National Rally

France's far-right National Rally has made a strong showing in Senate elections, according to reports. The result marks a notable advance for the party led by Marine Le Pen's movement in the upper house of the French parliament. Commentators are weighing what the gain means for the broader rise of the French far right ahead of future national votes.

France's far-right National Rally has made significant gains in indirect Senate elections, marking a breakthrough in a chamber where it previously held almost no seats. The result points to the party's growing entrenchment across French political institutions, extending its influence beyond the National Assembly. Observers see it as another sign of the far right's normalisation in French politics, with implications for President Macron's already weakened position.

France's far right has made gains in indirect Senate elections, where mayors and local councillors choose half of the upper house's seats. The results point to the National Rally's continued expansion beyond its traditional strongholds. Observers see the vote as another sign of the party's growing normalization and mainstream acceptance in French politics.

Emmanuel Macron used what the Guardian describes as his final address to the United Nations to challenge Donald Trump, and commentators suggest the speech may have emboldened other world leaders to push back against the US president. The address is being read as a parting gesture aimed at rallying international resistance to Trump's positions.

Large political rallies have brought crowds into the streets across Brazil one week ahead of the country's elections. Supporters of rival candidates have taken to public squares in a final push before voters go to the polls. The vote is being closely watched, with the outcome expected to shape the country's political direction.

Russia is bringing the remains of Orthodox saints and medieval princes to the front lines of its war in Ukraine, using religious relics as symbols to rally troops and cast the invasion as a holy cause. The report examines how the Russian military and Orthodox Church have intertwined, with sacred relics deployed for morale and patriotic messaging.

France's far-right National Rally announced it has secured enough seats to form a group in the Senate for the first time in its history, following the senatorial elections. The breakthrough would give the party greater institutional weight, speaking time and committee positions in the upper house, and marks a new step in its expansion beyond the National Assembly.

Demonstrators gathered in San Francisco to protest deportations to Haiti, calling for human rights protections as part of a national day of action. The rally, reported by Indybay, joins coordinated actions across the United States urging an end to removals to the crisis-stricken country, where activists say returnees face violence and instability.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran says its supporters mobilized during the UN General Assembly in New York and held demonstrations across several European cities, as part of its ongoing campaign against the Iranian government. The group frames the rallies as showing international backing for its opposition movement.