BBC News with Sue Montgomery.

Projections from the French presidential election suggest that the centrist Emmanuel Macron has won the first round. Several polls put him at 23%,a point or so ahead of Marine Le Pen of the anti-migration National Front, they'll go through to run-off in two weeks' time.

Mr. Macron says that the page has clearly turned in French Politics, with the people expressing the desire for change. Marine Le Pen for her part described the result as historic, calling herself the candidate of the French people, she said that the time has come for what she said was the real alternative. The centre-right candidate Francois Fillon considered defeat and asked supporters to back Mr. Macron.

Do not disappear, remain united, your strength is going to be important and France needs it. Abstention isn't something that belongs to me, particularly when there's an extremist party ready to pounce on power. Extriminism, do trust me, can only produce misfortune and division for France, therefore I will vote for Emmanuel Macron.

In other News, local officials in Northern Afghanistan say they fear as many as 200 people may have been killed in Friday's Taliban attack in an army base in Mazar e-Sharif. The Afghan Defense Ministry has not released firm casualty figures.

Five suspected members of AL-Qaeda have reportedly been killed in Yemen, in what's believed to have been a US drone attack, local security sources say 3 civilians also died in the strike, in the Province of Shabwa.

Israel and China have reached a deal under which 6000 Chinese construction workers will be brought in to help ease Israel’s housing shortage. Reports suggest Israel has acceded to a Chinese demand that the workers not be involved in the building of Jewish settlement in the occupied west bank.

BBC news.