International
The keys to the crucial second round of the legislative elections in France
The French over 18 years old, about 49.5 million in total, are called to the polls tomorrow to vote in the second round of the anticipated legislative elections, in which Marine Le Pen’s far-right is in the lead, although it will be difficult for him to achieve an absolute majority.
These are the keys to the crucial choice for France:
After the historic victory of Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s right-hand man, in the June European elections and the unexpected dissolution of the National Assembly immediately decided by President Emmanuel Macron, the far-right National Association (RN) was also the great winner of the first round of the legislative elections.
In the general vote of the first round, characterized by a strong participation (67.5%), the RN and its allies achieved 33.15% of the votes, ahead of the union of the lefts of the New Popular Front (27.99%) and macronism (20.04%)
With the absolute majority set at 289 deputies, this second round will put a total of 501 seats at stake, since 76 were already awarded in the first round.
Among them, 39 went to the RN and its allies (such as the one disputed by Marine Le Pen herself); while the left-wing coalition Nuevo Frente Popular (NFP), which includes formations such as the Socialist Party or La Francia Insumisa, secured 32 and Macronism only two.
Unlike in the first round, where the candidate had to get more than 50% of the votes from his constituency – provided that that represents at least 25% of the voters registered in the census – to directly access the seat, in the second round the candidate who is in the lead gets the seat, regardless of the percentages.
In cases where the polls did not define a final winner in the first round, the French system allows you to qualify for the second round to the lists that obtain at least 12.5% of the votes of the total number of registrants in a constituency.
This Sunday, most of the duels will be two, but 89 constituencies will decide between three candidates (the so-called triangular) and two will decide between four (four-square). There will also be elections with a single candidate – Davy Rimane, from the left, in the second constituency of Guyana – after the withdrawal of his rival.
With the results of last Sunday, initially the triangular elections scheduled for the second round were a majority, since in a total of 306 constituencies more than two candidates were classified.
Throughout the week, however, a little more than two hundred candidates withdrew from the contest. Most of them did it to form a sanitary cordon around the extreme right and came from the left-wing coalition NPF (58%) and, to a lesser extent, from macronism (36%).
The impact of the withdrawals of candidates has been noticed in the polls, which have lowered the extent of the victory expected for the RN Lepenist bloc and, consequently, its options of obtaining an absolute majority.
At the end of the campaign this Friday, the eve of today’s day of reflection, the projections give between 175 and 205 seats to the RN and its allies; between 145 and 175 deputies to the NFP; between 118 and 148 seats to Macronism; from 57 to 67 to the conservative right-wing party The Republicans and the rest would be divided by various political formations.
The French polling stations will open at 8:00 a.m. (6.00 GMT in metropolitan France) and will remain open until 6:00 p.m. (16.00 GMT), except in some large cities, where the deadline will be extended by one hour or even two hours.
It will be from 20.00 (18.00 GMT) when the polling companies will disclose the initial estimates of the composition of the new National Assembly, which will unleash the first reactions of the political leaders, while the Ministry of the Interior advances the first partial results.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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