Europe

The Kremlin-loyal United Russia party has recorded an overwhelming victory in Russia's parliamentary elections.

The EU’s top leaders accused U.S. President Joe Biden of disloyalty to the transatlantic alliance, urging him to explain why he misled France and other European partners in forging a new strategic tie-up with the U.K. and Australia in the Indo-Pacific.

At least six people were killed and 28 others injured in a shooting on the campus of a university in the Russian city of Perm on Monday.

France has canceled a meeting between Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart Ben Wallace planned for this week after Australia scrapped a submarine order with Paris in favour of a deal with Washington and London.

France has accused Washington and Canberra of lying over a security pact that saw the Australian government scrap a contract to buy French submarines in favour of US vessels.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss on Friday and discussed issues including Iran, China as well as Afghanistan.

Paris has recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra for consultations, citing the “unacceptable behavior” of the US, the UK and Australia in striking a nuclear submarine deal that scuttled a French shipbuilding contract.

Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld has resigned over the government’s handling of evacuations from Afghanistan. The move comes one day after the Netherlands’ Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag stepped down regarding the same case.

Human rights groups accuse the European Union of failing to do enough to assist Afghans living in fear of Taliban rule.

Australia’s new defense treaty with the US and UK will feature muscular defenses, courtesy of US deployment of military aircraft in addition to the agreed nuclear-powered submarines, officials stated after a meeting in Washington.

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for the EU to adopt targeted sanctions on Lebanese officials said to be engaged in corruption and obstructing the Beirut Port explosion investigation.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has accused US President Joe Biden of making an "unpredictable decision" like former US President Donald Trump "used to do" after he scrapped a $40 billion submarine defense deal that the European nation had signed with Australia.

Dutch Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag resigned on Thursday after she met fierce criticism in parliament over the handling of the Afghan crisis.

Moscow is waiting for an answer after presenting the American envoy with a dossier on purported examples of US attempts to interfere in Russia’s upcoming elections, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says.

The US, UK and Australia are setting up a trilateral security partnership aimed at confronting China, which will include helping Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines.

Dominic Raab has lost his job as the UK foreign secretary in a government reshuffle carried out by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

China’s ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, has been barred from attending a reception at Westminster in retaliation over quote Beijing imposing sanctions on British MPs.

The European Union has no choice but to talk to the Taliban government in Afghanistan and Brussels will try to coordinate with member governments to organise diplomatic presence in Kabul, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly cancelled his upcoming visit to the Tajik capital to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to self-isolate as many coronavirus cases were recently detected among his acquaintances, the Kremlin reported on Tuesday. The Russian leader is still expected to appear at summits via video-link.

Japan lodged a protest with Russia in connection with the alleged violation of Japanese airspace by the Russian aircraft and called on Moscow to prevent ‘repetition of the incidents.’

Belarus is set to acquire over $1 billion worth of arms and military hardware from Russia, President Alexander Lukashenko said amid fresh tensions with NATO states. He added that the purchase of S-400 air defense system was discussed in Moscow.

The European Union (EU) says the block is seeking allies among Afghanistan’s neighbours, including Iran, in an effort to shore up support in the event the Taliban group becomes an unstable force.

Moscow has evidence related to US efforts to interfere in Russia's internal affairs and electoral processes, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says.

German prosecutors searched the offices of the finance and justice ministries in Berlin, seizing documents related to a probe into possible obstruction of justice by a government agency tasked with tackling money laundering.