April 11, 2022

*) Macron, Le Pen head for cliffhanger French election runoff French leader Emmanuel Macron and challenger Marine Le Pen have qualified for what promises to be a tightly fought presidential election runoff on April 24. Macron beat his far-right rival by a larger than expected margin, securing 27.41 percent of the votes counted so far, compared to Le Pen’s 24.9 percent. Local polls predict a very tight runoff, with 51 percent for Macron and 49 percent for Le Pen. *) New ‘Russia offensive’ on Ukraine coming Russian forces will launch an offensive not only on the port of Mariupol, but also on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities, says the head of Russia's republic of Chechnya. Meanwhile Ukraine has accused Moscow of “war crimes” after discovering a trail of more than 1,220 bodies outside Kiev in towns where the Russian army has retreated. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said 5,600 cases have been opened into the alleged crimes committed by Russian forces since the start of attacks on February 24th. *) Tens of thousands hit Pakistani streets to protest Imran Khan's ouster Tens of thousands of protesters have rallied across Pakistan in support of Imran Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary no-trust vote as prime minister. Khan's supporters marched in cities across Pakistan, waving large party flags and vowing support. Hundreds of his supporters also held protests in the UK, Australia and the UAE. Khan's successor is to be elected and sworn in by Parliament on Monday, with Shahbaz Sharif as the leading contender. *) Several Palestinians killed, wounded as Israeli raids continue in Jenin Gun battles have rocked the occupied West Bank’s Jenin area for the second day. At least 10 Palestinians were wounded and more than 20 arrested by Israeli forces, who shot dead three others elsewhere, Palestinian officials say. The district of Jenin is home to a gunman who launched two recent deadly attacks in Tel Aviv, Israeli authorities say, demanding that his father Fathi Hazem turn himself in. *) Elon Musk no long