Emmanuel Macron is firing up his campaign for re-election, directly taking on far-right rival Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential run-off. He made his first trip to a Le Pen stronghold at Denain, one of France’s poorest towns in the industrial north. President Macron won the first round of the election, but opinion polls suggest the second round will be a close race on 24 April. “Make no mistake: nothing is decided,” he told supporters after the vote. Both candidates polled better than the first round in 2017, but Le Pen officials were in far more buoyant mood the morning after the result, even though she trailed the president by four points. Jordan Benalla, president of her National Rally party, was confident Ms Le Pen would find willing support from the 70% of people who voted against Mr Macron. “They know if he gets back in, it’s going to be five more years of social breakdown, fiscal bloodletting, powerlessness over their sovereignty, violence throughout the country and immigration,” he told French radio.(BBC)…[+]

The sound of Russian artillery grew louder as we drove to a Ukrainian frontline position in Luhansk. The rumble of shelling interspersed with the occasional burst of small arms fire. We were within 500 metres of the Russian positions. This may be a conflict in the 21st century but, at times, with its maze of trenches, it feels more like something from the First World War. Russia’s military offensive in eastern Ukraine is already intensifying. You can see it in the long queues of traffic driving west towards relative safety; you can feel it in the deserted streets as you drive through the towns and cities of the Donbas; and you can hear it with the increasing sound of Russian artillery. Russia is redeploying more of its forces from northern to eastern Ukraine. The objective is to step up the battle in the Luhansk and Donetsk – parts of which were already controlled by Russian backed separatists. Russia will take advantage of its shorter supply lines – something which proved a problem in its failed offensive on the capital Kyiv.(BBC)…[+]

After a Covid infection, there is an increased risk of developing a serious blood clot for the next six months, a study from Sweden suggests. The research found people with severe Covid, and those infected during the first wave, had the highest clot risk. This highlights the importance of being vaccinated against the virus, the researchers say. Blood clots can also occur after vaccination but the risk is far smaller, a major UK study found. People who have had Covid-19 are more likely to develop a blood clot – particularly patients who have needed hospital treatment. Scientists wanted to find out when that risk returns to normal levels. The researchers tracked the health of just over one million people who tested positive for Covid between February 2020 and May 2021 in Sweden, and compared them with four million people of the same age and sex who had not had a positive test.

Former White House adviser Ivanka Trump testified for hours on Tuesday to the congressional committee investigating the 6 January attack on the US Capitol. Ms Trump, 40, was asked for her account of her father’s activities as the crisis unfolded. She was one of several aides said to have tried to convince the president to condemn the violence. Her appearance comes days after her husband Jared Kushner, also an ex-White House adviser, met investigators. The questioning lasted up to eight hours, US media reports. Unlike other witnesses called before the committee, Ms Trump never attempted to invoke her right to remain silent, according to the panel’s top chairman. “She’s answering questions,” congressman Bennie Thompson said. “Not in a broad, chatty term, but she’s answering questions.” The committee has also subpoenaed White House records of Mr Trump’s meetings and actions on 6 January, but documents acquired by BBC media partner CBS News show no presidential contacts for more than seven hours, as the battle in the Capitol was at its most intense.(BBC)…[+]

Ultranationalist Russian political leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky has died aged 75, after a career built on fiery remarks and absurd antics. He stood for the presidency six times and was part of the official opposition tolerated by President Vladimir Putin. Last December he appeared to predict Russia would attack Ukraine. He claimed to have had eight Covid-19 vaccinations. He contracted coronavirus and died weeks after being admitted to hospital with pneumonia. His death was finally confirmed by parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on Wednesday, after two reports earlier this year had been discounted. Zhirinovsky was, he said, always in the thick of things: “A man who deeply understood how the world works and foresaw a lot.” Zhirinovsky’s brand of clownish ultranationalism kept Russians shocked and entertained during more than 30 years of his political career. In the early 1990s he claimed he dreamt of the day “when Russian soldiers can wash their boots in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean”. In one of his final appearances before MPs, he said Russia would invade Ukraine and predicted almost to the day when it would happen.

Sri Lanka’s beleaguered president will not be resigning, his government’s whip has told parliament. The declaration defies calls from the public and political opponents for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down amid the country’s economic crisis. Crowds have protested for weeks over lengthy power cuts and shortages of gas, food and other basic goods. The public anger has prompted nearly all Cabinet ministers to quit, and scores of MPs to leave his government. Opposition MPs have also rejected his invite to form a national unity government, saying voters want the president and entire government to resign. But on Wednesday, Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando told lawmakers: “As a responsible Government, we state President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will not resign from his post under any circumstances.”(BBC)…[+]

Some 168 people are still missing in Nigeria after a deadly attack on a busy train last week, the state rail company says. It is not clear how many of the 168 have been kidnapped for ransom – some may have gone home without telling the authorities. Gunmen blew up a section of track between the capital, Abuja, and the northern city of Kaduna last Monday. During the ordeal at least eight passengers were killed. One survivor has told the BBC how a decision to change carriage could have saved his life, and the lives of his family. “I am happy that I am alive and well,” he said on condition of anonymity.(BBC)…[+]

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has won a fourth term by a landslide in the country’s general election, near-complete results show. His right-wing Fidesz party won 135 of 199 seats with almost 99% of the votes counted, preliminary results show. The opposition alliance led by Peter Marki-Zay was far behind with 56 seats. In his victory speech, Mr Orban criticised Brussels bureaucrats and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling them “opponents”. Mr Zelensky has repeatedly criticised Mr Orban’s ban on the transfer of arms to Ukraine, with which it shares a border. However, Mr Orban – who has close ties with Moscow – has condemned the Russian invasion and taken in half a million refugees since the war began in February. “We never had so many opponents,” he said, quoted by AFP. “Brussels bureaucrats… the international mainstream media, and the Ukrainian president.” Following the result, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Mr Orban a congratulatory message on the Telegram messaging app, according to the Kremlin.(BBC)…[+]