French PM resigns after less than a month

In France Sebastien Lecornu resigns as prime minister saying the conditions were not fulfilled for him to carry on. He criticised unwillingness by political parties to reach compromises. Several parties are calling for early elections and some are calling for President Macron to go - although he has always said he will not stand down before his term ends in 2027. Stocks fell sharply on the Paris exchange amid concerns about the political parties' ability to tackle the country's economic problems, especially its massive debt. Also: A Sudanese militia leader has been found guilty of war crimes in the first International Criminal Court verdict on atrocities in Darfur more than twenty years ago, Hamas' chief negotiator has met Egyptian and Qatari mediators ahead of indirect talks with Israeli officials later, and the British author and journalist, Jilly Cooper has died at the age of 88. She gained fame for her romantic novels - the best known of which are her Rutshire Chronicles. One of the books - Rivals was successfully serialised by Disney Plus in 2024.