Ukraine’s presidential candidates hold head-to-head TV debate

Ukraine’s rival presidential candidates have held a long-awaited head-to-head televised debate at Kiev’s giant Olympic stadium.

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky and incumbent president Petro Poroshenko shook hands before launching scathing attacks on one another.

Mr Zelensky is the clear favourite for Sunday’s second-round vote, polls say.

But Mr Poroshenko argues that he is a political novice unfit for such a demanding job. Mr Zelensky has relied on a slick social media campaign to tap into the frustration of many younger Ukrainians with establishment politicians, cronyism and corruption.

The debate in the capital’s 70,000-seat stadium – where Mr Poroshenko’s supporters appeared to outnumber Mr Zelensky’s – was the first and only direct clash between the two rivals in the campaign.

Via BBC