- Sri Lanka's new leader appoints cabinet ahead of expected snap polls
- Singapore ex-minister convicted in rare graft trial
- UK town catches Subbuteo fever
- France facing 'one of worst deficits' in its history: minister
- China's Olympic champ Zheng embraces big home expectations
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- Hong Kong, Shanghai lead markets rally after China stimulus
- Dutch paint giant Akzonobel slashes 2,000 jobs worldwide
- Sri Lanka's new leader to call snap parliamentary polls
- In Ukraine's Pokrovsk, some quietly waiting for Russian troops
- Singapore ex-minister pleads guilty in rare graft trial
- Fishy business caught by fraying India-Bangladesh ties
- US Open champion Sabalenka chases year-end number one ranking
- New Zealand scientists discover ghostly 'spookfish'
- Trump slams early voting, even while urging Pennsylvanians to do so
- Singapore ex-minister pleads guilty to bribery in rare graft trial
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- IMF says ready for talks with Sri Lanka's new leftist government
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- China unveils fresh stimulus to boost ailing economy
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- Rare corruption trial of Singapore ex-minister begins
- Ghana a long way off from gender equality despite new law
- China unveils fresh stimulus to boost economy
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- Israelis united in trauma, divided by war after October 7
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- Armenia and Azerbaijan see progress, but peace treaty seems distant
- World leaders gather at UN as Mideast tensions explode
- Biden's UN goodbye aims to 'Trump-proof' legacy
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- Guatemala picks Supreme Court judges with focus on anti-graft fight
- Jill Biden announces $500 million for women's health research
- Injured All Blacks centre Jordie Barrett out of Australia Test
- 'Lead the future': youth challenge world leaders at UN
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- Boeing boosts pay offer in effort to end strike
- Global markets inch higher on hopes of further rate cuts
French government to resign if Macron wins: PM
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Tuesday that his government would tender its resignation if Emmanuel Macron is re-elected president, in a bid to provide a "new impetus" for Macron's centrist party ahead of parliamentary elections in June.
Macron is facing a close race in the run-off on Sunday against far-right veteran Marine Le Pen, with analysts warning that low turnout could prove a wildcard even though most polls show Macron in the lead.
If he is re-elected, "in the subsequent days, as is the tradition, I will present the president with my resignation and that of the government," Castex told France Inter radio.
"I'm among those who think a new impetus should be found after the president's re-election," he added.
The parliamentary vote in June will be a further test of Macron's popularity, and renewing his majority will be essential for pursuing his reformist agenda, including an overhaul of the pensions system that would require most people to work longer before retiring.
There has been speculation that European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde could be offered the post of prime minister, although she sidestepped a question on the issue at a press conference last week.
Opinion polls currently put the centrist Macron at 53 to 56 percent in the run-off against 44 to 47 percent for Le Pen, in a much tighter finish than in 2017, when the same candidates faced, off but Macron carried the vote with 66 percent.
"The game isn't over yet and we certainly can't draw conclusions... that this election, this match, is already decided," Castex said. "We have to convince the French that Emmanuel Macron's programmes are the best for France and for them."
Macron and Le Pen will face off Wednesday evening in their first televised debate of the campaign, which could prove critical for winning over millions of voters, in particular on the left, who have told polling firms they remain undecided.
T.Bondarenko--BTB