emerging economies met via videoconference at the initiative of Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose office said it was necessary to address the “intensification of unilateral measures.”
The BRICS represents nearly 40 percent of global GDP and almost half of the world’s population.
Its members are among those hardest hit by what Lula referred to Monday as “tariff blackmail” and “unjustified and illegal” trade practices.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, for his part, called for the upholding of “the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core” and for rejection of “all forms of protectionism.”
Tensions between the United States and China, the world’s two biggest economies, resulted in tit-for-tat duties that reached triple digits earlier this year before being lowered again.
In Brazil’s case, Trump slapped his highest level of trade tariff — 50 percent — on a range of goods from Latin America’s biggest economy.
Trump is punishing Brazil for what he calls a “witch hunt” against his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro who is on trial for allegedly plotting a coup to take power back from Lula after losing 2022 elections.
A verdict in the trial is expected this week.
“Tariff blackmail is being normalized as an instrument to conquer markets and interfere in domestic affairs,” Lula said Monday.

Washington also imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of fueling Moscow’s deadly attacks on Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told the BRICS summit the world needed sustainable trade, adding that “increasing barriers and complicating transactions will not help.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin also took part in the virtual meeting days after gathering with Xi, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and India’s Narendra Modi in China, where regional leaders slammed America’s “bullying behavior.”
Trump hit South Africa, engaged in a spat with Washington over a range of domestic and international policies, with a 30 percent tariff — the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
Trump, who has repeatedly cited debunked claims of a “genocide” of white South Africans, will not attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg later this year.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a prepared speech, told BRICS counterparts that “unilateral tariff actions are contributing to an increasingly protectionist environment which poses great hardships and danger for the countries of the Global South.”
In July, Trump lashed out at the BRICS and threatened its members with additional export duties after they voiced concern that his trade war was putting the global economy at risk.
“We must remain steadfast in promoting the building of an open global economy, sharing opportunities and achieving win-win results through openness,” Xi underscored Monday.
Other BRICS members are Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, ֱ and the United Arab Emirates.
Lula also used the summit to denounce a US military build-up in the Caribbean, which he said added “a factor of tension.”
Washington has deployed warships and aircraft in what it labeled an anti-drug operation, and blew up an alleged narco boat, killing 11 people and raising fears in Venezuela of an invasion.

Swiss medics start hunger protest over Gaza outside parliament

Swiss medics start hunger protest  over Gaza outside parliament
Updated 08 September 2025

Swiss medics start hunger protest over Gaza outside parliament

Swiss medics start hunger protest  over Gaza outside parliament
  • We can say the Swiss government is currently silent, inactive, I would say fairly cowardly, and is very lacking in courage

BERN: Swiss medics began a hunger protest outside parliament on Monday over the war in Gaza, pressing Bern to take a more critical stance on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian enclave.
Switzerland has condemned some Israeli actions in the conflict, such as an attack on a hospital last month, but has held back from stronger steps sought by the protesters, such as imposing sanctions on Israel or recognizing a Palestinian state.
Medics have signed up to protest outside parliament in pairs wearing stethoscopes and medical tunics splashed with fake blood, taking turns in 24-hour fasts in a relay system throughout the September parliamentary session.
“A white tunic used to protect you. Today, if you want to save your life, you take it off, and that’s intolerable, and it’s intolerable we’re not reacting to that,” said Prof. Pietro Majno-Hurst, a surgeon and member of the Swiss Healthcare Workers Against Genocide.
The protest follows actions in Swiss universities and other demonstrations over the weekend as famine strikes parts of Gaza.
“We can say the government is currently silent, inactive, I would say fairly cowardly, and is very lacking in courage. And I think today, it’s time for a change,” said Professor Karl Blanchet, director of the Geneva Center of Humanitarian Studies, who is part of the protest.
Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nicolas Bideau said Switzerland was “deeply concerned” by the humanitarian situation in Gaza and repeated calls for a ceasefire and for respect of international humanitarian law.
“The Federal Council believes that the recognition of a Palestinian state is part of the prospect of lasting peace based on the two-state solution,” he added.
Switzerland, which has close ties with Israel but a tradition of neutrality, has matched EU sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, prompting accusations of double standards by some critics.
Bideau said that Switzerland does not have legal autonomy on sanctions policy and can only match those of the UN or major trading partners, which have so far refrained from imposing sanctions over the Gaza war.
Two Swiss citizens were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. 

 


Heathrow terminal to reopen after ‘possible hazardous materials incident’

 Passengers walk from Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport on September 8, 2025. (Reuters)
Passengers walk from Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport on September 8, 2025. (Reuters)
Updated 57 min 41 sec ago

Heathrow terminal to reopen after ‘possible hazardous materials incident’

 Passengers walk from Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport on September 8, 2025. (Reuters)
  • “Around 20 people have been assessed on scene by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service,” the fire brigade said

LONDON: Heathrow’s Terminal 4 “was safe to reopen,” the airport operator said Monday evening a few hours after its check-in area was temporarily closed and evacuated over a “possible hazardous materials incident.”
“Emergency services have confirmed Terminal 4 is safe to reopen and we are doing everything we can to ensure all flights to depart as planned today,” the operator of UK’s main international airport said on social media.
The London Fire Brigade said it was standing down operations around three hours after it was called to respond to a “possible hazardous materials incident” at the terminal part of one of the world’s busiest air hubs.
“Around 20 people have been assessed on scene by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service,” the fire brigade said, adding the cause of the incident “remains under investigation.”
“We are very sorry for the disruption caused, the safety and security of our passengers and colleagues is our number one priority,” the airport added.
It said other terminals had been operating as normal through the incident.


Maduro deploys 25,000 troops to Venezuela borders

Maduro deploys 25,000 troops to Venezuela borders
Updated 08 September 2025

Maduro deploys 25,000 troops to Venezuela borders

Maduro deploys 25,000 troops to Venezuela borders
  • The move comes amid soaring tensions with US President Donald Trump
  • Troops were deployed to the northeast coast, home to Venezuela’s biggest oil refineries

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he had deployed 25,000 troops along the Caribbean coast and the border with Colombia amid soaring tensions with US President Donald Trump.
In a message Sunday night on social media Maduro said he had deployed “25,000 men and women from our glorious National Bolivarian Armed Forces” to the frontier with Colombia and the northeast coast, where the country’s biggest oil refineries are situated.
The deployment aimed to ensure “the defense of national sovereignty, the security of the country and the fight for peace,” he added.
He did not expressly refer to Trump, who has cited the need to combat Venezuelan drug traffickers particularly in ordering the biggest naval buildup in the Caribbean in years.
Last week US forces blew up a suspected drug boat with 11 people aboard in the Caribbean.
Trump said the boat belonged to the Venezuelan crime gang Tren de Aragua but provided scant proof of the claim.
The US leader has also threatened to shoot down Venezuelan military jets if they endanger US forces after two Venezuelan planes flew near a US Navy vessel in international waters.
Venezuela’s armed forces run to around 123,000 members, according to military sources.
Maduro claims a further 220,000 people have enlisted in a civilian militia.


French PM ousted in parliament confidence vote

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou addresses the National Assembly, prior to a parliamentary confidence vote.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou addresses the National Assembly, prior to a parliamentary confidence vote.
Updated 08 September 2025

French PM ousted in parliament confidence vote

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou addresses the National Assembly, prior to a parliamentary confidence vote.
  • Bayrou’s ousting leaves Macron with a new domestic headache at a time when he is leading diplomatic efforts on the Ukraine war

PARIS: France’s parliament on Monday ousted the government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after just nine months in office, leaving President Emmanuel Macron scrambling to find a successor and plunging the country into a new political crisis.
Bayrou, who has been in the job for just nine months, had blindsided even his allies by calling a confidence vote to end a lengthy standoff over his austerity budget, which foresees almost 44 billion euros ($52 billion) of cost savings to reduce France’s debt pile.
Bayrou, the first premier in the history of modern France to be ousted in a confidence vote rather than a no-confidence vote, will submit his resignation on Tuesday morning, according to a person close to him who asked not to be named.
In the vote in the National Assembly, 364 deputies voted that they had no confidence in the government while just 194 gave it their confidence. “In line with article 50 of the constitution, the prime minister must submit the resignation of his government,” said speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.
Bayrou is the sixth prime minister under Macron since his 2017 election but the fifth since 2022. Bayrou’s ousting leaves the French head of state with a new domestic headache at a time when he is leading diplomatic efforts on the Ukraine war.
But defending his decision to call the high-risk confidence vote, Bayrou told the National Assembly: “The biggest risk was not to take one, to let things continue without anything changing... and have business as usual.”
Describing the debt pile as “life-threatening” for France, Bayrou said his government had put forward a plan so that the country could “in a few years’ time escape the inexorable tide of debt that is submerging it.”
“You have the power to overthrow the government” but not “to erase reality,” Bayrou told the MPs in a doomed final bid to save his government before the vote.

Macron now faces one of the most critical decisions of his presidency — appoint a seventh prime minister to try to thrash out a compromise, or call snap elections in a bid to have a more accommodating parliament.
There is no guarantee an election would result in any improvement in the fortunes of Macron’s center-right bloc in parliament.
And although the Socialist Party (PS) has expressed readiness to lead a new government, it is far from clear whether such an administration could survive.
Heavyweight right-wing cabinet ministers, such as Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, are trusted by Macron but risk being voted out by the left.
According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone for Le Figaro newspaper, 64 percent of the French want Macron to resign rather than name a new prime minister, a move he has ruled out.
He is forbidden from standing for a third term in 2027.
Around 77 percent of people do not approve of his work, Macron’s worst-ever such rating, according to an Ifop poll for the Ouest-France daily.

Alongside political upheaval, France is also facing social tensions.
A left-wing collective named “Block Everything” is calling for a day of action on Wednesday, and trade unions have urged workers to strike on September 18.
The 2027 presidential election meanwhile remains wide open, with analysts predicting the French far right will have its best-ever chance of winning.
Three-time presidential candidate for the National Rally (RN) Marine Le Pen suffered a blow in March when a French court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.
Le Pen was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, two of which were suspended, and a fine of 100,000 euros ($117,000).
The ruling also banned her from standing for office for five years, which would scupper her ambition of taking part in the 2027 vote unless overturned on appeal.
But a Paris court said Monday her appeal would be heard from January 13 to February 12, 2026, well before the election — potentially resurrecting her presidential hopes.
Cheered by her MPs, Le Pen urged Macron to call snap legislative elections, saying holding the polls is “not an option but an obligation” and describing Bayrou’s administration as a “phantom government.”