French premier steps down to focus on presidential election

PARIS — French Prime Minister Manuel Valls stepped down Tuesday to focus on running for president in next year’s election and was replaced by Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, a man who embodies the fight against Islamic extremism.

The 53-year-old Cazeneuve is a close ally of Hollande and became a popular figure as the champion of measures tackling extremism.

Cazeneuve, appointed interior minister in 2014, faced a series of attacks in France that have claimed more than 200 lives since January 2015.