this is bbc news broadcasting in the uk and around the globe. i'm david eades live in clichy, northwest of paris. our top stories: emmanuel macron casts his vote as france heads to the polls in the final round of the country's presidential election. opinion polls point to a victory for him over— opinion polls point to a victory for him over the opinion polls point to a victory for him overthe far opinion polls point to a victory for him over the far right candidate marine — him over the far right candidate marine le — him over the far right candidate marine le pen. hello, i'm ben boulos in london. also on the programme: japan says ten people have died off

the northern island of hokkaido after a sightseeing boat went missing on saturday. as russia's war on ukraine enters its third month, us secretary of state antony blinken is expected in kyiv — the first top us offical to visit since the invasion. the row over lockdown party breaches in downing street continues. a conservative minster says removing boris johnson from office would lead to instability. i understand how people feel really hurt and angry about this and i think the prime minister acknowledged that properly and gave a full and unreserved apology. british boxer tyson fury retains his wbc heavyweight title after beating dillian whyte at wembley stadium. hello and welcome to bbc news. good afternoon from clichy

in the northwestern suburbs of the french capital, paris. we have seen a steady stream of voters and figures suggest it is pretty much on a par with which people expected and still a long way to go. this area is home to the huge cosmetic company l'oreal and bic make razors. the vote he was almost 50% for the left—wing candidate who finished third and what that means

for emmanuel macron who got 20% is their aborts to be had here and for marine le pen it is not really her territory. this is marine le pen�*s third attempt at the presidency and if she fails it could potentially be her last. it's going to be a tight race, as our europe correspondent, nick beake, reports. emmanuel macron cast his ballot this morning, hoping to become the first french president to be re—elected in 20 years. but many voters believe he has failed to deliver on big promises during his first term. marine le pen also wants to make history by becoming the first french woman to be president. she has tried to present a softer image, but is accused of holding onto racist policies, including banning muslim women from wearing a headscarf in public.

the french aren't exactly thrilled with what is on offer this election. the frustration we found at this market in paris tells a similar story across the country. just listen to patrik, a retired fireman and joel, an office worker. they will not be voting for anyone. translation: | am noti going to vote for marine because i hate the far right. going to vote for marine but macron is not that different. going to vote for marine he is president of the rich — arrogant, contemptuous. translation: | am noti going to vote for marine because i hate the far right. but macron is not that different. he is president of the rich — arrogant, contemptuous. translation: i do not hate marine, she has got better, she's _ calmer, more mature. her speech is more poised. but i do not agree with her on the more sensitive policies. sarah, who is reluctantly voting for macron, doesn't trust the polls that are suggesting le pen will lose. i am still worried because i used to believe brexit would not happen, i used to believe trump would never be elected and each time i got up in the morning just after and realised it had happened, and it could go the same way in france. a le pen presidency would notjust have an impact on communities

across this country, it would also change france's position in the world. that's because she wants to replace the european union with something else and to pull out french troops from the nato military command. these are radical ideas, particularly at a time when there is war in europe. both candidates have been trying desperately to sell themselves to the undecided millions, maybe not as their ideal choice, but as the best offer in front of them. there is a majority of french voters who will not be happy with whoever wins this election, such is the nature of the divisions which a cleavage within france at the moment. let's have a look at how the things have panned out in the last two weeks. let's speak now to georgina wright from institut montaigne. i think you said building up to the

first round what a dull election campaign if indeed there was campaign. emmanuel macron has become fully engaged, how do you think the french have found the last two weeks? i french have found the last two weeks? ~ , french have found the last two weeks? ~' , ., weeks? i think there is more campaigning _ weeks? i think there is more campaigning which _ weeks? i think there is more campaigning which is - weeks? i think there is more campaigning which is a - weeks? i think there is more campaigning which is a good| weeks? i think there is more - campaigning which is a good thing but if you walk around paris you do not see there is a momentous thing happening today. emmanuel macron went around france and to those regions that supported heavily in 2017 but voted for the far left candidate in the first round and he has gone out of his way to convince them but will it be enough? i ififiiiii them but will it be enough? i will ask our camera _ them but will it be enough? i will ask our camera crew _ them but will it be enough? i will ask our camera crew to _ them but will it be enough? i will ask our camera crew to look - them but will it be enough? i will ask our camera crew to look around because we have the ukraine flag flying across the eu flag on the tricolour which says something about this whole campaign because that was the explanation from emmanuel macron for not engaging, preoccupied by

russia and ukraine. how much is this issue played a role in whole election?— issue played a role in whole election? . , , . election? undeniably the war in ukraine has _ election? undeniably the war in ukraine has overshadowed - election? undeniably the war in ukraine has overshadowed the l ukraine has overshadowed the political debate and emmanuel macron is one of the only western leaders to continue talking to vladimir putin and made the decision to support ukraine militarily. if you look at the voters it doesn't seem to be one of the issues they are thinking about and are much more concerned about purchasing power and cost of living and rising energy costs and this is not playing that much of a role in the where they are thinking on how the intend to vote. between emmanuel macron and marine le pen, he said to that your is vladimir putin but it is not the key driving force.

—— he said your banker is vladimir putin. -- he said your banker is vladimir putin. . ~.. ., , -- he said your banker is vladimir putin. . ., , , putin. emmanuel macron said this is a debate about _ putin. emmanuel macron said this is a debate about the _ putin. emmanuel macron said this is a debate about the european - putin. emmanuel macron said this is a debate about the european union, | a debate about the european union, is he right? if a debate about the european union, is he riuht? ,, . is he right? if you ask either candidate — is he right? if you ask either candidate they _ is he right? if you ask either candidate they will - is he right? if you ask either candidate they will say - is he right? if you ask either candidate they will say they| is he right? if you ask either - candidate they will say they don't want france to leave the eu but he will say more union will solve problems and she says less eu will solve problems. voters either way will feel either the eu as a positive solution or it is not. opinion polls suggest a victory for emmanuel macron and what does that mean for the old national front of france and their positioning in politics here? we france and their positioning in politics here?—

politics here? we need to be cautious because _ politics here? we need to be cautious because polls - politics here? we need to be cautious because polls are i cautious because polls are suggesting emmanuel macron will win but even if marine le pen loses she has won a victory under her belt which is she has managed to make her party look much more mainstream and moderate than five years ago. there was another far right candidate running in the selection which made her look slightly more centrist and also lots of people in the streets, i hear doesn't really matter if we bought for —— if we are voting for marine le pen? her views are not as extreme as they once were.- marine le pen? her views are not as extreme as they once were. marine le pen has cast — extreme as they once were. marine le pen has cast her— extreme as they once were. marine le pen has cast her vote. _ let's go live now to our correspondent anna holligan who is in the northern town of henin—beaumont where marine le pen cast her vote earlier. it is quite a show. it is quite a

indeed. it is quite a show. it is quite a indeed- so — it is quite a show. it is quite a indeed. so many— it is quite a show. it is quite a indeed. so many people - it is quite a show. it is quite a indeed. so many people here| it is quite a show. it is quite a - indeed. so many people here tell us they feel left behind. we can show you these pictures, there is some flash photography. their passions she evokes in her heartlands are something to behold and people shouting we love you and she was kissing babies and promising to protect them. many people believe she has the potential to do that. we can speak to someone now who can tell us more about these communities and what marine le pen it represents, our green local politician here stop what is interesting about this area is used to be socialist and it shifted to the far right. can you explain what has been happening in peoples lives that that transition? the has been happening in peoples lives that that transition?— that that transition? the first thin is that that transition? the first thing is the _ that that transition? the first thing is the socialist - that that transition? the first thing is the socialist mayor . that that transition? the first l thing is the socialist mayor was corrupted — thing is the socialist mayor was corrupted and sent to jail so it was a shock_ corrupted and sent to jail so it was a shock for— corrupted and sent to jail so it was a shock for a — corrupted and sent to jail so it was a shock for a lot of inhabitants and as you _ a shock for a lot of inhabitants and as you said — a shock for a lot of inhabitants and as you said they were left behind by the french— as you said they were left behind by the french politics, and during the

last years — the french politics, and during the last years if you take the french billionaires, their fortune has been multiplied — billionaires, their fortune has been multiplied by two during the covid crisis _ multiplied by two during the covid crisis while at the same time the 10% buddhist people in france so that living standards decrease because — that living standards decrease because of the reform of unemployment benefits, housing benefits, — unemployment benefits, housing benefits, disability benefits and all those reforms were so unpopular and we _ all those reforms were so unpopular and we must understand why. but it is the _ and we must understand why. but it is the main — and we must understand why. but it is the main explanation for me. green _ is the main explanation for me. green issues we know have been so important to young people but have they played big here? sign when you are really poor and unemployed clearly the claimant is not your main issue and the second thing i can tell you is in the french

presidential campaign we spoke only 3% of the time dedicated to the environment and climate and bio diversity and equality so the issue was not at all in the french campaign because of covid and ukraine we can understand that but it was not good moment for the clean three mac green party, clearly. taste three mac green party, clearly. we have been speaking to families who say they cannot feed their children because the price of food and petrol is rising much higher here and that is rising much higher here and that is where marine le pen has found it so much support. she has promised to

increase the minimum wage and decrease vat on 100 essential items and she is tapping into those people who feel they have been forgotten about and disenfranchised with politics overall and they feel most politicians are not aware simply don't care. marine le pen as close a note to taking power than she ever has been before so although she was behind in the polls, the chances are higher than they ever have been that she mightjust become a far right president of france. but whoever wins this of course will preside over a deeply fractured country. i think your thoughts and that of the green candidates chime with what one commentator described as a 3d election, the three words been disappointment, disillusionmentand disappointment, disillusionment and

despair. disappointment, disillusionmentand despair. in five hours or so we will have a very clear picture as to who has won the election but it is certainly the case that it is to candidates who are standing with a very clear majority of people preparing not to have either of them. that is a real challenge for anyone who will take to the elysee palace after this. the us secretary of state antony blinken is due to visit kyiv today. there are renewed calls for peace talks with ukraine's president again asking to meet with vladimir putin. the united nations is also stepping up its efforts at diplomacy with visits to moscow and kyiv this week. it's easter sunday in ukraine with people reflecting on the war which today enters its third month as danjohnson reports. vladimir putin may have been to church this morning to mark

the vladimir putin may have been to church this morning to mark the orthodox christian celebration... but he will not convince ukrainians he is a man of peace. their easter is about a resurgent defence of their country, rising again in resistance to russian attacks. at least eight lives were lost yesterday when an apartment block was hit in odesa. a three—month—old baby died here, the latest sacrifice in weeks of war. the president's easter message was high on symbolism and heavy with condemnation. translation: our souls are full of fierce hatred for the invaders l and all that they have done. our hearts are full of fierce fury. don't let fury destroy us from within. most ukrainians will not be at home this weekend. families are scattered and so many

people are on the move. not many have made it out of mariupol, but the evacuation efforts continue. these are the more fortunate to have reached the relative safety of a temporary shelter. others will spend easter sunday trying to escape russian sailing. the us secretary of state is due to visit kyiv later, bringing goodwill and support. but the prayers across ukraine are for peace and for more of the weapons they say are needed to protect it. benjohnson, bbc news, lviv. if —— danjohnson, bbc news, lviv. here in the uk, the conservative party chairman oliver dowden has backed the prime minister, borisjohnson, over the �*partygate' allegations saying there is a �*strong case' for borisjohnson remaining in office. the labour leader sir keir starmer says mrjohnson's authority to lead is �*shot through' and called on the government to

have an emergency budget to deal with the cost of living crisis. is �*shot through' and called on the government to have an emergency budget to deal with the cost of living crisis. here's our political correspondent, peter saull. the prime minister probably feels there is a lot weighing him down right now. last week's state visit to india, a welcome distraction from his woes back home. some in his party think it is time for him to go. so step forward the chairman of the conservatives with a message for his restless colleagues. you do need to balance against that, first of all, the really good things that he has done as prime minister whether that is delivering the vaccine programme, getting brexit done, or the actions in ukraine. but also the challenges we face right now, whether that is national security or energy security, unparalleled challenges. and i actually think that instability and uncertainty forced by a change in leadership would not be in the national interest. he would rather be talking about the rising cost of living, so he says. cost of living, or so he says. today, the labour leader is calling for an emergency budget to help had pressed families.

so why, then, did he spend so long last week talking about if you or anybody else think i'm not bothered by standards the laws that he made, that it doesn't matter that his authority to lead the country is shot through. really want to defend it because they are sick of defending the _ indefensible. then i'm sorry, i am not going to shy away from that. sir keir starmer is not alone in wanting the prime minister gone, with other opposition parties more than happy to stick the boot in. you've got someone who has lost that moral authority, he has lost the trust, he has laughed at the british people. he was partying when people were making sacrifices. there was a point of principle here which is that if you allow a prime minister to mislead parliament without any repercussions, we end up in a very dangerous place. downing street still insists that the prime minister is yet to receive a second fine, but with the police investigation far

from over and local elections around the corner, this place's current occupant has a fight on his hands to stay here. let s get some of the day s other news. the lebanese authorities say at least six migrants have drowned, including a young girl, after their boat sank off the country s northern coast near the port city of tripoli. 48 people have been rescued. those on board included both lebanese and syrian nationals who officials say left lebanon illegally. the financial crisis in lebanon has prompted an increasing number of its citizens to try to make the sea crossing to europe. slovenians are voting in a parliamentary election, with the prime minister, janezjansa, and his right—wing sds party hoping to form a government for the fourth time. he's facing strong opposition from robert golob, the leader of the green, centre—left freedom movement. opponents of mrjansa accuse him of populism and xenophobia.

shanghai has reported a total of 39 covid deaths for saturday — easily its highest daily figure since a strict lockdown was imposed in the city four weeks ago. china's financial capital is now battling china's biggest coronavirus outbreak to date. it's been tightening its rules, recently evacuating many people while their homes were disinfected. japan says the bodies of ten people have been recovered, after their sightseeing boat sank off the northern island of hokkaido. the search continues for the other passengers — a total of 26 were on board. the authorities lost contact with the kazu one on saturday, after the crew reported that it had begun sinking. earlier, the bbc�*s asia pacific editor michael bristow told me the chances of finding survivors are slim at this point.

16 people who still have not been found, but really hopes are fading that they will be found alive. this boat sank on saturday afternoon so it is now a good full day since it went into the sea and the sea in that area of japan off the northern coast of hokkaido, as you mentioned there, it is very cold, just above freezing at this time of year, so the chances of finding those people alive are very, very slim, but the authorities are still looking to try and find the bodies at the very least. these tourists were on a cruise around the peninsula which is right at the northern edge ofjapan, quite cut off from the rest of the country and it is in quite a pristine condition, it's a unesco world heritage site, for its plants, birds and sea life there and that is why people go and have a look and even in winter when much of the sea is icebound and there's

a lot of ice flow even into spring, people like to go there and see this natural environment. that is what has drawn the tourists there now. of the sea is icebound and there's a lot of ice flow even into spring, people like to go there and see this natural environment. that is what has drawn the tourists there now. at this particular accident, it seems that the weather was not of the sea is icebound and there's a lot of ice flow even into spring, people like to go there and see this natural environment. that is what has drawn the tourists there now. at this particular accident, it seems that the weather was not particularly good, there was wind, high waves and a lot of local fishing of the sea is icebound and there's a lot of ice flow even into spring, people like to go there and see this natural environment. that is what has drawn the tourists there now. at this particular accident, it seems that the weather was not particularly good, there was wind, high waves and a lot of local fishing boats had actually come back into shore at a time when this tourist boat was out there in the water. perhaps in the coming days there will be questions asked about why on earth this boat was going out there if the weather was a little bit bad. tyson fury has retained his title as wbc heavyweight champion,

after beating dillian whyte in front of 94,000 people at wembley stadium. fury knocked out whyte in the 6th round of the bout. afterwards he again vowed to retire from the sport. fury knocked out whyte in the 6th round of the bout. afterwards he again vowed to retire from the sport. i am going to go home with my wife and my kids. spent a lot of time on the road, i have been away a long time. i've fulfilled everything i've ever wanted to fulfil. i am going to retire as the only second heavyweight in the history after rocky marciano to retire undefeated. i am a legend in this game and you cannot deny it. i am the best heavyweight there has ever been, there ain't never been one that could beat me. do you know why? i am not being just confident. 6' 9" frame. 270 lbs weight. can move like a middleweight, can hit like a thunderstorm and can take a punch like...anybody else. let's get more now on the conflict in ukraine — we've been following the journey of a group of orphans who left their home in the eastern ukrainian city of dnipro. they arrived in the uk a month ago, and have been getting used catriona renton met them. making themselves at home as they start to build their new lives here. there's work to do in the classroom. page one. english lessons started this week.

some of the older teenagers gave us permission to film them. natalie from dnipro kids translates for 16—year—old sasha, who told us how he's getting on. (speaks in ukrainian). translation: try to study as hard as i can and to get used to new circumstances and new place. and you had english lessons this morning — they going well? da — yes, yes. it has been a mammoth effort to get the children, young people, and their house mothers here, in an effort driven by supporters charity dnipro kids, which was set up following a european match in the city 17 years ago. if you looked at this back at the start of march, you'd think "that's never going to happen, they would ever be able to do that" — and the fact that we have managed to do it and that there are numerous people, too many people to mention, that helped us that way, it'sjust phenomenal. the young people aged between one and 19 are living with family groups with their house mothers as they did in dnipro. the hope is to make things as normal as possible.

in some ways what people can do for them now is allow them the space at the time to settle. and in some ways be children. and children are very adaptable. and we want them to get the best experience in edinburgh they can, so when they return to ukraine they will bring happy memories and a positive sense of what it is to be engaged in edinburgh life, but also scottish life. after lunch, a day trip to the beach. 17—year—old rita told us she's enjoying being here. (speaks in ukrainian). 17—year—old rita told us she's enjoying being here. (speaks in ukrainian). translation: it is very, very pretty. i like it very, very much. and the place we stay in, it's very different to what we have in ukraine. but it's hard leaving people behind. from one side, i am very sad that so many friends i left there in ukraine, and that i had to move and be here for some time, but i met some good friends here already, and it — it's cool. it's been a very long journey for the children and young people all the way from dnipro to edinburgh, which, for now, at least, they can call i hope to back home. yes.

catriona renton, bbc news. you can reach me on social media. hello. a lot of dry weather to come across the uk for the remainder of today and well on into the week ahead as well. very scant amounts of rainfall to come through the remainder of april. today the winds are a little lighter than they were on saturday, but still quite blustery. and they'll be easterly or north easterly winds, quite a big area of low pressure sits to the south of us, sinking into europe. this big high to the north across iceland, though, is what's bringing us predominantly dry weather this sunday. some showers just to clear the south west of england through the afternoon. and we could see one or two for northern england, the midlands, southern scotland and northern ireland through the afternoon but they will be very, very scattered. always cooler along the north sea coast with the wind

off the sea, some shelter towards the west. we could be looking at highs of 17 or 18 degrees. through the evening and overnight, a few more showers maybe for the north east of england. overall, though, a lot of dry weather, a bit more cloud for eastern scotland than the nightjust gone. i think it will be a little milder here for first thing on monday, essentially a frost—free start to the new week. a few areas getting down the lower end of single figures in terms of temperatures. now, for monday, our high pressure centre just shifts a little bit further westwards. that swings our wind direction round to somewhat more of a northeasterly. and it also kind of weakens the effect of the high, if you like. so monday, after a fine start, i anticipate there'll be more cloud bubbling up through the day and a greater chance of that cloud towering high enough come the afternoon to squeeze out a few showers. they will be fairly well scattered again, though, across the uk, but a greater chance of many areas seeing them through monday, although eastern coastal counties looks set to remain dry.

monday into tuesday, the high pressure still with us, as i said, it's going to stay very much with us through the rest of the week. but we switch to a more northerly wind direction, tapping into arctic air. and it also looks like we'll pull in more cloud initially from the north sea, but it'll spread quite a way westwards. so much more overcast skies on tuesday and a cooler feel thanks to the arctic air. temperatures still making it into the mid teens in the best of the sunshine, butjust nine or ten along the length of the north sea coast and then the remainder of the week, it looks like we will tend to stay in arctic air with a northerly airstream. still a lot of dry weather to come. there will be some sunny spells, just look out for some local pockets of frost later in the week.

this is bbc news, the headlines: emmanuel macron and marine le pen cast their votes — as france heads to the polls in the final round of the country's presidential election. japan says 10 people have died off the northern island of hokkaido after a sightseeing boat went missing on saturday. as russia's war on ukraine enters its third month — us secretary of state antony blinken is expected in kyiv — the first top us offical to visit since the invasion. the row over lockdown party breaches in downing street continue. a conservative minster says removing boris johnson from office would lead to instability. and british boxer tyson fury

retains his wbc heavyweight title after beating dillian whyte at wembley stadium.