- Japan stay perfect in World Cup qualifying
- Relief as Lebanon evacuees dock in Turkey
- Lebanon says 22 dead in Israeli strikes on central Beirut
- NBA boss Silver sees games back in China 'at some point'
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Table tennis and Netflix push Ukraine teen into French Open contention
- Civilians flee Gaza's Jabalia in tightening Israeli siege
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 18
- At least 10 dead in Florida from tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton
- Warhol's rare 'Queen' collection opens at Dutch museum
- Three-time NBA champion Green retires
- MLB Twins up for sale after 40 years
- S.Sudan floods affect 893,000, over 241,000 displaced: UN
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Windies sweat on injury to 'crucial' Taylor at World Cup
- Lebanon says 11 dead, 48 injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut
- Panama lashes out at EU over tax haven 'outrage'
- Erdogan says Gaza 'shame of humanity', calls for permanent ceasfire
- TD Bank to pay more than $3 bn to US in money-laundering case
- SAfrica prosecutors drop criminal complaint against president
- 'Good opportunity': Nagelsmann upbeat despite Germany's long injury list
- Hurricane whips up bitter US election battle
- Cameroon bans media talk of president's health amid rumours
- NFL MVP Jackson and rookie phenom Daniels set for showdown
- Chad's capital under threat as floodwaters rise
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit central Beirut
- No answers on strike on reporters in Lebanon one year on: watchdog
- Ramharack picks four wickets as Windies beat Bangladesh in Women's T20 World Cup
- France's City of Light switches to climate-resilient power cables
- Djokovic hails Nadal 'legacy' as Alcaraz in 'shock' over retirement
- Obama hits campaign trail for Harris
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Djokovic tells Nadal: 'Your legacy will live forever'
- Ethel Kennedy, wife of RFK, dead at 96
- Zelensky denies ceasefire with Russia under discussion on trip
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- After long fight for glory, Nadal leaves with a legacy of memories
- Home hopes Zheng and Wang through to last-eight in Wuhan Open
- UN peacekeepers say Israel fired on Lebanon HQ, injuring 2
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Alcaraz out as top players pay tribute to Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Racing's Farrell 'not thinking' about British and Irish Lions
- Alcaraz, Sinner pay tribute to 'unbelievable' Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Over 200 women in legal talks with Harrods over Fayed abuse claims
- After K-pop, K-novels? South Korean Nobel win sparks joy, hope at home
- After Nadal exit, Djokovic left to rage against dying of the light
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad's club record
- Zelensky touts 'victory plan' against Russia in Macron talks
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
French presidency: What are Macron and Le Pen promising?
Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right veteran Marine Le Pen finished top in the first round of France's presidential election Sunday.
They will face each other in a final round on April 24, when the candidate with more than 50 percent will be declared winner.
Here is a summary of their programmes:
- Macron -
After five years in power, Macron's chief pitch to voters is continuity and steady leadership at a time of crises.
From rocketing inflation to Covid to the war in Ukraine, the 44-year-old is hoping his record in office will see him rewarded with a second term.
His programme is a further demonstration of his "neither left, nor right" political positioning that borrows from both sides of the traditional divide in politics.
From the right wing, there are promises of more tax cuts for companies, thousands of new police officers and judges, and a rise in the retirement age to 65 from 62 in order to cut the pension system's massive debt.
"I take responsibility for telling you that yes: we need to work longer," he said at his first campaign rally last weekend.
From the left, he proposes raising the minimum level of pensions, new recruits for the health service, and a promise to make gender equality and tackling school harassment a priority.
- Le Pen -
The far-right leader is offering her traditional hard line on immigration and French identity, but coupled with a programme aimed at helping struggling households.
She is promising to ban the Muslim headscarf in all public places and to hold a referendum on introducing strict controls on immigration, including a requirement that applications for residency can be made only outside France.
A principal of "national priority" would see housing and other social services given to French nationals ahead of foreigners, and she is also promising 25,000 new prison places and extra police.
But there are also policies for struggling household, including a cut in taxes on petrol and electricity to 5.5 percent from 20 percent, and rises in pension payouts.
"Our programme is a social one because it completely takes into account the questions of daily life, above all the cost of living," she said in her last rally in Perpignan, southern France, on Thursday.
On foreign policy, Le Pen has distanced herself from Russian leader Vladimir Putin but proposes pulling out of NATO's joint military command, in line with her promise to bolster French sovereignty. She has also proposed France-first changes that would challenge the foundations of the European Union.
D.Cunningha--AMWN