this is bbc news 7 welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the world. i'm martine croxall — the headlines. voting is drawing to close in france in the first round of the french presidential election — president macron is facing a strong challenge from marine le pen. i'm tim wilcox — live in paris — i'll have all the latest on the french presidential election with just an hour of voting left, in what's being described as the closest first round ever. the bodies of more than twelve hundred people have been found in the kyiv region of ukraine, since russian forces left — that's according to ukraine's prosecutor—general. and in britain, the government launches an inquiry into how the tax arrangements of the chancellor's wife became public knowledge. opposition parties in pakistan are preparing to form a new government,

after the removal of imran khan as prime minister, in a late—night confidence vote. our motivation is to conduct electoral reforms and move towards a more democratic pakistan. hello. there's only an hour left until polls close in the first round of the french presidential election. in what could be the closest contest in many years president emmanual macron is facing a strong challenge from the far right candidate marine le pen. let's cross now to tim willcox in paris. thank you very much indeed, just under one hour to go. it is forecast to be the tightest first—round ever

in recent french history. it is worth pointing out that when marine le pen last stood against emmanuel macron in 2017, she got to the second round but was crushed by him then. history is repeating itself we think again today. there are 12 candidates in total but it is expected marine le pen will be up against emmanuel macron again. this time, the polls indicate she is is much, much closer. when emmanuel macron first entered this race, much later than the other candidates, he was 20 points ahead. in the intervening weeks that later shrunk to two or 3%. is france ready to elect a right—wing extremist president for the first time? in 2002, jeanmarie le pen was up againstjacques chirac and he again

was crushed then. that time the french population simply could not tolerate or even think about the possibility of having a right—wing president. have things changed now? see what the latest polling predictions are. this report from lucy williams. flowers outside the polling station are always welcome on election day but it is popularity inside that counts. after weeks spent focusing on the war in ukraine, emmanuel macron was still in full campaign mode, kissing children right up to the doors of the polling station. inside, he took a voting slip for each of the 12 candidates in this election, we wonder who he voted for. it was all smiles and selfies as voters were lined up to welcome the far right leader, marine le pen. some of her supporters still too young to vote. she has been through this twice

before but polls now suggest she is within the margin of error to win. polls would put mr macron and miss le pen almost neck and neck in this vote. behind them candidates from the far right and far left, with france's traditional parties of government this saying for france's election process is you vote with your heart in the first round and you're head in the second. with emmanuel macron and marine le pen so far ahead of the polls, many people have been left wondering how to make their vote count. i think she would be not so bad. not so bad as macron. right now, we have extreme people that are you know explaining the problem of france because of rich or because of foreigners.

i would just stop this way of thinking. translation: i changed my mind at the last minute. i took the voting slip of one candidate but as i was about to vote i threw away and went with the one i voted for last time. emmanuel macron has described the selection is a battle between him and the extremes. marine le pen says he is just another politician who is out of touch. the decision facing france in voting booths across the country, is it time for change or not? lucy williamson without report. we understand turn out is about 4% lower than it was in 2017. what difference could that make? in about half an we will have a special programme here from france, looking at all the projections of the polls, when the polls are shot with a panel of experts and correspondence of course in the headquarters of all the main candidates. for now, back

to you in london.— to you in london. thank you very much. ukraine's president zelensky says vladimir putin has not only his country but the entire �*european project�* in his sights. he was speaking as the eu re—opened its embassy in kyiv after russian forces retreated from the north of ukraine. the major focus of the fighting is now likely to be in the east — with civilians being evacuated from the donbas region. prosecutors say 1200 bodies have now been recovered from areas previously occupied by russia around kyiv. those include the village of andriivka. 0ur correspondent mark lowen sent us this report. less liberation, more scorched earth. the population is 1000, more than a0 were killed as the russians attacked and moved in for a month. the remnants of battle mixed with remains of lives as the shroud of war is peeled back, uncovering the horrors beneath. tatiana's only

grandson was taken by the russians the day after his 23rd birthday and short. so badly mutilated they identified him from his clothes, recovering his body after a month and burying him to days ago. translation: maybe if he had gone to fight somewhere else, he would have returned in one piece. he was a clever boy, he recited poetry. when my husband told the russians to take him instead, they pointed their machine gun and said go home or we will take you both. this machine gun and said go home or we will take you both.— will take you both. this terrorised community _ will take you both. this terrorised community will _ will take you both. this terrorised community will try _ will take you both. this terrorised community will try somehow - will take you both. this terrorised community will try somehow to i will take you both. this terrorised - community will try somehow to return to peace but it cannot shut out its agony. first came the offensive here, then the occupation and now the trauma of those returning or

simply emerging to see the destruction which is immense. we are now learning that these scenes are repeated across the shattered country which even when peace returns, could take a generation to rebuild. this family are trying, repairing broken lives under home where russian soldiers stayed and this is how they treated it. he is still trying to work out what they stole. �* ,, �* still trying to work out what they stole. �* ,, ~ ., ., ., , stole. translation: i have no words to describe what _ stole. translation: i have no words to describe what they _ stole. translation: i have no words to describe what they did. _ stole. translation: i have no words to describe what they did. i _ stole. translation: i have no words to describe what they did. i do - stole. translation: i have no words to describe what they did. i do not. to describe what they did. i do not know_ to describe what they did. i do not know what — to describe what they did. i do not know what they were looking for. my family— know what they were looking for. my family had _ know what they were looking for. my family had been living here for 15 family had been living here for15 years— family had been living here for15 years but— family had been living here for 15 years but they came in and looted it all. years but they came in and looted it alt 315— years but they came in and looted it all. �* , ~' . . . , years but they came in and looted it all. ~ , ~ . . . , ., all. as the ukrainian army moved in, the russians — all. as the ukrainian army moved in, the russians came _ all. as the ukrainian army moved in, the russians came down _ all. as the ukrainian army moved in, the russians came down to - all. as the ukrainian army moved in, the russians came down to his - all. as the ukrainian army moved in, the russians came down to his tiny l the russians came down to his tiny shelter to hide, feasting on the family's food and resting before their retreat. no play safe further occupation. on the edge of the

cemetery, the fresh grave of her grandson. she was studying to become an electrician. i have two daughters she told us and he was our boy. the mp for odesa oleksiy goncharenko is in the city of kramatorsk. the number of killed people increased to 57. after five died this night. including five children. it is absolutely awful. i have been in the place of the attack, i saw everything with my own eyes, russians used not just a rocket against civilians but also a cluster bomb which is forbidden for use by convention, even for use against soldiers. but in civilians, it is something

so inhuman and hateful and that is why there were so big number of people who died. we are working in the centre of kramatorsk which is the centre of education and culture in ukraine, so that's why we came there _ with humanitarian aid, trying to help people and help people to escape from this place. you left odesa quite early on because you wanted to be of use in other parts of the country, how likely is it you will return, do you feel you are needed back in your home city? certainly, when there were danger of russia and also when russian forces were approaching i definitely was there in my home city and my constituency. for the moment, fortunately, and thanks to ukrainian army, the russians cannot make this attack. they cannot go into

the neighbouring region of odesa. also their capabilities in the sea decreased after ukraine successfully attacked one of russia's most modern warships by missile and also after— receiving things from the united kingdom which we are very thankful for to prime minister johnson and the government and whole nation. that is a ukrainian mp in odesa. imran khan — the former cricketer who became pakistan's prime ministerfour years ago — has appealed to his supporters to protest at his removalfrom power — after he lost a confidence vote in parliament late last night. he's become the first pakistani prime minister to be ousted in this way as our correspondent, secunder kermani reports. opposition supporters celebrating in front of parliament last night after imran khan was ousted from office. but as the drama subsided, a lone woman approached us.

translation: our hearts are crying for imran khan, there is no other leader like him in the world. there is so much pain in heart, my heart is screaming. we are going to have a government of thieves that have looted our country. imran khan first became a national hero as a cricketing star. in the west he was also known as a playboy who married and then later divorced jemima goldsmith. after a political struggle of more than two decades, he was elected prime minister in 2018, promising to create a new pakistan, free from corruption. so where did it all go wrong? there has been growing anger at the sharp rise in the cost of living here. imran khan's popularity has been dented in recent years. he has expanded the social welfare

system but many feel he has not fulfilled his biggest promises whilst also overseeing a violent crackdown of critical voices. this move to oust him is not the result of rising public resentment, it is the result of elite political manoeuvring. both deny it but it is widely believed pakistan's military helped bring imran khan into power. last year, a rift developed between them. when the perception grew that this government was not capable to deliver and run the government, the military i believe decided they had to maintain their distance. the way military helped imran khan in day—to—day affairs and even managing his political allies and the coalition government, once that support was missing, his downfall was inevitable. the new prime minister looks set to be shehbaz sharif, his brother nawaz was disqualified

from the role years ago and convicted on corruption charges which he says were politically motivated. imran khan alleges this visit to moscow on the day russia invaded ukraine has led america to launch a conspiracy to oust him. most observers do not believe him but his supporters do. and imran khan is determined to try and keep fighting. secunder kermani, bbc news islamabad. bilawal bhutto zardari is the son of former prime minister, benazir bhutto, and former president, asif ali zardari. he's also been the chairperson of the opposition pakistan peoples party since the age of 19. earlier he told my colleague annita mcveigh, what he wants for his country's future. my party, the pakistan peoples party, will indeed support mr shehbaz sharif in his bid to be prime minister on monday. the reason my party led the effort to bring a no—confidence motion in parliament was notjust to elect

mr shehbaz sharif. our motivation is to conduct electoral reforms and move towards a more democratic pakistan after suffering under three years of a government that we contend came to power through a rigged election. can you confirm you will be the next foreign minister if your plans come to fruition? no, i cannot confirm that. my goal in this struggle was to bring progress in pakistan's democracy, to ensure electoral reforms, and undo the damage done to our constitution, to our democratic systems, to human rights, to media freedoms, to economic rights over the last three years. imran khan would absolutely refute the suggestion he did come to power in a rigged election.

given the climate, though, in which he was removed from office through this vote of no confidence and the difficulties facing the economy, which will persist no matter who is in power, can the people expect, as mr sharif said yesterday, that a government formed of two parties who, at times, have been bitter rivals, the ppp and pml, will be able to put balm on the wounds of pakistan, as mr sharif said? i believe that the answer to pakistan's problems is democracy, democracy and more democracy and while following the assassination of benazir bhutto in 2007, pakistan's democracy made immense progress for the preceding ten years, the last three years saw a fundamental undermining of our constitutional structure of not just the freedom, notjust political

freedoms but the freedoms of every single pakistani. and we believe, unless you have political and democratic freedoms, we cannot progress and achieve the economic rights that we do for our people. this was a very important first step to right the wrongs of the past, but we have a long road ahead of us. here in the uk, a whitehall inquiry into how the tax arrangements of the chancellor's wife, akshata murthy, became public is now underway. labour has suggested that there may a conflict of interest between rishi sunak�*s role as chancellor and ms murthy�*s tax status, as a non—domiciled uk resident. they insist all laws were followed. our political correspondent, david wallace lockhart has the details. the government is still trying to work out who leaked details of the november 2020 lockdown in a separate inquiry, that perhaps gives us an idea

that they don't always go anywhere. those close to rishi sunak think this is a very serious situation. they believe that leaking someone's tax status could be a breach of the law and they think there are serious questions to answer here but opposition parties want the chancellor to answer some questions. labour are not satisfied with how transparent he has been about his personal financial arrangements. they say the whole saga has raised some ethical questions. the lib dems are saying they believe every government minister and their spouse should declare whether or not they have non—dom status or have ever used tax havens. we should say, the cabinet office seem entirely happy with how rishi sunak went about declaring all his interests and when it comes to his wife, akshata murthy, it is important to stress she has not broken any rules by being a non—dom. she is perfectly entitled to be

but she is now going to pay tax on her overseas income in the uk. that's been welcomed by one government minister, kit malthouse, talking to the bbc today. he said this was the right decision because failing to do so could have offended the british sense of fair play, as he put it. mexico are holding a recall referendum this sunday on their controversial president, andres manuel lopez obrador. supporters of the man mexicans call amlo credit him for social benefit programmes that have made a big difference to family incomes. but his critics say he is becoming increasingly autocratic and might use a victory in the referendum ? which he proposed himself ? to extend his mandate beyond the single 6—year term of the current constitution. our mexico correspondent, will grant, reports from chiapas state. laura gomez has been making tamales for 25 years. her late mother's recipe for the corn—based staple handed down over the generations is at the centre of the household income. laura used at struggle to stay afloat but now the business receives a loan from the lopez obrador government. in fact, the entire family

has received some aid, including her daughter, a single mother with a disability. little wonder she will vote for amlo on sunday. "he has touched our hearts," laura explains. "at no time has he offered hand—outs in exchange for votes," refuting the idea mr lopez obrador has bought her loyalty. translation: in the past, you would be threatened - | don't vote for this candidate or we will take your benefits away, or if you don't vote for that person, you will lose your benefits. not any more. now the help comes in whoever you support. president lopez obrador can count on rural communities like villaflores to drum up support before the upcoming referendum. some came in search of the same pension benefits already received by millions in mexico. the message being passed out was simple — more amlo. he is expected to win with ease on sunday.

to the people attending this event, amlo can do no wrong. he speaks to them more than any other mexican president in the modern era. to his critics, though, this referendum isn't just a publicity stunt, they fear it is the start of an attempt by mr lopez obrador to subvert the constitution to his own ends. mr lopez obrador calls his critics the urban elites and says they oppose him because he defends the rights of mexico's poor. such a vision is simplistic but he does lack votes in the capital, mexico city, where he was once mayor. this group have called on people to boycott the referendum so it lacks legitimacy. they fear amlo will use it to stay in power. that would really be a very disruptive event here in mexico in which re—election is not allowed since the revolution in 1910. so, i think lopez obrador will not search for re—election, which is prohibited in mexico,

but he will use the result of the referendum to enhance his power during the final part of his administration. amlo's critics are many but more than halfway through his mandates, some 60% of voters still back him. as such, the result of sunday's referendum isn't in any real doubt and if he ever does try to put re—election on the ballot, plenty would support that too. will grant, bbc news, villaflores, chiapas. p&o ferries says it won't resume services between dover and calais until friday — at the earliest — raising the prospect of further days of disruption to road traffic in kent. a lack of ferries has been one cause of long delays on the m20 motorway — meat producers are calling for perishable goods to be prioritised. our business correspondent katie prescott reports from dover. for the lorry drivers waiting to cross, it's been a nightmare. complaining about lack

of facilities and information. now for about three hours but we are hoping we are going to get across in the next nine hours, hopefully. and for those carrying fresh produce, there is the added nightmare they're losing valuable shelf life the longer they wait. they want to be able to jump the queues with their goods in a priority lane. so the fresh meat industry that we work with, it's a very short shelf life. the product is effectively produced on day one, loaded on day two and expected in the destination by day four. if you then have a delay, quite easily now of 24 hours, not only have you got the logistical issues but you also have the quality and sale value of the product down the line. it is effectively devaluing

by every hour it is delayed. as you can see, freight is gently flowing through through this lorry lorry park on the m20, things are looking a lot better today but that has a lot to do with it being a sunday. i'm afraid later in the week thingferries will not start again until friday. then there have been problems with the post—brexit custom checks and of course the great easter getaway. the department for transport said transport measures have regularly reviews to smooth the flow of transport. this has all been a strain for people and visitors. i have been open for an hour, normally we are pretty busy, we have quite a steady stream of customers coming here but this morning, not a soul.

p&o services between larne and cairnryan have been allowed to sail again. they're waiting for the same to happen here at dover. from july this year, the uk will start imposing brexit control on meat and dairy coming in from the eu. industry leaders worry this will be another crunch time for the port. voting in the french election closes in around half an hour's time. this is the scene live from the capital. tim willcox will be there with coverage of the day's events and results of the first round as they come in. let us show you what paris is like on this_ let us show you what paris is like on this beautiful april evening. my on this beautiful april evening. colleague on this beautiful april evening. ij�*i colleague tim on this beautiful april evening. m: colleague tim blix on this beautiful april evening. m; colleague tim blix will be there with coverage of the day's events. —— tim wilcox. the top two candidates will go forward to a head to head run—off on the 2ath of

april. 12 candidates standing today, four women and eight men, all of whom want to become the french president. stay with us on bbc news. hello there. things will be warming up over the next few days, we have a beginning of low pressure moving to the west of the uk, pushing this cloud uk, pushing this pressure moving to the west of the uk, pushing this cloud and bringing rain mainly to northern ireland. we have seen the cloud increased today, a lot of it quite high. some cumulus at lower levels as well. a lot of places dry overnight. not much rain in the forecast. more cloud around, windy in the west and the breeze will pick up. not as cold as last night when it was down 10—6, it should be frost free tonight. and a frost free week ahead as well. it is

getting warmer during the early part of this week but there is the main and the forecast, especially overnight into tuesday. not much rain on monday, a few short sharp bursts of rain heading north, mainly on the west of the uk. some sunshine in between and for the east it could be dry with the best of the sunshine although it is a windy day on monday. a bit more warmth coming in from the constant, 17 degrees in the site. all the cold air is being pushed to the north of scotland, the southerly breeze lifting temperatures. we have the potential for more rain. rain extending all the way to spain and heading for the uk. the details will change with this weather pattern but we have wetter weather overnight which continues to move north on the tuesday, up into scotland drain could be heavy, sleek and thundery as well. it might brighten up further south but it could trigger

sharp showers. temperatures beginning to live widely across england and wales, still cold without wet and windy weather in the north—east of scotland. the wet and windy weather pushes away thanks to the weather fronts moving through and then things quietened down. light winds everywhere on wednesday. there could be mr low cloud to start the day, especially in the west. that will lift and brighten up the sunshine coming through. one or two showers, most places will be dry, warming up in the central belt. highest temperatures again in the south—east.

hello and welcome to paris, where in the next 30 minutes polls will close in the first round of the french presidential election. it has been a political truism for several years to describe france as a politically divided country — and this year it is even more so. when the incumbent, emmanuel macron, the youngest french leader since napoleon, eventually confirmed he was running for a second term at the elysee, he was some 20 points ahead of his far right rival marine le pen, of the national rally party. according to the last polls on friday night,