France to formally recognise Palestinian state, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognize Palestine as a state.

The French President stated in a social media post on Thursday that France will formalize its recognition of the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, in support of "sustainable peace in the Middle East."

Macron emphasized that ending the Gaza war, securing the release of hostages, demilitarizing Hamas, and delivering massive humanitarian aid are urgent priorities that his decision supports.

The move makes France, home to the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in Western Europe, the first G7 country to recognize Palestinian statehood.

While the Palestinian Authority welcomed the announcement, calling it proof of France's support for international law and Palestinian self-determination, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced it as "rewarding terror."

The State of Palestine is currently recognized by more than 140 of the 193 UN member countries.

In Russia, a plane crash in the far east of the country killed all 48 people on board.

The An-24 passenger plane, operated by Angara Airlines, was en route from Khabarovsk to Tynda with a stopover in Blagoveshchensk, near the Chinese border.

The plane disappeared from radar near Tynda shortly after 1:00 PM local time, before rescue crews discovered its burning fuselage on a hillside.

On board were six crew members and 42 passengers, including five children.

Regional officials have confirmed that none had survived.

The aircraft was built in 1976 and had been in service for nearly five decades.

Despite a history of mechanical incidents, it had recently passed a safety inspection.

A criminal investigation has been launched into suspected air traffic violations.

President Vladimir Putin offered condolences, and the Amur region in Russia's Far East declared three days of mourning.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally signed a free trade agreement in London on Thursday, promising tariff cuts and increased market access for both economies.

The agreement aims to increase bilateral trade by approximately 34 billion U.S. dollars, marking Britain's most significant bilateral trade deal since Brexit.

The pact reduces India's average tariff on UK goods from around 15 percent to 3 percent, including the immediate halving of tariffs on Scotch whisky from 150 percent to 75 percent and duties on British automobiles from over 100 percent to roughly 10 percent.

American pro-wrestling legend Hulk Hogan died on Thursday in Florida after suffering a "cardiac arrest."

Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was the biggest professional wrestler of the 1980s and 90s, transforming the World Wrestling Federation, which later became the WWE into a global entertainment powerhouse.

With his iconic "Hulkamania" persona, Hogan won the world champion title 12 times and popularized wrestling through crossovers into film, reality TV, and pop culture.

Figures across wrestling, entertainment, and politics, including President Trump, paid tribute,

while the WWE described him as "one of pop culture's most recognizable figures."

Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.