Macron Hits Le Pen on Putin Ties

“In the sole debate ahead of Sunday’s presidential run-off, French President Emmanuel Macron attacked his far-right rival Marine Le Pen for owing money to a Kremlin-linked bank and warned that her proposal to ban head scarves for Muslim women could ‘create a civil war,'” Axios reports.

BBC: “Emmanuel Macron was widely seen as the winner of the 2017 debate, when his rival appeared flustered and underprepared. But this time, Marine Le Pen was ready from the start and far more composed.”

“Throughout the debate, it was Mr Macron who went on the offensive, appearing more like a challenger than an incumbent, repeatedly interrupting his rival.”