French, UK defence ministers' meeting cancelled amid sub row

A meeting set for this week between French Defence Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart Ben Wallace was cancelled at Paris’s request, a source at her ministry said on Sunday.

The cancellation comes as the United States, Australia and the UK sparked a full-blown diplomatic crisis with France by announcing a strategic partnership on Wednesday aimed at countering China under which US nuclear submarines will be supplied to Australia, effectively sidelining France.