Angry at their government agreeing to cede territory to arch-foe Azerbaijan, dozens of Armenian protesters have blocked major highways and vowed to fight the transfer of land they say is rightfully theirs.

Blinken, in China for the second time in less than a year, met leading Chinese politicians in the capital Beijing, where US officials said he would directly raise crucial areas of difference including Russia, Taiwan and trade.

China's foreign minister warned Antony Blinken on Friday that US pressure could trigger a "downward spiral", as the visiting secretary of state raised concerns on issues including support for Russia.

Olga drew her index finger abruptly across her neck as she recounted the threats her husband levelled at her after he returned to Russia, wounded from fighting in Ukraine.

China on Friday urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address rising disagreements or risk a "downward spiral" between the two powers as talks opened in Beijing.

The UK on Thursday joined the United States and Canada in announcing a fresh set of sanctions against Iran's drone and missile industries after its recent attack on Israel.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he plans to visit China in May, his first planned trip abroad since re-election as Moscow seeks deeper ties with Beijing.

Every metre that farmer Igor Kniazev ploughs in an east Ukrainian village holds the danger of mines, booby-traps and unexploded shells -- the remains of a nearly three-month Russian occupation that ended over a year ago.

Exhausted Ukrainian soldiers near the front line were eagerly awaiting the arrival of desperately needed US weapons Thursday, with some bitter at how much the long wait has cost them.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday warned that Europe faced an existential threat from Russian aggression, calling on the continent to adopt a "credible" defence strategy less dependent on the United States.

Visiting the local Communist Party leader in a reception room with sweeping views of the Shanghai skyline, Blinken said President Joe Biden was committed to "direct and sustained" dialogue between the world's two largest economies after years of mounting tension.

The United States on Wednesday rushed to send ammunition, weapons and other war supplies to Ukraine, after President Joe Biden signed a much-delayed bill to support the country as it struggles to hold back Russian advances.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Thursday on the United States and China to manage their differences "responsibly" as he went on a charm offensive ahead of expected tough talks.

The United States is the first to acknowledge that its long-awaited $61 billion aid package for Ukraine is not a "silver bullet."

TikTok's CEO vowed Wednesday to fight in the courts to overturn a newly signed US law that could see the popular app banned due to allegations it is controlled by the China government.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed legislation authorizing $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine, with the Pentagon quickly announcing a new $1 billion package headed for Kyiv, featuring desperately needed air defense and artillery munitions.

Hundreds of Ukrainians crammed up against a closed passport office in Warsaw on Wednesday, furious over Kyiv's suspension of consular services for fighting-aged men in a bid to force them to return home and bolster troop numbers.

A Russian deputy defence minister exposed in an investigation by late opposition leader Alexei Navalny's team was remanded in custody Wednesday on suspicion of taking large bribes.

Days after the Republican-led House of Representatives cleared the aid -- part of a larger $95 billion package of assistance to allies including Israel and Taiwan -- the Democratic-controlled Senate followed suit, passing it with bipartisan support on a 79-18 vote.

Brussels fears China is favoring local suppliers and, in the journal, the EU provided the different ways this could be happening including the "Buy China" policy.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due in China on Wednesday as the United States ramps up pressure on its main rival over its support for Russia, while seeking to manage tensions between the two powers.

The German government will present its latest growth forecasts on Wednesday as Europe's crisis-hit top economy shows tentative signs it is finally turning a corner.

The US Senate on Tuesday approved legislation requiring the wildly popular social media app TikTok to be divested from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or be shut out of the American market.

The US Senate approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine late Tuesday that had been stalled for months in Congress, with President Joe Biden vowing fresh supplies to be delivered swiftly to the warzone as Russia makes battlefield gains.

Amnesty International said Wednesday that the post-World War II order was on the "brink of collapse", threatened by bitter conflict on multiple fronts to the rapid and unregulated rise of artificial intelligence.

Ukraine on Tuesday suspended consular services for men of fighting age living abroad, after announcing measures to bring them home amid manpower shortages in the army fighting Russia.

Following its passage in the House with bipartisan backing, the legislation now faces scrutiny and discussion in the upper chamber.

With Emmanuel Macron's party badly lagging behind the French far right in opinion polls ahead of June's European Parliament election, the president hopes a set-piece speech on Europe on Thursday can help to close the gap.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Tuesday announced additional funding for Ukraine and pledged to increase Britain's own defence budget, during a visit to the Polish capital Warsaw.

UK leader Rishi Sunak travels to Warsaw on Tuesday for talks with Polish premier Donald Tusk and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg that will focus on Ukraine and wider European security.