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France's Far Right National Rally Still Leading ahead of Election, Poll Shows

An activist of French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party (L) distributes leaflets as President of the Occitanie regional council Carole Delga (R) arrives to support the candidate of the left wing coalition Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), in the Cazeres market, near Toulouse, south-western France, on June 22, 2024, ahead of snap elections for a new national assembly on June 30 and July 7, 2024. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP)
An activist of French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party (L) distributes leaflets as President of the Occitanie regional council Carole Delga (R) arrives to support the candidate of the left wing coalition Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), in the Cazeres market, near Toulouse, south-western France, on June 22, 2024, ahead of snap elections for a new national assembly on June 30 and July 7, 2024. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP)
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France's Far Right National Rally Still Leading ahead of Election, Poll Shows

An activist of French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party (L) distributes leaflets as President of the Occitanie regional council Carole Delga (R) arrives to support the candidate of the left wing coalition Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), in the Cazeres market, near Toulouse, south-western France, on June 22, 2024, ahead of snap elections for a new national assembly on June 30 and July 7, 2024. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP)
An activist of French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party (L) distributes leaflets as President of the Occitanie regional council Carole Delga (R) arrives to support the candidate of the left wing coalition Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), in the Cazeres market, near Toulouse, south-western France, on June 22, 2024, ahead of snap elections for a new national assembly on June 30 and July 7, 2024. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP)

France's far right National Rally (RN) party and its allies are seen leading the first round of the country's parliamentary elections with 35.5% of the vote, according to a poll published Sunday.
The Ipsos survey - conducted for Le Parisien newspaper and Radio France on June 19-20 - showed the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) alliance in second place with 29.5% of the vote, Reuters reported.
President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance was seen in third place, winning 19.5% of votes.
The turnout rate is seen at between 60 and 64%, which would be much higher than the 47.5% seen at the last general election in June 2022.
The RN's lead in polls ahead of the election that will take place in two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, is unlikely to win the party an absolute majority. Macron called the ballot after his alliance's crushing defeat at EU elections earlier this month.
In a separate Ipsos survey, published by the Financial Times, the National Rally is seen as the most trustworthy when it comes to managing the economy and public finances.
According to the survey, 25% of respondents trust Marine Le Pen's RN the most to take the right decisions on economic issues, versus 22% for the New Popular Front and 20% for Macron's alliance.

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World

Israel Appoints First Ambassador to Somaliland

FILED - 03 March 2020, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
FILED - 03 March 2020, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
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Israel Appoints First Ambassador to Somaliland

FILED - 03 March 2020, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
FILED - 03 March 2020, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Israel has appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland, months after formally recognizing the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa, the foreign ministry said Sunday.

In December, Israel became the first country to recognize the independence of Somaliland since it declared its autonomy from Somalia in 1991 following a civil war.

Michael Lotem, currently serving as a roving economic ambassador to Africa, will be Israel's envoy to Somaliland, AFP quoted the ministry as saying.

Lotem previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

His appointment follows the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides in December 2025, and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar's visit to Somaliland in January this year.

In February, Somaliland announced the appointment of Mohamed Hagi as its ambassador to Israel.

Saar's visit to Somaliland drew condemnation from Somalia, which described it as an "unauthorized incursion.”

World

UN Chief Calls for 'Coordinated International' Response after Mali Attacks

A general view of Bamako after insurgents launched attacks on military bases across the country, in Bamako, Mali April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Aboubacar Traore
A general view of Bamako after insurgents launched attacks on military bases across the country, in Bamako, Mali April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Aboubacar Traore
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UN Chief Calls for 'Coordinated International' Response after Mali Attacks

A general view of Bamako after insurgents launched attacks on military bases across the country, in Bamako, Mali April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Aboubacar Traore
A general view of Bamako after insurgents launched attacks on military bases across the country, in Bamako, Mali April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Aboubacar Traore

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday condemned "acts of violence" in Mali after militants and Tuareg rebels claimed attacks against the army across the junta-ruled Sahel state.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali," his spokesman said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General calls for coordinated international support to address the evolving threat of violent extremism and terrorism in the Sahel and to meet urgent humanitarian needs," spokesman Stephane Dujarric added.

An Al-Qaeda-linked militant group said Saturday it had joined forces with rebels to launch what was one of the most complex attacks in years in the impoverished west African country.

The groups launched surprise dawn attacks around the capital Bamako and other regions, and Tuareg rebels said they had seized the northern city of Kidal.

Guterres "strongly condemns these acts of violence, expresses solidarity with the Malian people and stresses the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure," the statement added.

He called for "robust security coordination and collaboration across the region."

Since 2012 Mali has grappled with a security crisis, with attacks by militants, criminal groups and separatists killing thousands and displacing tens of thousands more.

The junta that seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021 said it was doing so to battle the militants more effectively, but attacks have continued.

World

Russian Strikes Kill Three, Wound Four in Ukraine

In this handout photograph taken on April 24, 2026 and released on April 25, 2026 by the press service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Ukrainian servicemen walk on a road past a destroyed military vehicle, near Druzhkivka, in Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by IRYNA RYBAKOVA / The 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken on April 24, 2026 and released on April 25, 2026 by the press service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Ukrainian servicemen walk on a road past a destroyed military vehicle, near Druzhkivka, in Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by IRYNA RYBAKOVA / The 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate / AFP)
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Russian Strikes Kill Three, Wound Four in Ukraine

In this handout photograph taken on April 24, 2026 and released on April 25, 2026 by the press service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Ukrainian servicemen walk on a road past a destroyed military vehicle, near Druzhkivka, in Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by IRYNA RYBAKOVA / The 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken on April 24, 2026 and released on April 25, 2026 by the press service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Ukrainian servicemen walk on a road past a destroyed military vehicle, near Druzhkivka, in Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by IRYNA RYBAKOVA / The 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate / AFP)

Russian strikes across Ukraine killed three people and wounded at least four others, Ukrainian officials said Sunday.

Moscow has fired hundreds of drones on its neighbor almost nightly since its 2022 invasion, while Ukraine has carried out regular attacks on Russian energy and military targets.

In the northeastern Ukraine border region of Sumy, one Russian drone attack killed two civilians, according to the head of Sumy's regional military administration.

"The enemy struck civilians in the territory of Bilopillia community -- near one of the settlements, less than five km from the state border with the Russian Federation," Oleg Grygorov said in a post on Telegram.

He said two men aged 48 and 72 were killed, AFP reported.

Drone and artillery attacks in the central-eastern city of Dnipro, meanwhile, killed one person and wounded four more, the region's military administration head Oleksandr Ganzha said.

Ganzha in a Telegram post said private homes and vehicles were damaged.

Earlier Sunday, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol in Russian-annexed Crimea said a man was killed in a vehicle during a Ukrainian drone attack that damaged several homes and a dance school in different neighborhoods of the port city.

The governor said Russia shot down 43 drones in the attack.

On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities said at least eight people were killed in Dnipro, which was hit by waves of Russian strikes for 20 hours straight.