France's Macron names loyalist Lecornu as new prime minister

French President Emmanuel Macron named loyalist Sebastien Lecornu, a one-time conservative protege who rallied behind his 2017 presidential run, as prime minister on Tuesday, defying expectations he might tack towards the left. The choice of Lecornu, 39, indicates Macron's determination to press on with a minority government that stands firmly behind his pro-business economic reform agenda, under which taxes on business and the wealthy have been cut and the retirement age raised. However, Macron's office said in a statement the president had asked Lecornu to hold talks with all political forces in parliament in view of finding compromises on the budget and other policies before naming his cabinet, in an unusual move in French politics. Macron was forced to appoint...