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Here's today's free edition. This is the World in Brief from The Economist.

Our top stories.

France's mainstream parties, the Central Left Socialists and the Greens,

as well as the Central Right,

Le Republicant, rejected an offer from Emmanuel Macron,

France's president, to create an alliance against the far right,

ahead of a snap legislative election.

Mr Macron dissolved the National Assembly on Sunday

after exit polls for elections to the European Parliament

showed significant gains for far-right parties.

Maureen Le Penh's national rally was projected to have scored nearly 32% of the vote,

more than double the shares secured by Mr Macron's party.

Anthony Blinkin, America's Secretary of State, met Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister in Jerusalem

to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier Mr. Blinkin, who is on his eighth trip to the Middle East

since October 7th, met Egypt's president in Cairo.

The visit comes after Benny Gantz resigned from Israel's War Cabinet on Sunday in a dispute with Mr. Netanyahu over post-war plans for Gaza.

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