it s crunch time in france, as the centrist emmanuel macron and far right candidate marine le pen go head to head in the battle to become the nation s next president. polling stations in rural areas have just closed, those in major cities, including the capital paris, stay open for an additional hour. first indications are that turnout is slightly lower than in the 2017 presidential election. a few hours ago, turnout was put atjust over 63%, down two points on 2017. if emmanuel macron wins, he ll be the first french president to be re elected to the elysee in two decades. for marine le pen, this is her third attempt at winning the presidency and if she fails, it could potentially be her last. this report from our paris correspondent, lucy williamson. the candidates say this election is about democracy, even civilisation. many voters say they are being offered a choice between cholera and the plague. marine le pen s promise to slash immigration and taxes and ban the muslim hea
and a big win for the fantasy adventure film everything everywhere all at once, after a succesful night at the screen actors guild awards in hollywood. good morning and welcome to bbc news. the prime minister and the european commission are due to hold final talks on a new post brexit trade deal for northern ireland today. rishi sunak and ursula von der leyen will meet in windsor to discuss complex challenges around the exisiting deal what s called the northern ireland protocol. there will be a cabinet meeting in the afternoon, where an update on those talks will be given. if a final deal is agreed, the prime minister and ms von der leyen will hold a short joint press conference. rishi sunak would then make a statement in the house of commons. so, what is the protocol and why is it important? it was created after brexit to avoid border controls between northern ireland and the republic of ireland which is an eu member. effectively, it leaves northern ireland within th
i m martine croxall in the studio in london. also in the headlines this morning. more than 60 people are now confirmed dead including 12 children after a boat carrying migrants sank off the southern coast of italy. fresh calls for the uk government to stop energy bill rises in april as the energy regulator announces a new price cap. early results from the nigerian elections show support for the governing party is holding firm. observers say it s still too early to predict who ll win the presidency. and big wins ahead of the oscars for the fantasy adventure film everything everywhere all at once, at the screen actors guild awards in hollywood. hello and welcome to bbc news. we are in windsor, about an hour outside london, not in westminster, which has seen of course so much of the brexit drama, but we are here today because we are told that ursula von der leyen and rishi sunak will be here in a couple of hours time, also, in orderto will be here in a couple of hours time