National Rally

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.

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.

Rival political rallies have filled streets across Brazil as campaigning reaches its peak one week before national elections. Supporters of competing candidates took to major cities in a show of strength, with campaigns intensifying sharply in the final stretch. The large turnouts underline how closely contested and polarised the race has become ahead of voting day.

Legislation to establish a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is reportedly closer than ever to being signed into law, according to commentary circulating from The Motley Fool. The proposal would have the US government hold bitcoin as a national reserve asset. Market watchers are debating whether official government adoption could drive bitcoin's price sharply higher, with speculation of a potential rally if the bill passes.

Students and school workers rallied outside Italy's parliament in Rome on Friday to protest a government decree that would cap foreign pupils at 30% per class and restrict face coverings in schools. Demonstrators say the rules stigmatise migrant students and undermine integration. The measures, backed by the Meloni government, have sparked a heated national debate over classroom composition and inclusion in Italian schools.

The Republican Party is holding its national midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, drawing party leaders, delegates and activists ahead of the midterm elections. The gathering is being used to rally support, set campaign messaging and spotlight candidates ahead of voting.

Demonstrators gathered in San Francisco for a rally demanding an end to deportations to Haiti and calling for human rights protections for Haitian migrants. The event formed part of a national day of action, with coordinated rallies held in cities across the United States to press the US government to halt removals to Haiti, citing unstable conditions there.

A letter published in Mountain Xpress calls on readers to speak up in support of the Roadless Rule, arguing the policy is needed to protect wildlife habitats. The Roadless Rule restricts road construction and logging on designated national forest lands, and public comment periods on its future have made it a recurring topic for conservation advocates.

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.

A woman from central Maine organized a gathering that brought hundreds of people together to show support during the Lindsay Clancy trial in Massachusetts. Clancy, a Duxbury nurse charged in the deaths of her three young children in January 2023, has drawn national attention and sparked debate over postpartum mental health. The rally highlights public sympathy and scrutiny surrounding the case as the trial proceeds.