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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, April 24

Xinhua, April 24, 2017 Adjust font size:

Centrist candidate and former minister of economy Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on Sunday came out on top in the first round of the French presidential election, according to projections by polling agencies and official partial results.

An updated estimation by research firm Elabe for local broadcaster BFMTV indicates that Macron leads with 24 percent of votes, and Le Pen 21.8 percent. (France-Election)

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DAMASCUS -- Syrian army wrested control over eight villages and towns in the countryside of Hama province in central Syria on Sunday, state news agency SANA reported.

The town of Helfaya, which is a strategic one, is among those captured by the Syrian army during the wide-scale offensive in the northern countryside of Hama, which led to the killing and injury of hundreds of rebels, according to SANA. (Syria-Rebels)

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JERUSALEM -- Israel marked the beginning of its annual day of Holocaust remembrance on Sunday evening with an official ceremony in Jerusalem.

From Sunday sunset to Monday, the country will officially commemorate the genocide of six million Jews by Nazi Germany during the World War II. (Israel-Holocaust)

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CAPE TOWN -- South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into alleged state capture by the Indian Gupta family.

Allegations that there are individuals who exercise undue influence over state appointments and procurement decisions should be a matter of great concern, Ramaphosa said while addressing a Chris Hani memorial lecture in Uitenhage, Port Elizabeth. (South Africa-State Capture)

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MOSCOW -- Russia registered a total of 14 violations of ceasefire in Syria in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday.

"Within last 24 hours, the Russian party of the Russia-Turkey Commission on violations of the Joint Agreement has registered 14 ceasefire violations in the provinces of Damascus (6), Latakia (2), Daraa (2), and Hama (4)," the ministry said in a daily bulletin published on its website. (Russia-Syria-Ceasefire) Endi