Here is a summary of current world news.
Explanation – What you need to know about the French presidential election
Sunday’s vote will determine whether centrist pro-European President Emmanuel Macron or far-right anti-immigration Marine Le Pen will rule France for the next five years. * WHO WILL WIN?
Explainer-Macron or Le Pen: why it matters for France, the EU and the West
The French will decide on Sunday whether to re-elect pro-business centrist President Emmanuel Macron or shatter decades of general consensus in favor of far-right Marine Le Pen. Here’s what you can expect from them on major issues:
Russia to deploy Sarmat missiles by fall in ‘historic’ nuclear upgrade
Russia said Saturday it plans to deploy its newly tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of launching nuclear strikes against the United States, by the fall. The goal declared by Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Roscosmos space agency, is ambitious as Russia only announced its first test launch on Wednesday and Western military experts say it will take more before the missile can be deployed.
US will ‘absolutely’ reopen embassy in Ukraine at some point, says Ukrainian PM
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday he “absolutely” expects the United States to eventually reopen its embassy in Ukraine, but refrained from predicting when that would happen. “It will happen, absolutely, but we will wait,” Shmyhal told reporters after a visit to Washington when asked if he had received any assurances from the United States that they would reopen their embassy.
Russian patriarch prays for a quick end to the conflict in Ukraine but avoids criticizing it
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, whose support for Moscow’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine has appalled many Christians, said on Saturday he hoped it would end soon, but again he would not did not condemn her. During an outdoor service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow on the eve of Orthodox Easter, Patriarch Kirill sprinkled holy water on colorful Easter breads known as kulichi and said many of they would be sent to the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.
Palestinian clashes with Israeli police at Jerusalem holy site, 57 injured
At least 57 Palestinians were injured Friday in clashes with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, medics said, as violence continued during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at a site also revered by Jews. In what could presage a wider conflict, Israel said two rockets were fired from Gaza, one falling short and the other hitting across the border without damage. It was the third such incident this week, shattering months of relative calm on the Gaza front.
Amsterdam Airport urges travelers to stay away as strike causes chaos
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on Saturday urged travelers to stay away as a strike by ground staff at the start of the school holidays wreaked havoc at Europe’s third-busiest airport. “The terminal is overcrowded at the moment… Schiphol calls on travelers not to come to the airport anymore,” airport authorities said in a statement released shortly before noon (10:00 GMT).
Russia renews assault on Mariupol, intensifies shelling of Lugansk, Ukraine says
Russia has resumed its assault on the last Ukrainian defenders locked in a giant steelworks in Mariupol, a Ukrainian official said on Saturday, days after Moscow declared victory in the southern port city and said its forces had no no need to take the factory. Russian forces were hitting the Azovstal complex with airstrikes and trying to storm it, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said, adding that “the enemy is trying to strangle the final resistance of the defenders of Mariupol”.
Anger rises among locked-down Shanghai residents as city reports more COVID deaths
China’s main financial hub of Shanghai reported more new COVID-19-related deaths on April 22, as residents expressed anger over a harsh lockdown and strict online censorship. The citywide lockdown of Shanghai began in early April, although many people have been confined to their homes for much longer, and the stress has started to take its toll on residents.
Iran says talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia have resumed in Baghdad
Rival regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed talks in the Iraqi capital after they were suspended in March, Iran’s semi-official Nour News reported on Saturday. There has been no confirmation from Saudi Arabia or Iraq on the resumption of talks.
(With agency contributions.)
