'Another own goal' – How the world reacted to the UK election result

The UK election result has sent shockwaves around the world as Prime Minister Theresa May's gamble backfired.

The leader called an election to increase the number of Conservative seats so that her party would have a stronger mandate to deliver Brexit, but she ended up losing her Commons' majority as the election ended in a hung parliament.

May refused to stand down and said she would form a coalition government with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The unexpected result has left the Conservative government in disarray, with eurosceptic MPs warning May that she will face a leadership challenge if she attempts to water down her 'hard Brexit' policy, according The Telegraph.

Brexit negotiations start in just 11 days, but EU leaders have called for the talks to be delayed. Europe's Chief Brexit negotiator, Michael Barnier, said that the talks should only commence "when UK is ready" as the "timetable and EU positions are clear."

German MEP Manfred Weber, who leads the largest group in the European Parliament, accused May of bringing "chaos" rather than stability to the UK.

Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament's Brexit representative, described the outcome as "another own goal" and said it would further complicate "already complex negotiations."

European Council President Donald Tusk warned the UK government that the Brexit clock was ticking.

"We don't know when Brexit talks start. We know when they must end. Do your best to avoid a "no deal" as a result of "no negotiations," he tweeted.

European newspapers expressed the shock felt by many of their citizens and politicians.

In Germany, Die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Die Welt ran front pages with the headline "May Day."

"The voters of the United Kingdom are insecure, angry and upset," the Frankfurt newspaper stated, describing the election outcome as a "vote against hard Brexit."

Italian newspaper La Repubblica wrote: "May's gamble fails, loses her majority."

In France, Le Figaro praised Jeremy Corbyn for his "impressive rebound" and his "spectacular comeback", saying the Labour leader was now in a position to "assert himself as a kingmaker."

Both the Chinese and Indian press said that the outcome would have a "huge impact" on Brexit negotiations and that May had made a "grave miscalculation" in calling the vote.