World Leaders Welcome Macron's French Election Win

French President and La Republique en Marche (LREM) party candidate for re-election Emmanuel Macron (R) holds his fist in the air as he holds Brigitte Macron’s hand after his victory in France’s presidential election, at the Champ de Mars in Paris, on April 24, 2022. AFP
French President and La Republique en Marche (LREM) party candidate for re-election Emmanuel Macron (R) holds his fist in the air as he holds Brigitte Macron’s hand after his victory in France’s presidential election, at the Champ de Mars in Paris, on April 24, 2022. AFP
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World Leaders Welcome Macron's French Election Win

French President and La Republique en Marche (LREM) party candidate for re-election Emmanuel Macron (R) holds his fist in the air as he holds Brigitte Macron’s hand after his victory in France’s presidential election, at the Champ de Mars in Paris, on April 24, 2022. AFP
French President and La Republique en Marche (LREM) party candidate for re-election Emmanuel Macron (R) holds his fist in the air as he holds Brigitte Macron’s hand after his victory in France’s presidential election, at the Champ de Mars in Paris, on April 24, 2022. AFP

World leaders rushed to congratulate France's centrist President Emmanuel Macron on his re-election and defeat of far-right leader Marine Le Pen in elections Sunday.

Here are some of the main reactions according to AFP:

- European Union -"I am delighted to be able to continue our excellent cooperation," tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"We can count on France for five more years," European Council President Charles Michel wrote on Twitter.

- United States -"France is our oldest ally and a key partner in addressing global challenges," US President Joe Biden tweeted. "I look forward to our continued close cooperation -- including on supporting Ukraine, defending democracy, and countering climate change."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also congratulated Macron.

"We look forward to continuing close cooperation with France on global challenges, underpinning our long and enduring Alliance and friendship," he wrote.

- Germany -Chancellor Olaf Scholz said French voters "have sent a strong vote of confidence in Europe today. I am happy that we will continue our good cooperation".

- Britain -Prime Minister Boris Johnson called France "one of our closest and most important allies" and said he looked forward "to continuing to work together on the issues which matter most to our two countries and to the world".

- Ukraine -President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has spoken with Macron several times since Russia's invasion on February 24, called Macron a "true friend of Ukraine".

"I wish him further success for the sake of the (French) people. I appreciate his support and I am convinced that we are moving together towards new common victories," he wrote in both Ukrainian and French.

- Russia -Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in a telegram: "I sincerely wish you success in your state activities, as well as good health and well-being," according to a statement from the Kremlin.

- Algeria -President Abdelmadjid Tebboune congratulated Macron on his "brilliant" victory and invited him to visit Algeria soon "to intensify and broaden" relations which have been fraught in recent times between France and its neighboring former colony.

- China -China President Xi Jinping said he would "like to continue working with President Macron to maintain diplomatic relations based on independence, mutual understanding, foresight and mutual benefit". according to a readout from state broadcaster CCTV.

- Australia -Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Macron's victory was a "great expression of liberal democracy in action in uncertain times".

"We wish you and France every success, in particular your leadership in Europe and as an important partner to Australia in the Indo-Pacific," he tweeted, using an alternative name for the Asia-Pacific region.

In November, Macron accused his Australian counterpart of lying over a multi-billion-dollar submarine contract that Canberra scrapped without warning.

- Canada -Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "looking forward to continuing our work together on the issues that matter most to people in Canada and France -- from defending democracy, to fighting climate change, to creating good jobs and economic growth for the middle class".

- India -Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his "friend" on being re-elected and said "I look forward to continue working together to deepen the India-France Strategic Partnership."

- Japan -Tweeting in French, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wrote: "We will strengthen our close cooperation with President Macron in various areas, such as the Indo-Pacific region and the Russian aggression against Ukraine."

- Italy -Prime Minister Mario Draghi described Macron's victory as "great news for all of Europe".

- Spain -"The citizens have chosen a France committed to a free, strong and fair EU. Democracy wins. Europe wins," tweeted socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. "Congratulations Emmanuel Macron."

- Belgium -Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said French voters had made a "strong choice", opting for "certainty and Enlightenment values".

- UN bodies -UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi sent his "warm congratulations" and said his organization would continue to count on Macron's support on the European and world stage "as humanitarian challenges and refugee crises become more serious and complex every day".

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he looked forward to "continuing the important partnership" with France "for a healthier, safer, fairer world".

- Ireland -Prime Minister Micheal Martin hailed Macron's "principled and dynamic leadership" as "important not only for France, but for Europe".

- Switzerland -President Ignazio Cassis said he looked forward to "continuing our good collaboration," stressing the close ties between the two neighboring countries.

- Sweden -Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson sent her "warmest congratulations".

"Let's continue our close cooperation -- bilaterally and for a competitive, green and resilient European Union," she tweeted.

- African Union -African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat congratulated Macron over "his brilliant re-election", saying he hoped to continue building "mutually beneficial relations between Africa and France".



UN Rights Office Says Hundreds Killed in Iran Protests

This video grab taken on January 13, 2026 from UGC images posted on social media on January 10, 2026 shows clashes in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran. (UGC/AFP)
This video grab taken on January 13, 2026 from UGC images posted on social media on January 10, 2026 shows clashes in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran. (UGC/AFP)
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UN Rights Office Says Hundreds Killed in Iran Protests

This video grab taken on January 13, 2026 from UGC images posted on social media on January 10, 2026 shows clashes in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran. (UGC/AFP)
This video grab taken on January 13, 2026 from UGC images posted on social media on January 10, 2026 shows clashes in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran. (UGC/AFP)

The UN human rights chief said on ​Tuesday that he was "horrified" by mounting violence by Iran's security forces against peaceful protesters, with the UN citing its own sources as saying that hundreds have been killed so far.

The country's clerical authorities are ‌facing the biggest ‌demonstrations since 2022 ‌and ⁠on ​Sunday ‌a rights group said that unrest has killed more than 500 people. An Iranian official indicated on Tuesday it was higher, at around 2,000.

"This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue. The Iranian people and ⁠their demands for fairness, equality and justice must ‌be heard," UN High ‍Commissioner for ‍Human Rights Volker Turk said in a ‍statement read out by UN rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence.

Asked to comment on the scale of the killings, Laurence, citing ​the United Nations' sources in Iran, said: "The number that we're hearing is ⁠hundreds."

Turk also voiced concern that the death penalty might be used against thousands of protesters who have been arrested.

The unrest has prompted US President Donald Trump to reissue threats to intervene militarily on behalf of Iran's protesters.

"There's concern that (the protests) have been instrumentalized, and they shouldn't be instrumentalized by anyone," ‌said Laurence on a possible US intervention.


Russia Strikes Power Plant, Kills Four in Ukraine Barrage

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area a day before, in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, 03 January 2026, amid the Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY KOZLOV
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area a day before, in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, 03 January 2026, amid the Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY KOZLOV
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Russia Strikes Power Plant, Kills Four in Ukraine Barrage

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area a day before, in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, 03 January 2026, amid the Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY KOZLOV
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area a day before, in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, 03 January 2026, amid the Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY KOZLOV

Russia battered Ukraine with more than two dozen missiles and hundreds of drones early Tuesday, killing four people and pummelling another power plant, piling more pressure on Ukraine's brittle energy system.

An AFP journalist in the eastern Kharkiv region, where four people were killed, saw firefighters battling a fire at a postal hub and rescue workers helping survivors by lamp light in freezing temperatures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "several hundred thousand" households near Kyiv were without power after the strikes, and again called on allies to bolster his country's air defense systems.

"The world can respond to this Russian terror with new assistance packages for Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media.

"Russia must come to learn that cold will not help it win the war," he added.

Authorities in Kyiv and the surrounding region rolled out emergency power cuts in the hours after the attack, saying freezing temperatures were complicating their work.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest energy provider, said Russian forces had struck one of its power plants, saying it was the eighth such attack since October.

The operator did not reveal which of its plants was struck, but said Russia had attacked its power plants over 220 times since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Moscow has pummelled Ukraine with daily drone and missile barrages in recent months, targeting energy infrastructure and cutting power and heating in the frigid height of winter.

The Ukrainian air force said that Tuesday's bombardment included 25 missiles and 247 drones.

The Kharkiv governor gave the death toll and added that six people were wounded in the overnight hit outside the region's main city, also called Kharkiv.

White helmeted emergency workers could be seen clambering through the still-smoking wreckage of a building occupied by postal company Nova Poshta, in a video posted by the regional prosecutor's office.

Within Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said a Russian long-range drone struck a medical facility for children, causing a fire. No casualties were reported.

The overnight strikes hit other regions as well, including the southern city of Odesa.

Residential buildings, a hospital and a kindergarten were damaged, with at least five people wounded in two waves of attacks, regional governor Sergiy Lysak said.

Russia's use last week of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile on Ukraine sparked condemnation from Kyiv's allies, including Washington, which called it a "dangerous and inexplicable escalation of this war".

Moscow on Monday said the missile hit an aviation repair factory in the Lviv region and that it was fired in response to Ukraine's attempt to strike one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's residences -- a claim Kyiv denies and that Washington has said it does not believe happened.


Israel Says It Remains on Alert Because of Iran Protests

A member of the Iranian police attends a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, January 12, 2026. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
A member of the Iranian police attends a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, January 12, 2026. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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Israel Says It Remains on Alert Because of Iran Protests

A member of the Iranian police attends a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, January 12, 2026. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
A member of the Iranian police attends a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, January 12, 2026. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it continues to be “on alert for surprise scenarios” due to the ongoing protests in Iran, but has not made any changes to guidelines for civilians, as it does prior to a concrete threat.

“The protests in Iran are an internal matter,” Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin wrote on X.

Also on Tuesday, Iranian security forces arrested what a state television report described as terrorist groups linked to Israel in the southeastern city of Zahedan.

The report, without providing additional details, said the group entered through Iran’s eastern borders and carried US-made guns and explosives that the group had planned to use in assassinations and acts of sabotage.

Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear program over the summer, resulting in a 12-day war that killed nearly 1,200 Iranians and almost 30 Israelis. Over the past week, Iran has threatened to attack Israel if Israel or the US attacks.