France’s political parties rushed to build a united front aimed at blocking the path to government of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) yesterday, after it made historic gains to win the first round of a parliamentary election.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his allies were on Monday beginning a week of intense campaigning ahead of the second round of legislative elections to prevent the far right in a historic first from taking an absolute majority and control of government

Russia’s air defence systems destroyed 36 drones that Ukraine launched overnight targeting several regions in Russia’s southwest, the Russian defence ministry said yesterday.

France’s far right won the first round of pivotal legislative elections yesterday with the centrist forces of President Emmanuel Macron coming in only third behind the left after the highest turnout in over four decades, estimates said.

French people vote on Sunday in high-stakes snap parliamentary elections which could alter France's trajectory and see the far-right party of Marine Le Pen take power in a historic first

A divided France braced for high-stakes parliamentary elections that could see the anti-immigrant and eurosceptic party of Marine Le Pen sweep to power in a historic first.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday evening he was hurt and angry that a supporter of Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK party had been recorded making a racial slur about him, saying it was too important for him not to speak out.

The heatwave in Saudi Arabia blamed for the deaths of 1,300 people on the hajj pilgrimage this month was made worse by climate change, a team of European scientists said yesterday.

Bolivian armed forces pulled back from the presidential palace in La Paz on Wednesday evening and a general was arrested after President Luis Arce slammed a “coup” attempt against the government and called for international support.

Two people were shot dead and two others gravely wounded on Thursday in an area known for drug trafficking near the Gare de Midi train station in Brussels, police said

Racism and intolerance are rising in France, fuelled by the war in Gaza and far-right ideas in public debate, France's human rights commission, the CNCDH, said in an annual report published on Thursday

Canada yesterday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave “while they can,” warning of the risk of escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah in the region.

Russia said that yesterday it would block access to 81 EU media outlets, including AFP’s websites, as a “retaliatory measure” after Brussels imposed broadcasting bans on several Russian state media outlets.

The death toll from a series of brazen attacks on churches and synagogues in Russia’s mainly Muslim region of Dagestan rose to 20 yesterday after gunmen went on the rampage in coordinated attacks in two of the republic’s most important cities.

The Kremlin yesterday directly blamed the United States for an attack on Crimea with US-supplied ATACMS missiles that killed at least four people and injured 151, and Moscow formally warned the US ambassador that retaliation would follow.

Gunmen opened fire at a synagogue, an Orthodox church and a police post in attacks across two cities in Russia's North Caucasus region of Dagestan on Sunday, killing an Orthodox priest and multiple police officers, the region's head said

An official from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party is being investigated by Britain’s gambling regulator over allegations he placed bets on the date of the general election before it was announced, the Sunday Times reported.

Gunmen yesterday attacked synagogues and churches in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan, killing a priest, six police officers, and a member of the national guard, security officials said.

A Swiss court handed jail sentences to four members of Britain’s richest family, the Hindujas, on Friday, branding them “selfish” for exploiting Indian staff at their Geneva mansion.

As many as 15 countries -- including the US and the UK  -- and development partners yesterday expressed concern over the worsening situation in the Rakhine State of Myanmar and the cross-border implications.