The RN and allies had 33 percent of the vote, followed by a leftwing bloc with 28 percent and President Emmanuel Macron's centrists with just 20 percent, official results from the interior ministry showed on Monday. 

The leftwing alliance and President Emmanuel Macron's camp will be hoping that tactical voting to prevent RN candidates winning seats will leave it short of the absolute majority.

"The North Atlantic Council decided to appoint Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary General of NATO, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg," the alliance said in a statement, adding that he would take over on October 1. 

The Indonesian and French militaries agreed to improve defense cooperation during a meeting between Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Agus Subiyanto and his French counterpart.

The unidentified gunmen launched simultaneous attacks in Dagestan's largest city of Makhachkala and in the coastal city of Derbent.

With less than two weeks to go before the first round in the snap elections called by Macron in response to the far right drubbing his party in European polls, the president's party is trailing badly.

While being reluctant to endorse a peace plan for the Ukraine war produced following a two-day world leader summit in Switzerland, Indonesia asserts its commitment and the importance to uphold international law to push for peace both in Ukraine and Gaza.

More than two years after Russia invaded, leaders and senior officials from more than 90 states gathered in a Swiss mountainside resort for a two-day summit dedicated to Kyiv's plan to end the largest European conflict since World War II.

Azerbaijan is gearing up to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku come November, and plans to flex its diplomatic chops in urging parties to leave the blame game at the door and calling for a "COP truce" in ongoing conflicts toward agreeing a new climate finance goal that reflects the current reality.

Ninety states and organisations have registered to take part in the summit on Saturday and Sunday in the alpine resort of Lucerne, which will seek to build support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace proposals, including the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

The US president and other G7 leaders agreed at a summit in Italy to use the profits from the interest on the assets to back the loan to provide help this year to Kyiv as it struggles in its third year of war with Russia.

The G7 summit in Puglia comes just five months before a nail-biting US presidential election that is testing not only America's democracy but also causing huge uncertainty for its allies.

Zelensky's speech came at the start of a diplomatic whirlwind tour to shore up support for Kyiv's battle against Russia.

"No, of course not," Sunak told broadcasters on Monday when asked if it had crossed his mind to quit.

While the center, liberal and socialist parties were set to retain a majority in the 720-seat parliament, the vote dealt a domestic blow to the leaders of both France and Germany, raising questions about how the European Union's major powers can drive policy in the bloc.

"Being your Colonel remains a great honour, and I am very sorry that I'm unable (to) take the salute at this year's Colonel's Review," Kate wrote in a letter to the head of the Irish Guards regiment.

The war in Ukraine has led to the biggest upheaval in Russia's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and Western sanctions have forced a once-in-a-century revolution in Russia's economic relations.

Putin, in his first face-to-face meeting with senior editors of international news agencies since the war in Ukraine began, said the West was wrong to assume Russia would never use nuclear weapons, and said the Kremlin's nuclear doctrine should not be taken lightly. 

Its government decided to recognize Palestine as an independent and sovereign state following in the steps of Spain, Ireland and Norway as part of a wider effort to put pressure on Israel to end its siege.

This shift in support, echoed across Europe, represents the latest threat - this time from the left - to mainstream political parties whose project to deepen European integration is already under attack from the far-right.

Zelenskiy made the remarks during his bilateral meeting with the Philippine leader. It was not immediately clear who would be in the Philippine delegation that attends the summit.

In his meeting with Prabowo, Zelensky discussed Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan, which calls for the restoration of Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and the withdrawal of all Russian troops from its territory.

"China, unfortunately, is working hard today to prevent countries from coming to the peace summit," Zelensky told reporters on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore.

Biden had come under increasing pressure from a desperate Ukraine to ease his ban, but had so far resisted amid fears it could drag NATO into direct conflict or even a nuclear standoff with Moscow.

Flight QR017, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed shortly before 1 p.m. Dublin time (1200 GMT), the airport said.

Holding posters reading SOS Residents, Enough Mass Tourism, protesters marched through Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the largest Balearic Island. About 10,000 demonstrators took part, a Spanish National police spokesperson said. 

"I feel much better here than in France," the 32-year-old of North African descent told AFP.

While China does not want to upend its ties with the West, and insists it is not sending lethal weapons to Moscow, Washington has stressed that Russia would struggle to sustain its assault on Ukraine without Beijing.

Wilders won an election nearly six months ago and reached a deal on Wednesday to form a coalition with three right-wing partners. He has not yet proposed his choice for prime minister, but has ruled himself out.

The 26-page coalition agreement emerged early Thursday after six months of gruelling talks between four parties following the stunning election victory of far-right leader Geert Wilders.