This ends our live blogging for January 4. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our continuing coverage.
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with some reaction from Marine Le Pen to criticism of the fact that she seems to be pretty OK with Russia's annexation of Crimea:
France's Le Pen Dismisses Ukraine Blacklisting Threat Over Crimea Comments
French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has dismissed Ukraine's threat to bar her from entering the country following her assertion that Russia's annexation of Crimea was not illegal.
"Marine Le Pen had no intention of going there anyway. This issue will be solved via diplomatic channels when she becomes president of the Republic," a spokesman for Le Pen told Reuters on January 4.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry earlier had threatened to blacklist Le Pen, saying she had shown “disrespect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
In a TV interview on January 3, the leader of the National Front party said: “I absolutely disagree that it was an illegal annexation.”
Read the rest of the story here.