French political parties seek alliances before final round of local elections

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Candidates look for deals with rivals to boost chances as major seats including Paris, Marseille and Lyon appear tight

Political parties in France are hastily attempting to negotiate strategic alliances before the final round of local elections this weekend, after a strong showing by the far right and the radical left.

This Sunday’s final-round vote for mayors and local councillors in major cities including Marseille, Lyon and Paris is expected to be close.

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Iranian Officials Say They Have Been Ignoring Witkoff’s Private Requests to Talk – Givebutter

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  1. Iranian Officials Say They Have Been Ignoring Witkoff's Private Requests to Talk  Givebutter
  2. Transcript: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," March 15, 2026  CBS News
  3. ‘We never asked for a ceasefire,’ says Iran’s foreign minister, as war keeps raging  NPR
  4. Iran Tests U.S. Military Might With a Guerrilla Assault on the Global Economy  WSJ
  5. Iranian foreign minister claims Trump launched war 'because it is fun'  Fox News
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European takeover battle hots up with UniCredit’s ‘unfriendly attack’ on Commerzbank

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Milan-based bank plans to up its near-30% stake in German lender to trigger formal talks despite strong opposition from Berlin

Two European banking powerhouses have become embroiled in a €35bn (£30bn) takeover battle after Italy’s UniCredit stepped up its long-running pursuit of German lender Commerzbank, despite strong opposition from the German government.

UniCredit first took a stake of 9% in Commerzbank in September 2024 and has since built up its holding to just under 30%. It said on Monday it was pushing to increase that holding further and push the rival lender into formal merger talks.

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