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Added on the 19/07/2024 22:30:02 - Copyright : CinemaBlend
French far-right National Rally (RN) party leader Jordan Bardella votes in the first round of high-stakes snap parliamentary elections. The vote could put the far-right in power in France for the first time since the Nazi occupation in World War II. IMAGES
The US Federal Reserve has voted to hold interest rates at a 22-year high for a second straight meeting. "Today we decided to leave our policy interest rate unchanged," announces Fed chair Jerome Powell. SOUNDBITE
NATO Defence Ministers, including those of Sweden and Finland, take a photo together following their meeting in Brussels, Belgium. NATO members have relaunched a debate on the thorny issue of ramping up national defence spending targets as Russia's war on Ukraine has upended security. Moscow's nearly year-long all-out invasion of its neighbour has seen a string of European allies commit to spending billions more on their armed forces. Moscow's nearly year-long all-out invasion of its neighbour has seen a string of European allies commit to spending billions more on their armed forces. IMAGES
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as they met at Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, during his visit to the kingdom that will yield billions of dollars in deals. IMAGES
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet in Geneva in an urgent bid for a solution over Ukraine, with the United States increasingly worried that Russia will invade despite warnings of severe reprisals. IMAGES
Top US and Russian diplomats kick off crucial talks on soaring tensions over Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour. US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and her Russian counterpart Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov opened their meeting at the US mission in Geneva at 8:55 am (0755 GMT). IMAGES of the top of the meeting